Watching the people go by outside, she was acutely aware of the fact that they were all members of society in just the same way she was. As a duchess, she probably outranked most of the ladies she saw, but in her innermost heart, she was nothing but the daughter of a poor baron and still not sure of her place in the world.
This season will be what I need to help me answer that question—to finally let me figure out who I am and where I belong.
At least, she hoped that was true.
Her sisters finished having their measurements taken. “Shall we be off, then?” Caroline asked. “I’d like to stop over at the bookshop before we return home.”
“You always want to go to the bookshop,” Arabella teased her.
“I’m not going to apologize for reading,” Caroline shot back. “You ought to try a little more of it, both of you. There are some fascinating works of literature out there, if only you would take the time to explore them. And then just think of the conversations you would be able to have with your husbands!”
“Our husbands!” Arabella laughed. “I don’t think William cares at all about what I read. Does Leonard care what you read, Prudence?”
“I suspect he would care if I told him I had read something I wanted him to know about,” Prudence decided.
“That’s a good man you’ve got,” Caroline told her admiringly. “I always knew there was something I liked about him.”
Prudence laughed. “You didn’t always know that. You were as appalled as I was when we learned I was going to have to marry him.”
“Well, perhaps,” Caroline allowed. “But you must admit, it’s all worked out for the best in the end, hasn’t it?”
And though Prudence didn’t really want to admit to any such thing, she knew that it couldn’t be denied. Her sister was right.
Though it was the last thing she would ever have expected on the day she had said her vows, her marriage did seem to have been the best thing she could have hoped for.
CHAPTER 24
“Imust say, everything looks lovely,” Constance Wetherby enthused as she crossed the threshold into Desford Manor. “Thank you for having us to dine with you tonight, Your Grace. We’re so excited, aren’t we, Bridget? Bridget, say thank you to the Duke. Where are your manners tonight?”
“It’s quite all right,” Leonard said, rather amused at the way the Baroness was tripping over herself. “We’re happy to have you. I know that Prudence has missed her mother and father—and her cousin of course,” he added with a respectful nod to Bridget.
In fact, he knew nothing of the sort. It was true that Prudence spoke frequently of her sisters and her feelings toward them, but he had never heard her say much about her relationship with her parents, and he had the impression there wasn’t a great deal of fondness there. Still, it would be for the best for them to try to spend some time together as they headed into the season. He did want to be sure that Prudence was in a positive state of mind as they did so. There would be a lot to think about in the coming weeks and plenty of things they would need to give theirattention to. Prudence wouldn’t be able to do that if she had any unpleasant things on her mind.
And besides, controlling gossip started at home as he knew all too well. If he had ever been able to keep Peter in line, they wouldn’t be where they were right now. It was his brother’s wayward behavior that had been to blame for almost every problem in Leonard’s life. He needed to get to know the Baron and Baroness better than he had so far so that he could be sure they were people he could trust to look out for his best interests and those of his wife as well.
He ushered them through to the dining room. “Where is Prudence?” Bridget asked anxiously. “I was so looking forward to getting to spend some time with her.”
“Bridget, please don’t be rude to the Duke,” the Baroness reprimanded her.
“She hasn’t been rude in the least,” Leonard assured them. “I expected this question to be asked upon your arrival of course. And the answer, Bridget, is that your cousin is upstairs putting the final touches on her preparations for the evening. She is every bit as excited as you are, I think, and wanted to look her best tonight—ah, and here she is now!”
Prudence had just entered the dining room, and for a moment, Leonard actually felt short of breath at the sight of her. She was radiant in a burgundy gown with metallic accents. Her hair was pinned up at the nape of her neck with a few soft curls loose around her face to highlight the color in her cheeks. He didn’tthink he had ever seen her look so beautiful in all his life, and as he always thought her very pretty, that was really saying something.
“I didn’t know you had this gown,” he said, examining it. “I don’t think you’ve ever worn it in my presence before.”
She laughed. “I don’t believe you’d notice,” she teased him. “You haven’t much of an eye for fashion.”
“Prudence,” her mother murmured. “Be polite.”
Her father had approached one of the seats. “Shall we start our dinner?” he asked, looking meaningfully at Prudence. Leonard had the sense that something was being communicated between father and daughter, though he wasn’t sure exactly what it was.
Prudence walked to the table. “I’m so sorry to have kept you waiting,” she said with a smile. “I hope you haven’t been here for very long.”
“We only just arrived,” Bridget assured her.
“Though perhaps it would best if, in the future, you are at your husband’s side when you know guests are coming,” her father suggested. “I am quite sure His Grace didn’t marry only to have the burden of welcoming people to his house all to himself. And especially when it’s your own family, Prudence—you really ought to have been there. That’s what a proper wife would do.”
Prudence’s cheeks colored. “Father, I don’t think that Leonard was bothered that I took my time getting ready.”
