Page 12 of Deviant Duchess
“Pray, what is it?” Frances asked warily.
Deborah drew in another deep breath, praying for strength.
“I am engaged,” she announced, “I am to marry the Duke of Calder by mid-next week.”
Frances’ milky complexion paled so quickly that Deborah feared she was going to faint.
“Mama?” Deborah asked, taking a step toward her.
Frances shook her head, pedaling backward from Deborah’s outstretched arms.
“You were with a man last night?” She hissed. “After what happened with your sister? After how she was destroyed? Have you learned nothing, you insolent girl!”
Deborah’s worry shifted to anger almost at once. It had been three years since Hester left, and today her name had been spoken more in the last few minutes than during the entirety of her absence.
“Do not speak to me about Hester, Mama,” Deborah shot back, “When she went through her scandal all you did was lock yourself in your room and feel sorry for yourself! You never even tried to help her!”
“I tried to stop her from that auction!” Frances shouted, “I told your uncle to find something else!”
“There was nothing else!” Deborah shouted back, “You made sure of that when you allowed Uncle Archibald to use our dowry funds for his investments! If you had not done that perhaps Hester would have done better on the marriage mart!”
“He needed those funds to save the family!” Frances countered.
“But he did not! He failed at his investments. Again! Just as I feared. Just as youknewwho he would because you know how poorly he handled his own money before he inherited father’s!”
“Deborah, please,” Frances said, already sounding exhausted despite the early hour of the day, “You know your uncle has only tried to help this family.”
Deborah rubbed at her temples, grateful that Cedric had simply dropped her off at her family’s house instead of insisting upon coming inside. She had assumed that the conversation was not going to be a pleasant one, but after three years of silence, she had not expected her mother to bring up Hester, and that had unleashed the deep well of fury she’d strained to keep hidden.
“I know,” she relented, “And I know that he only presented the option of the auction. You tried to insist against it. It was Hester who made her choice. But Mama, you must see that you and he are partly responsible! If you would have allowed Hester to debut on time, before Uncle started losing our money. If you would have laid aside the dowries-”
“Enough!” Frances boomed, stomping her foot as she clenched her fists, “We are not discussing this anymore! I cannot change the past, and I cannot allow this marriage! Who knows who saw you galivanting with him last night?! Who knows that you spent the night with him last night?! For all we know, the rumor mill could already be churning!”
“He is not like the Earl, Mama. The Duke of Calder is going to marry me,” Deborah insisted.
He, in fact, practically blackmailed me, but I will keep that to myself.
“What were you doing with him last night?” Frances demanded, taking a step toward Deborah, “Where did you meet him? What did you do for him that has him wanting to marry you so quickly?”
Multiple answers appeared in Deborah’s mind, but with how upset her mother was, she already knew she would not listen to them all. So she decided to tell her the truth that would leave her speechless. Perhaps then, their argument might finally stop.
“I went to the auction,” she stated, tilting her chin up as she met her mother’s eyes. They widened with shock just as she had suspected.
“The auction?” Frances whispered, “The same one that-”
“Yes,” Deborah confessed, “And it was the Duke of Calder that purchased me. His circumstances are quite different, and he has his reasons for an expeditious marriage that are frankly not my business to share.”
Frances gaped at her in silent shock.
“He has gone to acquire a special license,” Deborah went on, hating how the morning was going thus far. “When he returns, he will ask you for my hand. If you say yes, you will be paid for it.”
Frances’ eyes narrowed.
“Paid for it? How do you mean?”
Deborah did not answer. She knew what Cedric had promised, but she wasn’t going to give her family false hope.
“You will see,” Deborah said, done with the conversation, “Now if you will excuse me, I am going to find Gracie and spend some time with her before I have to leave.”
