AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The butler entered to announce, “The Duchess of Tereford.” Cecelia followed him into the room, serenely elegant as always in a chip-straw bonnet and sprig muslin gown.
They exchanged greetings, and Cecelia was offered a chair. “I had thought we might walk in the garden, Harriet,” she replied.
Taking in their caller’s determined expression, Harriet saw she intended to talk about the ride, all of it. “It is rather windy,” Harriet replied. “Won’t you be more comfortable inside?”
“I find the weather invigorating,” Cecelia answered.
“It looks as if it may rain,” Harriet tried.
“I don’t think so.”
“There are clouds blowing…”
“I wish to speak to you privately,” interrupted the duchess. “About a matter of some importance.”
It was unsporting of her to be so forthright, Harriet thought. Because, of course, this stirred up her mother, who immediately looked worried. She watched them go with an anxious frown. Harriet wasn’t even able to dally in fetching her hat. Cecelia followed right along to her bedchamber.
“So,” the duchess said when they had left the house well behind. “Ferrington.”
Harriet pretended to admire a spray of delphinium. Itwaswindy. The blossoms dipped and swayed.
“The man you were so enthusiastically kissing by the stream,” Cecelia added.
“That wasnotenthusiasm,” Harriet blurted. “I was, er, overset by relief after my fall.”
“Ah, relief.”
Harriet could practically feel her friend’s gaze on the side of her face. She certainly heard the skepticism in her tone.
“I can’t say relief has ever moved me in precisely that way,” said Cecelia.
Shifting ground, Harriet said, “He took me by surprise.”
“Did he? A swooping descent? And yet it didn’t look as if you wished to push him away. In fact, it seemed to me that you might have kissed him before.”
She had no way of knowing that. Harriet was not going to admit it.
“Did he manage to plead his case with you?” Cecelia asked.
“What case?”
“He told me he was very eager to regain your good opinion.”
“You talked about me?”
“Only a little. I noticed the constraint between you when we called here, and I asked him about it. He seemed…distressed by whatever has passed between you, Harriet. And eager for a chance to explain.”
“He is a complete rogue,” replied Harriet.
“He seemed to think that is what you liked about him. At one time. That’s what I gathered, at any rate.”
It was true, but it sounded foolish when spoken aloud. “He lied to me.”
Cecelia nodded. “About his identity. He tried to conceal it from James as well.”
“Who was too clever to be fooled,” responded Harriet bitterly.
“The situations were rather different.”
