Page 34 of His Enemy Duchess

“We won’t.”

“Nephew—”

“I’m sorry, Uncle, but this isn’t up for discussion. We will offer him the standard rate. Word goes around that the Pratts are taking advantage of deals, and we are going to end up with no one wanting to talk.”

Gregory nodded quietly, his gaze settling back on the countryside landscape that now adorned the wall.

Sophia returned her attention to her plate, pushing around the limp piece of sole and occasionally swallowing down a piece. She felt like a sheep hidden amongst wolves, despite Harriet’s friendly demeanor. Every now and then, she caught a disapproving gaze from William and averted her eyes.

“So, how has life at Heathcote Manor been for you, Sophia?” asked Gregory with what seemed to be genuine interest.

To her surprise, he had been nothing but friendly and polite to her, even at the wedding—what she could recall of it. Harriet had been colder then.

“Oh, it has been… fine. Some difficulty adjusting—you know how such things are… But the servants have been very accommodating. They are all tremendously helpful.”

“Glad to hear that.” Gregory smiled. “You should know, I hired them myself. I made sure my nephew only had the best for his family home. If any of them give you trouble?—”

Sophia swallowed down a flake of fish quickly so she could talk. “Oh no, no, they are all wonderful. I could not have done half of what I have done here without them. Please, don’t even think about it. I’d hate for someone to lose their job because of me.”

William and Harriet chuckled.

“They are servants, my dear,” Harriet said. “If you don’t keep them in line every now and then, theywillgive you a reason to dismiss them. Take it from me, it takes a strict hand and a stern face to run a household. You are a proper lady now, so you should get used to it.”

The earlier friendliness and insistence on informalities had ebbed, replaced by a haughty look on the older woman’s face, as if to say,I know better than you, so do as you are told.

Gregory looked disappointed by Harriet’s words but didn’t say anything. Sophia realized help wasn’t coming, so she surrendered for now.

“Thank you for the advice, Harriet.”

The Dowager Duchess seemed pleased by that. Emboldened even. “Speaking of, when are you going to update your wardrobe, my dear?”

“My… wardrobe?” Sophia blushed. “Apologies, Harriet, but I didn’t realize there was anything wrong with it. It is all of recent popularity.” She glanced down at her pea-green day dress, dotted with embroidered sunflowers. “I picked all of my clothes myself.”

Now, if my mother had selected my wardrobe, I might agree with you.

She did not say that out loud, not wanting to give the Pratts any ammunition against her family.

“It is a little too… eccentric, my dear.” Harriet spoke as if she was addressing a child. “The color, I mean, and that odd pattern. It looks like you have stains. Not befitting of the lady of the house.”

William chuckled again, but Gregory did not sit back this time.

“Something amusing to you, William?”

“Eccentric? Eccentric is putting it mildly. I know we are all trying to be polite—we must be if you are complimenting the changes she has made to the house—but she clearly got her taste from her mother. Have youseenhow that woman dresses?” William wiped his mouth with a napkin as his mother stifled a chuckle. “Did you see what she wore to the wedding?”

It appeared that the Pratts already had plenty of ammunition, and Sophia cursed herself for not seeing it coming.

“Oh, why did you remind me of that? Ugh.” Harriet laughed even harder. “For a moment, I thought a peacock with a briar bush stuck to its head had escaped from the Kensington Palace gardens.”

William followed up with his own laugh, the two of them cackling like the wretched harpies that they were.

The only people who were allowed to mock Lydia Kendall’s choice of attire were her family.

Sophia glared daggers at the nasty pair and breathed heavily, twisting her napkin into tight knots, but she kept her mouth shut. Clearly, they were trying to antagonize her, so they could call her uncouth and confirm what they thought they knew about her.

She would not give them the satisfaction.

Gregory shook his head but also remained silent.

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