“He is so mysterious, Winnie. Maybe we should invite him to our ball.”
“I daresay his appearance would certainly make it the talk of London.”
Yes, Catherine thought, it would.
The carriage came to a halt outside Winnie’s residence.
“Would you like to come in for a moment?” Winnie asked.
“Yes, I’d love to see Whit.”
“That, my dear friend, is the very reason you should marry. You so enjoy children.”
“I think it important to enjoy their father.”
Winnie blanched. Catherine reached out and touched Winnie’s arm. “I didn’t mean anything by that, Winnie.”
“I know.”
“For myself, I just need there to be something special between me and the man I might marry.”
“I hope you find it.”
In Winnie’s voice, Catherine heard the despair of a woman who had not found
happiness.
The footman assisted them in leaving the carriage. They walked up the steps and entered the house.
“Where have you been?”
The voice was harsh, demanding. Winnie squeaked and jumped aside, knocking into Catherine, and they both did a strange little stepping dance to keep from losing their balance.
Avendale laughed in a mean sort of way. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”
Catherine didn’t believe that. He moved from near the window where he’d obviously been watching them.
“Answer me, Duchess.”
So formal. Winnie was his wife for goodness’ sakes. Catherine heard her swallow.
“We were spending the afternoon visiting with Lady Charlotte,” Winnie said.
“She’s naught but a gossip. Why would you spend time with her?”
“We spend time calling on many of the ladies. It’s what we do,” Winnie said.
He narrowed his dark eyes. His hair was almost black. Claybourne’s was darker, and yet it didn’t make him seem as sinister. Avendale wasn’t nearly as tall as Claybourne but what he lacked in height, he made up for in width. Still, Catherine thought Claybourne could take him easily enough.
Avendale shifted his attention to Catherine, and unlike Winnie, she didn’t cower.
“Shouldn’t you be seeing after your father?”
She wanted to tell him it was none of his business. Instead she said, “He has nurses. It would weigh on him if I spent all of my time with him.”
“Where did you say you spent the afternoon?”
Why in the world did he sound so suspicious? “With Lady Charlotte.”
