“What were those men here for?” Jean asked curiously.
“I don’t know,” Georgiana had to admit. “Father’s never brought anyone here for business before. It must be something sensitive.”
“You don’t think it’s about Marjory, is it?” Emma asked before plopping down on the comfortable bed.
Their cousin, Lady Marjory, was in a similar role as Georgiana. She was one-and-twenty and unmarried. Though she had four younger siblings, they were facing financial difficulties as of late, so this could be her last Season. Her last chance to marry.
With the Season over in three months, there was little hope.
“I don’t think so,” Georgiana replied. “I’m sure Father will tell us. Or Rogers might. He seemed to know someone else would be coming to the door, even if he was a tad late.”
Letting her sister moan about being left in the dark on their way back down the stairs, Georgiana talked through the rest of their day’s plans with Jean. She wanted to give her maid the rest of the day off but would need her assistance after supper to work on Emma’s birthday gift.
“Why can’t you—” Her sister’s complaint was silenced when they heard footsteps in the hall.
They reached the bottom of the stairs and waited, watching silently as the gentlemen from before emerged from the study. Her father wasn’t with them, clearly content to let the men see themselves out. He preferred people to be independent. Though he was not a cruel man, he did have high expectations for everyone.
“My Lords,” she uttered when they came closer.
Narrowing his eyes at her, the Duke merely raised an eyebrow. It appeared he had laid judgment on her, only to find her wanting. An itch started high in her spine that she fought to ignore.
She avoided his gaze to the best of her ability. Ignoring the way her heart pounded, unnerved by his stare, she focused instead on Benedict. He might be dull, but he had never ceased to be kind and polite.
“I hope your visit went well,” she said.
He hesitated more than she had expected, before he finally mustered a smile and nodded. “Yes, well. What a perfect word for that. Well, I should… We should, My Lady…”
It was a wonder these two were related.
She could have sworn the Duke nudged him. But it was hard to tell when neither man said anything. Was Benedict lying to her? She didn’t see why that would matter, but she knew her father could appear harsh.
“Georgiana?” she heard her father call.
“Good day,” Benedict blurted out. He nodded to Jean and Emma, before hastening down the hall.
The Duke’s gaze lingered another moment before he disappeared as well.
Georgiana took a step forward, wondering if they had left in a hurry or if she was imagining it.
“Georgiana? My office. Now, if you please,” her father added after a pause. “You haven’t left, have you?”
“Not yet.” She offered an apologetic smile to her sister.
This was probably going to ruin their schedule.
Emma slumped down on the stairs, a pretty pile of red and pink in her striped dress and jacket. If their father wished to speak to them at a time like this, there was no telling what might happen. She might not have a chance to ride, after all.
“Coming, Father,” Georgiana called back. She tapped her hat, but it would be more work to remove right now. Forcing a smile, she reached her father’s study. “Is something amiss?”
His doors were open. They were never open. She could count on one hand how many times she had been here. Inhaling deeply, she stepped inside.
The Earl sat at his desk, sorting through a few papers. He glanced at her with a slight frown. It was small enough to be a smile. “Close the door, Georgiana.”
“Yes, Father.”
Telling herself there was nothing to worry about, Georgiana clung to her waning confidence and closed the doors. Then she took a seat and prepared herself for the worst.
CHAPTER2
