Page 86 of The Insufferable Duke
“Yes, thank you, Your Grace,” Lord Robert said with a smile that faltered. “But what of people’s whispers? There will be gossip after this.”
Helena was barely paying attention anymore. She was too busy thinking of Christopher’s close proximity to her and the way he refused to look at her. There was both tension and distance between the two of them. When she angled her head toward him, she thought, for a brief second, that his chin turned an inch toward her too then she dismissed it.
It is all in my imagination. I am merely thinking of what I wish for him to do. Oh, pray, Christopher, look at me now!
She could only think of him as Christopher and no longer as the Duke of Bridstone.
“We can say that Julia was suddenly taken ill,” Benjamin explained, his words struggling to draw Helena’s attention. She paid attention to every movement Christopher made, from the way he fidgeted on his feet to his folded arms and how they kept shifting across his chest.
“Oh, that could work,” Julia nodded in agreement.
“We cannot escape people hearing of our argument today between the families, but we can turn the event to our advantage. We’ll say that due to the argument, the news of Julia’s illness became lost. We shall arrange the wedding for another day. What do you say?” Benjamin asked, looking between the two of them. “And I’ll hear no more talk of Gretna Green.” He pointed a warning finger at Lord Robert, who chuckled, just once.
“Agreed, Your Grace.”
“Gretna Green?” Julia repeated, wrinkling her nose.
“I may have said today in the midst of our families’ arguing that I’d rather you and I had eloped,” Lord Robert murmured quietly.
“It might have been less trouble,” she agreed, pulling a smile from their father.
Christopher shifted once again. Helena stared at him, praying inwardly that he would look at her, just once. He still refused to answer her prayers.
“Come, let us leave this place,” Benjamin pleaded. “We shall drop you and your brother home, Lord Robert. As for you.” He glanced at Gibbs. “You shall follow in your own carriage tonight. Do not think our discussion is at an end, even though you have apologized for what you have done.”
Gibbs hung his head like a naughty child, then snatched up his tailcoat from where it was tossed on a nearby hook.
As the group passed out of the room, Helena hung back, waiting for Christopher to do anything, say anything to her, but he didn’t. He followed the others at a slower pace. A tightness closed up Helena’s throat as she followed him.
I must speak to him. Somehow, I must find a way to make this right again. If there’s any chance of Christopher forgiving me, then I must take it!
They passed outside. Darkness was falling thicker now. The drivers of the two carriages lit lamps with tinder boxes and placed them to the front of the carriages and inside so that they hung from the roofs.
Lord Robert helped Julia inside the carriage first, and Benjamin looked toward his brother, making sure he climbed inside of his own coach. As Christopher and Helena hovered by the door of the carriage, she reached toward him, desperate to say something, yet Benjamin turned back so quickly, she let that hand drop.
“Your Grace.” Benjamin cleared his throat as he approached Christopher. “You and I must speak of much. Not least of all the preparations for the new wedding and other things,” he added, quickly looking at Helena, “but I would be glad for an open discussion about our two families.”
“You would?” Christopher’s pitch piqued in surprise.
“Yes.” Benjamin offered a smile. “The past doesn’t matter; well, it shouldn’t, but I’d be glad to hear what your family says of our past all the same. Perhaps when we know each other’s tales, we can make sense of what really happened.”
“Maybe it is something between the two tales?” Christopher offered.
“Yes. It often is with these things.” Benjamin smiled broadly. “Bring your whole family to our house tomorrow evening.”
“Tomorrow?” Christopher repeated.
“Yes. Come for dinner and a drink. We shall start anew with no resentment between us. Though a certain someone may not be invited…” He paused and looked toward the other carriage where Gibbs was disappearing inside. “I’d be glad to talk freely with you.”
“And I you, Your Grace.” Christopher bowed deeply, and Benjamin returned the nicety. He turned and climbed up into the carriage, momentarily leaving Helena alone with Christopher.
“Christopher…” she whispered his name. He offered his hand to her, to help her up into the carriage, but he didn’t look at her.
That purposeful ignorance of her crushed her. She felt her chest ache, a pain that radiated through her. She no longer tried to draw his attention but placed her hand in his. He helped her up into the carriage but released her swiftly.
The carriage journey was full of conversation, but it was chatter that neither Helena nor Christopher took part in. On the other side of the carriage, Julia was squished between Benjamin and Lord Thrillryde. She spoke eagerly of when the next wedding would be and spoke forlornly of how horrid a day it had been. She pressed to know what the subject of the argument between the two families had been, yet Benjamin and Lord Robert exchanged a quick look at this question. It was plain they silently agreed it was a fresh worry she did not need to hear after the day that she’d suffered.
Soon enough, the carriage pulled into the Duke of Bridstone’s estate. Helena felt a coldness washing off Christopher as he turned and stepped down from the carriage without a word to her about what had passed.
