Page 11 of A Duchess to Unravel (The Devil’s Masquerade #3)

At any other time Theo might have enjoyed politely arguing that point, but today, for her sake and Rose’s, she chose another path.

“You are quite right, Lady Gravesmoor,” Theo replied, smiling wide as she took Rose’s hand. “In fact, that is what the two of us are about to do. Take a stroll and discuss such a strategy.”

“Oh, what fun!” Lady Gravesmoor exclaimed, clapping her hands, “Here, allow me to grab my hat I shall chaperone you.”

“My maid is just outside,” Theo lied quickly. “We are properly chaperoned, Lady Gravesmoor, I assure you.”

She then leaned close, putting on her most pitiful expression.

"I was hoping to speak to my dear friend about some very personal matters,” she whispered, adding a touch of sadness to her voice.

Lady Gravesmoor gave her a look that was both pitying and disappointed. Rose stood to the side. Silent. Waiting.

“I understand,” she sighed at last, “I had friends like that too, once. It saddens me how they all faded with time. Very well. Go on. Cherish each other.”

“Thank you, Mama,” Rose answered quickly, reaching for her own hat and parasol, “I will be back at an appropriate hour.”

Lady Gravesmoor only nodded as she turned away, her steps swaying lightly as she went back down the hall.

“Come,” Rose whispered to Theo, taking her hand, “Before she forgets.”

Theo let Rose rush her outside and was surprised when she did indeed find her maid, Norma, waiting for her. Tristan might not have followed her, but it was clear that he still wanted her supervised. She could not tell if she was annoyed or touched that he had sent Norma after her.

“I thought you were lying about your maid,” Rose murmured at her side.

Theo chose to simply push past it, and she gave a small smile as the two began to walk, Norma trailing a respectful distance behind.

“Rose,” she said, changing the subject. “Your mother is … is she in good health?”

Rose sighed, casting her eyes back toward her house.

“In truth I do not know. Her and Papa were not a love match that I know. And she’d seemed quite fine with his passing for some time. Now I cannot read her. Perhaps she is just struggling with the rumors circulating about her? Or perhaps she is overly worried about me not yet finding a husband?”

“How long has she been like this,” Theo asked, refraining from using more specific language. Rose appeared grateful for it.

“A few weeks now.”

“Rose, I am sorry,” Theo apologized, “I have been so wrapped in myself, I did not know that you were going through your own troubles.”

Rose’s smile was brilliant and pretty as she looped her arm around Theo’s.

“It is fine. Truly! Let us move on,” she insisted. “I am thankful you chose to stop by, but you seemed upset when you arrived. Pray, what is going on with you?”

Not wanting to pressure Rose any further, Theo moved on.

“At the dinner last night,” she began, “Was I awful?”

“I was!” She gasped when she saw Rose’s expression.

“It was not so bad,” Rose replied quickly. “You were just so…hostile. It was unlike you.”

Theo sighed.

“In truth I do not know what I am like anymore. I cannot seem to get ahold of myself with a proper grip.”

“You will,” Rose assured her. “In time.”

They walked a moment longer in silence, strolling at a casual pace past the stalls of brightly colored wares for sale.

“I will say, though, I disliked Tristan’s approval of the Duke of Caldermere far more than I disliked your outburst,” Rose said after a while. “I thought it quite foolish.”

Theo turned to her with a look of surprise, her stomach aflutter as her friend spoke of Alistair.

“Why?” She asked.

“It was inappropriate for one,” Rose replied, shaking her head, “Letting a man go after a lady unchaperoned by another person.

She then leaned further into Theo, her voice dropping into a whisper.

“The men of the ton seemed absolutely smitten by the new Duke. But there is talk of him among the ladies.”

Theo’s pulse jumped. It was another thing she’d missed during her months of numbness. New rumors.

“Do not leave me in anticipation, Rose,” Theo insisted, giving her a small tug, “Tell, tell.”

Rose pressed her lips together and gave Theo an anxious glance.

“Well, I would think it would be obvious,” Rose replied. “He is from Scotland, after all.”

Theo’s brows furrowed and waited. When Rose said nothing more, her brows flew up and she let out an astonished laugh; drawing a few curious glances from passerby’s.

“That is all?” She asked.

“Scotland is a wild place, Theo,” Rose replied defensively, “It is not sophisticated like England.”

“I am not sure we are so sophisticated,” Theo murmured, then louder added, “Scotland has been under England’s rule since the 1200s, Rose. I am sure some sophistication has been sowed into this ‘wild’ land and its people.”

“Do not be too sure,” Rose warned, “I have heard that many are still vicious, and are quite feral toward their women.”

Theo’s mind raced back to the night she’d met Alistair- or Cernunnos.

Yes, there had been a certain way about him.

Primal. Feral. Yet he was still refined.

He’d waited for her permission to kiss her, but once he’d had it she’d felt the wildness in his embrace.

It had excited her. Aroused her. And … perhaps brought out a certain wildness of her own out of her.

Realizing that she’d let quietness settle over them for quite some time, Theo forced herself back to the present and the conversation at hand.

“Even if that were true,” Theo went on, “The Duke of Caldermere was born an English noble.”

“So? His blood might be English, but he was born and raised in Scotland. Raised in their ways. And you saw him at that dinner. The way he spoke to you? Comparing you to a cat? That was so rude! And strange, I might add.”

“Strange, yes. But dangerous?” Theo asked, giving her friend skeptical look. “I am not certain.”

“Why are you defending him?” Rose asked.

“I am not!” Theo insisted. She reached for something else to say, but found she had no more words other than that.

Rose shrugged, looking perturbed that Theo didn’t readily agree with her, and she too fell silent.

Not wanting to upset her anymore, Theo pointed to a stall selling newly published books.

She was relieved that Rose was willing to drop the subject and they turned their talk toward their recent reads.

They spent the next few hours perusing the new stories, chatting about what they’d read, what they wanted to read, and the talk of the new Duke seemed to fade from both their minds.

By the time they were ready to walk back home their talk of Alistair had been seemingly forgotten by Rose, and they were both giggling and chatting about their new books like old times as Theo dropped Rose off at her front door.

“Today was fun,” Rose said in farewell. “I have missed this.”

“Me too,” Theo agreed, “Let us do it again soon.”

Rose nodded, waved, and went inside. There was no invitation for Theo to come in, and for that Theo was relieved.

Though she truly did have fun on their walk, Rose’s insistence on believing rumors had bothered Theo.

After all, it was rumors that had nearly ruined them all at one time or another.

Even if they did have a kernel of truth inside them.

“Miss Theo? Pardon, but might I share a thought?”

Norma’s voice pulled Theo from her thoughts. She looked at her maid and smiled. They had been matched for several years now and got along greatly. She was kind, attentive, and loyal. However, it was not often the young woman spoke her mind, and her request to do so immediately intrigued Theo.

“Of course, Norma,” she replied.

Norma rubbed her lips together, looking as if she was gathering courage to say what she wished. Her brown eyes flicked to the walk as she fiddled with the white bonnet covering her dark brown hair.

“I did not mean to eavesdrop earlier, ma’am. And it is none of my business, surely, but I believe you should heed Miss Rose’s word on the Duke of Caldermere.”

Theo raised a brow in interest. She was not bothered that Norma had heard what was said but the matter of speaking of a noble, especially in regard to rumors was quite unusual. Still, Theo chose to approach Norma’s words with curiosity, not chastisement.

“Pray tell, why do you believe so?” Theo asked.

Norma’s eyes dipped to the ground again and a blush crept into her cheeks.

“Last night when you left the table, Lord Briarwood sent me after you and His Grace,” she confessed.

Theo’s heart skipped and she prayed the heat in her cheeks wasn’t blossoming into a scarlet blush. She immediately wanted to demand to know what Norma had seen but she took a breath. She did not want to appear worried about it- even if she was.

“And?” She asked, hoping she sounded carefree.

“It took me a moment to find you. I did not hear or see much,” Norma confessed, “But I did see him touch your face before you appeared perturbed and walked away. A true gentleman would not have been so careless with your person, my lady.”

No. Theo supposed that a true gentleman would not do such a thing. But a proper lady would have never allowed herself to be put in such a situation either. Nor would she have liked the touch so greatly. Or yearned for more, for that matter.

“Did you tell my brother this?” Theo asked, stopping herself from falling too deeply into the thought. Tristan knowing what had happened would be a far bigger concern.

“No, my lady. You appeared to handle him quite well, so when he asked what happened I told him that you and the Duke simply had a discussion.”

The tension in Theo’s shoulders fled. She drew in a breath, relieved that Norma had done her a favor. If she had not, Lord knows how much worse her and Tristan’s spat that morning would have been.

“Thank you, Norma. For covering for me and for telling me. Do continue to keep it our secret, though, please? My brother is so worried as it is, I do not want to give him reason to do so further.”

“Of course, my lady,” Norma replied, looking relieved as well.

“So you are not cross with me?” She added.

“No,” Theo assured her, “Surprised, yes, but I suppose I should not be. My brother warned me he would be keeping a closer eye on me. I assume he’s put that responsibility on you?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Norma agreed.

“Which would explain why you were able to follow me so quickly after I departed from the house,” Theo sighed.

“If I may say so, Lord Briarwood cares for you deeply, Miss Theo,” Norma said, “He only wants to assure your well-being.”

Theo sighed again.

“I know,” she replied as the two of them turned into the walkway of the Briarwood Estate.

“Welcome home, Miss Theo,” Mr. Harold stated, opening the door for Theo as she made it home.

Theo requested Norma to take her books to her room for her, then turned to their longtime butler with a kind smile.

“Thank you, Mr. Harold,” Theo replied as she handed him her hat and parasol. “Tell me, has my brother arrived home yet?”

“No, Miss,” Mr. Harold replied, “He asked that I give you a message. You also received another while you were gone.”

Theo waited patiently as he handed her things off to a maid to put away, then Mr. Harold retrieved two envelopes from the nearby credenza.

She opened the one from her brother immediately.

It stated that he would be busy with meetings elsewhere until the afternoon, then would be out for the evening.

There was also a warning of a lecture if she attempted to leave the house unchaperoned again.

Theo rolled her eyes and handed it back to Mr. Harold.

“Discard that for me, would you? And I shall take supper in my rooms this evening. Around five would be good. Ask the cook for something light. Perhaps just some fruit and toast.”

She paused then said, “You know, never mind. Just some tea, please.”

“Beg your pardon, Miss Theo, but did you lunch while you were out?” Mr. Harold asked.

Theo raised a brow.

“No.”

The elderly butler gave her a kind, respectful look.

“If I may be so bold, Miss Theo, might I insist the cook prepare you just a little something? You did not take much at breakfast.”

Theo studied him. The man had been with their family since she was but a little girl, as most of their servants had. She knew he was only looking after her, but it bothered her that the entire house seemed to be watching her so closely.

“Fruit and toast then,” she conceded. Not that she would eat it.

“Of course, Miss Theo,” Mr. Harold replied, bowing respectfully.

She walked away then, shaking her head at her utter lack of privacy.

Always being watched, she thought with a sigh . As she ascended the stairs Theo remembered she still held the second message, and opened it. Her steps slowed then stopped completely halfway up, her annoyance transforming into fury.

I am not to be disobeyed. Accept my proposal or be ruined.

A.

A. Alistair. It had to be Alistair.

“You wretched monster,” she mumbled, crumbling the letter with her fist. “Perhaps Rose was right about you after all.”