Chapter 10
True to their word, Sophia and the Duke entered the ballroom in a way that to all those watching should have suggested that they were a couple in the throes of new romance.
They linked arms. They wore beaming smiles.
The Duke whispered at her to laugh as if something funny was said, and Sophia obliged him.
If first impressions mattered, Sophia felt that they had hit the mark perfectly.
The ballroom glittered like a crystal ball catching the sunlight.
Colorful gowns and frocks swam in every direction she could see.
Gold decked the walls. Marble lined the floor.
The chandeliers glowed yellow, catching the jewelry worn by the guests, casting its reflection so that it was blinding.
And at the center of it all were Sophia and her soon-to-be husband.
“That’s right,” he whispered in her ear as they glided across the ballroom. “Just like that. No need to overdo it.”
“Should we…” She swallowed the lump in her throat; it was brought about from nerves, the very real fact that she could feel the eyes of dozens watching her. “Should we do something?”
“Careful, Miss Sophia. If you mean to try and kiss me again –”
“I did not mean that!”
He laughed. “All we need to do is wait. Let them come to us.”
“Let who?”
“Everyone.” He looked at her and she saw his eyes glimmer with a sense of power and strength that she did not expect. “Let everyone come.”
Sophia had been to dozens of these balls, but it was always as the daughter of a viscount, always in the company of her parents, and always with a plan made ahead of time. Who she needed to speak with. How she was expected to act. Even what she was supposed to say!
This was different in so many ways. Some good, some scary, some thrilling. Her heart raced, her body ran warm, and she did what she could to act aloof and in control. I doubt I am managing it nearly as well as I think.
It didn’t take long for the first well-wishers to approach them.
Lord and Lady Gulliver, the Earl and Countess of Westford, were known to Sophia through her parents. Never had she spoken to them on her own, however, and never had she seen them so happy.
“Your Grace!” Lord Gulliver offered them a deep bow. “Let me be the first to congratulate you on your engagement.”
“Thank you, Lord Gulliver,” the Duke said with a smirk. “You are too kind.”
“And Miss Sophia,” Lord Gulliver then addressed her. “I must admit, we were quite… intrigued to hear of your engagement. Your father never mentioned that you and His Grace were close.”
“He would not know,” the Duke interrupted before she had a chance to speak. “Miss Sophia and I were forced to keep our romance a secret, fearing what people would say if they found out. Only when we knew our love was true, did we brave making it public.”
“How romantic,” Lady Gulliver purred.
“Isn’t it, though?” The Duke made sure to keep a tight hold of Sophia as he spoke, even going so far to look upon her with longing in his eyes that she felt in her chest as if it were real…
“And how did you two meet exactly?” Lord Gulliver followed up. “I would love to hear the tale.”
Sophia smiled. “We met at a garden party just last week.”
“Last week?” Lord Gulliver frowned. “I thought –”
“My soon-to-be is confused,” the Duke hurried to interrupt. “It was last week when we decided to wed at last.” He laughed a little too loudly. “We met far earlier in the Season. At the theatre.”
“Oh, I love the theatre,” Lady Gulliver said. “What show were you seeing?”
The Duke hesitated and Sophia saw worry pass across his face. “I don’t remember exactly.” Again, he laughed a little too loudly. “In truth, I was far too enamored by Miss Sophia’s beauty to pay the show any attention.”
“Isn’t that lovely,” Lady Gulliver sighed.
“Are you a fan of the theatre?” Lord Gulliver asked Sophia.
“She is,” the Duke answered for her. “We both are. One of our many shared interests, in fact. What is love with commonality?”
“What are your favorite shows?” Lord Gulliver asked simply. “Surely, you have similar tastes?”
Sophia glanced at the Duke who looked startled and unsure. His grip on her tightened, and she considered answering for him, which she could not do because she wouldn’t know what to say.
Suddenly, the folly of their attempted subterfuge became clear. How were they supposed to fake love and romance if they knew absolutely nothing about one another? And what if Sophia lied, only to be found out?
She started to sweat… and this is why I never step out of line. Freedom is nice sounding, but the danger inherent makes me wonder if I have made a terrible mistake.
“Sorry to leave you,” the Duke said finally, pulling Sophia into him, while side-stepping the question entirely. “But I have just seen a friend of mine. I really must give them my best.”
“Of course, of course,” Lord and Lady Gulliver both said. “We just wished to give you our best.”
“And we thank you for it.”
The Duke led her away quickly. “Don’t look back,” he said to her. “And smile as if everything is fine.”
“That did not go how you said it would,” Sophia said.
“I am aware.”
“We should have been better prepared,” she said.
“Most likely.”
“Perhaps we should take a minute to –”
“No, no,” he cut her off. “That sounds suspiciously like planning ahead. Isn’t the entire point of this to free you from that nonsense?”
Sophia side-eyed him, pursing her lips.
She knew the Duke liked to do things differently. She knew that he enjoyed testing the limits of what he could get away with, having no care for what people thought or said of him. Now, she was starting to see the downside to such a way of living.
Is it possible my parents have been right this whole time? And if they were, that this is a most terrible mistake from which I cannot escape?
Things only got worse from there.
It became a theme of the night, questions asked that both Sophia and the Duke should have known, being caught flat footed because they were practically strangers, and then being forced to lie their way out of it.
And the longer it went on for, the more Sophia began to question this decision she had made.
It was asked of the Duke what Sophia liked to do in her spare time. He knew she played the pianoforte, but when pressed on what her favorite composition was, he had no idea.
It was asked of Sophia what were the Duke’s hobbies, and all she could do was smile and blink stupidly until the Duke hurried with a response.
It was asked where they planned to go for their honeymoon, what their ceremony would be like, how many children they wanted, and all manner of personal questions that if they knew even one thing about the other would not have been hard to answer at all.
Two hours into the evening, and Sophia was starting to panic.
“They know,” she said to him in a fluster. “They must know.”
The two were standing in the back corner of the ballroom. Sophia had pulled him there, desperate to air her fears and hopefully come up with a new plan.
“Oh, you are just being hyperbolic,” he dismissed her as he looked around the ballroom; almost as if he was worried that they would be overheard.
“I am not,” she said hotly. “How was I to know your favorite food? How was I to know that –”
“It does not matter,” he spoke over her, his tone sharp. He smiled the whole time, however, just in case they were being watched.
“It does!”
“No, it does not.” He stepped into her, over her like a mountain bearing down on a small village. Her eyes widened and she had to resist the urge to take a step back. “You are new to this, so I understand your worry.”
“So are you,” she hissed.
“To being a duchess,” he corrected. “What you fail to realize is that it matters little what people think.” He looked around them again. “All anybody cares about is being seen, talking to us. That is what they will remember. Not…” He scoffed. “Not if I fail to recite your favorite piece of poetry.”
She looked at him flatly. “If that is the case, why do you keep on checking to make sure that nobody is listening.”
His eyes widened in surprise, and then a smile spread across his full lips. “Miss Sophia…” He chuckled. “I do this for you, remember. Say the word and I will happily announce the true reason we are engaged. See how that goes down.”
He was bluffing, she knew that he was. But Sophia balked at the mere mention that he might do such a thing. It would ruin her!
This entire evening… this engagement! It sounded like a good idea when first suggested but was just as quick to fall apart under scrutiny. Sophia was starting to realize why she spent her whole life following the rules, and she simply was not cut out for acting up and doing as she pleased.
Dammit, she cared what people thought of her. She always had.
None of that was to mention her reservations now concerning the Duke. How could she marry someone who she knew so little about? And someone who not only knew so little about her but did not care to find out more.
I never imagined that I would marry for love, but I always hoped I would at least like the man who I was forced to wed. But if my husband cares less than nothing about me, how can I care about him?
“Come on then.” He offered her his arm. “We best get back to it.”
She eyed the arm skeptically. “Should we go home? Before it is too late?”
He sighed. “Miss Sophia, all I ask is that you trust me. Do you trust me?”
“Not really,” she said before she could stop herself.
He laughed. “And once again, you prove to me why you need this. One day, you might even thank me for it.”
She doubted that very much.
Sadly, Sophia had no choice. She had made her decision, it was known by all, and she must stick with it. But would it be worth the cost? Was she really walking into freedom, or was she exchanging one prison for another? And worse still, she doubted that the Duke cared one bit about her misgivings.
That, she realized despondently, struck at the very heart of why this marriage could not work.