Now that she had experienced it herself, she was sadder that her mother had gone through all of that and enraged at her father’s actions towards his wife.
Augusta had refused to cry. She would not spare a moment’s tears for a man whom she had told her fears to because she believed him to be different but who had turned out to be even worse than the likes of Lord Colin and her father who were openly and unabashedly themselves.
He, on the other hand, she had not quite figured out. Had he been anyone else in the period they spoke because he wished to win the bet at all cost or had she misunderstood him?
She bit into her bacon. There was so little ways she could misunderstand a person’s intentions when they took liberties that should only be given to a husband or lover. He was neither of those things to her so he should not have been so eager if he knew he had no designs on her.
“So, I have some news,” Nancy said excitedly, bouncing in her seat as she stared at each member of their small family. Augusta allowed herself to be drawn in by Nancy’s excitement in a bid to distract herself from the ache in her heart.
“Lord Baker and I spoke at length the day before, during the garden party and he will be asking for my hand in marriage very soon. He wishes to speak with you soon and ask your permission to marry me but he intends to propose soon enough. I will be getting married,” she finished.
Her cutlery screeched on her plate and she dropped it, wincing when the sound pierced her ears painfully. Nancy turned to her with an excited look on her face.
“Oh, good heavens, really?” Jane asked excitedly, dropping her cutleries on the plate as she rose to hug Nancy. “I am so happy for you.”
“Judging by your very visible excitement, I assume that you truly do wish to marry him?” Evan asked, a little more reserved.
“Yes, brother. It is my wish to marry him. You need not worry about his character. Lord Baker is very responsible and of good character. He will do nothing to besmirch my reputation,” she said convincingly, her eyes wide.
Evan chuckled. “I cannot believe there was ever a time when I worried that you would allow your sister talk you into her propaganda against men and yet here you are, about to be married while your sister is being courted. I will speak with him when he comes.”
Augusta winced inwardly at the mention of her courtship but chose not to address it. She could only hope that it would not be addressed any further until she found a way to break it to them herself.
“Congratulations, Nancy. I’m certain that you and Lord Baker will be very happy together,” she said.
“Thank you, Augusta. I don’t believe this would have happened if it were not for you and the Duke who convinced me to speak with him.”
Augusta hugged Nancy, a soft smile on her lips. She was happy for her sister, however her sister’s near betrothal reminded her of her own broken heart and her blindness towards Benedict’s rakish attributes. She smiled again, barely managing to conceal the ache that gnawed at her.
She absolutely refused to dampen Nancy’s happiness with her own sour mood. She would keep it to herself as long as no one asked her about the Duke, although she doubted how long it would take before that happened.
“Are you all right, Augusta? You do not seem quite like yourself,” Jane asked her.
Augusta stared at her sister-in-law in shock. Jane was usually attentive to all of them as their relationship was more than just sister-in-law and had progressed into an even stronger bond, however, she had hoped that with Augusta’s happy news, there would be no eyes on her for a while.
The concern etched on Jane’s face was too much for her to bear. She turned away and stared down at her plate, tracing patterns in her food in hopes that none would read too much into her actions.
She nodded, feeling guilty for having to lie but not wishing to bother her family with her heartache. She offered her a tight-lipped smile she was certain looked more like a grimace than an actual smile.
“I’m fine, Jane. I was just lost in thought. There will be so much to plan when it is time for Nancy to be wed. Speaking of, tell me, Nancy, when do you wish to marry?”
“Oh, I don’t know. As soon as is possible without the ton speculating about the reason,” Nancy giggled happily, buying her excuse.
Augusta glanced surreptitiously at Jane whose brows were furrowed with suspicion, but she simply nodded and smiled as Nancy continued to speak of wedding plans.
“The Duke and Lord Baker are friends, are they not?” Evan asked suddenly.
Nancy nodded. “Yes, I believe he is the Duke’s dearest friend. Don’t you think so, Augusta?”
“Yes, he is,” she responded absentmindedly.
”Would I be remiss in thinking then, that the Duke might wish to propose to Augusta soon? He does not seem like the sort to dawdle and I have never had reason to question his honor. Not even with the scandal that befell him with his previous betrothal,” Evan said.
Nancy giggled, looking at Augusta but she kept her eyes on her plate. She had hoped they would stop mentioning it and be satisfied with the news of Nancy’s excitement but it would seem that she was asking for too much.
“So, tell me, Augusta, what do you think? Will His Grace be wanting to have a word with me soon?” Evan asked again, his face spread as a result of the wide grin he was sporting.
Augusta couldn’t take it anymore. Benedict was no longer a part of her life and the longer she kept this away from her family, the longer she would continue to hear about him and the expectations of her brother as regards the future of her courtship with him.
