“Come with me,” he says, guiding me toward the library.
“Aren’t we supposed to go?”
“Yes, but first I want to give you something.” He holds the door open, then presses a button on the wall panel. A safe appears. After entering the code, he comes back to me holding a velvet box.
“What is it?”
He opens it. “It belonged to my mother. I’m giving it to you, and I want you to wear it tonight. Everyone will recognize it—there’s a numbered catalog of the Duchess of Kindubh’s jewelry.”
I open and close my mouth, searching for words. “You want them to know I’m the lady of the castle now?” I ask, understanding the symbolism.
“That too. But mostly, I want them to know you’ll be my wife. They owe you respect.”
“You’re not doing this for yourself. You don’t care what they think. It’s for me. You want me to feel safe.”
“That’s right. You’ll never bow your head to anyone again, Jazmina.”
And just like that—without warning—he steals a large piece of my heart.
Chapter 39
I’m not surprised when I realize people are staring at us. That was to be expected, considering the dinner was organized so we could announce our engagement. But the whispering—that is starting to get on my nerves.
I don’t have an inferiority complex. I like the way I look, and tonight, in particular, I feel beautiful beside him. We match in a contrasting yet complementary way.
Temperament aside,I think, hiding a smile.In that regard, we’re soulmates.
Every now and then, I step away from Rodrick and try to mingle on my own with a group of people, partly to show I’m not afraid of them, and partly because I’m a princess and more than used to lavish parties in our palace.
I suppose high society is snobbish everywhere—few people can look at you without trying to see what they can gain—but here it’s different. I can tell they’re judging me.
It might just be my imagination, but whenever I approach a group without my fiancé by my side, a heavy silence settles in. They stop smiling and make no effort whatsoever to include me.
After a while, my patience runs out, and I wonder how much longer we’ll have to stay before this torture finally ends.
“That necklace should be mine.”
I turn around to see who’s speaking in that aggressive tone, and it doesn’t take long to realize it’s one of the finalists from thewife competition. To my surprise, though, it’s not Davina, who seemed far more confident at the yacht party, but the other one, the blonde with the more timid demeanor: Elizabeth.
At first, I don’t quite know what to say, so I take the opportunity to study her face. She’s much older than I am. I’d guess around twenty-eight. She’s beautiful, but there’s something unhinged in her eyes.
I grew up surrounded by competitive women. When you have that many sisters, especially from different mothers, that’s inevitable. So I don’t feel afraid or intimidated by her barely contained rage. I’m curious.
“Really? Who says so?”
“The duke was choosing between Davina and me to be his wife. Then you showed up and ruined everything.”
I look her up and down. “So it would’ve been a kind of job for you, right? Or better yet, an early retirement.”
“You’re in love with him,” she says with a cold laugh, scrutinizing me as well. “Poor thing. You probably think you’re living a fairy tale, but you have no idea. The Duke of Kindubh will never love you. He’s incapable of that. The family is cursed. His father killed his stepmother and then killed himself.”
I try to hide my shock at the revelation. Years of training with my mother and sisters to conceal my true nature have taught me how to put on a mask of indifference when necessary.
I take two steps closer, leaving no doubt about the threat in my posture. “And yet that didn’t stop you from wanting to marry him anyway. Don’t be fooled by my looks or even my title.I may be a princess, but I’m perfectly capable of ripping your head off if you dare speak about my future husband again.”
She looks at me, trying to decide whether I’m bluffing, but I don’t even blink.
“No one will insult him in front of me. So if you value your skin, stay away from me, especially if all you have to offer is venom and bitterness. Behave like the lady you’re trying to pass as. Lose with grace.”