Page 36 of The Duke Who Loved Me (The Duke's Estates 1)

“Females aren’t admitted,” said James.

“I know.” Sarah sighed.

“Because we can have no interests beyond embroidery and tea cakes,” said Charlotte sourly.

“Perhaps we should hold a public bout,” suggested Prince Karl. “So that the ladies might be…edified.”

“A vulgar display, you mean?” asked James, his tone a drawling setdown.

“A demonstration of skill.”

“I don’t think so.”

“Ah. Well, I suppose it would be humiliating to lose in front of everyone.” Prince Karl gave Cecelia a sidelong look and a smug smile.

James clearly saw it. “I am not concerned about losing,” he answered.

“Yet you have found so many excuses for avoiding me.” The prince shook his head. “It seems like…timidity, shall we say.” He cocked his head at Cecelia. “This is an English word, yes? Timidity? Like aMaus?”

“I will meet you where and when you like,” said James through clenched teeth.

“Ah, good. Let us set a day and time.”

Cecelia thought of speaking, but it was obvious that nothing anyone said would stop the two men now. She could at least signal her dislike of the plan, however. Gathering her friends with a glance, she left the gentlemen to their wrangling over details.

The tableaux began soon after this. The household had gone to a great deal of effort to show off the beauties of the four Landry daughters, creating elaborate scenes with pillars, vases, antique weapons, and draperies. The costumes the girls wore were not scanty, but they did show them to best advantage, and they looked terribly proud of their achievement. Which made it really too bad, Cecelia thought, that the effect was lessened by word of the proposed fencing match, which threatened to overwhelm their presentation. She caught murmurs about the contest running through the crowd, bouncing from one side of the room to the other. Inevitable since the two menwoulddiscuss it in public. Eyeing them, she decided that Prince Karl was very pleased with himself. James exhibited a mild glower. In other circumstances she would have put it down to boredom with the party. And perhaps it was, for he left before the tableaux were finished.

The evening lost some of its sparkle with his departure. Cecelia did her part in congratulating the performers. She talked with her friends and accepted the attentions of Prince Karl and gentlemen who were following the current fashion of admiring her. It was still novel tobea fashion and a little amusing to watch fellows try to top each other’s empty flattery. But she was ready when the festivities ended and her group headed for their carriage.

Back home, passing the drawing room doorway on her way to bed, Cecelia was surprised to hear a voice calling her name. She stepped inside. “Aunt Valeria, you are awake.”

“I am,” said her aunt, who sat in her accustomed chair still dressed for the day.

“Why?” Aunt Valeria never waited up for her.

“Because of an irritating visit from Mrs. Mikkelson,” she replied. “Who wished to be sure I was aware of the excessive attentions you are receiving this season. As I ‘do not go out.’”

“Mrs. Mikkelson is a notorious gossip and generally gets her stories wrong,” Cecelia pointed out.

“Undoubtedly.” Cecelia’s aunt snorted. “She had written out her whole case, in deference to my deafness.” She held up some handwritten pages. “I was never more glad of that ruse as she soon tired of shouting at me and took herself off.”

“I don’t know what she could mean byexcessive,” Cecelia said, still absorbing this unexpected annoyance.

“More than you deserve, apparently. Though how such a thing is to be calibrated I do not know.”

“Nor do I, Aunt.”

“She particularly mentions that you attended a ball by yourself.” Aunt Valeria shook the pages she held.

Cecelia sighed. “That was some time ago, before all this… And it is a mistake that I have not repeated.”

“I know. But she suggested that this loose behavior had led to the increased male attention.”

“Loose! The evil cat!”

Aunt Valeria sighed. “She is. And her type is one reason I don’t care to take part in the doings of theton. That and the crushing tedium. But I cannot entirely ignore my duties as your chaperone.” She looked at Cecelia, waiting.

“The ‘excessive’ attention has been stirred up by the…interest shown by Prince Karl von Osterberg, who is visiting London. And by James. Tereford.” Cecelia felt a degree of awkwardness. She and her aunt never discussed such things.

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