An Unwanted Wife

Chapter 6

Lauren was left alone by the Duke of Marlborough in a drawing room located next to the Duke's library where she had been found with James. The duchess' sitting room was decorated in varying shades of pink, mainly subdued ones serving to remind her of the faint stain of her virgin blood she noticed on the inside of James' coat when she collected it from the ornate Oriental rug. She restlessly paced all four corners of the room until the door finally opened.

Grammy looked relieved when seeing her unharmed. "Lauren, my girl! Are you all right? His Grace said I'd find you in here, but your mother and sisters were sent home when he ended the ball."

"I'm fine." She answered. "Um, did he say anything else?"

"No. Should he have done?" Grammy raised an arched brow in surprise.

Lauren confessed in a rush. "I thought he might have told you how I was. I'm, well...I was caught alone with Lord Ravenwood in the library by him and Papa."

"What? Oh my Lord. I can't believe it!" Grammy looked shocked, as she weakly sank into a nearby Louis VXI chair. "Lauren, what on earth possessed you to behave so rashly?"

"I don't know! Honestly, I have no excuse. I just couldn't help it." Lauren admitted. 

"But, why? You haven't spoken to him in weeks." Grammy pressed, frowning. "Have you two been corresponding in secret?"

"No, not at all." Lauren shook her head, admitting. "Tonight was the first time we'd spoken in weeks, although we didn't exactly speak much."

"Clearly not." Grammy raised a knowing brow.

Lauren blushed to the roots of her hair, then put her cool hands to her cheeks in order to avoid looking at Grammy while she spoke the next words. "Anyway, it's doesn't matter now."

"It doesn't? Why not?"

"It's not like it was the first time he compromised me."

Grammy's eyes widened even further. "It wasn't? It's like the world as I know it has shifted. What on earth happened the last time?"

"I asked him to." Lauren sighed heavily. "But, it was never supposed to go this far! I only wanted to know what I was missing. You know, see what the fuss was all about and then be able to don my spinster cap with no one the wiser."

"Leave it to you, my darling girl, to attempt something like that." Grammy shook her head while biting her lower lip to prevent a smile. "Then, what happened?"

"I don't know!" Lauren quietly wailed, as she started to pace the room again. "It stopped feeling like a pretend courtship after we spent more and more time together until one day he actually proposed and I said no. So, he ended our attachment and we parted."

"You two were caught out tonight. If he is agreeable to it, you must marry him. You have no other choice."

"Of course, I do! I could be a spinster and live with Aunt Rose."

"Living with my sister would drive you to drink." Grammy chuckled, then sobered. "There's no way out of it now, my girl. Otherwise, you'll be ruined and it will affect badly on your sisters."

"I realise that. James had already proposed again before we were caught." Lauren sighed, feeling incredibly nervous about it.

"Well, that's something."

Thinking about the fact that James was likely having a conversation with her father about them getting married in the room next door suddenly made her stomach flip in nervous anticipation, so Lauren was feeling rather desperate to change the subject. She said knowingly. "Grammy, is the Duke of Sudbury romancing you?"