Page 51 of Five Ways to Bed a Duke

“This better be important, Emmy. Where are we going?” Catherine asked in an urgent whisper.

“I will tell you, but we must find a private place first,” Emmy answered without pausing her quick steps.

“You are aware that this is dangerous, Emmy? Unmarried women do not wander down lonely paths when they attend balls. I thought I taught you that?”

A defeated sigh escaped Emmy’s lips, but she did not stop. “There is a perfect reason for this, trust me.”

Catherine did trust her. While Emmy could be impetuous at times, Catherine trusted her judgment most of the time. She decided to hold her tongue till they arrived someplace private.

As they walked, they heard voices coming from a room ahead of them. Emmy dragged her, and they ducked into a coatcloset. When the sounds of voices and walking feet faded in the distance, Catherine turned to Emmy in the semi-darkness.

“I think I have waited enough. What is this about, and why this need for privacy?” she asked curiously.

She watched as Emmy bowed her head and took a deep breath as if bracing for something. That behavior raised Catherine’s hackles, and her curiosity gradually turned into wariness.

“Cat, you do remember how much I have always wanted to have a mother, seeing as I have been estranged from mine my whole life! I know Richie has been wonderful, stepping in and providing me with the protection and care I needed. I thank you also for your efforts in trying to fill in the knowledge of the more feminine nature that I would have ordinarily acquired from my mother if she had been present. I am grateful, I really am, but a part of me has always longed for my mother,” Emmy said, sounding like a child caught with her hand in the cookie jar.

At this point, Catherine had an inkling of where this conversation was heading, but she was not quite sure she liked it.

“Darling, I hate to say this to you, but you are stalling. What is wrong?” she pressed.

Taking a bracing breath, Emmy admitted, “I sent a letter to my mother, and she is here now to see me.”

To say Catherine was shocked would be the understatement of the century. Of all the things she had expected Emmy to say, this was definitely not it. She had always known that Emmy had longed to reconcile with her mother. She understood why she felt she needed the presence of her birth mother in her life.

She also knew that Richard did not share that enthusiasm, and she was sure it had to do with the fact that he grew up watching his mother display the ugly aspects of her character. That was enough to scar a child deeply, and the man he had grown into did not seem interested in ignoring that trauma because of some far-fetched repentance.

“I never knew you were corresponding with your mother,” Catherine said calmly, trying not to allow the panic she felt to leech into her voice. “Have you considered that your brother will be absolutely furious if he finds out?”

“Yes, I know,” Emmy replied in a remorseful tone. But then she jutted her chin in defiance. “She is my mother, too. Why should I be denied the opportunity to meet her because of some misunderstanding they had years before I was born? I know Richard would not support it. That is why I need you.”

Taking Catherine’s hands in her own, she looked up at her with a pleading look. “I need you to help me, Cat. All you have to do is tell him I was with you when he asks about me later. An alibi of sorts. Besides, I want to introduce you to my mother. I have spoken to her about you several times in my letters, and she expressed a desire to meet you as well. Please?”

Catherine could feel the longing in her dear friend’s voice, and she could feel her resolve faltering. She knew that if Richard found out, there would be hell to pay. They just had to ensure that he never did find out while ensuring her friend did not lose the one-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make peace with her mother.

“Alright, you win.” She could feel Emmy vibrating with joy. “But we have to be careful. Richard must never find out.”

“I agree,” Emmy said. Taking her hand, she led her through the back door that led to the gardens.

Catherine itched to ask her how she had a detailed knowledge of the architecture of the place. But then she guessed if her friend had been planning this meeting for long, she must have done her due diligence to get it done with utmost secrecy. Because Emmy could be thorough when she needed to be.

Soon they were weaving through the dark hedges of the garden till they stepped into a clearing where a stone bench sat at the center.

A woman stood with her back to them. The moonlight reflected the pale color of her hair. Even from her profile, she cut a graceful figure.

“Mother?” Emmy called quietly.

The woman turned, and Catherine confirmed her hypothesis that the woman was indeed the estranged Dowager Duchess. She saw now that Emmy was a spitting image of the woman, down to her blonde hair.

The Dowager Duchess’s eyes glittered with unshed tears. She held out her arms, nodding to Emmy with a watery smile.

Emmy rushed into her embrace, hugging her tightly.

“Emmeline,” the Dowager Duchess said in a teary voice when they finally broke apart. “You have grown into a beautiful woman. I cannot tell you how sorry I am. I should never have left you. I should never have abandoned you or your brother. I was so devastated when I heard about your papa’s death. I had always wanted to return to ask for his forgiveness, but I guess I am a coward of the highest order. I developed cold feet each time,” she croaked, sniffling into a handkerchief while Emmy patted her back in consolation.

Catherine was not sure she felt pity for the woman, seeing as she had abandoned her children for years. It seemed quite suspicious that the Dowager Duchess had returned at such a time. Why did she have a sneaking suspicion that her return had something to do with Richard inheriting the dukedom?

The timing was just far too convenient. But that might just be her cynical side.

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