The Inconvenient Compromise (The Dunne Family Series Book 8) by Chasity Bowlin

Author:Chasity Bowlin [Bowlin, Chasity]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-01-27T18:30:00+00:00

FOURTEEN

Wednesday—morning…

Fiona was awakened by the sound of hushed voices in the sitting room just beyond their bedchamber. Getting out of bed, the coverlet clutched before her as she had no clue where her clothes were; she felt a small frisson of fear. Who was there?

Only seconds later, the door opened, and Lucian entered. “Ah, you’re awake. Lady Ralston has arrived to take you on a shopping excursion.”

“Now?” The word came out in a squeak of pure terror. She’d been utterly exhausted after they had returned home for the Hedleigh’s ball. Playing Charlotte’s games, especially when one was on the receiving end of her venom, was always a taxing enterprise. Now she was expected to make herself visible once more, to face the mixture of equal parts censure and curiosity from all who were privy to the gossip surrounding her marriage. She wasn’t ready to face the full ramifications of what they had done—of this war they had embarked upon. “That’s impossible. And hardly necessary, after all. We’ve not been in town long enough to receive or even respond to that many invitations. My own wardrobe is sufficient— I can’t, Lucian.”

He closed the distance between them, his hands settling on her upper arms as he sat down on the bed to face her. “The gowns you have were fine for Miss Fiona Trimble. They are not adequate for the Countess of Rathmore. And as lovely as it was of Penelope to lend you items from her wardrobe, you cannot go about in borrowed finery forever. Also, it’s important that we not appear to be licking our wounds today. We must both be visible and seemingly unperturbed by those we encounter.”

“This is a very difficult thing for me,” she admitted glumly. “Because I am not unperturbed. Not at all.”

“What do you fear from her? Truly.”

“That she will render us social pariahs. That even our best-laid plans will fail, and she will continue her tyranny. That our ruin will extend to Francesca and my poor sister will never make a decent match… the list is endless. In many ways, our entire future—and the future of any children we may have—rests upon this.”

“All the more reason to increase our efforts,” he stated firmly. “If we do nothing, everything you fear will come to pass. If we do something, it may still happen, but at least we have faced it bravely.”

“Contrary to what you may believe, bravery is not its own reward.”

He reached out, his thumb stroking gently over her cheek and down to the fullness of her lower lip. “If a thing is worthwhile, then it is always difficult. If it were easy, then it would have no value. This, Fiona, is a place to start. That is all. Now, you should dress. Penelope is waiting for you. I must go to the club and mitigate any rumors there.”

“How?”

“The betting book, of course,” he answered. “Be brave, Fiona. Be as bold as you were the first time you climbed into my bed.”

She laughed at the outrageousness of his comment, but then their gazes locked.

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