Page 48 of A Duchess Mistaken
Caroline sighed softly. “It is not so much what I wish for, Agnes, but what must happen. You know that, do you not? My uncle has been quite cross with me lately because he does not think I am doing enough to impress the duke.”
“Why do you need to impress him if a match between you two has already been secured? I do think Lord Reeds is being rather unfair.”
“He wants me off his hands. But it is not enough to marry me off to anyone who asks. My aunt and uncle want the prestige attached to the Claymore title and will stop at nothing to get it. There is nothing to be done but accept my fate.”
The sadness in her voice was enough to rid Agnes of her personal ailments. She squeezed Caroline’s hand. “It does not have to be so if you do not wish it to be.”
“A lovely sentiment,” Caroline said with a sad smile. “But it is useless.”
“It is not like you to be so pessimistic.”
“Can you not already hear the wedding bells, Agnes? I suppose I should be happy that I am to be married to a handsome and kind gentleman who will take care of me, even if I do not reserve any feelings for him.”
Agnes could only pat her hand. She resisted the urge to tell her of her plans to ensure Caroline’s happiness. The success of that plan depended greatly on Caroline’s ignorance, after all.
Caroline straightened her shoulders, visibly brightening. “But enough talk about me. I want to know about you.”
Agnes frowned at her. Again, she glanced back at the duke. Their eyes met, her heart skipped a beat, and she quickly looked away, cheeks growing warm.
“What is there to say?”
“What do you think about Lord Christopher? He is quite handsome. Do you think?—”
“I assure you that I feel absolutely nothing for Lord Christopher and I am certain that the sentiment is mutual!”
Her outburst was so sudden that Caroline jolted to a halt, eyes growing wide. This time, Agnes’ entire face grew hot. She didn’t dare to look behind her.
“If I had it my way, Caroline,” she assured her friend in a far softer tone this time. “Lord Christopher and I will not be married. I assure you.”
“You…assure me?”
“I do,” she stated firmly. Suddenly feeling quite unlike herself and embarrassed because of it, she took a step back, unable to meet her friend’s eyes this time. “Now if you’d pardon me, I do not think I am quite up for a stroll. I think I shall return to my chambers until it is time for breakfast instead.”
She hurried away before Caroline could respond. To her dismay and delight, heading to her chambers meant she would have to go past Johnathan, which she did without sparing a glance at him, her head down. She didn’t miss the way he stepped back to make her go by, didn’t miss the hand that he’d reach out before dropping to his side.
But she didn’t dare to think anything of it, racing away instead in the hopes that she found herself by the time they were to depart for the village.
“She is quite lovely, is she not?”
Johnathan straightened, tearing his eyes away from Agnes who stood by the drawing room window next to Caroline. They were deep in conversation with Agnes’ back turned to the room as if she did not care to pay it any mind. He wondered if that was on purpose.
He looked at his brother, then back at the two ladies. Though he was certain that Christopher was talking about Miss Caroline, he nodded, eyes falling again on Agnes’ beautiful frame. “Yes,” he breathed. “Yes, she is.”
Christopher sighed, crossing his arms. “I must say that I am looking forward to our outing to the village. It has been some time since I’ve visited and I am keen to show Miss Agnes around.”
Johnathan looked sharply at him. “Why would you care to do such a thing?”
Christopher seemed confused by the question. “Well, we are to be married. I thought that was what you would want.”
That was right, Johnathan remembered. That was what heshouldwant. Christopher didn’t know that Johnathan was aware of his secret tryst. And he supposed it would be better if it stayed that way. At least until Johnathan was able to let the other, more important pieces fall into place.
Like convincing Lord Reeds to abandon the idea of the marriage, a feat Johnathan was not certain he would be able to accomplish. He had made a promise to the earl, after all. A promise he doubted Lord Reeds would allow him to break without receiving something else in return. Johnathan was still trying to figure out how to go about it.
Lord and Lady Reeds were still absent, which was why everyone was waiting in the drawing room. Lord and Lady Sutton chose to sit with each other on the settee with their son, while the ladies occupied one end of the room and Johnathan and Christopher occupied the other. The dowager duchess had decided she wanted nothing to do with this outing, not to Johnathan’s surprise.
“I want what is best for our family,” Johnathan said at last. “Whatever that may be.”
“What is best for us is to secure their dowries so that we may pay our father’s debts and live a comfortable life,” Christopher said morosely. “Though I cannot help but feel bad that we are taking advantage of these ladies.”
