Claire hung her head in silence, allowing Lady Suzanna to rub soothing circles on the back of her hand.
“You have had a rather eventful afternoon, dear heart. Would you prefer to have your dinner in your rooms tonight?” she asked.
“That sounds wonderful,” Claire smiled weakly at the older woman. “I do not think I have much strength to hold me up after everything that happened.”
Lady Suzanna nodded in understanding. “I shall arrange for something in the kitchens.”
“All right. I shall go up into my rooms now.” Claire looked at the older lady, tears shining in her eyes. “Please extend my sincerest apologies to His Grace. I did not mean anything by it when I went out on my own.”
“Think nothing of it, dear heart. We were all distraught when we discovered you were missing. He just needs to rest for a moment to gather his wits about him. As do you,” she added, giving Claire a meaningful glance.
Claire smiled and slowly walked back to her rooms as Lady Suzanna bustled off with instructions for the kitchens and the maids to bring her dinner up to her rooms.
Once she was within her sanctuary, Claire sagged against the heavy wooden door, all the strength she had been trying to uphold since the Duke brought her home leaving her all of a sudden.
As much as she adored him, meeting Lord Draydon alone after dark had the potential to ruin her and with that, she could also drag her younger sister in the mud with her.
Trixie was still four-and-ten and was yet to make her curtsey before the Queen. Claire could not afford to make more foolhardy decisions and ruin her sister’s chances of making a good match.
After all, the gossips in Society were rarely so kind and if she managed to ruin her reputation, they would look on Trixie in the same light without a doubt.
“What a stupid decision,” she muttered to herself.
She could not even find it in herself to feel joy at seeing Lord Draydon after weeks of mourning.
No, I am more concerned as to how His Grace will see me after my dreadful mistake,she thought ruefully.He has been the very soul of kindness to me and Trixie and I courted utter ruination with my actions tonight. If Father were alive, he would be furious with me, as well.
Sighing, she pulled at the laces of her bonnet and took off her gloves just as she heard a light rapping on her door.
“Lady Suzanna truly is the soul of efficiency,” she remarked to herself.
True enough, two maids stood outside her door, bearing a tray loaded with food and—she noted with a wry smile—her favorite chilled custard.
Even after my misdemeanor, I am still given dessert? I feel like a spoiled child already,she surmised. After her behavior, she half-expected some sort of punishment but she was yet to hear from the Duke again.
“Shall we serve dinner for you, milady?” one of the maids asked respectfully.
Claire nodded and let them in. “Yes, please do.”
She watched them absentmindedly as they set the tray on an empty table by the window and carefully arranged the plates and utensils for her.
“Your dinner is ready, milady. Is there anything else you need?”
She snapped out of her reverie and smiled faintly at them. “That will be all for now. I shall call for you when I am finished. I wish to be alone for now.”
“As you wish, milady,” they murmured, before they left quietly and closed the door behind them.
After they left, Claire stared somberly outside. The streets were dark, lit only by a few lamps. She could imagine all sorts of danger lurking in the shadows.
The strangest thing was that she did not feel entirely at ease, even with the Marquess offering to walk her home.
It was only when His Grace arrived that she felt safe enough.
Well, Claire, there is no better precursor to danger than stupidity, she told herself as she sat down for dinner.If only you can keep your nose out of trouble for the rest of the Season…
For some reason, she felt a bit ill at ease, and a strange sense of foreboding hung over her head like a dark cloud.
Perhaps, I am just tired after all that has happened today.
