Page 32 of A Wallflower's Convenient Duke
Leopold, ever unbothered, carried on. “But everyone’s been talking about you. A duchess! It’s like something out of a novel. You wouldn’t believe the way people’s faces change when I tell them you are now married to a duke.”
Blanche could not help but smile at her brother's genuine enthusiasm, finding solace in his innocence. Yet, the mystery surrounding her mother's meeting lingered, casting a shadow over the joyous reunion.
Her mother was so obsessed with her social standing that she would doanything. But Blanche was a duchess now, was that not enough for her? What on earth could she possibly want now? And if it was not linked to her social standing, then what on earth could it be?
That might have been more troubling.
Nerves got the better of Blanche.
The uncertainty quickened her breath.
Philip, perhaps sensing her inner disquiet, stepped in with light-hearted ease. “Leopold, how would you like to visit theTower of London tomorrow? The Royal Menagerie, perhaps? Lions and leopards and all manner of beasts?”
The boy’s face lit up as though someone had flung open the windows to let in the sun.
“Truly? That would be marvellous!”
Blanche turned to Philip, her heart easing. “Thank you. That sounds just the thing.”
Philip offered Leopold a conspiratorial smile. “Prepare yourself, young sir. It shall be a day of great adventure—and a few curious tales, I daresay.”
As the evening drew on, the cheerful chatter between brother and sister filled the house, and plans were soon made for their excursion. Yet beneath Blanche’s smile lingered a quiet tension. Her brother’s news had planted a seed of doubt that would not easily be shaken.
For now, the promise of a new day and a shared adventure offered welcome reprieve. But the shadow of unanswered questions remained. Somewhere behind her mother’s polished exterior lay a truth Blanche was determined to uncover.
