Chapter 2

Two

S elena strolled into the breakfast room and glanced around. There was only one other guest in the room. She breathed a sigh of relief and went over to the buffet to fill a plate. Before leaving her bedchamber, she had contemplated asking for a tray to be sent to her room, but she hadn’t wanted to give the servants additional work and had forced herself to come down to break her fast.

After adding some eggs, kippers, and sausages to her plate, she went and sat down at the table. A servant approached and filled her cup with tea. “Do you require anything else, my lady?”

Selena shook her head. “No, thank you.” She smiled at the footman. “The tea is enough.” She didn’t even add sugar to her tea. When they had been struggling with funds, she had not wanted to ask David for anything unnecessary. Sugar was one of those luxuries she had learned to do without.

As she started to eat, two more ladies entered the breakfast room. She nearly groaned as she recognized them—Lady Arabella Jones and Miss Harriet Smythe. Lady Arabella was the sort men found attractive: blonde hair, blue eyes, and a pretty face to wrap it all up with a nice bow. She even had a perfect figure, with a bosom that seemed to attract many admiring glances. Why men continued to converse with her after the first introduction, Selena did not know. Arabella was cold and unkind. Her friend, Harriet, was somewhat of a contrast. Though not unattractive, next to Arabella, she was cast into the shadows. With brown hair and light brown eyes, Harriet did not command attention, and she was quieter. Perhaps she was a touch kinder, though that was faint praise; Harriet could be just as spiteful, only with more subtlety.

Arabella met Selena’s gaze and turned up her nose, as though she had walked into something foul. Selena rolled her eyes. She knew full well what many in the ton thought of her. They considered her beneath them because she had been impoverished for so long. Once, she had cared. Now she shrugged it off as meaningless. After enduring such slights for so long, nothing truly affected her. It rolled off her like water on a duck's back, leaving no trace or mark—at least, none visible. The damage had been internal, creating a woman who had learned to feign indifference when needed.

“Harriet,” Arabella sniffed, “we should return later.”

Selena reached for a piece of toast from a plate at the center of the table and began to spread butter over it. “You absolutely should,” she replied. “It would make breakfast far more tolerable without you here to ruin it.”

Arabella’s mouth fell open. She closed it, only to open it again, clearly struggling for words. Selena grinned, taking a bite of her toast and chewing slowly as she waited for Arabella to respond. When she did, it was better than Selena could have planned.

“You are rude and insufferable,” Arabella spat, her face reddening as she clenched her hands into tight fists at her sides.

“Is that so?” a man drawled. “Whatever did I do to insult you?”

Selena grinned. The Duke of Castlebury stood to her left, having entered the breakfast room just as Arabella chose to respond to Selena’s retort. It was delightfully perfect. She took another bite of toast and watched the scene unfold.

“Your Grace…” Arabella sputtered, her mouth opening and closing as she fought to find words again. How amusing. Selena should perhaps take pity on her, but why would she? Lady Arabella would never have afforded her such a courtesy.

Castlebury narrowed his gaze, looking at Arabella as though she were a bug he would gladly crush beneath his boot. His black hair was delightfully tousled, and his blue eyes held a dark, brooding intensity. He was rather attractive—if one were inclined toward such things. Selena had no interest in attracting his attention. She wanted no man, and certainly not a duke who might prove even more insufferable than most.

“My apologies,” Lady Arabella began, her voice flustered. “My statement was certainly not intended for you, Your Grace. You are the epitome of politeness.”

“I would not go that far,” Selena interjected before she could stop herself, then shrugged. Why should she care what the duke thought of her? He was David’s friend, not hers. “No one is polite all of the time. That would be an impossibility.”

Castlebury turned his attention to her. He neither smiled nor frowned, showing no emotion at all. He might not be openly rude, but he was doing an excellent impression of the insufferable duke she believed him to be. So be it; his opinion was of no consequence to her. He could hate her if he liked. It was not as if she hoped to impress him. He would need to seek attention from Lady Arabella or Miss Harriet if he wished for that type of woman.

“Is that so?” he remarked. “You do not believe a person can remain polite in all situations?”

“That is not what I said,” she retorted. “But by all means, form your own opinion. It matters little to me what you believe.”

A flicker of amusement crossed his face, as though he were suppressing a smile. Good. If she entertained him, then so be it. She turned back to her meal, stabbing a sausage with her fork before bringing it to her mouth. She knew she wasn’t eating with the delicate manners expected of a young lady, but she had cast aside those pretensions long ago.

“You see what I mean,” Lady Arabella turned to the duke, her voice filled with disdain. “She is abysmal.”

Selena did her best to ignore them. Lady Arabella knew nothing of true hardship. She had never been forced to choose between food and warmth or mend her gowns so they could be worn for yet another season. She had never known want or deprivation. Selena held back a smirk. Perhaps it was time Lady Arabella learned a little humility—though Selena doubted she ever would. She tilted her head to the side, thoughtfully. Lady Arabella was not the sort that Emma would associate with. The guests had been invited with care, and she suspected, that her dear friend’s reasons for sending and invitation to Lady Arabella might align with Selena’s. Perhaps this house party would be more entertaining more than she had first believed.

Kingston stared at the blonde debutante and barely refrained from rolling his eyes. He should never have addressed her; he blamed his lack of sleep for the impulse. Had he managed to rest, he likely would not have deigned to say one bloody word. But he had honestly thought the shrew was speaking to him when he first entered the breakfast room. Now that the fog in his mind was starting to clear, his usual sharpness returned, and he found himself seeing David’s younger cousin, Selena, in a new light. Something about the exchange unsettled him—both in his interaction with the ladies and in the exchange between the ladies themselves. Clearly, he had missed something, and Selena, bless her, seemed entertained by the entire encounter.

He dragged his gaze from Selena and returned his focus to Lady Arabella. He really did not like this woman, though it would be quite rude to say as much. “How unkind of you to speak aloud a person’s flaws.”

“I would not consider my presence a flaw,” Selena said flippantly—as if he had addressed her and not Lady Arabella. She snatched another piece of toast, spread some jam over it, and took a small bite. “Besides, nothing you say to her will endear her to me, and vice versa. I quite loathe her.”

Kingston pinched the bridge of his nose. God save him… Why had he thought breaking his fast was a good idea? Oh, that’s right—because he was hungry. Perhaps he should walk away and let them sort themselves out. He didn’t need this sort of drama, especially so early in the morning. “I did not refer to you as a flaw.” Kingston met Selena’s gaze. “However, you are being quite blunt…which to some is a flaw.”

She took a bite of her toast and nodded at Kingston thoughtfully. “Then it is fortunate that I do not care what others consider flaws.” She gestured toward Lady Arabella. “Clearly, you prefer to be wrapped in coldness. Do not let me prevent you from seeking such frigid company.”

“I do not…” He took a deep breath. This was getting ridiculous. “Pardon me,” he said to them all. “This conversation has grown tiresome.” With that, he turned on his heel and headed to the breakfast buffet to finally gather some food. The audacity of that chit…

“Do you see what you did?” Lady Arabella seethed. “You treated a duke as if he were a commoner.”

“And?” Selena honestly sounded as if she could not care less. That was interesting… Why did he suddenly find her even more intriguing? Her lack of fascination with him should not appeal to him, and yet, it did.

“Why are you pretending as if you do not care?” Lady Arabella asked. “You of all people should not tempt fate.”

Selena laughed, loud and boisterous, nearly uncontrollable. He turned toward the sound and was stunned at the sight. She held her arms around her stomach as the laughter spilled forth, almost as if her body couldn’t contain it and she strained to hold some of it back. She wiped at her eyes and then met Lady Arabella’s gaze. “I needed that. Thank you.” She picked up her tea and took a sip, the smile on her lips lingering. After sipping her tea, she leaned back against her chair, holding the teacup in front of her just below her mouth. She glanced at Lady Arabella, amusement sparkling in her eyes. “As for my ‘sort of people,’” she said, jutting her chin upward, “I would rather be myself than a haughty, mean-spirited shrew like you.” Slowly, she set her teacup down on the table. “Now that I have finished,” she said in a tone so falsely sweet it cut like a knife, “I will leave you to your own repast. I would hate to ruin your appetite with my presence.”

With a flare Kingston admired, she left the room. Every person present watched her exit. It had been that excellent and breathtaking. How had he never noticed her before? Yes, he was acquainted with her—how could he not be, considering her relation to one of his closest friends? But he had never actually given her his full attention. She had been on the periphery, like a piece of furniture both lovely and functional but ultimately overlooked and unappreciated.

“She is beyond redemption after this,” Lady Arabella said.

“She should not have treated you in such a fashion,” her friend said. What was her name? She had not spoken since Kingston had walked into the breakfast room. He hadn’t even noticed her until that moment. She was so plain and forgettable.

“Thank you, Harriet,” Lady Arabella said. “She was quite rude. But she’s gone now, and we do not have to suffer her company any longer.”

Kingston suddenly had no appetite at all. Selena had said she would hate to ruin Lady Arabella’s appetite, and here he was, completely lacking one himself. He did not blame Selena for his sudden loss of hunger. It had everything to do with Lady Arabella. She was a terrible woman, and thankfully, he did not have to suffer through her company. He could walk away and be as rude as he liked. He had no one to answer to, much like Selena, apparently.

“You should be careful whom you insult,” Kingston told her in a cold tone. “Because one day that might come back to haunt you.” He set his plate down and exited the room, not waiting for either of the ladies to reply. He suddenly had an urge to locate Selena and apologize—or at the very least, learn more about her. She was fascinating, and he rather liked her lack of social graces. Oh, he knew she possessed them, but she was choosing to be impertinent. It was refreshing.

Kingston grinned and made his way toward the library. Perhaps he could find a book to occupy his time until his next encounter with Selena. He found he could not wait, and hoped it would be sooner rather than later. As for the other two—he intended to actively avoid them.