Page 97 of The English Duke
“Josephine was taken with Sedgebrook, ma’am. Couldn’t stop talking about all the rooms, the Conservatory, and the ornamental ponds in the garden, too. She was even saying what she wanted to change when she became duchess. She made quite an impression with the staff, but it wasn’t a good one.”
“In other words, the girl would have done anything.”
Amy nodded.
Susan glanced toward the open door of the parlor. Without being directed to do so, Amy slid it closed. She patted the sofa next to her. A moment later Amy sat beside her.
“She seemed so sincere that morning,” Susan said. “Almost terrified. I would never have imagined Josephine to be lying about such a thing.”
It wasn’t the first time she’d spoken of delicate subjects with her maid. Amy wasn’t in the first blush of youth anymore, plus she’d always had a level head on her shoulders. Her greatest asset, however, was a ferocious loyalty.
Josephine had a tendency to overlook Amy, treating her with no more notice than a footstool or a cabinet. Her mother had been the same. Was arrogance inherited? She’d never thought so until Marie and Josephine entered her life.
What had she done? Why hadn’t she factored in Josephine’s greed? Her youngest granddaughter unfortunately had the heart of an asp.
For the first time in a long time, she felt genuinely ill.
Her mother had often told Susan that she interfered too much in other people’s lives. Even as a child, she was interested in the happiness of her siblings. Thanks to her, her brother had met his wife and her sister a husband. She’d also been instrumental in smoothing out rough patches between spouses, interpreting difficulties in communication. Yes, she interfered, but mostly to the betterment of those people involved in the situation.
Until now.
She’d never expected to fail so spectacularly in this one thing.
Dear God in Heaven, what had she done?
She should have seen how affected Martha was by the duke’s presence. The girl bit her lip, clenched her hands together until the knuckles whitened, and spoke in a faint voice unlike her.
It was all Susan’s fault. No one could say otherwise. Her machinations had borne fruit, but not exactly as she’d planned. She’d hoped that Martha would attract the duke’s attention, especially given everything that Matthew had told her about the man and about how he wished the two of them might one day meet. All she’d wanted was to generate a little interest between them.
She had a scandal of epic proportions, one prevented by a quick wedding. Except, of course, that the wrong people were getting married.
What on earth did she do now?
Martha didn’t appear at dinner or afterward when they adjourned to the parlor. Jordan wasn’t unduly surprised. He hadn’t seen her since their kiss.
He felt as if the moment on the dock had been one of déjà vu. She felt familiar in his arms. Or maybe it was just that it felt right to hold her.
Josephine hadn’t said anything to him about the situation, but he knew she was angry. Her smile had a different flavor to it tonight and she wasn’t paying as much attention to him as she was Reese. He’d also caught Mrs. York glancing at him from time to time. Did she, too, know about the kiss?
Perhaps he should just stand and issue a blanket mea culpa.Yes, I kissed her. Without thought to my role in life, my upcoming marriage, or anything else, I kissed Martha.
He’d wanted to go on kissing her as well, which was something he wasn’t about to confess.
Perhaps it’s a good thing she hadn’t appeared. He might not be able to conceal his thoughts. Or the sudden longing he felt—as troubling an emotion as his reluctance about his wedding.
“I’m sorry Miss York is feeling ill,” Reese said. “I wanted to ask her about her discovery this afternoon.”
Evidently, Reese had put out feelers among the staff. Someone—a maid, a footman, maybe even a stableboy—had already told him everything about theGoldfish’s successful voyage.
If the rumors were true, the Topographical & Statistics Department was becoming the Intelligence Branch of the War Office. Reese was already well on his way to making himself invaluable.
“Did she really get her ship to work?” Reese asked.
Jordan didn’t say a word. Nor did Josephine, but he wasn’t sure if it was ignorance on her part or just a dislike of the subject. He hadn’t been alone with Josephine much but when he was it was obvious she wanted the conversation to be centered around her.
He had a lifetime of boredom ahead of him.
No, it wasn’t his imagination, Mrs. York was most definitely glancing in his direction. If they’d been alone, he would have asked her forgiveness for his behavior.
