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“You did want her to become a lady, Lady Dunley. And she is.”
“I didn’t want her to lose her identity!” Marjorie sighed heavily and leaned her forehead against the glass. It felt like this conversation was going around in circles. “I think you should go back to your duties, Arnaud.”
“Will you be all right, My Lady?”
“I will.”
That was a lie, but Marjorie wasn’t about to go into it again. Saying that Isabel would go back to her former self didn’t make her feel any better. That could happen tomorrow, or sometime in the future, or never. Marjorie didn’t want to put a deadline on it and then be disappointed when the new Isabel Moore walked out the door on the way to her wedding.
Wedding. That was something Marjorie really wished for her daughter. But she had never expected Isabel to be on the cusp for a betrothal with a duke.
That had to be the most surprising thing of her child’s transformation; she had snagged the attention of a young, handsome duke, who was showering her with affection and trinkets that made Isabel look like the happiest girl in the world. Marjorie saw the two of them together, and she saw how Galliston was with Isabel. The man was clearly spellbound by her, and Isabel looked smug that she had his attention. But together, they did look really sweet.
What Galliston was going to say when he saw the real Isabel Moore, Marjorie had no idea. But she didn’t think it would be that good. Galliston claimed he wouldn’t judge people no matter what they were like, yet she was sure that wouldn’t be the case. He was looking for a woman to be a perfect duchess and the consummate wife and host.
The new Isabel could do that, without a problem. The old Isabel, however, couldn’t. Marjorie didn’t think her daughter could keep up with that for long. Galliston would feel like he had been cheated and lied to.
That was another reason Marjorie wanted Isabel back to how she was. If Galliston saw the real person and not a facade, he might find Isabel endearing. It was a gamble, but he needed to know what Isabel was really like. There shouldn’t be any lies between a couple.
Lady Blythcourt thought a little lie wouldn’t hurt. Isabel’s different personality was not a little lie. Marjorie could see this going wrong, and they would lose the suit altogether.
Which would be a shame. Isabel and Galliston did look like they fitted well together. And Galliston was very nice to look at. Marjorie had found herself watching Galliston instead of keeping an eye on her daughter, noting how his eyes crinkled when he smiled, how he touched Isabel’s hand, and how he never seemed to stray his attention.
When he was focused on something, he was fully focused. That had happened a few times when Marjorie caught the duke looking at her. It had left her forgetting how to breathe a few times. That look of his was intense.
Add to the fact he was handsome, and Marjorie would be very surprised if all women weren’t swooning whenever he walked by. She felt tempted to do so.
And that made things more awkward for her. She was not looking for another marriage. After losing her first husband and finding out his betrayal in a horrible way, Marjorie didn’t want to marry again.
She was happy to remain a widow for the rest of her days, even if it did put pressure on Isabel to make sure both of them were comfortable. But every time she looked at the Duke of Galliston, there was always that flicker in her mind that found herself thinking about what it would be like to have a man look at her with desire for the rest of her life.
What if it could happen?
Of course it can’t happen. No one is going to want a penniless widow.
I know. But I can still think about it.
Perhaps, once Isabel was finally married and off with the duke, she could find a husband for herself. The courting etiquette can’t have changed much in the last twenty years, so how hard could it be?
And yet, the thought of finding another man to be in her life left Marjorie feeling cold. She had no idea why, but she didn’t like the shiver down her spine.
She shouldn’t be thinking about her. She needed to think about Isabel and her progress.
Most importantly, hoping that her daughter would return to her old self. Because Marjorie missed her. She wanted her back.
From the way things were going, though, Isabel Moore wouldn’t be doing that anytime soon.
#
Richard hovered by the main display, his heart racing as he watched their guests milling around. What if they didn’t like what they saw? What if they said everything was hideous? Richard didn’t see how they could; everything he and the other assistants had put on display was beautiful, simply stunning. Their wealthy guests, and potential benefactors, had to see that.
Then again, the nobility had very different opinions on beauty. It was going to take an acquired taste to understand the history and wealth of another continent.
“Could you stop hovering like that, Richard?”
Richard jumped. Professor Ainsley had appeared at his side, looking at him with a bemused smile. Richard swallowed and straightened the sleeves on his jacket.
“Forgive me, Professor. I’m just nervous. I want this to go well.”
