I ran my hands down the silk of my gown, trying to calm my racing heart as I stood in the hallway outside the dining room. Despite all my preparations for this dinner party, anxiety gnawed at me. The conversation with Dowager Duchess Annelise yesterday had rattled me more than I cared to admit.
"You look troubled, my dear," Grandmother Wilma said, approaching from the east corridor. Her keen eyes missed nothing. "Is it Annelise? I saw her earlier looking particularly smug."
I sighed. "She thinks I'm not upholding the Thorne legacy properly. Apparently, I need new furniture and to wear the family sapphire to be a proper duchess."
Wilma's laugh was soft but pointed. "Nonsense. That woman has always been too concerned with appearances."
"It's more than that," I admitted. "Sometimes I wonder if people look at me and see only the Baron's daughter—not quite worthy of being a duchess."
