Her Stepmother Sent Her to the Duke as a Joke – He Offered Her a Chair Before He Said a Word

rich forest green velvet that Alistair had ordered directly from Paris. It was not the gown of a spinster; it was a gown that commanded a room.

There were no aristocratic guests. Bates stood as a witness, weeping quietly into a pristine linen handkerchief, and Mrs. Gable held Norah’s gloves.

When the vicar pronounced them man and wife, Alistair did continue reading …