Page 83 of The Duke's Indecent Match
The conversation halted briefly when the tea arrived and resumed immediately after the maid closed the door behind her.
“At least a third of thetonthinks Kalina trapped you into marriage for your title, another third thinks you trapped her into marriage for her dowry, and the last third thinks you’re a love match,” Gregory said baldly, rather than dancing around the issue while Kalina poured tea for each of them.
Kalina blinked in surprise at the last, which distracted her from her guilt at knowing that some of Society laid her father’s misdeeds at Hereford’s feet.
“A love match?”Hereford asked in astonishment.Kalina glanced at him, but he was staring at Gregory in frank disbelief.“Why on earth would they think that?”
“Ah, well, our fault, a bit, I think.”Gregory smiled sheepishly.“It worked for us after all.And a story about how you went to the house party to see if you would suit and then after Christian began to show interest, it pressured you to move…”
“Of course, there are those at the house party who know the truth, but it has confused the issues at least,” Tiffany put in.“It does not hurt that they also saw the two of you getting along quite well.Just last night, I heard Lady Collette telling her friends that she would have put money on your match at the beginning of the house party if she’d had anyone to bet with.”
Hereford muttered something under his breath Kalina could not quite make out, but it was probably for the best.She was not sure what to make of any of it.While she’d become used to theton’sinterest in her and her family, she was hardly an expert on how to move forward.
“What have my parents said?”she asked, curious.At some point, she was going to have to face her father again, and though she’d forgiven him at her wedding, after living the reality of his decision for days now, she was not sure she could be so sanguine when she saw him now.
She was aware of Hereford shooting a quick glance at her, but now it was her turn to avoid his gaze.Lifting her teacup to her lips, she took a small sip.The flavors were weak compared to what she’d grown up with, but she’d become accustomed to them here in England.Such as it was.
“They’ve been quietly keeping to my mother’s side,” Gregory said.“No one will dare say anything with her beside them, and she’s recruited the Dowager Countess of Spencer and Lady Blackstone to her cause.Not that Lady Blackstone needed much encouragement, as it was her house party.And she brought the Duchess of Ormonde along with her, of course.Even the most outrageous of the harpies watch their step with that kind of support rallied around your parents.”
Kalina noted that he did not mention Lady Astrid.While she might have forgiven Kalina and believed in her innocence, forgiving Kalina’s father would probably take more time if such a thing ever occurred at all.
At least her father had not been allowed to do more damage.Now that she thought of it, perhaps that was another reason the ladies had gathered round her parents.Not just to keep the harpies away, but to ensure her father did not make any further missteps.
That was a relief.
“So.What’s the best way forward from here?”Hereford mused, though it sounded more as though he was speaking his thoughts out loud than asking for opinions.
Gregory answered him, anyway.
“To keep the gossipmongers off your back?Present a united front.Give them, if not a love match, at least contentment.The lack of response will make them lose interest far more quickly than anything else, especially when they already have a far juicier morsel to chew on.”
There was a little twinge of guilt at taking advantage of another’s misfortune, and Kalina felt very sorry for the earl’s daughter, but she knew she was not at fault.They were merely taking advantage of the timing of an event that none of them had any hand in.
“Thetonis not interested in content or happy marriage,” Tiffany agreed.“Right now, speculation is far more engaged in which duke will be the next to marry.With Nathanial no longer available to the marriage mart, my brother, Christian, and Matthew are fair under siege.”
“What about Zachary?”Nathanial asked, frowning at her.
“Rumor has it he’ll be engaged to Lady Annabelle soon, a rumor which is heavily supported by his mother and hers.Which, of course, has only invigorated the interest in the other three.”Tiffany’s blank expression did not give away any of her own feelings on the matter, though she must have some.
With such rumors swirling about, and by his own mother no less, Delilah must be heartbroken.Kalina’s own heart went out to her.Even though he was not yet engaged to the young lady, from the way Tiffany spoke, it sounded almost inevitable.
“Right then.”Nathanial leaned back in his chair, then immediately sat upright again as the wood creaked.“That goes along with my own thoughts.If we’re amicable with each other and unremarkable in most ways, interest will not linger on us.”
Amicable.
The word should not make her heart ache so, but it did.Looking across her teacup at Gregory and Tiffany, caught in the trap her father had set, Kalina finally had to face the truth.
She had not wanted a duke, other than to please her father.
Nor had she wanted an amicable marriage.
She’d wanted a love match.
31
Nathanial
The note came as he was getting ready for Lady Darning’s musicale, the afternoon after Gregory and Tiffany’s visit.Nathanial had been readying himself with the help of his new valet, Bennet, when Stalling came to his room with the note.Thankfully, Nathanial had dismissed both of them before opening it, because he was not certain he would have been able to hide his reaction.
