Page 29 of Taming a Beastly Duke
Chapter Thirteen
Thunder roared in the distance as Adelaide and Helena joined the Duke and his entire family for dinner that evening. The sky was dark and filled with the looming storm, yet Adelaide thought it was fitting for the atmosphere of the duke’s home. She was beginning to grow accustomed to the shadows which seemed to encase Lochville Manor. And in the fervent moments she shared with the duke, she even derived solace from them.
The Duke sat at the head of the table, as was typical, but Adelaide noticed a new rigidity in his posture. He was paler than usual, and he appeared to have something weighing heavily on his mind.
“Good evening, Miss Barrett,” Lord Edwin said, rising to pull out her seat.
Adelaide gave him a small smile, feeling a bit annoyed at the interruption. His manners and kindness were charming. But she could not help sensing a certain calculation to his attentiveness to her. Perhaps he had taken an interest in her. But if so, it was an interest that never quite reached his eyes.
“That is a lovely dress, Miss Barrett,” Lady Beatrice said, glancing at Adelaide’s light green satin evening gown.
Adelaide smiled at her as she took her seat, nodding her gratitude to Lord Edwin, who was grinning like he had received a public honor. As the gentleman took his seat, she glanced back at Lady Beatrice, noting that the sincerity in her eyes matched that of her smile. Why did Adelaide not see the same authenticity in the eyes of Lady Beatrice’s son? Or was she simply so distracted by the attachment she felt to the duke that she was missing it?
“Thank you, my lady,” she said humbly. “Green is my favourite colour.”
She immediately winced, cringing at her awkward attempt at making conversation. She did not know how it was not evident that her mind was not on the meal they were being served. But she was grateful when Lady Beatrice simply nodded with an approving expression.
“It is easy to see why, my dear,” she said. “It is a wonderful colour on you, and it makes the green in your eyes a little more prominent than the blue.”
Adelaide smiled, still surprised by the kindness of women who would surely be rejected by London society merely for associating with her. She was beginning to relax when Lord Edwin spoke again.
“I must agree,” he said. “Green is quite lovely on you. And I shall be sure to remember that it is your favourite colour. That might be very useful someday.”
Adelaide blushed at the boldness of the gentleman’s remark. It was becoming more obvious that he had, in fact, become smitten with her. Yet instead of filling her with excitement, the prospect filled her stomach with an icy dread.
She glanced at the duke, who was growing paler by the minute. He was hardly touching his food, looking at it with disgust. His full wine glass sat at his left hand, while Lucy hovered strangely nearby. She was still wounded by his behavior in the gazebo that afternoon, and part of her wanted to ignore him until he decided to speak with her about the attraction that she knew they both felt. However, the affection and concern she felt for him lingered, despite her deeply injured feelings, so she became extremely aware of his every movement.
When the evening’s meal concluded, the dowager duchess rose with a warm smile.
“I would love for the ladies to join me in the drawing room,” she said. “I have arranged to have wine and biscuits served shortly. I have also arranged for the gentlemen to gather for port and billiards while we entertain ourselves.”
Adelaide’s heart fell. She had hoped the entire evening would be spent with both the men and the women engaging in Augusta’s entertainment. Worry consumed her regarding the duke’s well-being. However, she also could not deny that she disliked spending more time away from him than she already did. Still, she dutifully followed the other women to the drawing room, trying to keep her disappointment invisible.
As the servants offered the refreshments, Lady Beatrice smiled at the group of women.
“Would anyone like to hear a rather funny tale I remembered this morning?” she asked, clearly ready to hold court with her usual charming refinement.
The dowager duchess beamed at Lady Beatrice, nodding.
“That sounds delightful, Beatrice,” she said.
Lady Beatrice smiled, settling into her chair.
“Before I met my dear George, I received a letter from a gentleman I had only met once at a ball,” she said. “I was thrilled to receive correspondence from a potential suitor until my maid opened the letter and began to read.” She paused, laughing delicately at the memory. “His missive was so bold that my poor lady’s maid nearly fainted upon reading it aloud. To his credit, I believe he intended the letter to be romantic. However, it was a tad too forward for my taste.”
Augusta and Helena laughed.
“It must have been bold, indeed, for you to remember it after so long,” the dowager duchess said.
Lady Beatrice laughed again and nodded.
“It was,” she said. “The gentleman spoke of moonlit walks, poetry, and, most bizarrely, of he and I watching the sunrise together from the highest balcony of his mansion.”
Helena giggled, and Adelaide could not help smiling, despite her worries. Her aunt sounded like a younger lady again, which she enjoyed.
“What did you say to such forwardness?” she asked.
Lady Beatrice put her fingers to her lips as she composed herself and continued.
