“How good to see you this morning! And you, Your Grace! Verity, a new gossip rag is out. Have you seen it?”
The shouting stilled some folks passing along. Dominic held back a wince while glancing about them. Shouting about goods and traffic was common enough. Shouting about gossip was another matter altogether.
“No, Jane, I have not.” Verity couldn’t quite stifle her laugh. She gestured to the traffic the young lady was now holding up. “Another time, my friend! I shall call on you tomorrow, shall I?”
The young lady nodded. “Please do! I was right about it all. I was right!”
And off her carriage rolled, the other wagons following.
Verity was still chuckling when she looked up to find Dominic watching her curiously. Her cheeks flushed. “I beg your pardon. That wasn’t exactly proper, was it? Jane is very excitable.”
“It would appear so. She is a good friend of yours?”
“Yes, indeed. This was her coming-out year and she was very anxious, but I believe she has blossomed into a lovely young lady. She’ll find her match soon, I think. I can only hope that whomever he is, her suitor is gentlemanly enough to accept her excitement.”
He thought it made sense as well to find a suitable match. Whilst shouting in the street wasn’t proper, perhaps there would be another gentleman who might not mind.
Then he turned to look at Verity. “You are very composed.”
“I am, yes. What of it?” She asked with a grin.
“What excites you?”
Surprise lit in her eyes. He liked that look, he realized. It was a sudden blast to the chest. He liked to surprise her. The way her eyes opened wider as though she needed to take him all in, to gather a deep breath and a fresh moment.
“What an intriguing question. I hardly know. I must think on this a moment,” she decided. They passed through the lanes of houses, leading to a row of shops. She paused before a small bookshop. “I have something to pick up here, I realized. Do you mind waiting a moment?”
“Yes, of course, so long as you are thinking on that answer,” he added, glad to see the smile crossing her lips.
Verity teased him, “Await here with baited breath and I shall have my answer in a moment.”
“I shall do my best.”
“You’re already doing very well,” she reassured him before stepping inside.
From the front window, Dominic could see inside. He watched as she strode to the front desk . The shopkeeper, an older man, recognized her at once. He waved and moved away. As Dominic wondered if he should have gone inside, he fiddled with his cane and watched. It only took a moment for the man to return.
The shopkeeper and Verity exchanged items. She slipped something into her pocket. Then she was turning around, making her way back to Dominic.
Her cheeks were flushed upon her return. “I have my answer,” she announced as she accepted his arm.
“Very good, I wasn’t going to be able to hold my breath for much longer,” he told her lightly.
She chuckled. “Then it is good I returned so quickly. I like a good story.” That surprised him as the answer, and she caught it before he could hide his own reaction. “What? I’m allowed to read. I was raised a lady and it’s a very necessary skillset for a duchess.”
“I shouldn’t doubt it. I know how you treasure your letters between your siblings,” he added.
“Oh, yes, of course. I write them constantly. It’s only been a few days, but I think they like hearing about my new life with you. Why then were you surprised?”
This was not the time for lies. While he thought her truthful, it was still intriguing to find her sharing this. The pieces of her secret were coming together too clearly. His suspicion was more than that at this time. All he needed was concrete proof of her writing activities.
But I won’t force it. Not now.
Redirecting the topic, Dominic admitted, “I thought you would talk about your love for management and orderliness.”
“Oh! Isn’t that boring?”
“Not if you love it.”
