Chapter 1
“Anastasia is gone.”
“Gone? What do you mean that your sister is gone, Evangeline?”
Of all the times her mother was overdramatic, this was perhaps the worst. Evangeline Dawson knew there was a chance that this was all going to go terribly sideways, but she had hoped that she would at least have been able to speak her piece before her mother jumped to conclusions.
“I mean, she is not in her room, and no servants have seen her since yesterday.” Evangeline quickly tucked the letter in her hand behind her back as her mother swooned and sank into the nearest chaise to fan herself.
“Oh, mercy! I knew that there was something wrong with her! I knew it in the way she was breathing at dinner last night. Did I not say something to you, Serenity? I think I did!”
Morticia Dawson, matron of the family, allowed her life to revolve around her daughters and their social standing, and as such, was overly aware of their every move.
Evangeline was painfully aware that the viscountess did everything in her power to distract herself from her own husband’s indifference and…
shameless infidelity. But she had to admit that she found her sister’s disappearance shocking, too.
“How could she do this to me?” Morticia wailed, nearly collapsing on the floor with melodramatic flair.
Serenity, the youngest of the sisters, turned to Evangeline, the eldest, clearly seeking help or a way out of the situation. Evangeline moved to sit in front of her mother and placed her smelling salts under the viscountess’ nose until she came to and began to wail all over again.
“That is enough!” Father’s voice boomed as he entered the drawing room, cutting off the viscountess’ tantrum as best as he could. His lack of patience with his wife’s antics was well known, and he often treated her harshly, even when he was at fault.
“Papa, you do not have to yell! Anastasia is—”
“What do you have behind your back?”
Evangeline produced the letter, dodging artfully as her mother attempted to snatch it out of her hands.
“Anastasia left a letter. She writes that she apologizes, but she cannot marry the Duke…” Evangeline attempted to explain, but her mother finally managed to snatch the letter from her hands, ripping the paper open so hastily that it almost tore the thing in half.
Morticia pored over the contents greedily at least twice over, judging by the movement of her eyes, before dissolving into hysterics once again.
Father snatched the letter from the viscountess’ hands without sparing her a second glance.
He positioned his monocle over his left eye and began to read in silence as all the ladies held their breath.
Her mother’s sobs were all Evangeline could hear as she wondered what would happen next.
And most importantly, was Anastasia safe? Where had she gone?
Serenity moved to sit beside Evangeline while their father was reading, scooting in close under the protective arm of her sister while awaiting his reaction.
“Ruined!” Morticia sobbed, her hand covering the lower half of her face.
“My beloved daughter has run away to escape marriage… And left us in ruin in her wake! How could she punish us so? Now Serenity will never marry, and she has not even had her debut yet! And Evangeline… well, she had no prospects, but still…”
As if I would wish to be controlled by a man.
To be humiliated and cheated on while I put on a fake smile.
Evangeline scoffed slightly at the outrageous thought.
Ever since she had caught her father with a mistress—and her mother had assured her that this was a normal and acceptable practice of all gentlemen—she had dismissed the idea of matrimony altogether.
Serenity slipped her hand into Evangeline’s, bringing her out of her reverie. She was waiting for her older sister to take charge, to handle things, but her father snapped before she could have the chance.
“How dare she humiliate me like this!” Father said, only the barest hints of emotion coloring his normally drab tone in irritation before he hurled the offensive letter into the roaring fireplace.
The Viscount of Wilkins was not a man to deal with emotions well.
He far preferred his ledgers and mistresses.
It was a constant source of stress to him that he had only had three daughters and not a single son.
“It is all because you were going to force her to marry that terrible duke! You have driven my beloved girl away from me!” Morticia continued, picking herself up from where she had slumped, but her eyes never left the letter burning in the hearth.
“That awful, cold-hearted man! Everyone knows of his reputation, and yet you insisted! Anastasia would never wish to disappoint you. You never allow any of us to have opinions that you disagree with! What choice did she have?”
“Mother…” Evangeline started, but she was at a loss for words. She had never heard her mother utter a single word of disagreement to her husband before. Let alone raise her voice to him.
“Do you even hear yourself? The Duke would have been a fine match for Anastasia! You said so yourself when you heard of his income. Did you girls think otherwise?” Leonard asked his daughters, but all the women in the room saw his words for the trap that they were, and said nothing.
Serenity spoke softly from behind the safety of her eldest sister. “What… what sort of man is the Duke rumored to be?”
“A man with a heart of ice! Just as I have said!” Morticia snapped.
“Everyone knows the rumors about him. His former betrothed mysteriously died a few days before the wedding! Perhaps you do not care for the future happiness of your daughter, but I shall not have my Anastasia disappear on the eve of her wedding under the same mysterious circumstances! Unlike some, my ambition knows when to have limits!”
“Silence! If you are a woman with a foolish enough heart to believe every silly rumor that she hears, then there is no point in attempting to have a civil conversation with you in the first place!” Leonard continued.
Evangeline had heard the same rumors that her mother was speaking about, and she wondered how much Anastasia knew about all that. And now Evangeline had to ensure that Serenity would not have to endure their parents’ argument any longer.
In any case, Anastasia spared herself a horrible fate by escaping such a man.
“It is all your fault! Our daughter was suffering in silence all those weeks, and now she did the unthinkable. Our family is ruined, and you are the one to blame!” Morticia continued as tears flowed freely down her cheeks.
“Mama, are you not more concerned about where she is? How is she supporting herself?” Evangeline got between her parents.
Her father avoided Evangeline’s gaze, seeming to realize that Anastasia was likely in need of funds, wherever she was, presuming that she had not already squirreled away some pocket money from his coffers beforehand.
It was written across his face, plain as day, and it made Evangeline more cross with him with every passing second.
“They say that the Duke sold his soul to the devil! I was against this union from the start!” Morticia exclaimed loudly, finally getting back up to her feet. It was the closest to standing up to Leonard that Evangeline had ever seen her do.
“That is utter nonsense. I will hear no more hogwash about the Duke of Harrowden selling his soul or whatever other ridiculous rumors you are about to bring up, and you had better remember your place!” Leonard said with a firm step forward.
He finished off the brandy in the small cup that he was holding and leveled her with a firm gaze that brokered no argument.
“Anastasia has disgraced this family, and she will be punished accordingly once she is brought back.”
The viscountess stood in front of Leonard, seeming to debate whether she was going to push the issue.
Serenity tugged softly at Evangeline’s bodice. “Do you think that she was afraid for her soul? Is that why she did what she did?”
Evangeline shook her head instantly. What her mother was referring to was nothing but a silly rumor perpetuated by the insipid gossiping minds of the tabloid writers. Anastasia was far too smart to believe those things said about the Duke.
No matter how frightening some of them were.
“Do not fret. Anastasia is all right. She is intelligent and shall be back with us soon,” Evangeline said softly to her sister, patting her on the back of her hand and hoping that the soft gesture would provide the comfort that it was meant to. But Serenity still seemed stressed.
Evangeline pulled herself from her sister’s clutches and stood in her father’s direct line of view. “Mother does have a point, Father, whether you like it or not. What Anastasia did was not proper, but would you have ever listened to her if she told you she did not want him?”
Leonard’s lip started to curl. “Now is not the time for your insolence.”
“It never seems to be the right time, but you ought not to marry any of us off to the highest bidder for the sake of money! What about our feelings?” Evangeline continued.
“You should have been so lucky as to have been proposed to by a duke! You have no room to speak whatsoever when you sabotage every prospect that I have placed in front of you. I know not many a man who would agree to wed a woman with your unusual eyes. And do not even get me started on your insolent tongue!”
“But Father—”
“But, father, nothing! Anastasia ought to have done her duty and been grateful for it! Marriage to a duke promises a very comfortable life! I am the head of this family, and I know what is best for you. Do you know who has built the very world you live in? Men. Why is it that still women think they know better? That they can defy the will of their father so easily? Honestly! Back in my day, you would have been punished for allowing your tongue to run away with you,” Leonard continued.
At her side, Evangeline’s fingers curled into tight, angry fists as she attempted to keep herself from vibrating with rage. She knew this speech—it was given to her every time her father felt that she was stepping out of line. Which was very, very often.
“So are women not to have an opinion about their own lives?”
“Women are to do their duty. Get married to a good man, have children, and be submissive and obedient to your father and husband! It is such a simple task, and yet you are failing at it!” Leonard hissed, his voice growing louder to ensure that he felt personally in control of the situation.
“Women are not breeding mares to be traded for status and endure all sorts of humiliations by their husbands!” Evangeline hissed, and even her mother recoiled at speaking back to her father.
“Evangeline…” Her mother touched her arm lightly.
Evangeline flushed in embarrassment as she realized how what she said must have made her mother feel.
It was the same look she had given her when Evangeline had told her that she had seen her father with a mistress.
Something akin to shame, but also resignation.
“I apologize, Mama. But I do not think Anastasia has done anything wrong. For one thing, I know I would rather eat a toad than tie myself to the Duke of Harrowden.”
Morticia and Serenity held their breath. The room was nearly so silent that a pin drop could be heard.
It was only when the butler cleared his throat uncomfortably that the family realized that they were no longer alone.
The butler had not wished to interrupt the shouting, it would seem, because in tow with him was a very finely dressed man with a sword on his hip that could only be one person.
“My Lord, His Grace, the Duke of Harrowden, to see you.”