With that in mind, she slipped down the hallway in the direction of the chamber she knew the bride to be occupying. As her own chamber was two doors down on the left, she’d had the opportunity to watch as the footmen hefted one trunk after the next into Miss Loery’s chamber just the day before. She’d marveled to Aunt Amelia that one lady could travel with so many accouterments, but her aunt didn’t seem the least surprised. She only sighed and shook her head but remarked nothing on the matter.
Now, as Leticia walked toward the bridal chamber, she prepared what she might say in way of an opening.
It’d be silly to burst into the chamber and pretend as though I am one of the bridesmaids…but I also can’t bow or curtsy and stammer about while conducting a formal introduction.
She paused for a moment just outside the doorway to collect herself and come up with a salutation that would be appropriate but also not very embarrassing. The heavy wooden door was slightly ajar, and when Leticia laid her hand on one of the ornately carved panels, it gave way even further, making it so she could hear and see inside the chamber.
Ah…that’ll do. Now, at least before I go in there, I can see who else is in the chamber with Miss Loery.
Leticia leaned forward, careful not to push the door any further for fear that it might creak and give away her position but just enough so that she could see the chamber was desolate except for Miss Loery, her closest friend, Miss Walch, and her lady’s maid, Mrs. NeVille.
What luck! None of them are looking at me.
Leticia strained to hear their conversation.
“All that thick curly black hair—ah! I just want to run my fingers through it,” Miss Walch said with a touch of envy in her voice. “Tell me, Laura, is it as luxurious as it looks?”
“I wouldn’t know,” Miss Loery replied, dropping her chin and fluttering her eyelashes. “Richard and I have yet to share such intimacies.”
Mrs. NeVille let out a stiff chuckle but said nothing. Miss Walch, on the other hand, moaned loudly. “I don’t believe you,” she teased. “If the Duke had proposed to me, the very first thing I’d have done was run my fingers through his hair and plant a kiss on those luscious lips. Come on, Laura—” She feigned swooning backward onto the bed. “Tell me everything about the perfect husband.”
At that, Leticia crept closer to the door, and as she did, she saw Mrs. NeVille and Miss Loery share a conspiratorial smirk in the reflection of the mirror. “Oh, he’s perfect all right,” Mrs. NeVille said, her voice soft but also husky. She brushed carefully at one of Miss Loery’s errant curls. “Or at least he will be.”
“He alreadyisperfect,” Miss Loery countered, sighing heavily and once again fluttering her eyelashes at her own reflection. Leticia took a step back then and resisted the urge to wretch.
Richard? Perfect? Have they even met? I’ve never met a more unyielding and headstrong in my whole—
But Leticia’s thoughts were interrupted when she heard Miss Loery begin cackling. Leticia cautiously opened the door even further, and now, she could see that all three women were doubled over with fits of laughter. Miss Loery laid a hand prettily on her delicate collarbone and chuckled into her free gloved hand. Mrs. NeVille held both hands to her middle and bent over while Miss Walch sat up now, giggling lightly, her pale cheeks infused with pops of pink, but it was clear she was not comprehending the joke to its full extent.
“Laura,” Miss Walch said slowly, her words almost whiny, “you are keeping something from me. I demand you tell me this delicious secret.”
“Who said anything about a secret?”
Miss Walch huffed, blowing an exaggerated breath upward, ruffling the fringe of brown bangs that hung just above her eyebrows. “I am your best friend and your closest confidant. You are obligated to share all your secrets with me.”
Miss Loery’s intense blue eyes looked up at Mrs. NeVille, and ever so subtly, the lady’s maid gave her a stiff nod of the head. “Fine, fine,” Miss Loery said, barely missing a beat, “I’ll tell you everything.” She swiveled on the seat then so that she was facing both Miss Walch and the semi-open doorway. Leticia took a small step backward but had no time to pull the door closed to conceal herself further.
“Richard is the perfect husband,” Miss Loery began, placing both hands on her knee and sitting up primly. “For my plan to succeed, I needed to find a foolish man who was willing to believe every single lie I told him.”
Miss Walch’s gasp was quite luckily loud enough to cover the one Leticia made out in the hallway. “You’ve been lying to the Duke?”
“Of course,” Miss Loery replied with a prissy snort. “You know I am in love with Matthew.”
“Your footman?” Miss Walch asked. “But I thought that was just a harmless flirtation.”
Now, Mrs. NeVille puffed up her chest and turned toward Miss Walch. “Matthew is my son, and I tell you that he importuned Miss Loery honorably. He earned her love and affection.”
“But…” Miss Walch stammered, “I don’t understand.”
Miss Loery sighed dramatically and slumped in her chair, her lithe frame wilting as if under a tremendous weight. Her eyes drifted toward the window, and she said mournfully, “I do wish that I could marry Matthew, but we all know my parents wouldn’t even entertain such a union. So, once the Season started, and the Duke began paying me his attentions, I came up with a plan.”
“What are you going to do to the Duke?” Miss Walch asked, her large brown eyes widening fearfully as her hand came up to cover her small mouth.
“I am not going todoanything to him,” Miss Loery scoffed. “I don’t need to. Our marriage, just like our courtship, will be one of convenience. He needs a wife, so he can carry on his family’s name, and I need a husband. Matthew will come to live here at Braxton Manor, and all will be as it should.”
“So, the Duke knows of your plans?”
“Of course not,” Miss Loery replied with a gentle roll of her eyes. “He may be aloof in most matters, but I imagine if he knew I was planning to have my lover live with us, he’d probably call off the whole thing.”