Was he this handsome last time I met him?
“I believe you have the advantage of me,” the Duke said at last, after a few seconds of taut silence.
She cleared her throat. “I am Miss Brookford. Miss Lavinia Brookford. I…we… my sister and I just arrived with our family.”
A flicker of recognition passed over his face, hastily muffled.
“Miss Brookford,” he said, inclining his head.
There was movement behind him, and Lavinia glanced over his broad shoulder into the room. It was a little sitting room, she could see now, and a young woman sat in a chair by an unlit fire, a maid hovering behind her.
Miss Bainbridge,Lavinia realised with a rush.Of course, Miss Bainbridge is here to see my humiliation.
“I… I was just exploring,” Lavinia stammered, feeling colour rush to her cheeks. “I wondered what was behind all of these doors, you see.”
“I see,” the Duke echoed. His expression did not shift. Behind him, Miss Bainbridge smiled unkindly.
“This is a private parlour for myself and my family, as the Duke arranged” she said, a smirk playing across her lips. “Would you like to come in and take a look around?”
Lavinia’s face was beet red now. “I…”
She was saved from further humiliation by hurrying footsteps along the hallway.
“Lavvy, where did you go… oh.”
Gillian came scuttling around the corner, followed by the housekeeper, and pulled up short at the sight of the duke.
“Your Grace,” the housekeeper gasped. “Forgive me, I had not realised that Miss Brookford had fallen behind.”
He only shook his head. “It’s of no matter. Miss Brookford, do please introduce your sister.”
Aware that she was failing in her duties as well as humiliating herself, Lavinia introduced Gillian at once.
The Duke bowed to each of them but made no motion to grasp their hands and bestow a kiss upon them.
Lavinia was thoroughly relieved. She had stripped off her gloves the moment she walked into the house, which perhaps had been a trifle presumptuous.
You are not at home,she reminded herself.You cannot be informal, fool.
“I shall take the ladies to their room now,” the housekeeper said, “and leave Miss Bainbridge and you to your conversation, your Grace.”
Something passed over his face, something tight and pained, but the expression disappeared so quickly that Lavinia was not entirely sure she had really seen it at all.
“No need,” he said brusquely. “I am just leaving.”
The housekeeper nodded and shot a baleful glare at Lavinia.
“Come, Miss Brookford, Miss Gillian. Shall we?”
***
“Well,” Gillian announced, parading around their new room with her hands on her hips.“Well.”
“It is pretty, is it not?” Lavinia admitted, settling herself on the long, padded window seat. She was still reeling from their meeting with the Duke himself.
Could I possibly have humiliated myself even more? Ugh, I am mortified. Imagine, caught “exploring” in the man’s own house. What must he think of me?
“Pretty? Justpretty? This is the most beautiful bedchamber I have ever seen. And this is aguestroom, Lavvy! Look at this carpeting! Look at the silk! And the bed…! Goodness, we won’t even notice that we’re sharing with each other.”
