Page 34 of A Duchess Mistaken
“Certainly. But you do not seem to be in the mood for company.”
“I am fine.”
“You are not,” he insisted. “You have not been fine for some time now. Not since?—”
“Don’t you dare speak his name!” Irene hissed, her eyes flashing with fury.
Johnathan felt that same anger rise up to choke him. “He was my father. I have every right to speak his name.”
Irene glared at him. And then her bottom lip began to wobble right before tears filled her eyes. Johnathan felt the rage rush right out of him.
“Mother, I didn’t mean?—”
She shot to her feet. “Perhaps you are right. Perhaps I should have my dinner in my chambers.”
Johnathan stood as she began making her way to the door. “Mother, please, have dinner with us.”
But she didn’t respond. She only picked up her skirt and hurried to the door as if she could not get out of the room fast enough.
The door opened just before she could get out. Miss Agnes and Miss Caroline appeared, both looking startled at the sight of the dowager duchess.
“Pardon me, Your Grace,” Miss Agnes said, stepping out of Irene’s way.
Irene gave her no response. She ducked her head and hurried out the door, leaving the two ladies gaping after her.
Miss Caroline was the first to recover, clearly assuming that they were being rude by staring. She turned to Johnathan with a smile. “Good evening, Your Grace,” she greeted.
“Good evening,” he managed to say despite the lump rapidly forming in his throat. He couldn’t even look at Miss Agnes. He didn’t want to see how quickly she’d deduced what might have happened moments before she arrived.
An uncomfortable silence stretched across the room. Johnathan did what he always did best whenever he didn’t know what to do or say in a situation. He removed himself altogether.
He made his way over to the sideboard, suddenly needing a drink to get through the rest of the night. Behind him, he heard the ladies whispering to each other. He loathed to think what they might be saying about his mother’s odd behavior.
To his relief, Lord and Lady Sutton arrived moments later, with Mr. Parsons right behind them. He poured himself a glass of whiskey and sipped the harsh liquor as he listened to the murmurs of conversation behind him. It was rude not to acknowledge the entrance of his guests. He knew that. But he also knew that he stood no chance of entertaining a properconversation with anyone when the pain of his past was rearing its ugly head again.
Lord and Lady Reeds arrived soon after, then Christopher. Johnathan still couldn’t bring himself to face them. The embarrassment at being caught in such a sensitive situation was one thing, lingering in the back of his mind. The shame at the reality of his situation was something else entirely.
“At this rate, Your Grace, you will be quite in your cups by the time the first course is served.”
His heartbeat tripled in his chest. Johnathan took every measure he could to steel himself, to prepare for the beautiful pair of brown eyes that were no doubt stripping him bare by the second.
“Is something the matter?” she asked softly, so close that her scent swam around him.
Johnathan waited until he’d got his breathing under control before he turned to her. He’d already braced himself for his reaction to her steady gaze. But he was wholly unprepared for the intensity of it, like a punch to the gut that knocked the wind from his lungs.
“Nothing is the matter,” he mumbled, forcing himself to look away. The other guests had gathered together—Lord and Lady Reeds talking with Lord and Lady Sutton, Mr. Parsons, Christopher, Caroline on the other end of the room.
“I am good at detecting lies, Your Grace,” she responded simply. “And you are not very good at telling them.”
“If I am lying then perhaps that should be enough indication that it is a matter I do not wish to speak with you about.”
The words came out a little more sharply than he expected. He released a slow breath, fighting the wave of shame he felt at how he addressed her.
“Forgive me?—”
“There’s no need for apologies, Your Grace,” she responded easily. “You are right. It does not concern me.”
“That is not what I meant?—”
