Page 7 of Her Cursed Duke
The air around him was refined but stiff, indicating that he might not have been as pleased to be making rounds and conversing with the guests. Nonetheless, pleasantries were exchanged amicably, and Beatrice beamed at them excitedly.
“I am very happy to have you in my home. Please, enjoy the party,” she said, and then they excused themselves, moving away to welcome other guests.
“You heard what our kind hostess said. Now, go away.” Martha shooed them away.
“But—should I not stay with you?” Prudence asked worriedly.
“Prudence, you are with me constantly. I will not keel over if you decide to enjoy yourself for one afternoon. Please, do not worry.”
Prudence began to pout, causing her grandmother to sigh.
But instead of giving in, Martha turned to Silas. “Your Grace, would you do an old lady the honor of accompanying her for a little while? Just so my stubborn granddaughter will take the opportunity to relax for a bit without worrying about me?”
Silas turned to Agnes, who appeared far too pleased to allow her husband to tend to her grandmother’s request, and then hebowed to the Dowager Countess. “It would be my pleasure, my lady.”
Martha took his arm and waved her granddaughters away.
Agnes held out her arm to her sister, smiling excitedly. “Shall we?”
Chapter Three
It really was nice to be out of the house for once.
While Prudence had never fancied herself a lover of social events, it was really proving to be a fun affair, drifting around the party with her sister, sampling the delicious refreshments, and simply talking about the most random things they could think of. Agnes was also enjoying herself, evident in how she eagerly pulled Prudence to the dance floor to dance with her and later relayed tales of the parties her godmother had forced her to attend.
“Those parties were much fancier than this, and I never really felt comfortable, always eager to leave. But this one is nice. One can tell just how close-knit the community is,” Agnes had said as they refilled their glasses with punch.
She was right. In these parts, pretty much everyone knew each other or, at least, of each other, and such closeness came with both good and bad consequences. The bad end of that stick oftenreared its head when it came to the rumors and gossip that could spread quickly and had a tendency to linger longer than one might have preferred.
Prudence was no stranger to the tales surrounding the Duke, but she had no interest in sharing them with her sister, unwilling to give them an ounce of credibility. She felt especially disappointed when she spotted him by himself while others mingled, occasionally receiving dirty or fearful looks from the guests. It was unfair that even in his own home, he could not seem to escape the horrible title of the Cursed Duke.
Agnes noticed that her sister appeared distracted and followed her gaze, smiling to herself when she noticed who Prudence had set her sights on. “Prudence?” she called, lightly tapping the underside of her younger sister’s chin to get her attention.
“Yes?” Prudence blinked, turning to face her.
“I would like to check on Silas and Grandmother for a bit. Will you be all right by yourself?”
“We can go together—”
“No, no.” Agnes shook her head gently. “There is no reason to drag you around in search of them. You can wait around for me, and I will come and find you once I have made sure that our beloved grandmama has not scared off my husband.”
Prudence laughed and nodded. “All right, I will wait for you.”
Agnes smiled and patted her cheek, assuring her gently, “I will not be long.”
“Take your time,” Prudence urged as her sister walked away.
Once Agnes was out of sight, Prudence’s gaze almost immediately flicked in the Duke’s direction. She had nearly expected that he would have been engaged in a conversation with someone as she spoke with her sister, but she was ultimately not surprised to find him still standing alone.
Without a second thought, she approached him.
Aiden’s gaze was fixed on a beautiful rose bush on the other side of the garden, the whispers he had been hearing all afternoon replaying in his mind over and over. Suddenly, a voice cut through the noise, lightly teasing.
“I do not think a party can be seen as a success if the host is not enjoying himself.”
He blinked and dropped his gaze to find a woman in front of him, her face familiar—undoubtedly one of the people his godmother had introduced him to earlier. Her name momentarily eluded him, but he felt a little uncertain of simply dismissing her. Perhaps that odd inkling stemmed from the fact that he had never met her before tonight, certain he would have remembered a woman of such delicate beauty.
She moved gracefully to stand by his side, smelling like flowers in spring, her features so soft that he wondered if she might bruise if he caressed her. Such a lady had no business approaching him, much less striking up a conversation, yet here she was, the very picture of innocence with a little smile.
