Page 25 of Yours Truly, the Duke
A bright smile eased across Jane’s face. “So, I have your permission to continue to speak frankly and treat you as family?”
“Always,” she answered, not wanting to put up with her cousin’s nonsense. Now that Fredericka was married to the duke, Jane’s bark would have no bite. “How will I know what you’re thinking if you don’t speak forthrightly to me?”
“Indeed,” she answered innocently. “Thank you. I was quite hurt you married the Duke of Wyatthaven without so much as a hint to me that you were going to. I’m not surprised you didn’t have manners enough to invite me to the ceremony, but not even to write and let me know afterward left me quite hurt. I had to wait until news reached me from friends who came to stay with us.”
“What are you talking about? I wrote to you that very evening, and it was posted the next day.”
“Yes. To London,” Jane chided. “I’ve been in Kent since Christmastide. I’ve had more trouble with headaches than usual, which detained us there. The apothecary was trying a new treatment for me. I’m better.”
“That’s good, but I had no way of knowing,” Fredericka defended, while feeling a little sorry for Jane. The headaches had plagued her for years. “You aren’t usually there this time of year. You could have sent word thatyou were staying later so my letter wouldn’t have been misdirected.”
“And you could have sent an announcement to London and Kent,” Jane countered, and then added a tsk of annoyance on top of acting offended.
Fredericka pursed her lips for a moment and remained quiet while she wondered how big of an argument she wanted to have with her cousin. As small as possible, she decided. The more she said, the more Jane would say. Fredericka had been down that road so often she knew every inch of it.
It never served a purpose other than to make Fredericka feel bad after the quarrel was over. Too, she knew pouting about not receiving the letter wasn’t the real reason Jane was there. And thankfully marrying the duke had settled that reason.
“Next time I have news, I’ll send to both homes. Does that make you feel better?”
“It does.” Jane gave her a look that indicated she actually appreciated the concession. “May I?” she asked, pointing to the chair beside the one where she’d placed her bonnet and cape.
“Yes, of course,” Fredericka answered, and leaned her backside against the front of the desk.
“I didn’t know you and the Duke of Wyatthaven knew each other. You haven’t been to London in quite some time that I’m aware of.”
Not wanting to say an outright fib, she hedged. “Perhaps you don’t remember, but I had a few days of parties my coming-out Season and met many people during those evenings.”
“Of course I remember,” she answered in a musing tone. “It’s still quite perplexing that when the duke couldhave married any young lady in London, Paris, Vienna, or the world, he chose you.”
Fredericka knew how easy it was for Jane to get the upper hand in a conversation and always had to be careful how she handled her cousin. She simply said, “Yes.”
“Heaven knows what you must have promised him to get him to do so,” Jane added softly.
“Nothing,” Fredericka blurted out before she could stop herself. She shouldn’t have given Jane the satisfaction of an answer of any kind to such a malicious remark.
Of course, there wasfidelitythe duke had asked for but shouldn’t have, and he knew it. That was none of Jane’s concern. Fredericka intended to keep it that way.
With an uncompromising stare, she declared, “What would I have to give a duke?”
“Precisely,” Jane whispered under her breath. “I’m told everyone in London is talking about your marriage. And I can’t blame them. It seems no one believes it’s a real marriage. It was so sudden and not even in London surrounded by friends and family. I heard the duke left immediately after the ceremony and didn’t even stay for the wedding buffet.”
Fredericka tensed, remained silent, and hoped she looked unflappable. Every word Jane threw at her was like a sharp dart. Each one hitting their mark. That the duke hadn’t stayed long after the ceremonywascause for gossip.
“From all I heard,” Jane went on as she touched her hair in seeming indifference as to what she was saying, “he continues to live in London much in the way of the carefree bachelor he’s always been.”
“My marriage has nothing to do with you. I won’t talk about my husband or address any more of your snide comments.”
Jane leaned forward and gave her a confident smile.“If you think marrying a duke such as Wyatthaven in the dead of night is going to change the Lord Chancellor’s mind about who will be best guardian for Elise, Charles, and Bella, you are sadly mistaken.”
At last, her cousin had revealed her true reason for coming. Fredericka lazily crossed one foot over the other and folded her arms over her chest, not allowing the worry she felt to show. “It wasn’t the dead of night.” Not even the scandal sheets had said that.
Jane’s dark, full eyebrows rose. “There’s talk that the two of you didn’t even wait the required amount of time before the ceremony.”
“Idle gossip,” she defended with a wave of her hand, knowing Wyatt had admitted they were cutting it close to finish the ceremony per the law and instructions in his grandmother’s will. “We married late morning and every rule was followed appropriately, including the amount of time required after posting the banns.”
“We shall see,” Jane offered with a flippant tilt of her head. “I’ll make sure the matter is looked into quite thoroughly.”
“I expect no less, but why would you?”
