It still made no sense to her. And she had the good sense to realize that the Duke wasn’t about to elaborate and clear up the confusion.
He needed to marry me for reasons he does not wish to reveal. But what could they possibly be? Surely nothing worse than my own?
She knew nothing about the man, and thus she had no idea what to expect. Could she trust him? Was this another trap? And why had she not listened to her father and behaved for once!
“What now?” she asked finally, allowing her shoulders to slump with defeat because that was where she was. “What happens next?”
“Simple,” he said, his smile returning. “We will marry quickly to bury the scandal, at which point you and I will play the role of devoted lovers—a happily married couple, we will appear to all who see us.”
She snorted. “Somehow, I doubt that will be the case.”
“In public, it will be,” he said. “Behind closed doors, as I told you already, this will be a marriage of convenience. We will continue in this way for several months, at least until the ton grows bored of gossip, at which point you and I will go our separate ways.”
“What does that mean? Separate ways where?”
“It means that we will not live together until the end of our days,” he replied with a derisive chuckle. “Better for both of us, I dare say. Our separation will not be common knowledge, of course, and we will remain married in name. But you will live separate from me, and it will be as if…” His smile grew, and he flashed his eyes. “As if we never met. Which I can’t help but feel suits you perfectly well.”
She stared at him in disbelief. “You… Are you sure you did not plan this?”
“I’ve always been quick on my feet,” he said with a dismissive shrug. “And look at it this way. Perhaps one day all this will provide some inspiration for one of your little stories. Won’t that be nice?”
Nice was not the word Helena had thought to use.
But what could she do? What could she say?Nothingwas the answer to both of those questions. This marriage was happening now, and like it or not, she was forced to go through with it.
Her only hope was that the Duke’s words were true and that this marriage, one of convenience only, had an end date for her to look forward to.
Not a happy ending by any stretch of the imagination, but Helena had never been that breed of storyteller who believed happy endings were mandatory in life.
And she had never believed that she deserved such things. A truer story, she had never known.
CHAPTER 5
It was incredible how quickly things could change. Just two weeks ago, Helena had been all but certain that the next big event in her life would be the release of her very first novel.
She had lain awake at night dreaming of it, envisioning her own words printed in a book, convincing her father to read it, quizzing him, and feeling a sense of adulation as he was sure to praise the work, unaware that she was its author.
In hindsight, it had been such a small and insignificant dream to hold onto. Even if it had come to pass, nothing in her life would have changed. She would still be Lady Helena Monstrose, she would still be the troublesome daughter, and she would still be wondering where her future might lead and what was in store for her.
Now I know exactly where my future will lead, just as I know what is in store for me. Changes so monumental and earth-shattering that nothing will be the same ever again. And it terrifies me.
It had only been two weeks, and so much had changed already. And as Helena started to walk down the aisle toward her future husband, she knew that these changes were just the beginning.
“I am so proud of you,” her father whispered out of the corner of his mouth. “You have no idea, Helena. So proud.”
“Thank you, Father,” she said kindly, determined to commit to the ruse because there was no point in revealing the truth.
“He is a good man, the Duke,” her father continued. “A good man. And I know you will make him happy.”
“I am sure I will.”
“As he will make you happy,” her father added.
She glanced sideways, noted the twinkle in his eyes and the smile on his lips. Rarely had she seen him so smitten.
Helena thought to agree a final time that the Duke would indeed make her happy. But she had lied to her father enough these past two weeks and could not do so again.
They walked down the aisle of the church together. On either side were the pews, packed with family and friends come to seethis most important of days. As far as they were concerned, this was a love match, a reason to celebrate, and there was more than one wet pair of eyes and blubbering mouths in concert.
