She’s not as immune to me as she pretends to be. But will she bend to my terms?
He hailed his carriage, his thoughts already turning to Lempster Estate.
Time to set the rest of this in motion. Pamela needs her, and the duchy needs an heir. Camelia will learn her place, one way or another.
CHAPTER 11
“Oh, Camelia, imagine you as a duchess!” Margaret giggled, her eyes sparkling with mischief as she fumbled a stitch. “Will you wear a tiara every day and order us about like royal subjects?”
Camelia sat in the sunlit parlor, her needle gliding through the fabric as she embroidered a delicate rose. Her sisters were seated beside her, their laughter filling the room like a bright melody.
Her lips stretched into a grin, her cheeks warming. “Hardly, Margaret. I’ll be far too busy keeping His Grace from glowering at everyone.”
Iris snorted, her stern gaze fixed on her precise needlework. “You’ll need more than charm to manage that man. The Duke’s got a reputation for being dark, brooding, and not easily tamed. You’re marrying a storm, Camelia.”
“A storm with very broad shoulders,” Margaret quipped, dodging Iris’s sharp elbow. “Don’t pretend you haven’t noticed, Iris! Camelia, do tell us, will he sweep you off to some grand ballroom for your first dance as husband and wife?”
Camelia laughed, shaking her head. “I suspect he’d rather avoid ballrooms altogether. But I’ll convince him to host one just for you, Margaret.”
“Good luck with that,” Iris said dryly, though a rare smile tugged at her lips. “He does not seem one for frivolity. You’ll need to be clever to keep up with him. A duchess must be steel beneath silk.”
Camelia knew that Iris always spoke from her own experience, and she cherished every piece of advice.
“Oh, Iris, must you always be so serious?” Margaret groaned, tossing a spool of thread at her. “Let Camelia enjoy her wedding dreams! I bet His Grace will be utterly besotted, staring at her like she’s the only star in the sky.”
Camelia’s heart fluttered at the thought, her needle pausing as she imagined Raph’s intense gaze. “I hope I can make him happy,” she said softly, and instantly regretted speaking her mind.
Iris and Margaret paused their needlework, their gazes settling on her with knowing smiles that hinted at shared secrets and unspoken endearments.
The door creaked open, and their father stepped into the room, his kind eyes crinkling at the sight of them.
“What’s this I hear about a bride-to-be?” he asked, his voice warm as he settled into an armchair. “My girls, you’re a vision, all laughter and light.”
“Papa, we’re plotting Camelia’s triumph as a duchess!” Margaret declared, her grin infectious.
Lord Lempster chuckled, his gaze softening as it landed on Camelia. “Your mother would be proud, my dear. She had a fire in her, just like you three. A light that lit up any room. Camelia, I’ve no doubt you’ll shine as a duchess, just as she would have known you would.”
Camelia’s throat tightened, and her sisters’ laughter quieted into tender smiles. She reached for Iris’s hand on one side and Margaret’s on the other, their warmth anchoring her.
This marriage is more for them than for me.
“Thank you, Papa,” she whispered, her heart swelling with love for her family.
But the weight of her impending marriage, along with the daunting responsibilities of a duchess, a mother, and a wife, pressed heavily upon her. A tide of apprehension threatened to shatter her resolve.
She sat rigidly on the edge of her chair, her hands clasped tightly in her lap, her heart pounding as she tried to focus on the embroidery again.
Tomorrow. The wedding is tomorrow.
The thought churned in her mind.
Why did I agree to this? Why does he want me?
Her fingers fumbled with the needle, and it slipped as she recalled Raph’s dark gaze in the library, his whispered promises of consequences and discipline. The heat of his breath on her ear and so close to her lips that it made her shiver.
The door to the study suddenly swung open, and the Duke strode in unannounced, as if summoned by her thoughts. His presence commanded the room as if he owned it.
He might as well.
