think of to distract him. I leaned down and kissed him—quite forcefully—on the lips.
“You—you kissed him forcefully?” Ella asked.
“Yes. Quite.”
“And what does ‘forcefully’ imply?”
Lacey sighed and scrunched up her mouth, before replying, “It means that I had gotten so caught up in the moment of actually kissing him—I mean kissing the Lord Gavenston—I may have smashed his lips into his teeth, causing him to wince in pain.” She looked over.
Ella was wincing. “My goodness,” was all that she said.
“Yes, well, it does not matter how beautiful I look in my gown, I am afraid the duke will only run from me.” She placed her chin upon her knees. “Why must I act like such a ninnyhammer when he is around? Why is it that every single thing that could go wrong does go wrong when he is present? I do not understand why so much bad luck occurs. How he must despise me. How he must laugh at me when I am not present. There are certainly days when I loathe myself and this exciting ability to play the fool.” Lacey attempted to stop it, but the first tear trickled down her cheek all on its own.
“Lacey…” Ella whispered, her heart going out to her. “It is well, it will all be well.”
“Will it?”
“Yes. It must. If he is meant to be your true love, then you will know it. You will stop having such atrocities happen and all will work in your favor. Or if they never do stop happening, then he will love you despite them.”
She chuckled. “I do not believe anyone would love me and the silliness I promise them.”
“Someone will. Do not give up hope; it will all turn out well. You will see.” Ella picked up the ribbons and began to tie the first one into a pretty bow and then had a thought. “Lacey, will you please bring me the gown you were wearing the other day? The one that made you trip? Perhaps it just needs some mending.”
“Oh, thank you!” She jumped up and rushed to the closet. “Mayhap you can figure out what happened.” She rummaged through several dresses as she spoke, “Mother was so upset with me, as you can imagine, I had to stay in my room until supper.”
Ella’s own stomach had been rumbling greatly the past several hours. Her stepmother still had not given her permission to eat a full meal. Though the maids had been sneaking her bits of bread and cheese and small pieces of dried fruit, it still was not enough.
“Here it is.” Lacey pulled the cheerful yellow and white dress from the closet and brought it over to Ella.
She collected the bows she had already tied from her lap and set them on the ground. Then she took the gown and held up the inside hem for inspection. Just as she thought, the hem had been stripped. And it most definitely did not look like an accident. No, this was the work of someone intent on making Lacey look appalling to the duke.
Someone like Jillian.
CHAPTER TEN
“AND WHERE DO YOU think you are going, my son?”
Anthony turned around from the doorframe and smiled as his mother approached. “Just out for a ride, nothing more.”
“A ride?” She grinned and raised an eyebrow. “A ride, and nothing else? Dressed as fine as you are? You are most certainly not going out for a ride.”
It was uncanny how well the woman could read him. “Yes, I am.”
“Who is she?”
He stared blankly at her. “Whom are we speaking of?”
She chuckled and put her hand on her elegant hip, her red sleeve flaring out as she did so. “The girl you are so keen on scampering about to. The same girl you went to see yesterday.”
He sighed and looked at his fingernails, attempting his best pretense of boredom. “Mother, I have no idea what you are speaking of.”
“Of course you do.” She walked up to him. “Now, Anthony, are you going to tell me about her or am I going to have to ferret it out by other means?”
Good heavens. She would call upon all her friends and the merry busybodies of court to spy upon him. Then word would be out within a
“You—you kissed him forcefully?” Ella asked.
“Yes. Quite.”
“And what does ‘forcefully’ imply?”
Lacey sighed and scrunched up her mouth, before replying, “It means that I had gotten so caught up in the moment of actually kissing him—I mean kissing the Lord Gavenston—I may have smashed his lips into his teeth, causing him to wince in pain.” She looked over.
Ella was wincing. “My goodness,” was all that she said.
“Yes, well, it does not matter how beautiful I look in my gown, I am afraid the duke will only run from me.” She placed her chin upon her knees. “Why must I act like such a ninnyhammer when he is around? Why is it that every single thing that could go wrong does go wrong when he is present? I do not understand why so much bad luck occurs. How he must despise me. How he must laugh at me when I am not present. There are certainly days when I loathe myself and this exciting ability to play the fool.” Lacey attempted to stop it, but the first tear trickled down her cheek all on its own.
“Lacey…” Ella whispered, her heart going out to her. “It is well, it will all be well.”
“Will it?”
“Yes. It must. If he is meant to be your true love, then you will know it. You will stop having such atrocities happen and all will work in your favor. Or if they never do stop happening, then he will love you despite them.”
She chuckled. “I do not believe anyone would love me and the silliness I promise them.”
“Someone will. Do not give up hope; it will all turn out well. You will see.” Ella picked up the ribbons and began to tie the first one into a pretty bow and then had a thought. “Lacey, will you please bring me the gown you were wearing the other day? The one that made you trip? Perhaps it just needs some mending.”
“Oh, thank you!” She jumped up and rushed to the closet. “Mayhap you can figure out what happened.” She rummaged through several dresses as she spoke, “Mother was so upset with me, as you can imagine, I had to stay in my room until supper.”
Ella’s own stomach had been rumbling greatly the past several hours. Her stepmother still had not given her permission to eat a full meal. Though the maids had been sneaking her bits of bread and cheese and small pieces of dried fruit, it still was not enough.
“Here it is.” Lacey pulled the cheerful yellow and white dress from the closet and brought it over to Ella.
She collected the bows she had already tied from her lap and set them on the ground. Then she took the gown and held up the inside hem for inspection. Just as she thought, the hem had been stripped. And it most definitely did not look like an accident. No, this was the work of someone intent on making Lacey look appalling to the duke.
Someone like Jillian.
CHAPTER TEN
“AND WHERE DO YOU think you are going, my son?”
Anthony turned around from the doorframe and smiled as his mother approached. “Just out for a ride, nothing more.”
“A ride?” She grinned and raised an eyebrow. “A ride, and nothing else? Dressed as fine as you are? You are most certainly not going out for a ride.”
It was uncanny how well the woman could read him. “Yes, I am.”
“Who is she?”
He stared blankly at her. “Whom are we speaking of?”
She chuckled and put her hand on her elegant hip, her red sleeve flaring out as she did so. “The girl you are so keen on scampering about to. The same girl you went to see yesterday.”
He sighed and looked at his fingernails, attempting his best pretense of boredom. “Mother, I have no idea what you are speaking of.”
“Of course you do.” She walked up to him. “Now, Anthony, are you going to tell me about her or am I going to have to ferret it out by other means?”
Good heavens. She would call upon all her friends and the merry busybodies of court to spy upon him. Then word would be out within a
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