to consider. And while it caught us a bit by surprise, it shouldn’t have.” Hannah looked at her askance. Rosalind leaned closer, her blue eyes twinkling. “Marcus is the sort of man who doesn’t hesitate when he wants something. Isn’t it wonderful, when a man makes you feel so wanted?”
Hannah would have laughed out loud if she hadn’t been absolutely mortified. The duke wanted her to go away, if he wanted anything from her at all. She had to get out of this mess. “I confess, I don’t know the first thing about London.”
That is no trouble. You can learn.“ Rosalind offered a plate of tiny cakes decorated with sugar-encrusted violets. Hannah’s mouth watered just looking at them. She took one, and nearly swooned in delight as it melted on her tongue. Clearly there were at least a few good things about being a duchess. ”We shall look over your wardrobe tomorrow and remedy any deficiencies,“ Rosalind went on. ”I don’t mean to offend,“ she said at Hannah’s startled look. ”David wrote that you grew up in the country, with very little time in town, and I suspect fashions are somewhat different here.“
“Oh, Mama, may I do some shopping, too?” asked Celia eagerly. She turned to Hannah. “May I get Molly a few gifts?” she whispered. “Just a few.”
Only because she was not planning to be there to go on this mythical shopping expedition did Hannah not protest. She tried again to temper their enthisi-asm. “I think perhaps I ought not to go out. I know nothing about being a duchess.”
“It’s a wonderful thing about being a duchess,” confided Rosalind merrily. “No one wants to criticize you, so you can be anything you wish.”
“The duchess of Devonshire gambles worse than any man and she’s received everywhere,” added Celia. “No one would dare cut Marcus’s wife.”
“Celia, that’s gossip,” chided her mother.
“I didn’t even know he was a duke,” said Hannah, a plan forming in her mind at last. If they thought the duke had misled her about himself, surely they would understand her desire to leave. “I had no idea of any of this.” She waved one hand at the manicured landscape, the gleaming house, the fine china dishes. “He told me nothing of his life. It’s very different from what I’m used to.” Rosalind’s eyebrows went up. Celia set down her teacup with a clank, her eyes wide. Hannah bit her lip and tried to look betrayed.
“Goodness,” murmured Rosalind. “Marcus must have completely lost his head. You really had no idea he was a duke?” Hannah shook her head. This seemed to please Rosalind. Her smile grew. “What a lovely surprise it must have been. When did you discover it?”
“Ah, well, he told me… that is, not until I reached London,” Hannah said uncomfortably. It didn’t seem to be working the right way. Flustered, she leaned over to wipe Molly’s chin, although her daughter was working her way through a jam-covered tea cake and seemed perfectly oblivious to her mother’s unease.
Celia giggled, her hands clasped under her chin. “Oh, he must have been so in love,” she cried, turning to her mother. “Imagine, he didn’t tell her until they were married!”
At the thought of the duke being so in love with anyone, let alone with her, Hannah threw down her napkin. “He ought to have told me,” she said firmly. “I’m very unhappy with him for deceiving me. We quarreled.”
“Oh, but you must consider it a compliment. Marcus is usually very aware of his station. If he let you think him an ordinary gentleman, he humbled himself greatly. I do so love a man who does that for a woman.” Celia nodded her agreement, her eyes misty.
“It was a terrible, terrible quarrel,” went on Hannah in desperation. “I don’t know that I can ever forgive him. You must have seen how cold he was this morning. He doesn’t want me to stay! I don’t see how we can go on, after this. It was all a terrible mistake.” There, she had all but
Hannah would have laughed out loud if she hadn’t been absolutely mortified. The duke wanted her to go away, if he wanted anything from her at all. She had to get out of this mess. “I confess, I don’t know the first thing about London.”
That is no trouble. You can learn.“ Rosalind offered a plate of tiny cakes decorated with sugar-encrusted violets. Hannah’s mouth watered just looking at them. She took one, and nearly swooned in delight as it melted on her tongue. Clearly there were at least a few good things about being a duchess. ”We shall look over your wardrobe tomorrow and remedy any deficiencies,“ Rosalind went on. ”I don’t mean to offend,“ she said at Hannah’s startled look. ”David wrote that you grew up in the country, with very little time in town, and I suspect fashions are somewhat different here.“
“Oh, Mama, may I do some shopping, too?” asked Celia eagerly. She turned to Hannah. “May I get Molly a few gifts?” she whispered. “Just a few.”
Only because she was not planning to be there to go on this mythical shopping expedition did Hannah not protest. She tried again to temper their enthisi-asm. “I think perhaps I ought not to go out. I know nothing about being a duchess.”
“It’s a wonderful thing about being a duchess,” confided Rosalind merrily. “No one wants to criticize you, so you can be anything you wish.”
“The duchess of Devonshire gambles worse than any man and she’s received everywhere,” added Celia. “No one would dare cut Marcus’s wife.”
“Celia, that’s gossip,” chided her mother.
“I didn’t even know he was a duke,” said Hannah, a plan forming in her mind at last. If they thought the duke had misled her about himself, surely they would understand her desire to leave. “I had no idea of any of this.” She waved one hand at the manicured landscape, the gleaming house, the fine china dishes. “He told me nothing of his life. It’s very different from what I’m used to.” Rosalind’s eyebrows went up. Celia set down her teacup with a clank, her eyes wide. Hannah bit her lip and tried to look betrayed.
“Goodness,” murmured Rosalind. “Marcus must have completely lost his head. You really had no idea he was a duke?” Hannah shook her head. This seemed to please Rosalind. Her smile grew. “What a lovely surprise it must have been. When did you discover it?”
“Ah, well, he told me… that is, not until I reached London,” Hannah said uncomfortably. It didn’t seem to be working the right way. Flustered, she leaned over to wipe Molly’s chin, although her daughter was working her way through a jam-covered tea cake and seemed perfectly oblivious to her mother’s unease.
Celia giggled, her hands clasped under her chin. “Oh, he must have been so in love,” she cried, turning to her mother. “Imagine, he didn’t tell her until they were married!”
At the thought of the duke being so in love with anyone, let alone with her, Hannah threw down her napkin. “He ought to have told me,” she said firmly. “I’m very unhappy with him for deceiving me. We quarreled.”
“Oh, but you must consider it a compliment. Marcus is usually very aware of his station. If he let you think him an ordinary gentleman, he humbled himself greatly. I do so love a man who does that for a woman.” Celia nodded her agreement, her eyes misty.
“It was a terrible, terrible quarrel,” went on Hannah in desperation. “I don’t know that I can ever forgive him. You must have seen how cold he was this morning. He doesn’t want me to stay! I don’t see how we can go on, after this. It was all a terrible mistake.” There, she had all but
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