“As if I’d wait on him,” Valora scoffed, though Courtney noticed the slight flush that crept up her neck. “I was merely curious.”
“Curiosity is a dangerous thing where Fane is concerned,” Claire warned. “Just ask any debutante from the last three Seasons. He broke many a heart.”
“Well, I’m certainly not in danger of becoming the next bride this season,” Ashley said, a hint of resignation in her voice. “Not with the ‘scandal’ still hanging over me.”
“Don’t be so certain,” Ivy countered, nudging her friend gently. “Society’s memory is shorter than we give it credit for.I’ve noticed the Duke of Blackstone speaking with you twice this evening.” Her eyes widened meaningfully. “Farah’s brother, no less!”
Ashley waved dismissively, though her eyes brightened. “He was merely being polite. His Grace would never consider a match with someone like me.”
“Someone intelligent, beautiful, and accomplished?” Lauren asked innocently. “How dreadful for him.”
They all laughed, and Courtney felt a rush of affection for these women. Even with everything that had happened, her supposedly deceased fiancé returning from the grave with a child and no memory of their love, they had rallied around her, offering support without judgment.
“What about you, Court?” Ivy asked. “Will you give Lucien another chance? Or is Mr. Fancot the frontrunner for your affections now?”
All eyes turned to her, curious but not unkind. Courtney hesitated, uncertain how to articulate her conflicted feelings. “I honestly don’t know,” she admitted. “Lucien is…different now. Not the man I remember, but perhaps someone I could come to care for just as deeply.”
“And Axton?” Valora prompted.
“He’s been a steadfast friend,” Courtney said carefully. “He helped me through some of my darkest days after Lucien was presumed dead. He’s kind, thoughtful, and straightforward about his intentions.”
“Unlike some men we could mention,” Claire muttered.
Lauren bristled slightly. “My brother’s circumstances are hardly typical. He lost his memory, Claire. It’s not as if he intentionally abandoned Courtney.”
“No, just unintentionally fell in love with someone else, fathered a child, and then announced an engagement to Farah the moment he returned to London,” Claire countered, thenimmediately looked chagrined. “I’m sorry, Courtney. That was unkind.”
“But not entirely inaccurate,” Courtney acknowledged with a wry smile. “Though to be fair, the engagement to Farah was merely to protect her reputation after it came to light that she’d accompanied Rockwell to Ireland unchaperoned.”
“How scandalously convenient,” Valora remarked, arching an elegant eyebrow.
“Valora,” Ivy admonished.
“What? I’m only saying what everyone’s thinking. The whole situation is extraordinary. Like something from a Jane Austen novel.”
“Life rarely follows the neat patterns of fiction,” Ashley observed quietly. “People make mistakes, hearts change, circumstances intervene. What matters is how we face what comes next.”
The wisdom in her words settled over the group. Courtney found herself nodding. “That’s precisely it. I can’t change what’s happened, but I can decide how to proceed. And right now, that means taking time to know who Lucien is now, while also keeping my heart…cautious.”
“Very sensible,” Lauren approved. “Though I hope you don’t mind my saying that I’d be delighted to call you sister one day. I always thought you and Lucien perfectly suited, even before…everything.”
Courtney squeezed her hand gratefully. “You’re very kind. And I’ve always adored you, Lauren. Whatever happens with your brother, that won’t change.”
“So, you’re truly considering traveling to Dorset with them?” Ivy asked, eyes wide. “That seems rather significant.”
“Only if Julian and Serena will be with us as chaperones,” Courtney clarified quickly. “And it will be good for me to spendtime with Ava-Marie and Lucien away from London’s prying eyes.”
“Ah yes, the child,” Claire said, her tone softening. “What is she like?”
“Wonderful,” Courtney replied without hesitation. “Spirited, curious, unaffected by society’s rules. She has Lucien’s eyes and his directness. She’s quite enchanting, actually.”
“And you don’t find it difficult?” Ashley asked gently. “Caring for the child he had with another woman?”
The question gave Courtney pause. In truth, she’d struggled with that initially. She had to face the stark evidence that Lucien had loved someone else, built a life without her. But from the moment Ava-Marie had thrust those cherry blossoms into her hands, eyes bright with innocent generosity, she’d been unable to hold the child or Lucien responsible for circumstances beyond her control.
“I love her for herself,” she said finally. “She’s not responsible for the past. And she’s suffered losses too—her mother, her home in Ireland.”
“You have a generous heart, Court,” Valora said, her usual teasing manner subdued. “Not many women would be so understanding.”
