Page 90 of A Duchess Mistaken
That was all he needed to hear. Johnathan didn’t spare Lord and Lady Reeds any more of his attention as he went by them. He no longer cared. Now that the truth was out and their sins revealed, Johnathan only wanted to focus on one thing.
Seeing how many dances he could have with Agnes before thetoncaught on to the fact that he was hopelessly in love with her. His guess was one, but he was more than willing to test the limits.
EPILOGUE
“Istill think you could have tried the blue one but you do look absolutely beautiful.”
Laughter burst from Agnes’ lips without thought. It was decided. The Dowager Duchess of Claymore was one of the funniest people she’d ever had the privilege of knowing.
It was a beautiful thing watching Irene slowly become less and less withdrawn as the days stretched on into weeks. She talked more, laughed more, and proved herself to have rather impish tendencies. Of course, that meant that she and Mary were quick to become friends while everyone else was at the mercy of their incessant teasing.
For the most part, Irene mostly teased Johnathan and Christopher and took every chance she was given to talk about embarrassing moments in their childhood. But recently, beginning first when Irene accompanied Agnes, Mary, and Caroline to the modiste for a dress fitting, she’d begun to turnher teasing to Agnes. Agnes considered that a hallmark in their budding relationship.
And my, was she funny.
“I do not jest,” Irene sighed dramatically, lounging at the chaise lounge by the window. But her eyes sparkled with humor. “Perhaps I shall purchase that dress for you still. As a wedding present. You look far too beautiful in it for us to simply forget it.”
“I fear she will be talking about that dress until you are old and gray.” Mary’s sigh was laden with fake burden. Agnes saw right through it. Even though the two women had only known each other a short while, they interacted like sisters.
“And what of it?” Irene countered. “Am I wrong in saying that she is absolutely darling in the dress?”
“Certainly not,” Mary agreed with a nod. “But she is even more darling in the one she is wearing now. Is she not, Caroline?”
Caroline, who had been watching the back and forth with a mildly amused expression on Agnes’ bed, straightened in alarm. “I would much rather not get involved,” she said hastily.
“Coward,” Agnes murmured, though loud enough for Caroline to hear and was rewarded with a glare.
Neither Irene nor Mary heard Agne’s comment and seemed content to accept Caroline’s wishes not to be involved. Theyquickly went back to bickering about the dress. Even the maid styling Agnes’ hair could not hold back her small smile.
Soon enough, Agnes decided to stop listening. Her mind began to wander back over the past few weeks after everything had happened. The night of the engagement ball had been one she would not be able to forget any time soon, she knew. The night had begun strife with tension and had ended with a weight lifted from everyone’s shoulders. And, to give the people what they’d come for, Johnathan had announced their betrothal the moment they re-entered the ballroom that night.
The fact that today they were finally going to be married felt like a dream.
Of course, her parents had not been as upset at being kept in the dark about everything as they wanted them to believe. Solomon did try his best to be the stern father, trying and failing to intimidate Johnathan.
“If you so much as make her cry, I shall make you regret it,” he’d said during breakfast the morning after the ball.
“Agnes is far more sensitive than she likes to make others think,” he had told Johnathan the same afternoon while they played chess. “So you must take care to watch her moods and her reactions.”
“I cannot believe that she did not tell me,” he’d sighed in disbelief later that night after dinner. “You will be the one takingcare of her, Your Grace. I hope you know what a privilege that was.”
Agnes smiled softly at the memory. Her father would be a mess today she knew, as much as he’d prefer the alternative.
Not to Agnes’ surprise, Mary was more excited than dreading. She happily flitted about for the wedding preparations, taking every opportunity she could to state how much she hoped Paul would find a love match as well, much to Paul’s annoyance. Agnes could not remember the last time her family had been this spirited. Even Paul took many opportunities over the past few weeks to bond with Johnathan, mentioning now and again how happy he was to have a brother but how quickly he will denounce that relationship if he hurt Agnes. Who knew Paul could be so overprotective?
“I must say, Mary,” Irene was saying, breaking into Agnes’ reminiscing. “I am happy you decided to host the wedding breakfast. It has been some time since I have hosted anything in society and I was a little daunted by the thought.”
“You need not thank me for it, Irene,” Mary said gently. They were no longer bickering, it seemed. “I am always more than happy to host an event. Not to mention all your help with the wedding preparations made this quite easy for me.”
“Has it? I’m afraid I may not get the chance to do so for some time, since Christopher clearly has no plans of settling down for now.”
“Oh, I’m sure he will find his match soon enough.”
Agnes doubted it, but she was content to remain quiet. She’d never seen Christopher as happy as he was now that he did not have to marry her. She supposed he was planning on enjoying his bachelorhood for a long time still.
“You are more positive than I,” Irene sighed. “But there is always Caroline’s.” She paused, glancing uncertainly at Caroline. “If she would accept my help, that is.”
“I would be honor, Your Grace,” Caroline said quickly.
