Page 42 of Plucked By the Orc

“Regardless of any relationship that has sparked between the two of you, do you really think this course of action you’ve set out on with Miss Gabbert is for the best?”

“We have a flutter, do we not? Are you ready to abandon it so easily?”

“Our wager involved your tutelage of Miss Gabbert,” Albion said, “resulting in her being able to pass as a lady who might mingle among thetonfreely and thus have all the advantages that go along with that freedom. Not to pretend she is some long-lost countess. I fear there will be too much pressure on her. You have her working at an extraordinary pace. And she’s a human, not an orc, after all.”

There was a time not so long ago when Duncan would have agreed with his brother’s assessment. But he knew now that Iris had the heart of an orc.

“I have complete faith in Miss Gabbert’s stamina. She shall not only meet this challenge but excel at it. You saw her at Mother’s, didn’t you? She made the other guests seem like rabble. There is a certain air about her, don’t you think? She shall be the star of the rout.”

Albion leaned back once more, but the concern in his eyes did not fade.

“Yes. And have you considered the consequences of that? Being that you are an expert on thetonand all.”

Duncan froze, understanding immediately what his brother was getting at. But Albion had never been one to let a point stand on its own when he could pound away at it further.

“She is an unmarried lady. That is well enough in the Hidden Realm. The choice of a woman, and that is all. But in human society, as you well know, that will never do.”

“I have made the acquaintance of human women who live independently,” Duncan said.

“Widows. Perhaps an eccentric young woman whose father provides for her. Even those unmarried women are pitied. What is the term they use? Spinsters? Can you imagine what would happen if someone uttered such a phrase in the Hidden Realm?”

“Mother and her friends would have something to say on the matter.”

“No doubt. However, affairs are far different here, as you well know. Is your intention that Iris Gabbert should conclude her masquerade by marrying a gentleman of note?”

Without meaning to, Duncan let a growl slip from his throat. He could not countenance even the thought of Iris marrying a human gentleman.

Albion lowered his voice to no more than a whisper. “I can see and hear that is not your intention. What is her plan for the future, then?”

“She wants to keep a flower shop but has had trouble securing a lease. Her newfound manners shall help her accomplish this goal.”

“Miss Gabbert may be an extraordinary woman, but having tasted the delights of theton, will she be able to forsake them to become a woman of business?”

“You underestimate her grievously.”

“I do nothing of the sort. It is a temptation any of us would face in her situation, human or orc.”

“I believe she shall open her shop. If that fails, she can find a suitable position as a lady’s companion or the like. She does not need to marry. As I told her when we first met, she can do anything she desires if she cultivates the manner of theton.”

“What if, in the persona of “Countess Jessup,” she receives an offer of marriage too tempting to refuse?”

Duncan pushed his plate away, abandoning any hope of finishing his supper. When he started with Iris, he had found her attractive—who wouldn’t?But the idea of any potential courtship once she was in society hadn’t factored into the equation at all.

Now, reluctantly, he had to admit his brother was right. “Countess Jessup” would attract her share of attention. Proposals were sure to follow.

“She will make her own decisions on the matter,” Duncan said stiffly.

“Just be aware. Word is she already has an admirer. As Iris Gabbert. That Felton fellow who had so many questions for us at Mother’s.”

This news hardly came as a surprise, given how the boy had been falling over Iris. Still, an unwelcome burn seared the back of his throat, the familiar sting of jealousy.

“I am sure Miss Gabbert has more common sense than to entertain any of the lovesick puppy’s wooing,” Duncan said.

“But if she were to entertain it, that is her choice?”

“A woman’s choice of mate is always her choice.”

“Some humans don’t think so,” Albion told him.

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