His Duchess by Chance by Hazel Linwood EPUB & PDF – eBook Details Online
- Status: Available for Free Download
- Authors: Hazel Linwood
- Language: English
- Genre: Historical Romance
- Format: PDF / EPUB
- Size: 2.4 MB
- Price: Free
“I can’t believe you’re going to marry the Duke of Windhill,” Miss
Ginger gushed, putting a hand on Isabella’s arm.
Isabella Abberton beamed, even though what she really wanted most of all
was to pull away from Miss Ginger, who usually ignored her altogether at
balls. Once or twice, Isabella had seen Miss Ginger bent close to some of
the other ladies of the ton, their eyes on Isabella—or worse, on her younger
sister, Felicity—clearly whispering and gossiping about them. And Isabella
knew why. It was easy to gossip about someone who was the illegitimate,
ill-favored daughter of a viscount—the child he’d had long ago with a maid
before marrying his wife.
At least today, the gossip was something positive—something she was
pleased to have people talking about.
“I can hardly believe it myself,” Isabella said, smiling graciously at Miss
Ginger. Years of socializing with these people had taught her to put on a
false face. No one would ever know how frustrated she was. No one would
see through her disguise.
“No one has even seen the Duke of Windhill in years,” Miss Ginger
breathed.
“Well, that’s not quite true,” Isabella argued. “People have seen him.”
“All right, he’s been seen out and about on occasion,” Miss Ginger allowed.
“But he doesn’t socialize. He never comes to parties, and every lady who’s
dreamed of being the one to capture his attention and have him as her
husband has always been disappointed. How is it that he came to choose
you?”
There was definitely jealousy in her tone. Good.
“I don’t know how he made his choice,” Isabella said. “He must have seen
me and found me intriguing—that’s the only thing I can imagine.”
“You didn’t have a courtship, then?”
“No, he said that he was so eager to make things official between us that he
simply couldn’t bring himself to wait.”
“How did you meet him? I thought he wasn’t even looking for a match!”
“Oh, he knows my father.” Isabella waved a hand dismissively. “Anyway,
what does that matter? The point is that I’m going to marry the Duke. I’ll
make certain you’re invited to the wedding, Miss Ginger. I’m sure it will be
an event to remember.”
“I never would have guessed…” Miss Ginger made a show of stopping
herself mid-sentence.
Isabella knew what Miss Ginger hadn’t said, of course, and knew that Miss
Ginger had stopped herself so that she could encourage Isabella to ask her
to say it. It was a petty game. Still, Isabella would play. “You never would
have guessed what?” she asked, pretending not to know what the answer
would be.
“Well, I never would have guessed that the Duke, of all people, would want
to marry…well, someone like you! When he could have anyone he wanted!
Do you know what made him decide to do that?”
“I suppose you’d have to ask him,” Isabella said airily. “Perhaps he’s not as
shallow as most of the ton. Perhaps it doesn’t trouble him to know that my
mother wasn’t a lady.”
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