“Well, I have already talked to him, and we will meet again after my wedding. He promises to find me the right venture to invest in.”
Adrian patted Gavin’s shoulder. “If anyone can help you, it’s Hawthorne.”
As Gavin walked back toward the manor with his cousin, he felt better about the decision to invest. Perhaps his luck was changing after all.
*
Priscilla didn’t knowwhat she would do once her sisters left. It was so nice having them here. It seemed too long since they could giggle like schoolgirls. But it meant the world to her that Gavin had included them in her shopping spree. Bridget knew just what things Priscilla would need for her wedding, and for those events where she would be presented as the Duchess of Englewood.
As she stood in one of the dress shops while the seamstress measured her, she couldn’t help but think about everything that Gavin had done for her since she became his grandmother’s companion. Although her family was way beneath his, he had never treated her as anything less than a lady. He showed her many times that he cared about her opinion, especially if she would forgive him for his past misdeeds.
She thought about the way her heartbeat quickened, making her smile more, and she wondered if she had finally fallen in love with him. Did he return her feelings? Would he make her a perfect husband? Seeing Bridget and Adrian together made Priscilla want a marriage like theirs, and she prayed this would finally be her turn for happiness.
“Prissy,” Felicia said, nudging her arm and pointing toward the shop’s window. “Who is that woman talking with the duke?”
Priscilla swung her head toward the window. Although she glimpsed Gavin’s back and wide shoulders, she couldn’t see much of the person in front of him. All she could see was that the woman wore a yellow bonnet that matched her day dress.
“I can’t see her well enough,” she told her sister. “Why do you ask?”
“Because I have heard how charming the duke is, especially to women, and I wanted to make certain he wasn’t flirting with someone else right before your wedding.”
Doubt snuck inside Priscilla’s heart and made her stomach twist. She knew Gavin better than her sister, and hehadbeen that kind of man. But was he now?
She glanced at the seamstress, who was placing pins in the hem of her gown. “Will you excuse me for a moment?”
The woman nodded and withdrew. Priscilla stepped down from the small platform and slowly moved toward the window, hoping to see the other woman more clearly. The closer she came, the more her stomach rolled.
When she could see the woman’s face, recognition hit. Miss Georgina had been with her mother at that soiree the dowager had not long after Priscilla became her companion. And she recalled the way Miss Georgina boldly stared at Gavin.
Jealousy filled Priscilla, and she quickly turned to head back to the platform. She wanted to believe Gavin would be faithful to her after they were married, so why couldn’t she fully trust him? He hadn’t shown her any reason why he would stray.
“Do I need to have a talk with that lady?” Bridget asked in a soft voice.
Priscilla forced a laugh and shook her head. “Why would it matter? He is the duke, and he talks to many people. Are you going to forbid him to talk to pretty young ladies after we are wed?”
Bridget gave her that big-sister stare, and Priscilla could read her thoughts. She was only trying to protect Priscilla’s heart.
“I’m fine,” she told her sisters. “The duke is a very friendly man, and he will not do anything to hurt me.” At least, she hoped.
For the rest of the afternoon, she couldn’t get the vision of Miss Georgina out of her mind. The lady was lovely, with wavy, dark brown hair and flashing green eyes. Although there wasn’t an outward flirtation that Priscilla could see, she knew how attractive Gavin was and how his charming smile could melt anywoman. She also remembered how much he was attracted to women who fell all over themselves to get his attention.
Priscilla walked with her sisters to the milliner’s shop, and Bridget’s excitement hastened her steps. Priscilla had never liked bonnets, but she realized it would be expected of her to wear them as the next Duchess of Englewood. She didn’t hurry into the shop, instead taking her time.
A familiar face caught her attention, and she groaned. Why did she have to spot Miss Georginaagain? Once a week was plenty, but twice on the same day?
Thankfully, the woman wasn’t chatting with Gavin again, but she was talking with a man who appeared to be in his forties. A few white hairs streaked through his brown hair. The woman didn’t notice Priscilla, and although she should walk past Miss Georgina and enter the milliner’s shop, curiosity got the best of her, making her take slower steps.
What caught her interest was the irritated expression on Miss Georgina’s face. Priscilla couldn’t quite see the man’s face, but at this point, she didn’t dare turn her head to look. She was certain he would notice that she was trying to eavesdrop.
“You need to do something,” Miss Georgina grumbled. “How am I supposed to find a husband if I cannot wear a new gown to Lady Moore’s ball next week?”
Priscilla rolled her eyes, grateful that she hadn’t been raised to think new gowns were the sole method of finding a husband.
“And I told you before, there is no way that I can get the money. Not when he’s keeping track of everything now. He questions me about every little expenditure. He will notice if a large sum is missing.”
The womanhumphedand stomped her foot. “Why? He never noticed before.”
“I’m sorry, Miss Georgina, but I dare not risk it this time. You will have to wear one of the gowns you purchased last month.”
