Page 27 of The Duchess in His Bed
“So I am.”
“Where were you?” Flo asked.
With the mask nestled in the folds of her skirt, she wandered over to the vanity, where she discreetly set it behind an ornate trinket box Lushing had once given her, went to remove her gloves, and realized she’d never put them back on, had left them with Aiden. Fortunately, she wasn’t lacking in coverings for her hands but would need to remember to fetch them tomorrow. As unobtrusively as possible, she barely lifted the lid on her smaller jewelry box, slid out her wedding ring, and returned it to its proper place on her finger. “I needed to get out for a while, to be alone, to find some measure of peace. What are you girls doing in here?”
“We couldn’t sleep with a corpse in residence,” Alice said. “It’s morbid having the casket remaining in the front parlor.”
“It’s the way it’s done, sweeting.”
“I hear him creeping along the hallways,” Connie said.
“You mustn’t speak of dear Lushing in that manner.” Selena sat on the stuffed bench covered in a tapestry of flowers. “Although, if he were a ghost, he wouldn’t haunt you. He loved you all dearly, you know that.”
“Let us sleep here with you,” Alice said. “Like we did when we were younger, after Mother and Father met their untimely end.”
Which was how Alice always referred to their passing, as though anyone ever attained a timely end. She couldn’t help but believe her youngest sister had been most affected by their parents’ tragic deaths. Standing, she drew her unbound hair over one shoulder. Her pins had remained behind as well. “Come undo my lacings, so I don’t have to send for Bailey.” Her lady’s maid tended to be a bit taciturn when awakened.
Setting her book aside, Alice scrambled out of the bed, darted over, and began unlacing the gown, her fingers nimble, never straying from the task. “How ever did you get that mark there? It looks ghastly.”
With her heart pounding, Selena leaned toward the mirror. At the far side of her neck where it curved into her shoulder was a small discolored patch resembling a bruise but not, where earlier a mouth had been suckling, a tongue soothing. She grew warm with the memories of how it had come to be. He’d branded her, at least temporarily for surely eventually it would fade. “It’s nothing.”
“Does it hurt? It appears painful.”
It had been anything but. “No.”
“How did you get it?” Flo asked, coming up on her knees on the bed as though that would give her a better view.
Selena had to tell them something or they’d keep on about it. “Bailey dropped the brush earlier when she was managing my hair. It struck me at an odd angle.”
“You should let her go if she’s that careless,” Connie said.
“I’m not going to let Bailey go. It was an accident. Don’t say anything to her about it. Don’t say anything to anyone. As I said earlier, it’s nothing.” With the collar of her mourning attire up to her chin, no one would see it.
“Why are you wearing a ball gown anyway?” Connie asked, flopping down on her stomach, with her head at the foot of the bed, her chin resting in her hands.
“I grew weary of mourning black and no one was going to see me, so what did it matter what I wore?”
“My word, Selena. It’s a bit early to grow weary of it when you’ll be wearing it fortwoyears.” Connie pronounced the length of time as though it were a death sentence handed down by a magistrate. “Thank God, we have to mourn for only three months, although I shall be sad much longer than that because you’re right. Lushing was jolly nice. He made me laugh.”
“He made us all laugh,” Flo said. “Where did you go, Selena?”
“Around. Honestly you girls are going to have to cease with the inquisition if you want to remain in my bed.”
Once Selena was in her nightdress, Alice offered to plait her hair. Studying her sister’s reflection in the mirror, she could see the seriousness with which she saw to the task, the way she gripped the brush as though fearing she’d lose control of it and cause another injury. Selena should have come up with a reason for the mark that didn’t involve her maid but hadn’t expected to face questions upon walking into her bedchamber.
“She’s practicing for when she has to become a lady’s maid.” Flo sighed heavily. “We’ll all have to go into service. None of us will make a good marriage now without Lushing about to ensure it. Winslow is useless in that regard.”
“I’m going to become a wealthy widow’s companion and travel the world,” Connie said.
“No one is going into service and no one is becoming anyone’s companion,” Selena assured them. “You will all have fine marriages.”
“How will you arrange that when almost everything goes to the Crown?”
“Don’t worry yourselves over it for now.” She was worrying enough for all of them. “All will be well.” She needed to ensure it was. Alice was terrible at plaiting hair. The braid was far too loose with tendrils sticking out everywhere. “Thank you, darling. That’s wonderful.”
So many lies she’d given to her sisters tonight. She hated herself for them, but what choice did she have? They must never learn the truth; no one must ever learn the truth. The remainder of her life would be spent living a lie.
“All right, to bed now. Tomorrow is going to be a frightfully long day.” Lushing would be laid to rest. She settled in with the twins on her left and Alice on her right. Her youngest sister doused the lamp, enclosing them in darkness.
