His sister smiled sadly at him. “You are so in love with her that you would do anything to keep her safe and see her happy. I hope that you will have the courage to one day step into the light so she can see you and your affections clearly.”
He merely smiled grimly in reply. “I can only pray that Claire finds a more suitable match for her—someone who will cherish her in every way. If not, then I sincerely hope that I am mistaken about Lord Draydon.”
However, Oliver knew deep in his heart that there was something afoot with the Marquess—he just did not know what it was yet.
Indeed, if Claire truly had tender feelings for his old schoolmate, Oliver prayed that he was wrong about the Marquess of Draydon and that he loved Claire half as much as he himself did.
Chapter 17
Claire checked her reflection in the mirror once more, noting how she had lost weight since her father died. It did not help that the black mourning clothes only made her look thinner and paler, so much so that she seemed more wraith than woman.
Black really is not my color, she noted with a wrinkle of her nose.
It was yet another afternoon of callers and although in the first few instances, it had mostly been only Lord Draydon dropping by, she found that the amount of people flocking to the townhouse seemed to have increased over the past few days.
“I do not understand where all of these people are coming from,” she had remarked to Lady Suzanna once after dinner. “I never knew I made an impression on so many people in just a portion of a Season!”
“You are a rather notable young lady, dear Claire,” the duke’s sister told her with a smile. “Besides, it is just the way that Polite Society is. Some of them might even just be fishing for some gossip!”
“Well, what could be so interesting to hear from someone in mourning?” she asked wryly, with a little wrinkle of her nose. “Besides, it is such an uncomfortable topic to discuss!”
She looked up from her reflection when she heard a lively rap on her door, smiling at the rapid, staccato beat. Only Trixie, with her exuberant personality, would knock so, anywhere in the entire townhouse.
True enough, her sister pushed open the door before she could even call for her to come in.
“There are a bunch of gentlemen in the drawing room again!” she declared, breezing into Claire’s room without so much as a glance at her sister as she dropped to one of the upholstered chairs in a most unladylike manner. “When Lady Suzanna mentioned that we would be accepting callers who wanted to extend their sincerest sympathies, I thought that most of them would be women! Men cannot be bothered by such things.”
Her sister’s observation was rather astute as Claire had wondered herself why men numbered the most amongst those who came to offer their condolences for their loss.
“Perhaps there are just many in London who feel that it is the polite thing to do,” she pointed out to her sister. “After a few days, I gather that the crowd will eventually thin out and we will be back to hosting just two to three people in one day.”
Trixie looked at her strangely. “You truly believe that, Claire? They seem to be coming back a lot, especially that Lord Artemus something.”
“Lord Draydon,” Claire corrected her sister. “And he is the Marquess of Draydon.”
Seeing as she lived with a Duke, Trixie did not appear the least bit impressed with Lord Draydon’s title.
“I do not know, Claire, but there is something rather strange about him.” She glanced meaningfully at her sister. “It seems like he is hiding something and I heard him talking once—it was like he was going around in circles about something!”
“Well, that is precisely how polite conversation goes,” Claire chuckled. “Since most everyone is afraid of offending someone.”
“I just don’t like him.”
She smiled fondly and tapped her younger sister on the nose. “Then, thank heavens you are not marrying him.”
Trixie laughed at her sister. “As long asyouare not marrying him, either!” she shot back with a smile. “Although one has to admit that he is rather nice-looking.”
“My, would you look at that? Our little Beatrice all grown up and noticing handsome men!”
“Stop teasing me, Claire!” The younger girl folded her arms over her chest and pouted at her sister. “You know what Father used to say about handsome men with secrets.”
Claire stopped and glanced at her sister, who was looking at her in earnest.
“Beatrice Rowley, whatever do you mean?” she asked.
Trixie shrugged. “Just be careful around him, Claire. I do not think he is very trustworthy.”
Well, you are not alone in that, Claire thought, remembering the words Lady Suzanna spoken to her when they first drifted apart.
