Page 18 of The Duke's Bride in Disguise
"No, he's not," she lied, "Though, if you are afraid that he is in danger of being abused so outrageously by Miss Bingham, perhaps you should let him know that he has other options..."
"Oh, I couldn't," Priscilla held a scandalised hand to her chest, "Though he was looking at me all of last night—perhaps you should watch this space, girls!"
On that jubilant note, Miss Huntington took her leave, leaving Ava alone with Lady Eunice Dunstable.
"He wasn't looking at her all night," Lady Eunice said with a sigh, once the door had closed behind Priscilla. "He has a lazy eye, it rather follows one around the room."
Ava snorted, then clapped her hand to her mouth as she noted Mary's frown of disapproval.
"Forgive me," she said demurely to Lady Eunice, who waved away her concerns with an easy smile.
"Sadly, I rather think that Miss Huntington has lofty social ambitions herself," Eunice confided, "Though the fifth daughter of an impoverished country baron, probably haslesshope of snaring the heavily indebted Earl of Downfield, than an untitled heiress—no matter how pure she thinks her pedigree to be."
"Who would believe that in the upper echelons of society, love is no more than a financial transaction?" Ava replied sadly, for this afternoon, her rose tinted view of thetonhad been heavily tarnished.
"Anyone who has been to Almack's would believe," Eunice replied with a laugh, "They don't call it the marriage mart for nothing! Though, even with the hefty bounty my parents have placed upon my head, I am still too plain to be considered a catch."
"You are not plain," Ava exclaimed. True, Eunice wore spectacles, was rather more big-boned than was fashionable, and her nose was decidedly Roman, but Ava thought all these unusual features married together well and rendered Eunice quite striking.
"Now you are lying through your teeth," Lady Eunice replied affectionately, "We can't all look like Irish nymphs. Though, if looking like a lost fairy renders one engaged to the fearsome Duke of Kilbride, I'd rather keep my great, honking snout, thank you very much."
"He is fearsome," Ava agreed, remembering the duke's thundering expression the night before, "Though, have no fear Eunice, I fully intend to scare him away. I can be quite fearsome myself, when I put my mind to it."
Had she shared too much? Ava's heart leapt a little as Eunice gave her a thoughtful gaze. Would Emily have confided such a thing to Lady Eunice? Ava cast a glance at Mary, whose face was now puce—presumably from restraining herself from shouting at Ava to stop blathering—and guessed not.
"Good for you," Eunice whispered, glancing to where Mary and her own maid stood in attendance to make sure they could not overhear, "Women should have power over themselves, but we relinquish all power to our husbands when we marry."
Goodness, Ava had not been expecting a quote from Mary Wollstonecraft that afternoon, but she was quite glad to hear it.
"My thoughts exactly," she whispered back with a smile.
"Well," Eunice continued in a loud voice, so that her maid would hear, "I'd best be off. Mama has insisted that I have a new dress made for her ball, so she has booked me in with Madame Lloris. I don't know who shall find the appointment more disappointing, me or Mama."
With a gay smile to take the bite from her rueful prediction, Eunice rose and left the room, with her lady's maid trailing behind her.
Once she was certain that the door had closed, Mary rushed over to the plush sofa and sat down beside Ava, her face creased with worry.
"Lud," she whispered in lilting rush, "You can't go around calling earls fat and insulting Miss Huntington. She's a tongue on her like a viper's bite—if you cross her, half thetonwill know about it before sundown."
"Yes," Ava agreed, "But she's not likely to try to cross me—I mean Emily—whilst she still thinks I'm going to become a duchess—is she?"
Mary cast her a dubious look, which was wiped off her face as the door to the parlour room was opened by Graves, the butler.
"My Lady," Graves said, then paused as he took in the shocking sight of ladyship and lady's maid sitting side by side upon the sofa.
"Indeed," Mary said quickly, reaching out and placing a hand on Ava's forehead, "You're quite clammy. Let me away to Mrs Hardy and fetch you one of her famous nostrums."
Mary bustled out of the room, bestowing upon Graves a look so dismissive that Ava almost laughed aloud at her audacity.
"Did you want something?" she asked the poor butler.
"A letter has arrived for you, my Lady," Graves said, proffering a piece of paper, which was sealed with a red, wax stamp, toward her.
Ava reached out and took it from him, not recognising the seal but guessing immediately whom it belonged to.
Goodness, she thought, as she tore open the letter with trembling hands, I wonder if he is writing to call off our engagement already? If the twins' plan had worked that quickly, she would be able to write to Emily and let her know that it was safe to return to London.
All thoughts of being reunited with her twin sister were dashed as Ava scanned the angular, confident scrawl upon the page. The duke had not written to vent his anger, but rather to invite her, and her family, to the theatre.
