Page 25 of A Duchess to Unravel
“In truth I do not know what I am like anymore. I cannot seem to get ahold of myself with a proper grip.”
“You will,” Rose assured her. “In time.”
They walked a moment longer in silence, strolling at a casual pace past the stalls of brightly colored wares for sale.
“I will say, though, I disliked Tristan’s approval of the Duke of Caldermere far more than I disliked your outburst,” Rose said after a while. “I thought it quite foolish.”
Theo turned to her with a look of surprise, her stomach aflutter as her friend spoke of Alistair.
“Why?” She asked.
“It was inappropriate for one,” Rose replied, shaking her head, “Letting a man go after a lady unchaperoned by another person.
She then leaned further into Theo, her voice dropping into a whisper.
“The men of the ton seemed absolutely smitten by the new Duke. But there is talk of him among the ladies.”
Theo’s pulse jumped. It was another thing she’d missed during her months of numbness. New rumors.
“Do not leave me in anticipation, Rose,” Theo insisted, giving her a small tug, “Tell, tell.”
Rose pressed her lips together and gave Theo an anxious glance.
“Well, I would think it would be obvious,” Rose replied. “He is from Scotland, after all.”
Theo’s brows furrowed and waited. When Rose said nothing more, her brows flew up and she let out an astonished laugh; drawing a few curious glances from passerby’s.
“That is all?” She asked.
“Scotland is a wild place, Theo,” Rose replied defensively, “It is not sophisticated like England.”
“I am not sure we are so sophisticated,” Theo murmured, then louder added, “Scotland has been under England’s rule since the 1200s, Rose. I am suresomesophistication has been sowed into this ‘wild’ land and its people.”
“Do not be too sure,” Rose warned, “I have heard that many are still vicious, and are quite feral toward their women.”
Theo’s mind raced back to the night she’d met Alistair- or Cernunnos. Yes, there had been a certain way about him. Primal. Feral. Yet he was still refined. He’d waited for her permission to kiss her, but once he’d had it she’d felt the wildness inhis embrace. It had excited her. Aroused her. And … perhaps brought out a certain wildness of her own out of her.
Realizing that she’d let quietness settle over them for quite some time, Theo forced herself back to the present and the conversation at hand.
“Even if that were true,” Theo went on, “The Duke of Caldermere was born an English noble.”
“So? His blood might be English, but he was born and raised in Scotland. Raised in their ways. And you saw him at that dinner. The way he spoke to you? Comparing you to a cat? That was so rude! And strange, I might add.”
“Strange, yes. But dangerous?” Theo asked, giving her friend skeptical look. “I am not certain.”
“Why are you defending him?” Rose asked.
“I am not!” Theo insisted. She reached for something else to say, but found she had no more words other than that.
Rose shrugged, looking perturbed that Theo didn’t readily agree with her, and she too fell silent. Not wanting to upset her anymore, Theo pointed to a stall selling newly published books. She was relieved that Rose was willing to drop the subject and they turned their talk toward their recent reads.
They spent the next few hours perusing the new stories, chatting about what they’d read, what they wanted to read, and the talk of the new Duke seemed to fade from both their minds. By the time they were ready to walk back home their talk of Alistair had been seemingly forgotten by Rose, and they were both giggling and chatting about their new books like old times as Theo dropped Rose off at her front door.
“Today was fun,” Rose said in farewell. “I have missed this.”
“Me too,” Theo agreed, “Let us do it again soon.”
Rose nodded, waved, and went inside. There was no invitation for Theo to come in, and for that Theo was relieved. Though she truly did have fun on their walk, Rose’s insistence on believing rumors had bothered Theo. After all, it was rumors that had nearly ruined them all at one time or another. Even if they did have a kernel of truth inside them.
