“Yes.”
“That is unexpected. I mean, it is a welcome change for you, but why begin now?”
His expression softened slightly.
“My sister’s arrangements are nearly complete.”
Margaret’s attention sharpened immediately.
“She claims to have met a man, one that can secure her future, and I know better than to refuse her. With that being said, if we will soon be able to act as any other members of theton, we ought to do so sooner than later.”
Margaret felt a quiet relief settle in her chest. She had worried about Eliza more than she admitted aloud, though the young woman’s strength had been obvious the moment they met.
“And the ball will serve that purpose,” she said.
“It will. There is another reason for it, of course. I would like you beside me before them all again.”
The words were simple, but something in the way he said them made Margaret’s breath catch almost imperceptibly.
“This house will look to you for it all,” he said quietly. “As Duchess, you are in charge of the preparations, which is why I wished to speak with you about it first.”
“I would love to.”
Nathaniel’s shoulders eased slightly, though the movement was subtle.
“You accepted that rather quickly. You may think on it, if you wish.”
“I do not need to. You trusted me with your sister’s secret. Hosting a ball seems rather small in comparison.”
“That is not how society will view it.”
“Yes, well, society rarely sees clearly.”
“That,” he chuckled as he pushed a curl behind her ear, “may be the truest thing I have heard this morning.”
Margaret stepped back then, though her hand brushed his as she reached for the teapot. Nathaniel took the cup she offered him. For a moment their fingers touched again, and this time neither of them pulled away quickly.
Outside the windows, the estate stretched wide and quiet in the morning light. Inside, the future of Ravensmere, and the strange, unexpected partnership forming between its Duke and Duchess, had just begun to take shape.
Ravensmere had never felt so alive.
Light poured from every window, the household glowing against the soft darkness of the grounds. Carriages rolled steadily up the drive, lanterns swaying as footmen hurried forward to greet the arriving guests.
Inside, music drifted through the open doors of the ballroom, bright violins rising above the murmur of conversation. Margaret stood near the entrance, greeting each guest with easy warmth.
“Welcome to Ravensmere,” she said with a graceful inclination of her head as another couple entered.
The words still felt new, yet the role itself felt surprisingly natural.
Servants moved quietly around her, carrying trays of champagne. The house that had once seemed too large and too quiet now pulsed with life, laughter echoing down the corridors and across the polished floors.
Across the ballroom, Nathaniel stood speaking with a small group of gentlemen, his posture relaxed but attentive. Every so often his gaze swept the room, as though searching for her, and each time it found her.
The evening was unfolding exactly as they had hoped. Eliza had arrived earlier beside the gentleman she had met, and their presence was received with polite curiosity rather than suspicion. Society seemed content to accept what it had beengiven, and Margaret watched as Nathaniel went to meet him in turn.
“Margaret!”
She looked up immediately. Her mother approached, Emily and Poppy close behind her, all three of them looking around the room with open wonder.
