Page 83 of His Forsaken Duchess
Audrey frowned slightly, though her heart wasn’t truly in it. “They were not always so unkind,” she admitted quietly. “Or perhaps I simply did not notice it before.”
“And their opinions matter now?” Cedric asked, his gaze sharp.
She hesitated, then shook her head. “No,” she said softly. “I suppose they do not.”
“Good,” he replied simply, as though that settled the matter.
As they resumed walking, however, Audrey was troubled by the encounter. It was strange how the sting of old friendships could linger even when one swore they no longer mattered.
“Where are we going now?” Cedric asked suddenly, interrupting her reverie.
Audrey glanced up at him, furrowing her brow slightly. “The hat shop, as I said earlier.”
Cedric shook his head, steering her gently in the opposite direction. “Not yet. We have another stop.”
Audrey tilted her head, puzzled. “What are you doing?”
“You need a new dress,” he said simply, as though the matter had already been decided.
“A dress?” Audrey repeated, startled. “We have already spent far too much?—”
“And yet we have not spent enough,” he interrupted, his tone dry. “After today’s performance, it seems prudent to remind the ton exactly whose Duchess you are.”
Audrey blinked up at him, her heart fluttering at his words. “Is that so?”
“It is,” he replied simply, as though they were discussing nothing more consequential than the weather. “Now, come along.”
The shop Cedric led her to was her favorite—a small but exquisite establishment that catered to only the wealthiest of clients. Audrey’s eyes widened as they stepped inside, the smell of freshly pressed muslin and polished wood filling her senses.
“Cedric,” she said, her voice soft with awe. “You brought me here?”
He glanced at her sideways, the faintest of smirks curving his lips. “Are you not pleased?”
“Pleased?” she repeated breathlessly. “This shop is…” she trailed off, shaking her head as she took in the rows of fabrics, the mannequins draped in dresses of rich silks and velvets. “It is extravagant.”
“Good.” He gestured toward the seamstress, who was already approaching them with an eager smile. “I expect you to leave here with something to wear.”
Audrey turned to him, her cheeks flushed with excitement. “You needn’t do this.”
“Consider it a matter of pride,” he replied coolly, though something in his eyes softened when they met hers. “Nothing more.”
Her excitement dimmed slightly at his words, though she forced a smile and turned to the seamstress, who was waiting expectantly. “Very well,” she said, lifting her chin. “Let us get to work.”
Audrey was soon swept up in a whirlwind of fabrics and fittings, the seamstress clucking her tongue approvingly as she pinned silk and lace to Audrey’s frame. At some point, Cedric stepped back, his expression unreadable as he observed her quietly from a distance.
“Does this suit me?” Audrey asked once, turning to face him in a dress of pale blue silk.
Cedric’s dark gaze swept over her, his lips parting slightly before he blinked and cleared his throat. “It will do.”
Audrey’s cheeks flushed, though she turned away before he could see.
As the seamstress busied herself with measurements and notes, Cedric approached her quietly. “I must leave,” he said, his voice low.
Audrey looked up, startled. “Leave?”
“There is business I need to attend to,” he said, his tone brisk. “I trust you will manage without me.”
Audrey straightened, her smile faltering slightly. “Of course, I will,” she said softly.
