“I do not think you will perish from the notoriety, Miss Wingfield.”
Eliza narrowed her eyes at the Duke, trying not to smile even as she chuckled and succumbed to the urge to indulge in a little good-humoured teasing.
“If I do perish from the notoriety, however, I shall make it my business to haunt you for all eternity.”
* * *
THISTLEWAYTE HOUSE, LONDON
“Well, I must say that absolutely nothing went the way I expected it to at the Elkington Ball last night.” Eliza sighed and flopped onto the settee beside Lady Matilda Calthorpe. “I am very glad, however, that things turned out well for Eugenia and Lord D’Asti.”
“Thanks in large part to your sister.” Matilda smiled and shook her head. Matilda paused then, frowning. “I wonder if anyone has informed the Duchess of Elkington that Lord D’Asti will not be marrying her daughter, Lady Catherine Stewart, as she expected?”
Eliza groaned, squeezing her eyes shut.
“I cannot imagine that she is going to be pleased when she finds out that my sister was instrumental in thwarting the marriage plans she had for her daughter.”
Matilda grimaced.
“From what I’ve heard of her, I’m inclined to agree with you, but surely if she ever took the time to observe Eugenia and Lord D’Asti together, she would realise that they are a true love match. Surely, she would not wish to stand in the way of something such as that?”
“I certainly hope she isn’t terribly upset when she finds out, in any case. Despite the unwanted attention it garnered, I very much enjoyed meeting His Grace, and Lord Gabriel as well. Speaking of which, the two of you seemed to be speaking quite animatedly every time I laid eyes on you after we were introduced to the Stewarts last night. Did you enjoy his company?”
“I did.” Matilda’s cheeks flushed a pretty pink. “Lord Gabriel is quite different from any other young man I’ve ever spoken to.”
“How so?”
“Well… most second sons are so bitter and ill-humoured to have had the hard luck not to be born first that they walk around with a sour taste in their mouths and a negative attitude to everything, but Lord Gabriel is not like that at all.”
“Oh?”
“He does not envy his brother’s responsibilities as the Duke of Elkington, and he actually rather enjoyed his time in the Army, until he was wounded in France. In general, he seems a pleasant, good-humoured fellow, aside from that little snit with Lady Camilla last night.”
“Did you happen to uncover, during the course of your conversation with Lord Gabriel, exactly what Lady Camilla did to upset them so badly?”
“I did.”
Matilda’s face fell and the expression in her eyes turned sad. She looked away, swallowing hard.
“Well, what was it?”
“Lady Camilla was making unkind remarks about your figure.”
Matilda’s voice was soft and achingly kind.
“Ah.” Eliza’s chest tightened. A small, cruel voice in the back of her mind taunted her. I should have known… should have guessed at the very least. Eliza clasped her hands in her lap and squared her shoulders, lifting her chin as if she didn’t feel the crushing weight of Lady Camilla’s ridicule at all. Her mouth went painfully dry, and she had to lick her lips before she could speak properly. “And what did the Stewarts have to say about Lady Camilla’s opinion of my figure?”
“From what I gathered in my conversation with Lord Gabriel, the Duchess informed her that such remarks might be common practice elsewhere, but they do not make a habit of allowing people to mock others for their physical appearance at Elkington Hall.”
Eliza stifled a delighted gasp and smiled.
“That is surprising indeed, but a delightfully refreshing outlook on people being unkind about others’ appearances.”
“Just wait until you hear what happened next. Apparently, Lord Gabriel overheard what Lady Camilla said about you, and it made him so angry on your behalf that he made a big show of getting up and going over to stand beside his mother. And then – of course – you heard the banging about with his cane.”
Matilda stopped, then, stifling a delighted laugh.
Eliza leaned forward, impatient to hear more.
