The Duke's Last Dance by Sally Forbes

Author:Sally Forbes
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 2020-06-05T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

She joined the other ladies once Miss Amelia had brought her jacket back to her. They played battledore and shuttlecock to start, which Catherine greatly appreciated. It was a game easy enough to play in the various layers they wore on days like this, and there was nothing more they could do than make sure they were having fun.

Especially since her mother had come out to join them after a while.

The men eventually came out to enjoy some fresh air as well. Catherine paid them no notice, her mind still swirling from what her mother had told her earlier. If there was really a difference between a fleeting infatuation and real love, then what had she been feeling for the Duke of Hestina and for Nicolas?

Had she really fallen in love, or was she struggling to know what her heart wanted? She did not know, and it bothered her. She had thought that the Season was meant to be the time when you found the way your heart wanted to work, and what it was supposed to tell you would be as clear as hearing your mother scold you for ripping a new stocking.

If that was not how it worked, then Catherine worried she would never figure out what her heart really wanted.

Then, she looked around at all the men that had come out. She wanted to see how many she recognized.

What a shock it was to find that the Duke of Hestina – the object of her desires – was staring at her, rather blatantly. He dared not hide it, and his cheeks colored slightly at the fact that she had found him staring.

Her spine tingled for the same reason.

Why she felt this way for the Duke and not for Nicolas, she did not understand. When she had been younger, she had hoped against everything that perhaps she would be able to marry Nicolas. He had promised her as much when she was ten, giving her that old, faded brooch.

Maybe she did love him, Catherine thought. Nicolas had been the one there for her through so much as a child, whether it was typical child’s angst or if it was something more serious. She knew that she did love him, but she was not sure if it was a love based on friendship or something else.

“Lady Catherine, what a pleasure to see you.” The duke walked over to her. “I apologize if I embarrassed you… I did not catch myself staring until you caught me staring yourself.”

“’Tis all right, Lord Burton,” Catherine replied. “I do not often have the chance to catch a man staring at me.” She smiled softly, not sure what else she was going to have to say or do. She wanted to make sure that she was enjoying the tea party, but there was something about the way that he walked up to her that made her worry he wanted something else with her.

“Are you enjoying your mother’s tea party?” The duke continued to make conversation with her.

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