“You asked me to look out for her.” Stephen shrugged.
This is hardly important, is it? What’s important is what is in the letter!
“I asked you to escort her and watch over her, not investigate her suitor. This is not your responsibility, Stephen.”
Allan looked at him enquiringly but made no further objection as he read the rest of the letter. Slowly, he sat down in the nearest chair when he was done, staring over the letter and at the nearest carpet.
“See? I do not think you mind so much now that I asked my steward to make inquiries, do you?” Stephen asked. Unable to stand still, he paced the room. “At least now you are on your guard about that man.”
“Hmm.” Allan frowned at the letter. “Poor Dorothy. What will she say when she hears her one suitor only wishes to marry her because of her dowry? She has no other suitor. None at all.”
Stephen turned his back to his friend and continued pacing. He would not tell Allan, not for anything, that he had kissed Dorothy last night.
* * *
Dorothy sifted through the sheet music on the lid of the pianoforte, sipping her tea and admiring Lady Charlotte’s playing. Lady Charlotte finished her piece with a flourish, and Dorothy put down her cup to clap eagerly, as did Lady Frederica at her side.
“Oh, do not clap. It was not very good at all.” Lady Charlotte grimaced. “I slurred my way through the difficult passages. You must have been able to tell.”
“Not me.” Dorothy shook her head. “It all sounded very impressive to my ears.” Yet, Lady Charlotte continued to grimace. “By any chance, is there quite a lot of pressure at home to play instruments quite perfectly?”
Dorothy’s question clearly struck a sore spot, for Lady Charlotte avoided her gaze. She took the sheet music that Lady Frederica offered her and busied herself with placing it on the music stand.
“Perhaps,” she whispered.
“In which case, drink more tea and have a break from playing.” Dorothy refilled their cups, which rested on a tray on the lid of the pianoforte. “This trip is supposed to be about having fun, not performing to expectations.”
Lady Charlotte smiled and came to join them at the back of the pianoforte.
Dorothy’s words were as much for herself as for Lady Charlotte. She forced herself to smile, sip her tea, and join in the conversation with her friends, though it was the last thing she felt like doing.
That morning, she had struggled to get out of bed. She had lain there for many minutes, thinking of Stephen’s rejection from the night before and feeling awful because of it.
I am not his Duchess. I am not the woman he truly wants. What am I, then?
She was his distraction. She was good enough for a wild moment’s kiss, but nothing more. She did not warrant anything more from him.
She felt quite nauseous and put down her teacup on the tray again.
“Speaking of enjoying ourselves,” Lady Frederica said slowly. “Something is upsetting you today, Dorothy.”
“Me? No.” Dorothy forced that smile into place again.
Lady Frederica nodded at it. “I have put on enough false smiles in my lifetime to recognize them in others. What is upsetting you so?” she asked, her voice soft and encouraging.
Dorothy’s spine softened as she leaned on the pianoforte, closer to her friends. It struck her that despite how awful this trip was proving to be, there was at least one reason she was glad that she had come. She grew closer to Lady Frederica and Lady Charlotte every day. Once this trip was concluded, she was quite certain she would endeavor to stay in touch with them.
“It does not matter,” she whispered to the pair of them. “Let us just put my manner today down to my foolishness, that I had hope for something which can never be and which, in truth, I always knew was impossible. I just did not want to accept it.”
“Sounds ominous, indeed,” Lady Charlotte muttered, shaking her head. “It must be related to a man, then. Is it Lord Chilmond or the Duke of Stotbury?”
“My money is on the latter,” Lady Frederica said with finality.
When they both gave her knowing looks, Dorothy laughed, startled they had come to know her so well in such a short amount of time.
“Well… I mean, I…” She struggled for words, watching as Lady Frederica bit her lip in order not to laugh and Lady Charlotte simply giggled.
“One would have to be blind not to notice the way you look at him.” Lady Charlotte waved a hand in the air. “But if he has hurt you, then please, do not waste your thoughts on him.”
