AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Anne entered the room. Letty’s breath was gone as she took in the full sight of her draped in silk and dripping with sparklingstones, her face transformed by cosmetics that heightened the arch of her brow and the sweep of her lash, her blond hair piled high on her head beneath a tiara that flashed so much in the candlelight that Letty feared a moment for her vision.
Anne, the Duchess of Hawthorne, was magnificent.
How was this the same lover who had worn her darned socks last night? How had she dared reach so high to bring a duchess to her bed?
Letty knew Anne’s stride well enough to catch the infinitesimal hitch in her step as she saw them. “Hawthorne. Sir Phineas. What a pleasure to encounter you both.” Anne’s voice was even, but her fingers twitched as if she wanted to clench them into fists.
Hawthorne raised his glass. “Well met, fair Annie. I see you wasted no time in adding your own guest to our party. It makes things quite fair on both sides, do you not agree?”
“Miss Barrow is a brilliant designer and an honored guest for dinner. Not that I need to explain anything to you. And I am not yourAnnie.”
He sipped his brandy. “I’m aware of Miss Barrow’s expertise. I recommended her to your secretary.”
Anne’s eyes widened, and Letty fought the urge to rush to her side and steady her. But she should have known Anne needed no such coddling as she watched her lift her chin and clasp her hands in front of her.
“Is this true, Miss Barrow?” she asked, her voice cool.
“Yes.” Letty hadn’t thought twice about it since she had started working for the duchess. “I heard about the opportunity from a friend of the duke’s, and he said he would ask if Hawthorne would be able to put my name forth.”
“I see.”
Hawthorne smiled gently. “And everything worked out splendidly, did it not?”
A footman announced the imminence of dinner. Letty thought at first that Anne would eschew the offer of Hawthorne’s arm, but protocol had been too deeply ingrained. She laid two fingers on his forearm and stood as far as she could from him as they walked tothe dining room. Letty trailed behind with Sir Phineas, and they sat at an enormous table that felt intended for twenty. She lost count of the courses that were set in front of her and whisked away amidst the arch exchanges between the duke and duchess. She contented herself with sending looks of commiseration across the vast table at Sir Phineas, who mouthed the wordsGod help us allmore than once, which made her bite her cheek to prevent herself from laughing.
It was a far cry from the boisterous dinners that she enjoyed with Fraser and Marcus and their friends at Swann’s. Anne glittered, her face full of defiance and grandeur, commanding the table while Hawthorne leaned back in his chair, emanating warmth and silken innuendo.
Two more mismatched people she could not think of. However had they come to marry?
“Miss Barrow, may I interest you in tea in the drawing room, and we shall leave the gentlemen to their brandy?” Anne’s eyes were bright.
“I would like nothing better, Your Grace.” It would be a relief to leave the tension behind.
Anne nodded down the table. “Please do not rush yourselves. Hawthorne, the brandy arrived yesterday from France—I believe it will be quite to your taste.”
Tea was brought to the drawing room, and Anne thrust a cup at Letty. “Why didn’t youtellme?”
“Tell you what?”
“That my husband is the reason you are here.” Her face was cold as marble.
Chapter Seventeen
Letty held up a hand. “I heard about a once-in-a-lifetime chance to renovate one of the grandest houses in all of London, and of course I took it. In my business, one uses the connections one has in order to get ahead.”
“When I hired you, I thought I was taking control of my situation. Of mylife. I thought I was being independent. And once more, I find I have Hawthorne and his machinations to thank for the opportunity.”
“All Hawthorne did was put my name forth to your secretary,” Letty said, her eyes narrowed. “You hired me of your free will. Hawthorne didn’t add any of the pages to my portfolio when I showed it to you. He wasn’t whispering into my ear during the interview, instructing me how to best curry your favor.” She didn’t remind Anne that she hadn’t even hired her on merit. No, she had been hired because Anne had considered her theleastlikely candidate to succeed at the task. It still stung, even though Anne had long ago realized how talented she truly was. But this wasn’t about her. Anne was hurting, and she craved to comfort her. “Hawthorne had nothing to do with your decision. He had nothing to do with why I’m here.” She took Anne’s hand. “Or why I stay.”
She wanted to sit in this drawing room for more than an evening, wiggling her way into Anne’s real life where she entertained guests at dinners like this and served the Queen. She wanted more than the fringe of her life and her affections in the bedchamber.
But that was a fool’s desire.
Anne sighed and squeezed her hand. “I know. Ido. But everything Hawthorne does rubs me the wrong way. I cannot be easy around him, even though he has the easiest manners in the world. He has the ability to make the world fall in love with him. I don’t know how he does it.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Letty said. “It needn’t affect you.”
“He hurt me,” Anne said, her voice low and fierce. “I cannot forgive it.”
