Page 73 of His Accidental Duchess

“You can call me Celine if you like,” Mrs. Wickham said after a pause. “Theo said you preferred informality.”

Anna smiled nervously. “I do. Call me Anna, then, please. I hate all thisYour Gracenonsense. It still doesn’t feel like me.”

“I took the liberty of ringing for tea. I hope you don’t mind. I did spend a great deal of time in this house growing up,” Celine said, plopping down on an armchair.

“I don’t mind,” Anna said, sinking down onto a sofa opposite.

Celine arched an eyebrow. “My, youareas green as Theo said. You ought to mind. Guests don’t ring for tea unless you tell them they may.”

Ah, so this was all a test.

Anna bit back a smile. “But you aren’t a guest, are you? You’re family.”

Celine smiled back. “An excellent point. I came to ask if you would like to attend the opera with us tomorrow. A good number of us are going. I don’t know if you like opera or not, but of course that’s not really the point of the opera at all. It’s all about socializing.”

“If you say so,” Anna said, smiling wryly. “I rather like the opera.”

“Ah, then you’ll have a better time than most of us.”

The tea tray arrived, carried by Mrs. Haunt.

Celine talked easily. She had an open, friendly air about her that put Anna at ease almost immediately.

“I have to say,” Celine said in one of the rare breaks of conversation, “you’re fitting into your role very well. Life as a duchess is difficult, of course, and you’ll have a great many responsibilities. The servants seem to like you, and Kitty adores you already. It’s like you were born for this.”

Anna smiled at the praise. “Thank you. It… it hasn’t been easy.”

Theo hasn’t been easy, at least.

Celine nodded, smiling wryly as if she knew what Anna was thinking. “My cousin can be a rather difficult man. He doesn’t mean to be, and heaven knows he hasn’t had an easy life. Fatherhood baffles him, I think. It’s a deal more complicated than bills and papers and running an estate.”

“Yes, I rather thought so, too. He’s doing his best, though, and now I’m here to help.”

“Indeed, indeed. You’re already making quite a splash in Society, by the way. Lady Tether and her cronies are quite smitten with you. I dare say you’ll be quite the rage by the end of the Season.”

Anna snorted. “I have no desire for that.”

“Well, we seldom get what we want in life,” Celine remarked, sipping her tea. “I think Lady Tether was as shocked as we were to hear that Theo remarried. We all knew, of course, that another wife was what he needed, but after Isabella, I never thought it would happen.”

Anna’s fingers tightened around her teacup. “Oh? She died in childbirth, didn’t she? He must have been absolutely heartbroken.”

Of course. Ofcourse. It all made sense now. He held her at arm’s length because he was still madly in love with his late wife. She conjured up an image of a breathtakingly beautiful young woman, tall and slim and fashionable, hanging off Theo’s arm while they stared adoringly into each other’s eyes.

A tight feeling spread across her chest, and a lump formed in her throat.

How could I ever compete with her?

She glanced up at Celine and, to her surprise, saw that her guest had gone quiet.

Celine set down the teacup with a clatter. “I… not exactly,” she stammered out, looking ill at ease. “I was never close with Isabella. She did not like me, and the feeling was mutual. I can assure you, though, that Theo is not in love with Isabella. Absolutely not.”

There was something simmering behind her words, but Anna couldn’t make it out. She bit her lip, feeling as though she’d misstepped somewhere. Although she couldn’t for the life of her work out what she’d done wrong.

Abruptly, Celine rose to her feet. “I should leave. I only came to invite you to the opera, and frankly I… I think I’ve said a bit too much.”

Anna leaped up. “Can’t you say a bit more? What’s going on?”

Celine winced. “Nothing, nothing. Forget I said anything.”

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