greater gratitude from you, once we are married.”
His words were met with silence. For a stretch of several minutes, he looked out the window on his side of the hansom cab, dumbly noting their progress. Then he glanced back toward her.
For the first time in their long acquaintance, he witnessed her with her shoulders slumped. And then a shocking realization: She was crying. He could not see it or hear it—her face was turned completely away from him and she made not the slightest of noises—but her despair was palpable, leaden, a thing that choked the air from his lungs.
He looked away from her, back to the window, to the street outside overflowing with carriages and pedestrians. His own eyes were quite dry, but that was only because he’d long grown accustomed to despair, that old companion of his.
I ’d like to speak to my family alone, if you don’t mind,” said Helena, as the hansom cab turned onto the street where the Duke of Lexington’s town house stood.
Her tears had dried; her voice was even enough. Her turmoil she would keep to herself: If this was the bed of nails she’d made, then she would lie on it with all the dignity and impassivity she could muster.
Hastings cast her an inscrutable glance. “I’ll wait outside for some time, but no more than ten minutes. And Itrust you will sing my praises properly—I am the hero of the day, after all.”
He would be heralded as such, wouldn’t he? And Andrew, who was guilty of nothing more than the desire to see her, cast as the dastardly villain.
“You will be acknowledged as you deserve,” she answered.
As she stood before the door of the town house, she couldn’t quite feel the granite beneath her feet or the bellpull in her hand. Her whole person was numb, except for a dull burning in her heart.
“Right on time, Helena,” said Venetia, when Helena was shown into the drawing room, where Venetia had been chatting with Fitz and Millie.
Her raven-haired, blue-eyed, and ineffably beautiful sister was, if possible, even more dazzling than usual. Fitz, though he was Helena’s twin, shared Venetia’s coloring and bone structure, and had always been considered by Helena’s friends as swoon-inducingly gorgeous. As for his wife, Helena vaguely remembered thinking Millie somewhat mousy when they’d first met, but now she couldn’t remember why she’d ever thought so, for Millie, petite and fine featured, was extraordinarily lovely in her own way.
“Fitz and Millie were just telling me all about the Lake District.” Venetia winked at Helena.
They were all thrilled that Fitz and Millie, who’d known some heartbreaking years, had finally found the happiness they deserved. Without waiting for Helena to respond, Venetia waved her to a chair. “Sit down, my love. I’ve been bursting to share the news all day. Now that we are at last together in the same place—”
“I—” Helena began.
“The duke and I will be parents soon.”
Helena’s jaw dropped, as did Millie’s. It had long been thought that Venetia was barren. No wonder she had glowed so beatifically of late.
“Congratulations,” Helena, Fitz, and Millie shouted in near unison.
But Helena was the first one out of her seat to embrace Venetia. “I’m so happy for you I can scarcely stand it.”
A round of hugs and kisses followed, then another round, amidst laughter and squeals of delight.
“Where is Lexington?” asked Fitz. “He ought to be congratulated, too.”
“He has decided to arrive a few minutes later, in case there are questions you’d rather not ask in front of him.”
Fitz cocked his head. “Such as when the baby is due?”
Venetia blushed slightly. “Yes, that one.”
Millie raised a brow. “So, when
is
the baby due?”
“End of the year.”
“End of the year? But you’ve been married only—” Millie covered her mouth. “The duke’s mysterious lover during his crossing on the
Rhodesia
—you were
her
!”
“And when you fainted and we had
His words were met with silence. For a stretch of several minutes, he looked out the window on his side of the hansom cab, dumbly noting their progress. Then he glanced back toward her.
For the first time in their long acquaintance, he witnessed her with her shoulders slumped. And then a shocking realization: She was crying. He could not see it or hear it—her face was turned completely away from him and she made not the slightest of noises—but her despair was palpable, leaden, a thing that choked the air from his lungs.
He looked away from her, back to the window, to the street outside overflowing with carriages and pedestrians. His own eyes were quite dry, but that was only because he’d long grown accustomed to despair, that old companion of his.
I ’d like to speak to my family alone, if you don’t mind,” said Helena, as the hansom cab turned onto the street where the Duke of Lexington’s town house stood.
Her tears had dried; her voice was even enough. Her turmoil she would keep to herself: If this was the bed of nails she’d made, then she would lie on it with all the dignity and impassivity she could muster.
Hastings cast her an inscrutable glance. “I’ll wait outside for some time, but no more than ten minutes. And Itrust you will sing my praises properly—I am the hero of the day, after all.”
He would be heralded as such, wouldn’t he? And Andrew, who was guilty of nothing more than the desire to see her, cast as the dastardly villain.
“You will be acknowledged as you deserve,” she answered.
As she stood before the door of the town house, she couldn’t quite feel the granite beneath her feet or the bellpull in her hand. Her whole person was numb, except for a dull burning in her heart.
“Right on time, Helena,” said Venetia, when Helena was shown into the drawing room, where Venetia had been chatting with Fitz and Millie.
Her raven-haired, blue-eyed, and ineffably beautiful sister was, if possible, even more dazzling than usual. Fitz, though he was Helena’s twin, shared Venetia’s coloring and bone structure, and had always been considered by Helena’s friends as swoon-inducingly gorgeous. As for his wife, Helena vaguely remembered thinking Millie somewhat mousy when they’d first met, but now she couldn’t remember why she’d ever thought so, for Millie, petite and fine featured, was extraordinarily lovely in her own way.
“Fitz and Millie were just telling me all about the Lake District.” Venetia winked at Helena.
They were all thrilled that Fitz and Millie, who’d known some heartbreaking years, had finally found the happiness they deserved. Without waiting for Helena to respond, Venetia waved her to a chair. “Sit down, my love. I’ve been bursting to share the news all day. Now that we are at last together in the same place—”
“I—” Helena began.
“The duke and I will be parents soon.”
Helena’s jaw dropped, as did Millie’s. It had long been thought that Venetia was barren. No wonder she had glowed so beatifically of late.
“Congratulations,” Helena, Fitz, and Millie shouted in near unison.
But Helena was the first one out of her seat to embrace Venetia. “I’m so happy for you I can scarcely stand it.”
A round of hugs and kisses followed, then another round, amidst laughter and squeals of delight.
“Where is Lexington?” asked Fitz. “He ought to be congratulated, too.”
“He has decided to arrive a few minutes later, in case there are questions you’d rather not ask in front of him.”
Fitz cocked his head. “Such as when the baby is due?”
Venetia blushed slightly. “Yes, that one.”
Millie raised a brow. “So, when
is
the baby due?”
“End of the year.”
“End of the year? But you’ve been married only—” Millie covered her mouth. “The duke’s mysterious lover during his crossing on the
Rhodesia
—you were
her
!”
“And when you fainted and we had
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