Prudence wanted to believe her sister, but circumstances made it difficult for her to do so. But she could andwouldcontinue to hope that this arrangement did not turn out to be more trouble than it was worth.
For the both of them.
“She really does seem like a lovely young woman.”
Aiden kept his gaze focused on his book, in no mood to have the conversation his godmother was trying to lure him into.
Although he had gotten out of his wet clothes as soon as they arrived and even took a hot bath afterward, there was an itch he could not seem to scratch. He felt irritated, at himself, at Prudence, at the damn puppy—everything and everyone. He was aware his behavior was rather childish, but he did not care.
Likely because the embarrassment he had felt when he had tried to reflect on his actions felt so lethal that he thought he would die.
“What do you think—reallythink about her?” Beatrice pushed.
With a sigh, Aiden spared her a single glance as he admitted, “She seems nice.”
“Come now, Aiden. You must give me something more than that. You would not be courting her if you only thought she was ‘nice,’” his godmother huffed in disappointment.
“I never said that I feel strongly about her. From the start, all I told you was that she piqued my interest, and I wanted to see if there was any way it could grow into something more. Neither of us is staking our hopes on it, so there is no pressure to do anything other than get to know each other, for now.”
The lies seemed to come easily to him now, at a rate that should have sparked some concern in him. But he very well knew he could not exactly relay the fact that he had nearly grabbed hold of Prudence and encouraged her to put that tongue of hers to good use, instead of listening to her audacious remarks about his accident.
It seemed as though she became even more beautiful with every passing moment, and through most of the picnic, he struggled to keep his eyes off her.
“That is fair, but do you not want more? Aren’t you looking for love? I know men are not necessarily interested in such things, but it is different for women. We are more sensitive, more attuned, and weaker to this sort of thing. You implying that you have no expectations from your courtship might have hurt her feelings, but because she cares about you, she would try tosuppress the hurt and pretend that you both are on the same page, when that is not the case.”
Aiden hardly thought that was the case, but he did not want his godmother to think he was treating Prudence poorly, especially considering that she was the one who taunted him.
“All right. I will be more delicate—”
“No, Aiden. You will be more purposeful and deliberate while you court Lady Prudence. She is a hard-working young woman, and she deserves to be treated with care and respect. According to her grandmother, the poor dear had to move here after the death of her father caused her to be separated from her sisters. And I have seen how she dotes on her grandmother, always ensuring that she is comfortable and cared for. She is a kind young lady, and even though it is still unclear to me if she is worthy of you and your title, I know that she deserves to be courted properly.So, do not behave so nonchalantly about your relationship with her. She deserves more than that. Is that clear, Aiden?”
The Duke nodded, a little surprised. He had never seen his godmother come to anyone’s defense like this before. He also had no clue that Prudence was the one caring for her grandmother. During the party two nights ago, he had found his godmother speaking with the Dowager Countess of Lockheart and had stopped to engage in a quick conversation—that was before his godmother had begun to drag him around, introducing him to potential brides.
The Dowager Countess looked hale and hearty, her eyes twinkling with mischief that Aiden would not have expected from someone her age—if he was not familiar with all the quirks of his godmother—and now, he supposed she was in good health thanks to Prudence’s consistent care.
And he had basically called her unreliable when, in reality, it was likely her reliable nature that had kept her grandmother this spry and bubbly. Not for the first time that day, he worried he was putting her through more than this whole charade was worth.
“Yes, Godmother,” Aiden said. He silently made a vow to himself as well as he added, “I will do better, moving forward.”
“Good. See that you do.”
Chapter Seven
The days after the picnic passed without incident.
Prudence carried on with her routine of a simple life and time spent caring for her grandmother. When Agnes proposed they take a trip into town one morning to shop and look around, Prudence was all too happy to accept.
The town was bustling with activity because there was to be a festival at the end of the week. And so, for the days leading up to it, traders would sell the very best of their wares, offering only the finest quality to potential customers and guests. Agnes’s eyes positively lit up at the sights before them, pulling Prudence to stall after stall to sample the products.
After half an hour, she had made quite a few purchases, and their lady’s maids had to take the goods back to the carriage while the ladies rested in a quaint little cake shop that sold “The most delicious miniature cakes ever,” according to Prudence.
“This place seems lovely. Everything about it feels really warm and refreshing in ways one might not expect. And they are all so friendly… How is it you never made any friends here? You are a lovely person, anyone would be lucky to have you as their friend. Were you too shy?” Agnes teased, lifting a forkful of her sponge cake to her lips.
“No…” Prudence blushed. “It was not about that. I just… I never felt like I belonged here. When I arrived, I really had to come to terms with the fact that, for better or worse, this was going to be my home for a while. But it never really felt like… home. It was always lacking something, in some way. I always felt incomplete. Whenever I tried too hard to form a bond, it always wore me out. It was just easier to live my life separate from the influence and reach of others. I did not completely isolate myself, but I was not entirely open to others either.”
As if to further prove her point, some mumbles reached their table, the sneer obvious in the women’s voices.
“Is that her?” one asked.