Betrayal stung on Nan’s tongue like nothing else, leaving her too stunned to speak after her sister Jinny’s revelation. She was a bastard, yes, a daughter born of her father’s unfaithfulness, one of his many affairs, Nan supposed, but what hurt most was the fact that this truth had been kept from her for years. Her entire life, her parents and sister had known, and still, none of them ever found the right moment to tell her.

She had been quiet ever since, buried in books, tending to herself and her own thoughts, because her life felt like chaos, or at least it did inside her mind. On the outside, everything seemed to be going perfectly. The Duke wanted to marry her, her friendships were strong, and even things with Guy were going well.

Nan looked up from her book when she heard you laughing loudly about the English, your head poking out of the carriage window. She let out a soft laugh, understanding what had amused you so much, but quickly shook her head.

“Your mother will have a heart attack if she hears you laughing like that,” Nan said with a smile, knowing just how strict and proper your mother could be. She often wondered how a woman like that could have raised someone so full of joy and life as you. “Nervous about the ball tonight? I bet every Englishman in the room will be falling over themselves for you,” she teased, remembering how things had gone at the last ball.

You had danced with so many strangers that your feet were aching by the end of the night, so much so that Nan had helped soothe the pain while the two of you laughed into the night and sipped tea. Nan truly cherished your friendship, perhaps even more than the others.