Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

" Y ou mean to tell me that you hid out in the Ladies' gallery all afternoon?"

Joana had no desire to dignify her sister's incessant questions with an answer, but she also knew that the woman wouldn't be so easily deterred in her quest for information. As her younger sister had been stuck home all afternoon instead of being permitted to accompany them on their venture into town, she was more than a little nosy.

"You did not miss out on anything at all. I assure you of that, Katherine," Joana sighed. Though she should have known that it wouldn't be nearly sufficient to satisfy her sister's curiosity.

"Nonsense. I know there is something that you are not telling me, dear sister. Do not forget that I know you best of all. You can't hide anything from me!" Kate flopped down onto her sister's bed while their maid, Bessie, busied herself with Joana's hair.

"I am not hiding anything from you," Joana pointedly focused on the seams of her skirts rather than her sister's expectant gaze. "Do you think there's a particular reason we must be so dolled up for supper this evening?"

"Ah, ah, ah! Don't change the subject." Kate brandished a finger in Joana's direction. "Now, I know for certain you are hiding something. Tell me what happened today!"

Joana sighed. "I almost ran into… him. "

The smile slipped right off of Kate's face. Suddenly, her sister's teasing nature disappeared and was replaced with a fiercely protective demeanor. She slid off the bed and came to kneel in front of her sister so that they could speak more softly. "What happened?" Joana was grateful for the comforting presence of her sister's hands in her own as she spoke.

"I'm…I'm quite certain he didn't see me. I found the nearest room and hid there until the proceedings were over. Father had to come look for me."

"Well, that does explain his mood when you arrived home. Did you tell him the reason?" Kate asked.

Joana shook her head. "No. I was far too embarrassed. Father wanted so badly for today to go well and I did not wish to ruin yet another day with my dramatics."

"Dramatics? He assaulted you, Joana, there is nothing at all about that which was your fault. It's a crime that he's walking around breathing dry air. Oh, how I wish I could…I would…break his nose…or spit on him or something equally terrible!" Kate fumed.

A soft smile graced Joana's lips. "You wouldn't have the faintest idea on how to break someone's nose, Katy."

"I could learn with the proper encouragement," Kate insisted with a feigned pout.

"Oh, that would be the day. First, Father will remind us of how he was cursed to have a house full of women and then he will pass out from a stroke from your mentioning that you wish to take up pugilism!"

Kate giggled. "Perhaps the vein in his neck will stick out again as it always does when he tries to control his temper."

"But all he ever does is manage to turn his whole face purple instead," Joana laughed as they teased their father. The lady's maid's hand tightened on her hair and forced her head back center for the finishing touches.

"Might I suggest the pearls for this evening's attire, My Lady?" Bessie asked.

"Pearls? For supper?" Joana asked, swiveling in her seat.

"Your mother has asked that you look your best this evening," Bessie replied in her soft voice.

"Is mother having company over? She did not mention anything to me…" Kate asked. "I think I would have noticed if she was suddenly puttering about the house for supper guests."

"You heard nothing?" Joana asked her sister. If there had been a secret to ferret out, Kate would have done so. "You don't think that this has something to do with Father insisting on bringing me with him to the House of Lords this afternoon, do you?"

"Did you meet with anyone in particular?" Kate inquired. "Was he parading you around like a show pony?"

"No. Well. Nothing like that. I only met one gentleman, but he—" Joana clamped her hand down over her mouth – she had not meant to say that part out loud.

"You sly fox!" Kate beamed, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "I knew something must've happened. You are sitting on an even bigger secret and I demand to know what it is!"

"Oh, do you hear that? Why, I believe that is the supper bell. We should make our way to the dining room." Joana rose from her chair hastily. "No pearls tonight, thank you, Bessie."

"Do not turn your back on me! Who was he? Was he handsome? What did you talk of?"

"I do not know! And yes… yes he was, I suppose," Joana grinned over her shoulder. She hurried gracefully down the corridor and stairs to the dining room, but Kate was not to be ignored now that she knew there was gossip at hand.

"Oh, how I wish I could have romantic tales to share with you. You know that I must live my life vicariously through you, sister. Scandal or no scandal – have pity on your poor, neglected, spinster-bound sister," Kate whined.

"Oh, stop that." Joana entwined her arm with her sister's as they walked. "You are still so young. You're creating a tempest in a teapot."

"I shall be the judge of that."

"Ahem. Ladies." Their mother, Abigail Wynn's stern voice cut through their lively conversation as the sisters came upon the dining room. But more shockingly, they were no longer alone.

Breath trapped in Joana's lungs and she almost spun around to leave again when she noticed a familiar face among her parents. She bit her lips as she pondered every possible reason this could be happening. She could hardly determine who was more surprised this evening – herself, or the intriguing stranger from earlier who now sat across the table, his intense gaze fixed upon her. Worse, he had been purposefully seated beside her usual seat.

Could he possibly have discovered my identity already?

She had given him nothing at all. Though it was fun to suspend disbelief with her sister, she had already decided that she was not going to like him whatsoever for he could not be that great of a person if he considered Lord Julian Bansfield to be among his acquaintances.

"Ah, Your Grace, these are my lovely daughters I was just speaking of, Katherine and Joana," their father introduced them politely as they curtsied in greeting.

"A Duke!" Kate whispered out of the side of her mouth.

A Duke?

Joana simply shrugged, her eyes still wide in disbelief. If she told her sister that this was the man from before, she would never let it go. She would cling to it until she had discovered every single breath that passed between them.

"Why is he here?" Joana muttered back. It was not as if she could possibly have any more marriage prospects – no, the unfortunate incident – as father called it, with Lord Bansfield put an end to that for good.

"My darling daughters. His Grace, Ewan Rayfield, The Duke of Richmond has graciously accepted our dinner invitation. Isn't that delightful, Joana?"

Eyes turned expectantly to Joana and an uneasiness churned in her stomach. She would feign ignorance and pretend nothing was amiss. Yes, that would be the best course of action. Treat him like a stranger so that nobody would suspect a thing. "Of course. It is lovely to meet you, Your Grace."

"Meet me?" Ewan's lips curved into a knowing smile. "Yes, I suppose one could say that."

"Have you met my daughter before, Your Grace?" Benedict's voice pitched up a notch.

"Indeed, although at the time, I was unaware that she was your daughter. We met earlier this afternoon…outside of the proceedings. It seems fate has brought us together again," he said with a twinkle of mischief in his eyes that no one except Joana seemed to catch.

Father's face was already beginning to turn purple. He would be very displeased that she had, naturally, not mentioned a thing about it.

Silently, with her eyes firmly set on the tabletop and nothing else, Joana lowered gracefully into the seat beside Ewan, her heart hammering against her chest.

"And for what purpose is His Grace honoring us with his presence at dinner this evening?" Joana murmured, but her words seemed to fall on flat ears as her father was already engaging the table in another lively conversation. It was as if she had not spoken a word at all to everyone, except the Duke, who brushed his arm against her and smirked as he reached for his fork.

And it was like that for most of supper. Anytime she tried to get a word in edgewise, Father spoke over both herself and Kate.

Mother wasn't much help. She was always of the opinion that women ought to be seen and not heard.

Oddly, every time that Ewan attempted to speak to herself, Father would interrupt him as well. Nothing about the goings-on presently helped her understand the Duke's reasons for being here in the least. How did Father even know him and why was the man being so very cryptic about the whole thing?

Thoroughly irritated and feeling slighted, Joana was greatly relieved when the men adjourned to Father's private office for port and pipe. The moment that the men were no longer in the room, mother rose to excuse herself quietly. She had hardly touched her meal but neither daughter commented on it.

"Why do you think Father invited him?" Kate asked quickly before either of them rose from the table.

"There can only be one reason for Father to have invited a gentleman over, and it is certainly not for talk of politics over port," Joana murmured reluctantly.

"Perhaps they became acquainted during the proceedings? That would be plausible…" Kate said. She sat up straighter in her chair as if that would somehow allow her to see through the walls into her father's private office.

"Perhaps, but it is unlikely. You are far too intelligent to squander your time on speculation, dear sister. No. Father is likely arranging yet another… marriage match." The words felt foreign on her tongue just as she said them and her eyes grew wide in fear.

"With a Duke?! Is that not reaching a little?"

"Were it not for my recent scandal, then no. I would say it would be perfectly reasonable. The question is, which one of us is he attempting to sell off?"

Unlike all the other countless teas and soirees she'd been subjected to during her brief debut season…there was a traitorous feeling of intrigue inside of her. But there was also the matter of his friendship circle that gnawed at the back of her mind and gave her enough reason to steer away from him for the coming weeks if his visits became more frequent.

Kate fidgeted in her seat. "I think he was rather taken with you. He was attempting to engage you in conversation for the entirety of the evening, and as he is no stranger—"

"I understand your implication, dear sister…but you may be attaching undue significance to it."

"He is quite handsome, would it truly be so terrible? A marriage to a Duke would do wonders for your reputation…for all of our reputations…" Kate trailed off, lost in thought.

She did not need to say what they both understood to be true. It would be far simpler for Kate to find a husband if her sister was married. If the shadow of scandal no longer hovered over their heads, Kate would not have to struggle so much as she had done in her past season.

Joana loved her sister more than anything in this world. She was the only person who had faithfully stood by her side and never once put any accusation for the assault on Joana's shoulders. And it was Joana's duty, as the eldest sister, to marry first.

Thankfully, she was spared from responding when the butler entered the dining room.

"Lady Joana, your father has requested your presence in his office."