“More than I deserve?”
“Well, you’re not exactly giving him respect, are you, especially after he apologised for what he did during your engagement?”
Dorothy glared at her friend.
“Don’t tell me what I should and shouldn’t be doing, Frederica. I’ve said no.”
“Alright, fine. I’ll leave it. But I still think you should make the most of someone who genuinely likes you.”
“Gabriel Burville genuinely likes me,” Dorothy reminded her. “What’s wrong with that?”
Frederica sighed and opened the door.
“Let’s just say I can’t see that happening as well as you think.”
“Only because you’re biased towards your lover’s friend,” Dorothy shot back.
“Pierce isn’t my lover.”
“You’d like him to be, I’m sure. Frederica, I love you, but we don’t need to be courted by close friends. After what Dashwood has done to me, the answer is absolutely not.”
Frederica looked like she was going to say something else, but she didn’t. Shaking her head, she left the room. Dorothy slumped onto the bed, putting a pillow over her head. God, why wouldn’t anyone listen to her?
#
“I can’t believe we’re missing Wales for this,” Pierce muttered as he and Lucas bumped along in Lucas’ carriage.
“Would you stop going on about Wales? It’s getting annoying.”
“Well, we planned it out, and we were going to embrace our holiday there. Now we have to miss it completely?”
Lucas sighed.
“We can go another time. Our hosts will understand. Besides, aren’t you and Frederica the ones who agreed to help me get Dorothy to change her mind?”
“Yes, but at the expense of our holiday?” Pierce scowled. “I wish we had done this afterwards.”
Lucas rolled his eyes. He could see where Pierce was coming from; he had also been looking forward to the holiday. Wales was beautiful at this time of year. But he knew this situation with Dorothy wouldn’t be solved with time apart. What if she moved on with someone else like Burville? The thought of Dorothy being with him left Lucas feeling a lot of rage. Jealousy certainly knew how to rear its ugly head as far as Dorothy was concerned.
He wanted Dorothy in his life. That acknowledgement was rather shocking, and it left Lucas shaken when he first realised it. How was that possible with the small interactions they had experienced? She was standoffish with him, and Lucas could see she was wary of him. He didn’t want that, and he wanted to get past her defences.
But to the point that he wanted her more than just in courtship? Lucas felt like he was in a complete mess. Things were not making any sense. He had never felt like that about a woman before. Dorothy Napier was special, and he was only beginning to realise this.
If only he had known this during their engagement and had taken the time to meet her and get to know her, then this wouldn’t be happening now.
Much as he hated to admit it, his father had made a good choice for him. Lucas was just coming to that conclusion long after the fact.
“I want to get this sorted now, Pierce. You saw Burville around Dorothy, didn’t you? If he comes here asking to court Dorothy, and she says yes, I’ll have lost my chance.”
“You’re too hung up on Burville jumping in and getting in the way. You should focus on yourself and Dorothy Napier, not him.”
“Burville wants her as well. I’m not allowing her to choose him.”
“So you want to harass her instead?”
Lucas frowned at his friend.
“Why are you talking to me like this? You and your lady friend are the ones who have orchestrated most of this. Lady Frederica even helped me rent the house in Wyboston, so I’m not too far away. And all you can do is complain about Wales and that I shouldn’t focus on Lord Burville?”