unfit For The Duke

He didn’t love you and you knew he had married you to protect from the harsh society who view unmarried poor women as chattels and you were fragile and yet stubborn no one wanted you as a wife. He had promised your mother his wet nurse to take care of you on her death bed you didn’t expect much from him and it has been so for three years, you had noticed the way he treats her with care and love and very polite with her, a different side of him you had never experienced, he helps her out of her carriage, hold her hands as he guides her around the party proud to show everyone he had a beautiful friend, Mirabel was indeed beautiful, tall and elegant, social and glorious society definition of a beautiful damsel, you compared your looks you were far behind. Short and skinny with a rough skin from years of working under the hot sun on the farm. You couldn’t stop watching now somehow you are jealous but you had no right to be, you thought they were a perfect match both tall and beautiful born with a silver spoon all you did was cause him trouble but still it was painful to watch the way he praised her was like a husband boasting of his wife’s cooking skills he had only scolded you in front of large crowd never a sweet word of praise, he touches her so well but gets disgusted at the sight of you, you heard him last night at the ball you attend whispering to her how weird you were and they laughed. Their laughter still echo in your head at the moment. So now you realized you mistook his sympathy for love because he was the only one willing to keep you when you lost everyone dear and always helped you when you got into trouble, poor fool if only you knew how stupid you sound You thought he would forget his childhood love simply because he married a pauper like you. “Anne” he called out to you. Your face bent down you couldn’t look at him for the tears you were trying to conceal might reveal itself “Yes” “Do you mind joining Mrs Windsor in the kitchen she would love to see you” You obeyed quietly after all it was better than watching the lovely couple and hearing the ridicule from other spectators who had never liked you. Marcus was here, you watched him smiled at you waving for you to come closer, he was four years younger than you and whenever they was a social ball you attended he would find you as you were the only one willing to listen to his story of the northern hemisphere which you were fascinated about, You liked him a lot just the younger one you never had and laughed at his jokes even when no one laughed and of course rumors had circulated that he was your lover but you didn’t care you went over far from others and you listened to his story forgetting about your heartbreak. Somehow you felt someone watching, eyes boring into your soul and to your surprise it was your husband, Raymond, his gaze was on Marcus it was deadly you couldn’t tell what it was he bit his lips and smiled at Marcus greetings then his gaze fell on you. “ Let’s go “ he said