Page 9 of The Replacement Duchess

CHAPTER 2

Diana had meant every word that she had said. She did not want to be around him, and he was not at all interesting, and she wanted to be alone. Thus, escaping to the gardens made perfect sense.

And yet, as she listened to the others in attendance, she couldn’t help but feel that horrible sense of longing once more—longing to be a part of things, longing to not be under their judgment. It did not matter how little she valued their opinion, she did value it at least a little, and it was enough for it to have eventually gotten to her.

The gentleman couldn’t have known that of course. He was likely the same as everyone else in his thoughts on the matter. She was nothing more than an unfortunate girl from an unfortunate family, and she was unable to do what her younger sister could and break away from that.

She wondered what Samantha was discussing with the professor and his companions. Her sister could have picked up on any oldthing and discussed it for hours; that was just how she was, and in some ways, Diana envied that. She did not, of course, envy the fact that there was nothing Samantha could do with all of the knowledge in her mind, but at least she had something to begin with.

There had already been one dance that evening, and she knew a second one was to begin, meaning they were only halfway through the evening. She would have to go through it all for longer, and she didn’t want to, and it made her feel utterly ridiculous.

“There are those that cannot even feed themselves,” she whispered to herself. “This is a privilege. Act like it.”

“It isn’t the privilege that you think it is,” the voice came once again.

“Was I not clear enough?” she snapped, turning to the same tall gentleman that she had walked away from mere moments ago.

“You certainly were, but I did not want to leave things how they were.”

“I am perfectly happy to. That is my preference, in fact.”

“Then at least tell me your name.”

“Do you honestly mean to say that you do not know who I am?” she asked.

He eyed her carefully, but it was how she felt. It had certainly seemed as though everyone knew who she was when they had entered the ballroom, and he was all too interested in her for her not to question why.

“Well, do you not know whoIam?” he asked in return, and she blinked.

No, she did not. She did not know anyone in thetonsave for herself, her sister, her father, and her aunt. Everyone else was utterly inconsequential unless they were making some sort of remark about her mother.

“There.” He smiled triumphantly. “Then might we assume that it is entirely possible not to know someone even if there are others that do?”

“I suppose,” she grumbled. “Very well, my name is Lady Diana Winston, the eldest daughter of the Earl of Colton.”

“It is a pleasure to meet you.”

“For the first and last time,” she sighed, rolling her eyes. “I do believe that it is now your turn to speak.”

“You are right in supposing that.” He laughed. “Colin Novak, the Duke of Abaddon.”

“You are a duke?”

“Yes,” he replied, though he did not seem all too proud of it.

“Well then, goodnight, Your Grace.”

“Why are you so eager to leave?”

“Why are you the exact perfect opposite of prim and proper? Is it not your duty to be an upstanding citizen?”

“What am I doing that is improper, exactly?”

“You are out in the dark with a lady, alone.”

“And you with a gentleman, and so I hardly think that you are in any position to talk.”

“Oh, I suppose you are right.”

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