Either she hadn’t seen the newspapers, which would be unlikely, or she was simply kind.
I decided to believe the latter.
At least I had one friend in London. Perhaps two, if Annabelle would still acknowledge me.
As we continued down Rotten Row, we passed several carriages, some with English society and some with Americans. For the most part, we were given curious looks and hesitant greetings, though some people overlooked us entirely.
“Once we have the prince’s approval, the rest will follow,” Lady Mandeville assured us.
I hoped she was right and that we would learn soon if he still planned to come to our dinner party. Tomorrow night, the Duke of Severton would be at Lady Randolph Churchill’s ball. If we didn’t know by then, I was afraid he would cut us and move on to another heiress.
Even though I didn’t want to marry him, the truth was, I needed to.
We couldn’t let everything we had accomplished—and all the money Aunt Maude had spent—be for naught.
20
The following evening, Gallagher helped me prepare for Lady Randolph Churchill’s ball. Aunt Maude had selected a beautiful pale green gown with a generous bustle and a flattering bodice that had silver ivy threaded into the fabric. I sat at the vanity as Gallagher finished styling my hair and looked at my reflection. I really did look a great deal like a younger version of my mother. It was remarkable.
“Gallagher,” I said as I glanced at her in the mirror. “Did you get a chance to inquire about the Duke of Severton’s family?”
“I did, miss, and it’s all very mysterious.”
“How so?”
“Some say his home is the most haunted castle in all of England.”
“He mentioned that people think it’s haunted.” I frowned. “Do you know why?”
Gallagher paused and glanced toward the door, as if someone might be listening. She lowered her voice. “They say that each duke is cursed, and the three before this one have all been murdered.”
“Three of them?” The duke had mentioned something about murder—but could it be true that there was more than one?
“And each one was murdered by his wife,” Gallagher continued, her voice still low. “That’s why they’ve all been cursed and why the Duke of Severton hasn’t wanted to look for a wife until he became desperate. He didn’t want to be murdered.”
“That’s preposterous.”
Gallagher shrugged. “That’s what they say.”
I frowned. If it was true that the last three dukes had been murdered by their wives, did the current duke truly think it would happen to him, too?
“They say that the castle drives each duchess mad,” Gallagher continued. “That the first person murdered was the first Duchess of Severton, two hundred years ago or so, and her ghost walks the moors at night, pleading for revenge, and only the current duchess can hear it. Eventually, she goes mad and is convinced to seek revenge for the Wailing Duchess.”
I turned fully in my chair and stared at Gallagher. “Who told you this?”
“Several of the staff, miss.”
“I’ve never heard of anything so absurd.”
“There has to be some truth to it, or why would the current duke hide away and avoid society for all these years?”
I nibbled my bottom lip for a moment and then turned back to the mirror so Gallagher could finish. “There has to be a different reason.”
Yet as I finished my preparations, then made my way down the stairs to wait for Aunt Maude and Alec, I couldn’t shake the foreboding feeling that wrapped around me. I didn’t believe in ghosts, but I had no wish to live in a scary castle on the moors, either.
Alec was in the front drawing room, standing near the fireplace, lost in thought when I entered the room. He waswearing a well-tailored evening coat with his face freshly shaved and his hair styled.
He glanced up and his eyes told me everything, even before he uttered, “You look beautiful, Keira.”
