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“I do not look doubtful because of the gown, however,” she confessed lightly, glancing down at her gloved hands.

Her sisters’ pride faded. Sophia lowered the lamp, while Harper let her hands fall to her sides and turned her full attention to Marina. For a moment, neither woman spoke. Their teasing gave way to quiet curiosity as they watched her through the mirror, waiting for her to explain.

“Nor because of how I look. Truthfully, I do not particularly care about either,” Marina resumed, her voice smaller now. She paused, searching for the courage to say what lay buried within her. “I am simply scared.”

She dropped her hands and looked up at her sisters, who were watching her with solemn expressions.

“What if history repeats itself?”

Certainly, she had refused to accept people’s definition of her. But, sometimes, a tiny part of her wondered whether she truly was the cause of his death. That fear had only grown as the ceremony drew near.

For once, her sisters had no clever response ready. Sophia glanced at Harper, then back at Marina, studying her. Then with a sigh, Harper crossed to Marina and gently took one of her gloved hands between her own.

“Do not let the late Viscount’s curse prevent you from living your life,” Harper urged her. “Nothing is going to happen, Marina.”

Sophia came closer too, slipping her fingers around Marina’s hand.

“She is right,” she added, her voice firmer. “Whatever happened before does not have to happen again.”

Marina lowered her eyes to their joined hands. It was ridiculous how much comfort two pairs of hands could give her even now.

“You both make it sound terribly simple,” she whispered, managing a faint smile despite the tears gathering in her eyes.

“It might not be simple,” Harper responded, her tender smile returning. “But you are not facing it alone.”

Sophia released a dramatic sigh, resting her head against Marina’s shoulder. “Besides, you have two sisters who are perfectly capable of haunting anyone who attempts to ruin your wedding.”

A soft laugh slipped from Marina’s lips. Harper leaned closer as well, resting her head against Marina’s other shoulder.

“And should the duke prove troublesome, we shall frighten him ourselves,” Harper stated with great confidence.

Marina laughed again, and for a brief moment, the fear inside her was almost gone. Curling her fingers at her sides, she knew she was ready to face the day.

“Here we are,” Harper said when they arrived at the drawing room. Voices could be heard inside. Sophia had already joined the rest of the guests: her family and a few of the servants.

“What a shame you could not get married in the chapel.”

“Mama could not stay until evening,” she replied. She would have preferred to marry in the chapel as well, but Ambrose could not be persuaded. He could leave the house during the day if properly covered from head to toe, but even that could not be accomplished in the middle of the day, only at dusk and dawn. The chapel was for use after dark, the drawing room for the daytime.

“Do you not mind?” Harper asked.

“No, not really. I already had a wedding in a chapel. Besides, this is a marriage of convenience. It is merely an arrangement; nothing more than a convenient solution for Emma.”

“Not very romantic,” Harper said as she looked around.

“No, but there is nothing romantic about all of this.”

Aside from the kiss. The kiss had haunted her dreams for days now. She could only imagine what would happen if he kissed her at the end of the ceremony.

The memory surged up before she could shove it back down. She remembered his mouth, which had devoured her insistently. Remembered the way his eyes had looked at her like he wanted to push her against the nearest wall and finish what they’d started, right before Emma had cried.

Damn.

This was certainly not the kind of thought she ought to have a few moments before entering a loveless marriage. Her body wasn’t supposed to respond to something she had decided was a careless mistake.

More heat flushed her cheeks, and that most intimate part of her body gave a traitorous clench at the memory of his grip.

Marina straightened her shoulders, forcing the images away. She had to focus on the wedding. Not a kiss from days ago.