Page 23 of Her Duke’s Second Chance (Regency Second Chances #1)

CHAPTER 23

“ O h, you are back!” Daisy said excitedly as she greeted them in the corridor. “I had Mrs. Green keep the food warm for you. I am sure you have worked up quite an appetite.”

“It has been rather an eventful morning, full of obstacles, one might say,” Robert murmured.

Daisy’s brow furrowed in puzzlement. “What do you mean by that?”

Robert shook his head, waving a hand dismissively. “Nothing. Nothing at all. You are right, Lady Daisy, we are quite hungry. Please, lead the way.”

Daisy flicked Georgiana an enquiring glance and Georgiana nodded, urging her to do as Robert asked.

Daisy whirled around and began to walk towards the dining hall.

“You have received some letters. I put them by your plate, Your Grace,” she said over her shoulder.

“Thank you,” Robert replied, his gaze resting on Georgiana.

She continued to walk quietly, still trying to grasp everything that had transpired.

They entered the dining hall to find a steaming plateful of kippers, roasted tomatoes, freshly baked bread, butter, jam, and kettles of tea waiting for them.

“Mmm, what a feast,” said Robert.

“Yes indeed,” Georgiana agreed and took a seat.

To her surprise Daisy also took the seat opposite her, while Robert sat at the head of the table, perusing the day’s mail.

Georgiana lifted an eyebrow at Daisy, wanting to know what she was up to.

“I thought I would keep you company,” she said with a shrug.

Georgiana gave her a skeptical glance but let it go. If Daisy wanted to sit with them, she was more than welcome.

“It seems we have been invited to a ball,” Robert said.

Georgiana looked at him in surprise. “Who has invited us?”

Robert read the invitation before passing it to her. “It is from the Windermeres. Strange that Lady Susan did not mention it.”

“Well, you hardly give her a chance,” Georgiana said absently as she read the invitation.

There was a personal note to the duke:

We are so excited that you are in town in time for this ball and are looking forward to seeing you.

Lady Susan Windermere.

Georgiana frowned in annoyance. She was starting to develop an active dislike for the oldest Windermere daughter.

“Is it not exciting?” Daisy exclaimed. “Ariana says this will be the most prominent ball of the Season. We are going to go, are we not?”

Georgiana looked at Robert to find that he was already looking back at her with the same question in his eyes. She was very tempted to just say no, but Daisy was gazing at her imploringly.

“Of course, we will attend,” she said with a strained smile.

Robert gazed at her with concern. “Are you sure?”

She nodded jerkily, although she was not at all sure. “Of course.”

Robert lifted his eyebrows at her and pursed his lips but did not say another word.

Instead, he reached for the kettle of tea. “Shall I pour you a cup?” he asked.

“Yes, thank you.” Georgiana was thirsty and ravenous.

She decided to put the ball out of her mind for the moment. She knew it would do no good to dwell on it, but she already felt like she was treading on slippery ground.

She could not help but see Lady Susan as a threat, looming over them and upsetting their precarious stability.

When Selina had asked her what she wanted for the future, she had been unable to articulate it, even to herself. Now, she knew she wanted a fair chance at making her marriage work. She was standing at the cliff’s edge, deciding once and for all whether to jump or run away screaming.

We will see how it goes.

Robert was generally not a fan of balls. If presented with the option, he would rather sit around and play cards with his friends, or even retire to a darkened library with a book.

He strongly suspected that one of the reasons he had settled upon Angela at the debutante ball was that he could not abide having to attend a tiresome succession of soirees.

If he did not feel that it would be damaging to their relationship, he would have told Georgiana that he did not want to go. But he was savvy enough to know that, if he truly did want to give their marriage a chance, he had to make some compromises—including attending balls.

He shuddered inwardly as his tailor measured him for a new suit. The only consolation was that both Count Jacob and Lionel would be in attendance. If he had to suffer through the ball, at least he would not have to do so alone.

In any case, it could be a good opportunity to combine business with pleasure, as several of the gentlemen who had government connections would also be present.

He began to feel slightly better about the whole thing.

Every cloud has a silver lining.

Georgiana was quickly finding the whole event extremely stressful. She had attended countless social events during the year that she had been a lonely duchess, yet none of them had filled her with the anxiety and pressure that she was feeling now.

Perhaps it was the thought of being in a public space with her husband for the first time. She was used to people looking askance at her, and she had become accustomed to pitying and contemptuous glances. That no longer bothered her.

She did not know how people would look at her now. Would they be jealous? Envious? Happy for her?

She was sure that whatever assumptions they made would result in mortifying her. They would think she was making some triumphant entrance when in truth she loathed the importance that was placed upon the presence of her husband.

If she was honest, she was also not looking forward to the covetous looks from other women. After their stroll in the park, her view of her husband changed dramatically. He was no longer the strange, irritating man to whom she was curiously drawn.

Now she realized his true magnetism, his height, the breadth of his chest, his ever-piercing eyes with their lining of black lashes, beckoning all womankind to draw near and bathe in the warmth of his gaze.

Georgiana felt overheated when she was near him. She wanted to preen and posture, show off her feathers like a peacock, and make him notice her and only her.

I have taken leave of my senses.

“Georgiana!” Daisy called from the hallway.

She stuck her head out of the library door. “Why are you shouting?” she asked her sister.

“I did not know which room you were in.” Daisy scurried towards her, giving her an urgent look. “We do not have much time. When will we visit the modiste to measure for our gowns?”

“Measure for gowns?” Georgiana frowned in puzzlement. “I have plenty if you need something to wear.”

“No, no, no,” Daisy jumped up and down in agitation, “we need new gowns. Georgie, this is important!”

Georgiana stared at her sister, nonplussed by her childish behavior. “What is amiss?”

Daisy shifted agitatedly from foot to foot. “This is the biggest ball of the year, Georgie. We must look our absolute best! You must summon the modiste at once.”

Georgiana choked back the urge to laugh. She had been attending balls the entire year without having gowns made for her. But if Daisy was this adamant, she supposed it would not do any harm.

“All right, all right. I shall write a note to Madam Frenier. Cecile swears by her,” she said, turning towards the table and reaching for a pen.

She quickly wrote a note on a foolscap, folded it, and sealed it before handing it to a footman.

“Deliver this as fast as you can. Tell her it is urgent, and that she needs to come right away. I shall pay for the inconvenience.”

The footman bowed. “Yes, Your Grace,” he said before dashing off.

Daisy clutched at Georgiana’s shoulder, squeezing urgently. “Do you think she will make haste?”

“She knows I shall make it worth her while. I am a duchess, after all.” She met Daisy’s eyes, lifting her chin. “Am I not?”

Daisy stopped staring after the footman and turned her attention to Georgiana. “Yes, you are.”

They smiled at each other before retiring to the library to wait.