Page 21 of The Duke of Scandal

“I have my daughter, child. That is all I need. Harriet cannot rejoin the festivities anyway now that she has blotted herself so. Please, go on, both of you.”

“No, Simon. We will not!” Eleanor snapped, stamping her foot. “It is too unbearable to be dancing while Aunt Lauren is unwell.”

Harriet began to wonder at her refusal to leave her mother’s side. They were all well-accustomed to her fainting fits. They could be inspired by a piece of bad news, or even a loud noise. Or the unexpected presence in the house, of a person of common stock. So, it should not be a cause for worry. She would recover quickly and it would be as though nothing had happened. So, why was Eleanor so keen to remain by her side?

It occurred to Harriet that it might have something to do with the very situation that was causing her own perturbation. The arrival of the Duke. Maybe Eleanor had not been able to secure a dance with the Duke, or even speak to him. She might be seeing this as an opportunity to secure some private time with him. Harriet wanted to laugh. It seemed so obvious now that she had thought of it.

“Mama is right. I don’t think it helps to have her crowded so anyway. I will stay with her and speak to the Duke about rooms for us,” Harriet said, now eagerly.

Spots of color appeared on Eleanor’s cheeks and Harriet suppressed a victorious smile. After all, she didn’t want to face the Duke again. But there was some small satisfaction at defeating one of Eleanor’s schemes.

“I should be the one to speak to him,” Simon insisted.

“You should escort Eleanor back to the ball, Simon,” Harriet said, “it will look odd if she returns unaccompanied, would it not? I do not know much about such things, admittedly.”

Simon frowned, considering it. “It just seems a bit rum to not speak to him man to man when asking a favor of him.”

“From what I’ve heard, the Duke is a perfect gentleman and will not mind,” Harriet assured him, having heard nothing of the kind and experienced the precise opposite.

“Please go, Simon,” Lauren said wearily. “All this chatter is giving me a headache.”

She pressed the back of one wrist to her forehead tragically, closing her eyes.

“Very well. Eleanor, come along. We will return to the ball. Thank you, Harriet, your selfless nature is an example to us all.”

Harriet smiled sweetly as Simon took her hand in both of his, squeezing it for a second. He looked into her eyes for a moment and she returned the look as long as she could. When she looked away, he let her hand go and cleared his throat, striding for the door. It opened to admit the butler, Samson.

“You rang, milord?”

“Ah, yes, Samson. My aunt, the Dowager Countess is indisposed. I wished to ask His Grace if we may prevail upon his hospitality for the evening rather than returning home. The journey would not be good for her constitution.”

“Of course, milord. His Grace is temporarily indisposed but I will inform Her Ladyship, Lady Olivia. She will attend to matters.”

“Very good. Well, Eleanor and I are returning to the ballroom but Miss Worthingham will remain with the Dowager Countess here.”

“I will inform Lady Olivia forthwith,” Samson intoned.

“Well, now that is resolved, let us return to the ball, Simon. We have wasted enough of the evening already,” Eleanor said, jumping to her feet and gliding for the door faster than her usual serene pace. Simon gaped at her, before remembering the presence of the servant. Harriet caught her mother watching the proceedings from beneath her eyelashes. No sooner had it been made clear the Duke would not be in attendance than Eleanor was almost running from the room.

The door closed behind Simon, Eleanor, and the butler, leaving Harriet alone with her mother. The swooning posture fell away and Lauren sat up, snatching up the fan that Eleanor had been using.

“Dratted girl made me feel like I was sitting next to an open window during a storm. I actually felt the breeze from her fan disturbing my hair!”

“Perhaps your performance should have been a little less tragic, in that case,” Harriet said wryly.

“Performance? Performance? Do you think any mother worth her salt would simply turn a blind eye to her daughter returning from walking alone in the wilderness in the middle of the night, covered in blood?”

“Not the wilderness but the most famous gardens in England. And a few spots only. I’m not exactly drenched scarlet, am I?”

“Do not contradict me. I am referring to how the circumstances felt, not how they actually were. And that is far more important.”

“Very well, mama. It was out of the ordinary I suppose, and I know how that bothers you,” Harriet said resignedly.

Lauren nodded decisively. “So, we know that Eleanor has her eyes set on the Duke himself. What about you? I presume your presence here indicates a search for an appropriate husband?”

“I was invited,” Harriet protested.

“Yes, yes, child. I am aware of that.” Lauren fixed ice-blue eyes on her, “but you have been invited to other such occasions and been reluctant. What has changed? That’s what I have been mulling over all evening. Well?”

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