Page 10 of Duke of Seduction

“Disappointed in what, darling?” Barbara asked, loud enough for everyone to hear.

Helena fought the urge to give Teresa a scathing glare for asking such a thing in front of the others and forced a close-lipped smile onto her face as she picked up her cup of tea.

“Not a thing,” she lied.

Barbara gave Teresa a stern look, the kind she frequently used to pull the truth out of an unwilling informant.

“I…well, we were umm, discussing our hesitancy the other day,” Teresa managed.

“Hesitancy to what?” Barbara demanded quickly.

Lydia and Alice looked away from one another, their focus shifting to the two young, unmarried women seated at the table. Helena knew that if she did not immediately stop Teresa from talking she would tell them everything. Taking a deep breath, she turned and boldly asked, “Barbara, what makes being married to my brother so special?”

Barbara stilled, a look of confusion overtaking her beautiful face as she stared at Helena.

“I love your brother madly, Helena, you know this,” Barbara replied, then threw a questioning look at Lydia and Alice.

“Yes, but why?” she asked, then followed Helena’s gaze to her other friends. “I know you all love your husbands deeply, but why?”

“Where is this coming from, my darling?” Lydia asked, her tone gentle and nurturing. It was ironic that, out of all of them, Lydia was the one most afraid of becoming a mother.

“Are your husbands passionate with you?” Helena asked, then quickly added, “not by our society’s standards. I know they are that well enough. But are they like the men in the books we all love to read? You have all alluded to such similarities from time to time, but do you truly mean what you say?”

One by one, each of their faces turned varying shades of red. Lydia immediately lowered her head and placed both hands upon her pregnant belly, where she traced invisible patterns to avoid the question. Alice shoved an entire slice of lemon cake into her mouth, coughing on the crumbs, and Barbara, normally so forthcoming, dropped her teacup and watched as the dark brown brew slowly seeped into the white linen tablecloth.

A servant immediately appeared to clean up the mess, but Barbara quickly waved her off.

“Why are you asking us about such things?” Barbara asked, once she was sure the servants were out of hearing distance.

Deciding there was no time to be bashful, Helena looked Barbara directly in the eye and answered, “because I know my brother plans to marry me off soon. He has you now, and baby Beau, and that is now his focus.”

“Helena, wait a minute,” Barbara countered, but Helena put her hand up to silence her.

“I am notupset by it, Barbara,” she replied earnestly, “I love you and I love my nephew, and I am happy that that he chose you to be his bride. But you all must now be allowed to focus on your new families. To do that, I know my brother must find me a husband.”

“He is not so cruel as to take all choice away from you,” Barbara countered, her brows drawing down, “Do you think I would allow such a thing?”

“I know you would not, dear sister,” Helena answered quickly, “but I just…”

“Pardon me, my ladies,” Helena’s handmaid, Agatha, spoke quietly as she approached the table. “My deepest apologies for the interruption.”

“No apologies needed, Agatha, what is it?” Helena replied, relieved that she could finally end their awkward conversation. She had no clue what she was trying to say or what she was trying to learn from the others, but the conversation had gone horribly.

Agatha held out a small, blood red envelope as she said, “I was given strict orders to deliver this to you straightaway, my lady.”

Teresa’s eyes grew wide as she saw the envelope, thinking, no doubt, that it was another coveted invitation to theDevil’s Masquerade.

“Who is that from?” Barbara asked as Helena took it from Agatha and slipped it into her pocket.

“The stationery store,” Helena replied, the lie coming a little too easily, “I know my signature color is pink, but as age encroaches upon me, I was thinking it might be time to choose a darker color.”

“But I love your pink envelopes,” Alice stated, pouting a little as Helena rose.

“Perhaps I shall keep a few, just for you,” Helena replied sweetly with a smile.

She leaned down to kiss Alice on the cheek, then did the same to each of her other friends.

“I must read this and make my decision,” she said. “Then, I believe I shall go and lie down. Please, continue without me.”

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