Page 62 of A Duchess to Reclaim

“Don’t worry,” she rasped, heading toward the door. “I know we have an act to put on. I will perform better this time around. I am much more determined to get the show over with so I assure you, you won’t have to rescue me again.”

“That’s good to hear.”

Dominic’s gruff tone made her stop and flinch just as her hand touched the door.

“Tomorrow evening we have a ball at the Crawfords and a garden party on Friday. Saturday we are to be at another one of Tristan’s dinner parties. I am having a dress made for the occasion. You will wear it.”

There was no empathy in his tone, no pleading for her to obey. Just a stiff demand. She nodded, her throat too pained and tight to say anything, and left the room.

CHAPTERFIFTEEN

“The aviary is coming along beautifully,” Amelia said pleasantly, “Promise me that you’ll all come out to see it when I finally return to Ellsworth.”

“Oh, I can hardly wait,” Theo replied.

“Me either,” Ophelia replied, “Have you ordered your birds yet?”

Amelia smiled as she chatted with her friends, masking her true feelings with cheer and eagerness. When they could be alone, she would tell them how truly tumultuous her last week had been, but for now, with Tristan and Theo’s home full of society’s members, she did as she had promised Dominic- and played pretend.

So far her time back in London was going perfectly. Her nerves were behaving far better than they had before she took her reprieve- as was thetonit seemed. She and Dominic had arrived nearly three hours ago and as of yet, no one had spoken an ill word to or about her, same as their last two social engagements. Not that Dominic gave them the chance.

Though she wouldn’t call their appearance outwardly intimate, he had stayed close by her throughout the evening; oftentimes placing a hand on her back or wrapping his arm around her own to lead her wherever they were going. And with his charming smile and her pleasant one, no one would know that they had barely spoken to one another since their tense ending the night before.

Part of Amelia had wished that Dominic would have followed her to her quarters that night while the other was relieved. She’d needed the space to distance herself from her feelings. Needed to remember who he was; even if another side of him seemed to come out when they were alone.

He’d never finished his sentence that started with “I…” and she had wondered with increasing aggravation what he would or could have said had she waited for him to gather his thoughts.

But he hadn’t come, and when morning arrived she’d discovered that he’d left the house quite early. For business as usual, she assumed. He repeated that pattern the rest of the week, only coming in just enough time to retrieve her for a party. Then afterward, he’d take her home and disappear again.

He barely looked at her those times, but tonight when she’d come down the stairs wearing the dress he had made for her his cold eyes had sparked to life as he slowly dragged his gaze down her figure. When he finished, she was rewarded with a curt nod of approval, then stiffly offered her his arm.

The gown he’d designed for her was such a pale purple that it was nearly silver; the cut of it a perfect mixture between her preferred style and the more modest one accepted by theton.Though she’d already decided not to tell him, it had immediately become her new favorite gown.

“Theo how is your mother?” Amelia asked presently, needing a break from being the subject of conversation. “Has she improved at all?”

Rose, Ophelia, and Seraphina went quiet as Theo gave her a weak smile.

“The new physician Dominic sent for her from Italy has been able to make some improvements regarding her comfort. It is how we were able to host the party tonight. She’s upstairs resting deeply now.”

A silence settled over their small group as soft chatter and laughter surrounded them. Amelia had wondered about that- how the party would affect the poor woman who now so rarely remembered what day it was let alone who the people of her station were.

“How is Tristan dealing with it all?” Ophelia asked, raising her champagne to his lips.

Theo let out a bark of a laugh.

“Mycompassionatebrother seems more unsettled over moving back in with Mama and I after Papa’s passing than he is over her failing condition,” she replied in a low voice, flicking her eyes over to the man in question.

Though she chose not to retort, Amelia did not believe that for a second. Tristan was one of the most compassionate men she’d ever known, and such a statement couldn’t seem true. Ophelia, however, chuckled bitterly and shook her head.

“Of course he is,” she scoffed. “I knew he wasn’t as charming as he makes himself out to be. He’s just like the rest of the men of our society. Pompous and selfish.”

Amelia grew warm as the talk between Dominic and Tristan just a few paces behind her ceased. She turned her head just enough to see that the two of them had bristled and stared at Ophelia with contempt. To which Ophelia only stared back in challenge.

“Now, now,” Seraphina chastised softly, laying a hand over Ophelia’s. “Not all men. Hugo has come quite a long way from those days.”

“Well, he may be the only exception,” Ophelia muttered as she raised her glass once more to her lips.

Amelia was thinking about changing the subject to the married women’s group she had joined with Seraphina when she saw Hugo and Everett move toward them through the crowd at a rather quick pace. Hugo’s hand brushed lovingly against the back of Seraphina’s neck as she passed, sending another shot of envy through her as she watched her friend’s eyes alight.

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