Page 38 of A Wallflower's Convenient Duke
“I am afraid,” she said at last, her voice trembling. “What if I fail this evening? What if I disappoint Philip—or you—or everyone who expects something from me? I… I do not know how to be what I am meant to be. Not really.”
Her heart fluttered with nerves as she admitted this aloud.
Everything that she had been trying to push down so it did not overwhelm her, floated painfully to the surface.
Now that the night was here, she could not ignore it any longer.
Evelyn turned to Blanche, her eyes softening with understanding. She took Blanche's hands in her own, the warmth of her touch a reassuring anchor. “Oh, my dear. You already are.”
Blanche bit her lip, uncertainty clouding her features. "And what of Philip? I fear I might not live up to his expectations. I have come to admire him so much… and I would hate to disappoint him."
Evelyn’s smile turned tender, her gaze thoughtful. “My son is a man who guards his heart well. He has done so for years. But since your arrival, I have seen a change in him. A softening. He speaks of you with quiet reverence. You have given him something I feared was lost—hope. Laughter. A reason to look ahead.”
Blanche stared, wide-eyed. “Truly?”
“Truly,” Evelyn said. “And Blanche—he is not the only one changed. I see you too. You carry yourself differently now. With purpose. With grace. Whatever brought you together mayhave been unexpected, but what grows between you… that is something rare.”
Blanche was overcome with a mixture of emotions — relief, gratitude, and a new found sense of purpose. She felt a weight lifting from her shoulders, replaced by the understanding that she had already succeeded in ways she had not fully comprehended. Evelyn's words resonated, echoing in the caverns of her heart.
"That is wonderful to hear," Blanche said softly, her voice touched with quiet relief. A fragile warmth stirred within her, loosening the tight knot that had long weighed upon her heart. "I am glad—truly glad—that all of this has not turned out to be a hardship for Philip. From the very beginning, I have carried a sense of guilt over the circumstances that brought us here. That afternoon in the blue parlour… it was never meant to happen. A simple, innocent conversation, yet it led to so much more than either of us could have foreseen. I have felt, ever since, that I might have brought nothing but disruption to his life and that is something I would never wish upon anyone."
Evelyn tilted her head, her expression softening with understanding. A thoughtful smile touched her lips, and there was a glint of knowing in her eyes. "My dear girl, my son has done nothing but seek to protect you since the very first whisper of scandal. But I see more than that now. In the short time you have been his wife, something has shifted. He respects you, Blanche—he truly likes you. You have not unsettled his life. Quite the opposite, in fact. You have brought something to it that was long absent."
A gentle warmth bloomed in Blanche’s chest. It was comforting—reassuring—to know she was not alone in sensing the quiet closeness forming between herself and Philip. Evelyn’s words stirred something tender within her, a flicker of hope she scarcely dared name. He had not declared anything outright, ofcourse, nor had she yet sorted through the maze of her own feelings. But perhaps, in time, the truth would reveal itself.
Perhaps even tonight.
After all, if ever there were a setting for hearts to awaken, it was a ball.
Her pulse quickened with the thought. This evening would not simply be about curtsies, compliments, and courtly conversation. It would be her first true appearance before the ton as the Duchess of Brooksdale—and more daunting still, it might offer the first glimpse into what her marriage could become.
Could there be more than civility between them? Could something real take root?
The uncertainty made her breath catch. It was a great deal to rest on one night. Too much, perhaps. And yet… Blanche could not help but hope.
