Page 95 of It's All About the Duke
“Ha!” Justine said. “Who could be weary of balls and dinner in beautiful homes? Going to parties and dancing with gentlemen will be a part of your life from now on. You’ll get used to it.”
Marlena smiled at Justine’s enthusiasm. She couldn’t think of any man but Rath. Just the thought of continuing to go to parties and dancing with gentleman she had no desire to dance with was almost more than she could bear. And, every morning she woke wondering if it would be the day she received notice that Rath had turned her guardianship over to someone else.
“I do wonder why the duke hasn’t been over,” Justine said absently. “You haven’t heard from him, have you?”
“No,” she said, and she didn’t believe she would. “I see your carriage has driven up. You don’t want to be late for the duchess’ house.”
“No, no. If you get lonely while I’m away, you can always play the piano or work on that garden scene you’ve been stitching for weeks now.”
“It’s finished,” she said sadly. “I hated for it to end. Perhaps I’ll start another.”
“Parties, my dear girl. Tea parties, card parties, and even those walks in the park you enjoy so much when it’s freezing. Now that the weather is better and warmer, you must get out and do more.”
“I will,” she said softly. “I will have to.”
After Justine left, Marlena sat down at her secretary and pulled out paper, quill, and ink. She might as well get started.
As winter ends, spring begins. Gone are the barren trees, snowy landscapes, and frost-covered ponds. And when spring ends, summer will begin. So it is with life and so it is with scandal sheets.
The loud clank of the door knocker made Marlena jump. Tut started barking like a fiend. Then she heard Mrs. Doddle’s footsteps. “Mrs. Doddle,” she said quietly as the woman passed by the doorway.
“Yes, miss?”
“Whoever it is, send them away. I am not accepting callers this afternoon.”
“Yes, miss.”
Marlena went back to her work.It begins and it ends. I must say good-bye.
She didn’t like that. So she started again.The Season always brings us new gossip, and the first column ofMiss Honora Truth’s Weekly Scandal Sheethas what will be the biggest gossip of the Season. This will be the last one.
Marlena looked at that and laughed.
“Well, it appears you haven’t missed me.”
Marlena’s heart jumped to her throat and she almost stumbled over her chair rising at the sound of Rath’s voice.
“I didn’t mean startle you.”
He looked so handsome standing in the doorway in his dark-blue coat, camel-colored trousers, and those boots that made him look ten feet tall. Holding Tut again. Thelittle dog was trying to lick his chin. It wasn’t fair that Tut loved him, too. She wanted to run to him and throw herself into his arms, but that couldn’t happen. No matter the cost, she couldn’t give him what he wanted. She wouldn’t give up Mr. Bramwell.
She looked down at her scandal sheet. Her chest tightened for a second or two, and then she realized she didn’t have to hide it from him anymore. He knew. She put the quill in the stand and said, “Perhaps you’ve decided to make a habit out of startling me.”
“I wouldn’t want to do that.” He put Tut down.
Marlena squared her shoulders. She was doing her best not to let her mind run wild with thoughts of why he was there. She waited for him to tell her, but all he did was stare at her. Had he given her guardianship to someone else? Had he told Lady Vera about her? Had he told everyone?
“What can I do for you?” she finally asked.
He walked into the room and stood before her. She felt she should move away from him, but being so near was too tempting. “It’s good to see you, Marlena.”
She turned away from him to stare out the window. She’d just thought the same about him but she wasn’t going to admit it.
“I thought you might like to know a few things that I’ve been doing,” he said.
She looked back at him. “That depends on what it is. I’m sure there are some things you could tell me that I wouldn’t care to hear.”
“That’s true, but I don’t believe I have anything like that to say to you today.”
