Tonight was important for her. Tonight, she would show the ton just what the Duchess of Atherton was capable of, no matter how nervous she felt.
CHAPTER 19
The Duke of Atherton stood at the bottom of the staircase — posture composed and as regal as ever.
Where is Harriet?He thought to himself. The duchess should have made her way downstairs by now. If she took any longer, they were going to be very late.
However, in the next moment, all thoughts would go flying out the window as he saw the duchess appear at the top of the staircase. As she began to descend its steps, Simon was left momentarily breathless.
She wore a gown of deep burgundy silk, the rich color enhancing the fairness of her skin and the dark sheen of her hair, which was styled in an elegant updo with a few loose curls framing her face.
The gown clung to her figure in a way that was both modest and alluring, emphasizing the curve of her waist and the delicate slope of her shoulders. As she moved, the light fromthe chandeliers played across the fabric, creating a shimmering effect that made her seem almost ethereal.
Simon had always known Harriet was beautiful, but tonight… well, it was as though she had transformed into a butterfly, fully bloomed into the young woman that she was.
When Harriet reached the bottom of the stairs, she caught his gaze, and the small, hesitant smile she offered him only served to intensify the strange, unfamiliar emotions swirling within him.
“Simon.”
“H..Harriet,” he stumbled on his words for a moment, before quickly clearing his throat. She looked even more stunning up close.
“I am sorry to keep you waiting.”
No need to be if this is what awaited me at the end of it.“Shall we go?” Simon pushed his intrusive thoughts away.
He had been prepared for this evening, or so he thought. The ball was nothing more than another societal obligation, a necessary appearance to maintain the status that his title demanded. But as they walked to the carriage, Simon found himself uncharacteristically tense.
“I was thinking…” Harriet broke the silence as the carriage begun to move. “There will be a lot of people in attendance today, and it is our first ball together.”
“You are correct.”
Simon felt it was wise to keep his responses brief. If he looked in her direction for too long, he risked saying something that would make an utter fool out of him.
“Well, a lot of people will be curious, will they not?” Harriet continued.
“I am sure that they will,” he responded, feeling Harriet growing more annoyed.
“I have a suggestion,” she said. “We should give them the impression that we are quite happy together. It would be good to stop any gossip.”
“Right,” Simon nodded, hesitantly. “How do you propose we do that?”
“Well, you can follow my lead. I will try and laugh at your jokes, and pass you loving gazes…”
The corners of Simon’s mouth twitched into a smile. “Loving gazes?”
“Well,” Harriet nodded. “No need to worry — I have been practicing in the mirror.”
Simon felt his curiosity pique. “Very well then. Let’s see one.”
As Harriet paused, Simon could see the surprise flicker in her eyes. He hadn’t really expected her to take his request seriously — he had been teasing, after all. But now, as he watched her compose herself, he felt a spark of anticipation. There was a playful challenge in the air between them, one that intrigued him more than he cared to admit.
When she finally lifted her gaze to meet his, Simon felt his breath catch in his throat. Harriet’s expression had shifted, her eyes softening as she looked up at him. She tilted her head slightly, her lashes fluttering in a way that was almost too perfect, and then her lips curved into a gentle, adoring smile. It was the kind of look that would make any man believe he was the center of her world.
Simon’s heart skipped a beat. He had expected to be amused, to perhaps share a lighthearted laugh with her, but what he hadn’t expected was the intensity of the moment. The teasing tone of their earlier conversation faded into the background as he found himself drawn into her gaze. There was something disarmingly genuine about the way she was looking at him, as if this was more than just a playful act.
Was it?
“How was that?” she inquired in the next moment, snapping him out of his happy little reverie.
