Page 28 of Taken By the Duke of Stone

She shifted her gaze away from his, "I do not know what you are talking about."

"Be happy for her," Lavinia's aunt said. "She managed to land a man who she adores. It is so very rare in society to find so many good traits in one person. The Duke is not just well to do, but Lavinia says he is a genuinely kind man."

"Hmm," her cousin hummed, "he is so perfect and dashing," he said sarcastically.

"I loathe you," her mouth twitched.

He guffawed and then the two of them were doubled over laughing much to Lady Hartfield's confusion. She shook her head at them and stepped down from the carriage as it came to a halt.

"Rumors are flying about you and the Duke, dear," her aunt informed her, "I have already gotten several more invitations and people leaving their calling cards. But, if the dowager Duchess fails to acknowledge you tonight-"

She didn't need to complete her statement for Lavinia to realize the effect of that.

"It will be fine," Noah patted the hand she had on his arm, "The dowager Duchess is not going to snub you publicly. I'm sure she does not want the sort of rumors that act will bring about."

After their day at the ice parlor, Lavinia had noticed that Victor's sister was skeptical about her. And if the girl was, it wasn't farfetched to assume that her mama may share the same opinion.

She took in a deep breath, "we are holding up the carriage line."

The group of three, with the two women hanging off each of Noah's arms approached the large, double doors of the house, head held high.

It was quite obvious that her presence bad been long awaited as she immediately spotted people whispering to each other as she stepped in.

The eyes on her were a mixture of awe, envy, surprise, contempt, derision and curious. She had suspected that after their public outing, she would have to face something similar to this, but lord, she hadn't thought it would be this obvious.

"I am not the one being scrutinized but I want to tuck tail and run," Noah whispered to her, "This is almost terrifying."

The horror in his voice caused her to bite back a deranged laughter.

"I believe she was compromised," she heard someone whisper, "It is the only way the Duke would ever agree to wed her."

"I heard she trapped him."

"I heard they have been betrothed from childhood. The former Duke arranged it before he passed and the current Duke has no way of breaking out of it."

"Poor man," someone else tsked. "If he had only known she would grow up to be so plain."

Lavinia's ears were burning, but she was a soon to be duchess, she couldn't give in to her temper. She had known people would talk, she just hadn't realized they would be so shameless about it.

The crowd suddenly parted to reveal the Dowager Duchess of Wyld. For one terrifying second, Lavinia thought she would snub her in public, but the woman hadn't gotten to where she was by being a fool.

"Come, child," she smiled at her, a stiff and false smile but a smile nonetheless.

Theton'spenchant for gossip was only surpassed by how gullible they tended to be and so they watched with bated breath as Lavinia approached Victor's mother, a woman she had never met before in her life with a fond smile.

"Your Grace," Lavinia dropped into a curtsy worthy for a queen and the Dowager Duchess laughed.

"Nonsense," she said, loud enough for the people around to hear, "You mustn't address me so formally. We are soon to be family, after all."

With that single move, Lavinia's place had been secured and the gossip around her engagement to the Duke was squashed.

"I had no idea you were capable of showing such deference," someone whispered into her ear.

She turned with a small gasp to see the Duke standing beside her wearing a smile so small that she knew it was just for her.

She smiled sweetly at him and whispered back, "My deference is reserved solely for people who deserve it."

"Let me guess," he said, stealing her away from his mother's side with a practiced ease that to anyone else wouldn't reveal that he was saving the two women from each other, "Everyone but one certain duke?"

---