Adelaide shifted slightly. She recognized the dark feeling that bloomed in her chest as she looked at the duchess…Meg. Jealousy. Jealousy of her fast friendship with Emma, who had once been closest to Adelaide. And jealousy of whatever this woman had once shared with Graham. Even knowing how it had ended, even knowing he hadn’t loved her, she couldn’t help but wonder if he’d ever kissed her. Touched her.
Being that they’d been engaged for so long, she had to believesomethinghad passed between them. How could anyone be with Graham and not want to feel his arms wrapped around them?
Apparently she had been considering those thoughts for too long, for Meg smiled slightly. “Well,Iwould like to be friends, at any rate.”
Adelaide gasped. “Oh, yes. Of course. I’m certain we will see each other from time to time given our relationships to Emma.”
Meg’s forehead wrinkled slightly. “I hope that will be true. And perhaps one day we will also see more of Northfield back in our circle as well.”
Adelaide stared at her. “I’m afraid I wouldn’t know anything about that,” she said, her tone far cooler as her hackles raised. How dare this woman act like Graham could simply slip back into the way things were after what had happened to him? She felt a strong desire to defend him yet again. And itstillwasn’t her place.
Even after what they’d shared last night.
“Don’t you?” Meg said. “Emma had said something about you two developing a bit of a friendship of sorts.”
Adelaide froze, her mind dragging her to images of Graham’s mouth between her legs, of him rising over her as he took her, of his searing kiss that made her whole body so damned weak.
She shook those thoughts aside. “I hardly know the man, so I don’t know why Emma would say that.”
“He’s a good friend to have,” Meg insisted, her tone suddenly growing faraway. “Steadfast and loyal.”
Adelaide couldn’t help it. She folded her arms firmly across her chest. “Seems he has not always received that from his friends in return.”
Meg flinched, and Adelaide immediately wished she could take the harsh words back. After all, Meg was Emma’s sister-in-law. If she weren’t more prudent, she could end up losing Emma, and for what? A man who probably didn’t think of her at all?Lydiawas what he wanted. A fantasy that didn’t truly exist. A woman who would disappear eventually, for there was no way she could keep up her double life indefinitely.
Meg looked off toward the door, tears in her eyes. “The situation between Simon and Graham and me was…complicated,” she said softly.
Adelaide caught her breath. “I really don’t think you should tell me—”
“Normally I wouldn’t speak of it, but I saw you with him at the party a few days ago,” Meg interrupted. “There was something between you. I may not have loved Graham, he certainly didn’t love me. But I knew him. Once upon a time, I knew him. If you are a friend to him, as Emma claims and you deny, then I think he needs one. And clearly you wish to defend him and I think he needs that, too.”
Adelaide shifted, for what she felt for Graham was really very complicated. Desire, yes. Frustration, yes. Jealousy…yes. And she didn’t want to face any of that yet. Or ever. And yet shedidwant to know more. She wanted to know what Graham wouldn’t say.
“Wh-why did it happen as it did?” she asked.
Meg stared at her for what felt like an eternity, until Adelaide shifted with discomfort. Until she began to search for a way to change the subject.
“I don’t normally speak of it,” Meg whispered at last. “But I loved Simon from the first moment I met him.”
“Then why did you agree to marry Northfield?” Adelaide asked.
“I didn’t.” Meg ducked her head. “James arranged it. We were all so young when it happened, none of us had the capacity to figure out how to abandon the plan. None of us had the courage to take the first step. That nearly cost me the love of my life. And it has cost Simon one of the truest friends he’s ever had. Seeing his pain and knowing the depth of Graham’s is the only mar upon my happiness.”
Adelaide bit her lip. Here she had seen Meg and Simon as the evildoers in the situation, but she could see how truly bothered Meg was by her husband’s pain. More than that, she could see how much she was hurt by Graham’s.
“Is there any way to—tofixit?” Adelaide asked.
“What you must understand,” Meg said softly, “is that James, Simon, Graham and all the others are like brothers.Werelike brothers. My greatest wish is that they can overcome this and Graham will return to us. Home where he belongs. How that happens, well, I suppose we’ll all see.”
There was something about the way Meg speared her with a stare that made Adelaide’s heart jump. That made her feel that Meg thought she would have some role in Graham’s reunion with his friends. But that placed far too much importance on her. More than he would ever give.
She turned her face. “My aunt appears to be finished with her transaction, so I must excuse myself,” she said.
Meg nodded. “Of course. It was nice to see you again, Adelaide.” She leaned in. “And I do hope that someday you will come to like me and we can be friends.”
Meg squeezed her arm gently, and then she turned to walk to the shopkeeper. “Mr. Evans, how wonderful to see you again!”
But as Opal came back, Adelaide couldn’t help but stare at Meg. The directness she had just encountered wasn’t something she was accustomed to. Nor were the feelings that directness had inspired, feelings toward the duchess, but also toward Graham.
