The Youthful Duchess

Threats.

Ophelia felt her heart skip a beat. She was beyond lost for words. Had a stranger, a duke just declared her his future wife, without a courtship?

"But, but... Your grace." She hesitated, unsure as to what to say. All eyes were on her, making her feel nervous.

The Duke raised his eyebrow, almost daring her to deny him her hand in marriage. He knew perfectly well that she would never be able to get out of this hasty arrangement. She was of age, and the daughter of an earl and a social climbing countess who would do anything to make sure her daughter wed him.

" I'll allow you to discuss this with your mother and father in private." He breathed, before making his way out of the room and into the garden, feeling very pleased with the outcome of his visit.

As soon as the heavy wooden door closed Ophelia's mouth opened.

"Oh please mother, father do not make me marry a man I do not know, nor love, a man who is also blatantly three times my senior!"

Countess Isobel rose to her feet quickly, clutching her daughters delicate chin in her meaty hands.

"You should feel honoured that a Duke wants your hand in marriage Ophelia, would you rather a shoe maker or a stable boy?!" She seethed, before nudging Ophelia backwards and pacing around the room.

Ophelia glared back at her mother, her calm composure beginning to whittle away.

"I would marry a crippled stable boy if I loved him. There's more to marriage than just a dammed title Mother." She mumbled in response.

"My dearest girls, I do not want this to cause a rift between a mother and a daughter." The earl spoke up, his body tense.

With tears brimming in her eyes Ophelia turned to her father, throwing herself onto her knees in front of his feet, her hands clasped together as she pleaded more.

"I do not know him, how do I know that he will be good for me, that he will treat me well?" She mumbled, her voice thick as she battled with her overwhelming emotions.

"My sweet, I would never allow a man to mistreat you. I do not want you to marry at all if I be honest. But you and I both know saying no to a man like Hammond would be a dangerous thing to do." The Earl replied, his heart breaking as he watched his only daughter's face drop with his every word.

"But Father, please." She whispered.

The earl flinched as his daughters tender, broken plea showered guilt upon him. Maybe if he hadn't agreed to his wife's adamant proposal to invite the Duke over then his only daughter would not look upon him as if her life were over.

He had never thought that a man of Hammond's age and status would go for a sheltered daughter of an earl, not after his previous wife. His daughter was beautiful, but she was also young and inexperienced, unlike the deceased Lady Eliza. It was much to early for the Duke to be moving onto a new wife without a motive, and the Earl suspected it had something to do with the fact that his past wife had not given him a legitimate air, so the Whiltshire legacy had not yet been assured.

As the thought came to his mind his usually cheery face darkened by the second until it was filled with sorrow. He did not want his only daughter to become a tool in the succession of another man.

As Ophelia stared at her fathers face she knew she was on her own. He would not come to her aid.

Anger flooded her veins as she looked between the two people who had given her life, and were now selling her off like some damn mule.

"I know you both wish everyday that you woke up next to the one you love, it's nice to know I'll be following in the family tradition of loveless, dreary marriages." She spat bitterly, her pale cheeks flushed as blood raced through her veins.