Page 42 of Her Duke Next Door
“I can assure you that the rumors are nonsensical and false,” Dominique said, although he thought there would be little convincing this woman. “I was cleared of any wrongdoing.”
“As the scandal sheets mentioned but that does not mean I believe what I read.”
“And yet you have believed the scandal sheets about the negative rumors surrounding His Grace?” Mary challenged, glaring at her mother. “Mama, this is a wonderful day for me. You may scold me in private or I shall visit you at your home.”
“You are not frightened of him?” Lady Angleton asked in a whisper as Anne, Alexander, and Christian got themselves settled in the room. Now that they had moved further from Dominique the air seemed to be better, as though he had more room to breathe. He stepped out of the parlor for a moment, catching his breath. As he did he heard the whispered, “Do you know what they call him, Mary? Why he left London?”
“Mama,” she pleaded. “I understand you are worried but I would like to discuss this in private. I would not have made a choice I was not sure of. And I am sure of His Grace’s promise to keep Eloise and I safe.”
“Ah, Eloise!” Anne said loudly, once again trying to steer the conversation to safer waters. “Where is my beautiful niece? It has been too long.”
“I shall call her down,” Mary said. She came out of the parlor, smiling sheepishly. “I am sorry for her.”
“She has every right to be concerned,” he muttered. “I should not ask you to wait for me to talk about my past.”
“I wish to hear it when you are ready,” she told him. She cupped his cheek. “I trust you.”
Does she truly? Dominique wondered. Instead of asking, he put on a wide smile. “I shall go and ask Katie to come and meet her new extended family.”
***As the afternoon wore on, Dominique struggled more and more.
“I cannot handle your mother,” Dominique muttered to Mary as the shrill voice of Lady Angleton echoed Ruxham House.
* * *
He had thought he could handle Lady Angleton without a problem but his spine went rigid at her shrill voice.
“My darling! Mary!” Her call came, as it often had that afternoon when she wished for attention. How different Mary was to her mother, he noted. She had not yet warmed up to him but he supposed he could not expect anything else yet even if it weighed on his heart. He could not stand being a disappointment to yet another family.
The Duchess grinned at Dominique, giggling because she had known he would not handle them the longer he was around them, but he put on his broadest smile and let her go first to see her mother. He lingered back and did not think about the fact that he did not have anybody to worry about showing off his new wife to. At least he did not have to explain his actions to anybody.
Decidedly, Dominique liked Anne, Mary’s sister. He now knew a lot of what Anne had endured from Mary’s late husband, and to see her bright smile and love for her husband, Alexander, made him hopeful for Mary’s own past wounds. He strode into the parlor, where Mary sat with her mother.
“My mama has decided that she shall spend more than a night here,” the Duchess said.
“Indeed,” Lady Angleton said. “How could I ever bear to part from my beautiful grandchildren? You have a lovely daughter, Your Grace. Does she take after her mother?”
The barb dug into him as he forced a smile. Anne choked on the sip of tea she had. “Mama.”
“I only asked,” Lady Angleton said.
“Yes she does,” Dominique answered tersely. “But she has my passion for life and determination to get into as much mischief as she can.”“I shall also be staying longer because there is nothing wrong with wanting to ensure the safety of my daughter.” Lady Angleton’s eyes pierced Dominique. “And, honestly, Mary, wedding without alerting us! I am rather disappointed. Your father is livid. He cannot bear to see you lest he scold you. But I half had a mind to let him do so!”
“Our father misses you,” Anne told Mary. “And his wife. He shall visit you later.”
“Then you all must stay for dinner,” Dominique said. “It would please me greatly to get to know my wife’s family.”
“As it would benefit us from getting to know you, Your Grace,” Lady Angleton sniffed. But then she smiled, looking at both of her daughters. “Both of my girls, married to Dukes. I am so proud of you both.”
“I will bet that stung, did it not?” Alexander whispered to Christian, the two of them laughing together boyishly. Once again, their closeness hit Dominique, as he had also missed out on that.
Make an effort with them for your wife, he told himself. So he strode over to Christian.
“Christian, your sister tells me you travelled across Europe several years ago. I am a man well-travelled myself.” Christian nodded in acknowledgement. “How about yourself, Alexander?”
“Ah, I unfortunately did not get the chance to do my Great Tour of Europe,” he answered. “I must only listen in on the wonders but I can talk about France a lot. My grandmother is rather fond of France and lived there for most of her life.”
The three of them discussed the best imports from France and Dominique started to relax a little until he realized that he had never experienced this before. Closeness, a family who cared and listened.
