The Inconvenient Duchess

bed. She was, no doubt, a most honourable and virtuous young lady who would make a fine wife. The thought was immeasurably depressing.

Chapter Four
    T he vicar was shaking his head dourly and Marcus slipped the explanatory letter off the blotter and towards him. ‘As you can see, I was just writing to you to invite you to the house so we could resolve this situation.’ His lips thinned as he fought to contain the rest of the thought.
    Of course I needn’t have bothered. You hitched up the carriage and were on your way here as soon as the sun rose. Come to see the storm damage, have you, vicar? Meddling old fool. You’ve come to see the girl and you’re hoping for the worst.
    The vicar looked sympathetic, but couldn’t disguise the sanctimonious smile as he spoke. ‘Most unfortunate. A most unfortunate turn of events. Of course, you realise what your duty is in this situation, to prevent talk in the village and to protect the young lady’s reputation.’
    A duty that could have been prevented yesterday, if you actually cared a jot for the girl or for silencing talk.
    ‘Yes,’ he responded mildly. ‘I discussed it with Miranda yesterday and we are in agreement. It only remains to arrange the ceremony.’
    The vicar nodded. ‘Your mother would have been most pleased.’
    ‘Would she, now?’ His eyes narrowed.
    ‘Hmm, yes. She mentioned as much on my last visit to her.’
    ‘Mentioned Miranda, did she?’
    He nodded again. ‘Yes. She said that a match between you was in the offing. It was her fondest hope—’
    ‘Damn.’
    ‘Your Grace. There’s no need—’
    ‘This was all neatly arranged, wasn’t it? My mother’s hand from beyond the grave, shoving that poor girl down the road to ruin, and you and your wife looking the other way while it happened.’ He leaned forward and the vicar leaned back.
    ‘Your Grace, I hardly think—’
    ‘You hardly do, that’s for certain. Suppose I am as bad as my mother made me out to be? Then you would have thrown the girl’s honour away in the hope that I would agree to this madness. Suppose I had been from home when she arrived? Suppose it had been just St John here to greet her? Do you honestly think he would be so agreeable?’ He was on the verge of shouting again. He paused to gain control and his next words were a cold and contemptuous whisper. ‘Or would you have brushed that circumstance under the rug and rushed her back out of town, instead of trumpeting the girl’s location around the village so that everyone would know and my obligation would be clear
    ‘That does not signify. Fortunately, we have only the situation at hand to deal with.’
    ‘Which leaves me married to a stranger chosen by my mother.’
    He was nodding again, but without certainty. ‘Hmm, well…under the circumstances it would be best to act expediently. The banns—’
    ‘Are far from expedient, as I remember. We dispensed with them the last time. A special licence.’
    ‘If you send to London today, then perhaps by next week…’
    ‘And I suppose you will spirit the girl away to your house for a week, until the paperwork catches up with the plotting. Really, Reverend, you and my mother should have planned this better. Perhaps you should have forged my name on the application a month ago and we could have settled this today. You needn’t have involved me in the decision at all.’ He thought for a moment and stared coldly at the priest. ‘This is how we will proceed. You will perform the ceremony today, and I will go off to London tomorrow for the licence.’
    ‘But that would be highly improper.’
    ‘But it would ensure I need never see your face in my house again, and that suits me well. If you cared for impropriety, you should have seen to it yesterday, when you met Miranda on her way here. When I come back with the licence I will have a servant bring it to you and you can fill in whatever dates you choose and sign the bloody thing. But this morning you will see the young lady and myself married before the eyes of God in the family chapel.’
    His head was shaking now in obvious disapproval. ‘Hmm. Well, that would hardly be legitimate.’
    ‘Not legal, perhaps, but certainly moral. And morality is what you are supposed to concern yourself with. If you don’t question the fact that you coerced me into taking her, then do not waste breath telling me my behaviour is improper. Open the prayer book and say the words, take yourself andyour bullying harpy of a