The gown in question was fashioned from silk patterned with stripes of red flowers, and horizontal ruffles across the front. Almost none of that cloth appeared above the waist: the lady was flaunting oceans of creamy skin, with only a small ruffle keeping her nipples from open view.

“Of course, His Grace doesn’t care about her bosom,” Lady Arden said. “He’s interested in her maternal side.”

Ophelia tormented herself by asking another question. “Her daughters are well married, are they not?”

“Yes, she’ll be a good mother to his children,” Lady Arden agreed. “Though not even she could marry off his youngest, given the child’s illegitimacy.”

Ophelia raised a startled eyebrow. Generally, she avoided gossip of this sort, but that was precisely why she was talking to Lady Arden, of course. If she believed in Maddie’s confinement, then everyone would.

“I hear that the youngest is the spitting image of the Prussian whom his wife ran off with,” Lady Arden whispered, her eyes alight. “Golden hair and a Prussian nose.”

“I’m certain there is golden hair in the Lindow family line,” Ophelia said firmly, avoiding even the faintest tone of indignation. It never did to show emotion in these situations. “I can hardly imagine a two-year-old with a Prussian nose! I expect it is as stubby and round as my own daughter’s.”

“You are so good-natured,” Lady Arden said. “It’s a pity that the duke didn’t look to you, my dear. Everyone knows what an excellent mother you are. What’s more, you wouldn’t make such an obvious faux pas. A duchess oughtn’t to expose her bosom to the world.”

“I couldn’t wear that dress,” Ophelia said with a sigh. “No modiste could manage to confine my bosom with such a small amount of fabric.”

“Perhaps you would be able to marry off the child of the Prussian, but Lady Woolhastings will not, mark my words. She won’t be a powerful duchess, if you understand what I mean.”

Ophelia did understand.

She herself had married above her station when she became espoused to Peter. Luckily, she’d had a relatively smooth introduction to polite society. Peter was an excellent tutor, and she learned a great deal from observation.

Lady Woolhastings was comfortably used to being among the highest in the land. She was a lady-in-waiting to the queen, for goodness’ sake. She didn’t care what other women said about the inadvisability of wearing a low-cut gown at her age.

All that didn’t mean she was prepared to negotiate the thicket of scandalmongers.