Page 49 of Married to a Wicked Duke
The thought caught her off guard. Because was that not exactly what Frederick had done? When she had told him about her father, he had not flown into a rage as she had expected him to do. He had not insisted she stay at home. He had soothed her unease and assured her that her place was by his side. He had supported her unconditionally.
Almost instinctively, Veronica felt herself taking a step closer to him.
“This way, Your Graces,” said Lord Bedford. “I would like to introduce you to a few of the fine people we have engaged to teach the children.” He smiled at Veronica. “In addition to you, madam. We are most grateful to you for offering to share your talents with these children.”
Veronica felt herself growing a little more confident in the face of the Marquess’s kind words. Perhaps the people here really did care more about her artistic talents than her father’s misdeeds. “Thank you, My Lord. I am very thankful for the opportunity…” Her words trailed off as she caught sight of a familiar face on the other side of the classroom.
No. It cannot be…
Veronica felt her stomach tie itself into knots. Because standing beside a man Veronica guessed was her father, stood Lady Juliet Carfield.
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As though feeling Veronica’s eyes on her, Lady Juliet looked her way and gave her a smooth smile.
Why on earth is she here? What does she want?
Veronica forced her attention back to the conversation at hand. She forced herself to greet each of the teachers the Marquess was introducing her to. She nodded along politely to the conversation, mumbling her thanks when the teachers praised the mural. But she could not stop her thoughts from racing.
Frederick eyed her. “Is something wrong?” he murmured.
But before Veronica could answer, Lady Juliet swept up to them, cutting in front of the young teacher in front of them and dropping into an overly dramatic curtsey. “Your Graces. Howwonderfulto see you.”
Juliet’s smile was broad and her movements graceful, yet every word from her lips seemed to drip with falseness. Veronica felt her grip on Frederick’s arm grow a little tighter.
A look of faint confusion crossed Frederick’s face, and Veronica could tell he was attempting to remember who on earth this grinning, pink-clad creature was. “Good evening, Lady… uh…”
Veronica hid a smile.
“Juliet,” she finished, “Lady Juliet Carfield.” She gave an airy laugh, fluttering her long fingers daringly against Frederick’s arm. “Oh, Your Grace, you do have a terrible memory. How could you forgetmeafter all we shared at your country house last month?”
Her eyes darted to Veronica, as though trying to gauge her response to the suggestive comment. Veronica forced herself to keep her face level. She knew with a deep certainty that Lady Juliet and her husband had not shared so much as a handshake in Cambridge.
“Forgive me, My Lady,” Frederick said brusquely. “I am afraid it must have been rather unmemorable.”
Veronica bit her lip to keep herself from smiling.
A look of annoyance flickered across Lady Juliet’s face, but she gathered herself quickly.
“What brings you here, My Lady?” Veronica asked, with as much civility as she could muster. She had little doubt that Juliet was here with the sole intention of causing trouble—likely through publicly mocking the Earl of Volk—but she was sure there was no way she going to admit to such a thing.
“My father is close acquaintance of the Marquess of Bedford,” Lady Juliet twittered. “And when I heard about thisbeautifulmural you painted, Your Grace, I simplyhadto come and see it for myself.”
Veronica smiled thinly.
Lady Juliet made a show of looking around the room. “I must say, it is a dreadful shame your father could not be here tonight,Your Grace. I would have thought it a priority for him to come and celebrate his daughter’s achievement. No doubt you would have liked for him to come and see your work.”
Veronica stiffened. She could feel her smile beginning to falter.
“My wife is not one to needlessly seek out the praise of others,” Frederick said. “She is far too humble and selfless for such a thing. Besides, this is a small and intimate gathering. Few guests were invited that were not directly involved in the refurbishment of the school.” He looked at Juliet pointedly. “To be perfectly honest, My Lady, I’m rather surprised you were permitted entry.”
This time, Veronica’s rigid façade cracked, as she let out a sound that was half a giggle and half a murmur of shock. She was all too aware of Frederick’s sharp tongue, but there was something utterly thrilling about hearing it let loose in Lady Juliet’s direction.
Juliet blinked once, clearly taken aback.
“Have you had a chance to see the Duchess’s mural up close yet?” Frederick asked, before Lady Juliet could gather herself. “It’s extraordinarily beautiful. The students at this school will be very lucky to learn from her.”
Lady Juliet’s face soured. “You are teaching art?” she said to Veronica. “Howlovely. I am sure the children will just love learning about your little hobby.”
