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Helen stretched her limbs on the upholstered stool and took the plate of cake. “Very well. I will consider it.”
It pained Helen that the Duke was just using her for his own intentions. She stood to gain more, but she wished they were a little closer. Much more than the machinations they devised. His broad shoulders and finely muscled body that showed through his white shirt were enough to attract Helen. And the way his thick brows wiggled certainly surprised her.
“That is not how a lady should sit!” a familiar bitter voice echoed through the room.”
Helen shook in her seat, frightened by the suddenness of her aunt’s voice. Helen felt intimidated even when she was in her father’s house, and it made her irritated. Helen disliked her aunt much more than before, and she wondered why her father allowed Aunt Gertrude to stay even after everything she made Helen go through.
Helen raised her brows haughtily and slowly stretched her limbs on the stool. She returned her aunt’s frosty gaze with a defiant one, even when Kate shrank back in fear.
Aunt Gertrude inclined her intimidating turbaned head towards Kate. “That there is a responsible woman. You do not see her lounging and reading those sinful books.”
“Books that you burned,” Helen retorted, not missing a single beat. Aunt Gertrude’s brows rose for a moment, and Helen wondered if she was going to hit her. A moment after, her aunt was back to her cool demeanor.
“I assume you know why we are back in London after your licentious behavior? I hope you have a better understanding of the situation you are in now?” her aunt asked, taking a seat across them.
Helen tried to be polite as possible because a part of her knew that her father never believed any of her claims. “What situation?”
“You know what I mean, Helen. A match must be made as soon as possible. With a God-fearing husband that will make your father happy.”
She grimaced. “Indeed. Will you move into my house when I am married too?”
Aunt Gertrude looked cross, eyebrows furrowed in disgust as she shot to her feet. “I will be watching you, Helen. That you do not ruin your father’s name one more time. He can deal with one scandal, but a second might take his life.” Turning around, she stormed out with her grey gown billowing around her like smoke.
“That was scary,” Kate declared, tapping her fan with a manicured fingernail.
“Compared to what I went through,” Helen breathed, “this was way softer.”
They shared a laugh, taking turns to imitate Aunt Gertrude. While it reminded Helen of everything she went through, it reminded her that her aunt had no power over her in Erbury. Also, she was relieved to see Sonya and the other maids. After weeks of working herself to exhaustion, Helen was glad to sleep in her own bed.
“Back to the Duke,” Kate said and Helen groaned. “Do not groan, Helen. Most of us do not even have this opportunity, and you are here wasting time. You had better take this chance before some other woman takes his interest.”
“I have heard your argument, Kate. So, how is the Season going? And how is the state of your family?”
Kate sighed. “The desperation and pressure only get stronger by the day. I fear that my mother will berate me into marrying. Not that I do not wish to.”
“But why has no suitor caught your eye? Since your mother is making it easier by introducing you to the eligible bachelors, why then have you not chosen one?”
“While I might be under pressure and borderline desperate, I also seek a gentleman. Someone that genuinely cares for me.”
Helen cooed, “I hope you find one that strikes the chords of your heart.”
With that, a smile crept on her face. The Duke’s face was still in her mind, and she hoped to see him again. Though their arrangement was false, she loved to spend time with him. Her heart skittered and jumped at the slightest movement and touch.
ChapterFifteen
Helen was trying not to groan at the man before her. He was one of her suitors, the Baron of Trencher. He was reciting her some poetry, trying to woo her into marriage. Helen was pleased with the number of suitors that called on her every day. Their arrangement was working, and her father was also happy, even though she rarely saw him because of his illness. His fever worsened by nightfall, and the physician told her that it was malaria, but they were treating him accordingly, and he was getting better.
“Beautiful,” Helen commented, clapping her gloved hands lightly even though she was cringing inside.
They were potential husbands after all. She could not reject them outrightly and could only endure their rigorous advances. She had asked for the attention herself, and she was getting it.
“Baron Trencher is quite versed in literature, is he not?” Aunt Gertrude said with a sly smile on her face.
Helen was wondering whether her aunt was ever truly happy. For one, she was always angry at everything. Not that Helen cared anyway. She just wanted Aunt Gertrude out of her life as soon as possible.
“Helen?” Aunt Gertrude berated, jarring Helen from her thoughts.
She nodded and gave the baron a curt smile. “Of course. I indulge myself in literature from time to time, Lord Trencher. I can see your expertise in the creation of poetry.”
