Page 32 of Manufacturing a Duchess

A wail from Marjorie as she reached too far and fell into the Pond brought him to himself. He turned and saw his dripping daughter being helped out by a laughing Peg and the young woman he presumed was Miss Hardcastle’s maid. “Marjorie!”

“I slipped, Papa. I’m terribly sorry. And—oh!” Here the wail returned, “I snapped off the mizzen mast when I fell!”

Her father was quickly at her side and carefully took the boat from her. “It can be repaired, imp. Now, we must get you home before you catch your death. Whatever will Miss Hardcastle think of you?”

“I shall be very pleased she did not drown,” was Aurora’s only reply.

“Pooh,” replied Marjorie. “Tisn’t very deep at all. At least not at the edge. And the water isn’t cold either, not like the stream at home. Which,” she gave a quick wary glance at her father, “I never approach without someone to attend me.”

Lucy ran over with a blanket from the phaeton. “For Lady Marjorie,” she said shyly as she handed it to Peg.

“I’ll take it,” said Alec. He proceeded to envelop his daughter in the blanket, scrubbing her with it until she shrieked with laughter. “I think she’ll live.”

He scooped up his daughter and headed toward his horse. “I will ride back with Lady Marjorie, Peg. You can follow directly.”

“Yes, Your Grace.” Peg looked relieved. She smiled gratefully at Aurora, as if she were responsible.

Alec settled his daughter on the horse. He realized his mind was made, that he had finally come to a decision through the course of this morning. He turned to face Aurora before hoisting himself up behind Marjorie. “Miss Hardcastle, will I find Lord Wentworth at home this afternoon?”

“Ye—yes. I believe he will be at home.”

“I shall call upon him then.”

Gracefully, he swung himself up into the saddle and, turning the horse around, he headed out along the pathway.

* * *

Long after they had disappeared from sight, Aurora stood there stunned, not quite believing what she had heard. But her recent hours of training by Lady Wentworth, as well as by Missie, soon rushed to the fore. “Quickly, Lucy. We must get back quickly. Good day, Peg!”

Encumbered with the bulky ship as she was, Peg gave a quick curtsy and turned to follow the path the Duke of Selkirk had taken out of the park. Aurora headed toward the phaeton, Lucy in her wake. She would have to use the ride back to prepare herself for her conversation with her forbidding chaperone.

Twenty-Six

Directly she returned, Aurora asked the butler whether Lady Wentworth was down yet. On being informed that, yes, she was taking tea in her morning room, Aurora made her way there, scratching softly on the door before she pushed it open and entered.

A look at her windblown hair and the dress she was wearing caused Lady W to choke, splutter wildly for a moment, and set down her teacup with a clatter. “Aurora! Whatever have you been doing? You look an utter disgrace. If your father saw you right now, he would say I have completely failed in my duty as your chaperone. Have you learned nothing these past few weeks, girl? Now, I am not one to trumpet my own child over everyone else, but can you not at least try to take a page from Millicent’s book? Decorum. A pale and serene countenance. You are altogether too, too flushed. With exertion! Most unbecoming!”

Aurora kept trying to get a word in. Once her ladyship was completely out of breath, she was able to succeed.

“Lady Wentworth,” she said. “I have, in the last hour, been informed the Duke of Selkirk will be calling on Lord Wentworth. This afternoon. I wanted to ensure Lord Wentworth was to be in.”

“In? Of course he will be in. This is excellent news, truly excellent. Though—” here she fixed Aurora with a surprisingly shrewd look, “However did you hear of it? Are you completely sure this is to happen?”

“Yes, Lady Wentworth. I chanced upon the Duke in the park this morning. I was accompanied by a maid, as was proper, Lady Wentworth,” as she saw her ladyship’s lips were starting to quiver again. She left Lucy’s name out of it; no need to drag her directly into the conversation. “So, you see, he informed me himself. No better source,” she couldn’t resist adding.

“Yes. Well.” Her chaperone picked up the bell sitting on the tiny table next to the sofa and rang it. She instructed the footman who answered it to please inform Lord Wentworth’s man that Lord Raeburn, the Duke of Selkirk was to call on him this afternoon. Most assuredly, this was an appointment he could not miss.

As the man left, she turned her sights back on her charge. “Aurora, you must set yourself to rights. Get Hyacinth to attend to you immediately. We shall remain at home this afternoon. Yes. That is a must. I shall write to your mother. I am sure she will be very pleased by this turn of events. Hmm? Unless it is best I should wait until the conclusion of the interview itself.”

Leaving Lady Wentworth to have a hearty chew over this social conundrum, Aurora happily made her way upstairs. She saw Lucy peering out from behind the green baize door down to the servants’ wing and gave her a smile she felt stretch from ear to ear. With an answering smile of her own, Lucy bobbed a curtsy and disappeared below-stairs.

Continuing up the stairs, she paused outside Missie’s door. Aurora needed to take a moment to compose herself. The morning had been an emotional and fast-moving whirl. She was not exactly sure what she felt. But she was certain of one thing: she needed to tell Missie first before she heard about it from Hyacinth. Or, even worse, Lady Wentworth.

She took a deep breath. Her friend had changed these past few weeks. A hard, cutting note had crept into Missie’s voice more and more frequently when she spoke to Aurora—that is, when she spoke to her. Most of the time now she ignored her, pointedly dismissed her almost to the edge of rudeness, or only directed daggered looks her way. The mask was held fast in place now, and not even for her best friend would she lower it.

If they were still best friends.

Aurora felt dreadfully on her own. But there was no escaping this duty. Regardless of what Missie’s feelings now were, Aurora would continue to treat her as a friend as long as she was able.