The Duke's Wife (The Three Mrs #3) - Jess Michaels Page 0,80

heated at his compliment and she looked around. “It does. It feels like my room now.”

“I’m glad,” he said softly. For a moment they just looked at each other, but then he shook his head. “I seem to be losing myself in thought. I have a surprise for you, which is why I came. Will you come with me?”

She blinked at the twinkle that had entered his eye. “A surprise? What is it?”

He laughed. “If I tell you, it won’t be a surprise.” He held out a hand. “Please.”

The please was what got her, said in that rough tone he sometimes got. The one that seemed to dance up her spine. She took his hand and followed him down the hall to one of the many parlors. He opened the door and revealed a very pretty woman sitting on the settee. She rose as they entered, and smiled broadly at Abigail.

“Abigail, may I present the Duchess of Willowby. Your Grace, this is my wife, the Duchess of Gilmore.”

Abigail was so shocked she couldn’t move for a fraction of a moment. She had heard of the Duchess of Willowby before. She had married the mysterious Duke of Willowby a few years prior and it was well-known that she dabbled in the same healing arts as had caught Abigail’s fancy. Abigail had always been fascinated by her, but had never felt comfortable reaching out to her. Their positions had always felt too disparate.

She rushed forward to take the hand the woman offered. “Your Grace,” she gushed. “How lovely it is to meet you. I have heard so much about you.”

The duchess smiled. “And I you, from my very good friend the Duchess of Abernathe. When Emma speaks highly of someone, all of our group must listen.”

Abigail’s cheeks heated, for the Duchess of Abernathe had been one of the people who caught her and Nathan in this very parlor that night of his ball all those weeks ago. And while Emma had been very kind since, Abigail had to wonder if that fact had come up in whatever she said to her friends.

“She is a lovely woman,” Abigail said as she motioned the duchess back to her seat. “And so kind to mention me to you. Will you have tea?”

Nathan held up a hand and waved her to her seat. “I will fetch it.”

Abigail’s eyes went wide. Nathan fetch her tea? That certainly wasn’t what gentlemen usually did. And yet he did it without complaint so that her conversation with her guest did not have to be interrupted.

“Your Grace—” she and the duchess both began, and then they laughed together.

“Honestly, it is always impossible when you get more than one duchess in a room,” the Duchess of Willowby said. “Why don’t you just call me Diana? And I will call you Abigail, if it is not too forward.”

“It isn’t at all,” Abigail said with a sigh of relief. “I admit, I am not entirely accustomed to the title. When people say Your Grace, I automatically look behind me to see what fine duchess has entered the room.”

Nathan handed over a cup to Diana and the other to Abigail. Then he leaned down and squeezed her shoulder. It was like he deposited all his strength into her with that brief touch and she took it eagerly. “I will leave you two to get to know each other.”

She glanced up and found him smiling down at her with such an expression of joy. As if her happiness and excitement gave him the same feeling. Her heart lurched at the sight, and she watched him go before she refocused on Diana, who was now observing her closely.

“He is besotted,” she said with a smile. “Just as all the stories say.”

Abigail caught her breath. Yes, the stories. All those stories of their great love that weren’t true. Only they sometimes felt like they weren’t a lie, either. It was confusing and a little terrifying.

She smiled nervously and changed the subject. “I admit I am so happy to meet you. I don’t know if you knew that I share your interest in herbal remedy and progressive healing.”

Diana nodded. “Gilmore said as much in his letter to me when he asked me here. I was thrilled to hear it. I adore my friends beyond reason, but none of them have the same obsession I do with such things. I am excited to be able to talk with a fellow healer.”

Abigail smiled. She was bubbling with excitement as the two