Page 41 of The Masked Baron
Mrs. Trenton interrupted her thoughts. “Lord Cadogen seems at ease with you. He acts as if he’s almost... almost...”
“Almost what?” Andalin asked.
Mrs. Trenton looked thoughtful as she reached for the door handle. “I’m not sure yet. But I will let you know when I put my finger on it.”
When they opened the door, they found Hannah unfolding items from a large trunk.
“Good heavens,” Andalin said. Hannah unveiled a white gown with a scarlet ribbon across its empire waistline. A silky shawl and slippers matched the dark red of the ribbon. “This looks fine enough for the queen. There must be some mistake.”
Mrs. Trenton fingered the silky material. “It is a real beauty. You will look stunning when you wear it to your first ball.”
Andalin squirmed, releasing her own touch on the gown. “I don’t think I am ready. I’m having doubts. Seeing this dress, and seeing you before me, makes it perfectly clear. I’m much too simple. I won’t fool anyone.”
“If you are saying every member of the upper class behaves as well as they dress, then you are perfectly wrong,” Mrs. Trenton said. “There are many of us who are untalented, ordinary, and without style, wit, beauty, or even moral character. The only thing really setting us apart is our money and birth. I wish I could say our privileges and education did more for us, but there are many tradesmen and servicemen with more manners than some in our closest circles.”
“Then, I will need as much of your advice as you can spare. You have motivated me to keep trying, if only so I can try on the dress.”
Mrs. Trenton looked pleased. She reached over and squeezed Andalin’s hand. “I will be perfectly generous with my advice after we try on the dress.”
***
The next day Lady Kerrigan insisted Andalin and her daughter take in some fresh air. Andalin had been hoping for some time to talk with Mrs. Trenton again privately, and the weather was holding, so a walk around the grounds seemed like the perfect opportunity.
Mrs. Trenton linked arms with Andalin, taking her off guard. She directed Andalin toward an overgrown grassy knoll opposite the orchard. “This place makes me sad.”
“Oh?” Andalin frowned “Why?”
Mrs. Trenton sighed. “I used to play here with Eliana. I suppose you have heard her sad tale?”
Andalin nodded. Sympathy for Mrs. Trenton and all those who ever knew and loved the Cadogen family crept into her heart. Andalin fingered her necklace, which always reminded her she knew what it was like to lose someone so beloved. “I am so sorry for your loss.”
“Don’t be. I have many happy memories to think on, and that is what matters now.”
Andalin leaned down and plucked a long string of grass gone to seed. She pulled at the top and scattered the seeds into the soft wind. “You have dealt with your grief well—not even a hint of bitterness.”
Mrs. Trenton followed Andalin’s suit and plucked her own strand of grass to play with. “Don’t be too hard on Lord Cadogen. He is loyal to his memory. It must be difficult to be here all the time and be forced to relive all that horridness.”
Andalin’s curiosity burned inside of her. She wanted to know what had happened. She wanted to know the whole of it, including what had happened to Ellis’s face. She bit her tongue and forced herself to ask after something safer. “Is it hard for you to be here? I mean, after being so recently married? Are you homesick yet?”
Mrs. Trenton blushed. “No, it isn’t hard to be here, at least anymore. Being married and so completely in love has made this trip easier. I am a bit homesick for my husband, but he had to make a trip to London for business, and I would rather not be alone at home. Seeing him again will be even sweeter after some time apart, though I am truly much happier when we are together.”
Andalin was about to ask after her new home when Mrs. Trenton interrupted her thoughts.
“I have a confession to make.”
Andalin could not completely hide her surprise. Confession? Such a word was too full of intrigue to resist. “Yes?”
“I used to be quite enraptured with Lord Cadogen.”
Andalin nearly laughed. “I thought you were going to admit to something shocking. I had guessed as much during our conversation yesterday.”
Mrs. Trenton grinned. “Am I so easy to read? I guess I am. I’m a very open person. I wondered if Lord Cadogen had mentioned it to you before.”
Andalin shook her head. “No, he’s never mentioned it. Are you sure he knew? He is easily preoccupied.”
“I chased after him from the time I was ten years old. There was a time I thought we loved each other. But then, after his family was torn from him, our relationship never rekindled. Of course, we were very young. Only sixteen. Try as I might to get his attention, it seemed his heart was never to be given to anyone again.”
Andalin recalled the few looks and flirtatious words passed between her and Ellis. She knew he was not serious, but his easy manner toward her of late sparked her interest. His heart seemed so completely bound to his past, and she was so completely beneath him that she dared not even hope. She would do better to keep an open mind for the time she was introduced into Society.
