“Abigail!” Lavinia exclaimed in exhaustion. “I’m so relieved to have escaped.”
“Escaped?” Abigail echoed, her brow creasing with concern.
Lavinia collapsed onto her bed and gazed up at the ceiling, breathing heavily in anguish.
“Miss Fitzroy?” Abigail prompted after a few seconds of silence. “What is wrong?”
“The week has only just begun, and I already feel… overwhelmed,” Lavinia admitted.
She rolled onto her side, propped herself on her elbow, and looked squarely at her closest confidante.
“Why?” Abigail asked.
“Oh…” Lavinia groaned. “There are gentlemen everywhere.”
“And they wish to speak with you?”
“Yes.” Lavinia let out another annoyed groan. “I could not turn from left to right without either encountering a gentleman who wished to engage in conversation or hearing ladies talk about gentlemen who are supposed to join us shortly.”
“The footmen say that the Duke of Pemberton will grace us with his presence,” Abigail noted in a mellow voice. “Did His Grace arrive yet? Is he one of the gentlemen you ran away from just now?”
At the mention of the Duke, Lavinia’s stomach churned as she remembered her mother’s conversation with Lady St. Vincent.
“I heard such a terrible rumor about him.” She laid a hand on her stomach, forcing it to calm. “You will not believe it.”
“I might be tempted to believe anything, Miss Fitzroy,” Abigail returned. “I do not doubt whispers and quiet conversations the way you do.”
“I… I believe the gossips when they report the truth.” Lavinia stood and stepped closer to her maid so she could lower her voice. “What have you heard about the Duke?”
“He has quite the reputation, miss. Everyone says that he’s a rake and that he has little regard for propriety,” Abigail confided.
“Oh…” Lavinia squirmed uncomfortably. “I hate to hear it.”
Abigail laid out the gown she’d been holding all this time on the bed, then turned back to Lavinia. “Why are you so distraught, miss? Have you met the Duke already?”
Lavinia shook her head. “I have yet to meet him, but I am inclined to think he cannot be as bad as they say. I quite admire Lady Madeline, his sister, as you know…” She paused and waited for her maid to nod. “And the Dowager Duchess has been a real friend to my parents.” She plucked her hairbrush from her dresser and ran her gloved fingers over the bristles. “You know that many in the ton mock my parents and laugh at them behind their backs, but Henrietta and Madeline Linfield have never been so cruel or callous. I did not see them arrive earlier, but when they get here, I am certain they will truly celebrate myparents’ wedding anniversary and wish them every happiness going forward.”
“Hmm…” Abigail hummed thoughtfully. “And you think that because the Dowager Duchess of Pemberton and Lady Madeline are gentle-hearted people, His Grace must be just the same?”
Lavinia knew what her maid was implying.
“Just because I call the Dowager Duchess and Lady Madeline my friends, does not mean that His Grace shares any of their traits. He could be just as roguish as Lady St. Vincent claimed.”
Slowly, she replaced her brush on the dresser, then tapped her fingers along the smooth surface of her diamond necklace.
“I will watch the Duke closely,” she concluded. “I will decide for myself whether he is worthy of my trust.”
CHAPTER 2
“Iwill not apologize to Peter, Mother,” Madeline protested.
The argument had been going on since his arrival.
It was midday when the Linfields left for Crawford Hall. The estate was only a few miles away, and as the Dowager Duchess of Pemberton had promised Lady Crawford that they would arrive just before dinner.
Peter remained quiet, still enraged by his sister’s trickery. Only a day ago, he had received a letter from Madeline in which she claimed their mother had suddenly fallen ill. But upon arriving at the cottage that both ladies shared in Arlington, he was greeted by theirglowing and perfectly healthymother.
“I am not asking for an apology, Maddie. You have disappointed me, and I am still furious. How could you lie about our mother’s health? Do you know how worried I was?”
