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What the…?

The dress itself was a dream of green velvet embroidered with gold thread, but the neckline and exposed shoulders would indeed attract suitors of the worst kind.

If she were to wear this dress, her bust would be on full display, and she didn’t dare imagine the scandal it would cause.

Just what exactly is he trying to do?

“Miss, it’s beautiful, but your mother is?—”

“Mother is not going to see it,” Catherine stated firmly.

“But—”

“Hide it in the bottom of the chest with my old dresses,” she ordered. “And remember not to say one word about this. Did she see the box?”

“No, Miss.”

“Good. You may leave now.”

Bobbing a curtsey, the maid left Catherine to her thoughts.

It was obvious Richard was trying to get a rise out of her. Little did he know she also had a vengeful side to her.

She was already coming up with a little prank of her own that would teach him not to pull such silly tricks next time, and she knew just what to do.

Catherine lay down after unpinning her hair, running a hand through it to ease the tension in her scalp. An image of her in that dress flashed through her mind, and she was tempted to see the expression on his face when he saw her in it. She wondered if he’d flirt with her and if perhaps he’d be tempted to nip her earlobe again.

Pushing the silly thought aside, she fell asleep to dreams of dancing in the green dress.

Chapter Six

“Do you know if the Duke is courting anyone?” Miss Diana Applesworth asked Catherine when Richard walked into the Grimsbys’ garden party.

Not wanting to meet his eyes, Catherine turned away from him. She was not sure she wanted anyone to know they were familiar with each other.

“I wouldn’t know,” she answered, sipping her punch.

“Oh, but you should,” Miss Applesworth insisted. “I heard you went to call on them a few days ago.”

“I went for Lady Emmeline,” Catherine clarified, using her friend’s title to prevent the girls currently hounding her from overstepping. “We are childhood friends.”

“We know that, dear Cathy,” Miss Fiona Merriwether interjected. “But the Duke would have been in residence, so youwould be at least cordial with each other. Or are you trying to keep him for yourself?”

The other girls now regarded Catherine warily, as though she was officially a competitor. It was not as though she weren’t beautiful, but compared to many of the great beauties that made their debuts in the last and current Season, she was somewhere in the middle.

And standing next to her current companions, the only thing that made them wary of her was her friendship with the Duke’s sister.

“I have no designs on the Duke,” she answered, only to be met with their scoffs. “Plus, we’ve hardly had a reason to talk aside from harried greetings. He’s a busy man. You have nothing to worry about.”

They still watched her with wary eyes, but Miss Applesworth, apparently getting some of her confidence back, sniffed.

“As if he’d consider the likes of you over me,” she said snootily. “Come, girls, let’s see if the Duke needs any refreshments. It is a hot day, after all.”

Catherine watched their retreating backs in disbelief. This was exactly why she kept to herself. The only reason she even tolerated a conversation with them was to not come off as rude, but she was sorely tempted to snub anyone who came up to her again.

“Cathy!”

She heard her name from across the garden and winced as she turned to face Emmy, who apparently didn’t care that people were turning their noses up at her.