Page 10 of His Tempting Duchess

Emily bobbed an exaggerated curtsey. “Oh, I am in the presence of the Duchess of Thornbridge! You are resplendent, Your Grace.”

“Give over, or I’ll kick you in the shins,” Daphne muttered. “Don’t think these skirts will prevent me.”

Emily straightened, chuckling. “I didn’t think for a moment that they would.”

Daphne held out her arm, and Emily slipped her hand into the crook of her sister’s elbow. They turned to face the building in front of them.

“I should have known that you’d drag me to another art gallery, despite my elevated status as a married woman,” Daphne sighed.

Emily dug her elbow into her side. “I knowyou, Daphne, and you wouldn’t be here if you didn’t want to. Do you know, this is the first time we’ve been together, just the two of us, in an age.”

Daphne smiled faintly. “Yes, I know.”

There was something of a coolness between the twins, something that hadn’t been there before. Not achasm, exactly, but something had changed. Emily knew that she was partly to blame. Daphne had pressed her to explain what had gone on between her and the Duke of Clapton in the two months since the failed wedding, and Emily had not told her.

In turn, Daphne had certainly not told her everything that had gone on between herself and Edward during her stay at his house. Not that it mattered, of course, since she and Edward were married, but it had been the first time they had kept secrets from each other.

It was inevitable, of course, that therewouldbe secrets sooner or later. Emily and Daphne were twins, yes, but they were not the same person. Now, it seemed that their lives were pulling further and further apart. It pained Emily every time that she thought of it.

Stepping inside the art gallery, they found themselves in a vast foyer, with a few less important paintings hanging on the walls, and reproductions of some great Old Masters. There was a queue to buy tickets to get into the gallery proper, which the ladies joined.

“Married life suits you, I think,” Emily said at last.

Daphne gave a small, secret smile. “Yes. Edward is… well, he’s rather hard to describe. You like him, don’t you?”

“I suppose so. He’s nice enough. Andyouseem to like him and his little boy.”

“Oh, I adore Alex. Really, I do. I never imagined I’d be this happy, Emmie.”

Emily smiled, tightening her arm around her sister’s elbow. “I’m so glad for you, Daff. So glad.”

Daphne glanced at her out of the corner of her eye. “And what about you? What’s new with you?”

Emily shrugged. “Nothing. It’s just me and Mama now, living quietly and minding our own business.”

That was not entirely true. Despite herself, Emily found that she was thinking of the long, silent evenings in the parlor. It wasn’t that she didn’t love her mother, but there had always been others to sit with them. Forthright Anna, now off and married, or chatty Daphne, who was also gone.

There were long periods of silence between Emily and Octavia now. With a jolt, she realized the truth—both of them were grieving. Missing their lost family members who would never live at home again, and struggling to adapt to the new reality of their quiet, dull, little life.

Well, it seems that it was Anna and Daphne who brought excitement into our lives. I daresay I am destined to remain a quiet and serious spinster.

Emily glanced at Daphne and found her sister staring at her, eyes narrowed.

“You keep your own counsel these days, I think,” Daphne remarked, half to herself. “There’s a great deal you don’t tell me.”

Emily bit her lip. “Perhaps I haven’t been as… as open as I could have been. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

Daphne shrugged. “I’m not hurt. I know that things can’t go back to the way they were.”

They reached the front of the queue, paid for two tickets, and moved on to the spacious rooms beyond.

The gallery was busy for this time of day, flocks of ladies and gentlemen of all classes clustering in front of various paintings, murmuring. Brochures were available to buy, offering maps of the gallery and explanations of key paintings. Daphne bought one from an attendant, waving off Emily’s objections.

“I have a great deal of money now, you know. Edward is a rich man, and now that he is a little more happy with himself and his life, we’re spending a little more money. I have an allowance that I don’t even know what to do with. I could probably buy a couple of these paintings on a whim if I wanted.”

Daphne led the way through the crowded galleries, turning her head from left to right, looking for something. Emily felt nerves fizzle in her stomach. She followed, of course, chewing on the inside of her cheek.

“We’re missing all the paintings, Daff,” she said, her voice a little wobbly.

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