Page 40 of The Duke's Accidental Wallflower
He gestured toward the bouquet. “I was under the impression that your attentions were not yet spoken for. But I see I may have been mistaken.”
Minerva’s cheeks flushed, not with embarrassment, but with irritation. “There is no competition, Lord Gillies. As I said, the flowers are from an acquaintance. Nothing more.”
“An acquaintance with rather bold intentions, it seems,” Lord Gillies said, his voice cooler now. “It would be remiss of me not to acknowledge it.”
Minerva’s eyes narrowed slightly. “I assure you, Lord Gillies, there is no need to concern yourself with the matter. The flowers were sent in jest.”
Lord Gillies’s lips pressed into a thin line, his composure cracking just enough for Minerva to see the bruised ego beneath. “I see,” he said, though his tone suggested otherwise. He straightened in his chair, his fingers drumming lightly on the armrest. “In any case, I hope you will consider my request to call on you more formally.”
Minerva forced a smile. “I will give it thought, Lord Gillies.”
“Very good,” he said, rising to his feet. “It has been a pleasure, as always, Lady Minerva.”
As she rose to see him out, Minerva couldn’t help but feel nauseous. A suitable match. Respectable. Agreeable. The words echoed in her mind, Everything she’d once wanted, but now they seemed so.. cold.
Sixteen
Minerva stood in the center of Samantha’s family gallery, her eyes wide with awe as she took in the grand collection of art on display. The chandeliers overhead bathed the room in a warm, golden glow, illuminating the intricate frames and delicate brushstrokes of the paintings that adorned the walls. She turned slowly, her gaze sweeping over the gallery, a soft smile tugging at her lips.
“I do not know how your family does it, Samantha,” Minerva said, her voice brimming with admiration as she sipped from the tall glass of champagne in her hand. “Every year, this event somehow manages to outshine the last.”
Samantha grinned, her green silk gown reflecting the room's warmth. “Mother is relentless when it comes to her art collections. She treats it as if every new piece is a victory.” She gestured toward a grand landscape painting hanging on the far wall, its frame heavy with gilded ornamentation. “That one’s from last month. You should’ve seen her fight off Lady Linfield for it.”
Minerva gave a polite smile, but her attention was barely on the conversation. Samantha, ever perceptive, shot her a sideways glance.
“Are you even listening to me, Minerva?”
Before she could answer, Cherie appeared by their side, her laughter floating through the air like music. “Oh, do not be too hard on her, Samantha. It is clear that Minerva’s a bit distracted tonight.” She leaned in conspiratorially, her eyes gleaming with mischief. “Perhaps she is scanning the room for a certain duke?”
Minerva’s heart skipped a beat, but she forced herself to laugh, though it came out more strained than she intended. “Hardly.”
Cassandra joined them, sweeping in with her usual grace, her deep blue gown trailing elegantly behind her. “Who are we gossiping about?” she asked, raising an eyebrow as she sipped her champagne.
“No one worth gossiping about,” Minerva replied quickly, trying to steer the conversation away from Evan before her friends dug any deeper.
“Hmm, I do not know,” Cassandra said, casting a knowing look around the room. “The way you keep glancing over your shoulder suggests otherwise.”
“I am not glancing anywhere,” Minerva protested, straightening her posture as if that would somehow bolster her defense.
Cherie laughed, clearly enjoying herself. “Oh, darling, please. You have been casting secret looks over there the whole evening. You have barely looked at the art, which is alarming considering how much you usually fawn over Ellington’s work.”
Minerva felt her cheeks warm. “I amnotcasting secret looks.”
“Who’s over there, then?” Cassandra pressed, her tone light but curious. “Surely You are not still hiding a secret admirer from us?”
Minerva tightened her grip on her glass and tried to feign indifference. “There’s no secret. Honestly, I came here to admire the art, not to?—”
Samantha cut in, her voice teasing. “You do realize we are your friends, right? If there’s something you need to confess—say, a certain duke who keeps finding his way into your orbit—we are all ears.”
Minerva swallowed/ She wasn’t ready to admit anything to them, especially not when she herself was still trying to figure out what was going on. Her friends, however, weren’t the type to let things go easily, and the longer she tried to keep her distance, the more interested they became.
“I think you do not know of what you speak,” Minerva said, trying her best to keep her voice casual, though she could feel the walls closing in around her.
“Oh, come now, Minerva,” Cherie said with a playful nudge. “We saw you dancing with Lord Gillies last night, and yet You have been on edge all evening. You should be thrilled. He is practically perfect for you. So why the long face?”
Samantha’s eyes gleamed with a knowing look. “Unless, of course, someone else has caught your eye?”
Minerva opened her mouth to respond, but no words came out. She was cornered, and the truth was, she had not even figured it out herself. Was it Evan? Was it her frustration with how Lord Gillies had fit so perfectly into the idea of what her lifeshouldbe, and yet... something was missing?
