Page 94 of The Devil's Accidental Duchess
CHAPTER 32
Selina sat in the entrance hall, a blanket wrapped around her. She would soon be home again, but the constables had asked to speak with Philip, and she, weary as she was, had not minded. Anything to ensure that Lord Ramsbury received the full weight of the law’s penalty.
The sun was coming up, the sky clear after the night’s rainfall. It really did look like it was going to be the perfect day for a wedding.
“That was quite the ordeal, eh?” Reuben walked over to her and sat awkwardly beside her on the chaise longue.
She nodded. “It was not the most pleasant evening of my life.” She paused. “I heard that you were the one who noticed Lord Ramsbury was missing.”
“I never liked him.” Reuben laughed tightly. “He was always looking at you. You never saw him, and he never saw me, but… I did not care for the way he seemed fixated.”
Her jaw dropped, eyebrows shooting toward her hairline in disbelief. “And you didn’t think to say anything sooner?”
“It did not seem necessary.” Reuben gestured toward the drawing room, where Philip was still in deep discussion with the somewhat dazed constables. “The Duke is formidable. A seasoned and decorated war hero. You were betrothed to him; I did not think Lord Ramsbury would be idiotic enough to try something like this.”
She could not argue with his logic. Only a truly desperate man would have attempted to cross Philip. Unfortunately, Lord Ramsburywasa truly desperate man.
In truth, she felt a little sorry for him. It could not have been easy to carry an entire legacy on his shoulders, with no clear way to remedy the mistakes of his father.
“The Barlow fortune is… healthy, isn’t it?” she asked, glancing at her brother.
Reuben smiled. “I believe so. You know that Father has never been one for gambling or making ill-advised investments. He is more of a hoarder and a miser, whichisrather fortunate for our coffers.”
“Good.” Selina released a shaky breath. “That is… that is good.”
“Iamsorry that I didn’t voice my unease,” Reuben said after a moment. “If I had thought even for a second that Lord Ramsbury would try to steal you back, I would have stopped him myself.”
“I doubt Father would have,” Selina mumbled.
Her brother waved a dismissive hand. “Forget about Father’s opinion. Once you are married to Philip, it will not matter anymore. He will get over his upset.” He nudged her in the arm. “Besides, it is nice to see that this mess has unraveled rather well.”
“Thisis rather well?” She laughed.
He chuckled along with her. “I mean, it is nice to see you happy. Not right now, of course, but at Ashbrook.” His voice turned more serious. “I have been watching you and your Duke these past days. I doubt I have everseen you look so happy, so at ease.”
Selina stared at him for a long while. They had always had a good relationship, but they had never been close. She would not have shared her worries with him, and he would not have shared his worries with her.
So, it was something of a pleasant surprise to realize that he noticed more than she would have expected. It was even more heartening to realize that he cared.
“You deserve to be happy, Selina,” he said. “And Lord knows you deserve a better marriage than that of our mother and father. They have not exactly set the greatest example, and I have no doubt that if you had married Lord Ramsbury, it would have been history repeating itself.”
Selina cleared her throat. “You do not think it will be that way with Philip?”
“Not at all.” Reuben sighed. “I think he loves you, and I think you love him. That already puts you a step ahead of our parents.”
Thinking of their poor mother, a thought crept into Selina’s head.
“I think Mama probably loved him at the beginning,” she said quietly. “I think Father just wanted to perform a duty.”
Reuben frowned. “I cannot disagree.”
“Will you marry for love, or will you marry because it is expected of you?”
His frown deepened. “I have not thought about it too much, though I know I shall have to, in time. Of course, I would prefer to marry for love, but… we shall see.” His cheeks pinkened. “In truth, I am not sure I am capable of love. I worry that I have inherited that from our father.”
“Nonsense.” She elbowed him in the ribs. “I think it will take the right woman. She is undoubtedly out there somewhere. Besides, who could resist the heir to a dukedom? The moment you announce you are ready to marry, you will be inundated.”
His laughter reached a strained, almost panicked pitch. “Perhaps I shall avoid it a while longer then.”
