Page 63 of A Bride for the Forbidden Duke
“Thank you,” Nancy, the Countess of Lindbury said, her face flushed with happiness. “We are very proud of how we have made the house our own. She looked to the Duke. “Henry, it is good of you to actually turn up to one of my dinner parties.”
“Of course, he would have to now,” Lord Forbes joked. “He has his new Duchess to show off. I told you that a young woman had caught your eye at the Fernwell ball! It was that night you proposed, did you not? Lady Sheridan told us so. She has been sharing fascinating tales of Westley Manor.”
“I am sure,” the Duke answered flatly. He turned to Veronica. “Shall we?”
She nodded, and he offered his arm for her to slip her hand into. It felt unnatural, but it was their pretense. Veronica could feel all eyes on them, but she only cared for how his mere touch radiated through her like a hot poker.
But all those thoughts vanished the moment she saw a glimmering midnight blue gown on an elegant woman with graying hair.
“Mama?” Veronica asked, her voice raising. She broke out into a smile and hurried over to her mother, who was among the other guests in the ballroom where champagne was being passed around. “Mama, I did not know you were attending.”
“It is quite lovely, dearest,” Judith said, laughing. “Ever since you became Duchess, I have been receiving invitations once again.”
Her face shined with more happiness than Veronica had seen in some time. Her attention turned to the Duke, and she curtsied deeply. “Your Grace.”
“Lady Grantham,” he said, bowing.
There was a deep silence where he ought to have said a pleasantry, but he did not, and the silence lingered.
Veronica cleared her throat. “Mama, might we go over to this corner? I have some news for you.”
“Oh?” Judith exclaimed, glancing between the two of them.
Her eyes flitted to Veronica’s stomach, but Veronica was far too focused on taking her mother away from the listening ears of the crowd to refute her guess. “You must tell me!”
Veronica gathered her mother’s hands in her own, keeping her voice low, “Mama, the Duke has been searching for Robert! He has his solicitor looking for him, and they shall find him, I am sure of it.”
Judith’s eyes glistened with tears as she turned to the Duke. “Your Grace, this is true?”
A smile began to lift her mouth as she let herself hope. He looked at her with discomfort as he nodded curtly.
“Yes.” Veronica met his gaze, silently pleading with him to tell her mother more. “We—my associate, Thomas Shawcross, and I—have been following some leads. However, I warn you not to get your hopes up yet. We do not have anything certain yet.”
Veronica knew he would take care not to speak so matter-of-factly to her mother as he had with her. But even still, he hesitated, and she wondered if he was wondering whether to tell her mother to prepare for the worst. Heavens knew, she had to as well.
Judith wrapped the Duke up in a hug, and Veronica had to bite back a laugh at the startled look that crossed his face. He went stiff in her embrace and quickly pulled back, clearing his throat.
“Thank you, Your Grace,” Judith said to him earnestly. “In a world where everyone is spreading nasty rumors about my son, you are caring enough to search for him.”
Please do not have so little mind about you that you will tell my mother you do not care. Do not tell her it is about your investment only, Veronica thought, hoping to convey it with a glance at the Duke.
And he didn’t. He only gave her a tight smile that said he was very much done with the conversation, and he stepped back. “If you will both excuse me, I must speak with Lord Lindbury.”
Veronica guessed it was merely an excuse to be away from her mother’s excitable energy.
Despite her grief and losses, Judith remained a pillar of hope and brightness, potentially falsifying it for Veronica’s benefit, and it had naturally become part of her way. She had certainly brightened since Veronica’s brief engagement.
Judith linked her arm through Veronica’s. “I still cannot believe I am able to introduce you as a duchess to people. You must come home for longer. You and the Duke can stay a night for a long visit, and we can find our way back into theton. What do you think?”
Veronica thought of the tearooms they had not attended in a while, her favorite place to spend the hours away with her mother. It had been some time since they could afford even a simple delight such as that.
“I would like that very much. But speaking of introductions, I see Lady Sheridan and Lady Lindbury at the other end of the ballroom. I shall introduce you to them.”
She led her mother over to the two Dowager Countesses, weaving through countless other lords and ladies whom she would not hope to recognize, having not been present in society enough to learn new faces. She knew some names, of course, but with her prospects dwindling in the past months, she had not had a chance to mingle the way she once had done.
When they approached the two women, Veronica stepped forward.
“Lady Sheridan, Lady Lindbury, I would like to introduce my mother, Lady Grantham.” She gestured to her mother. “Lady Grantham, I would like to introduce Dowager Countess of Sheridan and Dowager Countess of Lindbury. It is Lady Lindbury’s daughter who is hosting this fine dinner party tonight. And Lady Sheridan is His Grace’s aunt.”
