Page 17 of Always the Bridesmaid, Never the Duchess
Why has he changed his mind?She stroked Mr. Tibbs’s fur. “You shall have to endeavor to play nice, Mr. Tibbs. Try not to bite the duke no matter how tasty you think he might be.
That afternoon when she heard the sound of a carriage arriving, Kate forced herself to remain seated in the drawing room. She positioned herself in such a way as to appear diligently working on another cushion for the wedding. It wouldn’t do to let Andrew know that she had stitched and pulled apart the piece twice while awaiting his arrival. She couldn’t decide if she was happy that he would assist with the wedding or annoyed. She had thought a man like Andrew would be decisive and cocksure, but his recent actions left her unable to discern his measure.
When he entered the drawing room, Kate greeted him then said, “I was shocked to receive your note, Your Grace. After our disagreement in the garden, I thought you would not return except to attend the wedding.”
Andrew inclined his head. “My behavior was discourteous. Despite my anger at having my name muddied by the gossip mills again, I should not have been a brute to you. I apologize.”
An apology from his lips was not what Kate expected or wanted for it was she who was at fault. “No, it is I who should apologize to you. I am no better than the old aunties sitting by the fire believing the rumors that flit around the room like dust on the air. I have wronged you and for that, I am truly sorry.”
“I have no idea how my name became entwined with your brother’s and his purported affairs. I often wonder who I treated so poorly as to cause them to sully my name,” Andrew said.
“I find myself wondering the same. And who spread such scurrilous lies about my brother then?” Kate said. She leanedforward. “I feel that I should apologize again and again for misjudging you. I am loath to think how I would feel if I were judged as harshly by others as I misjudged you.”
Andrew let out a guffaw of laughter. At Kate’s look of confusion, he said, “Even in our apologies we try to outdo the other. Let us say no more about these horrible rumors. Put them to bed and pray they will no longer arise. As for you and me, let’s call a truce so that this wedding may take place as planned, and then we shall proceed with our lives as if we were strangers. Agreed?”
Kate tried to imagine ever treating the duke as a stranger after he had aroused feelings in her that she had never before felt. But he awaited her response, so she nodded. “Agreed. We will work together for the sake of Miss Roves and the Earl of Winfield, then we shall part as if we were strangers.”
He smiled at her then, and rather than wolfish, it was one of genuine happiness. Kate felt a small bit of satisfaction with herself. She had managed to spend five minutes in his presence without arguing.
“Shall we proceed then? We have much to do and little time until guests arrive,” Kate said.
“I thought about your suggestion that we have a simple tune played during the ceremony, but I think we need something else,” Andrew said, taking a seat across from her.
Kate felt herself immediately bristle. They were less than ten days until the ceremony. No major changes could be made. Shethought they would make minor changes such as placing a vase of flowers at one end of the table rather than the other. Rather than expressing her displeasure, she bared her teeth in what she hoped was a smile and said, “Yes? What else could we add?”
Kate heard a tiny laugh from Sally who sat in the corner stitching lace onto the gown Kate would wear on the morning of the wedding. She gave her maid a sharp glance, but Sally was bent over her needle furiously stitching.
“I think that we should keep your original plan for the beginning of the ceremony, but it would be nice to have a small choir.”
Kate conceded that a choir would be an excellent addition to the ceremony. “Would we be able to acquire such a thing this close to the event?”
Andrew leaned back in his chair. “I took the liberty of contacting the curate for the parish. He has a group of lads that are eager to participate in the day’s events. I’ve given him a few suggestions for pieces to perform. I hope they will meet with your approval.”
Kate narrowed her eyes. She did not know what to make of the duke and his new docile behavior. She did not find it quite as attractive as when his blue eyes sparked with anger and his smile grew hungry like a wolf.
“Whatever you’ve chosen will be lovely. Now, what about flowers for the wedding carriage? The gardeners have promised me enough Sweet William to adorn them,” she said.
Andrew nodded. “Excellent. I did not even consider decorating the carriage, but you have a keen eye for details, Miss Avery.”
Kate blushed. “I think that our new truce will prove to be quite productive. In the spirit of cooperation, shall we visit the ballroom, so you and I can talk to the servants about the placement of the seats and how to festoon the room with ribbons?”
Andrew rose and offered Kate his arm. Kate slipped her hand into the crook of his elbow, and with Sally following at a discreet distance, they strolled to the ballroom. Kate decided to enjoy theirdetentefor as long as it lasted.
That evening, long after Kate and the Dowager Viscountess had retired, Andrew sat in his bedchamber staring into the fire. He had surprised himself when he decided to return to Renwood Castle. Originally, he had sworn to set foot there only on the morning of the wedding and to immediately excuse himself afterward, manners be damned. But when he thought back to their argument in the garden and the dawning realization he saw in Kate’s eyes, he felt that he needed to make amends. She had only believed the lies that others had spread, and he understood that her behavior came from her love of her brother, not malicious intent. He was a gentleman and could not begrudge Kate her defense of her family.
Not that today had been without conflict. When they had discussed the seating arrangements for the guests at thewedding breakfast, he almost laughed at the sour expression on Kate’s face as she fought not to argue with him. He had done his best not to provoke her, but he found he couldn’t resist a minor provocation just to see the color rise in her cheeks.
No. Miss Avery isn’t a marriageable woman, but she makes an excellent conversationalist.It was refreshing to speak with a woman without her agreeing to everything he suggested like a bird bobbing for fish in a pond. Kate was more like an angry barn swallow defending her young against the tom cat looking to steal her chicks.
Andrew smiled as an image of Kate in the guise of a barn swallow came to mind. It was unfortunate that after this wedding was over, they would part company. As the fire burned down, Andrew found that he wasn’t altogether sure he wanted such a parting to take place.
Three days before the ceremony, the guests for the wedding arrived in droves. Renwood Castle had been scrubbed, polished, and decorated until it was as pretty as one of the fairy cakes the cook made for Kate as a child.
During the hours of preparations, Kate found she scarcely had time to breathe, let alone worry about Andrew and their agreement to part as strangers. They spent their days both biting back their words of disagreement in order to maintain their truce. In the evenings, the Dowager Viscountess carried the conversations over dinner as Kate would be too exhausted from holding her tongue all day. Kate surmised Andrew felt the same as she because she often saw his jaw tighten when she voicedher opinion. But they stayed true to their word to maintain their truce for the good of Julia and Harry.
It was with some relief that Andrew had departed two days before the event to make his own preparations and escort his grandmother to the wedding. Kate found she could breathe once more and scowl without fear of offending. She did not know how countries formerly at war maintained their truces. She feared if she were ever in charge, a permanent state of battle would occur.
When she spotted the duke arriving with his grandmother, the Dowager Duchess of Devonport, she excused herself and hid in her library. Few guests wandered into her private domain, and she found the quiet a welcome respite from the wedding arrivals. She pulled her favorite volume of poetry from the shelf and settled down on her comfortable dark green chaise to read. Tibbs whined and she patted the small cushion next to her.
