Page 71 of If the Duke Dares
Chapter16
At breakfast the following morning, Persephone had worked to hide her excessively wonderful mood. Not just because she didn’t want to answer questions about it, but also because Pandora was still upset from the incident at Sydney Gardens the day before.
Aunt Lucinda did her best to cheer Pandora up, and when Persephone said the duke had invited them to join him for tea at the Pump Room that afternoon, she’d been delighted. Pandora, however, had declined, saying she hadn’t changed her mind about not wanting to go out in public. Instead, she’d suggested it might be time for her to leave Bath. Though, she’d quickly added that she didn’t expect Aunt Lucinda and Persephone to join her.
Persephone had not argued because the truth was that she didn’t want to leave Bath. More accurately, she didn’t want to go somewhere Acton was not.
Aunt Lucinda had argued that Pandora needed to come to tea, that she wasn’t going to overcome the scandal by hiding. Pandora had then left and asked not to be disturbed.
That had been two hours ago, and Persephone was undecided as to whether she ought to barge in on her sister and try to improve her disposition. The problem was that Persephone wasn’t sure how to go about that. Part of her was struggling with feeling so incredibly happy while her sister was so veryunhappy.
The other part of Persephone kept thinking of the previous night in the garden with Acton. It was most distracting. But in the best way possible.
Perhaps Aunt Lucinda might have advice on how to encourage Pandora to ignore people like those nasty young women in the gardens yesterday. Persephone walked to the drawing room but stopped short before going inside when she heard someone who wasn’t Aunt Lucinda speaking. Evidently, her aunt had a visitor.
“Everyone is talking about the incident in the park yesterday,” the woman said.
Persephone froze, her stomach dropping to the floor. People had noticed how those ladies had reacted to Pandora? None of this was fair. Persephone would do anything to keep her sister from finding out.
“Wellesbourne was so very attentive to Miss Pandora. And sweeping her into his arms like that to carry her all the way to the coach? So romantic.”
She wasn’t talking about the cut direct, then. Persephone’s insides did not return to normal. She crept closer to the door to listen.
“He was simply helping my niece after she turned her ankle,” Aunt Lucinda explained. “As a gallant gentleman should do.”
“It looked to be more than that,” the visitor responded. “Indeed, everyone is hoping for a match—the duke and Miss Pandora look splendid together.”
Of course they did. He was handsome and debonair, and Pandora was incomparably beautiful. He was precisely the kind of man she’d been expected to wed.
“Except the duke is courting my elder niece, Miss Barclay,” Aunt Lucinda pointed out, sounding as though she were perhaps gritting her teeth.
“Is he? Well, who knows what will happen? But everyone I’ve spoken to thinks a match between the woman Banemore wronged and his best friend would be delicious!” The visitor tittered, and Persephone had decided she’d heard enough.
Twirling on her heel, she made her way downstairs to get as far away from the hideous woman as possible. Only things did not improve as she descended into the staircase hall. Standing in the center of the entrance hall in front of Persephone were her parents.
Judging from the way they were removing their hats and gloves, they had just arrived.
Blast.Persephone tried to turn and tiptoe back the way she’d come, but her mother’s voice stopped her cold.
“Persephone! Good heavens, you have given everyone a fright. Come here this instant.”
Persephone hoped the gossipy visitor upstairs couldn’t hear anything. To hopefully get her mother to lower her voice, Persephone hastened into the entrance hall. “Good afternoon, Mama. Papa.” She smiled brightly, hoping to soothe their anger. Although, her father didn’t even look perturbed. He would join with her mother soon enough, however. Of that, Persephone had no doubt.
“Don’t you dare behave as if you aren’t the most ungrateful, horrid daughter who ever breathed,” her mother snapped. “You abandoned us in Cirencester, and apparently you didn’t even go home as your note said.”
“Mother, perhaps you’d care to wait to vent your spleen until Aunt Lucinda’s guest has left,” Persephone suggested with a sweetness she didn’t remotely feel.
The baroness’s eyes rounded. “You have caused us no small amount of trouble,” she whispered with a great amount of heat.
How Persephone wanted to sarcastically respond that they’d certainly made her life trouble-free, but held her tongue. There would be no point baiting her mother, not when she was already furious.
It wasn’t as if Persephone hadn’t expected this. She’d just hoped to delay it. She certainly hadn’t been prepared to be faced with her mother and father today, not when she’d been feeling so lovely.
Voices sounded in the staircase hall behind Persephone. Aunt Lucinda and her visitor were coming downstairs.
Persephone moved to the side of the entrance hall just before her aunt and the other woman stepped into it. The other woman looked familiar, but Persephone didn’t recall her name. Persephone trained her gaze on the floor lest she stare daggers at the woman.
“Oh, here are Lord and Lady Radstock,” the woman said with cheerful surprise. “Does your arrival mean there will be a betrothal to announce soon?” She smiled broadly, her expression eager. It seemed she wanted to obtain the most recent information, likely so she could spread it widely and gain accolades for having the very latest gossip.
