Chapter 16
Chapter sixteen
Ella
Ella watched as Dietrich hurried away from her, her stomach twisting in uncertain unease.
Why wouldn’t he speak to her?
She’d heard rumors that he hadn’t been back since the day she arrived, and everyone speculated it was because of her—at least, that’s what her new lady’s maid, Helen, had told her.
Helen was lovely, even if she was a bit of a gossip, and Ella wasn’t sure how much she could trust her.
However, since Helen was the only one willing to talk about Dietrich, Ella eagerly awaited her nightly reports.
It was good to see him again, even if he wouldn’t so much as look at her.
She paused near the portrait in the hallway, taking in her family as it had been all those years ago.
She still hadn’t grown used to the fact that her father was the duke and she could walk in to see him whenever she wanted. It was so different from what she had imagined—and somehow better than her wildest dreams. She had never felt more loved than she had in the past week.
Even the friendship she had felt from Beatrice and Danise paled in comparison to the pure joy and affection her family showered upon her.
Her father glowed every time he saw her, Duchess Regina was becoming more of a friend than a mother, and her younger sisters were ecstatic to have her in their lives.
She couldn’t imagine life without them now.
But every time she passed the stables, she thought of Dietrich.
If he realized how much he occupied her thoughts, he would probably tease her about it, joking that he was far too important to her. But it was the truth. She couldn’t stop thinking about him, and that was terrifying—especially since it seemed he could all too easily forget about her.
She knocked on her father’s study door and waited for a response, her eyes coming to rest on her mother’s face.
She could see why Dietrich had found them similar.
“Come in, dear,” her father’s voice said, surprisingly close.
Ella startled, realizing she’d been so distracted thinking about Dietrich that she hadn’t heard her father open the door.
Her cheeks flushed as he glanced down the hallway where Dietrich had disappeared.
If she didn’t know better, she would have sworn there was a twinkle in his eye as he said, “I have something important to discuss with you.”
She followed him into the study and settled into a chair by the fire, which was small, but it lent the room a cozy air.
“This may sound alarming, but we’ll make sure everything works out,” he said, sitting next to her and reaching out to take her hands in his.
Ella’s heart began to race. Alarming?
“You are technically betrothed,” he said.
Her breath caught, and she barely managed to choke out, “Betrothed?”
She was betrothed? And why was he only telling her this now?
Her father sighed. “I’ve spent the past week reviewing the contracts, and it appears the agreement is still in effect despite your disappearance—unless his family has broken it already.”
She didn’t have words to speak. What was she supposed to say?
“I know it’s a lot,” her father said, squeezing her hands. “Don’t worry.”
“I don’t want to be betrothed,” she said quietly.
“I understand. It was never the plan for you to find out this way. The two of you were supposed to grow up together, and we always agreed to break the arrangement if either of you didn’t want it.
But given the circumstances, I don’t know the current state of things.
I wanted you to be aware before we send out the news that you’ve been found. ”
Ella’s mind raced. “But what does this mean for me?”
“I’m not entirely sure,” her father admitted. “I will write to them, but until we hear back, everything is uncertain.”
“Why was I betrothed in the first place?” Ella asked. “How old was I when this was arranged?”
“You have to understand,” her father explained, “things work a little differently among the nobility. When you were young, we made the agreement to protect both of you. Among the aristocracy, people are always trying to position their children for power. Arranging a betrothal meant you were ‘off the market’ and safe from fortune-seekers. The plan was for you to spend time together, get to know one another, and decide if you wanted to keep the arrangement or break it.”
Her father chuckled softly. “Since you’ve been gone, you obviously haven’t had that chance. I understand why you would be hesitant to remain engaged to a young man you don’t know.”
“Do you know him?” Ella asked. “Or did your friendship with his family also end when I disappeared?”
Her father gave her a rueful smile. “We don’t know each other as well as we should. That’s something we’ll need to address. I plan to invite them to visit so you can meet him and decide what you want to do.”
Ella frowned. “I want to break it off.” She didn’t want to be betrothed.
Her father chuckled. “I understand, but we must wait to hear from them. I believe they’ll want the two of you to meet first.”
“What if I don’t wish to meet him?” she asked.
“I wouldn’t force you,” her father reassured her. “But I hope you’ll give it a chance. When you were a child, I arranged this match because I believed he was a good boy who would care for you and benefit you.”
“Who is he?”
“I don’t want to bias your opinion of him before you meet,” her father said. “His title isn’t what matters—it’s how you feel about him. That’s what’s important.”
Ella sighed. “Fine. I’ll meet him,” she said reluctantly.
It wasn’t as though Dietrich wanted her. She might as well meet this mysterious betrothed and see what he was like. Perhaps he wouldn’t be so bad. Perhaps she’d even find someone she didn’t hate nearly as much as she currently hated Dietrich for turning his back on her.
…or at least, as much as she wanted to hate Dietrich.
“There is one clause to be aware of,” her father admitted, “but I’m sure we will be able to set it all to rights.”
“What is it?” Ella asked, not sure if she wanted to know, but more certain that she didn’t want to be surprised by it.
“It stated that you were to be married by your twenty-first birthday.”
“And how old am I?” Ella asked. Why hadn’t she thought to ask that before?
“You’re twenty,” he said.
“And when is my birthday?” she asked.
“Six months’ time,” he said. “So really, there is still plenty of time to figure it all out. I would rather see it settled sooner than later, however.”
“I would too,” Ella agreed. Six months was much sooner than she had anticipated getting married, much less getting married to some stranger.
In fact, she hadn’t really considered getting married before this, so the whole idea seemed a little terrifying, to say the least.
“Don’t worry,” the duke said, smiling gently. “I promise we won’t make you do anything you don’t want to.”
“It’s not you I’m worried about,” Ella said, pointing to his desk, “but whatever contract you signed all those years ago.”
Her father simply shrugged. “We will manage it one way or another,” he said. “I would not fret.”
“You’re not the one who has to marry a stranger,” Ella said with a nervous chuckle. “I think worrying should be allowed.”
Her father leaned in and placed a hand on her knee to stop its bouncing. “I promise, Ella,” he said softly. “I just got you back. I’m not going to lose you to something you don’t want.”
Ella looked into her father’s eyes and nodded slowly. She believed him. The question was, would he be able to enforce that, or would the contract he had signed force his hand?
Not that she knew much about contracts…but weren’t they meant to enforce following through on something? Surely that didn’t change, even if you were a duke.
She watched her father as he stood. “I will write to his family,” he said. “Don’t worry.”
“You keep saying that, but you just informed me I may be marrying a stranger,” Ella said with a nervous chuckle as she also stood.
Her father leaned in and gave her a hug. “Maybe I shouldn’t have told you,” he said, “but I didn’t want it to be a surprise.”
“I am grateful that you did, because I think the surprise would have been worse.”
Much, much worse.
At least this way, she had time to come to grips with the idea.
Her father let out a chuckle. “I can imagine, which is why I was loath to do so. But all the same, I do not wish for you to worry. All will be well, I promise.”
She wasn’t quite sure how he could make that promise, but she wasn’t going to fight him on it.
“Thank you,” she said.
She still wasn’t sure what to call him. Calling him the duke seemed far too formal, since he was her father, but she didn’t know him well enough to call him father or his given name.
What was his given name?
The duchess called him “my love” or “darling” most of the time, and her sisters called him “Father,” all of which was very sweet, but did not help her in figuring out what to call him.
“You may go,” her father said. “Do not fret. I will take care of it for you.”
“Thank you,” she said again, before making her way out of his study.
She looked down the hallway to where Dietrich had disappeared.
Part of her wished to follow after him and confront him for disappearing. But doing so wouldn’t change anything and would only lead to frustration and hurt on her part, if not both of theirs.
No, following Dietrich would be a bad idea.
So she turned and walked the other way, back to the family wing, where her sisters would be.
At least they wanted to spend time with her.
Being their sister was perhaps the best position she had ever held.
It certainly came with a lot fewer regulations than being a future duchess.