Betraying the Duke Read Online Free PDF

and confirmed that he was not coming, she walked back home with a heavy sinking heart. He’s not for me.
    Coming home again, with Mary’s help, she snuck in through the kitchen door and went to her bedroom to change her clothes and return her mother’s bonnet. She walked into the drawing room where her parents sat; they looked at her briefly and continued doing what they were doing. Her father was reading a book on Literature and her mother was writing a letter for her sick sister on the other side of England. Sophia went back upstairs to her room, saddened. I do not deserve to be treated like this, I really do not.
    She didn’t bother changing her clothes again and fell limp on her bed, with no energy inside of her all due to the way things had turned out that day.
    Suddenly, Mary came in running through the door.
    “Tell me what happened!” Mary said, before noticing Sophia’s mood.
    “Oh, it didn’t go well, did it?” Mary asked, sitting next to her sister who was lying in her bed.
    “No, it didn’t. He didn’t come,” Sophia said, feeling hopeless and miserable.
    “I am so sorry to hear that Sophia, but maybe he was busy and something had come up all of a sudden? You should not give up just yet! You were so happy leaving, don’t let something you are not even sure of bring you down,” Mary said, trying to cheer her up and make her see the other side of things.
    “I do not know, Mary. I am beginning to think that Mother and Father are right. I should just quietly get married to whomever they say, I mean what is the point? It is not like I love any man or any man loves me? Why not just live the normal life every woman lives? They are happy too, are they not?” Sophia said, depressingly.
    “Sophia! Do not talk like that! You are my inspiration. You will see, everything will be alright! Just wait and see!” Mary said, hugging her sister. Mary was not sure at all of how things would really turn out, but she could not stand seeing her sister so sad and unhappy; she knew she had to say the right things to comfort her, even if they were untrue.
    Mary hugged her once again and left the room, closing the door behind her. Sophia stared at the ceiling, wishing and hoping with all her heart for a miracle to come knocking on the door.
    After a few minutes, there was a knock at the door.
     
     

Chapter Eight
    Sophia was not too interested by whom it was that had knocked on the door; they did not get many unplanned visitors. Maybe it is another suitable bachelor they have called for me to wed? she thought as she turned to her side, facing the wall alongside her bed, really hoping it was not. She was not ready to face this all over again.
    Mary came running again inside the room in a frenzy.
    “Sophia! Sophia! Get up! It is him! The Duke you were talking about! He is downstairs! He is waiting for you! Get up!” Mary said, overly excited and nudging Sophia.
    “What?! The Duke?! Mary is this a trick to get me to come downstairs?! Because if it is, I will not speak with you, if that is the case!” Sophia said in shock, partly surprised and partly excited.
    “No silly! I swear to you it is nothing of the sort! The Duke is waiting for you downstairs! He even said your name! And you were so right! He is incredibly handsome!” Mary said, trying to shake the shock off of her sister and get her to get out of bed.
    “Truly? He must have found out where I lived, as I had been very vague in telling him! I have got to go downstairs and explain things!” Sophia rushed to her feet, straightening out her dress and tidying up her hair, trying to make it look the way it did when she had first made it.
    She ran into the hallway and then slowed her pace at the stairs, trying to not look so eager, her heart beating fast in her chest. She was afraid someone else might hear it.
    She went into the drawing room to see her parents already seated and the Duke seated in the seat where Elliot sat no longer than a week ago.
    “Hello,