Page 64 of Her Bear of a Duke

"And if I receive a letter from Emma's little one when it is here, shall I simply appear?"

"You would be more than welcome," Emma interjected. "I understand what His Grace has done. We should all be pleased that Dorothy is married to a man that cares about others."

"So much so that he has private conversations with unmarried ladies?" Cecilia asked.

Emma nudged her sharply.

"I thought that I was going mad," Dorothy sighed. "He must have done that, mustn't he?"

"We do not know for certain," Beatrice said brightly, "and even if that is the case, nothing untoward would have happened. From what you have said, he cannot stand her."

"I thought that was the case, but then he asked her to stay for a week."

"And how has she been with you thus far?"

"She has avoided me," Dorothy explained. "She only spends time with Catherine, and for the most part they remain in their rooms. I hoped that it was because she was embarrassed, but she seems rather too prideful for that."

"I remember her," Cecilia nodded. "She was out in society when I debuted. From what I remember, she had actually grown rather desperate by then, but no gentlemen looked in her direction anymore. She was old, shelved."

"That reminds me of someone," Emma joked, and Cecilia laughed.

"That is my choice entirely," she reminded her. "But Lady Annabelle was willing to take any man she could, not that it ever worked. They simply did not want her. It was one thing when she was the most beautiful girl in London and from an affluent family, but when those two things were no longer there it was impossible to overlook the person she was."

"I did not think that she was so bad," Dorothy said. "She is not the nicest, but I would not have said she was worthy of being a spinster."

"You hardly know her, as you said. Believe me, the few meetings that I have had with her were enough for me to see that she was awful."

Dorothy did not want to hear that. She wanted to hear that it had all been a misunderstanding, and that she was a lovely lady that had been unfortunate after the loss of her sister, so that the thoughts that refused to leave her alone would go.

She was married to the man Lady Annabelle was once engaged to, and that made her a target no matter how much time hadpassed. She did not want to be a part of anything that Lady Annabelle had planned, if there were any plans to begin with.

"Perhaps she simply wishes to see her niece," Beatrice suggested. "I am not suggesting that you are an old maid, Cecilia, but your debut was years ago. She must have changed by now, if not by things that have happened then simply because time has passed. Who knows? Perhaps she truly does also wish to make amends with His Grace."

"If that is the case," Cecilia argued, "then His Grace should not accept it. He should simply tell her she is forgiven and send her on her way. I understand that she has had issues, but that is none of your concern."

"But it is," Dorothy protested. "Whether I like it or not, she is family to me now. It is for the best that I am friendly toward her, and I expect you all to do the same."

Cecilia raised an eyebrow at her before exhaling deeply.

"Very well, as it is only for a week, but if she says anything out of turn then I will not be so kind."

"That is all that I am asking of you," Dorothy replied gratefully.

"Where is she, by the way?" Emma asked. "And the Duke, for that matter. I was hoping to meet him soon."

"Lady Annabelle is with Catherine, and my husband is… I am not entirely certain of that."

Her friends looked at one another, and Dorothy knew what they were thinking. It was as though they did not believe that Morgan disliked Lady Annabelle.

"We can go and find him, I suppose," she suggested. "Or, perhaps, we could visit Catherine? She would appreciate the company, I am certain of it."

"Is she well enough for that?" Beatrice asked. "You told us she has an illness."

"She does, but she is more than capable of meeting you all. If anything, she is at her best when there are people to talk to."

With everyone in agreement, they left for Catherine's room. Dorothy had already discussed her friends meeting her with Morgan, who was more than happy to allow it if they did not say a word about her. That was something that Dorothy could promise, as they only truly spoke to one another.

When they entered, however, they saw that Morgan was there with Lady Annabelle and Catherine. Again, that feeling in Dorothy's stomach appeared. They truly did look like a family, especially with how alike Catherine and Lady Annabelle were. They were not doing anything much; Catherine was reading with Lady Annabelle while Morgan sat nearby, but it was enough. She cleared her throat, and they all turned to her.

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