The Hidden Duchess by Bree Verity

Author:Bree Verity [Verity, Bree]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-07-01T21:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-One

Exactly one week later, the village was crowded with people, as not only was it market day, but in the evening, there would be an assembly as well, so everyone had come to Danguin to make the most of the whole day. A festive atmosphere pervaded, despite the charged undercurrents of people’s conversation and the occasional black looks that were thrown like daggers at the servants of the administration, who went about their business but seemed to look over their shoulders a little more than usual.

Celeste could feel the oppression in the air, but she chose to ignore it. She was here to have a good time today, and tonight, she would dance out in the open air with the peasants. She smiled in anticipation—of all the things she missed from Paris, dancing was probably the thing she missed the most. She realized that the dancing here would be quite different to what she was used to, but dancing was dancing, and one didn’t throw away an opportunity just because it would be different.

She was happily daydreaming when a shadow fell across her, and she looked up, squinting, at the black outline of a person in front of her, framed by sunlight. As her eyes adjusted, she realized with a little alarm that it was Lucien Antonin.

She’d had little to do with him since discussing him with Marcel, but that was more because he very rarely came to the markets, and even more rarely came to church. “Monsieur Antonin. It’s a pleasure to see you again.”

“The pleasure is all mine,” he said, sweeping her hand up and kissing it. Celeste snatched it back, feigning shock. “Monsieur,” she said, “you take too many liberties.”

“My humblest apologies, madame, but your beauty muddles my thoughts, and all propriety is forgotten.”

Celeste indicated that he should sit next to her, and despite herself, she admired his muscular arms and shoulders. Unlike Marcel, who was large all over, Monsieur Antonin was broad across the shoulders, but tapered in at his waist and hips. His blond hair and those amazing turquoise eyes were as different to Marcel’s as they could be, but both men were striking to look at.

“Have you been keeping busy, monsieur, since we last met?” asked Celeste politely.

“Yes, I’ve been supervising the harvest at my property. I don’t suspect we will meet our volumes from last year, not with the wet spring we’ve had, but we will do quite well, I think. Even though a good portion of it will go into Lord Hibbert’s pockets and those of our beloved government.” Celeste noticed an ugly expression pass over Monsieur Antonin’s face, there and gone in an instant, but in that moment, she realized he could be a formidable enemy.

“I never really paid attention to all that. My husband took care of it,” she said, hoping that the carelessness she infused into her voice would turn the conversation to more agreeable channels.

“You should be more interested, madame, since it concerns all of us,” he said.

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