The Dowager Duchess nodded, and the two scurried away. Jackie watched them leave, wondering just what had transpired between the two of them while she had been with the duke.
“Your sister is sweet,” Ophelia said gently. “I remember when I was her age, or at least when I had a spirit such as her own. I was so happy, about to marry my one love. Sometimes I wonder what might have been if we were not torn apart by such vicious circumstances.”
“And what might those circumstances have been?”
Jackie was no fool. She knew why Lady Ophelia had rejected the duke, but she wanted to know just how far her delusions led her. Surely, she did not think that what she had done was out of her hands, her control?
“We all make our mistakes, and we all have lapses in judgment. What hurts most is that the duke and I are soulmates, and we were pulled away from one another once before, and now here is someone else making some vain attempt to stand in our way.”
“Yes, vanity truly is a terrible thing. It is such a shame that it can break such a great love so easily.”
“I disagree. I believe that nothing can come between a gentleman and his first love, no matter what happens. After all, a gentleman never forgets her.”
With a wry smile, Lady Ophelia left. Jackie stood there, watching her leave and feeling a burning in her throat. Whether she liked it or not, Ophelia was right. A man could never forget the first woman he fell in love with, so what would that make her?
She was not Ophelia, the daughter of wealthy nobility and a lady of renowned beauty, not anymore. She did not have the years of history with him, Ophelia did. Would she spend the rest of her life comparing herself to her?
Would the duke?
“Jacqueline,” the Dowager Duchess said gently, approaching her. “You must come and see your sister’s gown. It is exquisite! Then we can try yours too, yes?”
Jackie nodded and followed, but she no longer wished to be there. In truth, she did not know where she wished to be. Her sister was content with the duke’s mother, and the duke would be more than welcomed by another young lady. They were all living somewhere that she no longer felt like she belonged in, and there was only one thing to do about it.
She tried her own gown on, and she adored it. It was everything that she had ever wanted in a gown, and she couldn’t have been more grateful to the dowager for purchasing it.
She found the duke the moment they arrived home.
“Ah, Jackie!” he greeted. “I was going to come searching for you. I was hoping we might have some tea, so that you could tell me about your afternoon.”
She nodded, and he led her away. She hated that she felt so insecure, because she had fallen for the duke, and she knew there was no escaping that. She wished that they had not seen Ophelia that day, even if she had enjoyed witnessing her flustered for that brief moment.
“Something is troubling you,” the duke said as they sat down. “And if it was my mother, you must accept my apologies. She is excited to have ladies around her again, that is all.”
“Your mother is wonderful,” she assured him. “And this afternoon was perfect. We adore our gowns, and I must thank you again for being so willing to attend a ball with me. I know that it is not something you typically would do.”
“Then what is on your mind? If the afternoon was lovely, and my mother was not wholly overbearing, and you are excited for the ball, why do you look so downtrodden?”
“We have already discussed the matter. Should I mention it again you will only be upset that I am still thinking about it.”
“Jackie, if something is causing you pain, I want you to tell me, even if it is the hundredth time. Please. I can assure you that I will not be upset.”
“Well… we saw Lady Ophelia today at the modiste. She and I were left alone, and she had some choice words for me.”
“And you paid heed to them? Jackie, she is–”
“You promised to listen to me.”
“Yes, yes of course. My apologies.”
“She first inferred that one shouldn’t replace something they cherished with something new, and then she told me outright that the two of you are still in love, torn apart by circumstances out of your control, and that I am in the way of your happiness.”
She could not believe what she was saying. From what she knew, it was not for a lady to be so forthcoming with a man, even one that could eventually become her husband. Not only that, but she was engaging in gossip about a lady he was in love with once. She looked at the duke, unsure of what he would say, and when she did so she saw that he was smirking.
“What is it?” She asked.
“I am not finding your trouble humorous,” he explained quickly. “And I understand your pain, truly I do, but did she truly say all of that without laughing?”
“She did, yes.”
