Mr. Hunt, I Presume (Playful Brides, #10.5)(14)

Derek blew out a breath. “Lucy is telling her now.”





Chapter Nine





“I insist you come to dinner with us,” Lucy said as Erienne raised herself from the floor and made her way to the bed, where she promptly plopped atop the mattress.

She glanced at her new employer, suddenly anxious. “Are you mad?” Drat. The question sprang from her mouth before she had a chance to examine it. Lucy might have just informed her that Collin was in the same house, but Erienne had little intention of purposely meeting him. And she had no intention of sharing a meal with him, for heaven’s sake. She cleared her throat. “What I meant to say was that I regret if this disappoints you, your grace, but no, I will absolutely not come to dinner.”

Lucy nodded. “I understand it might be difficult at first, but I think it’s best if you see Collin and clear the air. It will make the next fortnight less awkward for both of you.”

“There’s no reason in the world the next fortnight should be awkward,” Erienne said, trying her best to sound nonchalant. “I’ll be spending my time with the children, and no doubt he’ll be spending time with you and Derek. There’s little cause for our paths to cross.”

Lucy gave her a look that clearly indicated she thought Erienne was trying too hard with the nonchalance. “Wouldn’t you rather get the meeting over with? We can have a nice meal and all catch up. That doesn’t have to be awkward, either.”

Erienne straightened her shoulders. “I am employed as a governess at this house. Eating meals as a guest is inappropriate.”

Lucy blinked at her. “Who says so? You’re the childhood friend of my husband and his brother, and your father is a baron, according to Derek. There’s no reason in the world I cannot or should not invite you to our dinner table to share a meal with old friends.”

“I’d rather not.” Her reply was succinct, and hopefully would put an end to Lucy’s badgering.

“What if I insist?” Lucy countered.

Erienne pressed her fingertips to her temples where a headache was quickly forming. “I cannot imagine Collin would relish a dinner with the hired help.”

“Nonsense.” Lucy crossed her arms over her chest and made a little huffing noise. “You’re being stubborn and ridiculous. In fact, I’d say you’re making far too much of this. If your past with Collin is nothing, as you say it is, why would you object so strongly to a dinner with him?”

Drat. The duchess made sense, too much sense, and she’d just made the one argument Erienne could hardly refute without making it seem as if she cared far more than she was telling herself she did.

“It’s only one dinner,” Lucy continued. “It doesn’t need to be such a bother.”

Erienne contemplated the matter for a moment. Perhaps it would be for the best. Have dinner, greet each other, pretend as if nothing had ever happened, and then go about their business for the next fortnight. If she was fortunate, she might not even see Collin again, or only in passing.

She sighed. “Very well, one dinner. If you insist.”

A triumphant smile spread across Lucy’s face. “Excellent. Now, you must come with me to my rooms. I’ll have my maid fix your hair, and I insist upon you wearing one of my gowns.”

Erienne arched a brow. “That sounds an awful lot as if I’d be trying too hard.”

“You’re an old friend, and we’re merely going to put some rouge on your cheeks and pin up your hair. If you also borrow some jewelry, so be it.”

“Lucy?” Erienne dragged out the word and gave her a skeptical glare. “You wouldn’t be trying to make me beautiful, would you?”

“Erienne, darling, you’re already beautiful. I’m merely going to make Collin wish he hadn’t waited so long to see you again.”

And suddenly, Erienne knew she couldn’t win. Lucy was a cheerful squall, blowing through the peaceful ocean of her life, and there was no way to stop the waves that would inevitably toss Erienne to and fro. Reluctantly, she stood and trailed the duchess out of the room and toward the other woman’s bedchamber. Erienne highly doubted rouge and a pretty gown would make Collin wish anything. She would end up regretting this. She knew she would. It had been an age since she’d dressed in finery and attended an elegant dinner with people of the Quality. Would she even remember how to go about it? And what sort of small talk could she possibly invent over dinner with Collin and Derek Hunt?

One could only imagine the sort of beautification the duchess had in store for her, but Erienne had already learned quite well that Lucy got what Lucy wanted, and apparently, at the moment, Lucy wanted to make Erienne look like a fine lady instead of a governess.

They entered the duchess’s rooms, where Lucy proceeded to drag Erienne by the hand into her large dressing room. She threw open the doors of several enormous wardrobes to reveal gowns of every fabric and color hanging inside. The space looked like a dressmaker’s shop. Erienne wanted to turn in a circle and look at each and every one of the lovely gowns.

“I do believe you’re my size before I had the children.” Lucy plunked her hands on her hips and sized up Erienne. “I’d hate for all these pretty gowns to go to waste.” She rushed over to pull out a gorgeous, ice-blue satin concoction with silver trim and a silver sarsnet overskirt. “This will go perfectly with your eyes. Oh, and with diamonds, it’ll be exquisite!”