Deceived Read Online Free Page B

From my calculations, it would appear that little Charlotte has celebrated her sixteenth birthday. The contract between our two families calls for the marriage of your daughter and my grandson to be celebrated next year after Charlotte’s seventeenth birthday. Valerian has grown into as fine a man as one could wish. I will tell him soon of the arrangement made between his father and you all those years ago. He will come for your daughter next spring, but we shall have to correspond before that, of course. My good wife sends greetings to you and your family. I remain, as ever, James Hawkesworth, Third Duke of Farminster.

    George lay the letter aside and said, “You see, Aurora, your duke knew nothing about this marriage between you. He was as much in the dark as you were.”
    â€œThere is no further correspondence?”
    â€œOnly the letter Mama received this morning,” George replied.
    â€œWhere is it?” Aurora demanded to know.
    Calandra jumped up, crying, “Here! On Papa’s desk! Mama has lain it there by force of habit.” Her hazel eyes scanned the missive quickly. Then she read:

    â€œTo Robert Kimberly.
    It is with grieving heart that I write to tell you of my husband’s passing in early November. His heir, our grandson, Valerian, has assumed his duties as the Fourth Duke of Farminster. I see from James’s correspondence with you that the time approaches for the marriage between your daughter, Charlotte, and Valerian. My grandson will sail February the tenth from Plymouth aboard the Royal George. We look forward to receiving Charlotte into the family, and I will do my best to see she is made comfortable. And please reassure Charlotte that I will personally advise her, and train her in her new duties as Duchess of Farminster. Please know that you and your family will always be welcome at Hawkes Hill Hall. I remain, Mary Rose Hawkesworth, Dowager Duchess of Farminster.

    â€œOh, my!” Calandra sighed. “Doesn’t it all sound grand? I wonder what a duchess’s duties are, Aurora. Do you think I can do them?”
    â€œJust more manners, I suspect,” Aurora reassured her stepsister, “and you are wonderously clever at learning the civilities, decorums, and etiquette of society, Cally. I cannot be bothered with such folderol.”
    George had been going through the previous duke’s correspondence as his sisters spoke. Now he said, “There is no mention of you being called Aurora, my clever little sister. The bride is mentioned only as Charlotte in all the correspondence.”
    â€œBut what if Papa referred to her in his letters as Aurora?” Calandra suggested. “What will we do then?”
    â€œSince this duke wasn’t aware of the marriage plans his family made,” Aurora said slowly, “it is unlikely he has ever seen the letters Papa wrote to his grandfather. I question if the old duke even kept the correspondence between them. His lady wife does not seem overly familiar with the situation, I divine.”
    â€œPapa kept the letters he received,” Calandra pointed out.
    â€œYes,” Aurora agreed, “but it was more in Papa’s interest to keep them in the event the Hawkesworth family attempted to cry off, or conveniently forget the betrothal and marry off their heir to a wealthier heiress. Papa’s letters from the duke would have given him grounds for an action in the courts should he have felt the Kimberly honor besmirched. You know how proud Papa was of the family.”
    â€œWe can find no evidence the duke knows he was betrothed to Charlotte Aurora,” George said. “I believe it is worth taking the chance of marrying him to Cally. How can he possibly find out that a switch has been made?”
    â€œAnd if he does,” Aurora said, “it is to be hoped that by that time he will harbor some tender feeling for Cally, and that she will have borne him an heir. Besides, he will have