Page 7 of The Duke of Desire
Chapter Two
The post-supper conversation in the drawing room amongst the ladies that evening focused on the activities that were planned over the next few days—a vigorous walk up Wendover Hill, a ride to the nearby village of World’s End, where they would take luncheon at the Swan Inn, and a gentlemen’s shuttlecock tournament, which they were all invited to observe.
Ivy sat on the periphery as usual and didn’t partake in any discussion. It was just as well because she would ask why they couldn’t have their own shuttlecock tournament, which was certain to horrify several attendees.
A young woman approached Ivy and gestured to the chair next to her. “Do you mind if I sit here?”
Ivy looked up at the pretty blonde and recognized her as Miss Emmaline Forth-Hodges. “Not at all.”
“Thank you. I’m afraid I’d endured quite enough of Mrs. Chalmers,” Miss Forth-Hodges said softly.
Ah yes, Mrs. Chalmers was a known gossip, and a rather shrill one at that. “I understand,” Ivy murmured.
Miss Forth-Hodges cast a sidelong glance toward Ivy. “You’re a friend of Lady Sutton’s, aren’t you?”
Ivy tensed. “Yes.” Aquilla was one of her dearest friends, and she’d—according to some people—stolen Lord Sutton away from Miss Forth-Hodges. The reality was that he hadn’t been officially courting Miss Forth-Hodges. Even so, that didn’t negate any disappointment that Miss Forth-Hodges might have felt when he’d moved his attention from her to Aquilla. Ivy had heard a range of speculation—that Miss Forth-Hodges had been devastated and that she’d been relieved. Absent hearing it from the woman herself, Ivy chose to believe none of it. Still, she couldn’t help feel bad for the woman because, if nothing else, she had to suffer that annoying speculation.
Ivy couldn’t imagine why Miss Forth-Hodges would bring the topic up. Unless she wanted to unburden herself for some reason. But why with Ivy?
Miss Forth-Hodges rested her hands in her lap. “You’ve been friends with Lady Sutton for some time, haven’t you? I remember seeing you together last year.”
She did? Ivy didn’t think anyone of Miss Forth-Hodges’s station would notice her or her wallflower friends. “Yes, we’ve been friends for about five years.”
“Along with Lady Dartford, if I’m not mistaken.”
“That’s correct.” Ivy shifted slightly so she could study the younger woman. She was exceptionally beautiful, with pale blonde hair and shimmering blue eyes. With skin like porcelain and a lithe figure that encouraged the perfect drape regardless of what she was wearing, Miss Forth-Hodges was a diamond. And yet she was unmarried after two seasons. Ivy wondered why but wouldn’t ask. She’d long ago learned to keep her wayward tongue in check.
“How lovely that must be.” Her tone was wistful. She turned her head to look at Ivy, and her gaze held a shade of sadness. “I have three much older sisters, but they never wanted much to do with me. By the time I was old enough to be interesting, they were already out and on their way.”
“I’m sure you were plenty interesting even when you were young.”
Miss Forth-Hodges smiled, but regret inhabited the lines around her mouth. “Not to them. They were too concerned with hairstyles and gowns and attracting men.”
“Are they all married now?”
She nodded. “Yes. For years. They have several children among them.”
“So you still aren’t close?”
“We scarcely write.” Miss Forth-Hodges straightened and brushed her hand along her lap to sweep some infinitesimal speck from her gown. “What a maudlin conversation. My apologies. I merely wanted to get away from Mrs. Chalmers, and when I looked around the room, you were alone. I thought it might be nice if we could be alone together.”
Ivy was taken back to that first night she’d met Lucy and Aquilla. The two of them had already befriended each other, but they’d seen Ivy in the corner at some ball, and Aquilla had said almost the exact same thing:alone is so much better when you can do it together.
She suddenly felt a kinship with Miss Forth-Hodges, and was just as shocked by this development as when she’d befriended Lucy and Aquilla. Both were from respectable families and had much more social mobility than Ivy. That they saw her as someone worthy of spending time with had greatly improved Ivy’s outlook.
“Alone together is always better,” Ivy said. “Do you like house parties?”
Miss Forth-Hodges shrugged. “I suppose. It depends on the attendees. This one seems promising. There are several eligible young men. Which is why my parents wanted to come.”
Ivy’s gaze strayed to where Mrs. Forth-Hodges sat. She was an amiable woman, if a bit domineering. At least that was Lady Dunn’s opinion. Ivy didn’t know her well enough to say.
“So you’re husband hunting, then?”
“Always,” Miss Forth-Hodges said with more force than she’d uttered anything so far. “I can hardly wait to have my own household to manage. And a family, of course.”
A long-ago desire pinched through Ivy, but she swept it to the darkest recesses of her mind. She didn’t want that. Not anymore.
“I see. Have you ever considered that you could have your own household to manage without having a husband?” Ivy winced inwardly. She probably shouldn’t have said that.
