ARENA OF CARLISLE ━ benedict bridgerton

ARENA OF CARLISLE

The first had been an earl — Her brother had said it would be too odd if she were to bump the Earl's rank up to a Duke. The second had been a man of little taste, one who had not only refused to compliment her dress, but also proceeded to insult it. The third had insisted that they were to live with his mother after marriage; a well and good request, had it not been for the fact that the home was smaller than her bedroom and the man was quite obviously attached to his mother in a way that was not at all of the normal variety. The fourth had been the worst somehow — insisting on having nine children in nine years, a fact that many could fathom, but she could certainly not.

Rejecting four proposals had knocked Carlisle Sallow completely off the market within moments, a fact which led men away from her, instead of towards. She had started off her season as the diamond, and ended in a wreck of broken hearts. It goes without saying that she hadn't had much guidance being the eldest daughter in a family comprised of two dead parents and no uncles and aunts in site, so she had relied on her younger brother who had gotten married the season before at one and twenty — he, despite being ten months younger than her, was slightly more well versed in the matter. Nonetheless, even with both their minds put together, two heads did not equal a whole brain, as could be seen from the resulting chaos that had ensued.

For all intents and purposes, Carlisle had no need to marry. There was no fortune she did not already have, she had a title and rank and the men of the Ton were less than esteemed. Frankly, Carlisle had been half a step away from declaring herself a maiden for the rest of her life. It would have been, however with the arrival of her cousins in town, chaos ensues once again as they claim that an unmarried female cannot carry the title of the Duchess of Saxton that her father once carried as a Duke — not when there were eligible males in line. So be it as it may, her cousins leave her with an ultimatum — join the upcoming season in the marriage market as a prospect and secure a match within the season, or forfeit her title as the Duchess,

Not believing she can do so after turning down four proposals, Carlisle has all but lost hope in her ability to remain the Duchess of Saxton — that is, until she runs into one Benedict Bridgerton, who has a rather peculiar offer for both their benefits, one she certainly cannot turn down.

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