Page 88 of His Scarred Duchess
Lady Gillingham raised an eyebrow. “I thought you weren’t interested in ‘silly boys and their vapid conversations,’ my dear. Wasn’t that what you said just last week?”
Isabella flushed, smoothing her skirts unnecessarily. “Well, I… that is to say… Lord Pembrook isn’t like the others. He’s quite… intelligent.”
“Mhm,” their grandmother murmured, a knowing smile playing on her lips. “And I’m sure his handsome face and sizeable fortune have nothing to do with your sudden interest in his intellect.”
As Isabella spluttered indignantly, Adeline found herself smiling genuinely for the first time in days. The familiar banter between her sister and grandmother was comforting, a reminder that some things remained unchanged despite the turmoil in her life.
“Don’t tease her too much, Grandmama,” she interjected, linking arms with Isabella. “I think it’s sweet that she’s found someone who interests her.”
Isabella’s smile faded, replaced by a look of uncertainty. “I don’t know if ‘interest’ is the right word. After seeing what happened with you and Edmund… I’m not sure I want to risk falling in love at all.”
Adeline’s heart clenched at her sister’s words. “Oh, Bella, don’t say that. What happened between Edmund and me… it’s not typical. You shouldn’t let our troubles discourage you.”
“Your sister is right,” Lady Gillingham agreed, her voice gentle but firm. “Love is always a risk, my dears, but it’s a risk worth taking.”
Isabella looked skeptical. “How can you say that, Grandmama? After everything Adeline’s been through?”
Lady Gillingham’s eyes took on a faraway look, a small smile tugging at her lips. “Let me tell you a story, girls. It’s about your grandfather and me, in the early days of our marriage.”
Both Adeline and Isabella leaned in, intrigued. Their grandmother rarely spoke of their grandfather, who had passed away before either of them was born.
“We were so young,” Lady Gillingham continued, her voice soft with nostalgia. “And oh, how passionate we were! Your grandfather and I, we loved as fiercely as we fought. One moment, we’d be lost in each other’s eyes, and the next, we’d be quarreling over the most trivial things. I remember one day, we had the most ridiculous argument. I can’t even recall what started it, but I was so upset I stormed out of the house.”
“What happened?” Isabella asked, captivated.
Lady Gillingham chuckled. “I stormed out of the house, determined to never speak to him again. I made it all the way to Hyde Park—this very spot, in fact—before I realized I had nowhere else to go. And do you know what I found when I turned around?”
Adeline shook her head, equally engrossed in the tale.
“Your grandfather, red-faced and out of breath, having chased after me the whole way. He looked ridiculous, his cravat askew and his hair a mess. But the moment I saw him, all my anger melted away. Because I knew, in that instant, that no matter how much we fought, we would always find our way back to each other.”
“That’s… actually quite romantic,” Isabella admitted, a hint of a smile on her face.
“The point is,” Lady Gillingham said, squeezing both her granddaughters’ hands, “love isn’t always easy. It’s not all flowers and sonnets and grand gestures. Sometimes it’s messy and painful and downright infuriating. But when it’s real, when it’s true… it’s worth fighting for.”
Adeline felt tears pricking her eyes, her grandmother’s words striking a chord deep within her. Was her love for Edmund worth fighting for? Or had too much damage been inflicted?
As they continued their walk, Adeline found her mind wandering, replaying her grandmother’s story. She was so lostin thought that she almost missed Isabella’s sudden intake of breath.
“That’s odd,” Isabella murmured, glancing over her shoulder.
“What is it, dear?” Lady Gillingham asked, following her gaze.
“I’m not sure,” Isabella replied, her voice uncertain. “I just… I have the strangest feeling we’re being watched. Silly, isn’t it?”
Adeline felt a chill run down her spine despite the warm afternoon. She scanned the park, her eyes narrowing as they landed on a figure in the distance—a woman, though it was hard to be sure at this distance. The figure sat atop a horse, always keeping pace with them, maintaining the same distance no matter how slow or fast they moved.
“I’m sure it’s nothing,” Adeline said, trying to sound reassuring even as her unease grew. “Perhaps one of your many admirers is too shy to approach you directly?”
Isabella laughed, the tension breaking. “Oh, please. As if I have many admirers. You’re the one who married a duke, remember?”
The mention of Edmund sent a fresh pang through Adeline’s heart, but she pushed it aside, her attention still drawn to the mysterious figure in the distance. As they rounded a bend in the path, she caught a clearer glimpse of the woman—for it wasdefinitely a woman, she could see now. Something about her seemed familiar, though Adeline couldn’t quite place it.
“Adeline?” Lady Gillingham’s voice broke through her reverie. “Are you all right, my dear? You look as though you’ve seen a ghost.”
Adeline shook her head, trying to clear it. “I’m fine, Grandmama. Just… lost in thought, I suppose.”
“Thinking about Edmund?” Isabella asked softly, a note of concern in her voice.
