Page 44 of A Duke's Unwanted Bride
“Yes, please.” Mrs. Addington was backing away from them, her eyes going to the door. “And of course, I hope you have the most wonderful day.”
The two women fled, and the widows turned to face Adele, satisfied smiles on their face. She grinned back.
“Thank you.” Adele embraced each of them.
“Think nothing of it. Even though you are marrying again, you will always be one of us.” Cora beamed at her. “And we protect our own.”
Adele nodded but said nothing. She did not trust herself to speak. Instead, she let her friends take her back to the dressing room, letting their excited chatter lend her strength.
“I am glad that you will be there tomorrow,” Adele said as they helped her out of her dress. “Are you sure I cannot convince you to be my third maid of honour, Cora?”
“I love you dearly, but my old feet need a rest. I shall watch from the front pew and leave the rest to you.” Cora gestured to her feet as she leaned on her cane heavily. “Besides, I fear I would steal your limelight, and we cannot have that.”
They laughed as Cora winked, and Adele felt a warmth spread over her. The modiste packaged the dress, and the four of them left the shop in high spirits.
Her good mood lasted right up until she had returned to Kidlington house where she ran into Mrs. Patmore and another maid.
“Good evening, Mrs. Patmore.” Adele smiled at the woman, who gazed stonily back at her.
“A second wedding dress.” Mrs. Patmore wrinkled her nose. “Well, I suppose it would be in rather poor taste to use your last one.”
Adele’s smile faltered. “There is a superstition that it is bad luck for a groom to see the bride in her dress before they are married. His Grace has already seen me in that dress.”
“And the last thingyouwould want is bad luck.” Mrs. Patmore exchanged a look with the maid. “We could not possibly have that.”
Adele gritted her teeth, anger and embarrassment twisting through her. “I should think none of us wants misfortune to befall anyone in this house.”
“Yet it seems to befall people all the same. Well, certain people.” The maid gave Adele a dark look. “You will be expecting us to dress you, I assume? We cannot have you looking anything less than perfect for your special day.”
“That is what you are employed to do.” Adele looked at the women, the anger on their faces so plain a blind man could have seen it.
“Of course. We would hate to forget our place.” Mrs. Patmore ducked into a curtsey. “No doubt you will want us to call youYour Gracenow.”
“We would hate to cause offence. We know what that leads to,” the maid added.
“This has all worked out rather well for you, has it not, My Lady? From the daughter of an earl to a marchioness and now a duchess in under a year!” Mrs. Patmore clapped her hands together, lip curling. “I am sure you are looking forward to being in that castle. No doubt it will be far more to your liking than our… modest abode.”
“Enough.” Adele threw the box with her dress on a nearby table. “I will not be spoken to like this.”
“Or what? Will you get rid of me like you got rid of Martha?” Mrs. Patmore glared at her.
“I did not get rid of her. I tried to help her. I wanted to help her, to support her, but every attempt was thrown in my face.” Adele gritted her teeth. “From the moment I have set foot in this house, you have treated me like a pariah. You have been unkind and cold, and I have done nothing to deserve it.”
She swallowed with difficulty around the lump in her throat. “I thought perhaps we could be friends. That we could come together in shared grief. But no, you shut me out. You act like I am some judgemental snob, and yet I have received nothing but judgement from you.”
Mrs. Patmore and the maid stiffened but held their tongues. Adele’s eyes pricked with tears, but she did not let them escape. “I am sorry that Martha has left, truly I am, but I am sick to death of being blamed for everything in this world. I did not kill Eric, nor did I get rid of Martha. I have done my best to be polite, to give you the benefit of the doubt, but I am done.”
She drew in a shaky breath and continued, “You and my family are exactly the same, and I want nothing to do with any of you. You could have chosen kindness, but you did not. My own family cast me aside, so why would I expect anything different of you?”
Mrs. Patmore opened and closed her mouth several times, but no words came out.
“I will not need your help tomorrow. Or rather, I will expect your help with the bare minimum, the rest I will do myself. I have no wish to be around you, and you clearly do not wish to be around me.” She stormed past them. “Good day.”
She slammed the door to her bedroom shut and flung herself on the bed. The tears gave way to anger. She grabbed a pillow and flung it at the door.
“If I never set foot in this cursed place again, it will be too soon,” Adele muttered. “I cannot wait to leave.”
Sixteen
