Page 77 of His Scarred Duchess
“I… I’m sure that was a long time ago. People change.”
“Do they?” Joanna asked, her tone sharp. “I wouldn’t be so sure. Why, just the other day, I sent Edmund the most delightful letter, reminiscing about old times. I’ve sent quite a few, actually. Has he not mentioned them?”
Adeline’s heart was pounding so loudly that she was sure Joanna must be able to hear it. She shook her head mutely, unable to form words.
Joanna’s smile widened, taking on a cruel edge. “No? How… interesting. I wonder what other secrets dear Edmund has been keeping from you.”
Adeline forced herself to take a deep breath, squaring her shoulders. “I don’t interfere in my husband’s correspondence. I’m sure if there was anything of importance, he would have mentioned it.”
“Of course,” Joanna said, her voice dripping with false sympathy. “I’m sure he tells you everything. After all, you two seem so… close.”
The sarcasm in her voice was unmistakable. Adeline felt her cheeks burn, remembering the heated dance she and Edmund had shared earlier. Had Joanna seen them? Had others them?
“You know,” Joanna continued, circling her like a cat toying with its prey, “I must admit, I was rather surprised when I heard about Edmund’s marriage. You’re not exactly… well, let’s just say you’re not the type of woman I expected him to choose.”
Adeline’s fingers clenched around her fan so tightly, she feared it might snap. “And what type would that be, Lady Strathmore?” she asked, unable to keep a hint of steel from her voice.
Joanna’s eyes raked over her, lingering pointedly on her scarred cheek. “Oh, you know. Someone more… suitable for his position. Someone who could truly understand his world, his needs. After all, Edmund deserves a real woman, not a damaged shadow of what a lady should be.”
The words hit Adeline like a physical blow. She felt as though all the air had been sucked out of her lungs. Her vision blurred, and for a moment, she feared she might faint.
“I…” she began, but her voice failed her.
She blinked rapidly, holding back tears.
Joanna’s smile was triumphant now, sensing Adeline’s distress. “Oh, my dear. Have I upset you? I do apologize. I sometimes forget how… sensitive some people can be.”
Adeline straightened her spine, drawing on every ounce of dignity she possessed. “Not at all, Lady Strathmore. I simply find it sad that some people feel the need to belittle others to make themselves feel important.”
For a moment, Joanna’s mask of polite disdain slipped, revealing a flash of genuine anger. But before she could respond, a deep voice cut through the tension.
“Adeline, my dear. There you are.”
Edmund appeared at Adeline’s side, his hand coming to rest possessively on the small of her back. She felt some of the tension leave her body at his touch, even though her mind whirled with doubts.
“Lady Strathmore,” Edmund uttered, his voice cold. “I trust you’re enjoying the ball.”
Joanna’s smile was back in place, though it didn’t reach her eyes. “Oh, immensely. Your lovely wife and I were just getting acquainted. She’s quite… charming.”
Edmund’s hand slid to Adeline’s waist and squeezed it gently. “Indeed, she is. If you’ll excuse us, I believe it is time for our second dance.”
Without waiting for a response, he guided Adeline away from Joanna and towards the dance floor. As they moved, Adeline could feel the curious eyes of thetonfollowing them.
“Are you all right?” Edmund murmured, his lips close to her ear. “What did she say to you?”
Adeline forced a smile, though she knew it didn’t reach her eyes. “Nothing of consequence,” she lied, her voice barely above a whisper. “Merely idle chatter.”
As Edmund pulled her into his arms for the dance, Adeline tried to lose herself in the music, in the warmth of his embrace. But Joanna’s words echoed in her mind, feeding the doubts that had taken root in her heart.
A damaged shadow of what a lady should be.
The words stung all the more because a part of Adeline feared they might be true.
As she moved across the dance floor in Edmund’s arms, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was playacting as a duchess, as a wife.
That at any moment, the illusion would shatter, and she would be exposed for the fraud she feared she was.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
