Page 10 of The Duke’s Indecent Scandal (Indecent Dukes #1)

Chapter Nine

T iffany

Sitting in the dining room, empty stomach clenched too tight with anxiety to eat, Tiffany jumped at every small sound outside the dining room doors. The footmen eyed her warily, and she sent them a small, apologetic smile. Her nerves were affecting them.

Though she’d wanted to retreat to the library, she was not sure she would find the same peace there she normally did. Instead, she’d come to the dining room, waiting for her mother and brother to emerge. She had come down so early, though, because she’d had such difficulty sleeping.

When the doors at the end of the room finally opened to reveal her brother, Tiffany let out a long sigh of relief. She had not realized how much she hoped he would precede her mother into the dining room until she saw him.

Coming in, her brother glanced around.

“Mother is still abed?” he asked, and Tiffany nodded, even though she did not think he required an answer. He was looking at her rather oddly, frowning as he came closer, studying her. Stopping beside the table, several feet away, he stared at her face.

The close scrutiny made her stomach start to tighten again.

“You really are very pretty,” he said after a long moment.

Tiffany blinked.

“Thank you.” She had not dressed particularly carefully this morning, as she assumed her mother would have her own opinion on what Tiffany should wear for their ride around Hyde Park. That her brother still thought she was pretty, despite her plain dress, was rather nice.

“I am not sure that color is the most flattering on you, nor the style, but you really are very pretty.” He sounded rather astonished, but his astonishment could not match her own.

When she looked in the mirror this morning, she had not seen anything different about her. She was not sure what he meant by the color. The beige of her dress was a neutral color, one that made her hair appear brighter, according to her mother. The dullness of the dress helped her hair seem more colorful by contrast. At least, that’s what she thought it was supposed to do, but her brother disagreed… And she did not know what he meant by the style being unflattering. Though, she supposed, it might be due to her excessive bosom.

“Thank you?” This time, it came out as more of a question, and he shook his head.

“My apologies, Tiffany. I do not mean to sound so surprised. It is just that I have gotten used to thinking of you a certain way and having my friends not only fight over your hand but also ask me if I’m blind…” His smile was apologetic. “I’m afraid I have been blind and not a very good brother.”

Tiffany jumped to her feet. She was not about to take any of this negativity from him.

“You are the best brother,” she said adamantly, reaching out to take his hands and squeeze them as she stared intently up into his face. “You stepped into Father’s shoes long before you were ready, you supported Mother and me through our grief, and you have secured me a marriage… and at my very first ball.”

“I am not, though I am glad you see me as such. I am going to start making up for it now and give you no reason to ever doubt your belief in me.” Pulling her toward him, he let go of her hands so he could put his arms around her, hugging her close.

Tiffany felt tears spring to her eyes as she leaned against his supportive weight, hugging him back. Something they had not done since the official end of mourning for their father.

“You deserve the very best. Unfortunately, you are going to have to settle for marrying Gregory instead, but I will do everything in my power to ensure your happiness despite that.”

“I am sorry I put you in such a position last night,” Tiffany said, breaking away. “I do not mind marrying… marrying Clarence.” She could not quite bring herself to call him Gregory. Not yet. “It was my own fault. I was struggling some making conversation and just needed a few minutes to myself. I told Mother I needed the retiring room, and instead, I asked a servant the way to the library. I did not think anyone would be there. If I had realized he was in there, I would have left immediately. I let you down. I let the whole family down.”

“No, I should have watched you closer, and so should mother.”

“She wanted to speak with her friends, and, truthfully, it was probably a relief not to have to make up for my own shortcomings in conversation for a little while.” Tiffany wrinkled her nose. She had not been able to say a single thing right last night. Which was not that unusual, but it was lowering. “I should not have lied about where I was going. She would have never let me go to the library if I had told her the truth.”

As if speaking about her had summoned her, the door to the dining room opened and their mother stood there wearing her black mourning dress. Seeing her so dressed made Tiffany’s heart stutter as the memories of grief came crowding back. Sebastian stepped away, though he kept one hand at Tiffany’s back for support.

“Sebastian! You are here… I mean, you are awake.” Her mother walked in, clutching something to her chest. Tiffany thought it might be a handkerchief, though she could not tell. “I did not think you would have arisen so early after such a late night.” She shot an accusing glance at Tiffany, as the dramatics had been her doing and the late night necessitated by her actions.

Tiffany dropped her head down, feeling the shame wash over her. She truly had disrupted everything.

“I wanted to be awake early to make sure we were able to discuss today while we break our fast,” her brother said. He gave her another pat before stepping away to greet their mother. “Did you choose that particular dress for a reason, Mother?”

He asked the question with some trepidation, but he did ask it. Tiffany would have tried to avoid the topic, though she did not doubt it would come out eventually, and she was sure it would have something to do with her and last night’s events.

Mother sniffled, reaching up to dab at her face and confirming Tiffany’s supposition that she was holding a handkerchief. One of her father’s, if she was seeing the monogram correctly. Which was another direct hit to her heart.

“I woke up this morning missing your father and mourning the loss of our family’s reputation,” Mother replied, dabbing at her eyes. “Though… Tiffany did say she thought you might have salvaged the situation? One of your friends?”

Relief flooded Tiffany. With her brother there to explain things, her mother would have to believe him, which meant she might escape the lecture Mother had surely planned.

“Two of my friends, though it was Clarence’s offer I accepted,” her brother said. “Let us get our food, then I will tell you everything.”

Now that her brother was there, supporting her, Tiffany found that she could eat after all. Her stomach had unknotted. The worst was over with.

Once they were sitting down, her brother explained everything to their mother.

“A love match?” She laughed. “You think the ton will believe such a thing?”

“It explains most everything,” Sebastian said. “Which is why I agreed with Gregory when he explained the idea to me. Even his reaction to Hereford’s offer for Tiffany’s hand can be explained if they’re in love. Some might even suspect that he compromised her on purpose rather than having to watch her flirt with and be courted by other gentlemen during the Season.”

Her mother sniffed, but she did not contradict Sebastian. She never did once he stated something outright.

“Very well then, I suppose there is no harm in attempting to salvage our family’s reputation by such means.” Though, her tone indicated she did not have much faith in the success of such a deception. She shot a sharp glance at Tiffany, her gaze full of censure for putting their reputation at stake.

Tiffany looked down at her plate, heart heavy in her chest. If only her mother would support her and overlook her mistakes in the same way Sebastian had… but she did not think her mother ever would.

Mother glanced at the clock on the mantle. “If we are going to be ready in time for a ride with Clarence, we must start now. There is a great deal of work to do.”

“Yes… and…” Her brother hesitated, looking at their mother’s crepe mourning dress.

“Do not worry. I will change into something appropriate,” her mother said, getting to her feet. Walking around the table to where her brother sat, she cupped Sebastian’s face in her hands. “You are a credit to your father with how you lead the family.”

Sebastian’s eyes shone up at her, and Tiffany was both happy for him and also wished that one day her mother would say something so uplifting to her. She tried so hard, yet she failed over and over again. Perhaps by marrying a duke, she would finally get the recognition from her mother that she craved.

Bending down, her mother gave Sebastian a kiss on the cheek before straightening and turning to Tiffany, casting a critical eye over her. Tiffany sat straight in her chair, practically quivering, wondering if her mother might have some kind word for her.

It was a vain hope.

“Come along, Tiffany,” she said. “We have a lot of work to do if you are going to look presentable enough to ride alongside the Duke of Clarence in front of the entirety of the ton and convince them you are a love match.”

Her brother smiled at her encouragingly.

“Do not worry, Tiff, everything will be fine.”

Tiffany sighed inwardly but nodded, getting up from her seat at the table and following her mother up to her room, where she endured an arduous hour of her mother hemming and hawing over what she would wear for the drive. Harleen quietly did Tiffany’s hair, and her quiet made Tiffany even more nervous. If she was being quiet, then Tiffany wanted to be silent.

Even when her mother decided she would wear the apricot day dress with the citrine trim. It was Tiffany’s least favorite of her dresses, but she did not dare protest. Not when her mother was in such a mood. Even that did not seem to please her mother.

With Tiffany fully outfitted, kid gloves covering her hands and hair in the matching apricot bonnet decorated with cascading citrine ribbons, her mother’s mouth was pursed. She ran a critical eye over Tiffany and shook her head, muttering something under her breath.

“If Your Grace is displeased, perhaps the mint instead?” Harleen suggested, pulling the article in question from the wardrobe. It also happened to be Tiffany’s favorite day dress, as she felt it was the prettiest color of all her day dresses. She looked over at her mother pleadingly, but her mother was ignoring her, staring at the mint and frowning before finally giving her head a shake.

“No. We need her to stand out. The mint is too dull, and it will only emphasize how plain she is.” Her mother waved at Harleen, who pressed her lips together and shot an apologetic look at Tiffany. Strangely, though, Tiffany did not mind. Her mother might still think her plain, but the Duke of Clarence thought she was pretty.

The love match would be a pretense, but he had kissed her because he thought she was pretty.

Her brother had confirmed this morning that she was pretty.

As much as Tiffany wanted to hear her mother say it, Clarence and her brother’s opinions had already bolstered her so much, she felt no sting to her mother’s words. Perhaps one day, even her mother would look at her anew and say that she was pretty…

“Harleen, attend me. We have spent enough time on Tiffany.” Her mother gestured at the ladies’ maid. “Tiffany, go… sit somewhere. We do not want you mussing yourself before the drive.”

“Yes, Mother.”

Tiffany heaved a sigh of relief as her mother sashayed out of the room, Harleen right behind her, leaving her alone. Somehow, it was always easier to breathe when her mother was not in the room.

Walking over to the mirror, she stared into it. She looked the same as ever.

Pretty?

She was not entirely sure.

But she wanted to believe it.

If only for a day.