Page 25 of Her Cursed Duke
Prudence nodded in response, feeling as though she might be tempted to say something strange if she spoke up then. The Dowager Marchioness announced they would be leaving, and Aiden sighed in relief, grateful to finally put this day behind him. Prudence escorted them to their carriage, and the Dowager Marchioness paused to address her before she climbed inside.
“You were a delight to watch today, dearest. I do not doubt that my godson is in good hands with you.”
Prudence blushed and curtsied politely. “Thank you, my lady. I am very honored that you think so.”
Beatrice eyed her godson and leaned closer to Prudence to whisper, “If he gives you any reason to worry or be concerned, do not hesitate to inform me. I will whip him into shape.”
Prudence laughed. “I will.”
Beatrice gave her one last smile and then got into the carriage, leaving Aiden to say his farewell. He faced Prudence with a kind expression, feeling overwhelmed with gratitude over how much work she put into the whole afternoon to impress his godmother.
It made him feel a little guilty that she seemed to be contributing the most to their arrangement when she benefited the least out of the two of them.
“You did really well. I was very impressed.”
Prudence shook her head a little. “It was barely anything, Your Grace. At least I am happy I could ease some of Lady Foresthill’s concerns.”
“Do not undermine your efforts, Lady Prudence. You went above and beyond for me this afternoon, and you have my gratitude.If there is anything you want, whatever you need, please do not hesitate to ask of me.”
“I will keep that in mind, Your Grace.” Prudence smiled softly and curtsied. “Thank you for gracing us with your wonderful presence today.”
Aiden snorted and tried not to tell her it had not been by choice, choosing instead to nod graciously so as to prevent her smile from dropping. He turned around and climbed into the carriage, sighing in relief as it began to pull out of the Fitzroy estate.
“She is an exceptional young woman. You made a wonderful choice, Aiden. She is capable and competent, and she is of good character. She would make a lovely wife.”
Aiden did not bother trying to remind his godmother about the uncertainty of their relationship because she was not wrong. Prudence was exceptional and was clearly a well-raised young lady. She was also compassionate, kind, and interesting in ways Aiden had never experienced before, and it just made it harder to deny the obvious want for her simmering beneath his skin.
That was beside the point, though. Prudence would genuinely make a lovely wife.
But not to him. That was never going to happen.
“You were phenomenal today, dear.”
Prudence looked up from the book she was reading and faced her grandmother with a smile.“Really?”
“I do not give compliments so freely, much less when I do not mean them. I am very proud of you.”
Martha’s words pleased Prudence. She was glad to know she had brought pride to her family, especially in the face of another family they respected.
“I will admit, I was quite surprised to find out that the Duke is courting you. I suppose he is a good sort, but it seemed very out of the blue. But he seems interested enough for Beatrice to be so invested in your capabilities—the bothersome woman.” Martha sighed tiredly.
“It is all right. I did not mind showing them to her. All the better to prove that you and my father raised me well, right?” Prudence teased lightly.
“Ha. That is true. The nerve of her to even consider testing you, as though she doubted that my grandchild would be anything less than wonderful. I should shame her the next time we cross paths.”
“Grandmother, you agreed to let her test me,” Prudence pointed out, fondly exasperated. “And as I said, I really did not mind. Do not pick a fight with her over this issue, please.”
“I will not,” Martha gasped in faux offense. “And you are right. I did go along with her whims because I expected that it would be entertaining for me. And I was not wrong. You did well, even without me needing to heckle you. Well done.”
“Thank you. I am glad I could bring honor to the family and entertainment to you,” Prudence said with a little laugh, peering down at her book to memorize the page she had stopped at.
“That aside… I hope you do not feel as though we would have thought less of you had you not been able to perform to that stubborn woman’s standards. Society puts a woman’s value on her accomplishments within her home, when women are much more than that.Youare much more than that. So many of the things you did and said today, I never knew you could do until today. And I never saw you as less than capable before that.
“I know you, child. You are kind and thoughtful, even though it gets on my nerves how that trait often makes you stand against my wishes ‘for my benefit.’ You are wise beyond your years, and you have a precious heart that never falters when it comes to helping others or doing what is right. Those qualities are more priceless than any gem. You are wonderful in all that you are, regardless of how well you can hold a darning needle or how beautifully you play. I hope you know that.”
Prudence felt… immensely touched by her grandmother’s words. When she had sat down to keep the older woman company for a bit, as she usually did, she had expected to hear complaints over having to host guests the whole afternoon. At best, perhaps a compliment or two on the skills Prudence had displayed. She did not think she would experience a rare moment of earnestness and adoration from her grandmother.
Contrary to what people thought, the Dowager Countess was not always as brazen or aloof as she seemed. Prudence knew better than anyone that no one was as observant and as thoughtful as her grandmother and neither as considerate nor as loving. And to receive such words from her made Prudence extremely happy.
