Page 18 of Captured By the Cold Duke
“I should love to go to India someday!” she exclaimed, as she stood in front of a statue of a woman with many legs, who appeared to be dancing. “How marvelous it must be!”
“It’s hard to imagine someone as shy as Chastity doing well in India,” Minerva said in an undertone to Cherie as they lingered behind her sister.
“Perhaps,” Cherie said. “Or perhaps she would benefit greatly from the independence it would afford her. Maybe she would finally come out of her shell.”
Minerva nodded thoughtfully. “That is one possibility. But then she would have to marry a man who wants to go to India.”
Cherie sighed. “It is unfortunate that ladies cannot travel on our own to distant lands. We are entirely at the whim of our husbands…”
“Speaking of husbands, how are things going?” Minerva asked, eyeing her. “Really?”
“Really?” Cherie sighed again. “I suppose it could be worse. We have not spoken much since our wedding. And our routines could not be more opposite. He usually rises early and goes riding, then he takes breakfast alone and works until the afternoon when he goes to his club. He is always home late and again, has supper alone. I am the opposite. I rise late, then receive callers, then go for a ride in the afternoon, then take supper in my room.”
She didn’t mention anything about the nighttime, when she would lie awake for hours, wondering what it would be like to share a life with a husband that she actually loved.
“Don’t you want to have supper with him?” Minerva asked. “Maybe if you got to know him better, the marriage might be more pleasant.”
“I do not want to give him that satisfaction,” Cherie said, folding her arms. “And I am still too angry at him to desire to spend so much time in his presence.”
“You must let go of this anger,” Minerva said, surprising her. She was watching her younger sister admire several paintings, her expression thoughtful.
“How can you say that?” Cherie snapped. “You know what he did to me! Aren’t you on my side?”
“Of course I’m on your side,” Minerva said, turning to face her. “That’s why I’m advising you to let go of your anger. You are only making yourself miserable by holding onto it. It is done. You are married. There is no going back. So, you can either make the best of your situation, and try to get along with your husband, or you can keep this anger up, and doom yourself to a life of unhappiness.”
Cherie bit the inside of her cheek to keep from lashing out at her friend. She knew, deep down, that Minerva was right. It was just difficult to hear it.
“I know that I know nothing of marriage,” Minerva continued. “So, forgive me if this is overstepping. But now that my sister is considering marriage, I find myself thinking often of what it must take to make a relationship work over such a long period of time.”
“Hopefully your sister’s husband will not do what the duke did to me,” Cherie said.
“Yes, hopefully. But all marriages have resentments and betrayals,” Minerva said wisely. “And he will surely do something, at some point, which angers her. And she will have to choose to let go of that anger, eventually, if she wants to be happy.”
Cherie sighed and took her friend’s arm. “You know, you’re a very wise woman,” she said. “You’re going to make a man very happy someday.”
Minerva laughed. “I am afraid that after your wedding, we wallflowers are feeling rather uninspired to help one another find matches. So, for now, I am focusing on Chastity.”
“Does that mean she has met someone?” Cherie asked curiously.
“In fact, she has.” Minerva smiled. “It is actually one of the reasons that she asked to accompany me here today.”
“Oh?” Cherie was surprised. “And why is that?”
“The man in question, Lord Joshua Dawson, is apparently a friend of His Grace’s. Chastity wondered if you might be able to ask your husband if he could arrange a promenade between the two of them.”
“Lord Joshua Dawson…” Cherie couldn’t put a face to the name. “I don’t know him. He is a friend of the duke’s?”
“According to Chastity, yes. But fear not that you don’t know him. He is as introverted as my sister is.” Minerva laughed. “The perfect match, don’t you think?”
“Indeed. Have the two been introduced?”
“Not formally. They spoke briefly at a ball, and Chastity had to do some sleuthing to find the man’s name. We were hoping the duke would make the introduction.”
“I will certainly ask him,” Cherie promised. “I’d like forsomebodyto have a love match, after all.” She squeezed her friend’s arm and leaned in conspiratorially. “However, it does not mean I won’t dread having to speak to the man.”
Minerva shook her head. “I see you’re not going to take my advice then, and let go of your anger?”
“But I promise that I will consider it,” Cherie said. “In due time.”
