The Unexpected Duchess by Valerie Bowman

Author:Valerie Bowman [Bowman, Valerie]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Fiction, Historical romance, Regency
ISBN: 9781466839427
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Published: 2014-04-28T21:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

Where in the world was Jane? Lucy had been searching for her throughout Lady Hoppington’s house for the last half an hour. She’d checked all her usual haunts: the library, the children’s study, every small nook and cranny she could find in which Jane might insert herself to read a book. Jane certainly wasn’t making it easy for Lucy to confess. To make matters worse, Garrett was nowhere to be found, either.

And guilty as it made her, she’d been avoiding Cass tonight. She just couldn’t bear to see her friend and know how horrendous she’d been. She turned the bend in Lady Hoppington’s corridor and stopped short. There, behind a large cabinet, stood Derek.

And he was not alone.

Lucy froze. A woman’s voice floated on the air. “I’m quite sorry, Your Grace, for the way I’ve behaved.”

Lucy closed her eyes. It was Cass. Cass and Derek were having a private conversation and damn her to hell but Lucy could not, for the life of her, move her feet, turn away. She should not eavesdrop, especially not on this conversation, but she just couldn’t make herself go. Instead she pressed her back against the wall and held her breath, listening intently for every word between them.

“Lucy told me that she explained to you that I … love Julian,” Cass continued.

“Yes” came Derek’s sure, strong reply.

“I’ve always loved him, I’m afraid. But I know he belongs to my cousin Penelope. That is, if he…” Cass’s voice cracked, and Lucy’s heart broke again for her friend.

Derek’s voice was low. “If it helps to know it, Lady Cassandra, Captain Swift held … holds you in the very highest regard.”

Lucy could hear the smile in Cass’s reply. “Yes. As I do him. I’ve written to him every day while he’s been in the army.”

“He told me how much he looked forward to your letters.”

Lucy’s eyes filled with tears. This had to be excruciating for Cass to hear.

“Thank you, Your Grace, for telling me that,” Cass murmured.

“Of course,” Derek replied.

“I must admit something to you,” Cass said.

Lucy held her breath. Admit something? What? What?

Cass’s voice was soft. “When I first met you, I was frightened of you. Terribly frightened.”

“I’m sorry if I frightened you,” Derek said.

“No. No. It wasn’t you, not you, yourself. It’s just … that you’re so…”

Ridiculously handsome, Lucy thought and then stepped on her own foot for her idiocy.

“It’s complicated,” Cass finished.

“I understand,” Derek replied.

“I just wanted to tell you that I’m not frightened of you anymore, Your Grace,” Cass said. “As soon as I learned you were Julian’s friend. Well, any friend of Julian’s is my friend, too.”

“I’m glad to hear that, Lady Cassandra. And I want you to know that I intend to give you all the time that you need. But I do hope that eventually, you’ll believe that we might get to know each another a bit better.”

“Thank you, Your Grace,” came Cass’s reply. “And if you’d still like to, you have my permission to court me. When I’m ready, of course.

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