Chapter 43 - Forty Three
"That’s not her fault, is it?"
Duchess Lyra’s words, spoken so calmly and with such simple logic, were a shield against Augusta’s harsh words. Delia looked at the Duchess, at this woman who was defending her, and her heart filled with a warmth so profound it almost brought tears to her eyes. For the first time, she felt like she had a true ally.
Augusta, however, was a master of turning defeat into a new angle of attack. She smiled, a gracious, understanding expression that was utterly false. "If only everyone in this world was as open-minded as you, Your Grace," she sighed theatrically. "How great would our kingdom be?"
She took a delicate sip of her tea before setting the cup down, her expression turning sorrowful. "But in reality, people will talk. They will whisper behind your back." She looked at Lyra with feigned concern. "’She’s an illegitimate child,’ they will say. ’That’s why she can’t amount to anything. She was taught all the wrong things.’ I have worked extra hard my entire life, Your Grace, to protect our family name, not to hear such terrible things, but..." She turned her pitying gaze upon Delia.
"She can’t behave like a proper lady. She can’t maintain decorum in a public setting. She doesn’t know the most basic etiquette, and so on." She looked back at Lyra, shaking her head sadly. "After you have married her into your prestigious family, I do wonder what people will say then. The whispers will follow her, and by extension, they will follow you."
From across the table, Amber murmured under her breath, just loud enough for Eric to hear, "Did they show up just to ruin this marriage completely?"
Delia felt a familiar wave of anxiety wash over her. Her hands, hidden in her lap, began to tremble. Augusta’s words were poison, designed to make her seem like damaged goods, a liability to the great Carson family. Eric felt the tremor in her hand and covered it with his own, his grip firm and reassuring. His eyes met hers, and they seemed to say, "Don’t worry. I am here."
He spoke, his voice calm but firm, a direct challenge to Augusta’s claims. "If you are saying all of this out of concern for us, Baroness, then you don’t need to worry. Delia is an amazing person. If she weren’t, I would have never wanted to marry her in the first place."
Augusta smiled, her eyes glittering. She turned her attack back to Delia. "Delia, do you feel the same?" she asked sweetly.