A soft look passed between the two, the Dowager Duchess looking on with a smile of contentment.
“Then the blue dress will be perfect,” she declared.
“How about you, Benedict?” the Dowager Duchess asked. “Letitia already plans to one day, hopefully soon, be wed. Perhaps it is time you find a wife yourself. It has always been my dream to see you both wed and happy.
I know you might not exactly have that thought in mind right now but perhaps you could consider it for the sake of your dear mama,” she said, her eyes gleaming.
Benedict groaned. Thoughts of Lady Augusta flooded his mind once again. Although he had been quite persistent and had known the exact words to say to get her to do what he wanted, he had been surprised when she’d accepted his proposal for a courtship.
Of course, she hadn’t done it with intentions to marry but it did not truly matter, as neither had he. All night, he had tried to understand why he had pushed to spend more time with her but nothing stood out to him.
However, now his decision would serve him well and keep his mother happy for the while. Benedict tuned back into his mother as she carried with persuading him on the benefits of getting married.
“Mama, you don’t have to try to convince me. I understand what you mean and I am going to fix it. You need not worry about any of it,” he said.
“What?” Letitia asked just as his mother uttered, “Really?”
Their wide eyes and sudden focus on him, hands pressed against the table as they leaned in amused Benedict.
“Do you have anyone in mind to marry?” the Dowager Duchess asked him.
Benedict’s mind flashed to Lady Augusta once again.What would she do if she finds out that I told my family about her?
He grinned as vivid imageries of her face contorting into fits of rage as she tore into him with her words and reminded him that their courtship was only not real, filled his mind.
"I'm not particularly interested in the details of this mysterious lady or how you crossed paths, but what I'm dying to know is how she accomplished the nearly impossible. I can't recall ever witnessing such a wide smile on your face before," Letitia teased.
Guilt ate at him. He did not want them to go through the heartbreak they went through last time, when the season ended and their experiment was over, however, Benedict was genuinely curious about Lady Augusta.
Moreover, it was not his way to back down from a challenge, which was exactly what the lady posed to be. One he was quite determined to crack, no matter what.
“You might not be curious but I most certainly am,” his mother said, pulling him out of his thoughts. “If my son has found a woman who makes him happy then I should know about it, right, Benedict?”
Benedict drank the last drops of his tea and pushed back his chair. He stood up, unable to hide the smile from his face as he regarded his family. He was truly grateful for them, although he was not the sort to openly express it.
“Good day, ladies. I’m afraid there are appointments that I must keep,” he said, leaving them with mouths hanging wide.
Benedict walked out the door with one intent. It was time to have a meeting with Lady Augusta. The music had come to an end after she had agreed to his idea of courtship and Benedict had had no choice but to take her back to where her family stood.
The last thing he needed was for members of the ton to have something new to gossip about if he danced with her again. Benedict had bid her a goodnight and immediately returned to his family. However, now their plan began.
CHAPTER5
“Oh, good heavens… no. Definitely not him,”
There were many things Augusta did not expect to deal with when she woke up this morning and at the top of the list was what she begrudgingly faced now.
“Why not? What’s wrong with him?” Nancy asked, her eyes fixed on the tall man shuffling his feet nervously as he stood near the window. He’d brought flowers with him and had still not given it to Nancy just yet.
“I don’t know… he is so terribly awkward, I do not think you would be able to stand being with him,” she said with a shrug of her shoulders.
“Oh, but I think he is just so young and perhaps it is his first time calling on a lady before. Surely, we cannot fault him for that,” Nancy said, her eyes moving to her sister and then back to the man.
As though he understood they were speaking of him, he let out a breath and walked towards them, flowers held out in front of him like a shield.
“Hello, Lady Nancy,” he greeted shyly. “These are for you.”
He looked over at Augusta, sweat dotting his forehead. “Lady Augusta, a pleasure,” he stuttered.
