by Fanny Finch
The Duke of Lox continued toward her and when he was close enough, she stood up to meet him. A quick glance over her shoulder told her the Duke of Corning was still involved in a conversation with Katherine.
She stepped toward the Duke of Lox. “My lord, that was very close. There was about to be a collision.”
The duke smiled. “Yes, I fear Lady Christian would have been on the wrong side of that collision.”
Emma chuckled. “I agree with that. What did you say by way of comfort?”
“I told her not to worry, that I would have forgiven her as long as she forgave me for treading on her toes.”
Emma nodded.
“Would you like to go for a walk with me around the room? Perhaps you would like to greet some of the guests. I do not think you have left this chair since you arrived.”
Emma blushed. “I am sorry. Have I missed protocol? I do not wish to embarrass you, my lord.”
He shook his head. “Not at all, my lady. You are a treasure to be shown off and I wish to do so. Starting tonight, I will have to share your beauty with the world. This may be the only chance I get.”
He offered her his elbow, which she took, smiling up at him. They walked through the crowd, both of them nodding and stopping to speak to several of the guests.
Emma noticed that the Duke of Lox was leading her in a straight line toward the large double doors that led to the veranda. Her heart pattered quickly, thinking he could not be taking her out there where they would be alone. It was not proper.
She did not realize she had tightened her grip on his arm. The Duke of Lox looked down at it, feeling the added pressure and then back up to her face. She was staring anxiously at the veranda doors. He turned his eyes to focus on the doors, wondering what she was looking at.
Seeing nothing out of the ordinary, he said, “You look worried, my lady. Are you feeling well?”
Emma’s eyes flicked up to him. “Are you taking me to the veranda?”
His eyebrows shot up. “No, my lady. We cannot be alone together quite yet. Spoken for or not, I would not put your reputation at risk in such a way. I am grateful when others heard of our story, we were not reprimanded or judged for having to go to such extreme measures to retrieve you from the clutches of evil.”
Emma shuddered, thinking about Lord Carne and the place where she had been held hostage. She was grateful to God every day that He had sent the Duke of Lox to her just when he was needed. Lord Carne was taken into custody by the constable and taken away in the back of a closed wagon. It had a very small window. Emma could see the man peering at her through that small window as the wagon rolled away.
It gave her shivers to think about it now. She had not seen anything of the man since. The Duke of Lox informed her of updates every now and then but she did not pursue knowledge of current events. Lord Carne had not been released from the prison he was being held in. That was all she needed to know.
She made the Duke of Lox promise he would tell her if Lord Carne became a free man. So far, he had not told her that.
The Duke of Corning, having more knowledge than he needed of his wife’s past transgressions, had sent the duchess to an island where she would stay until he felt her banishment should be lifted. He allowed Michael and Thomas to visit their mother whenever they wished. Katherine was always allowed to visit but never did. She felt betrayed by the duchess and considered Emma and the Duke of Corning to be her only relatives.
“Is it true Lady Bonneville claimed no knowledge of Lord Carne’s lineage?” she asked quietly when they were sufficiently away from the crowd of guests who wandered around the room.
“It is what she has said. Whether it is true or not, it cannot be known without further evidence. And she does not speak of it anymore. It has been nearly two months. The season is over and we have no fear of anything now.
Your father’s health seems to be improving, your dearest cousin Camilla will be marrying her husband on the same day as you, Lord Carne and the duchess are no longer a factor in our lives… we have everything we want and need now.”
“And you will be inheriting your money from your father’s estate.”
He looked down at her. “You know that my reason for pursuing you did not stem from that. Tell me you know that.”
She nodded, giving him a warm smile. She remembered her initial reaction to the Duke of Cooksey when he told her about the rumors. She’d wanted nothing to do with the Duke of Lox. And at the same time, she wanted him as her husband to love forever. She just hadn’t known it yet. “I do believe that, my lord. I spent long enough questioning your motives and concluded that I should not have had that frame of mind.”
“I still wonder at times why you took everything I said and it did not process in your mind the way it was intended. Did I say something wrong when we met?”
Emma was a little embarrassed to admit what she had thought but quickly decided she would be open with him. He would be her husband. She would be an honest and loyal wife.
“The first dance,” she said. “You mentioned that the duchess had recommended me to you. She said that I would be a loyal and obedient wife.”
The Duke of Lox nodded. “I remember.”
“I took that to mean you wanted a wife who would do everything she was told. I did not want to live with a man who would not let me do the things I enjoy. I did not want to be treated like a servant all my life. And then, as time went on, I thought you were only interested because of the inheritance you would lose if you did not marry and you felt I was the most obvious choice.”
The Duke of Lox looked a little surprised, glancing down at her, silently admiring her beauty. He remembered when Emma had stiffened during their dance and grew suddenly cold. He had not realized what had caused it until that very moment.
Emma continued. “As time went on, and with the arrival of the lovely Lady Christian… well, I guess I just thought the odds were stacked against a union with you. I did take much of what you said out of context. I apologize for that.”
“I am sorry that you felt that way. I did not mean to cause you any harm or confusion.”
“I know that now,” Emma replied, trying not to giggle. “Camilla told me time and again to stop judging you so harshly. I should have listened to her. The more we spoke, the more I realized you did not want a servant, you wanted a wife. Either way, as I have told Camilla, if you did treat me the way you treat servants, I would not really mind. You are very kind to them.”
“We are all God’s children, regardless of our station in life.”
“There is something else I wanted to say to you,” Emma’s voice filled with emotion when she looked up into his eyes. His smile was soft and loving.
“What would that be?”
“I love that you helped my father find the right doctors to help him. If you had not come along, he would have passed away and I would be married to Lord Carne.” She could barely get those words out without feeling sick to her stomach. “You came and saved us both. I thank you and I thank God for you.”
The Duke of Lox tilted his head to the side, obviously touched by her words. “You are welcome, my dear. Those are very kind words.”
It was all Emma could do to keep her emotions intact. She felt as if she was bubbling inside, butterflies swirling in her stomach. He had recognized her love for her father. The Duke of Corning now spoke fondly of the Duke of Lox, often referring to him as his “son”.
Emma pulled in a deep breath and sighed.
Her dream had come true. She had found the love she was looking for and her father was there to see it all.
She was happy.
The Extended Epilogue
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An Earl for her Hopeless Heart
Chapter 1
Lady Hestia Stalwood was the daughter of an earl. The Earl of Nottingham, as luck would have it. But when she looked around the crowded room, she felt much less worthy than the title suggested.
Lady Hestia loved her father. But he was not wise in business. In fact, his wasteful spendings and quirky ideas for gaining fortune had driven Lady Hestia’s mother crazy as well as the bankers who handled his accounts.
He made illogical decisions, trusted people he should not trust and used his heart instead of his brain to make choices that affected the whole family. Because of this, the Stalwood family was nearly destitute.
Or that’s how it felt to Lady Hestia. They were managing to get by. But she saw no future success for the family if her father was always left in charge.
Therefore, Lady Hestia took it upon herself to find employment. It was a blow to her self-esteem and her social standing but she was willing to risk it to have a cushion to fall back on, should her father make the final deal that tore the family finances to shreds.
If she never married, at least she would have a way to put food in her mouth and clothes on her back, despite what the title she carried implied.
She looked around desperately for Lady Eugenia.
As a companion for Lady Eugenia, she was supposed to be by her side, never letting her feel lonely. She leaned forward a little, making a small semi-circle, looking through the crowd of people.
She spotted Lord Faulkner first. This was his home. It was one of the many parties he gave during the season. He was one of the friendliest, most gregarious individuals Lady Hestia had ever met. Handsome and intelligent, he drew the attention of many young ladies, much to the dismay of his wife. She suffered in silence, Lady Hestia noticed.
If he were her husband, Lady Hestia doubted she would be able to hold her tongue. Some of the women behaved shamelessly. Often Lady Hestia was left wondering how Lady Faulkner kept her temper in check. On at least one occasion, Lady Hestia had wanted to slap the woman throwing herself at Lord Faulkner. She was amazed that Lady Faulkner turned and walked away from the incident.
If not for her companionship with Lady Eugenia, Lady Hestia would not have been invited to this party. Her family did not stand high enough in the social circles to allow that. Not anymore. Last season, she had attended the parties here with great anticipation.
But not anymore.
Lady Eugenia’s family was held in high regard. Her father was successful in business, if not somewhat of a stuffed shirt, proper and dignified in all occasions. Attending these parties of the ton elite, Lady Hestia was able to make many contacts she would not otherwise have been able to make anymore.
She finally spotted Lady Eugenia. She clutched her skirt in one hand and hurried to her friend. She hoped Lady Eugenia would forgive her for needing to use the necessary but she couldn’t help it. She’d had too many cups of tea before she came to the party.
The ride over had been agony for her.
“Here you are, Lady Eugenia, I apologize for taking so long.” Lady Hestia quickly took the cushion next to Lady Eugenia’s on the settee. For her part, Lady Eugenia smiled graciously at her.
“My goodness, you look flustered. Calm yourself, Hestia, everything is fine. I am enjoying myself looking at all the possible prospects for potential husbands.”
Hestia had to keep herself from laughing at the way Lady Eugenia said that sentence. She wondered for a moment if Lady Eugenia had practiced saying it a few times before she actually had a chance to use it in conversation.
“I am calm, Lady Eugenia. I just wanted to make sure you were alright.”
Lady Eugenia let out a tinkling laugh. “You worry too much about me, little Hestia.”
Hestia did not mind her lady’s nickname for her. She often called her “little Hestia” in an affectionate voice because Hestia was several inches smaller and weighed a few pounds lighter than Lady Eugenia. In truth, she was older than her lady but it did not always appear to be so on the outside. She was only a few years older, in her early twenties, whereas Lady Eugenia was not yet twenty.
She knew when anyone looked at them, even the “possible prospects for potential husbands”, they could see the difference between their social standings, simply from their attire and the way Lady Eugenia held herself with pride and class.
Despite her position as a lady herself, Hestia was fully aware her family did not hold the same social graces as the Viscount of Culross, Lady Eugenia’s father. That prestige fell on Lady Eugenia, giving her the appearance of brilliance that Hestia could not muster.
She knew she was attractive on the exterior and was confident enough in herself. She knew she had to take care of herself. She desired a secure future, one that she knew her father would not provide. Any inheritance he bestowed would be a pittance and certainly not enough to attract a suitor in and of itself, nor would she be able to live on it for more than a few months at most.
So in order for her to know she would not starve to death or die on a street corner in the cold, Hestia swallowed her pride and took the job as Lady Eugenia’s companion. She did not truly mind. She tried to think of it as an adventure, a temporary experience that would lead her to greater things.
She tried to think that, at least.
On the other hand, if she died a spinster, she would not be surprised by that either.
But she wanted to think of it in the most positive of lights. The first years of her life had been so dismal and gray. She did not want to dwell in negativity all her life. Someday, she would find happiness and love. Someday.
In the meantime, she sat beside Lady Eugenia, admiring the lovely dresses the other women were wearing, happy that the lady she’d chosen to be companions with was not a spiteful or boring young woman.
Her conversation was easy and light. She was not negative in any way.
“How are you finding the party so far, Hestia?” Lady Eugenia asked the question without turning her head and looking at Hestia. If she had not said her name, Hestia would not have known she was even being addressed.
“It has been such little time, Lady Eugenia, that I do not know how I feel yet. I am seeing many familiar faces, though.”
“I am sure you are.”
Hestia heard a distinct change in Lady Eugenia’s voice when she said that. It made Hestia curious what her young friend was thinking about.
“I have seen some familiar faces, as well,” Lady Eugenia remarked. “But I do not know if there are any new men in the house. There are several different rooms open to guests, are there not?”
Hestia nodded. “Yes, that is right. And the grounds outside, they are perfect for a nice stroll. Have you seen Lord Faulkner’s beautiful flower garden? I was simply amazed by it.”
Lady Eugenia gave Hestia a close look. “When did you see the garden, Hestia? Were you not in the necessary?”
Hestia chuckled. “Yes, I was. I am speaking of the ride here. Did you not see it in the garden, just to our left as we were coming up in the coach?”
Lady Eugenia gave her a slightly frustrated look. “I did not get a chance to see it.”
Hestia jumped to her feet. She held one hand out to Lady Eugenia. “Shall we go see it? There is plenty of time left to the day. I do not see why we cannot go exploring just a bit on our own. Who is to object?”
Lady Eugenia’s eyes widened a bit and she looked around her at the other guests. No one was paying any attention to her. She smiled and took Hestia’s hand.
“Yes, we should go for a walk in this beautiful flower garden, Hestia.”
When she looped her elbow around Hestia’s, she leaned close and whispered softly. “Thank you, my dear. I was beginning to feel a bit left out. Let us hope there is not a new scandal for everyone to focus on. Sometimes I feel like I cannot even sleep because of the discourse I hear all around me.”
She looked at Hestia a
s they walked. “Tell me something, Hestia. Do you really enjoy being my companion? I am asking if you truly enjoy it. I know you are happy and content. At least, I think you are. You are, are you not?”
She smiled timidly. Hestia had to chuckle softly. “You are a silly girl, my lady, of course I enjoy working with you.”
Lady Eugenia’s face fell a little and she drooped her eyelids. “So you consider this to be work?”
Hestia looked at her friend, wondering how in the world she was supposed to answer such a question without hurting Lady Eugenia’s feelings. Of course, she considered it working. It was a job, after all. She was being paid.
