Chapter 11
“Aah!” Lavinia screamed as the shuttlecock fell to the ground.
She jumped in excitement, but then calmed down when she saw those standing nearby shaking their heads. She quickly adjusted her stance and held her racket in place once again as Abigail handed her a shuttlecock.
The sun was high, and the wind was calm.
It was perfect weather for an outdoor activity.
Madeline had invited Lavinia and all the other girls to play a game of Battledore and Shuttlecock with her.
However, it seemed that she was the only one who wanted to play the game, and all the other girls only obliged her to keep themselves busy.
“Is there something wrong, Lavinia? You seem to be performing poorly. You are usually more competitive than this!” Madeline remarked, clearly frustrated at her friend, who obviously seemed unwilling to play.
“I don’t think I’m feeling so well, Maddie,” Lavinia said.
“What happened? Do you need to get some rest?” Madeline asked with worry. She handed Abigail her racket as Lavinia did.
Lavinia sighed in defeat. “No, I think I just need to walk around the estate and get some fresh air,” she said.
Madeline looped an arm through Lavinia’s. “All right, I’ll walk with you,” she offered, and Lavinia just nodded her head.
She saw her mother watching them from the patio.
She had wanted to avoid the Baroness for the past few days; she was tired of getting shoved into one gentleman’s path after another.
And after taking herself to the Duke’s room the other night, Lavinia was sure that her mother, of all people, would be able to see her guilt over that lascivious trip on her face.
“Lavinia,” Madeline began as they started walking.
Lavinia wanted to look at her friend, but even doing that felt like a Herculean task.
“Yes?” she asked, looking straight ahead.
“I don’t want to point this out, but have you noticed my brother acting strangely whenever you’re around?”
Lavinia almost choked on the air. Her heart sped up. She did not know that the strange behavior she and the Duke exhibited in each other’s presence had become obvious to other people, so she had to say something to dissuade Madeline from thinking the worst of her.
“I do not think there is anything wrong with his mannerisms, Maddie. We all know your brother spends little time in the country, so he is perhaps taking his time to adjust to… our ways.” She knew that her statement sounded odd and vague, but she could come up with no better response.
“I can see that Peter is uncomfortable, but that does not account for the way he looks at you.”
Lavinia gulped. “You have caught him looking at me?”
“Of course,” Madeline replied without hesitation. “He has been rather attentive, don’t you think?”
“I suppose that is true,” Lavinia conceded. “But no more than any of the other male guests.”
They drifted further away from the crowd. Soon, they were heading to the lake. It was a calm and sunny day. The soft breeze blew their hair across their faces. The two women giggled as they tucked their hair back into place.
They had not gone very far when snippets of a conversation drifted from the lake. In the distance, Lavinia could see two gentlemen swimming. They laughed at jokes that she was not able to hear.
She could not remember the last time she saw someone swim in the lake, and there could only be one person who would dare to do it while everyone else was wandering about the grounds—her twin brother.
I do hope that Charles remembered to wear clothes this time before taking a quick dip.
It was not unlike her twin to strip out of his clothes and plunge into the cool waters, but with so many people wandering the grounds, it would be highly inappropriate.
But who am I to tell Charles, or anyone else for that matter, what is appropriate?
An image of the way the Duke had looked when she had slipped into his bedchambers flashed through her mind. She could not forget how he’d worn nothing but a long, white shirt when he kissed her so powerfully that her knees went weak.
As she and Madeline drew closer to the lake’s edge, Charles waded out of the water in a pair of thin breeches, but he was with somebody else.
Emerging from the water was a man with arms perfectly bulging at his sides. His drenched clothes stuck to his torso, tracing his perfectly chiseled abdomen. Lavinia had to hold herself steady so that she did not swoon.
“I think we should leave, Maddie,” Lavinia said, but her friend did not seem to hear her.
“Our brothers are over there. Let’s go to them,” Madeline suggested.
She had her arm wrapped around Lavinia’s, leaving her with no choice but to go with her.
“Your Grace,” Lavinia almost gasped as they approached the two.
“Miss Fitzroy.” The Duke’s voice was coarse.
Lavinia forgot to curtsy as she was consumed by his appearance.
She had seen his body before, but not this wet.
She could still remember the feel of his body against hers, even the scent of his skin, and she could vividly picture their kiss.
Her mind lingered on the taste of his lips. Oh, how she longed to feel them again.
“What are you both doing here?” Charles asked in a goofy voice, his smile sly.
Lavinia was immediately brought back to the present upon hearing her twin address them. She rolled her eyes at him.
“We’re just strolling around the property,” Madeline answered.
“Would you care to join us?” Charles asked.
“No, thank you, Brother,” Lavinia quickly replied. “We were just leaving.”
She tried to drag Madeline away by the arm, but her friend would not budge.
“We would love to stay, Mr. Fitzroy,” she said excitedly.
“That is a wise choice, Lady Madeline,” Charles replied, his smile widening into a wily grin.
“It is a hot day, and you show good sense by coming down to the lake. The breeze is always best here.” He lifted a hand and ruffled his wet locks, causing some tiny droplets to hit Lavinia.
“I only wish I had a sister as enthusiastic as Lady Madeline here.”
Lavinia rolled her eyes at him once more.
“Well, keep wishing, dear brother,” she scoffed.
Charles and Madeline laughed. Meanwhile, the Duke tried to hide a smile that turned into the tiniest smirk.
“I shall.” Charles winked at Madeline, then said, “So, ladies, shall you run inside to find bathing costumes, or do you prefer to…”
Lavinia’s face heated at the jest, and she fought the urge to shove him into the lake.
“Mr. Fitzroy!” Madeline laughed easily, clearly better able to take the joke than Lavinia. “You scandalize me—us.”
“Well,” Charles murmured, “if you wish to enter the water, we will not tell anyone we saw you lift your skirts.”
“Charles…” This time when Lavinia spoke, her words were threaded with a warning. “Show a little decorum, please.”
“Very well.” Charles sighed happily, then cast a look at the Duke. “What do you say, Pemberton? Shall we escort our sisters to a comfortable spot?”
The Duke looked down at the grass first, indicating that he thought there was no finer place to go than where they stood. But then, suddenly, he nodded his agreement. Still, without saying a word, he offered Lavinia his arm, and she accepted it.
As they walked along the shore, she felt the urge to say something to him, but she could come up with nothing.
She knew she ought to apologize for running out of his bedroom, or maybe even barging in on him in the first place, but that felt wrong because she still had not decided if she entirely regretted the time they’d spent together.
Soon, they found themselves on the dock, watching the calm, little waves on the lake.
Madeline and Charles competed, skipping pebbles.
Madeline was the first to try. She picked up a flat pebble, lifted her skirt a little, and bent her knees before she threw the pebble as hard as she could.
She giggled in excitement and even jumped a little as it bounced four times before finally sinking into the water.
“That’s a good try, Lady Madeline,” Charles complimented.
“I have had a bit of a practice, Mr. Fitzroy.” She curtsied as she looked at Lavinia.
Lavinia smiled at her feat.
“It’s my turn now,” Charles said as he tossed the pebble in his hand. He positioned himself while Madeline watched eagerly from the side.
Lavinia did not seem to be focused on their little competition. Instead, she sat uncomfortably beside the Duke on the dock.
They were not saying a word, but the tension was obviously there. She held her breath as she controlled her movements. She wondered if he also felt the way she did.
“How have you been?”
She was taken aback by the Duke’s sudden attempt at a conversation. All this time, she wanted to talk to him but did not have the confidence to be the first one to utter a word. Her throat went dry, her lips unable to form a word.
“I think it’s better for both of us if we keep our distance, Miss Fitzroy,” he added.
Lavinia felt her head spin.
“There’s no reason for us to be seen together. I think we should limit our interactions to group meetings such as this,” he said, which only made the ache in her chest feel worse.
What can I say? What does he mean? Why doesn’t he want to be seen with me?
For a split second, she wondered if someone had seen her slip out of his room the other night.
It’s possible. It could have happened. Someone… someone like Charles could have been wandering the halls and caught me out of bed. Charles might have brought the Duke out here this morning so that the two men could come to an agreement and—
“Miss Fitzroy,” the Duke continued in a placid tone, as if he were entirely unperturbed, “I do not want whispers to follow our every step. So, it would be best if we tread lightly going forward.”
“Your Grace…” Lavinia’s voice shook. “I have no desire or need to be alone with you again. In fact, I would prefer not to see you at all.”
Can he hear my voice trembling? Does he know what it cost me to utter this lie?