She should not have. For now, Marianne was watching her with a small, knowing smile. She must have noticed Lucy’s eyes wander to the lawn, where the archery match took place.
“Well, I do believe Daniel is close to finding an answer. Protectors also need to rest.”
Lucy felt a blush spread from her chest to her neck. Her heart sped up as she realized that Marianne could sense what she was thinking and feeling.
What exactlywasshe thinking or feeling?
“He is fortunate to have you all as his siblings,” she said softly.
“Lucy? I was looking for you. What are you doing here?”
The familiar voice felt like a bucket of cold water. Joshua had managed to find her again. He stood in the doorway, his frame silhouetted by the light in the hallway.
“I was merely admiring the Duchess of Redmoor’s portraits of her siblings. The Duchess of Oakmere here was kind enough to tell me more about these works.”
“Your Grace,” Joshua acknowledged Marianne. “I am sorry if Lucy is imposing on your time.”
“Do you think I am in any way bothered by her presence?” Marianne asked, raising an eyebrow. “She was not imposing.”
Her firm response had Joshua fall silent for a moment. However, he recovered quickly.
“I thank you for your time, Your Grace. Now, Lucy has to return home.”
Home.
Lucy could not help but compare Joshua to Daniel. The latter seemed more capable of showing that he cared. He was cruel to himself when he could not protect his siblings.
As Joshua led her out of the gallery, her gaze drifted back to Daniel’s portrait.
The yearning in his eyes made her heart clench.
Chapter Fifteen
“The venison is absolutely delicious, Your Grace,” Lord Heatherstone remarked, looking extremely pleased as he nodded at Elizabeth.
Lord Heatherstone was an earl in his mid-thirties, unmarried, and pleasant-looking enough. He did have kind eyes that made Lucy wonder whether he was truly as agreeable as he seemed, even in private.
“She oversees the cook herself, mind ye, and kens the recipes of fine dishes the English like,” Alasdair boasted.
“Ah, my eldest sister won’t be so happy now,” Elizabeth teased, giving Marianne a smile.
Marianne’s love for nature had no equal among the ton and the Brightons. Because of it, she ate meat very rarely and limited herself to eggs, milk, butter, and cheese. She had chosen toeschew meat, although she never tried to force her husband and siblings to do the same.
Lucy could not help but admire her. Marianne knew what she wanted and did not care much for what others said. From what Lucy had heard, Marianne used to be ill-treated by the ladies of the ton. Yet she prevailed in the end. Lucy wanted to have that freedom and confidence one day.
“Well, the rest of the treats are sumptuous. I am still happy,” Marianne quipped, before biting into a tart.
“I did hear that someone had done exceedingly well in the studio earlier today,” Lord Heatherstone said, smiling at Lucy. “It seems that Lady Lucy had set herself apart from the other ladies with her skill with the charcoal and a bit of acrylic.”
Now, everyone’s eyes were on Lucy. She sat between Victoria and Daphne, but it was not enough to shield her from the intense scrutiny of everyone else at the table. She didn’t like being the center of attention. It made her uncomfortable.
Across from her sat her brother, looking at her with what seemed to be brotherly pride. Meanwhile, Daniel sat somewhere to the left of Joshua, not directly, but they all felt close enough. Every time she looked his way, he was already watching.
“It’s true!” Victoria exclaimed. “Her work was quite a revelation, with its moody and atmospheric composition. Elizabeth is very proud of her. However, Lady Lucy is very modest about her talents.”
“Oh, I am merely a novice in that regard, compared to the Duchess of Redmoor,” Lucy demurred, flushing a deep pink.
Her eyes were now fixed on her wine glass, studying the red liquid. For a moment, she was distracted, thinking about what it would be like to sketch the light filtering through the glass and into the liquid.
