Did he look a little pale, too? She could not be certain.
“It is certainly a significant improvement over the dresses I had seen you wearing before. It is quite appropriate for a warm day in the garden.”
His complexion changed from pale to red. It was somewhat funny, but it was also confusing. The compliment sounded forced, making Lucy’s heart sink.
Of course.
It was not much of a surprise. Since his youth, Daniel was used to seeing the beauties of Rome and Paris, and she was nothing more than a child playing dress-up with a little nudge from her friend.
“A warm day in the garden?” Victoria repeated incredulously. “She would be thebelle of the Season!”
“Thank you,” Lucy said softly, giving her friend a grateful look. “If you will excuse me, I must return to the changing room. I believe I’ve worn this dress far too long for it to be polite.”
To be fair, she had no idea how long it would be polite for her to wear the dress at all. She simply could not believe how beautiful it was and how luxurious it felt. As far as she could remember, her dresses were closer in quality to this one when she was younger, but as time went by, Joshua had somehow become stricter about her attire.
As she retreated behind the curtain once more, she could not help but shiver. Daniel’s stare still heated her skin, but it turned out he was merely being politely disapproving. Her fingers trembled as she fumbled with the dress. Madame Cecile had offered her assistance, but she murmured that she would call if she needed it.
Why did it matter what he thought of her in a dress?Thisdress?
Outside, Victoria and Madame Cecile discussed the alterations that the Duchess’s dresses would require as her figure continued to change. Richard remained at his wife’s side, from what Lucy could hear.
“It feels like yesterday when Victoria and I did not quite know what to make of our marriage. Now, we are shopping for maternity lace and silks together.”
“Indeed, time passes by quickly,” Daniel agreed contemplatively. “It is still so strange for me to see her as a woman of poise and not someone climbing horses and walls.”
“I believe she is still capable of those if we let her,” Richard chuckled. “I also remember how protective you were of her, always ready to challenge me to a duel.”
“Indeed.”
Lucy wondered if Joshua’s overprotectiveness also had a limit, such as Daniel’s.
“It was complicated for me, back then. You two were not together during the first year of your marriage, and I did not know you well. I didn’t want my sister to be a victim of some strange man’s whim. I am her brother, and it is my job to ensure her safety and happiness.”
“What changed your mind?” Richard asked.
“I saw her look at you, as well as the way you looked at her. I saw love there. Perhaps I didn’t want to see it, but I had to. I stepped back because I knew it wasn’t my job to rule her life. She has her own mind and a life that she must live.”
In the changing room, Lucy was already lacing up her gray dress. She pondered Daniel’s words and wondered when Joshua would ever think the same.
When would her brother set her free?
She left the changing room only to find Richard watching Victoria like one would watch a goddess. This was the woman he had married. This was the woman he lived with. Yet, he looked as if he had not seen her before, as if her very appearance was a miracle.
Lucy felt longing so sharp that she had to clutch her chest. She watched as Richard kissed her friend’s knuckles before gently caressing her belly.
“There has never been any doubt in my mind that you are the most beautiful woman in any room, Victoria,” Richard murmured.
Madame Cecile looked like she was about to swoon. Daniel shuffled from one foot to the other.
Lucy took a deep breath and approached the small group. Her posture was more bent in the gray dress. She knew it was unflattering, but she had no choice. Her life was different from Victoria’s, and there were times when she felt absolutely plain. She had never felt truly seen because Joshua always extinguished little flames before they blazed.
Daniel’s eyes were on his sister, complimenting her. “You do look marvelous, Sister. It pains me to say so, but you look like a glowing bride.”
“Not quite what you imagined I would be, huh, Daniel?” Victoria quipped. “You thought I would be the most unlikely mother.”
“And yet you are doing well with Melody, and will do well with the new baby,” Daniel said, sounding sincere.
Richard moved to the counter to settle the bill. He had bought the new dress Victoria chose and paid for the alterations to the older dresses.
