Page 12 of The Haunted Duke

“Ah! Look who remembered to honor us with her presence!” Patricia greeted loudly. “Good morning.”

Helena smiled sheepishly as she walked into the opulent dining hall in the Dowager Duchess’s home, but again, nearly lost her footing as she found not Jeremy sitting by Patricia’s side, but the Duke of Redgrave. Just like the day before, his handsome face did not move a single muscle as he lifted his gaze from Patricia and looked her straight in the eye.

“Do you always sleep so late?” Patricia asked as she stirred her tea.

Helena bit back her groan of agony and smiled as warmly as she could as she dropped into a curtsy.

“Please forgive me. I am not used to sleeping in such an… exquisite bed. It is, um, taking some time to become accustomed to your home’s greatness. I promise, though, that I will strive to do better in the future.”

She kept her true reason for her tardiness to herself. That she had spent all night, restless and worried about Jeremy leaving her with the Duke of Redgrave. She was not afraid of his stature or his scars, as Alex seemed to be. No, it was that look he gave her. That look made her feel as if she had somehow betrayed him, despite the fact that they had never met.

Patricia tsked her tongue as she looked Helena up and down, immediately making her feel self-conscious. Patricia had been gracious with her money for many things, but Helena’s wardrobe was still her own. She glanced down at her out-of-fashion dark blue gown and winced as she saw at least half a dozen snags in the skirts. Quickly, she fluffed her skirts, hoping to hide at least some of them in the folds.

“Your family was once accustomed to such affluence, were they not?” Patricia asked.

Helena forced a smile.

“At one time, yes,” she agreed, feeling sorrow dig into her heart. “Though that seems like a lifetime ago now.”

Patricia grunted, then waved her hand in the air as if to dismiss the topic.

“Well, sit down. You can eat something while you listen. There is much to go over,” she remarked.

Helena quickly thanked her for her kindness and took a seat, leaning back and accidentally meeting Evander’s quiet gaze again as the servants came around to fill her plate and cup of tea.

“As I was saying,” Patricia went on. “Jeremy has already taken his leave, giving me no opportunity to convince him to delay this ridiculous trip. However, when it comes to men and their business, I suppose no amount of nagging will make them come to heel, is that not right, Evander?”

Evander’s hard gaze flicked to Patricia, his hard expression softening in an instant.

“Indeed,” he replied.

“Well then, I suppose today’s responsibilities shall fall on you two,” she huffed, adjusting her spectacles with one hand as she picked up her list with the other.

“Let us see. You two will need to visit the florist, the baker, the stationery shop, and the modiste. You will need to be very careful when choosing the flowers, as we all know how particular Jeremy is about them. And Helena, you will need to try on your wedding dress. It should be ready for fitting. As for the baker and the stationery shop, you are simply going in to confirm the dates they will have our orders ready.”

As Patricia continued to go down the long list of responsibilities, Helena grew dizzier and paler. How was she supposed to do all of this? It would have been one thing to take on such tasks with Jeremy. He made everything fun. Evander, though? He obviously despised her, for reasons she could not fathom, and she was certainly not looking forward to spending the entire day in his brooding silence.

“Are we boring you, Helena?” Patricia asked.

Helena looked up and immediately fixed her smile.

“No, not at all. I am just… overwhelmed and excited, I suppose,” Helena replied, hoping that her lie did not sound like one. “I was just… I was just wondering if it was at all possible to send servants in our stead to take care of these matters?”

Patricia’s gray brows flew up as she looked at Helena over her spectacles, and Helena instantly wished she could take back her question.

“My dear, this is my grandson’s wedding—yours as well, and I am so very happy that he has finally found his true love, who is ready to settle down with him before I pass away. However, despite that happiness, I will not allow any of this work to be done lazily. Now, as my grandson’s bride-to-be, you should know better than anyone what kind of flowers Jeremy would want, and you certainly understand that leaving such a task to a servant who doesn’t know his preferences for flowers to choose what will be on display at his wedding would be a disaster and a waste of time!”

“I know, but—”

“And your wedding dress? You want it to fit you perfectly, do you not?”

Helena nodded meekly, wishing once more that her usual sunny outlook on life had not vanished the moment she had met Evander’s eyes the day before. She had already been struggling to keep a grip on such an outlook before he had arrived, but the moment he came into view, it had slipped from her fingertips, and she had not been able to get it back.

“You will pick the flowers and try on the dress,” Patricia said with a decisive nod. “Though I will allow you to send your maid into the bakery and stationery shop to acquire the dates if you truly would prefer not to do it yourself.”

“Yes, Grandmama,” Helena said softly, remaining silent for the rest of breakfast.

Helena’s tension only intensified once she, Aggie, and Evander were ready to take the carriage into the nearby town. As the footman opened the door, Evander waved a hand toward it, inviting her to enter first. For a second, she relaxed, thinking he meant to be civil after all, and she paused, hand lifting in expectation of his to steady her up the step, as any gentleman would offer a lady. But no hand came. With her cheeks warming, she gathered her skirts and climbed in unaided.