“If I knew that such a clever ruse was contingent upon my presence then I would have never set foot in here,” he said.
“Your Grace, stop referring to what is an unfortunate situation for the both of us as a ruse. I conspired nothing!”
“How shamelessly you say it when you’ve put your honor on the line like this,” he replied, causing Harriet’s cheeks to burn red.
“You have no right to speak about my honor.”
“And you have every right to trap me like this?” he stepped closer to her, causing her to back away immediately.
But in the small space, it was difficult to get too far, and soon her back found itself flat against the wall.
“I am not entrapping you,” she argued back. “As it stands, you are the one who is far too close right now, not leaving me any space to leave.”
His lips twitched slightly. Up close, she could see him a bit better than before. He seemed to be analyzing her. Trying to figure out whether she was the conniving woman he was accusing of, or perhaps just something else entirely. She was not sure what his intent was, but his reaction had sent her heart racing.
“Your Grace, this is wildly improper,” she managed to squeak out, though her cheeks were burning from the proximity.
She had never been this close to a man before. It set off a strange set of reactions within her body — those that she had never felt before.
“It isyourdoing!”
As their voices echoed in the orangery, neither noticed the approaching footsteps until it was too late. The door creaked open, and a group of guests entered. The sound of laughter was replaced by a collective gasp as they took in the scene in front of them.
“Lady Harriet. Your Grace!”
Harriet and the duke stood frozen, their argument abruptly silenced by the intrusion.
Lady Margaret gasped, her fan fluttering wildly. “What is going on here?”
Harriet’s heart pounded as she looked around at the astonished faces. Among the crowd, her mother’s expression was a mix of feigned surprise and barely concealed satisfaction. Harriet’s heart sank as she realized her mother’s true intentions. This was no accident.
The duke straightened, his gaze icy. “It appears we have been... misunderstood,” he said, his voice tight with controlled anger.
Albina stepped forward, her expression unreadable, “My dear Harriet, whathaveyou done?”
CHAPTER 2
The carriage ride back home was spent in tense, uncomfortable silence. Harriet did not want to make a scene in front of the driver, but as soon as they entered their home, she whirled around, her blue eyes blazing with anger.
“How could you, Mother?” she demanded. “You were behind all of this.”
Albina’s face remained calm, though her eyes showed a flicker of guilt. “Harriet, you must understand, I did this for your own good.”
“For my owngood?” Harriet replied, baffled. “What mother sees the good in smearing her own daughter’s reputation?”
“My intention was never to smear,” Albina’s tone turned defensive. “You should think twice of accusing me of such a thing.”
“Then, please. Pray tell, Mother. What good did you think could come of me being alone with an unwed duke?” Harriet asked, running a frustrated hand through her hair.
Over the years, she had seen her mother act in strange ways. But surely this stunt took the biscuit for the most absurd one of them all.
What on earth was she thinking?
Albina sighed, her patience wearing thin. “My original plan was simply to have you spend some time with the duke. I never intended for it to become a scandal, but it did, and now we must make the best of it.”
“The best of what?” Harriet repeated, “The duke does not stand to suffer much in this scenario, and you know it. It is I who must bear the brunt of society’s judgment.”
Harriet often thought about how unfair it was that only women suffered the consequences of being embroiled in a scandal, while men were able to go off scot-free for the most part. It was a testament to how unequally society treated each gender — something with which Harriet had always taken issue.
