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Chapter Twenty-One
Jenny closed her eyes for a moment before opening them again, cursing inwardly at their interruption. “I did not expect to see you and Her Grace here tonight,” Lady Heatherford said, catching up to them.
“Lucy,” he said and Jenny blinked. She knew they were friends but the way he called her by her Christian name provoked Jenny.
The woman turned to Jenny and smiled artfully. “Your Grace.”
“Lady Heatherford,” Jenny returned, slipping her hand from Nicholas’s and tightening her shawl about her shoulders.
“Why are you leaving so soon? I heard the show has just begun.”
“There is somewhere else we have to be,” Nicholas answered.
“I should let you be on your way, then.” She glanced at Jenny before giving Nicholas a foxy grin. “I hope to see you again soon, Nicholas.”
“Good night, Lucy,” he replied. Nicholas had said nothing to encourage her flirtations.
Yet, Jenny was jealous and annoyed. He took her arm and led her to the carriage where she sat in silence as they were conveyed home. Neither of them said a word to the other until they were in the house. Clearly, the mood had been ruined and any hope of being intimate with her husband had been squashed.
“We should call upon your grandmother in the morning,” she suggested in the foyer.
“Very well,” he agreed. “We shall do that after breakfast.”
When she crawled into bed, she wondered if anything would ever work in her favor.
* * *
The following morning saw them walking through the front hall of the dowager’s house. "She will receive you upstairs in her chamber," the butler announced, leading the way.
Jenny was surprised the dowager was receiving them in her chambers. Her condition must either be very serious or she was simply disregarding etiquette as she did on occasion. She was a rather unique woman, after all.
"Is it that bad?" Nicholas asked, speaking for the first time since they left their house. He had been quiet during breakfast, too.
“Her condition is rather peculiar,” the butler replied.
"Has the physician seen her?" Jenny asked.
“No, Your Grace.”
“Why not?” Nicholas asked, looking concerned. The duchess was something of a menace but neither of them wanted her ill or suffering.
“She refused to have one attend to her.” They arrived at her chambers. “Here we are.”
They walked into the adjoining living area to the sight of Ernest lounging on a sofa while the dowager’s lady’s maid was sectioning her blonde and silver hair with a comb and applying a thick green paste to her locks.
"Ah." Ernest gained his feet upon their entry. "Just the person I was hoping to see today." He bowed before Jenny and placed a gallant kiss on her knuckles.
"To what do I owe the honor?" Jenny asked, looking around the room and believing that last night had been planned by the dowager. She was as healthy as a horse.
"A message.” Ernest’s voice drew her attention back to the present. “There is something I have been asked to hand to you personally." He punctuated his statement with a sly smile in Nicholas's direction.
Although he was clearly curious, he feigned disinterest and turned to regard his grandmother who was seated on an ottoman. "You're supposed to be sick,” he said to her.
"Clearly not sick enough,” the woman replied in a bored tone, directing her lady’s maid to slather some more green paste onto her hair.
"I shall come at your most convenient time to deliver the message, Jenny." Ernest raised his voice to draw back his already miffed cousin's attention.
Nicholas's sharp gaze shifted, then narrowed but he did not utter a word. Jenny could almost see his curiosity and pride warring with each other. She allowed herself an inward little smile.
