Page 38 of The Jilted Duchess
“I don’t mean to judge your actions, Alexandra. I merely wondered whether there was any truth to what you’d said. Whether youdofeel love for the man.”
“I’m not in love with him,” Alexandra said. “It’s a marriage of convenience. We helped one another—it’s as simple as that. He stepped in to marry me because his brother failed in his responsibility and he didn’t want shame to come to his family—and I think that’s very understandable. I think any reasonable gentleman would have done just the same.”
“So you contend that he’s a reasonable gentleman?” Evelina asked. “Because you know people say he is a brute.”
“A bit ill-mannered, perhaps, but he isn’t a brute,” Alexandra said. “He hasn’t been brought up the way we have. He doesn’t know how to integrate himself into society. But now that he’s married to me, he’ll learn.”
She found herself imagining the dance lesson of the other day. He had been awkward in the way he had managed himself, and he had overstepped the bounds of polite society more than once. But he’d learned the steps. A few more lessons like that, and he would fit right in at any upcoming balls.
Which reminded her of another matter that had been on her mind. “Penelope, you’re now the only one of us not to be married. That means it’s your turn next. You should accompany me to the next ball, since our sisters have children to think of.”
“You’re offering to escort me?” Penelope asked.
“Well, I’m hardly going to leave it up to Father to do it,” Alexandra said. “If we waited for him to make the time to escort you to a ball, you would never attend one. You would become a spinster.”
“She’s right,” Evelina said. “You know we sisters have all seen each other through these things, and now it’s your turn—and Alexandra’s turn to escort you.”
“So you must make sure you have something appropriate to wear,” Alexandra said. “Do you have a gown?”
“I have several. You know that.”
“I mean something new. You ought to have something special to wear for a ball. Something eye-catching. I’ll have something sent over to you,” Alexandra said.
“You mean, one of your old gowns?”
“No I’ll have something made for you. I know your measurements well enough.”
“Won’t the duke mind? He won’t want you using his money to buy something for me.”
“He isn’t going to mind a bit,” Alexandra said firmly. “And you let me worry about what my husband will think. You worry about yourself. I’ll send something over, and you just concentrate on what sort of gentleman you might like to dance with. It’s such an exciting time.”
She felt a bit wistful as she said that, for of course her own courtship had been marred by tragedy. The scandal with her husband’s brother, and then the mess that had been her marriage. She had emerged from it all relatively unscathed, thankfully, and she was happy with the hand life had dealt her. But a part of her still wished she’d gotten a more romantic ending.
At least she could make certain that happened for her sister. Penelope would have nothing but the very best.
“Don’t fret,” she told her sister. “We’ll find a gentleman who is worthy of you. You’ll see.”
“I just hesitate to leave Father,” Penelope said. “He’s been so unwell, and he has only me to help him.”
“But, of course, you have your hopes,” Evelina chimed in. “We all did. We’ll see to it that you find happiness, Penelope.”
“That’s right,” Margaret agreed. “We all want that for you.”
Margaret glanced at Alexandra, and Alexandra felt a pang. This was the way her sisters must have felt when she first came out—excited for her, eager to see to it that she found a match worthy of her. And then she had gotten involved in a scandal, and everything had fallen apart.
And yet…I did end up with a worthy man.
The thought surprised her, but she felt confident that it was the truth.
Hector returned home earlier than anticipated, and Alexandra was shocked by a rising bruise on the side of his face. “My God,” she exclaimed, leaping to her feet. “Hector—what’s happened to you?”
“Boxin’,” he said gruffly, and strode by her in the direction of his study.
Alexandra turned toward her sisters. “You’d better go,” she said quietly. “I think I ought to tend to this situation.”
“Will you be all right?” Penelope asked her anxiously, eyes wide, and Alexandra was sure her sister was thinking of the duke’s reputation as a brute. It probably hadn’t helped seeing him come home with that bruise on his face.
“I’ll be fine,” she assured Penelope. “Go on, now. I’ll send you that gown we talked about in a few days.”
