“What business did you have spying on me?” he countered.
“Son, I asked you first. Please, think of it as a mother’s concern.”
“Well…” Duncan sighed, finally relenting. He knew that she would not rest until he told her. “I went to ask for Lady Sophia’s hand in marriage.”
Duchess Anna let out a loud gasp.
“You are not serious?” she asked, her eyes widened with shock. “You did not even consult me before doing so.”
“I did, mother. When I told my intention this morning, that was my way of consulting you.”
Duchess Anna shook her head, disappointed.
“Oh, and she must have agreed to the match? Because of course, she must have.”
A wry smile played on the Duke’s lips.
“She did not seem that happy about it, but of course, she agreed to it,” he said. “But I see it as an overall good. She is going to be my wife, and your wish to see me get married will be fulfilled.”
Duncan could see that his mother was very unhappy with his decision. She could not even bring herself to fake a smile.
“Are you absolutely sure about this decision, Duncan?”
“Mother, it is a bit too late to go back on my word now, is it not?” he asked. “It is best that you accept it.”
“If that is what your mind is set on, then I will support you in your decision,” she sighed. “But there are still a certain number of things that Lady Sophia must do before she is to become the Duchess.”
“I don’t want you to scare the poor girl. She is not even a part of this family yet.”
She shook her head gently.
“I am not intending to scare her, but it is for her own good. You know what whoever the new duchess is will be subjected to extreme scrutiny by the public. I know this because I had the same experience. She must be prepared.”
Duncan did not seem convinced.
“And how do you propose to do that, exactly?”
“Well, I will take matters into my own hands and prepare her for her future role myself. I am certain that once she undergoes training with me, she will be a great fit.” She smiled. “I will teach her everything from poise to proper manners to the art of diplomacy.”
“And how do you know she will be willing to learn?” His tone was concerned.
“My dear, I will never force my decision upon you. You are free to make your own decisions and marry who you want to. But once you bring someone into this family, then it becomes my responsibility to make sure that she is a great fit.”
Duncan knew that there was no use in arguing with his mother. Once she had made up her mind about something, it was almost impossible to get her to change it.
“Very well then.” he conceded. “But I only have one demand from you. Do not scare her away.”
“Oh, dear God. If I knew meeting with my mother-in-law was going to be this stressful, I would have never agreed to the marriage,” Sophia whined as Clara made the final touches to her hair in front of the vanity.
“Calm down, Sophia,” her aunt laughed. “It is not as nerve wracking as you are making out to be.”
“I have never met the woman before,” Sophia replied. “Who’s to say what her intention is in coming here? This whole situation has been so whirlwind.”
“I am sure that her intentions must be noble, for her son intends to marry you, and she should honor that,” her aunt assured her. “You have nothing to worry about.”
“I must say, My Lady, the Viscountess’ mother-in-law was quite the nightmare,” Clara chimed in. “I felt as though I had to walk on eggshells around her my entire life. In fact, I was quite happy when she finally went back to God.”
Sophia and her aunt both gasped in horror before bursting into peals of laughter.
