Seven

The long-awaited day It had been three days since she last saw the duke, since he moved their wedding to today. He asked for a special license to approve their wedding that was to be held today.

Sara stood before the full-length mirror in her bedroom, dressed in a sumptuous white gown that cascaded in layers of satin and lace. The dress was undoubtedly beautiful, but it did nothing to alleviate the feeling of dread that was slowly overtaking her.

She took a deep breath, her hands trembling slightly as she fastened the pearl necklace around her neck. This was it—the moment she had been dreading for weeks—her arranged marriage to the Duke of Mayfield, William. A man she detested with every fiber of her being.

Sara had tried everything in her power to avoid this marriage, but it was futile.

As she looked at herself in the mirror, Sara's mind wandered to the times when she had first met William. He was arrogant and entitled, with a haughty air that grated on her nerves.

The sound of a knock on the door interrupted her thoughts, and she turned to see her maid, Rose, standing in the doorway.

"His Grace is waiting for you, my lady," Sophia said, curtseying.

Sara took a deep breath, her heart pounding in her chest. She knew that this was it—the moment when she would have to face William and seal her fate.

As she made her way down the grand staircase, Sara couldn't help but feel a sense of resignation. This was her life now, and there was no turning back.

William stood at the bottom of the staircase, dressed in a tailored suit that emphasized his broad shoulders and chiseled jaw. He looked every bit the aristocrat, but Sara knew better than to be fooled by appearances.

As she approached him, William extended his arm, and she took it reluctantly. They walked down the aisle together, the guests murmuring in approval at the sight of them.

Sara tried to keep her head held high, but it was a struggle. She couldn't shake the feeling that this was a mistake and that she was making a grave error that she would come to regret.

As they reached the altar, William turned to her and smiled. "You look beautiful, my dear," he said, his tone smug.

Sara forced a smile, her stomach churning.

Sara stood at the altar, her heart beating wildly in her chest. She couldn't believe this was happening. She had never wanted to marry the Duke, but her family had forced her into it. She had begged and pleaded with them to let her choose her own husband, but they insisted. And now here she was, about to take her wedding vows with a man she barely knew.

The Duke looked at her with a small smile, his eyes filled with warmth and understanding.

"Do you, Sara, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, as long as you both shall live?" the priest asked.

Sara took a deep breath and looked into the Duke's eyes—he was never going to let her go.

"I do," she said, her voice trembling slightly.

The Duke took her hand in his and smiled down at her. "And do you, Your Grace, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, as long as you both shall live?"

The Duke's voice was steady and calm.

"I do," he said, and the priest smiled at them both.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife," the priest said. "You may kiss the bride."

William pulled her from her waist and leaned into her, giving her a light kiss.

Sara could read his eyes. He was just being modest in front of the guests.

She could feel the eyes of the crowd piercing through her; she looked like his mother. Even though she was against the marriage, William always got his way.

Now she was going to end up with a husband for whom she had no affection and a mother-in-law who was going to torture her for life.

William and Sara left the church early. The guests were to go to his house for a reception.

Rose stood in front of the carriage with Sara’s belongings.

"Your grace, is there anything else you may need?" She asked her.

Sara came to a realization. She had really married the Duke, and she was now the Duchess. Ranks higher than her aunt.

"I think I have carried all I need. Thank you, Rose," She said.

Rose entered the other carriage. She was the only matrimonial maid she was bringing to the Mayfield household, which was far from her own house. She was not going to be able to visit the twins anytime she wanted.

William brought out his hand to help her into the carriage. She ignored him and climbed it herself.

"You made a beautiful bride, my love," He told her.

Sara was quiet.

"Are you going to ignore me all through the years of our marriage? In order to make this work, you should talk too. At least let’s make this marriage habitable." He spoke.

Sara laughed.

"Habitable, your grace? Or is it William now that we are married? You forced me into this, and I will not give you the pleasure of seeing me break and accept my fate. I hate you for this, and I will never forgive you," She said in a low voice in order not to make a scene.

William smiled. That was the girl he was attracted to. The girl who was unruly and lacked etiquette, the girl who smoked and drank in secret

"Sara, we are already married, and nothing can change that. You are now my wife, and you are going to be my wife in every sense. Do not forget, I asked you to be my mistress, and you refused. At least, you would have enjoyed every luxury as my mistress and would not have been mine forever, but you rejected it and chose a nobler path. It is not my fault," He said.

Tears were rolling from Sara’s eyes. William ignored her. It was best for her to let it all out and accept her fate.

Sara's heart was heavy as she stepped out of the carriage and onto the cobblestone driveway of the Mayfield Mansion. Her new husband, the Duke of Mayfield, followed closely behind her, his presence sending a shiver down her spine.

The grand mansion loomed before them, its sprawling gardens and imposing facade a testament to the wealth and power of the Mayfield family. But to Sara, it was nothing more than a gilded cage—a prison she was now condemned to spend the rest of her days in.

As they walked up the steps to the front door, the Duke attempted to take her hand, but she pulled away, unable to bear his touch. "Please don't," she whispered, her voice barely audible over the sound of their footsteps.

He frowned but didn't press the issue, knowing that she needed time to adjust to their new life together. Sara couldn't help but feel a flicker of gratitude towards him for this small mercy, but it quickly faded as they entered the mansion's grand hall.

The air was thick with the scent of roses and the sound of the Duke's mother, the Dowager Duchess, cooing over their arrival. "Welcome!" she exclaimed, pulling them both into a tight embrace.

Sara stiffened at the woman's touch, her distaste for the Mayfield family growing with every passing moment. She longed to escape, to run away from this suffocating world of grandeur and obligation, but she knew that there was no way out.

They were congratulating them.

"I thought you said it was going to be a small affair?" She asked him coldly.

"These are only my family and friends. They are a huge part of my life," He replied.

The Duke's hand touched the small of her back, and Sara bristled at his proximity. "Come, my dear," he murmured. "Let us retire to our room and rest."

Sara nodded, feeling numb as she followed him up the grand staircase and into their suite. The room was opulent, with silk curtains and a four-poster bed, but to her, it was nothing more than a prison cell.

She looked around.

"Are we going to share a room?" She asked him.

William smiled.

"I have my own room. It has a connecting door to your room, where I can access your room freely," He replied.

Sara’s eyes were wide open.

"It is normal for couples to have connecting rooms, Sara," He told her.

"I want a different room," She told him.

William came closer to her.

"You cannot have a different room. These rooms are reserved for the duke and duchess of the house. Now enough with it, because you will not have it any other way," He told her.

Sara stood nervously.

"Should I help you with your dress?" He asked her and came closer to her.

   "I am fine. I can do it by myself. I need no assistance." She spoke and stepped back.

William ignored her and helped her with the dress. His lips brushed against her neck, sending a shiver down her spine.

"I cannot do this." She started crying.

"Do what?" He asked.

"I know what you expect from me on the wedding night, but I cannot do it. You cannot force me to sleep with you. I do not love you," She shouted.

Luckily, the rooms were soundproof, so no one could hear their conversation.

"I married you to have my heirs and satisfy me, not as a statue, Sara. I have no intentions of forcing you; I will give you time to adjust, but I will not wait for long," He told her.

Sara looked away.

William was angry; he wanted her so badly, and she could not see it. He waited for weeks to have her, and she was not ready. He did not want to scare her away, but he was not going to wait for long either.

He left the room and locked the door behind him. Sara had succeeded in driving him away, but was she going to be able to do it forever?

The following morning was quiet. She had not seen William again since she sent him away.

"Your grace, breakfast is ready, and her grace is waiting for you at the table," Rose informed her, helping her dress up.

How could she be late on her first day? Not that she cared or anything. This was now her home, and upsetting her mother-in-law would make her stay terrible.

"Good morning, Mother." She curtsied and sat on a chair far away from her.

"Good morning, Sara. Where is William? Should he not be here for breakfast?" She asked.

Sara thought about her answer for a while.

"I do not know where he has gone to. Maybe for work or something," She replied.

Lady Heyward gave her a disapproving look.

"You only have a few duties as a married lady, and at the top of that list should be your husband. My husband, William, has never missed a breakfast before, unless he is out of town. If you did something to make him feel disrespected, I will not tolerate it. I did not approve of you as his wife because of your bad qualities. As duchess of Mayfield now, I expect you to drop all those silly behaviors and start behaving like a proper woman." She raised her voice at Sara and left without eating.

Sara felt a big lump at the back of her throat. She was trying so hard not to cry. Immediately after Lady Heyward got up, the servants cleared the table.

Sara stormed into William’s room as soon as she heard he was back.

     "Are you happy, William? Did you do all this to make me look like a fool in front of your mother?" She shouted.

William was confused.

"You should knock before entering my room, Sara," He said calmly.

Sara laughed.

"Knocking is the least of my problems. It has not even been a day since I arrived here, and your mother is treating you worse than I could have imagined. She has been yelling and shouting at me, telling me all the reasons she did not agree to this marriage, and you get to go scot-free? I am meant to look after you as if I am your babysitter!" Hot tears were falling from her eyes.

William sighed.

"I will talk to her. I am sorry. I intend to make you comfortable in your own home. If she continues, I will send her to the other mansion to live with her cousin," William said.

Sara spent the day touring the house and taking notes on what the duties of a duchess was.

"Your grace, you have a visitor," The butler told Sara.

Sara wondered who it was.

Steve entered the mansion and waited in the drawing room.

"Your grace!" Steve smiled as she entered.

Sara stopped at the door.

"I am sure you are here to see William. I will let him know." She spoke and turned to leave.

Steve held her hand.

"I am here for you. I came to see how you were doing," He said.

Sara paused.

"You should not hold a married woman like that, Steve. Besides, a man and a woman should not be left alone with a chaperone," She said.

She never wanted to see Steve again. She did not know he would have the audacity to come to the Heyward Mansion.

"Do you not want to leave this place? I felt sorry for what I did and came up with a plan," He told her.

Sara's eyes widened. Steve looked like a crook to her, and she could not decipher if he was lying or telling the truth.