"Oh, husband." Seriously? Those were the only words she could think of? If Maude were to berate her for being so damn awkward, Sophie wouldn't even be mad.
"Right. Wife." He joked, letting his guard down in a way he hadn't since months ago. His smile was angelic and Sophie was sure she would have willingly gone blind if there weren't other people around.
Luke turned towards the mystery lady, the pretty brunette, "I want to introduce you to Miss Gabriella, my good friend since childhood. She was just telling me about all her recent ventures outside of the country. Always the exciting type, this one."
Sophie tried to ignore the tension in her body, realizing she'd been forced into an interaction she wasn't emotionally ready for.
And look! Her friends left her to be on her own. How wonderfully pleasant was life.
"A name to the face. It is nice to formally meet you, Miss Gabriella."
"Yes, I am sure it must be, your grace." Gabriella smiled back, voice sickeningly honeyed as if she did not just slam Sophie's dignity to the ground, sparing her no mercy or respect.
Luke only laughed at the impolite remark. Why was her husband encouraging such unruly behavior? Was that the usual greeting in foreign countries?
Sophie's eyes grew wide for a split second before they returned to normal. Realizing her husband hadn't introduced her yet, she decided to take matters into her own hand.
"Oh, uh, I am Lady Sophie, Duchess of Rogethen. Luke's—"
"Wife. I am aware. I have heard so much about you, your grace. The duke cannot keep his mouth shut when it comes to his precious wife." Gabriella cut in, pretentious smile still intact.
"All good things, I hope." Sophie joked, attempting to breathe amidst the suffocating tension Luke acted oblivious to or was, at that point, making worse—she wasn't so sure anymore.
"One usually hopes for good things, yes."
Sophie was seconds away from ripping the mannerless lady's hair out of her scalp when her husband placed his hand on Gabriella's shoulder. Sophie's eyes stayed glued at the sight. It felt like there was something burning in her chest, nothing pleasurable, just nauseating and all-consuming.
"I did not think I would run into you here, love. Aren't you and your friends usually having tea in the drawing room by this hour?"
Sophie pushed away her complaints to the back of her mind. Later. They'd talk about it later.
"We are, but I felt like exploring the marketplace one more time."
"My wife is as adventurous as usual, I see." What was Luke on? Just last night he couldn't even face her, now he was showering her in sugary names and playful teasing.
As if nothing at all was wrong with their marriage. Oh, how she wished.
"As if the marketplace is much of an adventure. I did not expect your wife to be so demure, your grace, I was sure you would lean more into the unpredictable side."
Her husband's attention seemed to be wholly on Gabriella. Sophie felt ignored despite being the literal topic of their conversation.
"Well, Lady Sophie is a good and honorable woman. I am lucky to be her husband."
Was that all he had to say about his wife? That she was honorable? She knew she was being petty and unreasonably irritable, but she was threatened by Miss Gabriella's unprecedented arrival.
Where did this unruly miss even come from?
"Hm."
Moments later, Luke's other business associates caught up to them, interrupting the tense conversation to introduce themselves to the duke's wife.
Relief settled in Sophie's bones, the interaction going from extremely confusing to somewhat manageable.
One of the men in the group even complimented Sophie's brand new dress. She did not think anyone would notice! Her husband certainly hadn't.
"Oh yes, your dress is lovely, my wife. Is that new?"
The short but charming exchange was eventually put to an end. It did not take long for Luke and the rest of the group to pardon themselves from the interaction. For a moment, things seemed like they were going to be alright.