Page 28 of Three Rules to Wed a Duke

“What of your gowns? Your clothing even?”

“I’m sure Lady Agnes and Lady Emma will loan me some things.”

It took several moments for Anthony to reply, and Frances began to feel more and more awkward as the silence continued.He must surely think he’s been duped into marrying a pauper!she thought angrily, only to realize that for all intents and purposes, he had.

“Then you shall require new things at once,” Anthony stated firmly, his jaw clenching with some sort of emotion. “Will your friends accompany you to the shops to make your purchases? Simply have the proprietors send the bills to me.”

“I’m sure they will be glad to help,” she answered, her spirits lifting by his show of kindness.

“Perfect. Then I shall come to collect you this afternoon. Until then,” the duke said.

He nodded politely and turned to leave, then seemed to think better of it. Suddenly, he reached out and took Frances’ hand and held it for a few seconds, hesitating as if he wasn’t sure he should even reach for her. At long last, he leaned down and kissed the back of her hand quickly before hurrying away.

CHAPTER 11

It was a whirlwind day of activity and fuss. Agnes and Emma had of course been delighted by the prospect of having to go to the shops for the things Frances would need. Measurements were taken, fabrics were selected, and orders were placed. Through it all, there was a certain demand that Frances outfit herself as befitting a duchess, but she managed to rein in her friends’ attempts.

“Chemises and stockings are a necessity,” she would remind them cautiously, “jewels are not.”

“But surely you cannot object to these simple pearls? You must have something to wear to social occasions! And these ostrich feathers are required to be worn in your hair at court, so ordered by the Queen herself!”

Frances could only shake her head and remain steadfast. Something told her that Anthony wasn’t the sort to frequent parties or the opera, and she didn’t think she would be going to court anytime soon.

“There will be plenty of time to assemble an entire trousseau later on. For now, I shall only order the things that are needed at once.”

Their hopes of dressing a duchess dashed, Agnes and Emma resigned themselves to selecting fabrics. Much of it Frances intended to put to use with her own needle, for Miss Chatham had required all of the ladies in her care to learn to sew quite adeptly. With her supplies ordered and instructions given to deliver them to her new home, Frances had gladly gone to the Duke of Richmond’s house for a small celebration.

It was not small in the least.

As Frances entered Agnes’ house, she was instantly overcome by the extravagance. Flower-filled bowls and vases stood on every surface, with half a dozen garlands of blooms draped delicately overhead. Platters of delicate foods were piled on tables and carts or even just balanced on the tireless hands of the staff. A string quartet waited on a wide dais that had been erected on one end of the room, and everywhere Frances looked, guests milled about.

“Agnes, what is all this? And who are these people?” she breathed.

Agnes looked unbothered by the sight of it all. She lifted a hand casually and waved her mother over from across the room.

“It’s just a small wedding feast, as promised. But all of the guests are eager to mee the Empire’s newest duchess. There aren’t so many of them, you know, only two dozen or so.”

“Aggie, dear, you were supposed to send word that you’d arrived so the Duke and Duchess could be announced!” her mother said as she approached. She looked over to Frances and winced. “My goodness, Your Grace, what are you wearing?”

Frances looked down at her gown, seeing at once how out of place it was in a room filled with so many members of theton. Agnes intervened.

“She’s coming upstairs to change her clothes. But the Duke of Preston could not make it, Mother,” she explained with a frown. “I thought announcing them and having only Frances appear would set the gossips’ tongues to wagging.”

“Good heavens, that’s quite right. Very good thinking, my dear!” the Duchess of Richmond said, pressing a hand to her mouth as she thought of what to do. “It’s no matter, we’ll come up with something. For now, all of you hurry upstairs to change before the other guests arrive.”

“The other guests? You mean, there are more?” Frances asked as the duchess returned to the main room and then snuck over to the servants’ stairs.

By the time Frances was suitably dressed and ready to come down, the first floor of the house had filled up with people. She made the rounds on Agnes’ arm, greeting everyone and doingher best to learn their names. She was soon struck by a sudden, unkind thought:None of these people cared who I was before I married a duke.

“Oh no,” Frances said as she made her way through the downstairs rooms. “Why are my aunt and uncle here?”

“I told Mother it was a bad idea,” Agnes insisted under her breath, “but she swore it would be far worse to not invite them. It would make you look ungrateful, and people might concoct some sort of scandal since you married so quickly and they were not pleased.”

“Argh. She’s right, of course. She knows so much more about these things than I do,” Franes conceded. “But if it’s all the same, I would prefer not to speak with them.”

“That’s no trouble at all. I shall go and keep them occupied,” Emma said triumphantly as she headed in their direction.

“What did I ever do to deserve such wonderful friends as you two?” Frances asked longingly.

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