Page 26 of A Fake Courtship with the Duke
The men shared a laugh, and Richard finally felt the tension from the evening melting away. And as Thomas and he smoked their cigars and made their own little snide remarks about the gossips of London, he found himself having a pleasant time.
However, he knew there would be a problem the second he helped his mother and sister into the carriage that evening when they were headed home. The dowager duchess’s eyes were ablaze and locked firmly onto his face.
“I suppose you know what the scandal sheets will say tomorrow,” she said, her voice clipped and dripping with disapproval. “You didn’t even dance with Eleanor.”
Richard shrugged, a pounding beginning at his temples.
“I didn’t see her,” he lied, holding his mother’s gaze. “And what will the scandal sheets say, Mother? That I had a lovely dance with a lovely woman?””
His mother scoffed, shaking her head in complete disbelief.
“Lovely?” she asked. “That woman could ruin your reputation. Has your judgment truly become so impaired that you can’t see that? Why would you dance with her, knowing that everyone would see?”
The atmosphere in the carriage was becoming increasingly oppressive. Even though it was a pleasantly cool night, it felt as though it was becoming hard to breathe. He had known that his mother wouldn’t be thrilled with him dancing with Miss Huxley. But he would have expected her to have less to say about it, at least since there was no scene made.
“Mother, the ton is always gossiping about something,” he said, feeling frustrated all over again. “Whether one gives them a reason or not, they find reasons.”
His mother looked at him as though he had just suggested right then that he marry Miss Huxley.
“That doesn’t mean you should stoke the flames of gossip, Richard,” she snapped. “Truly, I don’t believe your judgment could be any worse these days.”
Richard scoffed, but he said nothing else. He glanced at his sister, thinking that she might come to his defense. But she stared silently out the window, saying nothing. Richard couldn’tblame her. Their mother was just as hard on Susan about her time spent with Miss Huxley. But hadn’t it been all her idea for them to enter into a pretend courtship? If Susan wasn’t going to help him when their mother became difficult when the subject at hand was Miss Huxley, how could he ever convince his mother that he intended to marry her, gossip and the opinions of others aside?
Chapter Thirteen
The moment Anne’s eyes were open the next morning, her thoughts went straight to the evening before. Specifically, the waltz she had shared with the Duke. Her parents had said nothing to her about it the previous evening. She wondered if they would be as unhappy about it as they would be over any other alleged spectacle she could have caused. She supposed that would all depend on what the scandal sheets said. But surely, no one could take away something bad from a dance that had gone very well and that they had both seemed to enjoy, right?
She smiled as she thought about how he brushed his coat tail against the group of women close to the dance floor. His blue eyes had sparkled brilliantly with mischief that was as genuine as it was harmless. If she hadn’t known better, she would have thought he enjoyed being a little impish. He was certainly handsome, that much she couldn’t deny. And the more time she spent with him, the more she saw kindness and charm in him, as well.
However, her inner voice reminded her that her relationship with the duke was nothing more than a ruse. However sweet, charming and mischievous he might be, he was only in her life to prevent the two of them from ending up married to people they couldn’t stand. There was the potential for friendship, she was sure. In some ways, the duke was a bit like his sister. But that was all they would ever be. She supposed she could do worse than to have such a man as her friend. But she couldn’t let herself get swept away in the fantasy of a shared life with him when no such thing could ever come to pass.
“Miss Huxley?” Martha asked from the doorway, startling her. “Are you ready to dress for breakfast now?”
Anne looked at her lady’s maid, blushing. She hadn’t heard the maid come in, and she laughed nervously.
“Yes, I suppose I am,” she said, motioning the maid to come inside as she swung her legs over the side of the bed. As far as she knew, she had no plans for that day. She decided that she would wear a simple orange day dress and have Martha style her hair in a simpler bun that was held in place by rhinestone studded hair pins. She hardly felt the need to dress spectacularly when she didn’t expect any company or intend to leave her home that day.
As her maid helped her dress, she noticed that Martha kept stealing glances at her. She was sure she could guess why. But she went ahead and asked the maid, anyway.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
Martha glanced at the door, which was firmly shut.
“It’s the scandal sheets,” she whispered. “Seems you’re in them yet again.”
Anne took a deep breath. She had been expecting it. But if Martha was acting sneaky, that couldn’t mean anything good where her parents were concerned.
“What have Mother and Father said?” she asked reluctantly.
Martha shrugged.
“I’ve not heard a word from them,” she said. “I only heard Miss Charlotte mention something about you dancing with a dashing duke.”
Anne smiled again at the thought of Richard.
“I certainly did,” she said. “But we are only friends who plan to help one another escape horrible marriages with worse people.”
Martha’s eyes widened as Anne explained their ruse quickly and quietly. Her lady’s maid was grinning by the time she was dressed and ready for breakfast, putting an arm around her shoulders.
