Extraordinary Tales of Regency Love: A Clean & Sweet Regency Historical Romance Collection

by Fanny Finch

  The Duke of Lox chuckled. “I hope I will find something new to learn every day, my lady. It will be a boring life if there is nothing left to learn. I am willing to bet…” He turned to her. She stopped walking and turned to face him, gazing up into his dark eyes. “I am willing to bet that if I tried hard enough, I could find out something new about you every day. Whether it be a talent you did not know you had or a new curl in your hair.”

  His words were laced with a passion Emma had never heard before. It captured her heart and made it race with anticipation. Had she judged him too soon? She needed to proceed with caution.

  He was an attractive, wealthy man. Perhaps Camilla was right. He may not have meant that he wanted a servant for a wife. He was parroting the Duchess of Corning, most likely. It would not surprise her in the least if her step-mother had used that word to describe her.

  She was only trying to help. Emma tried to keep that in mind.

  She put one hand over her heart and tried to breathe slower. The rapid heartbeat made her feel faint.

  His expression turned to one of concern. “Lady Wentworth? Are you feeling ill?”

  Emma had put one hand on her heart and felt faint. He lifted one arm, crooking it at the elbow and she grabbed his forearm to steady herself. Once her mind was clear again, she released his arm and patted the front of her dress to cool herself. “I… I am fine. I am sorry. I… I do not know what has come over me.”

  She dared to glance up at him and noticed the satisfied smile on his face. He had purposefully said those words to see if he could make her swoon.

  Her mind hardened. He was playing games with her. He had almost made her forget he wanted a woman who would be obedient to him. She was just beginning to like him.

  Sighing, she gave him a weak grin and turned to walk to Camilla and the Duke of Rabney.

  Chapter 9

  The Duke of Lox walked beside her, glancing at her every few steps, wondering what he’d done wrong. The way she had reacted to his sweet words was perfect. It touched his heart. It meant she did have feelings for him.

  And now she had turned away and appeared cold toward him. He was confused. He did not understand what had gone wrong after they had just shared such a perfect, loving moment. She had quickened her steps and though it was not difficult for him to keep up with her, as his legs were much longer, he could tell their promenade around the room was over.

  He pulled in a deep breath and let it out slowly and silently. He did not understand this woman. He had to find a bride before the end of the season in order to keep his inheritance. He had searched and looked for three seasons. It was time to get serious.

  Of all the women he’d met, Emma was the first one who did not leave his mind when he left the ball. He spent a lot of his time wondering what she was doing and how she was feeling.

  Her abrupt mood changes confused him. He had to admit – they intrigued him. One moment she seemed happy to speak to him. The next moment, she was stomping away from him, looking nervous or anxious.

  He wanted to take her by the arm and ask her directly what she was thinking, why she had become cold to him for no apparent reason. But he did not dare. Such a spectacle would hang over both their heads with every member of the ton, even those who were not present to see it.

  “Camilla!” Emma said, stopping directly in front of her friend and gently bowing to them both. “Your grace, it is lovely to see you both.”

  “Lady Wentworth!” The Duke of Rabney stood up and took her hand, bowing. “We have been anxiously awaiting your arrival. Why, the Duke of Lox was nearly in fits.” He exchanged a humorous look with the Duke of Lox, who gave him a rebuking one in return. The Duke of Rabney laughed softly. “My lord, you know I am teasing the lady. But we have been waiting for you, Lady Wentworth, to make our quartet whole.”

  “How lovely of you to say,” Emma responded, looking over her shoulder at the Duke of Lox who switched the rebuking look on his face for a bright smile as soon as he saw her looking. She was amused but rolled her eyes and shook her head. “I did not notice you were in fits while we were walking, my lord. You hide your emotions well.”

  This made her three companions laugh. She smiled at them and continued.

  “Shall we play a game of cribbage or cards? The sun is shining. We can go outside and play croquet if you are interested.”

  Camilla laughed. “We have the day already planned, Emma. As the Duke of Rabney said, we have been awaiting your arrival with great anticipation. We do expect to best you and the Duke of Lox in all games.” Camilla made her voice haughty but her laughter broke the farce.

  “Oh, do you now?” Emma said in a competitive voice. “Let us see what we can do, my lord.” She said the words to the Duke of Lox, who looked at her soberly, nodding his head.

  “Yes, let us see.”

  Chapter 10

  As soon as Camilla asked Emma to stay over, she knew there would be questions. She and the Duke of Lox had spent the entire day in each other’s company. After their initial walk around the parlor, Emma did not allow herself to be taken in by his charms. They were compatible. He was knowledgeable in so many things. But how could she be certain of his true intentions?

  She was still sure he was hiding something. She was going to ask Camilla since she knew Camilla had questions of her own.

  The Duke of Lox remained on her mind whenever she had even a moment’s free time. His face swam in front of her eyes when she blinked. It was rather annoying.

  Even she had to admit, however, his behavior throughout the day had been nothing but stellar. He was a gentleman at every turn, never rude or presumptuous and he treated others with respect, no matter who they were.

  She could tell his years of wandering the world had tethered out charming diplomacy in his personality, one that he could turn on and off on a whim if he chose. She rather liked that about him and liked that she was able to see it and understand him better for it.

  Lord Carne had come for just a short visit along with his patroness, Lady Bonneville, Grand Duchess of Clydesdale Hill. He had not stayed long, as his patroness was elderly and did not get along well with most people.

  She was somewhat of a tyrant and the only person she could tolerate on a general basis was Lord Carne. Emma did not know how they had met and had not given it a second thought. She had heard the story told that he was an orphan, left with the title of Earl but absolutely no inheritance other than the title. Lady Bonneville gave him a home and became his sponsor.

  The old woman would do anything for Lord Carne, which gave the young man a sense of pride that went unjustified. His decisions were still poor and Emma always felt put off by him. She did not mind talking to him but she wanted nothing more than that from him.

  But seeing him walking next to the elderly Grand Duchess made Emma feel sorry for him. She could understand his desire to get away from such a bland existence. He wanted to marry and have children and a family.

  That family was not going to come through her. She would not bear his children. Their eyes met just once and Emma avoided his gaze after that. She was relieved when he left shortly after arriving and she did not have to worry about coming across him in a manner that meant she had to speak to him.

  All was not lost just because she had no interest in Lord Carne. She would be dancing with other lords in the future. She may have only the rest of the season but there were other prospects. The Duke of Andryse, for instance.

  He was a gentleman of note. It was well known that most of the ladies of the ton and their mothers had their eyes on him to see who he paired with. Then it would be the talk for days and weeks about who was seen with the Duke of Andryse and whether or not that woman should be admired or loathed.

  Typically, any woman seen with the Duke of Andryse who was not related to him was loathed by all other ladies of the ton. Simply because they did not have him by their side.

  Emma had danced with him for several seasons, many times, in fact. And they had always
gotten along well. But there was no spark between them. They were better as friends. Both of them knew it. Emma thought of the Duke of Andryse as a gentle older brother who would fight alongside the strongest of men to protect his woman. But he was like a brother to her.

  Nothing more.

  Dismissing the Duke of Andryse as a suitor, Emma ran through a list of other eligible men of the ton. She found herself comparing them all to the Duke of Lox.

  She had gotten little time alone with Camilla and was happy when the two girls met in Camilla’s room to get ready for bed.

  “Let me brush out your hair, Camilla,” Emma said, coming up behind her cousin, who was seated at the dressing table staring at herself in the mirror. “I do so love to. You keep it very clean.”

  “I have it washed every day. I asked Papa to give me a girl to wash my hair every day or every other day and he did. Little Mary. I like her. She is just a child that comes from the village but she comes whenever I ask her to and we give her a good salary for her troubles.”

  Emma laughed. She knew about little Mary because she’d seen the girl coming and going. She never knew what the girl’s job was though.

  “It is so nice that you gave a village girl a job. I imagine you make it a great deal of fun for her while she is here, too.”

  “Oh yes. We always have a spot of tea and lunch set out for her. Her family does not have a lot of money.”

  “Yes, it is so unfortunate that there are poor people in our village. I wish for everyone to prosper!”

  “I know you do.” Emma looked down at her cousin’s long, flowing hair as she brushed it.

  Emma pulled the brush through Camilla’s hair, folding it in parts so that it could be pinned up for the night. Camilla reached behind her and began to pin it in place while Emma helped. Once she was finished and put her nightcap over the piles of pinned hair, they switched places so Camilla could brush Emma’s hair.

  “What do you think of the Duke of Rabney?” Camilla asked in a soft voice.

  Emma had been expecting the topic but she had thought it would be the Duke of Lox they would discuss first. She smiled at Camilla’s reflection. “I think he is a fine gentleman and is definitely interested in you, Camilla.”

  Camilla flushed, biting her bottom lip and smiling. “I like him, too, Emma. So much.”

  “I know you do. I wanted to tell you before… when I saw you early this afternoon but you were so busy talking to him, I did not have a chance. My mother is attempting to make an arrangement between the Duke of Rabney and my younger sister Katherine.”

  Camilla’s eyebrows drew together. “But Katherine has not spent any time with the Duke of Rabney. Has he been calling on her?”

  Emma caught the sound of terror lacing Camilla’s words. The thought that the Duke of Rabney was calling on anyone other than her made Camilla feel nauseous. She stopped brushing Emma’s hair and simply froze in place. Emma shook her head quickly.

  “No, Camilla, he has not been calling on her. Katherine came to my room and told me what the Duchess of Corning is planning. But she does not believe the Duke of Rabney is interested and she herself does not want to be his wife. She came to tell me so that I would tell you to… assert yourself, perhaps, just a little more.”

  Emma was surprised to see an amused look cross Camilla’s face. The corners of her lips lifted in a small grin and she chuckled. “That is… that is quite a relief.”

  “From the look on your face, I would say relief is an understatement. You have already fallen for him, Camilla. I can tell.”

  “Perhaps I have,” Camilla’s voice was only slightly defensive. “There is nothing wrong with it. I believe he feels the same way. He may have felt that way from that first dance last week. We have been on carriage rides through the park, he has called upon me at the castle. He is an excellent communicator. I believe I have found the man I shall marry.”

  Emma put her hand on Camilla’s to stop her from brushing her hair. She stood up and turned around to put her arms around her cousin.

  “I am so happy for you, Camilla!” she gushed. “I cannot tell you how happy I am. And if I am married by the end of the season, perhaps we will continue our lives together the same way, having children at the same time, having picnics and get-togethers. Do not ever leave my side, Camilla. I would be so lost without you.”

  Camilla was giggling uncontrollably, absorbing her cousin’s compliments. “You flatter me so!” she laughed. “And now I feel obligated to say the same back to you and yet you have already used all the right words. What is left for me to say? We will be old married ladies together, a couple of doddering duchesses with old fools for husbands and arrogant know-it-alls for children.”

  The two young women laughed. Emma sat back down, picking up a small cloth from the table and dabbing it in a clear lotion her father had brought back from India. It promised to keep her skin looking refreshed and clean. She wiped the lotion on her face, finally hearing the words she had expected to hear.

  “I hear you are interested in the Duke of Lox.”

  Emma looked up at her without turning around. “You hear this from whom?”

  “I hear it from everyone,” Camilla responded. “Who has eyes and can see two people walking around a room together.”

  Emma giggled. “Thank you for the sarcasm, my lady. It is so mature of you.”

  Camilla laughed with her. “You must admit it, Emma. You cannot deny your attraction to him.”

  Emma shrugged, trying to look nonchalant. “It is that apparent?”

  “Yes! It very much is.”

  “I try not to let it show. He is a gentleman, to be sure. But he is looking for a woman who will be obedient and jump to his every whim.”

  Camilla lost her smile, frowning slightly. “He is? He did not seem that type of man to me. He does not treat you as if he wants you to be a slave to him. And that is not how the Duke of Rabney describes him at all.”

  “He said it himself. The first time we danced together.”

  Camilla looked down, brushing Emma’s hair with a thoughtful expression on her face. She finally shook her head, saying, “I believe you may have misunderstood. We spent the whole day with him and never once did I hear him demand anything of you or of anyone else. He is not a demanding sort of man. He is a negotiator.”

  Emma thought about her cousin’s words. She was right, the Duke of Lox had done nothing to raise her ire other than to play a game with her to gauge her reaction. Perhaps his intentions had not been bad. Perhaps she had read too much into it.

  She wondered if she might be a little too sensitive. It was possible that she was misunderstanding him when he had no ill intentions at all.

  “I did not misunderstand him,” she retorted. “I remember exactly what he said.”

  “Tell me what he said, then.” Camilla stopped brushing Emma’s hair and began turning it as Emma had done to hers. Emma did not use pins at night. Her hair was not as thick and full as Camilla’s. Pins slid through her hair and poked her while she was sleeping. Instead, she used ties to keep the waves curling around her head and covered the ties with her nightcap. She did not need a lot of help putting it up.

  Camilla took a few steps to sit on the side of the bed, reaching over to turn the lamp down a bit. They had it up full so they could see to get ready for bed. It was nearly time and Camilla liked to conserve the oil as much as she could. Just because her father had the money to buy more did not mean she would be frivolous with her spending.

  Emma sighed.

  “Tell me, cousin, or I shall thrash you.” Camilla smiled when Emma glanced at her.

  “He said that he came to sign my dance card because he talked to the Duchess of Corning and she recommended me to him because I am friendly and obedient.”

  Camilla raised her eyebrows. “Do you think he only came to sign your card and dance with you because your step-mother told him to? Emma, you know that is ridiculous. You do not need to be recommended by your step-mother. You have
your own virtues and do not need to be carried by others.”

  Emma nodded. “This is what I thought, as well.”

  “But her recommending you is not the reason he came to sign your card, Emma.”

  “It seems to me it is.”

  Camilla shook her head. “No. You are being stubborn. No one recommended me to the Duke of Rabney, yet he still comes calling. Why is that?”

  “Because he is enamored with you?” Emma was not sure where her cousin was going with her line of thinking.

  “Yes. You are saying that if you were not recommended, the Duke of Lox would show no further interest. But I am not better than you by any means. I was not taken by recommendation, I was taken by my own merits. You are being taken by your own merits. And the Duke of Lox is interested in you, not your status.”