“It’s beautiful,” Georgina praised. “I must ask you to make me one when you have time. I would really like that.”
“I will make one right now!” Madeline declared excitedly before running off.
Georgina brushed down the front of her skirt. “I must find some vegetables. Is there a stall at the market where I could buy some?”
“Arthur sells vegetables!” someone from the crowd shouted.
Georgina happily set off for the market stalls, the small crowd following her, with Bridget by her side.
“I would say you are doing just splendidly,” Bridget noted. “They have taken a shine to you. The villagers will always be polite, but you can tell when it is all for show. This is all genuine.”
It feels like when I was struggling in the water and the Duke took hold of me. Everything has fallen into place, and all has become calm.
She went with the crowd to the stalls and admired some of the vegetables, buying some and adding them to the large basket Bridget had fetched from the coach. Georgina then perused some of the other stalls, admiring some freshly spun wool, carved crests, and the freshly baked bread, also adding some of that to her basket.
A sudden murmur of excitement tinted with some nervousness drew Georgina’s attention away from her shopping. She looked over to where the crowd was collectively staring to see a rider approaching on a horse. It took her a moment to realize that it was the Duke riding toward them. Everyone fell silent as they waited for him to arrive.
By the time the Duke had appeared, so had most of the village, but the gathering had more to do with the Duchess’s arrival.
Lysander was dark, imposing, and every inch the Duke, and the villagers became noticeably stiffer as he drew closer, and seemed to hold their collective breath. The Duke rode up beside Georgina, looked down upon her, then dismounted his horse and handed the reins to a young villager, who led the horse away to be fed and boarded for however long the Duke needed.
“I heard you were visiting the village,” Lysander said. “I wish you had told me so I could have come with you.”
“I didn’t need any fanfare,” Georgina said. “I don’t wish for them to be told to like me. I only want to visit with them and have them make up their own minds about me.”
She also knew that the Duke might unduly influence them and that his presence would prevent them from speaking out if they had any problems.
Lysander leaned in closer and lowered his voice. “I have spent years cultivating their trust, and they will respect you because they respect me.”
I’m not sure it’s respect I want from them.
Then, something surprising happened. At least, it was surprising to the Duke.
“We’ll keep her, Your Grace!” someone called out. “You’ve chosen a fine lady.”
Shouts of agreement rang out from the mass of villagers.
“She’s one to keep,” Elsie stated.
Then, Madeline ran up from outside the crowd, straight to Georgina. She tugged on the Duchess’s skirt.
“Your Grace, I didn’t want you to leave without a doll. I will have a lot of time to make some new ones, and this is the one I made most recently. Will you please take it? I can make more.”
“I will certainly take it,” Georgina said. “Thank you so much.”
She took the straw doll from the young girl and held it with pride.
Lysander stared at Georgina with open curiosity, as if to say, ‘Who is this woman?’
Georgina stared back with her own sly little smile.What? Why wouldn’t they like me?
“We all can’t wait to meet Mr. Squawksby!” Trevor shouted from somewhere unseen. “I’ve never seen a parrot before.”
Lysander looked at Georgina again, but this time she didn’t look back. She only stood within the circling crowd, under the Duke’s appreciative gaze, flushed and radiant from the warm attention of the villagers, standing amidst them as though she’d always belonged there, even though she’d only met them less than thirty minutes ago.
“It seems you make quite an impression on people,” Lysander said.
And then it was Georgina’s turn to be surprised when he wound his arm around her waist and held on tight to her hip.
