Duke In Love

Chapter Thirteen

ESTELLE

The weather was perfectly mild on the day of the promenade. Estelle and Lady Victoria rested their parasols on their shoulders to keep the sun from their eyes as they walked. Knowing she would not get away with wearing servant attire, Elle wore a dress in a shade of yellow that would complement the purple one she planned to pick out for The Viscountess. As soon as Lady Victoria saw the gowns next to each other, she beamed and clasped her hands together.

"Is this your way of accepting my pleas for your friendship?" She had asked.

Estelle was sure Her Lady jested, but it made her smile all the same. So, she simply said, "Yes."

As a chaperone, there to make sure the interactions between Miss Bennet and her brother remained respectful, Lady Victoria remained a few feet behind the pair at all times. Close enough to see everything they were doing, and hear some of their conversation, yet far enough to keep them from hearing her comments to Estelle. The Viscountess had many comments.

Seeing her so spirited made Elle feel better about the viscountess' health. After their day at the debut, Lady Attenbrough came back to Windstrom House and kept everyone company. This 'keeping of company' heavily involved informing her son of how much better the house would run if he had a wife, suggesting decor for future grandchildren, and bothering Lady Victoria about when she could expect said grandchildren. Elle and the viscountess did their best not to make any faces at one another or exchange pointed looks.

In all the commotion, Lady Attenbrough had Estelle running around the house helping the maids, and seeing to the dowager's many small requests. On top of that, Estelle had to fetch Lady Victoria several cups of her mother's tea; the only recipe that would settle the viscountess' stomach. By the time she remembered her plan to call on the doctor, it had been dark for hours.

So, before they left Windstrom House that morning, Estelle made sure to have Missus Brooks assign the task of getting the doctor there by that afternoon to one of her staff. Though the viscountess' rosy disposition made Estelle wonder if that call was truly necessary, she reminded herself that confirmation still mattered. She felt almost certain that the viscountess was with child, but only a doctor could know. Until then, all she could do was keep Her Lady company and assure that she was okay. 

Normally, Estelle tried to remain as neutral and objective as she could when it came to Lady Victoria's personal life. However, she found it difficult to do so when it came to the viscountess; opinions about the duke and Miss Bennet. Estelle found herself agreeing with Lady Victoria's assertions that the pair of potential lovers before them did not match up in any way. In an attempt to reel her own thoughts back in, Elle suggested that they may look good together.

Lady Victoria laughed, "Thank you for that. A good jest always lifts my spirits, no matter how high they already are."

"M-My Lady, I was not..." Elle sighed. She looked at the duke, who appeared to be listening very intently to Miss Bennet's thoughts on a poem she read the other day. Something about painful love and music. The sentence Elle intended to finish escaped her for a moment as her eyes traced the path from Garrick's chin up to his lips, then his nose, until she reached his eyelashes. Those lashes cascaded down in front of his eyes, which Elle realised looked more green in the daylight than the hazel she had first seen upon meeting the man.

As though he could sense her staring, Garrick turned and locked eyes with Elle. Her breath caught in her throat, and her legs felt as heavy as two tons of lead attached to her hip sockets. They watched each other for what seemed like minutes, and Elle could not even remind herself to breathe.  

A young family passed them, the children pushing and running. Two girls and a boy, possibly triplets, paid no mind to anyone other than each other. The young boy bumped into the duke, who managed to catch himself before he bumped into Miss Bennet. One of the girls nearly fell in front of Estelle, which jostled her back to her conversation.