He was pacing the length of the room when they emerged, and Charlotte felt her stomach swoop. His hair was mussed, and she could tell he had been worrying at it with his hands.
“There you are!” Dominic exclaimed moving towards her as though he might hug her and then stopping himself.
“It has not been that long,” Cecily chided.
“We were trying to dry my hair.”
“Well, I think the tea will still be warm.” Dominic gestured to the tea set on the table and pulled out a chair for Charlotte.
She sat down gratefully and took a sip of the hot liquid. It was not quite scalding, but it was welcome after her dip in the lake.
“This is perfect. Thank you.”
“Of course.”
Dominic looked as though he would say more, but at that moment, two women entered the room, talking loudly. Charlotte did not recognise either of them.
“Honestly, it really is true that money cannot buy taste,” the larger of the two women said, wrinkling her nose.
Her companion said nothing, simply nodded.
“If I had this kind of money, I would surround myself with things of such beauty and elegance that I would be the envy of every woman in the land,” the larger woman continued.
Charlotte decided that she did not like her. “Perhaps that is what the Dowager Duchess feels she has done. I, for one, quite enjoy the décor.”
“Oh, I did not realise there were people in the room.” The woman cast a dismissive look over Charlotte and her companions. “You are some relation of the Dowager Duchess, I take it?”
“I am, and this is my fiancée,” Dominic said, his eyes narrowing at the stranger. “Duke Verimore at your service. This is my cousin, Lady Cecily Nightingale, and my fiancée, Lady Charlotte Nettle.”
“I am Lady Lydia Grey,” the woman replied turning from them and back to her companion.
“Charmed,” Charlotte muttered, wishing that Lady Lydia Grey would leave the room.
To her frustration, the woman sat down and gestured around them. “You cannot really approve of this décor. I mean just look at that tea set.”
The woman shuddered, and Charlotte examined the tea set in front of her. It was made of fine china, and if she did not miss her guess, it was a Wedgewood.
“I think it is stunning. Just look at the colours and the pattern. I would love to own something like this.” Charlotte took a deliberate sip of her tea.
“Ha! I doubt it. It is truly one of the most ugly things I have ever seen. I would not be caught dead using such a thing. In truth, I think I would die of embarrassment if I owned anything quite so ugly.”
“Then it is a good thing you do not own it,” a cool voice said from the doorway.
The colour drained from Lady Lydia’s face, and she turned to look at the Dowager Duchess, stammering out an apology. “Your Grace, I … I am so sorry. I was just…”
“Speaking your mind?” The Dowager Duchess swept into the room and looked at the tea set before Charlotte. “That tea set was a wedding gift from Josiah Wedgewood himself. It is a one-of-a-kind gift, one of his earlier works.”
“Oh!” Lady Lydia coloured. “I did not recognise it.”
“He is a little experimental, it must be said, but he does make fine work.”
“I…”
“I think I will ask you to leave. I cannot abide judgement and gossip. I do more than enough of that myself.”
“But —”
“Leave.” Dominic moved towards the woman, who fled.
