Theodore cursed inwardly, though his irritation at his second slip of the tongue faded as he realized that Harriet had stiffened, her nervous smile replaced by an abashed expression. He felt something in himself soften as understanding dawned on him. “You wanted something of you to be in the dress?”
Her eyes widened, hands tightening in the fabric of her dress and Theodore knew he had guessed right. He felt a flush of pleasure run through him followed closely by a stab of confusion.Control. I must regain control.
“Yes.” Harriet’s words turned him towards her. “It felt important.”
“Why?” he asked surprising himself.
Harriet’s eyes searched his face and Theodore felt as though Harriet was a doe confronted by an unknown animal, trying to work out if it was predator or friend. He waited for her to flinch away as most people did, but to his surprise she did not.
“I am not entirely sure.” She tapped an elegant finger against her lips, and the sight made his heart skip several beats, though he kept it from his face. “I suppose we shall have to wait and see.”
“Are you usually so cryptic?” Theodore arched an eyebrow at her, folding his arms across his chest.
“I am not trying to be mysterious, simply truthful.” Harriet’s cheeks flushed and Theodore heard the irritation in her voice, her eyes widening as though she was surprised by her own answer.
“I did not mean to suggest you were being deliberately obstructive.” The corner of Theodore’s lip threatened to quirk into a smile but he forced it to remain in place, unsure why he found her irritation so charming. “In our previous meeting you did not strike me as the sort of woman to revel in mystery for mystery’s sake – I was surprised. That is all.”
“Oh.” Harriet looked mollified as she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, still not looking away from him. “I am sorry. I should not have been so short with you. It was unfair of me… I just… I do not like feeling as though someone does not believe me.”
“So I am learning.” He noticed her tapping her foot against the floor of the carriage as they trundled along. “You are still nervous.”
He had meant it to sound like a question, but it came out more like a statement. She did not seem offended by it, if anything, it was the opposite. At his observation, he saw some of the tension leave her face, her shoulders relaxing slightly.
“A little.” He only just managed to keep his surprise at her admission from her face.
How can she be so candid with her emotions?
His brow furrowed. “Why?”
“I do not really like being the center of attention. I know that we have only invited our friends and family, but well… I am used to fading into the background.” She fingered the delicate necklace around her neck absently.
“You should not be.” His voice came out harder than he had intended.
Her eyes narrowed. “What do you mean?”
I do not understand how someone who looks like you could be anything but the focus of any room she was in.He knew better than to say such a thing out loud.She is here for Phoebe, and I do not need a distraction – no matter how pretty she is.“Youare a duchess now. Thetonwill be paying close attention to you and the way you comport yourself. What you do is a reflection of the estate.”
“I know.” Her eyes hardened, and he saw the fingers of her right hand dig into the fabric of her dress. “I will not embarrass you, you need not worry about that. I am perfectly capable of handling myself in public.”
“I am not worried.” Theodore shrugged, watching as Harriet appeared to try and get her anger under control. “If I thought you would do such a thing, I would not have asked you to marry me.”
“Even if it had meant not supporting Phoebe? You seemed rather de-determined,” from her pause Theodore has a suspicion that Harriet had been about to say ‘desperate’ but he did not object. “to support her.”
“It is my duty to provide for her. To ensure she has a good future, that she is looked after and cared for.” The smell of sweet rot threatened to overwhelm him, and he pushed it away, digging his nails into the palms of his hands. “Any woman who would bring my reputation into disrepute or cause embarrassment at such a scale is a liability that I could not tolerate, regardless of any sentiment between the woman and my niece. It would put her and the estate in danger.”
“And what if I did such a thing? What then?” She folded her arms across her chest.
He narrowed his eyes. “Are you planning to?”
“No. But how can you be sure I would not? When you are a woman, the rules are different. I may not mean to, but thetoncould decide that my behavior was unacceptable and…” For a moment, memory overwhelmed the image of Harriet’s calm face. Blue eyes, not green, gaunt and yellowing skin stretched over stark cheekbones…
No.
He swallowed hard and turned away, his voice clipped as he said, “I am all too aware of the fickle nature of theton, especially when it comes to those of your sex. You do not strike me as a fool, Harriet. I suspect you are well acquainted with the sorts of things that will make those fiends scent blood in the air. More importantly, you know how to avoid them.”
“That is rather a lot of trust to put in someone you hardly know. I am unsure what I have done to deserve it.” Harriet’s tone was mild, but he did not turn to face her.
Trust.
