Page 42 of A Fake Courtship with the Duke
“You seem rather distracted today, Richard,” he said, bemused. “Should I hazard a guess as to why?”
Richard tried to shrug off his friend’s words with a carefree grin.
“I’m not sure what you mean,” he lied.
Thomas chortled, shaking his head.
“As I suspected,” he said. “Would Miss Huxley have anything to do with your all-consuming thoughts?”
Richard scoffed, trying to pretend the notion was ludicrous. He was trying to keep his mind off Miss Huxley for a little while. Thoughts of her were becoming overwhelming. And with herattending Susan’s birthday celebration that evening, he didn’t want to be out of sorts when they went to retrieve her.
“Are you just trying to avoid losing this match?” he asked, trying to change the subject.
Thomas raised an eyebrow, and he looked as though he was trying to decide whether he should pursue the issue or let it go. Eventually, he seemed to choose the latter. He lowered his mask and lifted his foil once more.
“Not in your wildest dreams, Richard,” he said.
They resumed the match, which Thomas inevitably won. Richard tried to keep his focus on his friend and their little competition. But deep down, he knew that Thomas had sensed his complex feelings for Miss Huxley. He thought back to what Thomas had said about their relationship growing beyond that of a pretense. He still wasn’t convinced. But the more he thought about it, the more appealing the idea was becoming.
***
Later that day, Richard dressed to join his family to journey to Vauxhall Gardens. He hadn’t mentioned Miss Huxley and her family attending the celebration. But when the carriage turned onto the spot along the Thames River where the Huxley family carriage was pulling up, his mother noticed instantly.
“Is it proper to invite Miss Huxley to Susan’s party?” she asked bitterly.
Richard didn’t have to answer. Susan glared at their mother, giving her an indignant huff.
“Anne is my dearest friend,” she said. “And her family is dear to me, as well. And it is my birthday. I will invite whomever I please.”
Those words silenced the dowager duchess. But it was clear from her expression that she had no intention of accepting the decision with grace. She might not make a scene. But she wasn’t going to pretend to be happy about it. Richard glowered at hismother, but the look went ignored. He fervently desired his mother's ability to prioritize Susan's desires and joy above her own, if only for a solitary day. But he knew it would be futile to suggest this to her. So, instead, he vowed that he would do everything he could to ensure that Susan had a good birthday, despite their mother’s bitter attitude.
Just as their carriage rolled to a stop, the door to Miss Huxley’s family’s coach opened, and he saw her standing, waiting to disembark. She was stunning in a bright yellow dress with rhinestones and a matching tiara. She noticed him at the same time, and their eyes met. Time seemed to stand still, and Richard was overwhelmed by a maelstrom of feelings. Namely, and competing for his uncertainty, was a growing affection for her. Thomas’s suggestion drifted to his mind again, and this time, Richard agreed. They might very well be cultivating something that was more profound than pretense.
Chapter Twenty-one
Anne’s heart could have competed with a racing horse as her family’s carriage carried Martha and her to Vauxhall Gardens the next day. It was silly, she knew, to be so excited to see a man she was only pretending to court. She tried to tell herself that the true delight came from celebrating Susan’s birthday. But when her thoughts kept drifting to Richard, she couldn’t lie to herself any longer.
She was so thrilled that she was able to ignore the cool silence inside the carriage. Her parents, though they hadn’t admonished her in several days, still rarely spoke to her. Even Charlotte was quiet, content to look out the window as the carriage moved along. Anne was glad that Charlotte was rarely affected by the tension between her older sister and their parents. She just wished that their family didn’t have such tensions to begin with. Perhaps, if the duke’s and her plan went smoothly enough, the tension would eventually fade. She hoped, at least.
But by the time they reached their destination, the tension was long forgotten. She could see the Thames River, which would carry them to the Gardens, before the carriage had reached it. Along the riverbank, she could see people milling about. She picked out Susan, with her dark curls piled high atop her head and wrapped with a diamond diadem, first among them all. She sat on the edge of her seat, anxious for the coach to stop. Even with her parents there with her, she was looking forward to having another wonderful day.
The gentle breeze off the river caressed Anne as the carriage door swung open. She looked out over the embankment, seeking Susan once more. However, her gaze instantly locked with LordRichard’s. There was something in his eyes that froze her in place. Once again, she felt a connection that suggested more than mere politeness. She knew that if they had been anywhere else, such a prolonged stare might have been considered scandalous. Perhaps, it still would be. But she found that she didn’t care.
Susan saw her a second later, running toward the carriage. Anne stepped out quickly, moving aside so her family could disembark and so she could embrace her friend.
“I’m so glad you made it,” Susan gushed as Anne wrapped her arms around her friend.
The hug was warm and joyful. And yet, Anne was aware of one more thing. The dowager duchess was staring at her, her cold gaze cutting through the loving moment between friends from the side of Anne’s vision. It was all Anne could do to not shudder under the steely gaze.
Charlotte stopped to give Susan a quick hug and Anne a brief kiss on the cheek. Apart from that, Anne’s family stepped around her, almost as if she and Susan weren’t standing there. Charlotte followed their parents, joining them as they confidently got into the boats along the river’s edge. At the same time, Richard approached Susan and Anne, giving her a warm, slow smile.
“Are you ready?” he asked. He turned his chin toward his sister as he spoke. But his eyes never fully left Anne’s, making her feel as though he was addressing only her.
“I am,” she said, feeling a sudden rush of excitement.
The duke led Susan and Anne to the boat on which the dowager duchess already sat, waiting. Anne swallowed nervously, trying to keep the dowager’s demeanor from unnerving her, and failing terribly. Richard helped his sister inside with expert ease, then turned to Anne. He smiled with a hint of mischief in his eyes, extending his hand to assist her. The contact of his warm fingers against her own sent a flurryof sensations coursing through her, quickening her pulse.What is happening to me?She marveled as the duke and she took seats beside each other.One would think he and I are actually courting.
She tried to shove the thought aside, as she had many times before. But this time, there was no success. Her cheeks continued to grow warm, and she carried on smiling shyly at him as he guided their boat away from the bank. Had he been so handsome at the opera the previous night?
