The Original Villainess

CHAPTER 5 pt 1

My stomach growled and my eyes flitted close.

“Wake up!” Dorothy screeched.

“I can’t!” Tears started to well up in my eyes, and I hated that I couldn’t figure out if they were early pregnancy hormones, or if Brynne was just the type of person to cry when she was tired. The news about the duke visiting for lunch was a rather shocking wake-up call, but I could only handle so many people tugging and primping me after being woken up far too early. “I don’t care about looking my best for him! He’s already proposed! I need something to eat before I bite someone’s hand! And I need something to wake me up if you don’t want me falling asleep on my way down the stairs to meet him!”

“Hmm.” Dorothy took a step back, tapping her chin. “I see what you mean, my lady. I’ll have someone bring up some tea and fruit from the kitchen. Will that help? I’ll feed you, so we can keep working on your hands, and that way, you won’t get any crumbs anywhere.”

That’s better than nothing. “What kind of tea? Because most tea just makes me really sleepy.”

“Oh, this will be something very strong! Almost like coffee!”

Fear gripped my stomach. Coffee? Women aren’t supposed to drink coffee while pregnant. Will this be one of those things I shouldn’t have? I should stay away from it for now, until I have the chance to talk to Doctor Richards again. Fruit might help, though. The natural sugars in them will be better than cookies, though I’d really just rather have cookies. Fruit is less messy, too. The cookie crumbs could anger Dorothy. “Fruit sounds wonderful,” I told her, and she instructed a maid to head down to the kitchen.

A wicked gleam in her eyes told me she was already thinking about something else, and she flung my wardrobe open. “Now, my lady! Which dress shall you wear today?”

—

I sighed, standing at the top of the staircase. Okay. I can do this. I’ll hear him out, and go from there. If he’s doing this as a favor to Doctor Richards, for whatever reason, then I owe him at least that, though I would rather hear from the doctor himself what’s going on. I took a tentative step, and once I was sure I wasn’t going to collapse from exhaustion, continued down until I reached the foyer where my family was waiting.

“Oh,” my mother gasped softly. “Darling, you are…perfect.”

“Beautiful,” Zane agreed. “If he doesn’t fall in love with you, there’s something wrong with him.”

I rolled my eyes. “Wasn’t this meeting set up so I could see how he is? Not the other way around.”

“Maybe I should just lock you up in your room for the rest of your life,” Father muttered, staring at me through narrow slits. “I don’t need you to get married. You can simply live with us forever. I’m sure your mother and brother won’t mind.”

“I definitely do not mind,” Zane volunteered, kissing my temple.

My heart clenched at his sweet words. “And what about when you get married?” I prompted teasingly, cupping his face with one hand. “What if the new viscountess wants me gone?”

“Then I’ll get divorced,” Zane declared matter-of-factly.

“Hey! I promised to meet him for the betterment of this family, and my own potential happiness. The maids spent hours making sure every single thing about me was perfect.”

“You’re always perfect,” Zane pouted, crossing his arms, and I had to smile at his childishness. His own suit made him appear especially dashing, and there were a bunch of medals Brynne was vaguely aware of him receiving at awards ceremonies for being a knight.

“Didn’t we all agree on this yesterday?” I asked.

“Just because they go along with us, doesn’t mean they agree with us, darling,” my mother whispered as she took my elbow, linking our arms. “Men. They think we’re so fragile, we can’t do anything but embroider and sip tea.”

I giggled. Was Regina always so forward-thinking? She always appeared like a traditional housewife.

The bell rang.

Leo, the butler, stepped forward to answer the door. A small voice from outside, then Leo turned around to address the family. “Duke Levi Langly, here to call on Lady Brynne Sumner,” he said, holding the door open.

I curtsied before I saw his face, my mother to the right of me, my father to the left. I saw Zane bow slightly from the corner of my eye, and I straightened, keeping my eyes on the floor.

“Viscount Carlos Sumner, Your Grace,” my father greeted.

“Lord Sumner. What an honor to meet you,” a strangely familiar voice said.

“Pardon my rudeness, Your Grace, but have we met before? You strike me as familiar.”

I couldn’t hold back the curiosity, and allowed my gaze to drift up the visitor’s figure until my eyes settled on his face. My eyes widened, and my hand pressed against my lips, forcing myself to swallow the gasp that was clawing its way up my throat.

“I haven’t had the pleasure of enjoying your company before today, my lord,” Duke Langly said, his eyes finding mine, a familiar smirk settling in the corner of his lips, and I very nearly blurted out the words that were on the tip of my tongue as my eyes continued to bulge out of my head.

Doctor Richards?!

His hair was neatly combed back, much shorter than it usually was, and a different color. That, in addition to his pressed suit and creaseless cravat, made him nearly unrecognizable. But I spent a long time talking to him, studying his features and expressions last week. I can’t believe how right I was, by the way! Once he tamed his hair, he became quite the stud!

No! What am I thinking! If he is Duke Langly, then…I just admitted to his face that I was in love with him! And he knows some of the most intimate details of my life! This is unbelievable!

My face paled under my hand, and I turned away from him to face my father—still cheerfully conversing with our distinguished guest—even as I heard a deep chuckle make its way to the duke’s lips. I have sentenced myself to death. Death by embarrassment. I shall now lay myself down and wait for someone to bury me.

“My wife, Regina.” Father gestured, pride in his voice as he leaned forward, putting weight on his cane. “The love of my life. My sole source of peace.”

“Oh, not the only one,” my mother blushed. “Your children better bring you peace on occasion, or I haven't done my job right, as their mother.”

Duke Langly bowed and kissed my mother’s hand, a smirk settling in the corner of his mouth. “It’s a pleasure, Viscountess Sumner,” he said cheerfully.

“Oh, my,” she sighed in longing. “The honor is all mine.”

“My son, Zane,” Father gestured.

“Lord Zane,” the duke greeted with a nod of his head. “It is an honor to meet the great swordmaster of the Sumner Estate.”

Zane pressed a fist to his chest and bowed lowly. “The honor is all mine, Your Grace, to be recognized by someone of your caliber.”

“And, of course,” the viscount added, chest puffed out as his hand fell toward me. “The reason you are here. My daughter, Brynne. My pride, my joy. My beautiful daughter.”

Duke Langly took my hand and pressed his lips to the back of it, his eyes twinkling at me, threatening to tell me secrets I didn’t want to keep. “A beautiful name for a beautiful lady,” he whispered, his breath brushing gracefully against my skin. “It is an honor to be in your presence today, Lady Sumner.”

I narrowed my eyes at him. I refuse to play along, bastard. You’ve been planning this for a long time, haven’t you?

“Please, Your Grace,” Father gestured toward the dining room as I attempted to discreetly remove my hand from the duke’s grasp. “We have lunch waiting. Join us, if you will.”

“I will,” Duke Langly—no, Doctor Richards—no! What do I call him now? smiled. He followed us into the dining room. With Father at the head of the table, and Mother on his right, Zane took the seat on his left, and I sat on Zane’s other side, leaving the seat directly across from me open to my potential fiance.

He smiled easily at me as he sat, and I frowned, looking away in a huff. He went on about finding me a decent husband, but I didn’t think he was talking about himself! How did he manage to hide his identity like that for so long? Why would he hide his identity like that?

“Your Grace,” Mother said as the servants began setting our plates down in front of us. “We beg your forgiveness for not offering you a fancy meal. We ran out of time, you see.”

“It’s no trouble, Viscountess,” the duke promised, flashing that heart throb smile at her. “I didn’t come today expecting anything glamorous. I merely wanted to meet the ones who would soon be my family.”

“Oh!” Mother gasped quietly, sheer joy in her eyes as she brought her hands to her mouth.

“Yes…speaking of,” Father began, but Zane interrupted him.

“Why did you propose?”

I whipped my head around to stare at my brother with wide eyes, mouth gaping open in stunned silence. You can’t just ask that!

Duke Langly smiled easily. “My vassals are pestering me to marry, and Miss Brynne was on the list of eligible candidates.”

“So why not propose to one of the other ‘eligible candidates?’” Zane grumbled as he stabbed his salad with a fork, just to toss the leaves aside on his plate and start over. I discreetly stomped on his foot under the table, turning my attention back to the food on the plate.

The smell of the vinaigrette was making me nauseous, as well as the situation, but I stabbed at a small tomato and chewed it slowly, trying to calm my stomach down, feeling a pair of eyes on me from across the table.

“Who knows?” Duke Langly asked cheerfully. “None of the others really stood out to me.”

“So you proposed because she’s beautiful?”

He c****d his head as he held my gaze. “Hm, not exactly. Though I won’t deny that it made my decision easier!”

I set my fork down. My mouth dry, half a chewed up tomato struggling to make its way down my throat as I buried my face in my hands.

“Brynne, darling, are you alright?”

“Yes, Mother,” I said from behind my hands. “I’m not hungry,” I lied, pushing my chair out and standing up. “Please don’t stop on my account.” My shoes clicked on my way out of the room. Right before I reached the door, I stopped, unable to stop myself from turning around. I held his piercing gaze as confidently as I could manage with my shaking knees. “Your Grace, I apologize I am unable to finish the meal with you. But if you have time, I would like to speak with you before you head back. Alone. Enjoy your lunch.”

I left the room, waiting until the dining room door shut before I gathered my skirts, and ran down the hall and up the stairs. I only stopped when I reached my bedroom, pressing my back against the closed door, breathing heavily, my lungs refusing to inhale deep breaths. My vision blurred, black spot darkening my room.