Eventually Yours

11 French Silk

My mother waited until the morning to give me the thorough tongue lashing I had known was coming. I braced myself for the worst and that it was when my mother appeared in my room that morning with my breakfast, claiming that I could not be trusted to eat at the table with our distinguished guests if I did not know how to behave like a lady. Then the Countess was off on the usual tirade of how difficult this all was for her and she would have two spinsters for daughters: one unpleasant and one headstrong. She made me feel guilty, reminding me that I was supposed to be the "easy" one. By the time she left, I felt frustration but not regret.

An hour after breakfast, Elijah made his appearance, entering quietly with a grin on his face that indicated he too was not sorry at all.

"Are you imprisoned here?" He asked jokingly as he sat on the edge of my bed. I rolled my eyes and turned back to the mirror in which I was applying my makeup for the day.

"For a time, I imagine," I answered. "But I'm likely free to do as I please so long as I don't encounter mother until she's had time to calm herself."

"Perfect!"

Elijah leapt from the bed then. My brow creased as I turned to look at him.

"How so?" I asked.

"You need to avoid mother and I've come to ask you if you'd fancy a trip to town," he explained. I smiled.

"Really?"

"Yes, really. The Duke's got errands and Benthem is unavailable so the duty has fallen to me to show him around town. I felt bad about your having to endure mother's rage when all I got from father was do not touch my sabres again," he said and I laughed at the imitation. "So? Do you want to come?"

I considered the offer. A trip in a carriage to town with my brother and the Duke. If nothing else, it promised to be diverting and I was trying to avoid my mother. Besides, I had errands of my own to attend to.

"Could we stop at Madame Francis'?" I asked and Elijah smiled. I capped my lipstick and leapt to my feet. "When do we leave?"

As it turned out, the answer to that question was immediately. Elijah had left the Duke waiting in the foyer to come and invite me on their excursion. He smiled up at me when I entered but I kept my head held high and tried to ignore how near he was to laughter given the latest antics of mine he'd witnessed only the evening before.

"Lady Harrington," he nodded in greeting as Elijah and I approached and passed him to leave through the front doors. He followed.

"Your Grace," I responded as coldly as I could manage.

A carriage was waiting for us just outside. Elijah helped me inside before getting in himself and sitting next to me. The Duke followed, sitting across from us on the opposite bench. I ignored his gaze, turning my own out of the small window as the carriage lurched forward and we were off toward town.

"So, what are these errands we're off on, Victor?" Elijah asked and I fought the urge to look over in surprise. Since when had my brother become close enough with the Duke to call him by his first name? Then again, hadn't the Duke advised me to do the same? Call me Victor.

I cleared my throat at the thought of the moment which had occurred between us just the night before in the Redmond family gardens. With everything that had happened since, I'd hardly the time to think of it. Now that I did, I wondered how I'd ever avoided the subject in the first place.

"I've a few correspondences to answer and an associate of mine is visiting from London. It seems Benthem has boasted of the place's quaintness to him as well and he's eager to see the town for himself. I imagine we will have to show him around too. He may wish to stay for an event or two but I would never impede upon your family's hospitality again in such a way so-"