“You did not, Your Grace. I just think it is important to be clear about one’s intentions. Marriage is an important part of life, especially for young women. I acknowledge and encourage that. It is simply not something I desire for myself.”
“To each their own,” Lizzie said with a weak smile.
Powell nodded. “If you’ll excuse me, I have to attend to my other guests.”
The two friends sat in silence for a while, each of them digesting the exchange. Lizzie realised that Elinor hadn’t said a word to Powell.
“Are you all right?” She asked her in a gentle voice.
“I knew I was silly to hope, but I must admit, I did find myself imagining -” Elinor broke off and pressed her hand to her mouth to stop a sob from escaping.
Lizzie stroked her back in long, soothing motions.
“I don’t think it was silly. I told you already, I saw the way he was always looking at you. God forgive me, it looked like he wanted to eat you! It wasn’t nothing!”
Elinor took a deep breath and held it for a while. She then shook her head.
“Lizzie,” she turned to the young Duchess, more serious than ever, “My father informed me that I have one month to find a husband or to go home. I cannot afford to concern myself with Mr Powell any longer.”
“You can always stay with us!” Elizabeth exclaimed. “I can act as your chaperone and accompany you to events. At least that is a problem that is easily solved. Now, the matter of your heart…”
Elinor opened her mouth to protest, but then glanced behind Lizzie, and she frowned.
“Oh my, who do we have here?” the sickly sweet voice of Lady Helena interrupted them. “It is Miss Woodhouse and her friend.”
Elizabeth turned in her chair to look at the newcomer, who was towering above them with one of her friends.Lady Ella? Or Emma?Lizzie couldn’t remember exactly. The girl looked rather unwell. Her complexion was sallow, and she swayed like she had trouble remaining on her feet.
“Good evening,” Lizzie said, as politely as she could considering how much she disliked the other woman.
Elizabeth just wanted them both to leave so she could focus on making a plan for Elinor instead of remembering the last time she’d seen Lady Helena, in that cloak room. She tried with all her might to suppress the shame that started welling up in her throat.
“I’ve been looking for you, you know,” Lady Helena said with a cruel twist of her mouth.
“You have?” Lizzie asked with a blank face.
“I have a question about your seamstress days.”
Elizabeth’s stomach started churning as she realised that this was an altercation. Her legs started tingling and feeling heavy. Luckily for her, the same simple rule applied whether you dealt with nasty women in a salon, on the street, or in ballrooms: never let them see their words had affected you.
She thought of her husband and tried lifting her eyebrow like he did whenever someone was taking too long to get to the point. Lady Helena narrowed her eyes. Her friend sneezed loudly.
“Back when youused to workas a seamstress at Miss Euphemia’s, did they happen to teach you how to make a silk purse from a sow’s ear?” Lady Helena asked loudly, and several people around them snickered. “Because I was always told that it was impossible.”
The situation reminded Elizabeth of the man who’d called her a whore’s daughter, and then of that night in the cloak room, and then her brother’s vile words. She focused all her strength on taking and releasing breaths because it suddenly became inordinately difficult.
When did breathing become this hard?She thought, confused.
Her chest felt small and narrow and tight, and each time she drew a breath felt like the air was being denied entrance. And it was hot in the room. Her upper lip was sweaty, as were her gloved hands. Her dress also felt tighter than earlier. Lady Helena’s friend sat down next to her, but Elizabeth didn’t even notice.
Lady Helena leaned down and, waving her fan over her mouth, whisper-hissed bitterly, “I cannot believe your brother actually managed to force Duke Talbot to stoop so low as to marry you. We just wanted to humiliate you. He himself instructed me to gather people and catch you twoin flagrante delicto.”
“Shut your mouth,” Elinor said bravely, but Lady Helena ignored her completely.
She grabbed Elizabeth’s arm with all her strength. “I am ashamed of you! You are in no way worthy of being his duchess.You yourself witnessed him callingmethe perfect lady on several occasions, he was courtingme, he was all but engaged tome!”
She appeared deranged. Her beautiful face was contorted in an evil grimace as she (quite literally) spat the words at Elizabeth, who tore her arm away but still said nothing.
We just wanted to humiliate you.
