Page 76 of A Duke, a Virgin and a Baby
“Duchess! It is an honor to finally meet you! I have been pulling my husband’s ear, demanding a formal introduction, and I am very glad he was able to remember to invite you to the fair!” Margaret expressed kindly.
“Oh,” Anna blushed, glancing at Julian. “The honor is certainly mine. I have also been longing to speak with you for some time now. I’m thankful the time has finally come. And please, call me Anna.”
“Margaret. Oh, that is a lovely dress you’re wearing! The color suits you.” Margaret complimented as she hooked her arm around Anna’s and steered her in the direction of an attraction the fair was offering.
“Why, thank you! Madame Bluebell makes the most wonderful dresses. I do not go out much, but I find myself unable to keep from purchasing new attire from her whenever I get the chance.” Anna blushed, looking quite pleased.
“You do not go out? Do you not like to? Or perhaps you simply lack the company to spend time with? If the latter is the case, I do have quite a few friends to introduce you to. One of them is my younger sister, and I feel as though you both will get along swimmingly!” Margaret smiled kindly.
“Really? I have an older sister, as well! I would love to meet your acquaintances. I really have not been fortunate to make as many friends as I would have liked – is that a line of dogs jumping through hoops?”
Indeed, it was.
Anna, excited at the dog show, dragged Margaret away with the older woman willingly following with a laugh. Lysander and Julian exchanged glances and went after them at a leisurely pace, content to simply watch their wives fall under the spell of entertainment.
“She looks happy. I am glad I took your suggestion.” Julian noted, unable to keep himself from smiling, as a dog wandered towards the audience and Anna slowly reached out to pet it.
“So am I. I get to witness you trail after her like a puppy, so I am quite entertained.” Lysander remarked with a grin.
Julian grinned back at his friend, narrowing his gaze slightly.
“Enjoy it, my friend. I certainly enjoyed your loss yesterday, and I will continue to savor it until you are brave enough to challenge me again.”
“I hope you are struck by lightning.”
They continued to roam around the fairgrounds, the wives more interested in what it had to offer than their husbands, but still, the dukes indulged them. Even though Julian had not kept Anna trapped in their home, seeing her outside like this was certainly a feast for his eyes.
She looked so beautiful in her light pink dress, eagerly pointing a gloved finger at whatever sight caught her attention, before she pulled her new friend away. She wished to see everything, to try everything, and Julian’s willingness to go along with it all reaffirmed his desire to give her the world.
There was a painter who offered people to try their hands at art, and Anna wasted no time settling down on a stool, pulling her gloves off so as not to stain them with paint. Julian silentlyreached for them, and she passed them to him with a grateful smile, listening as the painter pointed at the tools she would need and the canvas, explaining what she could do.
“Do you need a subject? Or do you already have an image you wish to capture and replicate in mind?”
Anna paused, then her eyes shifted to Julian.
Lysander followed her gaze and barked out a laugh.
“Do not waste your time with that one, Duchess. He hates the idea of getting his portrait done. I’m almost certain his father threatened to disown him before he was willing to sit still long enough for his family portrait to be done.”
Julian sent a glare to his friend, who put on a cheeky expression for his benefit, then he looked down at Anna.
“Do you want me to do it?”
Anna hesitated. “Not if it makes you uncomfortable or –”
“Do you want me to do it, love? Do you wish to paint me?”
Quietly, she nodded. Satisfied, Julian turned to the painter.
“Where do I sit?”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Anna could not believe the day she’d had.
Although it had been tiring at some point, the excursion had proved to be more enjoyable than anything else, and she felt thankful that she had gotten to experience it.
She had always wondered what it would be like to go on such an outing with her friends and husband, and in one afternoon, her dreams had come true. The sights were truly splendid, but even more so because she shared every moment with Julian.
