Page 46 of My Duke, The Stranger
“I do not… what are you saying?”
“Tonight, His Grace has invited over some business partners for supper. His memories might not have returned to him, but he insists on acting as if they have. Right now, he is in his office, dedicating himself to catching up on all that has been lost to him. He knows how important his business dealings were before the accident, and he refuses to let them fall by the wayside.”
“And how does this concern me?”
“I had thought that would be obvious,” Mr. Pemberton said. “You will be joining him for supper.”
“What?” Isolde lurched back as if she had been slapped. “I… surely that is the last thing I should do?”
“It is the first thing,” Mr. Pemberton said. “It is expected that you join, for to not do so will look strange. You are his wife.”
“But…” Isolde’s heart started to race in panic. “Cassian will not want… I am the last person… I will only make things worse!”
“He knows that you must join him, just as he will understand the etiquette of it. And because you will be joining him, you will be expected to act as a duchess. You must fool his guests into believing the lie you have spun.”
Isolde’s face started to grow warm as the panic rose inside of her.
When Cassian had no memories of his past, it was easy for her to play a false role because he did not know any better. She could make mistakes. She could do as no lady would. What was more, Cassian had seemed to like it about her, that she was not so stuck-up and proper.
But she was not a lady. She did not belong in the ton. And married or no, that wasn’t going to change. Nor would it ever.
“I do not know how to be a lady,” she said. “And the moment I try, it will be so obvious that I do not belong that it will not take a genius to figure out what I have done. My presence can only hurt Cassian.”
Mr. Pemberton chuckled. “Why do you think I am here?”
“To warn me,” she said bitterly.
“To help you,” he said. “You will join His Grace for supper, and you will act as a lady must. You will prove to His Grace thatthis marriage is not a trap but one that is advantageous.” He made sure to look directly at her. “You wished to know how this might work, how you might go on? It starts tonight, Your Grace. It starts with proving your worth, as well as proving to yourself that you have a right to be here.”
“But I do not have a right to be here.”
“You will do,” Mr. Pemberton said. “By the time I am done with you, even His Grace will wonder if you are who you say. Trust me, Your Grace. But most of all, trust yourself.”
The last thing that Isolde wanted to do was join Cassian and his business partners for supper. Never mind how out of place she might be, but to find herself so close to the man whom she had lied to and hurt, and so soon after the fact, made her want to crawl into a hole and hide for the rest of her days.
She doubted that Cassian would appreciate what she was doing. And she doubted that it would do anything to change his opinion of her. Just as she knew that she had no choice.
I am responsible for this mess, and the least I can do is whatever I must to not make it worse. This isn’t about Cassian forgiving me, but about me making up for what I have done…
Her heart still raced. The panic inside her did not vanish. But Isolde considered the reality of her new world, just as the phrase ‘for life’ echoed in her mind. She could not spend her life hiding. There was nowhere to run. She was a duchess now, and if acting the part helped Cassian even a little, she would do it.
“All right,” she said as she brought herself up and attempted to look confident. “Just tell me what I need to do.”
Nineteen
Isolde stood before the mirror in her bedroom as she observed her outfit. The gown was elegant without being ostentatious; not quite as beautiful as her wedding gown, but more than what she might be expected to wear to a day event. Her hair was worn in tight ringlets. Her makeup was subtle, and her jewelry was sparse but precise.
“Are you certain Cassian wishes for me to join him?” she asked Mr. Pemberton, who stood right behind her.
“I have spoken to him, Your Grace, and he knows the reason, just as he knows of its importance.”
“What…” She looked at Mr. Pemberton in the mirror’s reflection, trying to find his eyes so that she could see his response. “What did he say when you asked him? How did he… was he upset?”
“He simply agreed, Your Grace,” Mr. Pemberton said. “Nothing more, nothing less.”
“Yes…” Her stomach knotted. Perhaps it was guilt that did it? Or perhaps it was sadness, as if she had expected, even hoped, that Cassian would be eager to see her. “That is… that is good to hear.”
“You are ready,” Mr. Pemberton said. “Remember, when in doubt, do nothing. A lady’s role is not to be the center of attention or to draw the eye. You are like a portrait in a room, one that ties the room together, but does not make it.”
