Page 26 of The Scandalous Love of a Duke (The Marlow Family Secrets #6)

Katherine tried to hurry, weaving between the people in the busy high street in Maidstone.

The weather had turned as miserable as her mood, a very light drizzle of rain had been falling for hours, making everything damp, and the sky dreary.

She was tired, exhausted by the thoughts circling in her head.

She wished she did not have to go to John’s dinner but she was no coward.

She would face him and hold her head high no matter that she felt as small as the church mouse he kept calling her.

But she wanted to look her best. She did not want John to know how much he had upset her. Let him think her as unaffected as him.

She had hoped to spend the afternoon bathing and finding a prettier way to style her hair but her mother was being her usual obnoxious self and ensuring Katherine had no time to do so.

It was already past two and here she was in Maidstone with a groom running the fourth errand of the day and this time it was to find a paler ribbon for Jenny’s hair to show off the colour of her eyes better.

Phillip was due home soon at least.

Her gaze reached ahead to the milliner’s shop. She was almost there.

What a dreadful idiot she had been. He must think her no different than any woman of the gutter to have asked her to do those things – and I agreed. That had only shown her how little she thought of herself.

Oh this dinner made no sense. If he did not care, and did not want to see her, there was no reason for him to hold a party and say he had done it for her. If he wished nothing more to do with her, he need have nothing more to do with her.

‘Miss Spencer?’ a gentleman uttered as she virtually collided with him.

‘Mr Wareham.’

A fellow victim of John’s cold heart.

She bobbed a brief curtsy.

He bowed slightly, clutching the brim of his tall hat.

‘I would say good day, but this weather makes it less so, does it not? Where are you off to in such a hurry?’ His tone was friendly if a little hollow, like John’s.

She blushed and met his measuring gaze.

She had spoken to him at church a few times. He’d never ignored her, but nor had he made any particular effort to associate with her.

‘I am in search of ribbons.’ She forced a light tone into her voice, as he had. ‘I heard you have left the Duke’s service, Mr Wareham. I was sorry to hear it.’

His expression darkened. ‘Yes, well, life is not fair, is it, Miss Spencer?’ His tone soured.

‘One does not always have what one ought.’ He smiled suddenly, although there was still hardness behind his eyes.

‘Would you care to join me for tea at the inn? We could perhaps mourn the hand of fate together? I know you suffer from gossip.’

She had not expected that, but he probably lacked company. She knew he had no family locally and had rarely socialised in the community, even though they all held him a little in awe. But… ‘I am in a hurry, Mr Wareham, perhaps another time.’

‘Yes, indeed then, another time,’ he said. ‘Good day, Miss Spencer.’ He bowed slightly again and lifted his hat.

‘Good day.’ She bobbed a brief curtsy and then they parted, but she could feel his eyes on her as she carried on along the street.