Page 5 of My Beastly Duke

Chapter 3

“Iwant all of you out!” The sound of the baron’s voice spurred her on as Marina raced up the steps of her childhood home. The commotion from behind the doors had already begun to attract a crowd on the street outside.

“What is going on in here?” She burst through the front doors, breathing heavily. The sight that greeted her eyes was almost too much for her racing heart to bear.

Maids and footmen alike rushed up and down the stairs while her mother and sister stood sobbing in a corner. The entrance hall was packed with suitcases and trunks that barely allowed enough room for anyone to move.

Swearing under her breath, Marina searched for her uncle amidst the chaos. One of her dogs was barking incessantly adding to the already chaotic scene.

“Shut this bloody beast up before I fetch my hunting rifle! I never understood why these beasts were allowed to roam the halls as if they owned the place!” The baron shrieked angrily, alerting Marina to his presence around the corner.

Springing into action, Marina sprinted around the corner and almost collided with a maid.

The older woman shrieked and dropped the stack of linen she was carrying, steadying herself against the railing of the stairs.

Marina reached the back of the hall in time to see her uncle aiming a kick at her dog.

The spaniel jumped out of reach just in time, snapping its jaws at the baron’s ankle before continuing to bark.

Rushing to her dog’s side, Marina knelt and drew the creature into her lap, stroking its brown patchy ears as it snarled.

“I have warned you about these blasted creatures of yours before! Animals do not belong in a house. You had better shut this one up before I mount its head on the wall with the rest of my trophies. You and your mother had better be out as soon as the sun is up in the morning!” His round face turned red as he screamed.

Realizing why her mother and sister were crying, Marina came up straight with her dog in her arms, glancing at the trunks and suitcases lining the halls. The baron had threatened many timesto throw them out, but he had never gone as far as having their belongings packed. The sight made her angrier than anything else that happened to her during the day.

The baron narrowed his eyes at her, thrusting his finger in her face as she jerked her head back. “This was the last straw, I warned you that I would not put up with this forever. You were not able to secure a good marriage, and now you and your family will rot in the country. I do not care if the dower house has fallen into disrepair, you will leave this house!” He snapped his hand back to his side when the spaniel’s teeth missed his finger by an inch.

“If you would just…” Marina began but found herself being cut short when he whirled on his feet and marched away from her.

Heaving a sigh, Marina soothed her dog, kissing the top of her head before handing her to one of the footmen in passing. “Please ensure that she goes for a walk. You may take her up to my chambers when you return. Are the rest of them in my chambers?” She glanced around the packed hall and failed to spot any of her cats.

“They are, Miss Wallace.” The man bowed respectfully before taking the spaniel from her arms and making his way down the hall.

Shaking her head, Marina picked her way through the trunks and cases, making her way to her mother and sister.

Johanna leaned heavily against the wall with one hand lifted to her chest. Her green eyes were dull from crying and her usually neat blonde hair, which was lightly streaked with silver, hung down her face. “This is too awful for words.” She sobbed softly, bringing her handkerchief up to her mouth and shaking her head.

Prudence’s bright green eyes flashed with anger as she glared down the hall. Her rose cheeks were streaked with tears, and whisps of her light brown hair clung to her face.

“Try and take a deep breath, Mama, fussing like this will only make you ill.” Marina placed her hand on her arm and guided her onto the bottom step.

“Will I ever know any peace in this life?” her mother buried her face in her hands and continued to sob. “First your father brings us to shame by dying in the bed of his mistress, and now this! Will we be doomed to live under the scorn of others for the rest of our lives?” Her sobs turned to wailing as she shook her head in desperation.

Feeling her body give in to the exhaustion of the day, Marina sank to her mother’s side on the step, burying her own head in her hands. She had been a fool not to accept the duke’s offer of marriage. Her mother and sister were now doomed to live in the country on nothing more than a mere stipend.

The duke’s strong body flashed in her mind. She had been attracted to him in a way that she had never experienced before. Despite the scars on his face, he was still more dashing than hisbrother. The duke made her flesh tingle with desire, while his brother had not so much as evoked a smile. She had allowed her stubbornness to win when she should have thought things through.

It is too late now.

She took a deep breath and straightened, looking around the crowded hall. There was no use crying over spilled milk, not when she needed to come up with a plan.

Marina looked around the table as she tightened her grip on the knife. She had wanted to skip dinner altogether, but her mother had insisted on taking the higher moral ground. The atmosphere in the dining room was sullen, apart from the satisfied look on the baron’s face.

“I have sent word to the dower house already; the servants will be expecting your arrival early tomorrow morning.” He sat back in his chair and looked from Marina to her mother, ignoring Prudence.

The relationship between the baron and the young girl had been strained from the start. Prudence had decided to make his life as difficult as possible by playing as many pranks as she could, while the baron had refused to acknowledge her existence. Marina thought the latter to be far more childish than her younger sister’s behavior.

“I am surprised that the dower house still employs staff. Isn’t the roof collapsing on one side of the house?” Marina spoke up before her mother could reply.