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Faint hope stirred within her. She knew she could rely on Letty. “Stay through dinner with me tonight?” Anne asked hesitantly.
Letty blinked. “I only have what I’m wearing.”
“It’s fine.”
“Not fine enough for dinner with a duke and duchess.”
Anne sniffed. “As said duchess, you may let me be the judge of that.”
Letty grinned and took another bite of her bun. “I would love to stay for dinner.”
Anne wondered if maybe she could convince her to stay forever.
* * *
Letty tried not to fidget on the stool in front of the vanity mirror. It felt odd to have maids fussing with her hair, slicking cream on her face, and spritzing her with unfamiliar perfume. She was accustomed to doing for herself, and she itched to shoo them away. But out of respect for Anne and Mrs. MacInnes, who both would frown at her for straying from convention, she stayed her hand and allowed herself to be dressed in borrowed finery.
It had been determined that Letty and the dowager duchess were much the same size, and there was still a trunk of her clothes in the attic. A handful of pins and a few stitches later, Letty was wearing a white satin dress that was cut far lower than her usual standard.
It had been a decade or more since she had worn white. It was a color she associated with her youth and the foolhardy notions of purity that had misguided her, but also it required such dedicatedcleaning. Even in the townhouse, she hadn’t been able to afford to wear white often.
Anne had lent the gown to Letty out of kindness, after she had protested again that her sturdy day dress wasn’t suitable for dinner. But the dowager’s castoffs reminded her that she didn’t belong here in this guest bedchamber where she was getting ready for the evening. For all her time spent at Hawthorne House, this was the first time she was experiencing it as a guest and not as a worker.
If only the Wilsons could see her now. They hadn’t considered her deserving of even entering the front door of their country manor.
Maybe it had all been a mistake. Was she here because Anne truly wished to dine with her? Or was this one more way to needle her husband? She wanted to be here for Anne’s sake—the memory of last night’s tears still pulled at her heart—but what right did she have to be seated at a table with a duke and duchess?
Anne was so much more than a duchess. Over the months that she had known her, Letty had watched the layer peel away from the cold surface to reveal a passionate, warm woman full of integrity and kindness. Letty felt helpless against her attraction, and last night proved it. She would have done anything to stop those tears. Her feelings for Anne were different from every other woman she had loved and lusted after.
On the way to dinner, Letty passed the drawing room and heard her name called out.
“Miss Barrow, our estate’s honored guest tonight. Do come join us for a drink before dinner. Let us play at civility, shall we?”
The Duke of Hawthorne was lounging in a chair, with Sir Phineas standing at his side. She hesitated. But despite her feelings toward the man who had caused Anne such hurt, he was a duke and she was in his house. She could not ignore him outright, though it felt like she was entering murky waters.
“A duke needs toplayat civility?” she asked. “What an awful world we live in if our betters must lower themselves to playacting.”
Hawthorne barked out a laugh and handed her a crystal glass of brandy. “I thought I might be met with rancor, Miss Barrow. It is to you whom I owe the pleasures of being placed in the draughty corner bedroom instead of my own master suite, is it not?”
She curtsied. “Guilty as charged. You have a poor reputation, Your Grace.”
“Every scrap of it is well deserved,” he said. “Some might say you have an interesting reputation yourself. I always say that it’s in the eye of the beholder, is it not?”
She wondered what reputation he was referring to. The fact that she had an eye for a pretty face, including his wife’s? Or that she had an illegitimate son? All of it was true, and she felt no shame over it. “I think you are very wise.”
“Shall we enjoy a hand of whist after dinner? We could get to know each other better. I am intrigued to know more about the woman who has caught my wife’s notoriously discerning attention. Already I think I quite like you.”
There was something engaging about the duke. She wondered how many secrets he kept behind those fathomless eyes. His deep voice was like a caress, his dark eyes were watchful and mesmerising. His features were more interesting than classically handsome, sharp lines and hollowed cheeks and eyes. “I have heard you to be quite free in your affiliations, Your Grace,” she said, taking a sip of brandy and settling into a chair.
“Perhaps you could use it to your advantage. You could have your hands full with designing additions to Hawthorne House to fit all of those whom I have…affiliatedwith.” His mouth quirked up.
“Pay him no heed, Miss Barrow,” Sir Phineas broke in. “It can be difficult to know when he is serious and when he is not.”
Sir Phineas was an elegant man, tall and lean. Letty was surprised to see a small black patch below his eye in the shape of a heart, an affectation from a previous century. It suited him with his elaborate lace cuffs and cravat. He had an air of fashion that would be intimidating if the look in his eye was not so kindly. “I apologize for any discomfort.”
“I apologize for nothing,” Hawthorne said, sipping his brandy.
“And you also don’t speak for me, may I remind you,” Sir Phineas said. “Again, I apologize, Miss Barrow, for any tension or stress. I would never wish to cause you harm.” He kissed her hand.
