Uncertain and as though she was playacting at being a duchess.
But she held her head high as they thanked their guests for coming and moved to the wedding brunch.At which, she found herself fascinated by their guests and not just because she was trying to distract herself, but because they were truly fascinating.
The Duke of Grafton had come with his fiancée, Lady Annabelle Walsh, and his mother.While no one was unkind to Lady Annabelle, it did not seem that the future duchess was part of the group of women who had pulled Johanna into their circle.Which made her feel bad for Lady Annabelle, but considering the way Grafton was staring at Delilah, and the way she was pointedly ignoring him, was enough to make it clear why Lady Annabelle was excluded.
It was not her fault, but the fault of the circumstances.
Then there was the Duke of Ormonde and his insistence on dogginghisbetrothed’s footsteps, despite Lady Astrid’s obvious annoyance with him.She was growing more and more peevish as he hung about her, while he became more and more stoic as she poked and prodded at his pride.Johanna was not sure what to do about that, but Lady Stark sailed in, claiming the duke’s arm and pulling him away to speak to the Duke of Hereford.
“I swear, Lucifer is trying to drive me mad before the wedding,” Lady Astrid muttered to Johanna, shaking her head.“He has gone from avoiding me to clinging to me like a limpet.”
“Perhaps something has changed in his feelings for you?”Johanna suggested.She did not know the duke well enough to tell, but there must be some reason for it.
“More likely, he hopes to drive me to the madhouse rather than having to wed me.Perhaps all these weddings are getting under his skin as he realizes ours approaches.”Lady Astrid tossed her head, a bit like a fractious horse.
They both quieted as the Duke of Bolton approached.Johanna felt her nerves rise.He was so very intimidating, so very serious, and there was an air about him that seemed even heavier with tragedy than the other dukes.His grey morning jacket hung on broad shoulders over a white shirt, with a forest-green waistcoat and matching cravat.The effect was effortlessly elegant.
“Lady Astrid,” he said with a bow.“Duchess.Felicitations on this happy day.”
“Thank you,” Johanna replied, uncertain of what else to say to him.Fortunately—or perhaps unfortunately, given the topic she chose—Lady Astrid had no such qualms.
“Your Grace.”Lady Astrid smirked at him.“How goes the search on the marriage mart?You realize you and Christian are the last dukes standing at this point.The debutantes and their mamas will be growing quite desperate once news of this morning reaches their ears.”
Bolton shuddered.
“Thank you for the reminder,” he said dryly.
“If you need assistance, you can always speak with Mei,” Lady Astrid said, tilting her head in the direction of the matchmaker, who was standing off to the side speaking with Delilah and Kalina.According to Mei, her grandmother was the real matchmaker, and she provided assistance, but Johanna had noticed Lady Astrid always spoke as if it was truly Mei making the matches.
For a moment, Johanna thought the duke would roll his eyes, but instead, he shook his head and his shoulders at the same time, as though shaking off Lady Astrid’s suggestion.
“I am a duke.”He had straightened up, stretching his already impressive height higher and looking down his nose at Lady Astrid.“I do not require the assistance of a matchmaker to find a willing bride, just because it will give your friend the cachet of matching a duke.”
“Then why are you not engaged yet?”Lady Astrid raised her eyebrow at him.“If it is so easy to find a willing bride?”
Johanna gulped, nervously peeking at the duke again to see his reaction.Should she try to intervene in this conversation and end it?What would a duchess do?
Perhaps Lady Astrid was not the duchess to try to emulate.Johanna was not sure she could stomach the confrontations the lady appeared to thrive on.
Thankfully, the duke was either used to Lady Astrid’s blunt manner or unbothered by it.Johanna would bet on the former, as he seemed a very upright and proper kind of gentleman.
“Just because a lady is willing to become a duchess does not mean she would be a suitable one.I am trying to choose the right bride.One who will be a wife I can be… content with.”
“Which is exactly what Mei can assist you with,” Lady Astrid said triumphantly.“Helping narrow down your options, especially as she can become far more familiar with the contenders than you can.She will see sides of the debutantes that you do not.”
Bolton opened his mouth, already starting to shake his head, then stopped.Frowned.
“Think about it,” Lady Astrid said, reaching out to pat Bolton’s arm.“Come, Johanna, we should go speak with Delilah.”
Johanna allowed herself to be carted off, thankful not to be left alone with the duke.
As they approached, Delilah smiled.She exchanged air kisses with both of them before Johanna moved on to greet Mei and Kalina, who were standing beside the baroness.
“Thank you for being here,” she said to them, feeling herself relax a bit more now that she was with the ladies instead of the dukes.Especially Mei and Delilah, who were not duchesses and had no expectations to be.
“I was honored to be included with such august company,” Mei told her with a smile, brushing a lock of long black hair back from her face.The jade green and gold gown she was wearing matched the jade and gold sticks that held up half her hair in a bun, while the rest hung nearly to her waist.“I am sorry my grandmother could not make it; she has been unwell.”
“Oh dear, I am so sorry to hear that,” Johanna said sympathetically.“My mother as well.The doctor that ah, Matthew, uses has been very helpful, and Rose has quite a bit of knowledge of healing, if you would like to speak with her about your grandmother.”
