The League of Untamed Hearts was a social club that Sophia, Helena, Anna, and a few of their other friends had once been involved in. It had started as a joke when they were young girls,conjured from the belief that none of them ever wished to marry. And that none of them ever would.
The ‘club’ had since disbanded, as many of them were now married, Helena included. The older the young women grew, the more they seemed to realize that marriage was not the prison they had all envisioned, and that there was even an upside to such things.
I just wish that I knew what that upside was.
In truth, Sophia had never been as ardent a supporter of the Untamed Hearts as some of the other women had been. While she had not yearned for marriage, she had always accepted that it would happen one day. And with that in mind, she had hoped that the man who she was forced to wed would be someone she cared for, trusted, and wanted to spend her life with.
More than that, she had at least assumed that she wouldknowher future husband. And that he would know her.
“I don’t know if I can do this,” Sophia said softly, almost as if she hoped her friends would not hear her.
“What?” Helena asked immediately. “Sophia, what do you mean by that?”
“Oh, should we make a run for it?” Anna asked with humor. “Out the back door before it is too late?”
“Anna!” Helena cried.
“I am joking.”
“Is now the time?”
Anna was indeed joking, Sophia knew. And even if she was not, it was far too late to consider running. Not that Sophia was the type who would ever do such a thing.
The day of her wedding was here, she was in a spare room of the church, waiting until she was called to walk down the aisle. Her dress was on, her make-up was ready, and all that was left to her was that final action needed… the act of giving herself to the Duke for the rest of her days.
She had done well to control her pesky emotions until now too. All week, Sophia had suffocated them, pressing down the doubt until she could hardly hear its call. The wedding was happening, and there was nothing to be done. In fact, she was not sure that she wanted it to stop – she was still committed to the dream that the Duke had sold her.
But as she looked at her dress, as she pictured her future, as she heard the small crowd gathering in the church’s nave, the fear and the trepidation grew stronger.
Why can I not escape the feeling that I have made a horrible mistake?
“This marriage is a sham,” she found herself saying as she looked at her reflection. “It is an utter sham. I should not… this whole thing… what was I thinking?”
“A sham?” Helena took her hand. “Whatever do you mean?”
“It is just nerves,” Anna agreed. “It will pass.”
“She is right,” Helena was sure to add. “I felt the same way on my wedding day. And look at me now. As happy as could be?”
Anna snorted. “Let us not use your marriage as an example.”
“And what does that mean?”
“Only that it did not get off to the best start,” Anna defended.
“It is not how it started, but where it finished,” Helena snapped. “If anything, that should give Sophia hope.” She looked hopefully at Sophia. “I know you are nervous. I know you think this is a mistake. But trust me, Sophia, marriage is a most wonderful thing and should you want it, you and the Duke will be happy together. I know it.”
Her stomach twisted with the guilt of the lies she had been forced to tell. Even her best friends did not know the truth of this marriage, fed the same lies as the rest of the ton in the hopes that the lie would be bought.
But as Sophia tried to swallow her fear, she looked between her friends and felt herself breaking. She needed their advice like she never had before. She needed them to tell her that this wasn’t a terrible mistake.
“I have lied to you,” she said softly, speaking into her chest. “About… about everything.”
“What do you mean?” Helena asked. “Lied how?”
She looked at them with desperation. “The Duke and I are not in love. We hardly know one another!” She winced and looked away. “This marriage, it is not a love match. It is not even a business decision made by my father. It is a lie, done for reasons that I thought made sense but now struggle to understand. I don’t… I don’t…” Her chin began to wobble.
“There, there.” Helena took her hand and pulled her into a hug. “Do not cry. You will ruin your make-up.”
