As Leonard measured Sally’s words, memories of his own mother surfaced—the kindness, sweetness, and love she had showered upon him. The mere thought that she could orchestrate such a situation for him seemed inconceivable. Yet, he quickly chided himself for being unkind. The Countess, in her own way, likely only wanted what was best for Sally. Still, she’d acted recklessly if this was her doing. She’d destroyed not just her daughter’s chance at happiness but Leonard’s future plans as well. And for what?
“I can’t deny that this would be a grave action to take, if indeed she did so,” he said carefully aware that sometimes a child could mistake their parents actions. He’d done it himself many a time.
Sally, with a scoff, expressed her own sentiments. “She did. I know she did. She told me Joanna was in the library and –” She paused, her eyes wide. “Did she know you were in the library?”
Leonard closed his eyes, not wishing to contribute to this familial separation he saw coming. Although he also could not lie. With his eyes cast down he nodded. “Yes, she did. I asked her where it was when I arrived and realized Kenneth was not yet here.”
Sally stomped one foot on the ground. “I knew it. I knew it. What horrid behavior! I’ll not soon forgive her for this.”
“Lady Sally, I know this is upsetting to you but we must focus on what is important now.” Leonard was very aware of the watchful eyes upon them, through the window. Darkness had provided a certain cloak for them – but that wouldn’t last forever. He leaned toward the woman he was now to wed and dropped his voice even further, inhaling her sweet scent. “There will be time to talk about forgiveness and consequences later. For now, we need to give the ton what they want.”
“What they want?” she asked and raised her chin so that he could look into her eyes.
“They will have heard what happened in the library. They’ll speculate about what we are going to do. If we will confess to a long-standing affection or if we will allow the ton to talk more and ruin us. We must show them it is the former, pretended that we long shared a mutual understanding.”
“Pretend this has been long coming?” she asked and dipped her head to one side. “But you were gone for so long.”
“So we will say that we wrote to one another and on the night we were ruined, we could not resist. We will convince them this to so with one simple action—a dance.”
Sally hesitated, her reluctance evident, but Leonard nodded towards the intrigued onlookers and the figure of Lady Millstone, whose face could be seen on the other side of the window, staring shamelessly at them. “Look, Lady Millstone is already watching. We can’t afford to give them more to gossip about,” he adds.
Realizing the truth in his words, Sally took a deep breath.
“Very well, we shall do this. I cannot believe I am following in my sister’s footsteps. Her relationship with Kenneth was a charade from start to finish – or at least until they discovered their feelings for one another. Ours follows a similar pattern, though …” she didn’t finish the sentence but Leonard knew what she meant. There would be no happy ending for them.
He forced his lips to curl into a smile, knowing the next few minutes would set the tone for their future.
Leonard offered his arm, his tone reassuring. “Follow my lead, Lady Sally.”
She took his arm but at the door, she paused. “I am nervous,” she admitted, her voice small and frightened, robbed entirely of the bravado she’d displayed when they first that night. Leonard placed a hand on hers.
“We’ll get through this together.”
They entered into the ballroom and Leonard broke out in a sweat because for all the bravery and certainly he displayed for Sally, he felt uncomfortable himself. Lady Millstone whispered to some people around her, not bothering to conceal her lips with a fan. Meanwhile, he spotted Kenneth standing nearby with Joanna their eyes fixed on them. He’d need to explain himself to his friend, he knew this, but that was a problem for another day.
Lady Carlisle meanwhile hovered by the door to the ballroom and hastened their way the second she saw them.
“I do not wish to speak to her,” Sally whispered and he nodded, whisking her past the other guests and to the dancefloor.
“You will have to but not right now,” he promised. As they stepped onto the dance floor, Leonard guided Sally through the intricate movements of the dance. The ton watched, and despite the underlying tension between them, they managed to maintain an appearance of unity.
“Look into my eyes, Lady Sally,” he instructed. “We must look like a couple in love.”
She did as he’d asked but when their eyes met he saw in them only sadness and disappointment. He knew this wasn’t because she had to marry him. No. he was a Duke and he knew he was rather handsome. Most ladies would have been happy to have his attention, let alone call themselves his wife. But not Sally. She hadn’t chosen. She’d been robbed of her future and she was mourning it. That’s what he saw in her eyes.
And in a way, this forged an understanding because he had felt that way not long ago. Robbed of the future he’d envisioned. He’d been on his way to being a great Duke, one who might have made a difference in parliament. Not that he’d been keen to become Duke. He’d loved his father and always hated the fact that he had to die so Leonard could be Duke. Still, when it had happened, he’d willingly taken on the role – his mother had been at his side then, in the early days. Her help and support had helped him take on the burden. Yet, when she’d died in a riding accident months after Leonard became Duke, he’d been robbed of more than just his support.
He’d been robbed of … everything. For hidden among his mother’s belongings he’d found things that had shattered the world he thought he knew. In one fell swoop he’d lost his past, present, and future.
If only I had not opened her jewelry box. If only I had not read her diary … Perhaps I would be dancing with a young lady I loved, looking forward to my wedding day.
“Your Grace, you look troubled,” Sally said and he broke free of his thoughts. “Do you regret it? It isn’t too late. I could make a scene and get you out of your promise.”
“Make a scene? Would that not make our problems worse?” he asked, allowing a hint of jest back into his voice.
“It would for me. But you might be free once more as everyone would think me befogged.”
He leaned forward so that he could whisper into her ear. “We are in this together, Lady Sally, once and for all. I will speak to Kenneth after this dance, and your mother – in lieu of your father with him I’ll converse in the morning. It is done, Lady Sally.”
