Page 33 of The Duke’s Wager

“Thank you, Maria.”

“What are you wearing today, my dear?”

She stifled a yawn and shrugged. “I don’t mind. You choose.”

Maria nodded silently and selected a pale green dress.

“I have a lot of work today, dearie. Why don’t you make it a garden day?”

Though Maria sounded hesitant, almost guilty about this, Lucy did not mind. In fact, she loved such days. She often found that she needed peace and quiet, and perhaps today was the perfect day for some quiet self-reflection in the garden.

“That is a fantastic idea. Thank you.”

She nodded as she laced up Lucy’s corset, and the latter sat down – quietly looking at her reflection while Maria brushed her hair.

“You never told me what happened at your party last night.”

“It was fine. The food was rather appetizing, we danced a bit and came home. Nothing out of the ordinary.”

“Did you dance?”

Lucy could feel how hot her cheeks grew at the question and she nodded shyly, casting her eyes downward.

“Once or twice.”

Luckily, if Maria noticed something, she made no mention of it. She simply smiled and continued brushing her hair. “I’m glad. You need to allow yourself to have some semblance of a life, my child.”

Lucy nodded silently and grabbed the book of poetry on her desk. “Thank you Maria.”

She rushed out into the garden quickly, grinning when she saw Nicolas standing by the fountain lazily.

“Nic, are you not meant to prepare father’s breakfast?”

Nicolas scoffed audibly and flapped his hands about. “I was just about to start when Maria told me that he had already left for the day. Who knows where! But I will head right back into the kitchen and make whatever your heart desires right now.”

Lucy smiled brightly. Nicolas was quite the character – she enjoyed his antics. “I’m not hungry, thank you, Nic.”

“If you say so. How was the event? My sources tell me you danced with Edward Lockhart, you scandalous little lass!”

Lucy pressed her hands to her cheeks and shook her head. “I don’t know how you always have the most recent gossip, Nicolas.”

“Oh, that’s nothing, darling. According to Arabella, who heard it from Abigail, who heard it from George, Edward was quite upset after you left.”

Despite her best intentions to not engage in gossip about Edward, Lucy was intrigued. “Really?”

Nicolas nodded eagerly. “Apparently, young Edward and Alfred spent the rest of the evening drowning their sorrows. The poor man must have an awful headache today.”

Lucy could not help but grin vindictively. “Good. I hope he suffers.”

Nicolas leaned towards her eagerly. “Oh, I knew it! I knew something happened… Tell me, immediately! What did he do?”

Lucy laughed.

“Nothing happened.”

Nicolas shook his head at her deception, his eyebrows raised. “I don’t believe you. What did he do?”

There was no getting away from it – Nicolas would not let her be, and she sighed. “Fine. We were dancing and it was… rather nice, actually. Until he called me a ‘challenge’.”