Page 2 of A Duchess Untouched

“Grandmama! My husband has never touched me,” Selina offered, knowing that these words would be weak against the larger court, which was society. “I am still as untouched as the day before my wedding.”

The room went shockingly still. Selina was confused, since it seemed quite obvious to all that her husband had not even bothered to consummate their marriage. He had left so suddenly during the wedding breakfast, as if someone had set him on fire.

“Well, then,” the Dowager Duchess said after a sharp exhale. “This further supports my point. The marriage is unconsummated and should be easier to dissolve. It will make the solicitor’s task much easier.”

Looking self-satisfied, Antoinette rose from her chair and bid Lady Marlow and Selina adieu.

“But, Your Grace—”

“I am afraid I must leave you two ladies to discuss things further. I have a soiree to attend. Many of my friends will be there,” the Dowager Duchess declared, her chin tilted up. “Tomorrow I will call my solicitor to settle this affair once and for all.”

The woman exited the drawing room with her back straight and her chin up. She rustled gracefully until she was out of sight. For a moment, there was silence between grandmother and granddaughter. Selina could feel the disappointment radiating from her grandmama. It was suffocating.

“You foolish girl!” Lady Marlow exclaimed, glaring at Selina. “Why did you not play along with my plan? Did you have to admit to her that you are still untouched?”

“Grandmama, I had to speak the truth. I cannot, in good conscience, hide it. My husband may not even be that interested in this marriage. He did not even spare me a glance after the wedding and has been absent for years.”

“So, why would he offer it in the first place? I can still recall everything perfectly. You caught his attention after mere moments of your debut. If he had not been interested, he should have let another gentleman claim you. You had several admirers!” her grandmama whined. “Oh, my pride and joy, I used to say! And now look what has become of you. No, no, this will not do. This will not do at all.”

Selina looked at her lap. It was true. She had tried her best to make her grandmother and the rest of her family proud, but now she was naught but a disappointment. Worse, if she were no longer a duchess, she would have far more serious problems to deal with than an indifferent husband. Her life would be ruined, and her charities would suffer.

“What are we to do, Grandmama? How am I going to support my charity for widows if I am divorced?”

“That should be the least of your concerns, Selina,” Lady Marlow now grumbled. “You will hardly be able to exit your own house, let alone care for the least fortunate!”

“I am well aware, but those women need me. But what can we do?” Selina added, not quite believing it. “What will become of our family? We will be ruined for good if we do not do something to prevent this.”

Throughout her childhood and adolescence, she had been the sister everyone assumed would have the easiest path of them all, the one who would marry well and never have to fight for anything, but now everything was falling apart. She was disappointing everyone, and there was nothing she could do about it.

“Hush, child. I will not let that happen,” Lady Marlow said firmly. “Leave it to me. I will have your husband back to London before the week is out. Then, all you have to do is make sure you keep him here.”

Chapter 2

“You had better not be wasting my time with this one,” Matthew warned, exhausted from weeks of wandering the countryside. His voice sounded rougher than he intended, but frustration and aching muscles explained it.

Four years of living like this…

His body could feel the strain of moving from one strange inn to another, with only his loyal dog, Maximus, for company. The weather had not been cooperative, blasting him and his canine friend with wind and rain. The inns were drafty and grease-stained, very different from what he had been used to all his life, but a mission was a mission.

If only the mission were delivering any sort of success.

Maximus at least seemed ready for more adventure, lying like a massive boulder of fur close to Matthew’s boots. His steward, Harrison, nervously adjusted his spectacles, which were streaked with rain droplets. He clutched his ledgers to his chest as if they could protect him from his master’s wrath.

“I… I assure you, Your Grace, that the local curate insisted that the description matches this time,” Harrison stammered, his cheeks turning pale and reddening in a matter of seconds. “And indeed, it does. You are looking for a young woman of humble means with a little boy about five years old. She also goes by the name of Mary.”

Normally, Matthew would have been excited about another prospect. But there it was—the keyword was “another.” For years, he had been looking for Mary and her child, driven by the ghost of his brother, Robert.

The Duke rubbed his nose and exhaled sharply. For six years, he had been carrying the burden of guilt that drove him to run through the countryside and even through dark London alleys. It was a hunt, and Maximus seemed the right companion, given his love of the chase. Meanwhile, Harrison was precisely the right person for his job: discreet, innocent-looking, and resourceful. He might cower whenever Matthew lost his temper, but he possessed a quiet stubbornness that always kept him from giving up.

“Bring them in,” Matthew muttered, closing his eyes not only in exhaustion but also in exasperation. At this point, he had learned to prepare for disappointment.

When he heard the latch, his eyes flew open. A young woman entered the room with a boy of five or six. That, at least, was accurate. Her shoulders were hunched as if she would rather be elsewhere, and a frayed shawl covered them. Her dress looked like it had seen better days, with its hem tattered and the fabric faded. Meanwhile, her little boy stared at Matthew, his large, curious eyes wide and honest. Matthew could imagine what the boy was seeing. Even though his coat and boots were splattered with mud, they were clearly worth a fortune.

Matthew narrowed his eyes at the woman’s face. She was pale, which was understandable given the unhealthy conditions she lived in. Strands of her light brown hair stuck out from beneath a battered bonnet. Her features were soft and delicate and would have been attractive enough to Robert.

It could be possible.

Perhaps there was something to this particular candidate, but Matthew tried to keep any excitement at bay. He was no longer hopeful he would find the woman Robert had fallen in love with, but perhaps fortune was finally winking at him.