“What are you still waiting for, child?” Margaret asked. “Give it to your sister. His Grace and his mother will arrive soon.”
Regan took off the trinket and handed it to her sister. Katherine gave her a scoffing laugh and faced the mirror.
“I am pretty certain the duke will fall in love with me more,” Katherine declared as she put on the necklace.
*****
Warin Tindale, the Duke of Derbyshire, paced his breath as he watched Katherine Knowles descend the stairs of their London mansion. She looked more stunning than when he first saw her, about a year ago. She looked more graceful and fashionable. His future wife took a ladyship lesson under Madam Juliette School for the Ladies in Paris in preparation for their marriage. He smiled. The school had taught her well, he thought.
“Your Grace,” Katherine greeted him. Her smile was soft and sweet – no – flirtatious.
He bowed and replied, “Miss Katherine.”
When he looked up, he caught a glimpse of Katherine’s younger sister. Regan. He was not sure if it was her name. He frowned when he noticed how plainly Regan dressed. He certainly would like to think that he was not petty, but he had to admit that he felt a little snubbed that the young woman did not seem to be thrilled to have a duke visit them. Women in London would dress in flashy – even gaudy -- clothing to get his attention, even Katherine. Was she mocking him? Was she telling him that he was not worthy of her attention?
“Your Grace, is there a problem?” Katherine asked.
Warin smiled and shook his head. He looked at Regan and said, “Miss Regan.” He gave her a cocky smile and added, “I did not recognize you there. I thought you were a maid.”
“Warin,” the old duchess hushed her son.
Regan looked at Warin. His turquoise eyes locked with her dark chocolate-colored eyes. The corner of his lips curved a genuine smile. Though her eyes were not blue, they were as beautiful as Katherine’s – perhaps, even more, he thought.
“I’m sorry, your grace,” Margaret quickly put in, “My youngest child’s sense of fashion is the opposite of her sister’s.”
“I quite agree,” Lady Tindale answered after giving Regan’s outfit a quick scrutiny.
Regan did not say a word. Instead, she just gave the old duchess a slight bow. Warin felt a twinge of compassion for the young woman. The youngest lady in the room felt insecure. It certainly looked like it, and she may have a good reason to. Katherine, Margaret and Grace all had golden hairs, only Regan had brown. The other ladies wore fashionable gowns except for her.
He took a long stare at the younger sister. She was beautiful, too. She could be an acceptable wife for a duke. He would have settled for her if James Knowles had presented her first. But, his mother chose Katherine because of her hair. Lady Tindale wanted to have an heir with golden hair, just like hers. She believed that it would only be possible if he married someone with golden hair.
The choice was undoubtedly better, he thought. Katherine was the most beautiful lady he had set his eyes on. To have her as a wife would be a manly feat for any man. He let go of a proud smile. Why would I settle for the second when I have the best?
But, as he took another glance of Regan, a question crossed his mind. Why was he even thinking about her?
*****
Regan sat in the corner of the drawing room as she listened to the elders draw the marriage articles for Katherine and Warin. The articles were mostly about the merging of Lady Tindale’s businesses and the Knowles shipping company.
Lady Tindale only agreed for her son to marry a commoner to secure the merchandising business she inherited from her parents. She was a commoner before she married the late duke. If she wished to manage their business, she would have to renounce her aristocracy. She had no plans of doing it. Hence, the arranged marriage.
Regan looked at the couple at the far end of the drawing room. She felt her heart tighten as she watched Katherine caress and smile at Warin. She knew that her sister was only pretending. It was no secret that Katherine had no feelings for Warin.
Katherine only wanted to be a member of the aristocrat society. She managed to befriend some noble women by giving them unique gifts from overseas. Like her mother, she wanted a title of her own.
Regan looked at Warin. She wanted to hit him in the head. How could he be so stupid? She wanted him to see the truth about the engagement. She wanted him to notice how she cherished him since the first day they met. But, she could not blame him. Katherine was beautiful. Katherine was magnetic.
“At the end of fall, we will have a wedding then,” Lady Tindale declared.
Regan almost dropped her teacup. Katherine’s betrothal to Warin was official. Her hope that the duke would fall in love with her vanished. She looked at the engaged couple. While Warin looked excited about the agreement, Katherine seemed surprised.
“Isn’t it too soon?” Katherine asked.
“His Grace is already seven and twenty. He needs to have an heir as soon as possible,” Lady Tindale answered.
“The end of fall would be a lovely time to get married,” Margaret answered. She glared quickly at Katherine and added, “But, Lady Tindale. I wish that the Duke and my daughter be married in London. I want the ton to know that you heartily accepted my daughter as your son’s wife.”
Regan twitched her lips a little. She knew that her mother was only manipulating the old duchess.
Margaret did not want the ton to know that the duchess had accepted Katherine. She just wanted the ton to witness how her daughter would become the new duchess of Derbyshire.
“Of course, I would love my son to marry in London as well,” Lady Tindale agreed.
“Then, I should let a license be issued as soon as possible,” Margaret happily suggested.
Regan held her skirt to keep her hands from shaking. She could feel her heart being ripped. The engagement was expected. She had long accepted that she could never marry the duke. She even accepted a governess position in a viscount’s home in Leicestershire to forget about the duke. But, losing the man she adored for years was more painful than she ever imagined.
Chapter Two
Regan awoke when she heard the rustle in her room. She quickly rushed to the window and opened the corner. When the moonlight shone in her room, she found Katherine searching something in her closet.
“Katherine,” Regan whispered.
“I need to borrow your clothes,” Katherine told her.
“Why? You have more beautiful gowns than me.”
Katherine took one of the dark reddish-brown dresses made with Indian muslin. It was a gift from her father. “I’m taking this.”
“No, Katherine. I am to use that on the day I leave for Leicestershire,” Regan said.
Katherine did not listen. Instead, she undressed and slipped on Regan’s dress. “This does not look good on you. I don’t know why father bought it for you instead of me.”
Regan walked towards Katherine. She placed her hands on the hem of the dress. Katherine already had the duke. She was not going to let her have the dress she treasured, too.
“Take it off, please,” Regan pleaded.
“If you want me to take it off, rip it off me,” Katherine challenged.
Regan wanted to rip the dress off. It was better than letting Katherine have it. But, she hesitated. She let go of the dress.
Katherine flashed a victorious smile. She walked out of the room wearing the dress.
Regan knew that Katherine was going to sneak out of the house again. Madelene, her lady’s maid, said that her sister had frequented the new coffeehouse, where foreign gentlemen lounged.
It was not the first time that Katherine had snuck out. She frequented coffee houses and even inns before her arranged betrothal. When she was caught, her mother sent her to Paris. The nobility and the wealthy people in ton thought that it was to prepare Katherine for her marriage to the duke. But, she was sent away to hush the rumors that she was a wench.
She wanted
to run to her mother’s chamber and tell her that Katherine had snuck out of the house. Maybe if she did, her mother might cancel the wedding. Perhaps, her mother may convince Lady Tindale that she was a better choice. In the end, she let go of the idea. Her mother would not take her side. She never did.
For her mother, she was the bad luck while Katherine was the good one. When Katherine was born, her father’s shipping company became the main company that transferred goods to and from India. But, on the day she was born, two of the biggest shipments were lost at sea. Her mother, who had not known any hardship since birth, had to live three arduous years while their father struggled to revive his business. If Katherine’s engagement would be rescinded, her mother might blame it on her luck.
*****
“We should cancel the wedding,” James said.
James caught Katherine before she could leave the house. He was enraged that his daughter was returning to her old ways again.
“You cannot cancel the wedding,” Margaret strongly objected.
James looked at his wife. He shook his head. If he only had the courage to break his wife’s decision, he would not agree to the engagement. He never wanted any of his daughters to marry the duke. Though the late Duke Reginald Tindale was one of his closest friends, he was not fond of his son. He witnessed how Warin grew up.
The young duke, though intelligent, only followed his mother. He did not have the backbone to overrule his mother’s decision. He let her rule Derbyshire while he enjoyed fashion, wealth and the countless women that begged for his attention. No father would want him for his daughter.
“How can she marry him? If Lady Tindale discovered the kind of woman she is becoming, the duchess will annul this engagement herself,” James pointed.
Margaret glared at Katherine. She walked to her husband and gently rubbed her palms on his arms.
“Katherine has done no damage tonight. Why would you stop the wedding?” Margaret said in her usual calm, manipulative tone. “In fact, the marriage to the duke is the answer. If she becomes a wife, she will learn how to contain herself and act like a woman.”
Katherine’s lips twitched down. She was ready to marry the duke, but she did not expect that it would be too soon. London was flourishing. There were a lot of things to enjoy and to witness. She would not be able to enjoy them after the wedding.
Also, Lady Tindale ordered that Katherine should stay in Derbyshire until she produced an heir. She did not plan to be a plain duchess. She did not want to just wait for her duke to come home from London. Being a plain wife was something for Regan, but not for her. She looked at her sister, who was quietly sitting in a corner of her father’s study. She secretly frowned at her.
Regan and she were not like the sisters she read in the books. They did not adore each other. Regan was closer to her lady’s maid and the rest of the servants in the house than her. Though her younger sister did nothing bad to her, she hated how she remained sweet despite being simple. Most of all, their father adored her more.
Every time James arrived from India, Regan would receive better fabrics and trinkets. He would spend the afternoon teaching her about how their shipping company operated. He would take her to the circulatory libraries in town. Every one commended Regan for being as intelligent as her father.
Katherine was always left with her mother. Margaret forced her to learn how to dance when all she wanted was to play. She wanted to climb trees or to swim in the river, just like Regan, but her mother prohibited it. Climbing trees and swimming on the river were not one of the things a noble lady would do. Her father did not stand up for her. He always let his wife have her way with Katherine.
So, when her father opened the discussion of an arranged marriage with the duke and Regan boldly presented herself, Katherine decided to steal the opportunity from her. She had sacrificed her childhood to be a part of the aristocrats and she was not letting her sister get the glory. Further, she found it amusing that her sister, who had been infatuated with the duke for years, would be jealous all her life. But, is it worth it? The question crossed her mind.
“Fine. But, you better behave from now on, young lady,” James warned.
*****
A coach stopped in front of the Knowles’s residence. Regan’s heart leaped and her breathing hastened when Warin stepped out. Stop. She told her racing heartbeat. Still, she could not stop her thrill at seeing the duke again.
“How do I look?” She unknowingly asked her maid.
“Dirty,” her lady’s maid, Madelene, answered.
“Huh?”
“You asked how you look,” Madelene reminded her. “You look dirty.”
Regan pouted at Madelene. She puffed a breath. Of all days, she chose to garden on the day the duke visited. She looked at Warin. Her heart beat faster when she caught him looking at her. She blushed. Now, he would probably think I am a gardener. The last time the duke came, he thought she was a maid.
“Go on, Miss Regan,” Madelene told her. “You should give the duke a proper curtsy.”
“Looking like this?”
“Do not be offended, Miss, but I do not think he would care,” Madelene said with a laugh.
Regan glared at her maid and walked towards the duke. As she approached him, her heart thumped even louder. It was almost pleading with her to confess her attraction to the duke. She almost did when Warin flashed a striking smile at her.
“Your Grace,” Regan greeted.
“Miss Regan,” Warin replied. “You were gardening, I see.”
“Yes, your grace. I was planting blueberries,” Regan answered. She tried not to choke as her heart was about to jump out of her throat. It was the longest conversation she had had with the duke so far. “They are best planted at the beginning of fall.”
“I am aware. My father and I used to plant some of them when I was young,” Warin happily told her.
“It is wonderful to know, Your Grace,” Regan said. “Actually, it was the late duke who gave me my first twig to plant.”
“You met my father? Then, we have met before when we were younger?”
Regan’s face fell. She had met the late duke countless times when she and her father went fishing in the rivers of Derbyshire, but she only met Warin in the ball. It broke her heart that he did not have any memory of their first meeting.
“No, I believe we have not,” Regan lied.
“I would have loved to meet you back then,” Warin said.
“I, as well, Your Grace,” Regan replied with a soft smile.
“Your Grace,” Katherine called. She glared at Regan and added, “Regan, why did you let His Grace stay under the scorching sun?” She slid her arms on the duke’s elbow and added, “I am sorry. Regan can be ignorant sometimes.”
With Katherine’s entry, the longest conversation Regan ever had with the duke ended. She smiled at the duke and uttered, “My apologies, Your Grace.”
“There is nothing to apologize for. Rather, I have to thank you for a wonderful conversation,” Warin happily answered. “I will bring you some blueberry twigs when I come back.”
Wonderful conversation? The duke’s words rang like a cathedral bell in Regan’s ears. Her heart danced along with the beat. Alas, the duke had seen her and wanted to see her again.
Chapter Three
“Are you sure you want to be a governess?” James asked Regan.
Regan nodded. Her father called her out to his study to discuss her plan to become a governess in Leicestershire. It was the third time that her father had asked about her decision. She tried to reconsider, but she wanted to be away after her sister’s wedding. Katherine’s marriage to the duke would be the end of her one-sided romance. She would need time alone to find a new romance, though she doubted if she could.
“Then, I shall send word to Lord Hewitt that you will accept the position after your sister’s wedding,” James said.
“Thank you, father.”
James sighed. “Are you still infatuated with the duke?�
�� he asked.
Regan clenched her teeth. Why did everyone think that she was only infatuated with the duke? She had no chance to show her feelings, but they were far deeper than infatuation. She gave her father a pretentious smile and shook her head.
“Do you detest me for presenting Katherine instead?” James asked.
Regan shook her head again. She understood her father. For him, their mother was the queen. He was willing to give her everything that could make her happy. It was the least he could do to pay for what he did to their mother.
Margaret, a daughter of a wealthy merchant, wanted to marry a viscount to attain nobility. James was a plain, stout and rich commoner. He was too plain for the beautiful and charming Margaret, but he was very much in love with her. He lured her father into gambling, until the latter was indebted to him. Then, he asked for Margaret’s hand as a payment. She did not want to live a poor life and so, she married him. He showered her with gifts and spoiled her to make her fall in love with him. Now that Margaret wanted her daughter to be the duchess of Derbyshire, he was going to make it happen.
“I know you did it for mother and Katherine,” Regan answered.
“I did it for you, too,” James added. Regan turned to her father with curious eyes. James held her hand and said, “He is not the right man for you. You need a man who will listen to your opinions and not a man who would only see your beauty.”
Regan smiled heartily at her father. When she was young, her mother berated her father for letting her read a lot and for letting her share her opinion when she wanted to. Margaret claimed that a woman should only be educated about the management of her home and not about politics, and other things that men dominated. But, James believed otherwise.
“I’ve known Warin since he was a child. He is not interested in women’s opinions,” James continued. “What he wants is a woman who would only satisfy his needs.”
“Katherine is not that kind of woman. Though she is wild, she is very opinionated.”
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