Page 86 of The Duke's Return
The woman was a splendid friend. When Genevieve showed up with only one trunk of clothing and a request to stay with her for a fortnight, Phoebe had accepted at once. The other luggage had eventually arrived and she’d settled in––even attending several events amongst the ton since a distraction was dearly needed.
Only she hadn’t been able to enjoy herself very much. It was all such a bother. She didn’t care to be here or anywhere. So long as she was away from––
“How am I still looking at myself in the mirror when you are clearly going to outshine me?” Phoebe cried out as she gave Genevieve a happy look over. “I bet I could wrap you in nothing but plain linens and you’d still be the loveliest thing in sight.”
She gave a forced laugh. “I already promised to come tonight, Phoebe, you don’t need to keep persuading me.”
Tutting, her friend rolled her eyes as she came over to gently tweak a curl away from her cheek. “I’m allowed to compliment my friends however and whenever I see fit. And I mean what I say. If only you were happy about it. Are you sure you don’t want to talk of what happened?”
If I did, I should very well cry.
While Genevieve didn’t know much about a broken heart, she was beginning to fear that was her current situation.
Everything hurt. Sleeping, smiling, eating, breathing. Although she managed to go out with Lady Phoebe and her friend’s cousin, Lord Hale, Genevieve didn’t particularly care what they did or where they went. The opera she had attended the other evening had been a blur, along with two card games and a garden party.
Staying busy was supposed to help. How, she didn’t know. It didn’t seem to be working.
“No, thank you. Not now,” she amended when she noted the furrow of concern on her friend’s face.
There was no good way to explain how she loved a man. A man who happened to be her husband. A man who clearly wished to have nothing to do with her. It was a humiliating mess.
“Perhaps we can start another rumor this evening,” Phoebe suggested with a hopeful smile. She urged her maid to bring over their dancing slipper. “Mention of the upcoming annulment will surely take place. What else might we say of him?”
“I don’t know. I don’t wish to hurt him. We only…” They had spent a month making amends to the family name. Genevieve felt guilt for already sharing the little she had. “Perhaps we wait a while before another one. Besides, I’m sure enough will happen at the ball tonight.”
I am supposed to be living the life I want to now, but I’m miserable. How did that happen? Done as I am waiting on everyone else, now I’m waiting on myself to do something. But I’m afraid I don’t know what I want.
The two of them were finally ready for the evening. Arm in arm, the two ladies started down the hall. Phoebe was teasing her about her hair when they heard a familiar voice.
“I won’t go until I’ve seen her!”
Genevieve froze. Her mind went blank. “Julian?” She murmured as her feet picked up to lead her to him without thinking.
It was Phoebe who paused her, grasping her arm in a gentle hold with a pointed look. “I don’t know everything that has takenplace between you and your husband, but you don’t need to do this. I’ll talk to him.”
There wasn’t a chance for her to reply or even to think as Phoebe swept on ahead. Feeling her knees grow weak, Genevieve collapsed against the wall and leaned her head back. Her heart pounded as she consider how close she was to her husband.
What is he even doing here?
She would have thought they would never see each other again. Wasn’t that what he wanted? This was her chance to establish her own life away from him. He wasn’t supposed to be here.
Then she pulled herself back into the present as she heard Phoebe and Julian squabbling around the corner.
“For a proclaimed charmer of a gentleman, you don’t have much in the way of manners,” her friend was saying in a terse tone.
“I’m afraid your household has already tried my patience. I will not be kept from my wife any longer. Where is she? I know Genevieve is here. She must be.”
Phoebe scoffed. “Genevieve is not bound to present herself to you for your every whim, Your Grace. You are still under my roof. As my friend, she can do as she likes. I won’t have you forcing your way around. The only way you’ll see Genevieve tonight is if she so deems it.”
“Let me talk to her and she will deem it.”
“That’s entirely backwards and you know it. Besides, why should she come see you? You chased her off.”
A strangled huff escaped him. “I did not! I wouldn’t… No, it was a misunderstanding. I only wish to talk to her. Desperately. All Ineed is a minute with her, Lady Phoebe, it’s all I will beg of my wife.”
She felt a flutter in her heart.
Julian was begging for a minute with her. The man never begged. He never wanted for anything. If there was something he desired, then he claimed it. Truly, he could probably charge through the house and discover her before someone stopped him. And yet he waited… begging.
