Page 37 of Unmasking a Wicked Marquess
“See? Juliet is so eager to see the horses.” Cecily waved towards her.
“Yes, the horses,” Violet said with a plainly wry tone. “That is what interests her.”
Juliet walked behind her sister and gripped her shoulder, bending down to whisper in her ear.
“Would you be quiet? This is hardly helping matters.”
“On the contrary, I think I have been a great help indeed.” She sat taller with a victorious smile.
“Robert, please consider what I am saying.” Cecily placed her hands on her husband’s shoulders, stopping him from returning to his pacing. “For so long, we have hidden from events just because we do not wish to run into them. I do not mind a quiet life, but equally, I do not wish to run and hide in the shadows when I have come to Ascot to see friends, to enjoy myself, and to see my daughters happy.”
She nodded towards Violet and Juliet. “Please, Robert, can we not just find a way to make this trip the exception to our rule? Can we be polite, if reserved, and make the best of it?”
Robert said nothing but shifted his weight between his feet, clearly weighing up her words.
“Very well,” he said after some minutes of silence. “But if he brings up the matter. If Philip so much as refers to it –”
“Then we can leave,” Cecily assured him.
Juliet tilted her head to the side, noting something in her father’s words. He had called the Duke of Lantham by his Christian name, Philip. It was perhaps a testament to how close they had once been.
“Did you notice?” Violet whispered to her.
“I noticed.” Juliet nodded.
They both fell quiet as Robert turned to look at them again.
“Just please, the pair of you, listen to me on this.” Robert walked towards them. “That family cannot be trusted.”
“Pa –” Violet began, but he cut her off.
“I thought they were our friends, and yet …” He shook his head. “We’re not going into it again, but please, I urge you, while we are here, just keep your distance from them. Keep your own company or be friendly with others, but just give the Duke of Lantham and his family a wide berth.”
Juliet felt her jaw drop. While her father hadn’t given a direct plea to stay away from Lord Ashton, she could believe in her own head she wasn’t doing anything too awful by wanting to be closer to him, but now, that had changed. He talked of the Lantham family as if they were dirt beneath his feet.
“They cannot all be that bad,” Juliet said quietly. Robert looked at her sharply. “Well, Lady Jane and her brother,” she chose not to use his title, in case it hinted at anything, “they were children when the argument occurred. We mustn’t forget that.”
“And no doubt the same distrust and underhandedness is bred in the children. Please, stay away from them.” Robert waved his hand in the air and nodded as if this was to be their final discussion on the matter. He walked out of the room with Cecily scurrying behind him.
“Robert, please calm down,” she kept calling after him, and the door swung shut behind them.
The moment they were gone, Juliet threw herself down into the nearest chair, sighing loudly. She covered her face for a minute until she heard Violet humming a happy tune to herself.
“Do not be so pleased with yourself,” Juliet pleaded and lifted her hands from her face. “If this were your doing, just to give me a chance to see Lord Ashton again, then it has hardly made our parents happy, has it? It may have even made things worse.”
“I was thinking the other night,” Violet paused and tapped her chin, deep in thought, “that it’s high time this argument was ended. If we are to accomplish that, then we must first get them to sit in the same room together.”
“Aunt Emily could not accomplish such a task.” Juliet shook her head, thinking of the tears in Emily’s eyes when she had talked of the Duke of Lantham’s brother without naming him directly. “I only wish you have better luck, Vi.”
She did not tell her sister just how much she doubted a victory.
***
“Please, my good friend, I beg you to calm your blood.” The Duke of Darby laughed warmly as if he thought it was all some great jest. He laid a hand across Philip’s shoulders, with some difficulty, for he was much shorter and rounder than Philip. In the end, Philip had to bend down a little to allow him to do it, and Edward had to bite the inside of his mouth not to laugh at the strange image they made across the room.
Amelia was in the room with them, tutting every few minutes and shaking her head, but Jane had hurried off to find Freddie, and Edward found he rather envied her for it. What he would give to be able to go and find Juliet now and have an open conversation with her.
If only.
