Scandal (Tainted #1) by Aimee Duffy Read Free Book Online

Juliette didn’t know, but what she did was that dreaming of another life, a life like her daughters had in front of them, was the only reason she was here. If she had to live with no escape from the hard reality by days and nights, she would have swallowed one of the bottles of Prozac their family doctor had been prescribing her for years.
    Washed down with a bottle of something stronger than Merlot.
    Being her father’s daughter meant her future had been written for her before her mother had even given birth. She would grace the arm of a noble earl, bring great respect to his family, and have children by the dozen who would inevitably inherit his fortune.
    She’d had children. Children she’d fought hard for so they could have a reasonably normal life. She’d had to force herself on many occasions to seduce a husband who had no more interest in lovemaking with her than she had with him. An heir to his title was the only reason he chose to procreate. The bitter memories left an awful taste on her tongue that Merlot couldn’t dissipate.
    Her fantasies were more attractive than the cruel reality that was her life.
    The drawing room door flew open and Arthur stormed in with all the grace of a raging bull. ‘She won’t listen to me, but when has she ever? I can’t even force her hand this time. I don’t know why we didn’t put her up for adoption at birth!’
    Every nerve ending in her body thawed under the heat of the anger boiling in her blood. She didn’t turn to face her husband, instead she watched her own reflection in the window carefully, making sure not one twitch or frown uncovered her rage.
    ‘She’s your daughter.’ The words were delivered with too much ice for a lady, but after what Arthur had put her through on returning from their honeymoon, as far as she was concerned she was entitled to the occasional slip-up.
    ‘My daughter,’ he scoffed. ‘Are you certain she is? No daughter of mine would shame the family like this. And so publicly!’
    ‘Darling.’ She forced the words out past others a lady of her upbringing would never dare speak. ‘You know what you’re accusing me of –’
    A sigh cut through her verbal attempt to castrate him, making the hairs stand up on the nape of her neck.
    ‘That was inexcusable,’ he said – which she accepted as the most she would get by way of an apology.
    His hands landed on her shoulders and her muscles automatically stiffened. He wrapped a loose strand of her hair around his finger. ‘Dear Juliette. So kind, so generous. I wonder sometimes if you are, in fact, not adopted yourself.’
    Though she could see him in the reflection on the glass, she dared not meet his gaze. He could surely read every shred of hatred she had for him in that moment. It never seemed to please him when she did or said something that showed she was not as cruel as her father. She took another sip of wine. Arthur sighed.
    ‘Another bottle? This is becoming more than a habit, darling.’
    If only he knew about the bottle of rum she kept in her private suite for after he’d retired for the night. She’d hidden her ‘habits’ from him since their youngest daughter had left the house. It hadn’t been difficult. A long time ago, she’d learned from him exactly how to cover up scandal, and over the years she’d earned a degree in it.
    A lady never shrugged. A lady never argued with her husband. Juliette had no choice other than to do what she’d always done – put the night to the back of her mind with the other memories best not spent dwelling upon.
    ‘I opened this bottle on Monday.’ She had opened a similar bottle. What her husband didn’t know was that the gardener brought her another every day and quietly disposed of the evidence.
    ‘Hmm.’ Thankfully, he released her and moved so he was no longer reflected in the window. ‘I have things to organise. If you need me, I’ll be in my study.’
    I have never needed you . She never would. All she had left was to