you remember me? Miss Grace Robin. We met this morning. You had been at the solicitor’s office with Lord Crowle and were walking my way.”
“Yes, of course—” he began, only to have his words drowned in the woman’s breathless rush.
“I forgot to invite you to my ball next week. It’s a small affair as these things go. Exclusive. I’m sure it will be a marvelous time. Say you’ll come. Oh please!”
She stopped to draw breath, only to have the nearest woman elbow her sharply in the ribs.
“Oh! Oh goodness. I’m sorry, your grace. How rude of me. I’d like to present my two best friends. This is Miss Minerva Maitland. You’ll hear me call her “M” because of all the M’s in her name.” She giggled then the woman on her left pinched her. “Ow! And this is Miss Elizabeth Dandleford. We don’t have a nickname for you, do we?” she asked, turning to her friend, then immediately spinning back to Radley with a dazzling smile.
“Ladies, it is lovely to meet you,” Radley said with more charity than Wendy could have managed. He even bowed neatly over each lady’s hand. “I shall definitely enjoy attending your party. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I was heading into the park.”
“For a fashionable walk! Of course you were. And it’s your first one as a duke, isn’t it? That’s what we’re doing too. Not our first, of course. No, this is our second Season. Each of us, though Lizzy here started late, so it’s really her first and a half.” She stopped speaking long enough to see that Radley hadn’t followed them. Instead, he’d turned back to Wendy, extending his arm.
Wendy felt her face drain of heat as the other ladies stared. After all, it was one thing for the famous new duke to wear a seaman’s coat and clothes. It was very different for a seamstress in a drab dress to take his arm and stroll through Hyde Park.
“Your grace,” she said as she dropped into a low curtsy. She hadn’t meant it to be so deep, but her knees felt weak. “I must get back to the shop.”
“Wind,” he said as he took a firm hold on her arm. “No, you do not.”
“You have been recognized,” she all but hissed.
He appeared to think about that for a moment. He might have forced the issue. She saw his jaw firm in a stubborn tilt. But then, the beauty started talking again.
“Your grace? Your grace, everyone is in the park today. It’s all well and good for the new duke to dress oddly, but people will be less forgiving of a woman. She’s welcome to come with us. I will do what I can to help, but it will seem rather odd.”
He lifted his head and turned to look at the woman. It took a moment for Wendy to realize what had happened. After all, except for the occasional visit once a year, she had not seen Radley in a decade. And she had never seen him draw himself to his full height and stare down anyone, much less a society beauty.
“I have all the introductions I need for today, thank you.” And with that, he simply turned, settled Wendy’s hand back on his arm, and strolled away.
Wendy did her best to quell the surge of satisfaction she felt. He had turned away from three society beauties to walk with her. Then, a moment later, she placed the woman’s name and found her happiness fading. “She’s beautiful and wealthy. Her father is an important banker, and her mother is friendly with the patronesses at Almack’s. You should not have angered her.”
“Why not?” Radley answered with a snort. “I’m a duke now. I’m going to be accepted everywhere, no matter what I do or who I insult.”
She had to admit he was right. “But there are costs. I don’t know what they are, but no one flouts society without consequences.”
He glanced down at her, his expression sobering. Then he simply shrugged. “I didn’t like her.”
“You don’t even know her. I’ll wager you didn’t even remember her name.”
His lips curved in a slight smile. “Even so.”
Wendy nearly groaned. “And now
“Yes, of course—” he began, only to have his words drowned in the woman’s breathless rush.
“I forgot to invite you to my ball next week. It’s a small affair as these things go. Exclusive. I’m sure it will be a marvelous time. Say you’ll come. Oh please!”
She stopped to draw breath, only to have the nearest woman elbow her sharply in the ribs.
“Oh! Oh goodness. I’m sorry, your grace. How rude of me. I’d like to present my two best friends. This is Miss Minerva Maitland. You’ll hear me call her “M” because of all the M’s in her name.” She giggled then the woman on her left pinched her. “Ow! And this is Miss Elizabeth Dandleford. We don’t have a nickname for you, do we?” she asked, turning to her friend, then immediately spinning back to Radley with a dazzling smile.
“Ladies, it is lovely to meet you,” Radley said with more charity than Wendy could have managed. He even bowed neatly over each lady’s hand. “I shall definitely enjoy attending your party. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I was heading into the park.”
“For a fashionable walk! Of course you were. And it’s your first one as a duke, isn’t it? That’s what we’re doing too. Not our first, of course. No, this is our second Season. Each of us, though Lizzy here started late, so it’s really her first and a half.” She stopped speaking long enough to see that Radley hadn’t followed them. Instead, he’d turned back to Wendy, extending his arm.
Wendy felt her face drain of heat as the other ladies stared. After all, it was one thing for the famous new duke to wear a seaman’s coat and clothes. It was very different for a seamstress in a drab dress to take his arm and stroll through Hyde Park.
“Your grace,” she said as she dropped into a low curtsy. She hadn’t meant it to be so deep, but her knees felt weak. “I must get back to the shop.”
“Wind,” he said as he took a firm hold on her arm. “No, you do not.”
“You have been recognized,” she all but hissed.
He appeared to think about that for a moment. He might have forced the issue. She saw his jaw firm in a stubborn tilt. But then, the beauty started talking again.
“Your grace? Your grace, everyone is in the park today. It’s all well and good for the new duke to dress oddly, but people will be less forgiving of a woman. She’s welcome to come with us. I will do what I can to help, but it will seem rather odd.”
He lifted his head and turned to look at the woman. It took a moment for Wendy to realize what had happened. After all, except for the occasional visit once a year, she had not seen Radley in a decade. And she had never seen him draw himself to his full height and stare down anyone, much less a society beauty.
“I have all the introductions I need for today, thank you.” And with that, he simply turned, settled Wendy’s hand back on his arm, and strolled away.
Wendy did her best to quell the surge of satisfaction she felt. He had turned away from three society beauties to walk with her. Then, a moment later, she placed the woman’s name and found her happiness fading. “She’s beautiful and wealthy. Her father is an important banker, and her mother is friendly with the patronesses at Almack’s. You should not have angered her.”
“Why not?” Radley answered with a snort. “I’m a duke now. I’m going to be accepted everywhere, no matter what I do or who I insult.”
She had to admit he was right. “But there are costs. I don’t know what they are, but no one flouts society without consequences.”
He glanced down at her, his expression sobering. Then he simply shrugged. “I didn’t like her.”
“You don’t even know her. I’ll wager you didn’t even remember her name.”
His lips curved in a slight smile. “Even so.”
Wendy nearly groaned. “And now
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