The duke turned to her, slowly, reluctantly, but surely. The look of irritation in his eyes made her blood run cold.
He does not want to be here.
She felt as if her heart would burst with fear and anger as his gaze met hers. Matters would surely be over when Lady Doherty saw the way he was looking at Isabella.
“Hmmm,” she began to circle them again for what seemed like an eternity until stopping in front of the duke and looking directly at him. “You, Your Grace, tell your future bride that you love her,” she snapped the command almost as sharply as if she had used her fingers.
Cassian’s eyes darkened as he drew a veil over his face.
Isabella almost wanted to reach out and shake him, but she held herself back for fear of what would happen if she did.
His lips parted, almost slowly, as he had turned to her. “I…”
Her heart froze as her breathing eased.
“I… love you… Lady Isabella,” his voice was cool, clipped, and to the point despite his stammer.
Her chest began to rise and fall with every breath as Isabella stared at him. The words made her feel faint despite the fact that he had been instructed to say them. She opened her mouth, needing to respond with another truth when Lady Doherty clapped her hands above her head.
“Richard!” she yelled over her shoulder before turning back to the group. “I have come to a decision.” Her expression gave nothing away.
Turning back to the woman, Isabella sucked in a sharp breath. Who was Richard, and what exactly had this strange woman decided in such a short space of time?
She could see that he did not mean it.
Her heart broke in two as tears threatened to spill down her cheeks. She had known that he did not love her, yet she suddenly realized that there had been a part of her that had held onto hope that he had.
Allowing her face to break into a smile, Lady Doherty stepped toward them. “Now this was a very interesting match. I see many young couples from my position beside the Queen, and very few have ever been honest.” She paused.
A tense hush fell over the group as everyone seemed to be waiting with bated breath.
“She fell for him first,” Lady Doherty said simply. “She is in love with the duke.”
Shame and embarrassment rose to her cheeks as Isabella struggled to keep her head held high.
Am I in love with him?
Isabella began to second-guess her own feelings.
“But!” Lady Doherty’s voice called out sharply again.
Everyone jumped, including the duke.
“The duke, here, has fallen for her harder. He is utterly in love with Lady Isabella, so much so that he can barely contain it. I shall tell the Queen that special permission should be given at once, without hesitation, and certainly with full knowledge that a love match has been found among the ton. For when passion burns bright, it lights a fire in us all that cannot be tamed.” Her lips curved into a pleased smile.
Stealing a glance at the duke, Isabella could hardly believe what she was hearing.
She believed our lie?
Cassian was just as stiff and quiet as he had been before he had been forced to say that he loved her. He still refused to look at her, yet something seemed different about him; his eyes were just as uncertain as the beating of Isabella’s heart.
Her pulse barely slowed when the woman turned, clicking her heels on her way down the hall. “You may all leave now, rest assured that the special license shall be delivered to you this evening once the Queen has signed the agreement. You may proceed with the plans!” She waved over her shoulder, leaving them all in stunned silence.
Lady Kendrick spoke first as she breathed a heavy sigh of relief. “Well, at least we know that she knows what she is about.” She turned to Isabella and Cassian with her usual enthusiasm. “Shall we all retire to our home while we await the blessed document?”
Cassian turned to her quickly, his body animated for the very first time since they had arrived at the house. “How can you be so nonchalant in the face of the lie that we all just participated in?” he growled.
Isabella’s heart sank again, making her want to run from the room. If he needed to reassure them all that it had indeed been a lie, then he was just marrying her to save her reputation.
