“My eyes?” When had he noticed her eyes? They had been on a darkened path when they had first meet one another. She had hardly been able to see his face. And since then, they’d had one other interaction—admittedly the one in which he had told her to wear this color, so he must have paid attention to her eyes then, but she could hardly believe it to be the case.
“You have green in your eyes,” he said.
She frowned. “Most people say my eyes are brown.”Muddy brownwas a term she had heard used before, and one that made her feel sad and embarrassed, especially when she was compared with her sister—Edwina’s brilliant green eyes were so much more beautiful.
“Green and brown both, depending on the light,” the duke said. “It’s very intriguing to look at.” He gazed at her, as if to illustrate his point, making a study of her face. “It’s a detail you should be drawing their attention to in order to strike up conversation. And wearing a green gown makes the green in your eyes stand out that much more. It invites that examination.”
“Do you think…is that why everyone was looking at me when I came in here?” Lavinia asked dubiously. Surely it couldn’t be. It couldn’t be the case that so many gentlemen had noticed a detail like the green in her eyes that quickly.
“I think they were looking because you’re carrying yourself differently today,” the duke said.
“What do you mean?”
“Yesterday, and even this morning, you moved around as if you thought you were nothing. As if you didn’t expect anyone to see you. But when you walked into this room, you were aware of yourself. And it’s very interesting,” he added. “A lot of ladies who were suddenly self-aware might have looked shy and awkward. You managed to looklessawkward than you ordinarily do.”
Lavinia didn’t bother to deny that she usually looked awkward. She knew it was true. “I didn’t do that on purpose.”
“If I had to guess, I would say that you put so much thought into your entrance tonight that you were no longer nervous about it. You found some confidence. Does that feel true?”
“I suppose so,” Lavinia said with a frown. She was unused to anyone knowing so much about her, and it made her feel strange and uncomfortable. “I thought this was about choosing the color that would make me look the best, not about making me the most comfortable in my skin.”
“Can’t it be about both?” the duke asked her. “You asked me why gentlemen looked at you when you came in. If you want my opinion, I would say it’s because of the fact that you seemed so confident. You certainly got my attention.”
Lavinia shook her head. “I can’t believe you can be suggesting that all I need to do—all I ever needed to do—was to walk around with confidence.”
“I’m not saying that,” the duke said. “I’m only saying that it helps. You noticed the difference in the way you were received today. What else do you attribute it to?”
He seemed smug, which made her long to tell him he was incorrect, but she couldn’t see anything factually wrong in what he was saying. “I don’t feel confident,” she managed finally. “Not really. It was just that I forgot to feel nervous.”
“The effect seems to have been the same. And look. One of your admirers is approaching.”
Lavinia whirled. Sure enough, a gentleman was drawing close, an eager expression on his face.
“Good evening, my lady,” he said. “I don’t believe I’ve had the pleasure of making your acquaintance.”
Be confident.She didn’t feel especially confident, but if the duke was right, acting confident would ensure that this interaction went more smoothly. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, my lord.”
“Lord Rickenbock,” he said. “And you are Lady Lavinia, of course.”
“How did you know?”
“I asked a few people who you were when I saw you come in,” Lord Rickenbock explained. “I can’t believe I’ve never noticed you before. You didn’t just arrive at the party tonight, did you? You were here yesterday?”
“I was,” Lavinia said. “But it’s no great surprise, I think, that it’s taking some time for everyone to settle in and meet each other. There are so many people here.” She smiled. “I’m glad you came over to introduce yourself.”
“Well, I’m glad I did too,” Lord Rickenbock said. “Would you like to come and join my card game? We have an extra place at the table.”
Lavinia was about to point out that she wasn’t sure it would be polite to walk away from the duke, given that there was only one extra place at Lord Rickenbock’s table, but when she turned to include him in the conversation, she saw that he was gone.
He must have walked away when he saw that someone had approached her. It was the only thing that made sense. His plan to put her in a flattering gown had worked, so he had left.
And Lavinia was sure, in that moment, that this would prompt the end of her interactions with the duke.
CHAPTER 6
“All in all, I’d say it was a successful day,” Lavinia’s father said.
Lavinia didn’t look up from her cup of tea. She was sure her father’s praise wasn’t for her. It would be for her sister, as it usually was.
