Chapter 3
CHAPTER THREE
“My apologies, Lord Hartmoor, but the young Miss Danvers has requested to be left alone, with no intention of eating dinner. She stated that she did not have any appetite.”
Rowland sighed deeply and took his place at the head of the table, with Phoebe by his side, waving the housekeeper away.
“Thank you, Constance. That will be all.”
The housekeeper took her leave and Phoebe tried to focus on the meal before her. The day had been long and difficult, because her thoughts had been fixed on the duke, wondering how long it would take for him to visit.
She had wanted to trust him, even though he appeared to be unlike what she expected.
He had been accommodating of her request for an audience and had listened to her without interrupting even once.
She had heard that he was quite stiff but unpredictable, so it was a gamble what sort of person he would turn out to be when she had been on her way to meet him.
Despite his imposing nature, he had not looked down on her or sneered at her scar. And from that brief meeting, she felt as though she had truly made the right decision to consider this man as a possible husband for Anna.
It might not be the love match her sister might have desired, but at least he would treat her right. That is if he would really come to propose. After hours of nervously peeking out of the window, she had to assume that perhaps he had changed his mind.
But the day was not over yet, and maybe – just maybe, there was still a chance that he would keep his word.
“Are you all right?” Rowland questioned, passing Phoebe the small basket of bread rolls. “You have seemed distracted all day.”
Phoebe sat straighter, hoping to ward off her brother’s suspicions.
“Oh – well... I've been worried. About Anna.”
Rowland sighed deeply, looking haunted.
“As am I. Most of yesterday was spent curating a list of families with eligible bachelors who might be willing to marry as soon as possible, I wrote to them as well. I did what I could to explain the situation without making things look too dire or rush and all that we do now is wait. However... it is disconcerting. Having no certainty at all that our efforts would pay off,” he said, pushing his food around his plate idly.
“I understand just what you mean. I might have another solution, but I am not sure things will work out on that front. It is truly difficult, this position we are in.” She agreed, feeling the familiar waves of helplessness well up in her.
Rowland lowered his fork to the napkin by his plate and buried his face in his hands.
“I wish I could do more for her,” he whispered, voice thick with emotion.
“She is so young and so bright. She deserves the world. And that bastard broke her heart and ruined her reputation. He tried to end her life before it had really begun. And I am so worried for her. I am concerned that she will give up on herself before we even run out of options.”
Phoebe remained silent, knowing that Rowland still had much to say and she wanted to make sure he had the room to do so, uninterrupted. As she predicted, he continued after a moment.
“I was too hard on her, yesterday. I knew she must have been struggling to come to terms with what had happened, but all I could think of was how to fix things as soon as possible. She must think me cruel. Just as I think it is a heavy burden she has to carry on behalf of the family. I wish I had been able to do more for her. For you as well, Phoebe.”
“You are not cruel, brother. She is much smarter and much more resilient than we give her credit for. She knows – just as I do – that you are a good brother and you have been a wonderful guardian to us thus far. It is not your fault that we are in this situation, neither is it any of ours. She might not like your proposed solution, but she knows that you have a lot of responsibilities on your plate. You are doing your best to help. If anything... I should have done better and tried harder to secure a match. Perhaps if I had been braver and managed to secure the attention of a willing gentleman, no matter what the reason was –”
“Phoebe, no. You did what you could. You cannot possibly think we would have preferred for you to end up in a loveless marriage solely for our sakes–”
“It would have been worth it. Anything would have been better than watching you wear yourself out for our sakes, or watching Anna weep because a man who was unworthy of her did not have the courage to do the right thing and end things outright,” she snapped, trying not to get lost in the sorrow growing in her heart as she fought the instinctive urge to raise her fingers to her scar.
“I should have been the one suffering, not Anna. Not you. You both have done nothing wrong –”
The doors to the dining room burst open and the duke of Montford walked in, his self-assured demeanor creating the illusion that he owned the place. Constance trailed in after him, looking meek as she stated,
“T-The duke of Montford has arrived. He said he was here with a proposal –”
“Good evening, Your Grace,” Phoebe said quickly, rising to her feet and dragging her brother up as well.
Rowland looked utterly confused, but he still bowed when she directed him to, his eyes reflecting his nervousness as he glanced up to find the duke staring at him.
Phoebe understood that he likely did not know how to proceed with the situation, given that he had never met a duke before and he likely did not know why this one was in his house.
“Ah, you must be Lord Hartmoor,” Edward grinned, looking far too pleased to Phoebe, who could not imagine the reason for his excitement. “Forgive my sudden arrival, although I believe that you were expecting me. I am here for my wife. Miss Danvers?”
Phoebe was about to ask Constance to fetch Anna, when the duke shifted his gaze to her and asked,
“Are you ready, Miss Phoebe Danvers?”
And suddenly, the room seemed to tilt on its axis. She blinked, glancing at Rowland to make sure that she was not the only one who had caught that slip up, shivers running down her spine when she faced the duke and found him staring right at her.
“Y-Your Grace, I am not –”
“What is the meaning of this, Phoebe? What does he mean he is here for his wife? And why is he addressing you?” Rowland inquired, his brows drawn together in confusion.
Phoebe forced herself to breathe as she held up a hand in an effort to calm her brother, stepping back slightly so she could address the two men.
“I-I think there has been some sort of misunderstanding, Your Grace. When we met, I clearly expressed that my sister would make a wonderful wife for you. She is a suitable match, and I – I swear, Rowland, I spoke to him on Anna’s behalf. Not for myself.” She explained, breathing heavily.
Edward tilted his head slightly, seemingly amused by her words and when she faced him again, he said,
“There is no misunderstanding, Miss Danvers. As... reverting as it was to listen to you list all the wonderful qualities of your sister, while I am sure that she is a splendid young lady, I am not interest in her. It is you, I want.”
Phoebe stared at him in shock, wondering if perhaps this was all some sort of display of entertainment. There was no possible way this man – a man who had everything and could get whatever more his heart desired, would look at her and want her.
“Why?” she heard herself mumble, loud enough for him to hear. “Why me?”
“It is simple, really – I need a practical match. Hence why I went through all the trouble of having my desire for a wife advertised in the local newspaper. I was never interested in debutants – which is why I did not resort to attending social events or attempt to court anyone before settling down with her, if she met my standards. I prefer a woman who is more mature.” He paused, glancing between them.
“I did some research on your family, and I am aware that the sister you would have me marry is on the verge of a social extermination, due to her recent involvement in a scandal. So here is my proposal; I will save her from that nasty fate, as long as Miss Danvers here agrees to be my wife.”
“No,” Rowland stated firmly. “We appreciate your offer, Your Grace, but –”
“Wait, Rowland,” Phoebe held his hand and tugged him to her side as she addressed the duke. “What is it you really want? What do you hope to gain from this and how do you intend to save Anna?”
“Listen to me, Phoebe – you cannot do this. I do not feel comfortable handing you over to him, just like that. We do not know what his intentions are, and things could be much worse than they are now if we blindly agree to his demands,” Rowland hissed quietly, so only she could hear.
“I know, I know, brother. I understand, but with our situation as bad as it is right now, we do not have much of a viable choice. But he is being forthcoming with his intentions. Perhaps we ought to listen to him, at least. Please,” she replied softly.
Rowland was reluctant, even more so after he glanced up at the duke and was met with an open, bemused expression. But when Phoebe squeezed his hand gently, he relented, allowing her to face the duke who had been watching the interaction with an interesting expression on his face.
“Your Grace, how do you intend to help us?” she asked him again.
“Well, the matter of the scandal is quite simple. We’ll get rid of the scandal sheets in circulation – right down to the source.
Once we silence those spreading the rumors, we’ll give the people something else to talk about and before long, people will have forgotten all about it.
If you’d like, I will ensure Lord Brightwood is punished for his transgressions as well. ” Edward informed cordially.
Phoebe frowned, feeling as though his words were too good to be true. “Do you... really believe that will work? Your idea seems logically sound, but will it be so simple?”