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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 19

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Lucien smiled slightly. "She never met Silas."Mabel raised an eyebrow. "She should have."Lucien nodded. "She would have arranged for him to marry a woman who owned a very large dog."Mabel smiled. "A wise woman."Lucien kept his voice quiet. "She was."His voice changed when he spoke of his grandmother; the hard edges softened. Mabel saw the man beneath the title. She understood why he guarded the estate so fiercely: it was not pride, it was grief with paperwork.That evening, she found an old portrait in the west corridor. The late Duchess stood beside a young Lucien; he was perhaps fourteen and already looked as if the world had disappointed him personally.Mabel studied the portrait. "She had excellent hair."Lucien appeared behind her. "She had excellent opinions."Mabel glanced at him. "The hair is visible."Lucien kept his eyes on the portrait. "The opinions were louder."Mabel examined the portrait. "You were a serious child."Lucien nodded. "I was holding a dead pheasant."Mabel raised an eyebrow. "That explains the expression."Lucien kept his voice flat. "It had attacked me."Mabel pointed at the bird. "You are holding it by the neck."Lucien shrugged. "It had lost the argument."Mabel laughed. Lucien looked at the portrait instead of her.Lucien kept his voice quiet. "She wanted me to marry someone who would challenge me."Mabel looked at him. "Did she know you would hire the first woman who put a leaf in soup?"Lucien smiled slightly. "She had a high opinion of my judgment."Mabel shook her head. "That was her first mistake."Lucien nodded. "It was not her first."Mabel heard the sadness under the joke. She touched the frame, not him. Mabel kept her voice gentle. "You miss her."Lucien nodded. "Every day."Mabel looked at the portrait. "Then she must have been worth missing."Lucien looked at her. "She was."The third rule was tested the following morning. Silas sent a forged statement to the trustees: the statement claimed that Lucien had arranged the marriage only to seize the trust; it claimed that Lucien had promised Mabel a share of the railway. The statement included a false signature and a detailed account of conversations that had never taken place.Sir Osgood delivered it personally. Sir Osgood held out the paper. "If this is true, the trustees will declare the marriage fraudulent."Mabel read the statement. It was very polished; it also contained an error. Mabel pointed at a line. "I would never say 'substantial monetary consideration.'"Sir Osgood blinked. "Why not?"
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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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