Verity squeezed her hand again. Elspeth looked up, meeting her eyes.
“Elspeth,” Verity said softly. “Something else is troubling you. Tell me. You can trust us.”
Elspeth hesitated, her gaze darting around the room as if seeking an escape. Finally, she sighed, a deep, shuddering breath.
“It is… it ishim, Verity.”
“His Grace?” Marion prompted, leaning forward.
Elspeth nodded, her voice dropping to a whisper. “I hate him more than anything. I truly do. He is repugnant, arrogant, controlling, and he treats me like… like property. But…” she trailed off, her cheeks flushing a deeper red as she downed the last of her tea.
“Yes?” Verity asked, looking at Marion and then back to Elspeth.
“But when hetouches me,” Elspeth finally confessed, her voice barely audible, “ when he looks at melike that, I feel things. Things I have never felt before. And what is worse is that I-I want to feel them again. Even though I despise him for making me feel them in the first place.”
“Oh, dear.” Marion covered her mouth with her hand.
“It is most confusing, and if I am being honest, it is terrifyin’! How can I want somethin’ from a man I hate? Is there somethin’ wrong with me?”
Verity’s expression softened, and she squeezed Elspeth’s hand again. “Oh, Elspeth. Desire is a powerful thing, and it can cloud one’s judgment. I write about it in my novels, but this is real life. You must remember your true goal. You want freedom, don’t you?”
“It is the only thing I have ever truly wanted.”
“To live your life on your own terms, away from the expectations and control of others.”
“Of course.”
“If you allow thisdesireto take root, it will only hinder you. It will make you vulnerable, and you will lose sight of what truly matters.”
Elspeth looked at her friend, her eyes wide at the truth of Verity’s words. The raw, intoxicating pleasure of the previous night, the confusing pull to Hugo, it was all a distraction, a dangerous detour from her path. She wanted her freedom, to be back in Scotland, to feel the wind on her face, and to do as she pleased.
“You are right,” she said, her voice gaining strength, the earlier despondence fading, replaced by renewed resolve. “You are absolutely, bloody right. I cannae let him, or this deter me. Me freedom is paramount. I willnae give it up. Nae now, nae ever!” She squeezed Verity’s hand back, a determined glint returning to her green eyes. “Aye, he thinks he can control me? He has another thing comin’.”
“That is the spirit,” Marion and Verity said in unison as the three huddled closer together.
“Now, enough about me. I want ye both to tell me all that is new in yer lives,” Elspeth said as a servant approached with fingersandwiches. “I am so glad to see ye both. Truly, ye are a balm for me weary spirit.”
They enjoyed a few moments of silence as they took savory bites of cucumber sandwiches and sips of Earl Grey when suddenly, a high, reedy voice cut through their quiet huddle.
“Lady Inverhall, my dear girl. You have been rather quiet amongst ourdistinguishedguests for someone in search of a husband.”
The three friends looked up to find an older woman with a severe oval face and an elaborate feathered hat standing over them like a shadow. It was none other than Lord Gerson’s wife, Lady Elizabeth Gerson. She looked down her nose at the three of them, as if they were a particularly unsavory species of rodent.
I had hoped to avoid conversation with this woman, her reputation precedes her as much as me own in the ton. She is an insufferable gossip.
“I am quite fine, Lady Gerson, thank ye for asking,” Elspeth said, forcing a polite smile as she set down her tea. “I was just enjoying a much-needed moment with me friends. I am sure ye ken the Marchioness of Wrotham and her grace, the Duchess of Greystead.”
“Indeed,” Lady Gerson said as her gaze flickered over Verity and Marion, then settled back on Elspeth. “Yes, well, it’s not often one sees such animated conversation! You seemed to be positively roaring over something or other.”
“We havenae seen each other for some time, Me Lady” Marion said softly. “Me apologies if we were a bit loud.”
“Well, I just came to let Lady Inverhall know that his grace has been called away by other matters by my husband in his study. So, I thought I might join you. After all, he has such high hopes for you and a proper match,” she said as she pulled up a seat. Her tone was honeyed, but her eyes held a cold, assessing glint. Elspeth knew her type well.
This woman is more imposin’ than the duke. Aye, no wonder they are related, even if by marriage.
“His Grace is a very determined man, so I have learned,” Elspeth replied carefully, her earlier good mood starting to sour. “I am grateful for his aid.”
“Surely! A relative of my husband, and of my own,of course! Yes, and I would also say for a man with such a keen eye for quality, it is quite surprising that he would take on aprojectsuch as yourself,” Lady Gerson said, her voice dropping to a whisper.
