A Duke in Time (The Widow Rules #1) - Janna MacGregor Page 0,110

your duke.”

“That’s good advice.” Kat said a silent prayer then opened the door. “Welcome, Mr. Hanes.”

The solicitor turned from the window, and Katherine immediately stopped. The solicitor’s face resembled the first snow of a long winter. There was no color in his cheeks, and his eyes were sunken as if he hadn’t any sleep over the past several days.

“Thank you for seeing me. Under normal circumstances, I would never dare interrupt such an important evening. But this is dire.” The solicitor shook his head slowly.

“Of course. Let’s sit down.” Katherine sat first on the floral brocade sofa where Willa joined her. Mr. Hanes chose an ornate scrolled-back chair that faced them.

Everything within the room grew quiet. The fire didn’t spark, and the wind battering the window died.

An ominous sign.

Katherine tried to swallow her unease, but her heart pounded in her chest. If anything had happened to Christian, she didn’t think she could bear it. Finally, she broke the silence. “Is it the duke? Is he well?”

“His Grace is fine.” Mr. Hanes released a pained breath, then rubbed his knee repeatedly. It was a rather shocking sight to see him so unnerved. It reminded Katherine of the day when she found out there were two other wives besides herself.

The solicitor stared at the floor as if struggling with what to do.

Katherine motioned to Willa. Immediately, she went to Mr. Hanes’s side.

“Do you need anything, sir?” Willa asked in her gentle way, as if tending a patient. “Perhaps tea?”

“No, thank you,” the solicitor answered before turning to Katherine. “You may want to have privacy for this conversation,” he said softly.

Katherine lengthened her spine and tightened her stomach in defense, as if preparing for a fist in the gut. The normal creaking of the wooden sofa legs and the floorboard underneath were remarkably hushed, as if not wanting to break the solemn silence that filled the room. “Willa is my family.”

He nodded once. “I’m afraid I have some very distressing news for you.”

“The dowries are gone, I presume?” Katherine waited for him to nod.

“That’s not why I’m here.” Mr. Hanes’s gaze never strayed from hers.

Katherine refused to blink. “Go on.”

“I’m afraid there’s no easy way to introduce what I have to say. Pardon me for being frank, but your marriage is void. Miss Constance Lysander is the legitimate wife of Lord Meriwether.”

Katherine didn’t react. She sat frozen with every muscle tight like a spring, ready to unleash all the energy it had stored within it.

“What?” Willa jumped out of her seat. “What kind of nonsense is this?” She closed the distance between her and the solicitor, then leaned across his chair.

Instead of the solicitor being intimated by Willa’s stance, he straightened in his seat. No more than three inches separated their faces. “I assure you that I have had all three marriages validated, and Miss Greer’s and Miss Howell’s are void.”

“How can that be? She was the first one married.” Willa sniffed. “Void. Pfft.”

“Void as in phony, a sham, madame,” Mr. Hanes answered, as if Willa need clarification.

Katherine’s heart faltered in its beat. Or perhaps it was her lungs struggling for air. Within a span of five seconds, her entire world had shattered. She was no longer titled. With such scandal, she might never be welcomed within the ton—even with her marriage to Christian.

She could lose the royal contract with any hint of dishonor swirling around her. As important, Christian’s charity could be in peril. She blinked, desperate to keep her bearings and find a way out of this.

“Mr. Hanes.” She cleared her throat. “Could you explain it to me?”

“Aye,” Willa urged. By now, she’d claimed her seat next to Katherine again. She’d taken ahold of Katherine’s hand in her tight, warm grip. “I was a witness. There was another witness. There was a vicar. It was all legal.” She spoke louder, as if the increase in volume would make it more real. “They signed the register.”

“I’m aware of that,” Mr. Hanes said calmly. “The reason the marriage is void is a little more complicated than that. The vicar, a Mr. Lawrence Foulkes, had been defrocked the previous month for stealing from the weekly collection and taking more of the monthly tithe than what he was entitled to.”

A sneer creased Willa’s lip. “I don’t believe any of it. Of all the despicable things—”

Katherine quieted her by holding up her hand. “Please, Willa.” She turned her attention to Mr. Hanes. “We were married in a church. Why would he still be in his position