Page 59 of Not the Duke's Virgin

The thought summoned that scoundrel Oliver’s smug face to mind. Revulsion choked her. Never. She would rather die a spinster than shackle herself to the likes of him. There had to be another solution.

“Enough of this talk,” she said firmly, forcing a smile. “Let us not dwell on the worst possibilities. I am convinced there is a way out of this morass. We simply have yet to discover it.”

Madeline still looked doubtful, but she nodded, clearly unwilling to press the issue further. An awkward silence fell over them.

Desperate to lift the gloom settling over them both, Victoria cast about for a change of subject. “Come, let us go for a ride in the park. The fresh air will clear our heads from all this ugliness.”

Madeline hesitated. “Is that wise? With everything going on, we’re sure to be stared at and gossiped about like yesterday, or even worse.”

Victoria lifted her chin. “Let them gawk. I refuse to hide away as if I have anything to be ashamed of. Either Society will accept us on our terms or not at all. But we shall not cower and bend to their fickle whims.”

Setting her jaw resolutely, she stood and rang for her maid. Donning riding habits quickly, the pair slipped downstairs and outside without being waylaid by Victoria’s still-raging father.

Mounting their horses, they set off at a brisk trot through the streets toward Hyde Park. Victoria kept her gaze fixed straight ahead, refusing to acknowledge the blatant stares and whispers that followed them. Chin high, she feigned indifference even as her cheeks flushed.

Only when they passed through the park gates did she allow herself to relax slightly. Here, amidst the rambling green lawns dotted with elegant men and women on horseback, she could almost forget their troubles for a moment. Until she noticed those same park-goers nudging each other, obviously gossiping as she and Madeline rode by.

Doing her best to ignore it, Victoria guided her mare down a less-used path, away from prying eyes. Madeline followed silently. As they ambled along at an easy pace, Victoria forced herself to focus on their tranquil surroundings. But the beauty of the fluttering leaves and sunlight dappling the grass did little to quiet her churning thoughts.

“This is hopeless,” she burst out at last. “Even here, we are seen as pariahs.”

Madeline glanced at her sympathetically. “I did try to warn you. News spreads fast in Society.”

“But it is so unjust!” Victoria cried, yanking at the reins in frustration. “We have committed no crime, yet we are tried and convicted based on hearsay and scandal sheets. What has become of common decency?”

“When has Society ever been ruled by decency?” Madeline replied with unusual sharpness. At Victoria’s surprised look, she flushed. “Forgive me, I did not mean to snap. Only to say, we cannot control how others behave, only ourselves.”

Chastened, Victoria nodded. “You speak true. I know it is fruitless to rail against the injustice.” She nudged her mare back into a trot. “Come, enough of this ugly talk. Let us enjoy the fine weather while we can.”

They continued in a more peaceful silence. Despite herself, Victoria soon relaxed into the ride, letting the calm, natural beauty soothe her. By unspoken agreement, they avoided the Serpentine and other popular areas, seeking the sanctuary of the park’s quieter paths.

Nearly an hour passed pleasantly before Madeline reluctantly announced she must return home soon. Victoria, not yet ready to face the turmoil awaiting her at Newton House, politely declined to join her.

“I shall ride a while longer. The fresh air has done me good.” She managed a convincing smile.

Madeline looked doubtful but agreed reluctantly. “Just take care. And try not to stay out too long.”

With a final wave, her cousin turned her mare around and trotted off. Victoria watched her go, envying the comforting normality of home that Madeline returned to. Things had been strained with her own family long before this scandal broke. Now it seemed irreparable.

Shaking off the gloomy thought, she set off again at an ambling trot. She told herself she would circle back soon, though in truth she dreaded facing her father’s temper and the ruined atmosphere. Just a few more minutes of solitude…

Lost in thought, she did not notice the figures approaching on the path ahead until it was too late. Rounding a bend, she came face to face with a trio of fashionably dressed young ladies. They halted their horses abruptly at the sight of her, pretty features twisting in mirrored looks of disdain.

Victoria tensed, instantly recognizing them as daughters of prominent Society families. Forcing calm, she inclined her head politely. “Good afternoon, ladies.”

Her courteous greeting went ignored. Instead, the ringleader, a stunning blonde named Lady Caroline, eyed her riding habit with a curled lip.

“My, how bold you are to still show your face in public, Lady Victoria. One would think a woman of your status would make herself scarce these days.”

Heat flooded Victoria’s cheeks, but she held Caroline’s challenging gaze. “I was not aware I had done anything requiring me to hide away.”

The other girls tittered as Caroline arched a contemptuous eyebrow. “Oh no? Is that not your sister’s sorry plight?” She leaned in and said in a mocking whisper, “We’ve all heard of her little… indiscretion. Tell me, did she even know the father’s name?”

Fury spiked through Victoria. How dare this petty, spoiled child speak so crudely of Aurora! Her hands tightened on the reins until her mare shifted nervously beneath her.

“I will thank you not to repeat vulgar gossip about my sister,” she replied in a clipped, icy tone. “Aurora’s affairs are hardly your concern.”

Caroline shrugged, undeterred. “Perhaps not. But we cannot have women of loose virtue sullying Society, can we? It may give the rest of us ladies… ideas.”

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