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Justine smiled a little, too. “All right, you have me on tenterhooks. Who is Mr. Ashley?”
“I think you will very much enjoy his company. He attended St. Andrew’s in Scotland.”
Justine hardly cared what school he’d attended, and if Lady Aleksander was going to begin a list with that, this match was already tedious.
“His father is a wealthy industrialist. A steel magnate.”
Justine snorted. “That should make Robuchard weep with joy.”
“Wouldn’t it?” Lady Aleksander chuckled. “The prime minister has his interests. But I have mine. Mr. Ashley is very agreeable. A true gentleman.”
Justine was not impressed with that. “You said the same about the last one.” She shifted her gaze to the window.
Lady Aleksander was not put off by Justine’s lack of enthusiasm. “I understand your trust has been diminished, and with good reason. If you won’t take my word for it, perhaps you will trust the opinion of your friend, Lord Douglas.”
She’d not expected to hear mention of William and turned her gaze from the window to Lady Aleksander. “He’s not myfriend—”
“No? The two of you seem quite friendly.”
She wasn’t going to deny that for fear of having to speak of just how friendly they were. “Why should I ask him?”
“He and Mr. Ashley both attended St. Andrew’s. I think their acquaintance is longstanding.”
Justine blinked. Was thereanyonehe didn’t know?
Lady Aleksander smiled, as if reading her thoughts. “Lord Douglas has many acquaintances, doesn’t he?”
“Perhaps too many.” Still, something about this seemed a bit off to Justine. She began to worry the gold bracelet on her wrist. She had the sense that Lady Aleksander was not telling her everything. “Lady Aleksander—”
“Please, ma’am. I would like it very much if you would call me Lila.”
Justine almost rolled her eyes. “So that you might consider us friends?”
“So that I may consider us united in a common goal. I think our association would be easier if we could be less formal with one another.” She smiled serenely.
This woman was completely unflappable, and Justine grudgingly admired that about her. “All right, then. Lila. How do you know Lord Douglas has many acquaintances? Did he give you a list?”
Lila laughed. “No, ma’am. My occupation requires that I know who is well connected and who is not, and he is, for better or worse, well connected. Mr. Ashley is also well connected and eager to make your acquaintance. He was disappointed he didn’t have the opportunity when you were in London eight years ago.”
Eight years ago she’d been besotted with William. She could hardly remember anyone else she’d met.
“Mr. Ashley claims to not have met a member of the fairer sex he truly esteems beyond measure, but is ready to be swept off his feet. He knows quite a lot about you, as he’s followed the news through the years.”
Justine blanched. “Whatnews?”
Lila quickly amended, “Notthatnews.” She leaned forward, gave a quick glance at the footman standing at the wall and said softly, “If I may, Your Royal Highness, that incident does not define you. There is much more dimension to you than that.”
The bitter laugh that escaped Justine sounded more like a bark. “It was more than an incident, madam. And there is no more dimension to me—I’m not blind. I’ve been sheltered all my life, confined by crowns and corsets and palace walls. I know nothing of the world, as Aldabert very clearly demonstrated to me and everyone else. I scarcely know myself at times.” Much less how to rule. But that, Justine kept to herself.
She glanced at the footman, astounded she had voiced those thoughts aloud. Her father had impressed on her to never show weakness. Weakness, he said, was an invitation to corruption.
“You know more than you think,” Lila said. “You’ve not been allowed to see for yourself just how much you know. No ordinary woman learns to fence when everyone is against it. You are well-read, a highly educated woman. You’re accomplished and thoughtful and kind and if you ask me, there is more to be gained from being kind than not. You fell in love. What woman has not fallen in love? It’s not a fault or a flaw, ma’am. It is the essence of humanity.”
Justine smiled a little. “You sound like my old governess.”
“She must have been a wise woman.”
Carlotta had indeed been a wise woman. But when Justine turned ten, she was dismissed. That was as long as any governess had ever been allowed to stay with a royal princess, and it was unthinkable that tradition be challenged, no matter how much Justine had begged. To this day the memory of watching Carlotta leave was unpleasant.
