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“Good. We have news from a male party, then,” Aunt Margaret said. Her voice was boisterous, as though she truly hadn’t comprehended the weight of what Baldwin had just asserted.
Of course, Tatiana arched her brow at him, seemingly clear on his intentions.
But what on earth were his intentions, exactly? He ached with the knowledge that he knew nothing at all.
“You saw the Duke, then?” Aunt Margaret continued, pushing the conversation forward amid taut silence.
“Yes. Yes, I did,” Marta finally said. She dipped her elbows on the table, then immediately pulled them off, conscious of her rudeness.
“And? Goodness, are you always so tight-lipped, or only when I am so desirous of knowing the information?” Aunt Margaret demanded.
“Such a gossiper, Mother,” Tatiana said.
“The girl has come here for a single reason, Tatiana. To join the season. To take part in our incredible culture. Forgive me that I wish to know how far my talents have taken her,” Aunt Margaret spat.
“We danced!” Marta stated, her voice rising. “Twice.”
This was, in fact, true. And it seemed to be enough, for the moment, to inform Aunt Margaret. She clapped her little palms together and said, “Twice! My goodness. I’m sure he found it difficult to keep himself away from you.”
“That’s very much what it seemed like,” Ewan said.
Again, Baldwin was overwhelmed with the memory of his fist against the Duke’s stomach. His own stomach gurgled, seemingly attempting to rearrange itself.
“For goodness sake, Baldwin, won’t you eat something? Your hunger has taken on a life of its own,” Aunt Margaret asserted. “Marta, tell me. Has he made any statement about seeing you again soon?”
“He has said that he would like to,” Marta said. Her words were tentative. “Although I’m not terribly certain when.”
“He’s a man of his word. I know this,” Aunt Margaret stated. “Magnificent. Ewan, Baldwin, I’m grateful that you were both there to ensure that she presented herself well. I don’t know what she would do without you. We’re all here for you, dear. All that misery in the past? You left it at home in Austria. Nothing like that will happen here. I know it.”
