concerned as he was at the thought, he was compelled to defend his wife and therefore himself. “My wife is nothing like my mother.”
“I’m sure.” The man glanced around the ballroom. “Your mother never bothered to pretend to be interested in charities or the like. But does your duchess truly care or is she pretending until she has her hooks properly set in you?” He chuckled as though amused at the thought.
Douglas detested the image that filled his mind, one of him as a fish writhing helplessly at the end of a line. But none of this was true. He was the one who’d approached Eleanor’s father. Not the other way around. Taking a few days away to attend a house party hardly made him negligent in his duties. Still, he couldn’t deny some of what the man suggested. He’d already been concerned about the changes he was experiencing.
“I wish you well, your grace.” The man attempted a bow. “But a word to the wise. Don’t allow your emotions to gain the better of you as your father did, else trouble will soon follow.” He turned away and disappeared into the crowd.
“What was that all about?” Eleanor asked from his side.
Douglas glanced at her, wondering how much of the conversation she’d heard. “Someone who knew my mother and father.”
“Oh?” She studied him as if waiting for him to say more.
Since he had no intention of following in his father’s footsteps, there was no point in sharing the details of their conversation. But perhaps he should’ve thanked the stranger for the reminder of what his true priorities were.
~*~
Eleanor didn’t pretend to understand what the few comments she’d overheard had meant. But she didn’t care for the change in her husband’s temperament. The Dour Duke had returned based upon Douglas’s scowl. The conversation made her even more curious about what had happened between Douglas’s father and his grandfather.
Now wasn’t the time for questions. They were in the middle of a ball. Still, she refused to allow him to brood. She held his gaze as she wrapped her hand around his arm, hoping to return his good humor. “Shall we join Burbridge and Lillian and have some champagne?”
He gave a single nod, and they walked toward where the couple stood. Liveried footmen circulated through the room with trays of glasses filled with the golden bubbles.
“I didn’t realize you knew Lord Dickey,” Burbridge said as they joined them.
“I don’t. Apparently, he knew my father.”
Eleanor didn’t miss the way his lips tightened, one more sign that whatever the man said hadn’t pleased him.
“He knew mine as well, though I’m not certain if they were truly friends.” He glanced toward where his mother, the Dowager Duchess, visited with some of the other guests. “I believe Mother knows him though.”
Eleanor followed his gaze. Lillian had mentioned that the lady had struggled terribly after her husband passed away. But this evening, she smiled and laughed, seeming to be enjoying the ball.
Eleanor supposed that was the chance one faced when deeply in love. Being lucky enough to love could mean experiencing a devastating loss. But Eleanor believed it was worth the risk. Yet living a deeper, richer, more fulfilled life was surely better than the emptiness so many of the nobility endured, wasn’t it?
The Marchioness of Westridge, an acquaintance of Eleanor and Lillian’s who’d married the previous year, joined them. “I hope the evening finds you well.”
“It does, indeed.” Lillian shared a smile with her husband, happiness evident in her glowing face. She looked back at the marchioness. “I hope it does you as well.”
“A lovely ball.” She glanced over the crowd before her gaze returned to Lillian. “So many happy couples here this evening.” She patted Eleanor’s gloved arm with a smile then leaned forward as if to share a secret. “You must be especially happy given the fact that you were wishing for this very moment a year ago. Remember?”
Heat crept up Eleanor’s cheeks. “I am blessed.”
“It’s so amusing to think about how much you wanted to marry the Duke of Rothbury and here you are, now his wife. How clever of you.”
Douglas’s eyes narrowed as he studied Eleanor. “A year ago?”
“I was an admirer of yours long before you noticed me.” Surely confiding her secret crush on him would ease any concern. Yet a prickly sensation ran along Eleanor’s spine. She had a distinct feeling Douglas was displeased by the news.
After a long moment, he turned away, and soon he stood across the room before disappearing