Page 43 of A Duchess Mistaken
“I cannot think of a proper way of shortening your name, Agnes,” he said at last and she released her breath, butterflies flooding her stomach at the sound of her name on his lips.
“It is the curse of the name I have,” she lamented with a sigh, watching as Paul lined up his shot.
“A beautiful name for a beautiful lady, nonetheless.”
Agnes’ breath hitched in her throat. She knew she should respond, should thank him that demure manner English gentlemen loved so much. But she’d lost her ability to speak.
Thankfully, the duke said, “It looks like it’s my turn.” And then he walked off, saving her from having to think of what to say.
This was getting out of hand, she thought. At this rate, she was bound to have heart failure just by standing next to him! Her eyes followed him to his ball, admiring the muscular cut of his shoulders as he bent slightly to line up his shot. With a quick whack, he sent his ball to the goal. Agnes’ lips twitched when he clenched his hand in victory.
“I think we may have really upset my aunt and uncle.”
Agnes tore her eyes away from Johnathan as if she had been caught doing something she shouldn’t be doing. Luckily, Caroline didn’t seem to notice.
“Don’t worry about them,” Agnes tried to assure her. “I’m sure they will come around in time.”
Caroline didn’t look convinced. She wore that worried frown Agnes hated to see. It only made her want to do whatever she could to ease her mind.
“Perhaps I should have been paired with His Grace,” Caroline told her. “It would do for us to spend more time together. I do not think we have been doing that as of late.”
“We have time, Caroline. There’s no need to rush it.”
“I know but…do you think the duke no longer has any interest in me? Oh heavens, I shudder to think what my uncle would think about that.”
“Worry not about your uncle,” Agnes insisted. “Your heart does not lie with the duke, if you recall.”
“Agnes!” Caroline gasped, looking anxiously around herself. But no one seemed to be paying them any mind. No one except Johanthan, who Agnes couldn’t help but notice kept glancing their way even though he was now standing with Christopher and Paul.
“Oh, no one is around to hear me,” Agnes assured her. “And so what if they did?”
“So what?” Caroline echoed. That question seemed to cause an unending amount of stress. Agnes immediately regretted asking her. “You know it can never be. It will only be opposed. My uncle will never allow it.”
“If others see how in love you two are, perhaps that will not be the case.”
“Oh, I wish I could think that way but I know better than to let myself dream about could never be. My future has already been set with me. I can only try to be happy with the short time we have left with each other.”
“If you two love each other as much as I’m sure you do, then everything will work out. I’m sure of it.”
Caroline gave her a curious look. “How odd to hear you speak of love in such a manner. You have never been much of a romantic.”
Agnes avoided her eyes, shrugging nonchalantly. “I have begun to see things in a different light.”
“Agnes.” Caroline took her hand, all but forcing Agnes’ eyes to her. “Are you in love with Lord Christopher?”
“Of course not!” she exclaimed so loudly that the others paused to look at them. Agnes thinned her lips, waiting for them to go back to what they were doing before she murmured under her breath. “You shouldn't think that for a second, Caroline!”
“Why not?” Caroline asked, sounding genuinely surprised.
“Because…because…” Agnes couldn’t help herself. She glanced at where Johnathan was standing, her stomach flipping when she saw that he was already looking at her. “Because I simply am not,” she said at last.
Agnes could tell that Caroline had more to say but she was saved from having to endure another word of his conversation when she saw that it was her turn. She squeezed Caroline’s hand and made haste to her ball, horrified by the flush creeping up her cheeks. Any longer int that conversation and she might have confessed her growing feelings for the duke. Feelings that Agnes was still trying to maneuver herself. She could hardly come to terms with how she felt about it just yet, let alone explain it to another person.
As she lined up her shot, she glanced at Johnathan again. How was it that every time she looked at him, he was already looking at her? Did his eyes follow her everywhere she went? Goodness, why did that thought aim to set her on fire?
Johnathan gave her an encouraging nod. Agnes couldn’t bring herself to respond. She was too busy trying to calm her racing heart that was already giving way to trembling hands. Her shot was a shoddy one as a result, but Agnes hardly cared.
She only turned and made her way back to Caroline, engaging her in simple conversation that had nothing to do with gentlemen or marriages. She needed a reprieve, needed to take her mind off such things for a while. But it was a feat easier said than done with those azure blue eyes watching her from a distance.
