My Last Duchess, стр. 32
“You may certainly practice with me,” she said, the words leaving her mouth without conscious volition. “But you must understandthat your father is—your father has made a promise to wed Lady Woolhastings.”
“Wed Woolhastings,” Alexander said, grinning.
“How old are you?” Ophelia asked, smiling at him.
“Three,” he said.
“And I’m four and Leonidas is six,” Betsy said. “We have three questions, because there are three of us.”
“Please ask me when you are ready,” Ophelia said.
Alex leaned forward and stared at her intently. “Do you have fake teeth?” he asked. “Or a glass eye?”
Ophelia blinked. “No.”
“Mrs. Purdy has an elephant tooth,” he said, looking disappointed.
“From a tusk,” Lady Knowe clarified. Ophelia looked at her. The edges of the lady’s mouth had curved into a smile that shewas trying hard to suppress.
“My uncle has a tooth made from a donkey bone in his jaw,” Ophelia offered. “On the bottom.”
Alex’s eyes brightened. “Can he spit it out?”
“No, because it’s wired from behind so it stays in line with his other teeth.”
“Does your uncle live with you?”
Ophelia shook her head. “He lives in Wales, quite a long way away.”
Alex wrinkled his nose. “That’s a pity.”
“My turn,” Betsy said. She fixed Ophelia with a sharp eye and said, “Do you have children other than that baby?”
“No,” Ophelia said.
“The nursery is full of children,” Betsy stated. “I suppose we can fit that one in, but no more.”
“I understand,” Ophelia said gravely.
“Do you want more children?”
“Yes,” she said, without hesitation. She hadn’t known that truth until today. In fact, she had thought that perhaps therewasn’t room in her heart to love a child other than Viola.
That had been foolishness, she saw now. Alexander, Betsy, and Leonidas, for example. Not that she loved them . . . but theywere very lovable. They had their father’s tousled hair, strong eyebrows, and angled cheekbones.
But more than that, they were intelligent, lively, and clearly loved each other, for all the kicking. With a pulse of puregreed, she realized that Viola would love a family like that.
“There aren’t any empty beds in the nursery,” Betsy told her, folding her arms over her chest. Clearly, Ophelia had provena disappointment.
“My turn,” Leonidas said. “Mine’s important. How do you feel about rats?”
“Rats?” Ophelia repeated. She glanced at Lady Knowe to see whether help was forthcoming.
“Pet rats,” Lady Knowe said, raising an eyebrow inquiringly.
All three children stared at Ophelia, eyes expectant. She had the odd feeling that this was the most important question.
“I don’t think I like rats,” she admitted. “I’ve never met a pet rat, but in general the species is not attractive. I disliketheir tails.”
Leonidas gave her a reproachful glance. “That’s a great pity. A rat can be a boy’s best friend. Now we’re going to talk aboutyou.” And with that, he pulled the huge fur cloak up and over their three heads.
“At least they’ll be warm under there,” Lady Knowe said. “My nose is an icicle.”
Ophelia’s ears were freezing because she couldn’t keep her hood on her head, but there was something incredibly exhilaratingabout flying along at this speed.
“I feel as if we’re flying,” Lady Knowe said.
“Yes, exactly!” Ophelia said, smiling at her.
With a pang she realized that she and Lady Knowe could have been friends, true friends, under different circumstances . . .those being circumstances in which the duke hadn’t asked Lady Woolhastings to marry him.
Because if she were honest with herself, she probably would have reconsidered his proposal had he asked. Or had he introducedher to the children. The truth of that thumped into her stomach.
If he had asked her to stepmother—no, mother—the three children opposite her? With their stubborn, brave faces and the questions they’d chosen . . . even with the possibilityof a pet rat looming?
Who could say no to them?
Yet the die was cast. She’d had her chance at this particular happiness, and she’d said no. Hugo had moved on, asked for anotherwoman’s hand in marriage, and that was that.
The sleighs were slowing down now, drawing to the side of the riverbank where a long stretch of lawn, withered and brown butlikely beautiful in the summer, stretched all the way to a substantial townhouse.
The back of Lady Woolhastings’s London estate, presumably.
“Rich as Croesus,” Lady Knowe muttered beside her. “Can’t imagine why she wants him.”
Ophelia could think of so many reasons to want Hugo. The strong lines of his jaw and broad shoulders were only the first that came to mind. The way he kissed her; the wayhe looked at her as if he truly saw her; the way he talked about his children. The way he made her feel safe, even to the point of giving up her child to hisarms.
His twin chuckled and then broke into open laughter as color crept up into Ophelia’s cheeks.
“It’s this red hair,” Ophelia said, deciding to laugh as well, because she knew perfectly well she’d turned a deep rose color.“I can’t hide anything.”
“I’ll take it from you that my brother is still reasonably attractive,” Lady Knowe said, hooting.
Just in the nick of time—for Ophelia had decided that she had no interest in visiting Lady Woolhastings’s house—she heardan enraged scream.
“Your baby’s as loud as Joan,” Betsy said, her head popping out of the fur blanket. “Guess she’s mad.”
“I will have to say goodbye,” Ophelia said. As the sleigh ride drew to a halt, the two boys’ heads appeared too. “Betsy, Leonidas,and Alexander, it has been a true pleasure meeting you.”
With a smile and nod for Lady Knowe, she hopped down from the sleigh and took her screaming child away from the duke.
Lady Woolhastings’s lips were thin and pressed together. “Children should not appear in public until they can compose themselves.”She gave Viola a disparaging glance. “My ears are ringing.”
Ophelia decided not to respond. Viola thankfully quieted down once she was in her mother’s arms, so Ophelia bobbed a curtsyin Lady Woolhastings’s direction and started up the lawn toward her waiting carriage, her back very straight.
She hadn’t gone more than a few steps before Lady Woolhastings said, “A casual