And this was only the beginning. Hymen’s War Triumphant, indeed. Should the Duke of Kent’s babe be born whole and healthy, the nobility would begin jockeying for position in earnest, and Jane, as the duchess’s attendant and presumed confidant, would be hauled into the thick of it, whether she wanted to be there or not.
Jane sighed and forced her eyes open. The gorgeously illuminated formal gardens spread out beyond the balcony. Couples strolled to and fro, enjoying the evening. As she watched, melancholy dug its claws into her. No such activity awaited her this night or any other. She was the eyes and ears of the Duchess of Kent, and she was the sole survivor of a family that had fallen up to its hips debt. Love and desire were nothing but the stuff of dreams for Lady Jane, and, she must find a way to make her peace with that.
“A pleasant night, isn’t it?” inquired a man’s deep voice.
Jane’s straightened at once, snapping open her fan to cover the shock on her face. She glanced wildly about, but saw no one.
“Down here, and I’m sorry if I startled you.”
Cautiously, Jane advanced to the balcony’s carved stone rail. There, she looked down onto the shadowed figure of her dream lover.
Marissa Day Page 24