Page 2 of Wedded to the Ruthless Duke

“It is a pleasure to meet you at last, Your Grace.” Tabitha’s willowy figure dipped into a perfect curtsy. Her pale golden hair glimmered in the candlelight, one curve kissing her neck in the most perfect way.

Grace had a rather large gulp of wine which did not go unnoticed by her mother. Althea’s eyes glowered in her direction.

“My cousin has told me so much about you,” Tabitha said sweetly to Eleanor.

“Grace and I are dear friends indeed,” Eleanor said with confidence, turning to take Grace’s hand in her own.

“Yes, they are,” Althea said a little tartly, clearly still watching the way that Grace now clung onto the wine glass for dear life.

Before anymore could be said between them, a gentleman walked past them, reaching for a glass of his own from the table. He brushed Grace’s arm, perhaps not even noticing she was there at all, but the quick movement set her off balance.

“Careful,” Althea hissed though the damage was already done. Grace staggered on her feet, only catching her balance because Eleanor was already holding onto her. Yet she managed to tip the glass of wine down Tabitha’s ivory white gown.

Oh no… I did not mean to do that.

“Grace!” Althea squeaked. Momentarily, she seemed to forget in her fury that anyone else was in the room to hear her ire. Her cheeks flushed as red as the wine.

“I’m so sorry, Tabitha —” Grace snatched up cloths, trying to dry the spill for her, but she was cut off by the same gentleman who had knocked into her.

“My dear lady, I am sorry,” the gentleman addressed Tabitha alone. “I should have paid more attention to where I was going.”

“Strange,” Eleanor muttered for Grace’s ears only. “It’s as if he bumped intoher.”

“I’m invisible,” Grace murmured back.

“Please, let me help you.” The gentleman gallantly took Tabitha’s hand. “Let us find a maid to help you with your gown.”

“Oh, you are too kind, sir.” She spoke in honey soft tones.

“Too kind,” Eleanor mirrored the words, mimicking the tone but in a sicklier way. Grace had to bite her lip not to laugh.

“Thank you, sir,” Althea called after the pair of them as the gentleman serenely swept Tabitha away across the room. “Too kind indeed!”

Once the pair vanished into the crowd, Althea spun around. Her glower was so sharp that Grace was not the only one to flinch, for Eleanor did too.

“What were you thinking?” she hissed.

“Thinking?” Grace repeated. “Mama, he bumped into me. I didn’t mean to do it —”

“If you had better control of yourself, better poise,” she wrinkled her nose as the words escaped her fast, “such things would never happen, but they always do seem to happen around you, don’t they?” The air was dead for a second as Grace stared back at her mother, the words cutting deep. “Why can’t you be more like Tabitha?” With this final cutting remark, Althea stormed off, her fingers fiddling with the beads around her neck in a nervous habit.

“She’s as charming as ever, your mother, isn’t she?” Eleanor declared and passed Grace another glass of wine. “Drink that and ignore her.”

Grace found it easier to abide with the first order than the second. She gulped from the wine as Eleanor linked arms with her.

“Feeling suffocated?” Eleanor whispered.

“As if a pillow has been thrust over my face!”

“Then let us get you out of here for a while.” Eleanor towed her away across the room. Grace was enjoying her wine too much to notice where they went. After a minute or so, she realized where they had ended up.

They stepped out onto a balcony leading out of the ballroom and overlooking the garden, and they were not alone. Eleanor had beckoned their friends to join them.

Violet, the Duchess of Barlow, was the first, and she was already talking eagerly of something she had seen in the ballroom. Soft and mild in manner, Diana was behind her, and lastly came the forever seductive Celia.

“Well, that settles it,” Violet said with a huff. “Grace, your mother has to be one of the most determined women I have met.”

Realizing that Violet was scoffing, for she had witnessed the same interaction as Grace and Eleanor had but from a distance, Grace nodded and sighed.

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