Penelope turned pale and shrank back away from him, all of her anger and bluster gone.
Joanna stepped in between them. “It’s quite all right, Penelope,” she said calmly. She looked up at Evan with a polite smile, not looking at all bothered by his furious scowl. “A little rain has never hurt anyone.”
He grimaced, even though he knew the comment was innocent enough. “That is actually something I wish to talk to you about. I must explain?—”
“So sorry to interrupt, Your Grace!” said a young man who had appeared at their side immediately. He looked at Joanna with a broad smile on his face. “You are Miss Thorne, unless I am mistaken? Do you remember me? We danced together at the ball at Thornbush Hall.”
Joanna smiled warmly at the man. “Yes, of course I remember you! Lord Forrester!” She gave him a quick curtsy. “How is your sister doing?”
“She is very well! Do you wish to see her perhaps? She is only standing right over there.” He led her away without a single word more to the others.
The duke watched them disappear into the crowd, and he could not stop the wave of uncontrollable envy rise up inside of him at the sight of her with another man. He clenched his hands into fists, hard enough to make his knuckles turn white.
He didn’t know why it mattered so much, but he needed to explain himself to Joanna instead of letting her brush it off with the same politeness she would use to brush off an unwanted acquaintance. He needed her to understand and forgive him. He needed to make things right. Until then, he feared he would always loathe the sight of her giving her attention to another man.
She owes you nothing. You can’t even give her a proper marriage when the Season is over.
Lady Penelope watched him with a curious look. “You know, if you really wish to win Miss Thorne’s heart, then you should do it with food. She is quite passionate about it, Your Grace.”
He stared at her incredulously. “Why should I trust you? Do you actually want me to successfully court your friend?”
She shrugged. “In all honesty, I am still making up my mind about you. Joanna must see some redeemable quality in you if she feels the need to defend you so passionately every time your back is turned. She would not be so forceful if it wasn’t the case. Perhaps with enough time, I will understand what she sees in you.”
Before he could reply, the Baron of Suffridge appeared next to Penelope. “My lady, they are calling us to our seats now. Isn’t the opera refreshing? I must say, I believe operas by Giuseppe Verdi have more merit and skill than operas by Hector Berlioz. What say you?”
She looked at him with complete outrage. “What are you saying, my lord? This is quite an outrageous opinion!” She followed him through the crowd, her voice raised as she lectured him on the merits of Berlioz’s operas, while the baron’s laughter could be heard echoing off the walls.
Joanna fell into step next to Evan as they met up with his grandmother in Evan’s box seat. She gave him a polite smile, butit left a bad taste in Evan’s mouth. He needed to make things right with her. And he would figure out how.
Going to the opera with Evan was torture for Joanna after everything that happened. Of course, she needed to go. She would not break their agreement, especially because her family needed everything Evan could provide for them.
She had been determined to put on a brave face and smile the whole time. But at the same time, she felt horrible. Throughout the entire night, only one thought echoed in her head:he doesn’t want you.
She didn’t need whatever excuses he would make about his behavior in Hyde Park. After spending a lot of time thinking about it, she only came to one conclusion: it didn’t matter what his reasons were for running away. All that mattered was he didn’t care enough about her to stay.
Why would he? It was a false courtship. Perhaps he enjoyed teasing her as much as he enjoyed her company, but that was the extent of his feelings and she had best keep that in mind to keep herself from expecting more from him.
When they sat together in the opera box with the dowager duchess, there was very little conversation. The dowager duchess was unusually subdued and Evan was brooding. Now and then he cast an unreadable look in her direction, but didn’t say anything. Joanna was in no mood to start a conversationherself, not when it felt like every word exchanged with him either hurt her or made her feelings for him grow.
As the opera began, his hand brushed against hers. She didn’t know if it was deliberate or accidental but it didn’t matter. He doesn’t want you. She pulled her hand away and did her best to swallow past the lump in her throat.
She was relieved when the night was over, so she could go home and curl up in bed and soothe her aching heart. She had no reason to be disappointed. She had known from the beginning that it was a false courtship. So why did all of it hurt so badly?
The next morning, Joanna joined her mother at the breakfast table as usual.
“An invitation came for you today, from Blackwell Manor,” her mother said, handing her a card. “Meanwhile, I am expected for tea with Lady Brandbury.” Her mother could hardly contain her delight. Joanna knew the social isolation had been as difficult on her mother as it had been on herself, and she was glad that her mother was being welcomed into society again.
Joanna read through the card from Evan. “The duke wishes for me to go to dinner at the manor tonight,” she said. “The dowager duchess wishes to see me again.”
“Excellent,” her mother said. “At this rate, it should not be long before he proposes to you.”
Joanna swallowed. “Perhaps he will change his mind about me. Would that be so horrible? We are welcomed back in society again, which will help Aurelia flourish in her debut season. Perhaps I will even find another suitor myself.”
“Oh Joanna, I know you are modest, but there is little likelihood that he will merely lose interest after all the trouble he’s gone through for you. He is absolutely smitten with you.” She shook her head, laughing slightly. “It is funny, isn’t it? You and Penelope entered into a deception to make him detest you—well, her. And he ends up falling madly in love with you.”
Joanna quickly finished the rest of her breakfast, even though she was no longer hungry. “Yes, I suppose so,” she said. “I need to go write a letter to Aurelia. I hope you enjoy your tea with Lady Brandbury, Mother.”
She escaped up to her bedchamber just in time, right before the first tear started to fall. She covered her mouth with her hand to muffle the sound.
