The Improper Companion

Chapter 12

The next week went by in a daze. Fiona and the Duke had avoided each other all the while. Only on one occasion had they come face to face—after he'd returned from town. They'd greeted each other stiffly and then had dashed off into their respective havens.

The entire household could sense that their lively and talkative Miss Butterworth was now solemn and quiet. But they were happy that she was here to stay—now that the duchess had made her position permanent.

As for Fiona herself, she'd decided to forgive the Duke and herself for that night. She'd blamed the lateness of the hour to justify her actions but she knew better. Then again, it was pointless to berate herself. What was done was done. She'd just make sure that it never happened again.

After that she was too busy to indulge in self pity because the house party was to begin. The Duchess—who was now on her feet again was overlooking the preparations and asked for Fiona's opinion on everything. What was ironical was that Fiona didn't know a thing about house parties and balls. She had received an extensive education from her father, but her knowledge was limited to history, mathematics, greek and basic sciences. She could run her tiny home well enough, of course. But that didn't mean she could take over the management of a Duke's household with ease.

While she found it odd that the dowager duchess was taking her help, she didn't protest. At this point, she would welcome anything challenging just to keep her mind off the handsome Duke that resided there.

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Nate stood by his fiancé, brooding all the while as he took in Fiona's appearance as she flitted about but never left his mother's side for too long.

She shouldn't have been here. But his mother had sputtered some nonsense about there not being enough women to match the number of men. He knew this was all a ploy because his mother wanted to catch a husband for her dear companion. Not that he cared, he told himself.

He'd agreed to his mother's plea, thinking there'd be no harm.

But he hadn't imagined that Fiona would be dressed in the soft, practical yet pretty muslin gown that she was wearing now. The neckline was much lower than that of her usual dark gowns. And that displayed quite a lot of her creamy chest and swanlike neck. He didn't mind the view. But he hated that the other men were noticing her untouched beauty and were just as taken by her as him.

God damnit, but this was a disaster.

He'd made an enormous mistake by agreeing to his mother's request. He'd been an idiot to think that it was perfectly alright to have the woman he was going to marry and the woman he was lusting after under the same roof. He was a cad, an utter ass.

Sophia touched his arm and Nate turned towards her, half hoping she hadn't caught him staring at his mother's companion and hoping more secretly that she had.

"Are you alright?" she smiled at him.

Nate nodded stiffly, oddly untouched by her smile.

"Who is that woman?"

"Who?" Nate feigned nonchalance.

"That plain woman in the pink gown, next to your mother," Sophia said, her eyes twinkling.

Nate was about to tell her that Fiona was not plain, but he held himself back. He looked at Sophia carefully and found that there was no malice on her face. She looked like she'd just made an innocent observation.

"You mean Miss Butterworth? She is mother's new companion," he said.

"Isn't she a little too young to be a competent companion?"