His gaze hardened. “There’s nothing to be done now. They can visit once we are settled.”
“How dare you!”
“You keep asking ‘how dare I’, but I haven’t gotten a chance to demand how dare you!”
Veronica was stunned. “How dare I what?”
“Marry another man.”
“You were the one who abandoned me! You ignored me. Youshunnedme. And then you try to punish me when I attempt to move on with my life.”When I try to save my family.
“You do not move on from me!”
“I had to think of my family! Do you have any idea how destitute we were becoming? Or did that bit of news also fail to reach the castle where you have secluded yourself all this time. And after the scandal Lord Gallmore was the only one who would have me.”
“Excuse me?”
“Me knocking the candelabra... and setting the ballroom on fire, it caused quite a scandal, and no matter how hard my parents tried to control the damage, people got hurt because of it.”
“It was an accident,” he said, but his face assumed a hard and closed off expression. He turned to look out the window. “You cannot be blamed for it. Just like you cannot blame your choice on the fire.”
“My parents lost half a fortune by offering to fix the damages! It was why I had to marry someone with money and why when you ignored me I had to look elsewhere! I wasn’t about to live my life as a spinster just because you didn’t want to marry me.”
“We were engaged and yet you assumed I would not keep my promise to you.”
“How could I believe in you? You never made an effort to move forward, or to even let me make the first move and talk to you. You shut me down, just like the entirety of the ton did after the fire!”
Christopher let out a growl, pounding on the roof of the carriage, signaling for it to stop. Before it had stopped, he jumped out of the carriage, leaving Veronica alone.
Only when he had slammed the door behind him did she allow her bitter tears to fall.
It wasn’t fair, any of it.
She thought she would have more time with her sisters. That she would get to eat the meal her family’s cook prepared with her in mind. She didn’t get to pack her things.Would they even make it to me now, or will my husband even deny me that comfort? Perhaps he will insist I have all new things now that I am a duchess in my new home.No, she couldn’t even think the wordhome.
The place she was going to could never be called home. It was a prison at best.
She wept bitterly, alone and isolated.
Chapter Four
“And let me just say once more, how honored I am to officially welcome to your new home, Your Grace! To show the new mistress around! How wondrous!” the Housekeeper of the estate, Mrs. Beatrice Carter, rambled on, nearly vibrating with excitement as she took her on a tour of the castle.
“Our butler wanted to do so himself, but I reminded him that you would likely wish for a woman to show you around! You must have been so startled when His Grace stopped the wedding, you simply must share the details once you are settled! Oh and this is the ballroom! Isn’t it a wonder!”
“It’s beautiful!”
Tall and wide windows took over one side, overlooking the balcony and the gardens it led to. Though the signs of abandonment and lack of use were clear. She traced a finger overone of the many silver mirrors, now so tarnished they looked charred.
“The house is not in the condition I would have liked for this tour. You see, Your Grace, we did not know you would be joining us! Well, we suspected when His Grace left, but we did not know if he would indeed return with a Duchess! An how very glad we are that he did! Why, our cook even prepared a pie, do you like venison pie?”
“I do!”
“Oh how lovely! You must also try her custard pie, she is known for it!”
The second she had stepped out of the carriage, less than an hour ago, a short, middle aged woman with grey hair under a small cap stepped forward. Face wreathed in smiles, she introduced herself as Mrs. Beatrice Carter, the housekeeper, and offered to show her around.
Seeing as the duke had all but stormed into the castle as soon as they arrived, a tour of the castle she was supposed to be in charge of sounded like a good idea.
