And with those words, Amity’s delight melted like a chocolate bar on a hot summer pavement. Henry had found a new woman to take as his duchess.
Furthermore, he hadn’t come to ask her himself to make the chocolates because he couldn’t bear to look at her. He probably hated her for the perceived slight of choosing chocolate over him. If he only knew how many hours she had agonized over the decision. Realizing during her discussion with Jeremy how this heart-palpitating feeling was true love, she had examined the emotion from every angle.
Ultimately, she loved the duke enough to be happy he had found another to share his life. Happy for him and terribly sad, too.
She feared she would never find someone to take Henry’s place in her heart. And with that, she started to dread the event even more.
***
“HENRY,” HIS MOTHERcalled to him as he was passing by the drawing room. Another endless afternoon stretched ahead of him, first a late session in Parliament, and then, if he could drag himself to White’s, he would have a meal with Jeffcoat and Waverly. They had nearly forbidden him to go for he had been such bad company of late.
At his mother’s bidding, he entered to find her having tea in the late-morning sun.
“It is done,” she said without preamble or warning. “I have found you a perfect duchess and invited her to our house to become engaged to you. All you must do is set the date, but the party must be within two weeks, or I shall look a fool.”
His mouth had dropped open and hadn’t closed.
“Stop looking like you are a frog catching flies,” she ordered.
“Mother, I didn’t say you couldchoosethe woman outright. I said you could help me find a suitable wife. I will—”
“Miss Rare-Foure is my choice for your duchess.”
He sighed. His mother was amazing and always had been. “How did you know?”
“I am not blind, nor a ninny. I saw how happy you were when you told me of your visits to her shop. ‘Creating the perfect chocolate,’” she mimicked words he had said to her, before rolling her eyes, the very mirror of his own.
“We were doing precisely that,” he protested, knowing he sounded like a child.
“I know you were, but you were creating something else, too, something very special for one another. The way you looked at her at our party ... I tell you, Henry, I could hardly breathe for fear you would go ahead and propose to Lady Madeleine when I could see clearly how you felt for Miss Rare-Foure. I think she is delightful, and so does Penelope. All the sisters are, for that matter. How splendid!”
“It isn’t that simple, Mother.”
She shook her head. “Young people, complicating things,” she muttered. “Of course it is! You love her, she loves you.”
“And how does my magician of a mother know this?”
“Easy. I went and spoke to her mother.”
“You didn’t! That seems rather drastic, not to mention an invasion of Miss Rare-Foure’s privacy.” He paused but a second later asked, “Her mother said Amity loves me?”
“Amity,” the dowager mused. “Such a pretty name, isn’t it?” She picked up her teacup. “I shall say no more. As you say, it’s private and for Miss Rare-Foure to tell you herself.”
“But her fiancé, Mr. Cole?” he asked.
His mother frowned. “That’s the first I’ve heard of such a person. Miss Rare-Foure’s delightful mother made no mention of a fiancé at all.” She blinked at him over the porcelain cup. “Gather your friends for a wonderful party. There will be four hundred chocolates, too.”
“Dear God!” He couldn’t imagine what that would look like. In any case, his thoughts were still mulling over the fact Amity did not have a fiancé anymore. He knew he was grinning like a fool.
His mother grinned right back at him. “I might have gone a little overboard with the number of confections, but I didn’t think I could get Miss Rare-Foure to agree to come to the party unless I went very, very big. She will be busy until party time, I believe. And then, it is up to you. Naturally, I invited her sisters, too.” His mother sipped her tea again. “Also, her parents, although the young woman is not aware of that.”
“Her parents know my intention?”
“They do.” His mother looked as smug as a cat with a mouse between its paws.
“And they are keeping it from her?”
“Only for two weeks. They are not a family for secrets any more than we are. As soon as we decide on the exact date of the party, we must send word to the confectionery. Meanwhile, I forbid you to go there and ruin my surprise.”
