Fashions change, isn’t that right, young lady?” the duke asked, his eyes twinkling mischievously. “I’m sure such a young, pretty thing like Scarlett doesn’t want an old-fashioned ring like the duchesses’ canary diamond ring.

Victoria was clearly trying to make a point, but she didn’t realize that far from causing trouble for Ryder and me, our arrangement made comments like that simply amusing. “I thought Ryder may have given you his grandmother’s. “Oh, it’s new, is it?” she asked, reaching for her wine glass and flashing her own antique wedding ring. I pulled my hand from Ryder and held it up, flat against my chest, not wanting to hold my hand out. “We didn’t get a chance to see your ring,” Victoria said, interrupting Ryder’s easy charm. “You do look really beautiful tonight, Scarlett.” He shifted his seat slightly toward me and put his hand on my leg. “You okay?” Ryder asked quietly as the rest of the table talked. Each course was served on beautiful china, beautifully presented, and tasted delicious. I wasn’t sure what to expect so was grateful for it to taste so familiar. That might be true for Ryder, but it was clear from the adoration in Aurora’s eyes that what she felt was real.Īfter the soup was the pheasant, which was a just like chicken. The way Ryder had described their relationship was that she and her family had been keen for Aurora and Ryder to marry but there hadn’t been any affection between them. I wasn’t sure if she meant it as a compliment, but it sure didn’t sound like one. “He’s not used to women saying no to him,” Aurora said.

Louise bay duke of manhattan