Miss Goldsworthy had no family.Now she had no fiancé.Only a cad would turn her out into the cold when she was likely feeling raw and vulnerable.Despite his earlier conduct, Selwyn had not been brought up to treat women disrespectfully.Mama would have been mortified to hear him insinuate that a guest in their home was illegitimate.
It was a cruel accusation for which he deserved to be slapped for making.Thankfully, Miss Goldsworthy had a generous capacity for forgiveness.
She looked up at him with warm, hazel eyes that set his heart at ease.She would enjoy his hospitality, befriend his siblings, and pass the Christmas holiday in a grand fashion.She would be the envy of all her friends, even if she never became a duchess.
“It’s settled, then,” he said, picking up his teacup.He smiled at her over the rim, for she was beautiful, and it had been such a long time since he’d spent an hour in a lady’s company without a shroud of grief hanging over them.Selwyn wished to prolong this pleasant interlude for as long as good manners allowed.“You’re welcome to stay through the New Year, if Cheltenham can spare you.”
Miss Goldsworthy grinned.“That’s a kind offer, Your Grace, but I imagine you’ll grow tired of me after nearly a fortnight.Let us stick to the week of Christmas before we set the tongues of London aflame.”
“Very sensible,” he said, for any young lady sheltering beneath his roof—regardless of her parentage—would be a target of gossip, jealousy, and possibly ire.“Speaking of good sense, I think we ought to tell my brother and sisters about the hoax in case anyone should try anything with them.They must know to be on their toes.”
Her cheeks reddened, and her eyes went wide.“How mortifying for all of you!”
“Yes, for all ofus,” said Selwyn.“We’re in this muddle together.”
Aurelia Goldsworthy had come to London with the expectation of finding a home, a husband, and a position in society waiting for her as arranged.She’d been as embarrassed in all of this as he had, yet her reputation would never weather the scandal.He was a duke, practically untouchable, and since taking up the coronet, had never put a foot wrong.
He owed Miss Goldsworthy his protection in this matter.
She put aside her cup and saucer.“I’m glad you no longer believe that I am a schemer, Your Grace.I’ve the utmost respect for your family and your position in society, and I would never behave in a way that would cause shame or distress to any of you.”
“I appreciate that,” he said, honestly.“We must be allies.Faced with a united front, whoever wishes us mischief won’t stand a chance.”
Selwyn crossed the carpet to pull the bell, summoning a servant.While they waited for a maid to direct her upstairs, he insisted that Miss Goldsworthy finish her tea.Mama had always claimed that full bellies made strong stomachs and steady hearts, and he carried that belief with him now.
No one went hungry under his roof, and neither of his sisters nor his aunts had ever swooned, even in the thickest of strife—it was a point of pride among the Charltons that they could always be counted upon to lay a good table and to keep their heads in a crisis.
“You’ll have supper with me?”he asked.“Unless you’d prefer to take a tray in your room…”
She stood and smoothed her verdigris skirts.She didn’t fuss or fidget, or even simper under the prospect of dining with a duke.Once situated, Miss Goldsworthy clasped her hands in perfect poise, as though such an invitation was her due.
She really was wonderfully, naturally well-behaved.He never sensed that she was putting on airs for the sake of fitting in.At any rate, it was only the two of them until his family arrived tomorrow.There was no one to impress—certainly, nothim.
“I’d be delighted to dine with you, Your Grace.”Dipping into another beautiful curtsey, she followed the maid upstairs to settle into her new, temporary home.
CHAPTER FOUR
Her bedchamber faced Hyde Park, and though the treetops were frosty and bare, the view over the green space was a delightful treat.She imagined the lush grass in summer, branches budding in spring, and the riotous splash of color whenever society descended upon the Row.
Aurelia tarried by the window, warmed by a cozy fire, and framed by lustrous silken draperies in shades of delicate rose.This was a lady’s boudoir, to be sure.The furnishings were feminine.There wasn’t a harsh line in the room, but rounded corners and sweeping, scrolling curves.Even the gaslight softly glimmered on an otherwise dim December day.
A maid had been offered for her use, and the girl bustled around the space.She had emptied Aurelia’s trunks and placed each frock and petticoat into the rosewood wardrobe.She had put her soaps, scents, and necessities on the washstand in the en suite bathroom and on the dressing table beside the cheval glass.
The maid was friendly and efficient, and somehow found the time to assist Aurelia with her corset and clothing.She’d selected a dinner dress of sumptuous blue silk with sheer lace sleeves reaching almost to her elbows.It was prim and perfectly proper for dinnerà deux,yet the subtle flashes of skin through the fabric lent her ensemble a sensual and sophisticated air.It was one of Aurelia’s favorite frocks, and it showed her at her best.
She wore her hair gathered atop her head with fat curls cascading down her shoulders.Aurelia admired her reflection in the glass, though she’d never been truly vain about her appearance—she hadn’t needed to be when her marriage and position had been settled on her sixteenth birthday.She’d grown up expecting to be a duchess, and had only been pleased to look pretty on her husband’s arm.
Now, however, she studied her appearance critically.Red-haired girls weren’t popular when the current fashion preferred delicate English roses with peaches-and-cream complexions.Her coloring was of a coppery shade, and she wasn’t as tall or swanlike as the graceful Princess of Wales, who featured in all the periodicals.
Yet Aurelia wasn’t unattractive.Her legacy, which was given to her by an anonymous benefactor whom she’d always assumed to be her birth-father, afforded her the opportunity to dress nicely.She was also intelligent and educated, and would be an asset in any man’s life.There was no reason not to make as brilliant a marriage as any of her school friends at Ladies College.
Still, she couldn’t pretend that she wasn’t disappointed when all her dreams had come to naught.
She fixed her face into a smile, and then addressed the maid.“Katie, you are a wonder with your pins.I’m sure you’re busy enough as is, preparing for the family’s arrival.I can see myself downstairs.”
The girl bobbed and nodded.“I shall leave you for now, miss, but I’ll pop in to see that your fire is rebuilt before you retire.Would you fancy a hot brick in your bed tonight?”
“Yes, thank you.You’ve been very kind.”
