Page 71 of The Runaway Duchess
“I have misjudged him so horribly,” she whispered. “I came into this marriage expecting the worst of him because it was all I had ever known. And he has been nothing but...”
Good. He has been good to me.
She looked up as she felt Jeremy’s hand on her shoulder, and found him standing before her with a kind look.
“He will forgive you for that,” he stated earnestly. “But please, stop seeing him as the man you thought him to be and start accepting him for the man that he is. You have no idea how wonderfully your life can change because he cares for you. Let him show you.”
Caroline nodded as she blinked away a few tears.
She cared for him as well. More than was safe, more than she had any right to, given the terms of their arrangement, but she could at least try to keep her guard down from now on.
“I will,” she vowed.
Jeremy’s playful smile returned, and he gently nudged her chin with his knuckles.
“Head up, Caroline dearest,” he insisted. “I cannot have you so weepy for my ball. It is only a few days away now.”
Caroline let out a weak laugh as she took Jeremy’s offered hand and rose to her feet.
“You mean the ball that is supposed to be all about you?” she teased.
Jeremy chuckled, fully returning to his usual playful self.
“Of course,it is all about me, darling,” he said dramatically. “But that does not mean you are not going to be the belle of it. I need you to be beautiful and smiling as you are going to be presented as my sister-in-law.”
Caroline’s brows drew up in surprise.
“I am?” she asked.
“Now come along, enough with this moping,” Jeremy ordered, offering her his arm. “Let us lace some tea with brandy, and have ourselves a merry afternoon.”
Laughing, Caroline took his arm, and they left the parlor—and her judgments behind them.
Chapter 25
“Caroline, my darling, look at you!” Nora Mason crowed.
Caroline barely had time to open her arms before her aunt leaped forward and hugged her tightly. Smiling, Caroline quickly recovered and hugged her aunt back with equal warmth.
“Aunty Nora,” she breathed. “I am so sorry I have not yet visited, I have just been so—”
“Pish posh, my dear, no need to apologize,” Nora hastily replied, untangling herself from their embrace. “I remember all too well what it was like as a newlywed woman and how busy I was adjusting to my new life and responsibilities. Now come, let me have a good look at you.”
Sheepishly, Caroline stepped back and let her aunt take a long look. Jeremy had helped her design her gown for the night. Together, they had chosen a coppery-red taffeta that made her complexion glow and brought out the rich earth tones of her eyes. He also insisted on picking out the finishing touches himself, which is how she received the matching shoes and a golden necklace and earring set that glittered around amberstones. One, Caroline could not help but notice, matched Damien’s eyes almost perfectly.
Finally, Jeremy had stayed close to Delia as she had styled her hair. He had instructed that small braids be woven into her updo on each side of her head, and that a single long curl of her dark hair be left free over her right shoulder. When she had looked in the mirror afterward, she had stood there in amazement. She would have never chosen such bold colors herself, but she had to admit, it was the best she had ever looked.
Caroline had asked where he had learned such secrets of women’s fashion, but of course, he had responded with his usual jokes. She stifled a giggle presently, recalling some of the things he had said.
“Marvelous,” Nora finally said after her long moment of perusal. “Positively marvelous, my darling. You look exquisite, and may I add, rejuvenated.”
Caroline smiled sheepishly at her aunt’s praise and quietly thanked her.
“You truly do look magnificent, cousin,” Adrian praised as he and Bridget stepped up to Caroline next.
“Thank you, and thank you both for coming,” Caroline replied warmly. “It is so very good to see you both.”
“And you, darling,” Bridget returned, stepping up to give her a warm hug. When she pulled back, Caroline noted the sparkle in her eyes before she whispered, “Nora is right, you know. You do look…invigorated.As if you have been born again somehow. I believe, despite your fears, this union has been good for you.”
