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His dark brows arched. "You're right. It will be better if I am on the other side of the Atlantic."
He opened the door for her. When she walked in front of him, on impulse she laid her hand on his arm for a moment. "I shall do my best to be a duchess you will be proud of."
He inclined his head. "I'm sure you will succeed."
As she went upstairs to her room, she decided that he was rather attractive, in a subdued way. Granted, he wasn't much taller than she, but she was a tall woman. The quiet excellence of British tailoring showed his trim, muscular figure to advantage, and his craggy features had a certain distinction.
The words echoed in her mind, and as she entered her room and wearily lay on the bed, she realized that she had had similar thoughts when she first saw him at Swindon Palace.
That memory triggered others, and gradually fragments of that day came back to her. Lord Justin had been quiet but very gentlemanly, and knowledgeable about the gardens and estate. He had even showed signs of humor of a very dry kind. It had been a pleasant interlude.
Yet he was still almost entirely a stranger, for she knew: nothing of his mind or emotions. He didn't seem to be man of deep feelings; it was his duty to marry well, so was doing so, choosing a wife with his head rather than heart.
Her eyes drifted shut. Perhaps this marriage would not be such a bad thing; she had heard that arranged marriages were happy about as often as love matches. She and the duke would treat each other with polite respect and not expect romance or deep passion. God willing, they would have children, and in them she might find the love she craved.
Certainly the duke had one great advantage: he could hardly have been more different from charming, articulate, false-hearted Paul Curzon.
The maid Antoinette made a last adjustment to the train of Su
Su
The maid permitted herself a smile of satisfaction before she withdrew. Su
Even though there was a grain of truth in the story about her mother, Su
The door opened and a crisp English voice said, "How is my favorite goddaughter?"
"Aunt Katie!" Su
"I told Augusta not to mention the possibility since I wasn't sure I would arrive in time." Laughing, Lady Westron held Su
After a careful survey, she gave a nod of approval. "I'm madly envious. Even Worth can't make a short woman like me look as magnificent as you do tonight. The Newport cats will gnash their teeth with jealousy, and Thornborough will thank his stars for his good fortune."
Su
Katie cocked her head. "Are you unhappy about the match?"
Su
Ignoring her own advice about crushing a Worth evening gown, Katie dropped into a chair with a flurry of satin petticoats. "I made inquiries about Thornborough when his solicitor first approached me about a possible match. He'll make you a better husband than most, Su
Su
"Very likely-most men do." Katie's lips curved ruefully. "There's much you need to learn about English husbands and English houses. Living in Britain is quite unlike being a visitor, you know."
Su
She began the slow process of putting on her left glove. "Perhaps you had better educate me about what to expect."
''Be prepared for the fact that English great houses are cold." Katie shuddered. "Forget your delicate lace shawls-to survive winter in an English country house, your trousseau should include several wraps the size and weight of a horse blanket. You must have at least one decent set of furs, as well. The houses may be grand, but they're amazingly primitive-no central heating or gaslights, and no hot ru
Surprised and a little amused, Su
Katie sniffed. "A palace built almost two hundred years ago, and scarcely a pound wasted on modernization since then. But don't complain to Thornborough-English husbands, as a rule, are not solicitous in the way that American husbands are. Since the duke will not want to hear about your little grievances, you must learn to resolve matters on your own. I recommend that you take your own maid with you. That way you can count on at least one person in the household being on your side."
Su
"I didn't mean to terrify you," Katie assured her. "I just want to make sure that you won't be disillusioned. Once a woman gets past the discomforts, she may have more freedom and influence than she would in America. Here, a woman rules her home, but nothing outside. An English lady can be part of her husband's life, or develop a life of her own, in a way most unusual in America."
Since frankness was the order of the day, Su
Katie hesitated a moment. "There are times when I would have said yes, but we've come to understand each other very well. He says that I've been invaluable to his political career, and through him, I've been able to bring a little American democracy to some hoary bits of British law." She smiled fondly. "And between us, he and I have produced three rather splendid children, even if I shouldn't say so myself."