Page 45 of A Trap by the Rakish Duke
Aurelia looked down at her feet, then raised her head with a smile. “I must admit, you are right, Duchess. This ball does not seem very different, but if I must point out something that is unusual, it would be the stares I have received from every member of the Ton. It is as though I used to be invisible, and now people finally see me.”
“Poor thing.” Catherine smiled, placing her hand atop Aurelia’s. “You can refer to it as the pain of becoming a Duchess. You are suddenly in the spotlight. The whole country is watching your every move.”
Aurelia heaved a small sigh. “I do not see it as a pain,” she said after a beat had passed. “I see it as an opportunity. Before now, I had no friends, and when I got married, I had no one by my side and no one to confide in.” She paused, looking at the two women beside her, and a small smile curved her lips. “I hope to find friends. Perhaps friends who would become like my sisters. Friends I could confide in.”
Both duchesses watched her with compassion in their eyes.
“And you have found them. We are all so lucky that our husbands are as thick as thieves,” Beatrice said with a warm smile that melted Aurelia’s heart.
The conversation soon shifted as Oliver and the three Duchesses jumped through topics with light laughter.
Despite herself, Aurelia found that she was enjoying their company. Catherine’s sharp wit and Beatrice’s warm demeanormade her feel comfortable, as if they had been friends for years. But even as she laughed at their stories, there was still a small part of her that held back.
Could she really let her guard down around them? Could she trust them with her secrets?
Perhaps she couldn’t, since she’d just met them. But she would be lying if she said she didn’t feel the urge to spill her secrets to them. They seemed like women who would not judge her.
However, before she could dwell on it further, two gentlemen approached their small group. With polite bows, they requested to pen their names on Catherine’s and Beatrice’s dance cards and asked them for the next dance.
Catherine and Beatrice exchanged amused glances before accepting their requests.
“Well, it seems we have been claimed for the next set,” Catherine quipped with a grin. “Do enjoy yourselves.”
As they were led away, Oliver turned to Aurelia with a mischievous glint in his eyes. “I suppose it is my turn to ask for a dance,” he said, offering her his hand with a flourish. “Will you do me the honor, Your Grace?”
Aurelia laughed softly and placed her hand in his. “I would be delighted.”
Aurelia’s heart began to pound as they made their way to the dance floor. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Philip standing across the room, his gaze fixed on her and the Viscount. The intensity of his stare was unmistakable and she could feel the waves of his anger from where she stood.
A thrill raced through her, and she couldn’t help but enjoy it.
Let him stew in it.
Her lips curled into a small smile at the thought.
Let him feel a fraction of the confusion and frustration I have been feeling since the day we married.
Oliver led her onto the dance floor, his hand resting lightly on her waist as they moved into position.
“Is something amusing you?” he asked, noticing her smile.
Aurelia glanced up at him, the corners of her mouth still perked up. “Not at all,” she replied, although the sparkle in her eyes betrayed her amusement.
As Aurelia and the Viscount glided across the dance floor and the lively music carried them into the center of the crowd, Oliver’s gaze softened as he studied her. His hand rested lightly on her waist, his movements graceful yet gentle.
“So,” he began, his tone conversational but laced with curiosity. “If you do not mind my asking, what truly happened between you and Philip earlier?”
Aurelia’s breath hitched slightly at the directness of his question. She hadn’t expected him to ask so plainly, and she certainly wasn’t prepared to divulge the full truth of the matter.
“Oh, nothing much,” she said, glancing away for a moment. “Just a little spat. It is…well, it is complicated. Too many things at once.”
Oliver arched an eyebrow, the corners of his mouth twitching with faint amusement. “A spat? You both looked like the perfect couple on the dance floor. I could have sworn you were utterly enchanted with one another.”
Aurelia let out a soft, incredulous laugh. “Perfect?” she echoed, shaking her head. “I assure you, that is far from the truth.”
Oliver smiled but didn’t press her further, though a thoughtful expression crossed his face.
“You know,” he said after a pause, “Philip is not as cold as he might seem. I know he can come off as distant and severe, but there is more to him than that.”
