“Violin,” she said, then her eyes unfocused again, and she went right back to humming.Which was very Charlotte.
Both Lady Stark and the duke appeared mildly concerned, but they would become accustomed to her ways.Or not.Charlotte had a tendency to fade into the background, something Johanna suspected she did deliberately.It allowed her to do as she pleased without being bothered most of the time.Bridget drew focus; Charlotte avoided it.Except for when she was trying to deliberately unsettle someone, which she was very good at and which also assured they would leave her alone.
“Well, then, that’s settled.”Johanna smiled again, trying to hide her worry that the duke might change his mind now that he’d met her family and realized everything he was taking on.Lady Stark seemed up to the challenge, but it was… a lot.
Her, her siblings’ educations, her mother’s health…
What was he getting out of this that he could not get from another young lady?One with fewer burdens accompanying her?
“Tomorrow we will go shopping.You all need to be properly outfitted,” Lady Stark said.“Then, the day after that?—”
“The wedding,” the duke said.
Johanna could have melted into a puddle with relief.Whatever his reasons, he was not changing his mind.Could he really be that determined to follow a course set forth for him by a coin?Perhaps it was trulyherlucky coin and not his because she could not see how any of this was lucky forhim.
His grandmother glared at him.
“That is too soon.”
“Her family is here, are they not?We do not need to waste time.The dress should be ready by then.”He shrugged.“Besides, the faster we move, the more the gossip will be about the wedding and not about why the entire Falmouth household is living inthishouse.Or why Lady Johanna arrived before them.Or?—”
“Enough.”Lady Stark cut him off with a wave of her hand.She scowled at him.“I imagine you have a reason for that day?”
The duke’s hand brushed over the pocket where Johanna had realized he kept his coin.He touched that pocket a lot, even when he was not using the coin.
“Yes.”
“Very well.”Her clipped tone said she was displeased, yet she did not argue with him, which Johanna found fascinating.Lady Stark did not seem the type to indulge fancies, but she indulged the duke and his coin.“The wedding will be the day after tomorrow.”
“Will we have our new dresses by then?”Bridget asked, making Johanna groan softly.
Her mercenary little sister.Though she supposed she could not blame her for asking.They truly did not have anything appropriate to wear to a duke’s wedding.
“Yes, you certainly will.”Lady Stark and Bridget somehow looked very alike in that moment, despite their features being entirely different, and Johanna had a flash of what Bridget might be like in the future.
God help them all.
ChapterTwelve
Matthew
Supper with the Ashmores was a lively affair.Bridget and his grandmother were constantly butting heads, yet there was a certain amount of respect there.Having her at the table meant that his grandmother’s focus was less on him, which he appreciated.
Micah had about a thousand questions, but thankfully, they were the kind of questions Matthew did feel comfortable answering.What would he be learning, what was university like, what did he need to know to run an estate, that sort of thing.The kinds of things a young man might be interested in.
To Matthew’s surprise, he rather enjoyed playing mentor.
On his left, Johanna and her cousin Rose had their heads bent together.From the snippets he overheard, they appeared to mostly be speaking of Dr.Syme—who they seemed to approve of—and Johanna’s mother’s condition.Dr.Syme was worried that there was more to it than mere lack of food, which had Johanna worried.
Matthew hoped her mother would be well enough to attend the wedding, at least.He would like to meet her, but invading a woman’s bedroom when it was a sickroom as well was hardly polite.Especially as they hadnotalready been introduced.
He quickly flipped his coin.
No, he should not try to introduce himself while she was abed.Very well, then.
He lifted his head to pay attention to the conversation happening between his grandmother and Johanna’s sisters, which was beginning to become rather heated.
“What about Rose?”Bridget asked, gesturing to her cousin, who was still talking quietly with Johanna.
