Page 25 of Winning Her Duke

“It’s beautifully sad that yours was the last name on her lips.”

“And just as sad that because my father was too distraught and confused that she went to her grave unsure if she’d birthed a boy or a girl.”

“I’m sure she knows. She must watch over you, for only someone with a guardian angel would ride the way you do.” His lips pulled up on just the one side and she got a glimpse of what he must have been like as a boy. Quiet, but not without a rebellious side.

“Perhaps you are right. I often wonder what she would think of me. Would she side with my father and try to marry me off, or would she be happy to let me be who I am?”

“Your mother, the woman who faced London society as an opera singer who married a viscount? She would want you to be yourself. With your head held high. And not worry about gossips.”

“I like to think that true. Though she had another reason not to cower when the ton spoke ill of her.” Gia looked over her shoulder and lowered her voice to a whisper. “The truth is she wasn’t an opera singer. Yes, she came to London on her own and sang to make a living, but in reality, she had done so to escape her family.”

“Her family?”

“My grandfather was the Prince of Carignano and my mother, Caterina, was a princess.”

“You are a princess.”

She shrugged.

“One doesn’t shrug off being a bloody princess, Gia. You should tell those old crones who judge you exactly who you are.” He waved toward the ballroom. “They’ll stop speaking of you as if you are a harlot, and they’ll realize they are not worthy to share the same air as you.”

“And they’ll offer friendship, or worse—marriage—that will be based on nothing but a title I’ve never held. My mother left Turin because she didn’t want that life. She wanted to be free of who she was forced to be and find someone who loved her for herself. Why would she ever want me to assume a role she cast off?”

He frowned but nodded in agreement.

“I’m sorry. Their words shouldn’t trouble me when they clearly don’t bother you,” he said with a firm nod.

“They do bother me. But I’ve learned to ignore it. It was a hard lesson when I came to London as a hopeful girl years ago. It was unexpected. My mother had been long gone. But I had attracted the attention of the heir to the Duke of Fornwurst. I was accused of trying to lure him away from one of the other debutantes.”

“I don’t doubt it. You would be able to lure anyone if you wished to.”

She smiled at his kind words.

“Unfortunately, the debutante’s mother had known of my mother and she told all who would listen that I was spawned from an opera singer. My father wanted to defend me with the truth of my heritage, but I refused because I am the daughter of an opera singer, and I would not let anyone shame me for it.”

*

Hale could only stare at the woman in front of him. He’d known she wasn’t like the other women he was acquainted with. But he’d underestimated her strength and courage.

To hold her head high knowing she had information that would raze the rumors to the ground and still kept silent because she was better than that. Better than all of those who would disrespect her mother in that way.

He bowed to her. “It is an honor to call your mother’s daughter my friend.”

“Thank you, Your Grace.”

They continued their stroll and he found it interesting that as lovely as she was, he only wished to continue conversing with her.

He couldn’t remember a time he had taken a woman to the gardens for something so innocent. However, with their reputations as they were, any time in the gardens was enough to make the ton talk.

“Should we return to the ball?” he asked.

“Do we have to?”

“No. I only thought…” He paused to think over what he said before he made a blunder like earlier. He’d made it sound as if he didn’t consider her a lady when the opposite was true. She was more of a lady than any others at this hideous party.

Despite her stripping down to buckskins in the park to ride astride and her dislike for dancing, she had more class than any woman he’d ever met. And she was so authentically herself, he truly admired her.

“You thought to avoid talk?” she said. “Isn’t it too late for that? We’re out in the gardens.”