Page 30 of Three Nights with the Beastly Duke

Suddenly, Susan snatched her towel away, and Lavinia quickly tried to cover herself with her arms. “Susan!” she exclaimed.

“God in heaven, you are gorgeous,” Susan stated, ignoring Lavinia’s cry and looking her over.

“I’m starting to see how your mother may have thought it best that you leave London early,” Lavinia replied dryly.

“No wonder my brother was pleading with Mother to let him marry you,” Susan said, ignoring Lavinia’s comment. She picked up a bundle of white clothing and tossed it to her sister-in-law. “Here, put this on.”

Lavinia almost didn’t catch the undergarments Susan threw her, so shocked to find yet another insight into her new husband.

“He asked your mother if he could marry me?” Lavinia asked, dressing quickly.

Once finished, Susan brought over her stays and began lacing her up.

“From what he wrote, he was quite insistent on it,” Susan revealed. “He said you were a much better match and that Rebecca was already taken. But Mama said no. That Rebecca was much more appropriate. I suspect it made him quite frustrated. My brother does not do well with frustration.”

“Yes, I’m starting to understand that,” Lavinia agreed, her mind churning as Susan finished lacing her up.

When she finished, Susan brought the dress over, and together they put it on. Susan’s fingers were quick to put the ties in each of their places, and soon, Lavinia was being led over to the vanity.

“Our family was tainted by rumors,” Susan stated, brushing Lavinia’s hair. “As was yours. And your little faux pas at the Conservatory ball was quite the scandal.” She paused, her eyes meeting Lavinia’s in the mirror. “But we can recover, and create something new,” she continued, beginning to work Lavinia’s hair into a modest bun. “If you have the strength and open mind for it.”

Susan pinned a stylish, small black hat with matching netting to Lavinia’s head, and then smiled as she bent over so that the two were cheek to cheek, their eyes still meeting in the mirror.

“Whatever brought you here, just know that the rumors you have heard are not true. We have happiness here. We have love and warmth. If you’re just patient enough for Arthur to show you.”

“I know that,” Lavinia said, meaning it. She could sense it all around her. Change. Freedom. Happiness. A life she’d dreamed of come to reality.

“You look beautiful,” Susan praised, her tone kind. “And powerful.”

Lavinia smiled and patted her sister-in-law’s hand. “Thank you.”

“Are you ready to learn what it means to be a duchess?” Susan asked, reversing her grip on Lavinia so she could help her up.

“I hope I am,” Lavinia said bravely as she stood up.

Thoughts of Arthur had ventured naturally to the background, and her mind was quickly filling with excitement over the impending adventure that was her new life.

* * *

“How did you know how to do all of this,” Lavinia asked, looking at Susan in awe. She was exhausted, but delightfully happy.

The Dowager Duchess had arrived shortly after the two of them had finished breakfast and joined them for Lavinia’s lessons. To Lavinia’s surprise, the Dowager Duchess did not interfere much with Susan’s instructions, but mostly nodded and smiled in agreement.

At first, Lavinia had felt a little nervous speaking so blatantly about her needs to strangers, but Susan had given her assuring wink, and she soon found herself espousing her wishes. She read the faces around as best as she could and didn’t find one look of annoyance or disappointment among the staff.

The Dowager Duchess was kind and polite throughout the process, but Lavinia did notice she was also a bit distant. Shortly before their lunch, Marianne excused herself to go lie down and didn’t reappear the rest of the day.

After lunch, Susan showed Lavinia the entirety of the estate and had even had the printers make her a map of the property. In the house alone there were three living floors, an attic that housed the live-in servants, a wine cellar, and then a root cellar. There were also the outer buildings. A separate kitchen, an ice house, a guest house, the stables, and three barns beyond the gardens.

After the tour, they had tea on the lawn, and when they returned inside, Lavinia discovered that the local Modiste had been called and was there to show the new Duchess all of the new designs and fabrics her store had received.

Throughout the day, Lavinia had found herself looking now and then for a glimpse of Arthur. Susan didn’t know when they should expect him back, and so every time she heard someone approaching, Lavinia would lift her head, only to discover that it was another member of their staff who awaited her instructions.

Now, as the sisters-in-law sat together in Lavinia’s quarters, both of their aching feet soaking in hot water and salts after having their supper and making one more stop into the Dowager Duchess’s room to say goodnight, Lavinia wondered if Arthur was even coming home that day at all. Not wanting to think about it, she turned her attention back to Susan and asked her questions.

Susan turned her head slowly toward Lavinia’s, both of their necks resting on the high-backed couch, and smiled in a happy but sad fashion. “Our mother was convinced Arthur was going to be killed in the war,” she confessed, her eyes glossing over as she recalled the memories.

“That must have been horrible,” Lavinia breathed, trying to picture the fear of sending a son off to war.

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