“I am so sorry for not telling you the truth,” Georgiana apologized.“I feared you would both object if you knew of my real intention.”
“Well, of course we would have objected,” Lily stated.“It was very arbitrary of St.Albans to go behind our backs and do such a thing.”
Georgiana grimaced.“He did not share those circumstances with you at my request.”
“Then you were both guilty of the deception,” Chloe stated.“But it is one I will forgiveyouif your duke is very handsome,” she added mischievously.
Georgiana gave a choked laugh.Chloe had always been incorrigible, and her recent marriage to the Duke of Hellsmere appeared to have deepened that freedom of speech rather than curbed it.Probably because Hellsmere was as besotted with Chloe as St.Albans was with Lily.
As besotted as Georgiana hoped Julian would one day be with her.“See for yourself,” she encouraged softly upon hearing Julian being greeted by his two friends.
Chloe turned to look at the three gentlemen.“Oh my, yes,” she admired.
Georgiana chuckled.“When Ju— Moreland and I,” she corrected, though not quickly enough from the knowing looks Chloe and Lily were now giving her, “wrote those letters to all of you,” she continued determinedly, “I do not believe either of us expected any of you to actually travel into Norfolk.”
Lily smiled.“My husband and Hellsmere were both hellbent on coming here to talk to Moreland in person, after they had explained to us they had not seen him for such a long time.”
Georgiana’s brow creased.“Did they tell you why they hadn’t?”
“Well, of course,” Lily dismissed.“Gabriel keeps nothing from me.”
“Except that he had sent our dear friend to stay with a duke whom many in Society believe killed his wife,” Chloe pointed out bluntly.
“A crime Gabriel believes him to be innocent of,” Lily reminded, as if they had had this conversation several times before.
“Because he is,” Georgiana stated without hesitation.
“You do not have to convince us, darling,” Lily assured warmly.“You would not have fallen in love with him if you believed otherwise.”
“I have not—” Georgiana broke off the protest when Lily gave her arm a reassuring pat.“Yes, I do love him,” she admitted huskily.“I also believe him innocent of any wrongdoing in his wife’s disappearance.”
“As do Gabriel and Hellsmere,” Lily reassured.“But we both used our so-called annoyance at St.Albans’s subterfuge as a way of persuading our husbands to bring us to Norfolk with them.”
Georgiana glanced over to where the three dukes were deep in a conversation too quiet for her to hear.Julian’s expression, in particular, was very hard to read.“I sincerely hope that you have arrived with good news.”
“We have lots of news,” Lily said slowly.“It will be for the two of you to decide whether you think it is good or bad.”
Georgiana’s heart began to pound as she inwardly prayed,Please let it be good news.“Are you all coming inside for luncheon…?”
“We had a very late breakfast two hours ago at the inn,” Lily revealed.“I believe, having suffered through the inconvenience of all of us staying at that inn overnight, Gabriel now expects your duke to invite us all to stay at Moreland Park, where he might take a bath and sleep on a comfortable bed,” she added dryly.
“It has been a very trying journey,” Chloe agreed.“Not least because my father seems to forget I am now a married woman, and that it is perfectly natural for me to travel in the same coach and sleep in the same bedchamber as my husband.Lucien finds Papa’s growly behavior amusing,” she added affectionately.
Georgiana turned to look at the Duke of Hellsmere, easily noting the humorous upturn of his chiseled lips as he gazed upon St.Albans’s impatient and irritated visage.
Lily chuckled.“Your marriage is very new, and Gabriel is still trying to acclimatize himself to the fact he is no longer the most important man in his daughter’s affections.”
“That really is no excuse for his taciturn moods,” Chloe stated without mercy.“Not when we are displeased withhimfor sending Georgiana to work here in the first place.”
Lily smiled at Georgiana.“Having now seen your duke, I understand why, once you arrived here, you were so determined to stay and learn the truth about his marriage.”
Georgiana really wished Julian washerduke.She wished that more than anything.
But having Lily and Chloe here, whom she might talk to and confide in, filled her with a warmth of gratitude toward these two kindhearted ladies.
* * *
Even as Julian greeted St.Albans and Hellsmere, he surreptitiously enjoyed watching Georgiana’s interaction with two of her closest friends.She somehow seemed younger in the company of ladies of her own age.Less tense as she smiled often.
