Page 70 of His Forsaken Duchess
Audrey blinked, clearly caught off guard. “You… what?”
“I said I apologize,” he repeated, his voice steady. “You are right. I behaved poorly.”
She stared at him for a long moment, as if searching his face for any hint of mockery or insincerity. Finding none, her expression softened, though her wariness lingered. “Well… good. I accept your apology.”
Cedric inclined his head slightly. “How very generous of you,princess.”
Her lips twitched despite herself, the corners of her mouth betraying the smile she was trying to suppress.
“You are here now,” she said softly, smoothing the front of her dress with a practiced hand. “And that is what matters most.”
Something unfamiliar bloomed in Cedric’s chest—something warm and entirely unwelcome. He looked at her then,reallylooked at her, and was struck once again by the quiet strength she carried.
For two years he had dismissed her as little more than a pretty ornament—a product of the ton, shallow and vain. But now… now he saw her fighting for her family with a tenacity that made him question every assumption he had ever made.
“And what are we going to do now?” he asked after a moment, his voice quieter than before.
Audrey tilted her head, the faintest of smiles tugging at her lips. “London knows you’re here now, or they soon will. The first thing we must do is wait, just a little, to see what happens.”
He frowned slightly, the words grating against his impatience. “Wait? I hardly think gossip will fix itself, Audrey.”
“You underestimate the power of curiosity,” she replied, her blue eyes alight with something almost mischievous. “London thrives on it, and the Duke of Haremore returning to town after two years of self-imposed exile? That is not something they will ignore.”
Cedric grunted, though he could not deny that she had a point. He had avoided London for so long, and yet here he was, dragged into the spotlight against his will. He supposed it was inevitable. A man could not carry his title and hide forever.
Before he could respond, a flurry of movement caught his eye. Grace appeared at the edge of the path, her cheeks flushed and a folded sheet of parchment clutched triumphantly in her hand. Her skirts swished against her legs as she hurried toward them, her breath misting in the cool air.
“Audrey! Your Grace!” she called, holding up the paper as though it were a prize. “You must see this.”
Cedric exchanged a glance with Audrey before turning his attention to Grace. “What is it?”
Grace reached them, her smile brimming with excitement as she held out the parchment. “It is an invitation from Lady Margaret McLeod’s aunt, the Countess of Kirkland. It was penned not ten minutes ago, I am certain of it. The ink is still smudged.”
Cedric took the paper, his thumb brushing over the damp ink as Grace had said. The words were hastily written but elegant nonetheless, each letter looping across the page with practiced refinement.
He frowned slightly. “The Countess of Kirkland? Why is she so eager to extend her hospitality?”
Grace’s gaze flicked between him and Audrey. “Why, because word of your presence has spread, Your Grace. You are London’s most intriguing topic of conversation, I daresay.”
Cedric blinked, startled by the claim. “Surely not.”
Audrey, for her part, looked equally surprised. “I knew your presence would stir some talk, but?—”
“You downplayed it,” Cedric said, narrowing his eyes at her. “Did you not say London would barely care?”
“I may have miscalculated,” she admitted, though the faint note of satisfaction in her voice did not escape him. “You see, youaregossip-worthy.”
Cedric grunted in response, though the words settled uneasily in his chest. He found the notion of being ‘gossip-worthy’ distinctly unsettling, but there was no point in arguing. The ink-stained paper in his hands was proof enough.
“You ought to listen to your wife more often,” Grace added with a sly smile.
Before Cedric could respond, Lilianna and Clarise appeared at the edge of the path, both of them nearly bouncing with excitement.
“Is it true?” Lilianna asked breathlessly, her wide eyes darting to Audrey. “We have been invited to the Countess’s soirée?”
“Yes,” Grace replied with a proud smile, holding up the invitation once more. “And all because ofHis Grace.”
Cedric looked at Audrey again, whose expression held a faint triumph that rankled more than it should have. For once, hefound he couldn’t begrudge her the victory. She had been right—London cared, more than he had expected.
