Page 13 of Claiming His Lost Duchess
If something has happened… if he had realized the truth on his own in her absence, it might’ve been too late. She might’ve never seen Sophia again.
“Georgina!” Joan called out again, her anxious, desperate heart beating furiously within her chest.
She had only taken five steps past the foyer before her cousin came rushing from around a corner.
“My goodness, Joan! What on earth is the matter? I was in the library when I heard your call! It is quite improper for a lady to run around, screaming. What sort of examples are you setting for your —”
“Did anyone say anything?” Joan asked, interrupting her.
Georgina stood there, confused.
“Did who say anything about what?” she asked slowly.
Joan shook her head, walking closer to her cousin. “Did you hear any rumors about me? Does anyone know that we lied about my husband being dead?”
She had not expected to see him ever again, much less so soon after she had moved back to London to start her life over. But she was certain he was the one she had met in the park. He would have recognized him from miles away. And it was quite obvious that he recognized her as well, with how intent he was on keeping Joan there with his invasive questions.
She was not sure he believed her claims of being a widow, but if he found out that she had lied, not only would he ruin her reputation, but he would also have cause to take Sophia away from her.
“No, Joan,” Georgina said calmly, reaching out to pat her on the back reassuringly. “I promise, if we had been found out already, we would've heard about it. But I haven't heard even a mumblethat suggests anyone doubts our story. Do not worry, Joan. Our plan is working perfectly.”
Joan breathed in slowly, telling herself to trust her cousin and their fabricated story. Even ifhehad any suspicions, it would be difficult to act without any proof.
“You are right,” Joan stated, finally calming down. “If anyone suspected anything, we would've been questioned about it. I am sorry about my outbursts earlier. I was worried for nothing, it would seem.”
Georgina waved a hand in the air dismissively.
“Do not worry about it too much. I’m sure all the plans we laid out are still intact. In the meantime, you must get yourself ready. We will be having an important guest join us for dinner. He could very well be your future husband.”
With that information, Joan felt her mood turn sour immediately.
“I believe I already expressed my stance on the matter, Georgina. I have no desire to get married. Why must you insist on this?” she asked, feeling annoyed.
“You forget, cousin, that I am not wealthy enough to support us all forever. I barely have enough between us both, and like I mentioned, your daughter would want to have a father. It willmake her much more confident about her upbringing,” Georgina pointed out, exasperated.
She already has a father — she even met him this afternoon,Joan said to herself, feeling drained as she considered sitting across a man she did not know all evening.
Still, she did not want to disrespect Georgina by refusing to entertain a guest she had invited, so begrudgingly, she said,
“I will meet with this man, but I will not harbor any intentions to marry just yet. I believe these things — getting to know someone I might spend the rest of my life with — take time, and I do not want to make an impulsive, unsuitable choice. Not when I have to consider Sophia's well-being too. Please allow me some room for deliberation.”
She hoped this would give her some leniency with her cousin and was relieved when Georgina nodded.
“Certainly. As long as you will be present for dinner, I am satisfied with that. Oh, I simply can’t wait! Do get ready on time! I shall go and tend to the final preparations,” she replied excitedly, before scurrying out of the room.
Joan exhaled deeply, feeling truly exhausted. Finally aware that the danger she believed was lingering had passed, she set Sophia down on her feet.
“I'm sorry, sweetheart. I was really worried about you because I couldn't find you all of a sudden. Are you all right? Did you get hurt?” she asked her daughter gently.
Sophia shook her head, sending her auburn curls flying about.
“I am fine, Mama. I'm sorry I let go of your hand and couldn't find you at the park. I saw some pretty flowers and I wanted to bring you one.”
Touched, Joan went down on her knees so she could look at her daughter closely.
“I appreciate that you wanted to bring me a gift, but we have plenty of flowers here at home. Next time, you can just… show them to me, instead of wandering off to get them yourself. All right?”
Sophia nodded again, clinging closely to her mother, moments later, when Joan held her arms open for a hug.
