Page 16 of Deviant Duchess
Again, Adeline gave another careless shrug.
“It could be amusing,” she admitted, “If it happens.”
“I will ensure that it does,” Deborah promised.
Something like hope sparked in Adeline’s eyes, but she remained straight-faced as she gave another shrug.
“If you say,” she said blandly.
“Do you want to come with me, Adeline?” Grace asked, offering the girl her hand, “We can sneak some treats from the buffet table, and you could show me your old room if you like?”
A smile finally spread across Adeline’s face, and she quickly agreed. Deborah made a mental note to thank her sister for her kindness and watched affectionately as they skipped off toward the dining room, where the food was laid out.
With her sister gone, Deborah took a moment to check in not only with herself but also with her surroundings. Her stomach was still queasy, and her hands had begun to shake again. She grimaced at the discovery and tucked her hands in her skirts to hide them as she took a long look around the room.
The guest list had indeed been small. From Deborah’s side were Grace, their mother, and their uncle. From Cedric’s side, Adeline, a man he introduced as the Duke of Hungate, and Cedric’s solicitor, a man whose name she’d already forgotten. Each party stood on opposite sides of the room, neither mingling with the other now that the ceremony was over.
Her eyes found Cedric as he spoke to the Duke of Hungate, and they remained fixed there as she took him in. Redwyne the Divine. The illustrious rake was now her husband. Herhusband.
She was supposed to be seeking revenge for Hester by now, but instead, here she stood in a wedding dress, yoked to a man whom she found offensively cocky and noncommittal.
What have I done?Her heart sank in her chest at the question, and she turned to look at her mother.
For the thousandth time since Cedric had proposed, Deborah wondered what Hester would say or do if she were there to give her the advice she desperately yearned for. Frances saw Hester as weak, but Deborah knew better. Hester had been incredibly brave to take the risk she did, and she had done so in the pursuit of fixing a mistake she should not have been responsible for.
It was only when Hester’s heart was broken that she had crumbled. So if Deborah kept her heart protected from any silly feelings, she could still accomplish everything she wanted, despite unexpected setbacks.unexpected setbacks.
My heart is firmly unbroken. I am still strong. I will remain strong, and I will avenge you, sister.
Tingles spread through her lower belly, then as she felt a hand smooth over her lower back, she turned in time to see that Cedric had joined her.
“You look like someone trying to choose a side,” he mused, the heat of his hand spreading from her lower back to her entire body.
“No,” she replied, ignoring the delightful warmth tingling through her veins, “I have firmly chosen.”
Cedric perked a curious brow.
“Me?”
Deborah gave him an exasperated look.
“Surely that is obvious,” she replied with open sarcasm, and her heart throbbed as Cedric answered with a laugh. She may not like much about him, but she had to admit, she did appreciate that he seemed unbothered by her penchant for speaking as dryly and sarcastically as he did. At least she would not have to worry about watching her tone or offending a delicate ego.
“Indeed it is,” Cedric agreed, “But it is also obvious that you have yet to eat something.”
He cast a pointed glance toward her hands, which were still trembling.
She looked at him, surprised.
“You noticed that?” She asked, “But I was hiding them!”
“Not well enough, obviously,” Cedric replied wryly, then shook his head. “Come, let us announce breakfast. With the ceremony over I do not want to waste any more time than necessary being in London.”
Deborah did not miss the glimmer of worry in his dark eyes as he took a long glance around the room.
“Besides, I do not want to risk upsetting Adeline by being here much longer. Had I known that you were insistent on her attending, I would have chosen another venue,” he said quietly.
Deborah studied his expression, surprised that he actually looked like a concerned father looking for his child.
