Page 72 of The Duke Who Loved Me (The Duke's Estates 1)

“You do not say so!”

“Oh, sit down, Miss Vainsmede. Enacting a Cheltenham tragedy won’t mend matters. We must think what to do.”

“We? I still don’t understand your interest.”

“I…” The old lady shrugged. “At one time, I thought you might marry Tereford and become part of my family.”

“Which time?” Cecelia couldn’t help asking.

“It doesn’t matter. You are a sensible young woman. I don’t wish to see you humiliated.”

Cecelia’s turmoil had subsided slightly. “So you are here to… What? Offer advice?”

“It is a bit late to be asking my advice.”

The sour response was almost welcome. It would have been strange if Lady Wilton had suddenly become all kindness and accommodation.

Female voices sounded from below. Cecelia would have told the footman to turn away visitors, but she hadn’t known what news Lady Wilton was coming to deliver. Cecelia started to rise, but before she could act, the drawing room doorway was filled with bright gowns.

Her four new friends arrived like a second delegation. Sarah, Ada, Harriet, and Charlotte stopped a few steps in, clearly disconcerted to find Lady Wilton present. The looks on their faces suggested that they’d heard the gossip.

No one seemed to want to speak, so Cecelia broke the awkward silence herself. “Prince Karl is spreading lies,” she said. “Lady Wilton has told me.”

The young ladies looked at the old woman, surprised.

“The story must be everywhere if even silly chits are hearing it,” said Lady Wilton.

“We are not silly chits,” said Sarah.

“We came to form a scheme to help,” said Ada.

The old lady made a derisive sound. “How do you imagine you could do that?”

“We don’t know yet, but we are very resourceful,” said Charlotte.

“Nonsense!”

“I don’t know why you say so, since you don’t know us at all,” said Harriet.

“I know that society will not listen to girls fresh from the schoolroom.”

“We don’t intend to lecture people,” said Charlotte. “We will develop stratagems.”

“La, what a word.” Lady Wilton shook her head. “You will not get far on vocabulary.”

“I will. To the places Iwantto go,” snapped Charlotte.

“I begin to feel like a charity project,” Cecelia interrupted. “And I don’t care for the sensation. I will manage this…difficulty myself.”

“No, you won’t,” replied Lady Wilton. “Without allies you will be lost.”

Cecelia felt a battery of eyes upon her. Allies were a fine idea, but she didn’t see what any of them could do. They couldn’t march up to people and deny hints and innuendo. That merely gave them strength. She didn’t know what she was going to do. At this moment, she was mainly thankful that James had withdrawn from society and would not be hearing the prince’s hateful lies.

***

James was tossing a wad of mildewed tapestry out the window when Effie ran into the room they were clearing. “There’s a man out back,” the little girl said. She looked anxious.

“What sort of man?”

---