Page 10 of Stealing His Duchess

“Are you quite certain?” Rowland asked, his voice quiet. “Anna, you do not have to do this simply because it seems the tidiest solution. We will find another way, if you –”

“She is being entirely reasonable,” Hudson interjected. “It is the right decision, given the circumstances.”

“I was not addressing you, Your Grace.”

Anna held up a hand before the two men could resume their sparring, already tired of standing between them. “I am certain, Rowland. The marriage will help resolve things much more smoothly - even more so if we establish some rules beforehand.”

“Rules,” Hudson repeated, looking surprised.

“This will be a marriage of convenience,” Anna asserted, turning to face him now, chin lifted in as she prepared to lay down the terms of what would be between them. “Nothing more. We shall marry to quiet the scandal, and beyond that, we need not trouble one another overmuch. We will live in separate households.”

“Separate households,” Hudson echoed with a laugh, one dark brow lifting. “That will raise questions of its own, Miss Danvers, unless handled with some discretion.”

“Then we shall handle it with discretion. I am asking that whatever this marriage becomes on paper, it need not become anything at all in practice. You will have your life, and I shall have mine, and we shall simply take pains to appear, on the occasions that require it, like any ordinary married couple. If you cannot follow those rules, then we might as well not begin this new journey at all.”

The duke studied her for a moment, then the corners of his lips turned upwards as he smirked. With a curt nod, he told her, “Your rules are remarkably simple to abide by, Miss Danvers. I find I have no objection whatsoever.” He tilted his head, the smirk turning into something that seemed like amusement for a moment before his expression turned blank. “I will see to the special license. You need only be ready to be wed in a week’s time.”

A week.

The words settled into Anna with a strange, hollow weight. A week, and she would have a husband – she, who had spent months hoping and praying and quietly nursing wishes for hopeful prospects to arrive, who had turned away four perfectly good offers because none of them had made her feel anything at all, would now find herself married within seven days to a man who had kidnapped her, insulted her, and offered no pretense whatsoever of affection.

There is something rather ironic about this whole situation, she thought. She had wanted, more than almost anything, what her sister had found with Edward – what Edith so plainly felt for Cornelius, reckless and consuming as it was. A love that would cover every inch of her life with warmth and affection so deep, she would feel it even when they were apart. And instead, she would have this: a husband in name, a marriage devoid of the one thing she had always privately envied in the people she loved most.

It was, perhaps, exactly what she deserved for being so ‘impossibly particular’, as Rowland liked to say.

“Very well,” she agreed, and if her voice wavered slightly, she chose to believe no one had noticed.

“I would like to have a word with my sister,” Rowland stated quickly before pulling her to the other side of the room

He spared a glance at the duke, then he whispered quickly,

“Are you really all right with this? You are speaking about your future. I know that you wanted more than this. You deserved more than this as well. We can find another way. We did so once before –”

“It’s precisely because we have done so before that I wish to handle things my way now. I have not forgotten what it cost us last time. This time, I will be the one to pay the price.”

“You are being concerningly calm about this,” Rowland sighed, clearly sensing that there was barely anything he could do now.

“Calm is the only sensible approach available to me at present, Rowland. I already had a fit of panic this morning when I awoke, and it brought nothing beyond a headache.” Anna smiled weakly in a bid to be lighthearted. “I would rather face this with my wits about me than fall apart in front of our present company.”

Rowland, still visibly displeased, crossed his arms and fixed Hudson with a look that promised future unpleasantness.

“I do not like this,” he said with an air of finality. “But I will not stand in the way of your decision, provided that you inform Phoebe of the arrangement at once. Today, Anna. Not tomorrow.”

“I was already intending to,” Anna complained, even though the idea of explaining any of this to Phoebe made her stomach twist unpleasantly.

She sighed long-sufferingly, and allowed her shoulders to sink at the thought of sending a letter that would likely bring cause her lovely sister to be concerned.

“Do you think she will be upset with me?” she whispered after a moment.

Rowland shook his head, wrapping an arm around her comfortingly. “She will be worried, undoubtedly. But, much like I do, she loves you wholly. I know she will want to be here to support you through this, as soon as possible.”

Anna inhaled deeply, deciding on the best course of action.

“I will write to her in a bit,” she replied, rewarded with a pat on the head moments later.

With that, Rowland excused himself, muttering something about affairs requiring his attention in his study, though not before casting one final, withering glance in Hudson's direction – silently promising that the duke would not soon be forgiven, regardless of whatever agreements had been reached moments ago.

When he had gone, an uneasy quiet settled over the room. Anna spared a glance at the breakfast table and contemplated on calling the maid to clean it up then or later. Unconsciously, she moved towards where Hudson stood, far too acutely aware of how strong his presence was and how greatly it filled the room.