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Lavinia did not want her unrequited love for Dane to break the group apart. But she knew that things between Caroline and her would never be the same.
“My apologies, I am late,” Caroline said. “I’ve had to deal with packing up the house to prepare for the country.”
“We’re glad to see you,” Annalise said as she greeted the duchess.
Olivia stood and extended her arms toward her friend. Caroline took her hands in hers and studied her with an appraising gaze. “Marriage agrees with you, dear,” she said with a warm smile.
“Yes, as it does you.”
Helen performed a perfect curtsy. “Your Grace.”
“Oh, please.” Caroline waved a dismissive hand. “Friends call me by my Christian name. And if you are here, it means you are a friend. So, call me Caroline.”
“Oh, I couldn’t,” Helen answered shyly.
“I insist.”
Lavinia sucked in a deep breath. Now it was her turn. She stood and curtsied lightly. “Caroline,” she said, barely keeping a demure smile on her face.
Caroline turned to her, and her face changed. Lavinia could not quite read her facial expressions. Unlike the open Annalise whom she could read in a second, Caroline had always been closed off. But her eyes softened, and perhaps Lavinia could see remorse in them. Or maybe Lavinia just hoped that’s what she saw.
“I am glad to see you,” Caroline said with a smile. “It’s been too long.”
“Indeed.”
Silence turned uncomfortable for a brief moment, then Caroline looked around and put on her regular, bright smile. “Well, is there any news I’ve missed?”
The chatter resumed, and Lavinia let out a breath of relief. She did not want the group to be uncomfortable because of the little tiff between her and the duchess. But she shouldn’t have worried. Caroline had always known what to say and what to do to make everyone comfortable in her presence. She was only too perfect for the role of the duchess. Dane had made the right choice in marrying her, Lavinia had to agree begrudgingly, even though her heart bled every time she thought of it.
“And then we were discussing husbands and a wives sharing a chamber. Lavinia found it strange that we do. Do you share your bedchamber with the duke, Caroline?” Olivia—always direct, and sometimes inept in social interactions—turned toward the duchess.
Caroline threw a brief glance toward Lavinia before answering. “No. And I find it quite rare for a married couple of noble stature to share anything beyond the title and the house.”
“That’s how it was for my parents,” Lavinia said quietly.
“And that’s far more common than what you are describing, Olivia. It does not mean your arrangement is wrong, however, as long as you’re comfortable with it. But love matches are… rare, to say the least,” Caroline continued.
Lavinia closed her eyes. Yes. And she would never get a love match. She might never get any match at all under the current circumstances. Suddenly, the air turned suffocating. The room became much too small, and the conversation turned dull. No, she couldn’t just sit here listening to her friends talk about their perfect lives and pretend as if all was well in her life. Nothing was well.
“Lavinia?” Annalise’s voice cut through the fog of her despair. “Are you unwell?”
“Yes.” Lavinia stood. “Apologies. I thought my headache would pass, but it did not. So I think I shall retire.”
Caroline stood also. “Do you mind if I see you out? I would love to—”
“No,” Lavinia answered too quickly. She composed herself and smiled at Caroline. “Truly, my headache is splitting my skull, and I would rather leave this house in solitude. But thank you.”
Lavinia hurried out of the room, her breathing labored. She put on her cloak and dashed out of the house.Blast. She couldn’t even manage to be civil among her friends. She truly had no place in this world anymore.
She drew the corners of her cloak closer together. It was a rather warm day, but she felt chilly nonetheless.
Now that she was away from the comfort of her friend’s home, her previous fears had returned. She looked both ways to see if anyone was lingering nearby. A few carriages were passing by, a man was walking his dog, and a boy rushed past them, but nothing out of the ordinary. Nobody suspicious was in sight.
She swallowed. Perhaps she should have left the townhouse right away. At least then she might have had some luck in noticing if anyone suspicious was nearby. Someone who might have followed her from her home and handed her the note.
It was unlikely. Whoever sought to threaten her was probably too smart to lurk around the house. They probably paid someone else to deliver the message. But perhaps they were watching, gauging her reactions.
In that case, she needed to act as composed as she normally would. She took a deep breath, looked both ways one more time, and ascended into her carriage.
