Page 25 of It's All About the Duke
Justine cupped her hands under her breasts and lifted them up. “I can’t lie down with these stays on. Heaven’s gates, Marlena! They are pulled so tightly I’d probably stop breathing in my sleep.” She touched her hair softly with her hand. “Besides, truth be told, I’ve hardly slept a wink since we heard the Duke of Rathburne is to be your guardian. I’m quite anxious to meet him again. Are you sure he said he’d return? Maybe you misunderstood and we were expected to seek him out for an appointment.”
“I am not wrong on what he said. You are worrying too much. If you don’t want to lie down, why don’t you take a walk in the garden? I noticed some of the shrubs are budding.”
Justine gave her a completely expressionless face. “Have you ever known me to enjoy a walk in the garden, the park, or even the street on a wintry day? Next you’ll be wanting me to look through that tediously dull pamphlet you have from the Royal Horticultural Society that you are so fond of. Why you want to try to pronounce the ridiculously difficult names of what should be just a simple flower’s name is beyond me.”
“You are talking aboutThe Paradisus Londinensisbook by Richard Salisbury. And I quite enjoy reading the botanic names of flowers and plants.”
“Oh, I know.”
Marlena rose from her chair. “They’re beautiful and lyrical.”
It was Justine’s time to say a very noncommittal, “Mmm.”
Marlena could have added that the garden, the study of flowers helped fill the days in her life, but she wasn’t sure that her cousin would understand. If Justine was thinking about Justine, she needed nothing else to occupy her time.
Being a widow with an adequate allowance, Justine had freedoms not afforded to Marlena and more things to occupy her time. She could attend parties, teas, or an afternoon of card game. Marlena must wait until she made her curtsy before the Queen and made her debut before she would be accepted at any of the social gatherings.
She and her cousin were very different in so many ways. Marlena would love to live on a sprawling estate somewhere in the countryside and have a garden so large it would take her half a day to walk through it. And she’d be happy to do it, winter or summer. She’d make sure the grounds were completely filled with shrubs, trees, plants, and flowers of every kind and color she could find. There would be arches, trellises, and waterfalls built into thelandscape. Statues of the Three Graces, the four seasons, and plenty of cherubs, too. She would have a formal garden, a knot garden, and a field of wildflowers at the end.
Just thinking about it made her smile.
Perhaps a garden was something she should ask about when considering a husband. And she supposed she’d have to soon start thinking about the possibility of getting married. If the duke were to have his way. Though she truly had no interest yet in doing so. Marlena’s foot started tapping at the thought of it. Surely she’d be happy living with a man and being his wife, if he had a lovely garden where she could go every day—as long as he didn’t mind her helping the gardener check the soil, cut the flowers, and pull a stubborn weed or two.
“It’s not wintry outside today, Justine,” Marlena decided to argue politely. “It looks quite pleasant, and I’d never suggest you read any of my materials on flowers.”
“Thank heavens.”
“But I do think a little fresh air will do you good. You seem overwrought.”
“You’re right. I suppose I am. The duke knows I was the diamond of the Season, that we danced, more than once. Probably. It’s simply unforgivable he’s making me wait so long to see him again and renew our acquaintance and tell me his intentions for me—and you, of course. Maybe I will walk next door and say hello to Veronica and Mr. Portington and see his latest fossils, urns, tapestries, or whatever oddities have come in. I’m sure he has some since last I was there. He always does. At least the things he buys are interesting to look at and he knows how to pronounce them.”
Tut’s ears had perked up at the mention of Veronica and fossils. He rose and barked at Marlena, his tail quivering excitedly. If anyone was going next door, he wanted to go, too.
“That’s a lovely idea. You know the sisters enjoy your visits. Perhaps Veronica has been to a party recently and has some interesting news to share with you that you can share with me.”
“That would be a nice change from talking about the duke, wouldn’t it? Yes. I think I will go over there.”
“She does seem to know the latest on-dits. And with her husband’s family being related to the Duke of Norfolk she does get invited to more dinners than most. I’m always pleased when she invites me to be her companion. Would you like to join me this afternoon?”
Marlena looked down at her writings. She didn’t even have the opening sentence worked out. “No, thank you. Not this time. I’ll finish what I’m working on.”
“Dull as it might be,” Justine said under her breath.
Marlena heard and took no offense. Her cousin’s ire over her writing was to Marlena’s advantage.
“No doubt you’re writing about flowers again,” her cousin said in a normal voice.
“I do believe Tut would like to go with you,” Marlena said, putting the quill in its stand and rising from her chair. “If you don’t mind. You know how he enjoys sniffing around Mr. Portington’s latest crates.”
“I suppose I can take him with me, but I won’t be carrying him the way you do. He’ll have to walk.”
Did Justine really think that after almost three years of living with her Marlena didn’t know that Justine had never once picked up Tut, rubbed his back, patted his head, or even offered to let him out in the back garden for a scratch, sniff, and search around the grounds? But it was best not to say anything and ignore Justine’s comment. Now that she’d decided to go next door for a little while, Marlena didn’t want to hinder her with more chatter and delay her.
“He really prefers to walk anyway so he can do a little exploring along the way.”
“You will send for me immediately if the duke arrives.”
“I promise to send Mrs. Doddle for you.”
