Page 54 of Her Devil of a Duke
“You do it,” Kitty pleaded. “I am hardly in a position to ask. I was mean to her about Mr. Windham in the first place.”
“Oh hush, both of you,” Hester ordered as Evelyn stepped into the music room.
She did not know why she had chosen this room as opposed to any of the others. All she knew was that she had to get away from Mr. Windham, to escape the smoke and those eyes, as well as the haughtiness of his manner. And this was the first vacant room she found.
He’s won. That despicable man has won!
“This is absurd,” Evelyn muttered, marching up and down as her cousins entered the room too. Kitty shut the door and fell against it, clearly intending to act as their guard.
“Is it true?” Hester asked, crossing toward Evelyn. “You are to marry Mr. Windham?”
“Apparently,” Evelyn said with a firm tone. “The madness of it! That man will marry me now even with a fallen reputation, and you want to know why?” She looked around, seeing the eager gazes of all three of her cousins. They hung on her words, hungry to know more. “For my dowry!”
“Oh.” Hester flung her hands in front of her mouth as Kitty looked rather sick.
“Oh, indeed,” Kitty whispered. “So much for romance.”
“That’s awful.” Bridget fell down into the piano stool, the nearest chair she could find. Her arm landed on the piano keys and made an awful clinking sound that had them all jumping.
“Well, I’ll say this.” Kitty was the first to disturb the silence between them. “We never thought you had it in you to behave so…” she suddenly giggled.
Evelyn didn’t know what to do with this laughter. Her hands stayed planted on her hips as she glared at Kitty.
“In her own way,” Hester began, sending a quick glance at Kitty, “I think that was her way of giving you a compliment.”
“Then she needs to work on her compliments,” Evelyn answered.
“Oi.” Kitty folded her arms.
“Let me,” Hester held up her hand, stopping Kitty before she could say anymore. She crossed toward Evelyn and took her hand. “First, let me check a few things, for I am worried about you. Did you go to the Duke of Ravensworth’s house willingly? Assure me you were not forced there.”
“Oh, I was more than willing.” Evelyn’s words made her cousin smile.
“Then you have me intrigued indeed,” Hester whispered conspiratorially. “What was it like? Being with a man, I mean.”
“The gossip.” Bridget rubbed her hands together and laughed. “I think what you see before you, Evelyn, is three women who are quite impressed.”
“Impressed?” Evelyn repeated in shock, looking between her three cousins. It was true they were all looking at her with smiles, their gazes never wandering. “Whatever for? As Aunt Mavis has just reminded me, by being so selfish, I have risked all of your reputations.”
“Well, I think the whole construct of reputations is an odd thing quite frankly,” Hester appeared to shudder at the idea. “I like to think of a world where such nonsensical things do not affect us.”
“She’s too idealistic for her own good,” Bridget pointed out, then smiled a little. “Though I admit, I like the idea too.”
Kitty nodded eagerly, clearly also in agreement.
“You have done something the three of us would have loved to have done,” Hester pointed out in a whisper. “You defied our parents; you went and did somethingyouwished to do… that sense of freedom. Oh, how I envy it!” Hester threw her hands in the air.
“You do?” Evelyn laughed at her cousin. “You shock me indeed.”
“I wish to hear all the details.” Hester took hold of Evelyn’s hands again. “All of them.”
“I cannot tell you all of them,” Evelyn shook her head. “Some of it should not be repeated.”
“You simply make it sound even better,” Hester replied with a giggle.
Sudden footsteps sounded in the hallway.
“Ah.” Kitty shifted her hold on the door. “Something tells me this conversation will not be private for much longer.” She had barely finished the words before the door was open and she was thrust to the side. “Oh, Pa. That hurt.”
