The Duke and the Accidental Bride (Duchesses of Convenience #5)

Chapter 1

Chapter One

A nthony looked up at the humble town house his carriage had just stopped in front of. It looked well-tended to, yet lacking the flamboyant strappings of other town houses in the same area.

He had heard that the Viscount of Wynten was a responsible man and not a man given to frivolities. His house, at least on the outside, reflected that character.

There was no stray weed seen on the path to the house. Even the garden looked well-tended and he wondered how he was able to manage his household staff as well as his estate with no wife. He had heard the man lost his wife at the birth of their third daughter.

He climbed up the steps to the house and knocked, barely frowning when the butler startled at his appearance.

"I am here to see Lord Wynten. He is expecting me," he announced handing his hat and cape to the man.

"And who should I announce is calling?" he asked, eyes still taking in his face.

"The Duke of Devlin."

At his title, the man straightened and hurried to his duty after handing him over to a parlor maid who spilled the tea she was tasked with pouring because she couldn't help but stare at him.

One might think that after six months of stares, he would be used to it but now as the Wynten house staff stared, he wanted to shrug on his coat and return home.

The scar brought him more attention than he was comfortable with and it got tiring trying to maintain an unbothered facade.

"Leave me," he told the girl as his temper was truly at its end.

She squeaked and moved quickly away. He growled, gritting his teeth at the fact that she would go on to spread rumors that he was really the Devil Duke they called him.

"Your Grace, he asks that you talk in his study," the butler announced a few minutes later.

He didn't dally and rose, admiring the simple yet elegant interior of the house.

When he finally met Lord Wynten, he shook the man's hand as he recalled few interactions with him in past years.

"You are welcome to my home, Your Grace," the Viscount smiled. "My, have you grown. I haven't had the pleasure of your company since you were a mere schoolboy."

He smiled fondly at the memory.

"I was so sad to hear of your father's passing," he added. "He always seemed the sort that would live forever."

They laughed at that joke and at once he felt his earlier somber mood disappear.

"So on to business," Lord Wynten said seriously. "Your mother already informed me of your desire to take my daughter, Charity, to wife."

He nodded.

"I have heard many good things about her from my mother and then her friends who are matrons in the ton . Her reputation precedes her."

The man smiled proudly at that.

"Yes, my Charity is indeed all that they say she is, but she is much too young. I am sure you know that."

"She is of age to marry. Twenty is already old by some standards," he told the man.

Lord Wynten frowned at that, obviously not taking kindly to the insinuation that something was wrong with his jewel for her to be unmarried.

"Yes, when the man is closer in age," he argued. "Her sister has been adamant on making a good match that is why she has yet to be spoken for."

It seemed the Viscount didn't intend to make things easy for him.

"I assure you, Lord Wynten, I will do no harm to your daughter," he said, playing his game. "She will want for nothing all the days of her life."

"I can understand that, but I am not quite sure the girl would," he sighed. "She is quite headstrong. I will broach the matter with her but you will have to sell your case. You're a good young man and I approve of the match, but you must give me some time to inform my daughters."

"I see," he said, rising from his seat. "I thank you for your time. When shall I expect to hear back from you?"

"Tomorrow at the latest. Then we shall discuss dates and all the other necessities."

He nodded and left the house feeling lighter than he had in a while. The approval of the Viscount was all he needed. If Miss Charity was as agreeable as she was rumored to be then she might be able to grant him what he needed.

If she was able to grant him an heir in the first year, then he was willing to grant her her freedom if she so desired. At least that would keep his mother settled.

After all, she had been the one to recommend the girl.

He had argued that she was much too young, but his mother was adamant. The older sister was already twenty and five and considered a spinster. The reasons were not known because even if she was no great beauty like her sister, she was still beautiful, according to his mother

"I cannot approve a match to someone who has failed to find herself a husband at that age. Perhaps she was lacking in manners." His mother had mused. "You will like the younger Wynten girl. You need someone who the ton loves to help ease your transition back to society and there is no better choice. And she seems the sort to not be bothered by something as paltry as a scar."

He had said nothing but deep down hoped so.

Victoria sighed stepping into the home after a long day of tutoring. All she wanted was to sink into her bed and indulge in some sweets but first she had to see if the menu for the evening meal was ready and then see if Charity had returned from her outing with her friends to plan her outfits for the ball in two days.

She noticed the mood of the household staff was excited and they kept speaking in small, hushed voices but some of their conversation carried into her ear.

"T’was a horrid sight, Marie told me," one of the upstairs maids said. "Says the gentleman yelled at her. What a bad man."

Victoria frowned confused but focused on her tasks ahead. She could gossip later.

She was nearly at her room to change out of her dress when she heard crying coming from her chambers.

She opened the door, wondering who would be in her chambers and crying no less, and was stunned to see her sister flung over her bed.

"Charity?" she asked moving quickly to the bed. "What's wrong?"

The girl sat up with red rimmed eyes and threw herself into Victoria's arms. If she weren't used to the girl's antics, she might have not braced herself and they both could have been hurt from the fall.

"Father...Father..." She sniffed.

Panic flared up in her as she wondered if perhaps something had happened to their father.

"What happened to Father?" she asked hurriedly. "Is he well?"

"What?" Charity asked, sitting up. "Father is fine. He has to be because he had no trouble ruining my life."

She shook her head at her sister's dramatic declaration. The rest of the ton saw the cool, calm and graceful Miss Charity but at home, they got the unadorned version of the girl. She laughed loud, had a penchant for dramatics and was easily moved to tears, calming just as quickly.

"What has he done now?" Victoria asked, sighing. "Come. Help me change while we talk."

Her sister sighed and rose, helping her undo the stays she wore beneath her walking dress.

"He has arranged a match for me, that's what," she spat, pulling a little too hard on one of the stays. "I apologize. I am just really upset."

"Oh but that should have been good news," Victoria said, smiling. "Who is it?"

She was a little worried as her father had said nothing about considering matches for Charity. Perhaps he forgot to inform her. She would go to him immediately she was done.

"It's the Duke of Devlin!" she cried. "Oh Victoria what do I do now? I don't want to marry him. I cannot marry him. Why would Father agree to such a match? He is too old for me!"

She wondered what their father could be thinking too. True, they could benefit from such a match but one to someone that much older and who terrified her sister so?

She was furious. There were decisions he couldn't make without consulting her as she had played the role of the girls' mother and marriage was one of such decisions.

"I will speak with him," she told Charity, who gripped her hand harder.

"Oh Victoria you must!" she cried. "I cannot be married to him. I cannot. I don't want to. Please."

"Char, I understand you."

"No you don't," she sniffed turning away. "I cannot marry the Duke because..."

She trailed off and Victoria wondered what would make her sister so adamant on not marrying the Duke apart from the obvious reasons.

"Because?"

"Because I have someone else I want to marry."

Oh.

She had not known that. She had thought she kept a close watch on her sister at all the events they had attended but it turns out she was wrong. She only hoped her sister had not done anything to ruin her reputation in the process.

"Who is it?"

"I cannot tell you yet but trust me. He is not beneath our station and he is a perfect gentleman. But please don't tell Father yet."

Victoria sighed at the weight of her revelation, now wondering how she would get her father to break the engagement he had agreed to without confessing her sister's secret.

It didn’t matter how daunting the task seemed, she told herself as she paced her room trying to come up with an approach that would save her from her father’s censure.

He was sure to be sorely vexed at her trying to break Charity’s engagement to a duke of such high standing but considering she had been responsible for her sister’s care and happiness all this time, she would do all she could.

An unhappy marriage was not a fate she wanted her sister resigned to, even if it seemed a good prospect for her family. The girl was young and needed to enjoy happiness.

Even if it was at the expense of her own.

She sighed and busied herself with cleaning her room.

She would do everything in her power to convince her father or take matters into her own hand even if it ended with him angry at her.