Page 89 of The Duke's Dream
Farley met his gaze unflinchingly, his expression resolute.
"My passion is what I am. I refuse to live half a life."
“Remindmeagain—whyarewe here?” Louise asked, buffing her nails against the lapel of her military-cut coat. “Ten in the morning, in a private garden—another example of the British enclosure of public lands.”
Helene adjusted her new pelisse. “I’m waiting for Lady Margaret while you are pestering me.”
Arms akimbo, Louise stared at her. “Awaiting a lady and dressing up like a lady… I wonder where my friend Helene has gone.”
“Oh, sweet Louise, would thy eyes see more than cloth and coin?" Placing her hands dramatically over her chest, Helene declared in a voice that would make Shakespeare proud. "Tis but fabric that adorns my frame, not a fortress to divide us. Thy words paint a tragedy where none exists.”
The sun had graced her stroll, and Helene lifted her face, enjoying the rare warmth.
Louise huffed. “I’m not being dramatic. Why do you still bother with the little aristocrat? I thought Verón had increased your paycheck.”
“I love Maggy. I cannot abandon her or Lady Thornley.”
“They don’t need you. They are exploiting you, more likely. Like your duke—”
“I’m a friend of the family, Louise,” Helene whispered furiously. “Please control your tongue. Here they come. Smile, please.”
“I know how to behave. You won’t see me screamingVive la France!Vive Bonaparte! In this den of fat shopkeepers.”
Louise’s artificial smile made her face quite pinched. “But they are not your friends. If they were, you would stroll with Lady Margaret in Hyde Park, not in this caged garden frequented by old fools and children. You cannot be one of them, and frankly, I don’t know why you even care. You became a different person after the duke debacle.”
Helene glared at Louise, refusing to speak. Why should she doubt herself? Her long years of hard work had finally bloomed—she was the toast of the ballet, adored by the aristocracy, cherished by William. What if both spheres of her life, the ballet and William, could not blend? She quickly dismissed the thought, telling herself that the secrecy made their relationship more thrilling because it was forbidden.
A young family passed by—a mother and father strolling arm in arm, their little daughter skipping behind them. The sight of them opened a hole inside her chest, and she fought to keep her breath steady. Common people and their living meant little to her. Why did they affect her now?
She spun away, blinking back the sting in her eyes. This was the life she had chosen—the life she had wanted.
When Lady Margaret stepped closer, Helene grabbed her pupils’ hands, welcoming the distraction.
“Remind me again why we are outside?” Her voice came out in a shy whisper.
Louise lifted her expressive black brows. “I like her already.”
“Lady Margaret, this is my friend Louise Bonechoix.”
Louise shook her hand. “Nice to meet you.”
Helene made a face at Louise. She knew perfectly well that ladies didn’t greet each other in such manly ways, but Louise enjoyed being obtuse.
“It's a splendid day.” Helene linked her arm with Maggy and guided her over the path. “And I planned a game to help you improve your confidence.”
Maggy widened her eyes. “If it involves rotational therapy or cold baths, I must warn you I hate the cold and get awfully dizzy.”
“Nothing like that. It’s an old theater trick. Do you see the people taking their morning constitutional?” Helene pointed to the manicured paths.
“Hard not to look at a bunch of snobs pretending to be something they are not,” Louise said petulantly.
“Ignore her.” Helene stepped over Louise’s foot. “We will play a game called Naked Man in the garden.”
Maggy jumped, her eyes scanning the bushes. “A naked man? Where?”
Louise chuckled. “I’d pay good money to see certain ton members in their birthday suits.”
Helene blushed. She would love to see one member of the aristocracy sans a suit, too, but alas, William would not oblige. At first, she thought he had something to hide, but now she believed it was the intimacy that he was opposed to… Would she ever feel his skin close to her, that ultimate form of love?
