To Defend A Duke

Chapter 15

"How was your walk?" 

Is the first question Lucile asks as soon as Evelyn walks through the door, she doesn't even have time to pass her cloak to the butler before her aunt swoops down upon her with a concerned expression. 

"It was pleasant," Evelyn replies taking off her shoes and pushing them against the wall. 

"Where did you go?" Lucile asks, failing to appear nonplussed. 

"Just into town and around," Evelyn says vaguely. "Nothing too exciting. 

"How lovely." Her aunt says, wringing her hands together, Evelyn pauses and rests on her hands on her aunt's. 

"Is everything well?" She asks. Lucile smiles weakly, she tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. 

"You were a long time, I was worried." She admits. Evelyn's confused expression softens. 

"I can look after myself, do not worry." She squeezes Lucile's hands. "Where are my brother and cousin?" 

Lucile doesn't look convinced but she nods and says, "Jackson came round and picked up William, and Henrietta received an invite to tea at Lady Edith's so she is getting ready," Lucile brightens up "You also were asked to come if you arrived back in time." 

"Me?" Evelyn frowns. "Are you sure?" 

"Yes." Her aunt pats her cheek. "Go get ready." 

"Thank you for telling me." Evelyn bows her head and hurries up the stairs to her room. She walks through the open door to see Henrietta lying on her bed with a book in her hands. Evelyn almost stops in surprise at the sight of her cousin holding a book. 

"I thought you'd be getting ready." She says taking hold of her cousin's bedpost and tilting her head to read the title of the book. 

"I can't." Henrietta shuts the book and looks miserable. "I realised that although I excel in the beauty, grace department, I have no knowledge of London society and how they function." She holds up the book. "That's why I am reading this."

"How to be the perfect lady." Evelyn reads the title and raises her eyebrows. 

"Every woman I met last night was spectacular and I don't know how to compete," Henrietta says hopelessly, her voice growing steadily higher. 

"That's because they grew up here, this is their life. They were born into this world, we are just visitors." Evelyn says as she walks to her bed. 

"I don't want to be a visitor!" Henrietta sits up and chucks the book on the floor. Evelyn glances at the thrown away book before sitting on her bed and looking out of the window. 

"But we are, this isn't dress up when you were 9." She says heatedly, "This is real life. Did it ever occur to you that this life you want, isn't what you thought it was?" 

Her cousin makes a disbelieving snort but the sits up and grins. "You grew up here, you can teach me!" Henrietta cries. "You must remember what it was like?" 

"I am not teaching you anything," Evelyn says. She picks up her law book and strides from the room. She tears down the stairs and to the parlour, thankfully it is empty so she sinks into an armchair. She opens the book and tries to force her mind to concentrate on the words but they dance just out of reach. Sighing she places the book to one side and closes her eyes. In her mind, she begins to sort through the information in categories. She plays around with the situation several times, covering every possible motive and suspect. Being so involved in her own thoughts she doesn't realise how much time has past until Henrietta appears in the doorway in a fancy gold dress and tells her moodily that it is time to leave.