Chapter Five
Clarissa woke thenext morning to a pounding on her door. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes as she sat up and pushed off the covers.
“Who is it?” She grumbled, stepping into her slippers and slipping on her robe, cinching it at the waist as she made her way to the door.
The pounding ceased for a brief moment and then started again.
What time was it? She could not have slept in to such an hour that demanded such a rude awakening.
“What is it?” She pulled the door open, and Gwen almost knocked on her.
Her sister-in-law pushed past her and entered her room as if she hadn’t just woken her up from a deep sleep in the most maddening of ways.
“Good morn, Clarissa.”
“Is it?” She shut the door and turned.
“Aye. We’ve a ball to attend. Tonight.”
“Tonight?” Clarissa repeated, shocked.
Gwen bobbed her head up and down. “’Tis why ye need to wake. We’ve much to do to ensure we are ready.”
Clarissa fell back onto her bed, exhausted from yesterday’s journey and tossing and turning throughout the night while thoughts of Alexander intruded her mind.
“Dinna sulk. There will be plenty of time for sleeping when ye are back home.”
Clarissa sat up. “That is weeks from now.”
“Who kens, maybe ye will find your future husband at this ball,” Gwen said cheerily, mirth lighting her eyes.
“I dinna want to find a husband, nor am I in need of one.”
Gwen giggled. “Your brother says differently.”
“Ugh, sometimes Nicholas can be incorrigible. Now that he’s found happiness in a wife, he wants to marry me off.”
“That is no’ true. He only wants what is best for ye.”
Clarissa eyed Gwen. Her sister-in-law seemed aware of her feelings for Alexander, but she had not come out and told her that she hoped to marry him. Somehow, some way. She had dreamt about it for months. Never mind that Nicholas would be completely against such a union. He would take a lot of convincing.
But then there was Alexander. He could have any lass he wanted. He was a duke. A very handsome duke, and she was sure that at whatever ball it was they were invited to, that every mother with a daughter of marrying age in near proximity would be there fawning over him. Batting their eyelashes, fluttering their fans and overly displaying their chests to entice him.
Which they more than likely would. Alexander was a known rake. Who was she to think that she could catch his eye?
“Alexander will of course be there.”
It was as if Gwen could read her thoughts.
“Will he now?”
Gwen nodded.
“That has naught to do with me.”
Gwen joined her on the bed and clasped her hands. “I ken ye are attracted to Alexander. ’Tis been blatantly obvious since ye saw him at Huntly. How Nicholas hasna noticed, I’ve no clue.”
“It doesna matter. Nicholas would ne’er allow such a union.”
