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Author: Sassenachwhendhie
last update Last Updated: 2026-02-28 16:02:38

You can’t refuse the Duke. Not if it means leaving your father like this. No, it was true. They needed the money too urgently. Her father needed better care and, since she was the reason he was sitting in this chair, his career—his whole life—in ruins, then it made only logical sense for her to be the one to fix it.

But she wasn’t going to give the Duke everything. She had to draw the line somewhere to protect herself too.

She would marry him, but she wouldn’t sleep with him. And she’d give him
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  • A LADY FOR A DUKE    28

    Anna wanted to deny it. She wanted to give the impression that all was well. Isn't that what a newly, happily married woman would do? A woman lucky enough to be married to the Duke of Springbrook should be overjoyed. What could she possibly have to be worried about? It wasn't like she could tell Collins anything even if she wanted to, so Anna shook her head and managed another smile she was sure didn't reach her eyes. “I'm fine,” she told him, “Just getting used to my new life as a married woman I guess,” But Collins obviously knew her too well and he didn't look convinced, “And where is your husband tonight?” he pressed,Anna sighed at the mention of Cedric, avoiding Collins' questioning gaze and focusing instead on the glass on the counter. “I already told you that I don't want to talk about him”“Why not?”“Because I don't want to,” Anna replied, “That's the reason why I came here in the first place. To take a break from the Duke and from Haerton so can we just not bring it up,”

  • A LADY FOR A DUKE    27

    Besides, wasn't she the one who had told him to cancel the honeymoon he'd been planning? Her soft mouth tightened because she refused to give way to the feeling that he had abandoned her. After all, she wasn’t a child and she might be in a strange environment, but she would soon get used to it. She would manage fine without him. By the looks of it, she didn’t have much choice.Juliet chatted all the way downstairs about where they were going to go shopping, while Anna scanned her lavish surroundings with all the apprehension of an ordinary person suddenly waking up to find themselves lost in a royal palace. But the instant her insecurity was ready to rise, she crushed it flat and refused to acknowledge those feelings. Haerton castle was going to be her home, no matter how short it was going to last, and the last thing she wanted was to be a duchess who lacked self-esteem. He'd left a card for her to shop with so he clearly wanted her to use it. She had no idea what kind of party they

  • A LADY FOR A DUKE    26

    “The staff will introduce themselves to you properly tomorrow morning,” Cedric told her as he led her upstairs, then added as she turned and met his gaze, “You look tired,”“I am,” Anna replied softly, unable to say anything else. “It's been a long, weird day,” Cedric nodded in agreement, “I agree that it's been a long day. I wouldn't say it was weird, but I guess I understand why you would say that,”They stopped in front of a door, and he released her. The fiery part of her seemed to be absent tonight, he observed. He could still see the desire in her eyes as she looked at him, but she also looked a bit…Scared. As if she was worried about something. Was she worried that he wouldn’t keep his word and hold off their wedding night until she was ready?Cedric couldn’t blame her. He wanted her. That was the truth and just the thought of being alone with her in a room filled him with a need he never knew he was capable of feeling towards a woman. She'd looked stunning in her wedding dres

  • A LADY FOR A DUKE    25

    A lump rose in her throat. She’d loved her father, but he hadn’t loved her. He’d never said it to her, hadn’t ever demonstrated it to her. She’d been the baby he hadn’t wanted, the child that had ruined his career. A lasting reminder of what his beloved wife had wanted and didn’t survive long enough to have. He’d done his duty by her, given her a roof over her head and food on the table, ensured she had a decent education, and as soon as the Duke’s money had arrived he’d left. Perhaps he was right, though. Perhaps it didn’t matter. Perhaps it was fine that this was all for show and that none of it was for her. Nothing ever had been, after all.Well, not quite nothing.There was one thing that was for her and he waited for her by the altar, exquisitely dressed in a morning suit of dove gray. The man who might not love her, but did want her, and certainly enough to demand a wedding night from her. That gave her some courage as she walked towards him, as did the look in his midnight eyes

  • A LADY FOR A DUKE    24

    He did have her try on numerous wedding dresses before finally approving some white silk and tulle concoction, accented with gilt thread, that Anna told herself she didn’t care about. Yet at the same time, as she looked at herself in the mirror, she was conscious of a strange ache somewhere deep inside her.She’d never thought a husband and children would be for her, and yet here she was, about to commit herself to both. That it wasn’t real, she knew. But that didn’t change the small ache inside her, the tug of longing for something…more.But that was dangerous, so she ignored it.In between wedding-dress fittings and investigating degree programmes at various universities, she found herself casually looking up Cedric on the internet, despite telling herself that she really didn’t need to know anything about him.Apparently though, some part of her was desperate for information, hungrily combing through search results for anything interesting. There were lots of news reports of his pa

  • A LADY FOR A DUKE    23

    Cedric had not expected such candor. Hadn’t expected his own reaction to it either, and it was clear from the look on her face that it had cost her. But he couldn’t imagine her hurting anyone. Yes, she was fiery and yes, she’d lifted a hand to him, but he had provoked her. And the electricity between them surely hadn’t helped. She didn’t seem a woman liable to flying off the handle, though, not when she’d seemed very cool around him—when he wasn’t provoking her, of course. What had happened to make her think it was an issue? And why did she call herself difficult? She hadn’t seemed difficult to him. A woman of deep passions, perhaps, but not difficult.He wanted to ask her questions, find out why she thought these things about herself, but he didn’t want to make her distressed or agitated more than she already was. Perhaps there would be some time later, when they were on honeymoon. You don’t need to know. Why would you want to? Cedric shoved that thought away. “Anna, I handle extrem

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