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Every Lady Wanted the Duke — But He Chose the Chubby Girl Who Didn’t Even Notice Him

Every Lady Wanted the Duke — But He Chose the Chubby Girl Who Didn’t Even Notice Him

Chapter 14

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Mabel pointed toward the dining room. "You were sitting beside Reverend Thorne while he explained the spiritual dangers of mustard."Lucien looked ashamed. "I was listening for useful information."Mabel raised an eyebrow. "Did you find any?"Lucien nodded slowly. "Mustard is apparently linked to moral decline."Mabel tried not to smile; Lucien saw it anyway. "You are laughing at me."Mabel looked away. "I am considering it."Lucien kept his voice quiet. "You should be careful. That is how affection begins."The words left his mouth before he could catch them. Mabel stared at him. Lucien felt the first rule break with a clean, unmistakable sound.Lucien cleared his throat. "That was a joke."Mabel raised an eyebrow. "It was a poor one."Lucien nodded. "I am relieved."Mabel turned back to the fields. "You should be. I have standards."She turned back to the fields. Lucien remained beside her. He stood close enough to feel the warmth of her shoulder through their sleeves. He had broken the first rule; Mabel had not even noticed.The following morning, Mabel discovered that the Duke had broken the second rule as well. She found him in the library reading a letter addressed to her.Mabel stopped in the doorway. "That is mine."Lucien looked up. "It was delivered to my house."Mabel stepped into the room. "Your house contains my room, my clothes, and now my letters."Lucien set down the letter. "The envelope was open."Mabel folded her arms. "By whom?"Lucien kept his expression steady. "The seal was broken."Mabel narrowed her eyes. "By whom?"Lucien shook his head. "I do not know."Mabel took the letter. It was from a woman called Mrs. Dallow. Mrs. Dallow claimed that Mabel had once promised to marry her son and had abandoned him after acquiring a richer husband. The accusation was absurd: Mabel had never met Mrs. Dallow's son. She had met a grocer's boy who had proposed after she corrected his arithmetic, but he had been fourteen.Mabel held up the letter. "This is a forgery."Lucien nodded. "I agree."Mabel frowned. "Then why were you reading it?"Lucien pointed at a line. "Because it mentions Northmere Fuel."Mabel looked again. Hidden between the insults was a sentence about a payment made to a printer. Mabel set down the letter. "Silas is spreading rumors about me."Lucien folded his hands. "He is trying to make the trustees doubt the marriage."Mabel raised an eyebrow. "That seems unnecessary. Reverend Thorne doubts everything before breakfast."Lucien stood. "I will have the printer found."
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Every Lady Wanted the Duke — But He Chose the Chubby Girl Who Didn’t Even Notice Him

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