Page 20 of Her Cursed Duke
“Yes. Lady Lockheart’s granddaughter. Three years here and she never bothered to befriend or get close to anyone. As it turns out, she had her sights set on much bigger prey,” another replied, causing a burst of giggles to erupt from their side of the shop.
“Still, the Duke of Serpenhood? Of all the men to seduce… although I suppose they suit each other. The Cursed Duke and the girl from nowhere. Less problems for us.”
Ah, Prudence mused. It would seem that news of her courtship with Aiden had begun to make its way around. Of course, she had expected this. It was, after all, an odd union. Still, she couldn’t fight against the waves of discomfort brewing within her. In a strange way, she had hoped that this arrangement would give her room to grow into someone other than who she had been all her life.
Prudence had taken this chance while a part of her prayed it would encourage her to take other chances in the future. Perhaps not like this one—she had done so once, risked her heart, and it ended with her hurt and pitifully alone—but maybe others that bear a similar level of uncertainty.
It did not feel good to be gossiped about, and now, she could only wonder what Aiden felt like listening to people whisper much crueler things about him. While he had not necessarily done anything to have earned it, Prudence resolved to treat him with more kindness, moving forward. It would not make up for his difficult past, but perhaps it might give him a little respite, at least while they were still engaging in this farce.
Agnes was silent for a while, and Prudence was worried that she might be disappointed in the way her younger sister had chosen to live her life. Or worse, that she might want to confront the ladies speaking about her. She watched her sister inhale deeply, almost as though she was trying to meditate, and when she spoke, it was nothing that Prudence had expected.
First, Agnes glanced in the direction of the women who had gossiped about her younger sister, her expression turning grim.“People will always talk. Most of the time, it is because they are without value themselves, so they speak in the hopes that their words will be enough to fill the void that lies within them. You are better than they are, Prudence. Never forget that. Proper ladies do not respond to such petty, demeaning remarks. If we ever have anything to say, we will stand in front of the person we wish to address and speak to them directly, instead of hiding behind our hands with our voices lowered—like cowards.”
Her words were loud enough to reach the women, and they exchanged embarrassed glances, quickly gathering their things and leaving the shop. Agnes waited until they were out of the shop before carrying on with the issue that held most of her interest.
“I understand how you felt. When I first arrived at Forestwood Mansion, I tried to focus on my duties because I was there for a reason. I spent all my time either familiarizing myself with the responsibilities of a duchess, planning our wedding, or training our favorite horse for a competition. I surrounded myself with work in hopes that it would keep me from missing you and Imogen too much, praying that I would be too busy and too exhausted to consider the odds of the wedding falling through and me ultimately failing to bring us back together. And when I started to get along with the staff and started to adapt to the lifestyle there, it still never felt like I was home. Because my sisters were not there.
“Realizing that motivated me to do my very best until we were together again. I think that was what haunted you. You missed us too much, it was hard to live without Imogen and me. And as much as you are not alone in that sentiment, I cannot say withcertainty that it is a good thing. I realized too late there was some merit in what Father had done. We might have been hurt, and we might not have understood it at the time, but he really did what was best for us by separating us. We had grown too reliant on one another, expecting the others’ strengths to help us hide our weaknesses. It is a beautiful thing how we can stand firm together. I think Father wanted us to be just as firm on our own.”
Agnes’s words filled a void in Prudence, who had tried to understand the reasoning behind their father’s decision. Although she had never concluded what her older sister had drawn out for her just now, some part of her realized at some point that she had grown too complacent with her faults. She had noticed that there were certain tasks that she was not good at and, therefore, never attempted because they were not her strong points.
Agnes is better at making quick decisions, I cannot do it. Imogen is the bright one, I should not try to be that.
She had given herself excuses on countless occasions to keep herself at the level at which she had arrived. And at some point, she had become aware of how truly sad that was. She felt ashamed that she could not hope to make her sisters proud of her when they eventually reunited, and she was disappointed in herself.
That had been a point of growth for Prudence, who had found the resolve to try, even if she did not succeed or it was not perfect. And as she kept up that habit, she felt more at peacewith herself. To think that this was what their father had in mind when he had separated them from one another…
“I was really hurt after that. We had to mourn him by ourselves, and I was hurt and angry, and I could not understand why our own father would put us through that. I do not know if I have forgiven him, but I do understand him a bit more now. Thank you, Agnes,” Prudence said with a little smile.
Her older sister smiled back, bright and warm. “Anytime, my lovely little pudding.”
“Please, do not start. I am not ten years old anymore. Why will you not forget that nickname?” Prudence groaned.
“Never,” Agnes quipped, offering Prudence the last slice of her cake. “I think it is cute and timeless. Perhaps I should share it with the Duke of Serpenhood.”
“If you do, I will disown you,” Prudence half threatened, half begged.
“You are a poor liar, pudding. But fret not, no one is allowed to call you that except for me. My lips are sealed,” Agnes conceded, lifting her hand.
“Thank you.” Prudence sighed in relief.
Agnes kept her gaze on Prudence as she took a sip of her tea, and when she set the cup back down on the saucer, she questionedlightly, “Speaking of the Duke… I have noticed that he has not called on you since the picnic. Did something happen?”
“No,” Prudence said, far too hastily. “Well… he might just be busy with his duties.”
Agnes was silent for a moment, then when she opened her mouth, Prudence interjected, “I mean… I might have been a little irritating after he fell into the water. He was clearly annoyed, but I kept teasing him, and he tried—um… he was not too happy about it.”
Agnes blinked. “Oh. Well, I imagine he was not. One would not exactly call it a flattering moment. He was likely embarrassed, and your taunts probably made him feel worse.”
“Oh,” Prudence murmured, looking upset. “I did not mean to make him feel bad. It was just…”
“I know, sweetheart. Perhaps just find some time to apologize to him. You do not need to wait until he comes to call on you. You can write him a letter. I have found that those are instrumental in terms of self-expression. Plus, it will be a lesson on restraint, because you likely need to learn how to hold your tongue, dear.
“And, I wanted to tell you this. In the same way we are making up for the lost time we spent apart, you can also start over and try things you have always wanted to do but felt like you could not. It is not too late to meet new people and make new friends. In fact, I can think of no better person to begin with than your Duke,” Agnes told her softly.
“Well, he is notmyDuke—”
“You know what it is I am trying to say, Prudence. Keep your heart and your mind open. It would amaze you, the sorts of wonderful things that could happen when you least expect it.”
