The Duke's Marriage of Convenience (The Seymour Siblings Book 1) Read online

  The Duke’s Marriage of Convenience

  By Fiona Miers

  The Seymour Siblings book 1.

  This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.

  THE DUKE'S MARRIAGE OF CONVENIENCE

  First edition. March 29, 2020.

  Copyright © 2020 Fiona Miers.

  Written by Fiona Miers.

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Epilogue

  An Unconventional Bride. | Chapter One.

  *** Up for pre-order and releasing on the 20th of June 2020.

  Chapter One

  The air was fresh as a gentle breeze swept across the lush green pastures of a sought-after estate in the county of Somerset. The staff had been busy preparing for a very important visit by two young people, who were arranged to be wed. They were to finally meet, after many months of negotiations between their respective parents.

  The atmosphere at Woodlock Manor was bustling as the help prepared. The maidservants served a delicious breakfast on the terrace, the manservants ensured the grounds were in pristine condition. Merriment and excitement were in the air.

  However, in the east wing of Woodlock Manor, submerged nearly entirely in warm water, Kitty did not share in the excitement.

  Of course, she would not openly admit it in front of the two young maids, who were washing her long, black hair. The sweet aroma of flowers allowed her to drift into a surreal wonderland where there was no need for her to jeopardize her beliefs for a man.

  But it was, indeed, a very real world, as she was fully aware. Her mother, Lady Dunne, the Countess of Dunne, had prepared her only daughter for this exclusive gala, as she ceremoniously referred to it, and proceeded to compliment her daughter’s suitor as a man of integrity and outstanding reputation.

  He was considered one of the most eligible bachelors in the county—if not the country—and his wealth far exceeded most of the other eligible men. This was the sole reason Lady Dunn and her husband, the Earl of Dunn, had desired that James of Somerset wed their daughter.

  Despite the earl’s formidable reputation, their family was on the verge of bankruptcy, as the earl’s business partner had embezzled a great deal of money from their business venture, leaving Lord Dunne to stand among the ruins as they fell down around him.

  Arranging a marriage between their daughter and James of Somerset would ensure their financial survival and rescue their family from a life of poverty.

  Of course Kitty was well aware of the situation, but it most certainly did not stop her from expressing her distaste for the arrangement itself. Despite not having ever met James, and the fact that she was in no position to judge him or despise him, she was, however, not impressed with the depths to which her parents had stooped.

  Arranged marriages were archaic to Kitty’s way of thinking, but unfortunately, there was not much she could do regarding the situation. Plans had been made, and her family had travelled to Woodlock Manor to meet with James.

  The bedchambers were far more luxurious than she had ever seen, with light rose inlaid wallpaper and gold trim. The furniture was constructed of solid cherry wood, and three large windows provided a panoramic view of the meadows. It was certainly a comfortable and luxurious lifestyle in which she had now found herself, but no amount of extravagance in the entire world would make her wish this of her own accord.

  “There you are, my lady,” the maidservant said in a soft voice, and Kitty glanced at her rather than the sunlight that danced through the drapes.

  “Oh, do make haste, child,” Lady Dunne, who had been sitting quietly on a chaise near the window throughout the duration of Kitty’s bath, said. “There is still much to do.”

  Kitty rose to her feet while the maidservants wrapped her in soft muslin as she stepped out of the bath. The warm air inside the bedchamber allowed a comfortable transition from the heat of the bath to where she would now be dressed for her breakfast with James.

  The young maids worked gently and diligently as they first dried Kitty’s tresses with a cloth, and afterward dressed Kitty in her inner-wear, the soft fabric skimming her skin. It caused her to shiver, but it was purely out of anticipation, not excitement.

  Kitty was aware this was the only way in which her family’s financial survival would be ensured, and she most certainly did not wish for her mother and father to be punished for something that was entirely out of their hands.

  The servants slipped a lovely, pale blue day dress over her head and assisted her in straightening it out, then tying it at the back. She caught sight of her reflection in the mirror and a small smile brightened her visage.

  She had not expected to enjoy any of this ridiculous preparation, but she had to admit, the dress was perfection. The colour suited her skin perfectly and the style accentuated the curves of her body. She was not as petite as most young women her age, but her curvy body apparently made her even more sought-after.

  Her mother, of course, disagreed.

  “It is a good thing you have been blessed with a striking face, my dear child,” Lady Dunne pointed out nonchalantly, as she had done from time to time, which annoyed Kitty to no end. She was convinced her mother did not approve of her body because she enjoyed being out of doors. Even more appalling, at least according to her mother, was her love of horses.

  Kitty had been interested in the amazing creatures since she was a young child, and had ridden her first mare when she was a mere five years of age. Her father had taught her to ride, which annoyed the countess to no end.

  In the countess’ opinion, it was not proper behaviour for a lady of her stature and lineage. Of course, Kitty paid no notice to her mother and had spent much of her free time riding her father’s horses. She adored them and hoped that James shared her love for the majestic beasts. If not, their dinners as a married couple would be rather quiet.

  The maidservants gently brushed her dark locks, and intricately wove it with their fingers, placing white blossoms between the layers.

  Kitty watched as she was transformed from a young woman who spent too much time out of doors, into a refined lady who would soon be the Duchess of Somerset.

  Lady Dunne moved across the room, her reflection catching Kitty’s eye. She glanced at her mother, whose expression was even more pleased than her previous one.

  “My dear girl, may I be so bold as to say you have not looked more beautiful in your entire lifetime.”

  “That certainly does not seem complimentary towards my usual ungainly features, Mother,” Kitty retorted with a grimace.

  “I wish not to insult you. You look beautiful was all I wanted to say.”

  “Why not simply say it? There is no need for such theatrics,” Kitty said.

  Lady Dunne pursed her lips, apparently stopping herself from uttering a word that was not suitable to be heard, especially by James’s staff.

  Kitty was not entirely convinced this was the
case in every instance, but she knew better than to argue with her mother.

  “Where is Father?” Kitty inquired.

  “I left him to his own devices, although I do suspect he is in James’s grand library. We are well aware of how your father can immerse himself in a world that does not exist,” Lady Dunne answered.

  This time it was Kitty who pursed her lips to stifle the words that nearly escaped. It had been no secret that the marriage of her mother and father was also arranged , and despite having had a union that had lasted more than twenty years, Kitty was well aware of how miserable both her parents were.

  Her father was a quiet, passive man in the best of times. A well-read gentleman of fine lineage and intelligence. He was not boastful, nor did he treat his servants and staff as if they were beneath him. He was humble and would often be found in the kitchen late at night, playing cards with the manservants. Or even in the stable, among the horses.

  Her mother, on the other hand, was raised with a silver spoon of privilege in her mouth, and would not even dream of speaking directly to a maidservant. It was simply a product of her family experience, but it still infuriated Kitty.

  Kitty had inherited her father’s kind heart, and adored the maidservants at their estate. She would miss them all dearly when she no longer resided there.

  Soon she would become the Duchess of Somerset, and settle in Woodlock Manor with her new husband, and the new staff. It would most certainly be a strange and difficult adjustment, especially since she did not wish to get married in the first place.

  It was not that Kitty did not believe in love, she simply didn’t believe in forced love. One cannot be compelled to fall in love with a particular person, and as her father had philosophized many times, sometimes the heart desired what it desired, no matter how inconvenient.

  Kitty pursed her lips as she gazed at her reflection and cocked her head. Nervous bubbles rose up inside her, despite her best attempts to not allow this meeting to affect her too much.

  She was to meet the man she would soon marry, whether it was what she wanted or not. There was no need to be nervous. She had only heard great and noble things about him, but unfortunately that knowledge did not make the situation any less stressful.

  Other people’s words were not credible, as they did not know him personally.

  “Utter perfection.” Her mother beamed beside her, distracting Kitty from the imminent tragedy that lay before her. “There will be no doubt that His Grace will fall madly in love with you the moment he sets his sights upon you, my dear.”

  Kitty glanced at her mother over her shoulder and smiled weakly. Perhaps her mother was under the impression this may happen, but she was not convinced. Not in the least.

  In fact, she was not certain whether she would even meet with James, as one could easily become lost in the thick foliage of the trees in the meadow that had caught her eye at that very moment.

  “Are you ready, my dear?” her mother smiled and held her hand out, sheer excitement radiating on her face, her green eyes twinkling with hope.

  Despite Kitty’s initial instincts to show defiance, or perhaps give a witty retort that her mother would certainly not appreciate or find amusing, she nodded quietly and stood up from the stool.

  The skirt of her dress slid to the floor and Lady Dunne’s eyes sparkled even more. Her mother clutched her hand against her chest and sighed.

  “Utter perfection,” she repeated.

  Unfortunately, Kitty felt like nothing close to perfection.

  Chapter Two

  Lord James of Somerset, stared pensively out the large window of his study, his gaze fixed on nothing in particular. The marvellous view that lay before him did not appease him in any way.

  Woodlock Manor, his father’s estate, had been the place where he had spent his entire life, and as the eldest son of the late Duke of Somerset, he had inherited the property after his father’s passing. James adored the estate, with its long hallways, luxurious rooms, and immaculately kept gardens.

  For several years, James had lived alone there, but he had always been painfully aware that it was his duty to marry one day, even if it was not for love.

  He felt some bitterness in the situation he could not deny, as his younger brother, William, and his younger sister, Lizzie, both had the privilege of marrying whomever they pleased.

  James, however, as the eldest sibling and heir to his father’s lineage and title, was responsible for the reputation of his family name.

  Despite his mother and father’s courtship filled with love and passion, which James’s mother spoke of constantly, James felt it was his duty to enter into a marriage of convenience. There was not a woman whom he had met who remotely stirred his feelings, and despite his parents’ affection towards one another, James had no desire to marry.

  When the Earl of Dunne approached him at a gentleman’s club in town, James was under the impression the earl had been dipping rather deeply into his cups. The gentleman’s club was a notorious place where civilized men became quite the opposite, but much to James’s surprise, the earl was as sober as the morning sun.

  James was surprised when Lord Dunne had requested they speak in private, and was further intrigued by the earl’s proposition to enter into marriage with his daughter.

  Admittedly, James had not heard of the young woman in question, and was rather sceptical in regards to this strange request, especially in such an unexpected time and place.

  James had agreed to meet with the earl at a later date to discuss the matter in deeper detail. He had learned the Earl and Countess of Dunne were one of the many families in Somerset with impeccable reputations, and Lord Dunne’s business ethics and the manner in which he managed his enterprises were truly admirable.

  James was surprised at the earl’s offer of marriage to his only daughter. Despite the fact that he was not even previously aware Lord Dunne had a daughter, he deemed the offer one for serious consideration James had met with Lord Dunne on a few more occasions to discuss the details of this arrangement, and they soon came to an agreement.

  Although James felt forced to enter into an arranged marriage to appease his family, he was convinced it was for the best and would have made his parents proud if they were still alive.

  Of course, his brother and sister had made it abundantly clear that James had their sympathies, but they had not seemed sincere. His two siblings enjoyed drawing their amusement from James’s painful duties, such as a marriage of convenience. William had teased him relentlessly for agreeing to marry a woman on whom he had not yet laid eyes, or even met, for that matter.

  “What if the young woman is not what you expected, my dear brother? You are to be wed to her, to bed her, and spend the rest of your life with her, yet you do not know how her face appears in the moonlight,” William had said to him. “Or perhaps the earl has gone mad and he does not even have a daughter.”

  But he had given Lord Dunne his word, and he was not prepared to break the arrangement, regardless of what the young woman turned out to be.

  James caught sight of his reflection in the window, his dark brown hair meticulously parted to the side, and sighed. The sounds of the staff readying his and Kitty’s breakfast meeting echoed through the hallways. They had been preparing for this occasion even before the sun rose. Lord Dunne and his family had arrived late last evening, and James had only met with the man briefly before retiring for the night.

  Kitty had her own bedchamber, and Lord and Lady Dunne’s chambers were next to hers. He had also sent two of his best maidservants to Kitty’s chamber to assist her with preparations, which James thought would make her feel more comfortable as Woodlock Manor would soon become her home.

  James stepped away from the window when a knock sounded on the door of the study. “Enter.”

  The door opened and Elizabeth entered. She wore her red cloak securely wrapped around her shoulders and held her satin gloves.

  “Sister, what are you still doing here? I w
as under the impression you and William had left already.”

  “We both are fully aware of how William can take his time with things. Such a tedious man,” Elizabeth sighed. “It is no wonder Mother complained about his birth. It lasted nearly two days.”

  James glanced at his sister in slight amusement, still recalling the stormy night his younger brother eventually came into the world. He had believed it was the ugliest baby he had ever seen, and even the horses’ foals were much more handsome than William.

  “Will you be well here on your own?” Elizabeth asked, causing James’s nostalgic thoughts to evaporate before him.

  “I live at the estate by myself, why would I not be well?”

  Elizabeth stared at him, “Because today is no ordinary day, brother. Today you will finally meet with Kitty, your betrothed, your companion for the rest of your life.”

  “Must you make it sound so dramatic?” James asked, rolling his green eyes at her.

  “You’ve resided at this estate in isolation for too long, and it will be a big adjustment to have someone else here. Will she be allowed into your chambers?”

  James gasped, shocked at his sister’s question. “I hardly think that is appropriate.”

  “You and I both know how private you are, brother. I am merely wondering if this marriage will encourage you to open yourself up to more,” Elizabeth pointed out, as she fiddled with her gloves. “I feel a small sadness for the young woman. It must be difficult to uproot oneself and settle in a foreign place with someone whom she does not even know.”

  James stared wordlessly at Elizabeth and shifted his weight in discomfort. Before he was able to respond, his sister spoke once more.

  “But perhaps this was why Lord Dunne arranged this meeting between you and the lady, to set her at ease before being thrown to the wolves.”

  “And what do you mean by that, sister?” James asked in annoyance.

  “As I mentioned before, James, the Seymour blood flows strongly in your veins, and that means you are stubborn and unwavering. In most cases that is a positive trait, but do not overdo it,” Elizabeth suggested.