She smiled, and her happiness almost seemed real.
23
It was no surprise that Clarissa's parents approved of Kit. He was heir to a dukedom, after all. Even a scandal-ridden heir to a dukedom was a better catch than anything the Earl and Countess of Hawthorn had dared hope for their troublesome daughter.
But her mother's enthusiasm was still alarming.
She'd taken Kit's arm during introductions as though claiming him for herself, and had laughed at something he'd said with a delight that made Clarissa's skin crawl.
"What a charming young man," her mother had whispered, squeezing Clarissa's hand. "You've done very well, my dear."
You've done very well. It wasn't until she'd heard the words aloud that Clarissa realized just how badly she'd longed to hear them. Her whole life she'd been craving that sort of approval, and now she had it.
Not because she was brave or clever or witty. No. Because she'd landed an heir to a dukedom.
Her father had been far less effusive but no less pleased with the match. He'd shaken Kit's hand and pronounced him "a fine match."
Clarissa had nearly bitten her tongue off to keep from pointing out that he'd only just met Kit. He knew nothing of his temperament or his intelligence. The fact that Kit had been partially to blame for the rumors that had nearly ruined her chances this Season had apparently been forgotten entirely.
Not that Clarissa blamed Kit. She didn't. But she hadn't expected her parents to forgive and forget so quickly. Perhaps she should have though. After all, why embarrass a duke's son by bringing up such tawdry business?
So yes. The engagement was heartily approved all around. The settlements were being drawn up. The solicitors were satisfied. Everything was in order.
The duchess was the only one who seemed to still recall the nasty gossip around Clarissa and was determined to put an end to it.
Hence, this evening's soiree.
The duchess had orchestrated this evening to present the engagement as a triumphant conclusion. Not a desperate arrangement, but a love match that had weathered adversity.
And the duchess had gone above and beyond. Her home was full of the right people. Music played in the drawing room, and at the center of it all, the happy couple smiled and accepted congratulations.
Clarissa's cheeks ached. She'd been smiling for two hours now, and she'd kept her lips tightly sealed all the while.
Kit stood beside her, his hand occasionally resting at the small of her back when they greeted guests. The touch was correct, warm and tasteful. Just enough intimacy to prove they were, in fact, an affectionate couple.
She hated it. Every time his hand brushed against her back, she had to fight the urge to flinch. It felt so, so…so wrong. Just another part of the performance, like the smile and the champagne and the congratulations from people who'd been whispering about her a week ago.
"Lord and Lady Gravelstone," Kit said smoothly as the next couple approached. "How kind of you to come."
Kit was perfect. This came as no surprise. She'd seen Kit play this role many times over the last few weeks. She knew better than anyone how charming and attentive he could be.
He complimented her mother and discussed Parliament with her father. He laughed at the right moments and stood at her side like a man who was truly happy to be there.
But unlike their past performances, this was…wrong.
It was all wrong. And the need to say so—to vent her frustration and her wild discontent—it was enough to make her scream.
But she didn't, of course. She merely continued to smile.
Kit wouldn't look at her. Not really. His eyes swept over her when they spoke, but the blue eyes that used to spark with mischief, that used to find hers across crowded rooms and hold them until she forgot to breathe—those eyes were gone. And there were none of the murmured asides or the private jokes and ongoing whispered conversations that had made all those earlier events tolerable.
He was too busy playing his part to perfection.
She'd asked for this. She knew that. Over the past week, as they'd navigated this new arrangement, she was all too aware that he was doing everything she'd asked. He was keeping his promise to maintain a proper distance between them.
Outwardly, they were a loving couple. But in those few and fleeting moments when they were alone… They might as well be strangers.
She was actually relieved when the duchess and her mother approached and forced them to divide and conquer. The duchess steered Kit toward a group of gentlemen who wished to congratulate him, while her mother took her arm and led her in the opposite direction.
