“Miss Jones,” she deigned to respond, but before Collette could drop into her practiced curtsey, the woman turned her attention to Addison. “I took the liberty of inviting a few special guests. Lord and Lady Huntly and their daughter. You remember Lady Isabella, don’t you? Such a beauty—the perfect English Rose, as they say.”
So this was to be the duchess’s first gambit… The woman had only agreed to this dinner at Addison’s request. It was to have been a small “family” affair. By not abiding by her son’s wishes, she’d revealed something about herself.
She lacked the honor her son had in spades.
Collette flicked her glance between the two. By now she recognized the subtle ticking in his jaw and the manner in which he twisted his ducal ring on his finger. Aside from those two giveaways, he hid his annoyance well.
More guests appeared at the door, an elderly couple with a petite lady behind them. With a start, Collette realized that she was already acquainted with the duchess’s “special guests.”
She and Diana had met Lady Isabella last spring. The young woman looked to be barely ten and seven and she was, indeed, a beauty.
She was also the same woman the Marquess of Greystone had passed over in favor of marrying a woman who was not at all respectable or suitable, but happened to be the woman he loved.
Collette’s sister.
And Collette would feel sorry for the girl if it wasn’therfiancé that Lord Huntly had set his sights on now.
Addison drew Collette closer at the same time the duchess clasped her hand around his other arm. “You’ll allow me to steal him away for a moment, won’t you, dear? To greet our guests?” Her smile wouldn’t have seemed anything but genuine but for the venom in her eyes.
Addison released her with a reluctant grimace.
Take the high road.Her tutor’s advice echoed in her thoughts. The high road did not involve playing tug of war with one’s fiancé.
Nodding, she dropped her hand and stepped back.
* * *
Addison knewhis mother’s games all too well; he’d watched her play them on numerous occasions. In the past, they’d been mostly harmless.
It had been a mistake for him to think they would be harmless tonight.
Rowan was used to it. His brother had refused to allow the duchess to estrange him from Addison and Fiona and had long since learned how to fight his own battles.
But Collette, despite her intrepid spirit, was out of her depths.
As he shook Lord Huntly’s hand, and then bowed to the man’s wife and daughter, Addison refused to be distracted from the woman he was intent upon celebrating that night.
“I was unaware that you were joining us this evening,” he announced, turning so as to include all of his guests in their conversation. “However, my fiancée and I are happy to share our celebration with others, aren’t we, Collette?”
Addison’s mother gasped beside him, and he couldn’t help but be aware of Lord Huntly’s displeasure.
Addison ignored them both in favor of admiring the woman he intended to marry.
Rather than cower in the face of his mother’s nastiness, she looked proud… and radiant.
And in that moment, he had no doubt that she would succeed wholeheartedly at anything she set her mind to.
His sweet girl dipped her chin almost haughtily, squared her shoulders, and moved toward him, looking graceful, and by God, every inch the duchess she would soon become.
“What a wonderful surprise it is to see you again, my lady.” Her lips tilted up just enough to make her greeting welcoming.
A duchess, indeed.
Etiquette demanded that he present Collette to the earl and countess, but she was already acquainted with their daughter. After they’d wed, even earls and marquesses would be presented to her. But first they had his mother to navigate.
He kept one hand on the small of Collette’s back, determined not to fall into any of the other traps that would have been laid out for the evening.
He loved his mother, he always would, but he refused to allow her to treat his future duchess with anything but respect.
