Page 30 of Seduced by an Irresistible Lady
“Don’t bother. It’s a matter of the heart. This is what I want,” Helena said decisively.
Miss Justina pursed her lips together. Helena was sure she still wanted to speak on the matter, but she held her tongue and didn’t speak about it anymore.
Helena watched the changing view as the coach moved along. Her eyelids soon felt too heavy for her to carry. She let them be and fell asleep as her eyelids closed.
There was a nudge on her right shoulder. Helena opened her eyes slowly. She didn’t look to Miss Justina tapping her to wake up; instead, she looked outside. They were in a town, on a calm street. A man on a horse rode past their coach. He looked into the carriage and nodded his head as their gazes met. Helena nodded slightly back. She turned to Miss Justina.
“We are almost there?”
“Yes ma’am.”
Helena looked at her dress. There was nothing wrong. She placed her right hand down and noticed the small purse beside her.
“You brought my white purse for me,” Helena said in a voice that was still sleepy.
“Yes, you told me to pick it up for you this morning. I guessed you had forgotten,” Miss Justina replied.
“Is there a handkerchief in it?” Helena asked.
“Of course, what use is a bag without that?”
Helena smiled widely. She opened the bag and picked up the handkerchief from its soft inside.
“You’re a darling,” Helena said.
Miss Justina didn’t respond. Her smile was telling enough. The coach stopped. Helena heard Mr Booth speaking to someone outside the coach.
“Look outside the window and check what’s going on,” Helena said.
Miss Justina leaned out the window. She quickly brought her head back in.
“The gate to the Duke’s house is closed and manned by security. I think they are trying to confirm who is coming in,” Miss Justina said.
This is new.
Most balls were attended purely by people of the ton. People of lower station just did not attend high class balls; it was norm. There was no screening process.
“Were invites given?” Helena asked.
“No, not that I know of,” Miss Justina said.
The coach started moving again. Helena saw two men standing beside the open gate as their coach rode in. They bowed stiffly as the coach passed. Helena nodded back. She could see lines of coaches packed inside the compound beside the fence.
“We aren’t as early as I thought we would be,” Helena said to Miss Justina.
“I think we are. It’s just that this event is being hosted by a very prominent man. I wouldn’t be surprised to find out many people had come from very far countries for this,” Miss Justina replied.
Helena replied. That was entirely possible. Their coach had ridden to a stop. They waited for Mr Booth to open the door. When the door opened, Helena felt a cool wind current flow in. Miss Justina went out first, taking her time getting down from the coach. Helena picked up her purse and held tight to her fan. She went out gingerly.
Mr Booth closed the door behind her and went back to the driver’s seat. He rode the coach away from the front of the stairwell. There were people at the top of the stairwell looking at them. Helena looked around them. The compound of the Duke was huge. The house looked to be right in the middle of the compound. There was an arrangement of shrubs going all around the house. Some of those shrubs had flowers blooming, dotting the greenery with many different colours. She could see red, pink, and green but not white. There were stewards going around the compound, helping drivers with the position of their carriages, helping some people carrying heavy bags around the back of the house.
“You first ma’am,” Miss Justina said.
Helena walked to the base of the stairwell. She was lifting her foot when she heard her name.
“Helena.”
She turned back to look at who was calling her. The voice was from a hooded landau. Helena waited for it to stop in front of her. The driver rode dangerously close to her, stopping with its wheels just in front of her feet. Helena took a step back as the door looked to be about to open. She smiled widely as the open door revealed its inhabitants.
