Page 49 of The Matchmaker Meets her Duke
This visit had just taken on a whole new turn. With the Dowager Viscountess of Riverton joining them, this would take far longer than she had imagined. Heavens, they would be here all day. And she would never make it in time for her party. Goodness, she would be missing herownparty.
She could fake a heart attack. No, she would. She would sneeze, and clutch at her chest with a panicked gaze, and maybe kick off her teacup off the little table as she slumped to the floor–
Beside her, the Dowager had begun to bicker aboutthe horse. Again."I reckon you at least made a fortune from the buyer? Josephine was a very expensive horse."
The Dowager Viscountess of Riverton was scowling. Somehow the finely tailored woman managed to make even scowling look regal. "Younamedyour horse?"
"Only as every other proper human does," the Dowager said primly, her cup to her lips. "Of course, I see how that would be far beyond you."
"And of course,Isee how you would be so generously informed of the cutthroat affairs of the business world. Tell me, did your daughter-in-law split the profits of her paper sales with you?"
The Duchess of Kingsbury's ears basically jutted from the sides of her head. "What profits? What paper sales?"
Emmett's grandmother flicked a hand that strived to be dismissive, but the host Duchess did not look convinced. "Fantastical nonsense, that is what she speaks of."
But Pandora caught the meaningful look that passed between the Duchess and the Dowager Viscountess Riverton. But it had been so quick, so fleeting, she wondered afterward if she had imagined it.
She had. Her own impatience and anxiety from scheming an escape to her party were finally taking a toll on her. Once again, she cast her gaze upon the clock.
Meanwhile, Rose rolled her eyes while her grandmother straightened up, at least to the extent that her aging spine would allow, and put her teacup away. "Now, let me tell you all a story of long ago," she addressed them. "It's about Edna here, who as fate would have it once ran into me at the Queen's ball and told–"
This would be a fine time to fake her heart attack. Or illness?
Pandora squirmed under their questioning and bemused gazes. She clasped the back of her hand to her forehead, and in her version of a dazed, dizzy voice, explained, "Sorry, I… I feel suddenly overwhelmed by a strong fever."
Rose was… smirking?
"Poor child, who can blame you?" said Dowager Viscountess Riverton. "Ofcoursehaving to listen to your grandmother-in-law all day would do that to you."
While the Dowager scrunched her offended face and parted her mouth, most likely to say something scathing, the Duchess of Kingsbury turned to Pandora. "Most sorry, Your Grace. Lay your head back, will you?" And to her butler: "Ask Miss Jodie to make the Duchess some broth soup at once."
Pandora did as she was asked, laying her head back even though she wanted to do nothing more than scream and thrash. There went her last attempt at an escape.
She would never make it in time to her party now.
ChapterTwenty-Two
They were curled up in Baroness Humphrey's drawing room, their last visit of the day – to Pandora's immense gratitude – when the Baroness' daughter screeched into the room, a gossip paper clasped dearly to her bosom.
"Mama, Mama!"
"What is it?" Baroness Humphrey sounded more bored than alarmed as if she were overly acquainted with her young daughter's theatrics.
She cast a hard look at the girl, then an apologetic one at Emmett's grandmother, Rose, and herself. Pandora barely shrugged her curiosities, not in the least piqued. She didn't mind the interruption. If anything, she welcomed it. One more step closer to getting out of here and making it to her party before it was over.
"What is it?" the Baroness repeated, but her daughter maintained a dramatically dazed expression. She extended the paper to her mother, practically begging her to play along with her dramatic performance. Baroness Humphrey heaved an irritated sigh and took the paper from her daughter.
Like a magic trick, Pandora watched the finely powdered woman's eyebrows gradually shoot up. "Oh," she said. She cupped a hand to her mouth. "Oh my."
"What is it?" Rose said. Pandora did not miss the new pitch in her voice, but she attributed it to the curious scene unfolding. When the Baroness cast a hard look at Pandora, however, she knew something was not right. Why look at her? What in the paper could be of any concern to her?
"What's happened?" Emmett's grandmother asked, cocking her head as if she could have a view from the Baroness' seat across from her.
Without a word, the Baroness passed the paper along to Rose. Pandora felt the rapid rise and fall of her chest and tried to steady herself. She couldn't imagine why she was nervous. She hadn't done a thing wrong. Except continue to host her parties in secret. But surely–
"Well?" said the Dowager, tapping her crow head cane against the polished floors. "Don't keep me in suspense, young woman. It does more to the heart than even aging."
"It's the Lady Datura," announced Rose.
