Page 27 of Wedded to the Deviant Duke

Still, she hated to disappoint Charlotte after all she’d done for her. So, against her true desire, Thalia gave her an affirmative nod.

“Oh, perfect!” Charlotte clapped excitedly, turning to Louise next. “You must let me know if you start to grow weary. I don’t want to be known for bullying a pregnant duchess into early labor.”

Louise chuckled lightly, giving a meaningful look Thalia’s way. “I’ll keep you informed, Charlotte.”

This seemed to satisfy her, and Charlotte turned to the rest of her entourage expectedly.

“Oh, we would love to, Lady Charlotte, but?—”

“There’s an engagement I have to attend immediately after this, though–”

“My father has a meeting arranged with a possible suitor–”

Their words struck numbly against Thalia’s chest. She had been certain that, after living through her own social circle’s rejection, the comments of strangers wouldn’t have stung as much as they had.

Evidently, and with much disappointment in herself, her self-worth relied more heavily on the opinions of others than she thought. As she watched the ladies curtsy and wish Charlotte well, Louise’s hand found hers and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

“Ooh, they think they’re being so slick,” Charlotte huffed, sinking into her chair as she crossed her arms with a huff.

“Mind yourself, Charlotte,” Louise offered lightly.

“Oh, social etiquette be—be thrown away, Louise!” Charlotte suddenly sat upright, reaching across the table to grasp Thalia’s hands as well. “Well, don’t worry yourself with them, Thalia; they’re entirely missing out on a wonderful friendship. They’re absolutely uninvited to my seasonal event,” she added with a venomous side-eye.

“They arenot,” Louise corrected. “But you are welcome to give them a frigid reception during said event.”

Another angry huff escaped Charlotte, and Thalia couldn’t help but chuckle lightly. “She’s right, Charlotte; it will do you no good to make unnecessary enemies.”

“What if I want to make enemies, though?” Charlotte grumbled under her breath. “Gabriel does it all the time, and he hardly seems bothered by it.”

Thalia felt her smile tightened, and she gave Charlotte’s hand a gentle pat. “How does the saying go again, Louise? Keep your friends close…?”

“Keep your enemies closer,” Louise finished. “Sun Tzu, I believe. And your brother would agree that keeping those you don’t trust close by means you’ll know immediately of their treachery. And,” she added with a slight smirk, “when the time is right to cut them off entirely.”

Charlotte scoffed, though her frown eventually broke into a slight grin of her own. “I can’t have two mothering figures ganging up on me like this. It’s hardly fair.”

Thalia’s face flushed at the compliment, and Louise laughed in reply. “Entirely fair, I’m afraid. Now, let’s call the carriage; I’d hate to wait on my feet any longer than I need to.”

“Do you mind if I accompany you?”

The women turned their heads, surprised to find a startlingly petite young lady standing stiffly at the end of their table with her own maid as chaperone. Her flaxen hair had been tied partially up and adorned in springtime flowers, leaving waves of gold to tumble well past her shoulders and down the length of her back.

The floral pattern continued on her off-white dress, depicted in colorful beading that gave the impression of a garden in bloom. And her eyes—Thalia was certain she’d never seen such a warm shade of blue— flickered between the women nervously before eventually settling on something far more interesting on the ground.

“Madeline!” Charlotte immediately leapt to her feet, bounding around the table before embracing the floral figure in a tight embrace. “Oh, I knew you wouldn’t be taken by the societal tides. Thalia, this is my dear friend, Madeline; we’ve been absolutely inseparable since we were young.”

Thalia offered a polite nod of her head, surprised as Madeline offered a deep curtsy in return. “I’m glad to make your acquaintance, your Ladyship.”

“Oh, there’s no need for that,” Thalia insisted. “I’m no longer the daughter of a marquess in the eyes of society.”

Madeline’s head tilted, her wide eyes furrowed beneath her thick brows. “But, you are still a lady of society. And, no matter what, you deserve a level of respect.”

Thalia fought to keep her mouth closed, watching as Charlotte let out an audible gasp. “Gracious, Madeline. I don’t think I’ve heard you speak so much before to a stranger in my life!”

Madeline nervously curled her hair behind her noticeably-flushed ears. “Sorry. I don’t mean to be so chatty.”

“Not at all!” Charlotte beamed, giving her friend another hug. “You are absolutely welcome to come with us, Madeline.”

“I certainly don’t object,” Louise smiled. “Your presence will only add to this lovely ambiance we’ve been fostering between the three of us.”

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