“It was me, yes,” Miss Bainbridge sighed. “I hate all this rivalry, you know. I always imagined myself above those ladies who claw out the eyes of other women in pursuit of a man. I thought it rather demeaning.”
“I couldn’t agree more. And yet, here we are.”
Miss Bainbridge shrugged. “I wish to be a duchess. The Duke is a fine man and will make a fine husband, I think. I believe I mentioned earlier that we have an understanding, and that was something which I had to organise myself. We women must take matters into our own hands, dear friend. Not an unfamiliar idea to you, I’m sure. Our world is not designed for women. Everything we want, we must carve out for ourselves. I think perhaps you understand, Miss Brookford.”
“I am hardly a threat,” Lavinia snapped. “My sister is perhaps more beautiful than either of us, but she is not interested in the duke. I am not more charming, or more accomplished, or more fascinating than you and I am certainly poorer.”
“It is vulgar to talk of money, my dear.”
“Vulgar, yes, but let’s not pretend that the subject does not occupy everybody’s mind, all the time.”
Miss Bainbridge smiled. “Ah. That is where you are wrong. Those whohavemoney do not feel the need to think about it very often. You betray your breeding, Miss Brookford.”
Lavinia bit her lip. “Why are you here, Miss Bainbridge? Why are you speaking to me at all?”
Miss Bainbridge sighed. “I wanted to be open with you.”
“I don’t believe you’ve ever been open with anyone in your life.”
The woman gave a genteel chuckle. “Goodness, my dear, put away your claws, won’t you? I have never pretended to honesty, and I don’t intend to start now. Tell me, howdidyou get that nasty stain on your hem? Not pacing the carpets in your bedroom, I warrant.”
Lavinia clapped a hand over the stain on her skirt, rather guiltily, no doubt. It was too late, of course.
“I was walking,” she lied, a little pleased with the smoothness with which she said it. Miss Bainbridge, naturally, was not fooled. She pursed her lips in a theatrical frown, tilting her head to one side.
“Is thatso? Well, I heard quite a different story.”
Lavinia closed her eyes momentarily. It was clear, then. Miss Bainbridge knew. The woman took her silence for an invitation to continue, and did so, with merciless clarity.
“You went for a ride this morning. Alone. And then the duke joined you, and you rode together. Also alone.”
“The groom…”
“Was left behind,” Miss Bainbridge interrupted curtly. “You were alone. It’s a shocking circumstance, and one that would ruin you. If it were not for the stain it would leave on the duke’s reputation, I should make the story known at once. I should have no scruples.”
“Don’t speak to me of yourscruples,” Lavinia snapped, anger boiling up inside her. Across the room, she saw Gillian’s head lift, tuned in to her sister’s voice.
“Keep your voice down,” Miss Bainbridge hissed, as if reading her thoughts.
“You intend to expose me, do you not? Well, then, you ought to do it. Go on, then. Announce it right this moment. It’s true, you can’t tarnish me without affecting the duke, and I daresay your doting parents won’t want you to marry a man with a stain. Just like you wouldn’t want to wear a dress with a stain like mine. So, go on. I dare you, Miss Bainbridge.”
Miss Bainbridge’s face, always pale, was turning a mottled red. She clearly had not expected the bluff to be called.
“You are shameless,” she hissed. “Riding alone, unchaperoned, and then walking into the duke’s home looking like a blowsy plain woman. I should be ashamed if I were you.”
“But you are not me, are you?”
Miss Bainbridge leaned closer; eyes narrowed. “I could drop a word in the dowager’s ear. I might suggest that you are trying tocatchher son, like the shameless flirt you are.”
“If I am trying to secure his affections, then you are even worse than I,” Lavinia responded staunchly. “You’re getting rather desperate, my dear.”
“He would never marry you,” Miss Bainbridge spat. Her customary composure was deserting her, but Lavinia could not find it in herself to be triumphant. “Regardless of anyfeelingshe might have, you are not the woman for him. You’ll never be a duchess. He is informally engaged tome, do you hear? Betrothed! There will be an announcement soon, but for now, his honour will keep him by my side.”
Lavinia flinched as if she’d been slapped. Her initial response was to call Miss Bainbridge a liar. She almost did, but then she looked straight into the woman’s face and saw truth there.
“I see,” Lavinia heard herself say, the words wrenched out of her.
Miss Bainbridge smiled tightly. “His pride will keep him cleaved to me if nothing else. You are not the woman for him.”
