Page 79 of The Recluse of Wolfeton House (Ladies of Devon 4)

Chapter 27

The last week had passed painfully slowly, and Hattie had a feeling the dinner party they were holding would follow suit. She stood at the top of the stairs, waiting for Lucy to reach her.

“Are you prepared to see Mr. Warren this evening?” Lucy asked brightly.

It hardly mattered what Hattie said, Lucy was convinced that Hattie and Mr. Warren had come to an agreement after learning that they had spoken outside of the assemblies for a quarter of an hour. No one had caught them, thank heavens, but Hattie explained herself to Lucy and had long since regretted telling her anything.

“I am quite prepared,” Hattie said.

“Do you think the duke will attend?”

Hattie’s heart jumped. “No. I think he is likely still seeing to important things at his estate.”

Lucy pouted. “I rather wish I hadn’t bragged about his acceptance to Caroline at the assemblies. She is expecting to see a duke. She’ll never believe we are on comfortable terms with the man if he does not come.”

Hattie had checked the lightning tree twice that day. Bentley was not yet home. Instead, the letter she’d written following the assemblies and tucked in the tree still sat untouched. She’d asked Mr. Warren to leave it be, and he had agreed not to meddle with her letters again.

The door opened below them, out of sight, and the high-pitched sound of Caroline’s voice filtered up to where they stood. Lucy stiffened beside her, and Hattie immediately took her arm. “Why do you let her treat you so badly?”

“Not everyone is blessed with friends like you, Hattie.”

Her heart hurt at that. Everyone should be blessed with friends like hers. It was certainly a universal need to be cared for, loved, and supported. “But that is my point. Why waste your time on a woman who is hot and cold to you in turns? Is it not worth it to seek out kind women with whom you can spend your time?”

“Fortunately I do not have to see this woman very often. She only comes to London for the Season. Besides, we couldn’t very well attend her ball without returning the invitation. It simply isn’t done.”

“Perhaps next time we ought not to attend her ball in the first place. I can come down with a cold, surely. Or we can contrive to make you ill if you think that would suit our purposes better.”

Lucy smiled, squeezing her arm back. “You always say the most outlandish things. Come, our guests are waiting.”

Hattie refrained from correcting her sister-in-law. She had been completely serious.

Halfway down the stairs, she took Lucy’s arm. “You may think I’m outlandish, but I do care for you. We may not always see eye to eye—”

“We never see eye to eye,” Lucy corrected.

Hattie suppressed her desire to argue, especially since she agreed with that particular point. “Yes, well, I am trying to say that I love you, Lucy. Even if I do not always agree with you.”

Lucy’s pale blonde eyebrows hitched together faintly, and she regarded Hattie silently for a moment. “I know that, Hattie. I love you as well.”

They found the group waiting in the drawing room, Jeffrey speaking to Mr. Carter as Mrs. Carter stood beside them, boredom etched into the slight frown on her face. She looked about the room, likely measuring it against her own freshly decorated house, and Hattie felt the strong desire to turn around and march upstairs. She simply could not abide vain or prideful people.

Amelia appeared in the doorway, Giulia by her side, and Hattie knew instant relief. With the Fremonts and the Peppers, their party was decidedly balanced toward kindness. It would all work out well.

“I should have invited the vicar,” Lucy whispered harshly. “At least he would have evened out our numbers. I’m bound to look so countrified.”

“As if that is a bad thing,” Hattie countered. “Besides, you’ve counted wrong. Mr. Warren evens out our numbers.” She pulled Lucy alongside her to greet her friends. She was not about to leave her sister-in-law unattended before Caroline, not when the woman had hidden claws.

The company was soon gathered with the exception of Mr. Warren, and proper introductions were made.

“I quite like your house, Miss Green,” Caroline said, her gaze tripping over the walls. “It is so quaint and so very charming.”

“Indeed,” Hattie agreed. “We are rather comfortable here.” She wouldn’t allow Caroline the satisfaction of disparaging her home.

“It is perfect for a reprieve in the country, to be sure.” Turning to admit Lucy into their conversation, her eyebrows rose. “Now, I did hear that you were seen in a cozy situation with a certain gentleman, Miss Green. Was Lucy successful in her endeavors?”

Hattie froze. No one had seen her with Mr. Warren outside except for a handful of coachmen who likely had no idea who they were. She looked at her sister-in-law, but Lucy’s cheeks were bright red, the blush bleeding down her neck, and cold fear slithered down Hattie’s spine. “What endeavors do you speak of?”

“Oh, you know,” Caroline said, delivering a false, grating laugh. “How your father asked Lucy to come and help you learn how to obtain a husband.”

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