The Way to Capture a Marquess's Heart: A Historical Regency Romance Book

by Bridget Barton

  After just a second of hesitation, Violet returned her sister's embrace, her sigh deep. “What shall I do with you, Alice? I wish for you to be happy as well, but our ideas of happiness seem miles different.”

  “We should change the subject and speak of something that will bring a smile to our faces. I do not know why I am stressed about this situation when I know that it can never develop anyway.”

  “What do you mean by that?”

  “Luke is not interested in marriage, Vi. Neither does he believe in love. These are some of the things that we have in common. He sees me as a friend, and that is how I choose to remain. He must never know of my tendre for him.”

  “Very well, it shall be our secret. However, if he shows signs of liking you, then I shall not remain silent.”

  “I know that it will not happen, therefore I accept your conditions.”

  Violet laughed. “Why, thank you, kind lady. That is most gracious of you.”

  Alice was glad that they were no longer arguing. It was a foolish thing to quarrel over a man who saw her as nothing more than a friend. It didn't matter that she felt something for him. Time was the antidote to her predicament, and she must embrace it.

  Chapter 9

  Alice had calmed down considerably since the day of her conversation with Violet. She had been right. Time certainly helps when you find yourself in a trying position. It also helped that she had not seen Luke for quite some time, but she was not sure how to feel about it. Did this mean that he had tired of her already? And why should she care? Was this not what she wanted?

  Seeing him too soon would have confused her, but not seeing him at all after two weeks was worrying. Alice still would have liked to be friends with him, for she enjoyed his company. But if he did not wish to see her, there was not much she could do about it. Her refusal to attend a ball should also be factored into his prolonged absence, she reasoned.

  Violet had continued to attend the season's balls, giving her a detailed account of everything. Alice had not asked her to do so, but every night that her sister returned from a ball, she would sneak into her room and wake her up to tell her of her night.

  Not that she was sleeping. Alice would pretend to be asleep in anticipation of her sister coming into her room. Violet was careful to keep Luke out of her descriptions, although she had slipped up once. Now, Alice wished to hear everything about him. Did he ask about her? Was he interested in anyone? He may have said that he did not wish to marry, but there was always the chance of him falling in love. Though she will have to be extraordinary, as Alice could not see him wanting to marry any mediocre woman.

  Did she know of any women who might attract his attention? No, because she had never bothered with the guest attendance before now.

  Alice rolled onto her back to stare at her bedroom ceiling. Violet was taking longer than usual to return home tonight, but as she was not tired, it was no hardship to wait for her. Her sister was at yet another ball – the third this week – and she showed no signs of stopping. At her mother's insistence, her father had stopped attending balls where he knew that the temptation to gamble would be great. It had been surprising to Alice that he had agreed to the condition, especially as he was one to do as he pleased.

  Mama must have given him some sort of an ultimatum that forced him to agree, or he may never have done so. What kind of ultimatum would that have been? Her mother probably had tricks up her sleeve that she was not aware of. Alice suppose her mother gave meaning to never judge a book by its cover.

  Alice heard the door downstairs open and close, letting in the voice of her sister and Mrs Jersey. Goodness! What a hustle and bustle they made. You would think that there were far more than just two women. Alice knew that it would take her sister thirty to forty-five minutes to prepare for bed, and she was feeling just a tiny bit tired, so she decided to take a little nap.

  Alice came to with a start, feeling someone tap her arm.

  “Wake up, Alice!” her sister insisted. “I have something to tell you.”

  “Yes, yes, I am awake. Give me a moment to get my bearings, please.” Alice rubbed the sleep from her eyes, sitting up to see her sister kneeling on her bed.

  “Are you awake, yet? Do not say tomorrow that you did not hear me.”

  “I am awake as I shall ever be. What is so important that you need to make sure that I hear you? You are not usually so insistent, Vi.”

  “I know, but what I have to tell you is something that you will want to hear.”

  “Go ahead, I am listening.”

  “Firstly, it is about Luke.”

  “Go on.”

  “It seems that there is a woman who has set her eyes on him.”

  A knot immediately formed in her stomach. “A woman? W-well, why should I care?”

  “Alice, I know that you have said that you would rather I not tell you anything about Luke, but I also know that you have also wished that I do tell you something about him. You still like him, thus I thought it imperative that I tell you that someone is hoping to marry him.”

  There was that terrible feeling again. Luke getting married had only been a thought, but what her sister was telling her meant that it could become a reality. Alice gave herself a few moments before she answered. She did not wish to come across as too concerned.

  “Well, if Luke is interested in her as well, then it is his decision.”

  “From what I could see, he was as interested in her as you are concerning fashion.”

  A wonderful light and warm feeling started in her belly, spreading throughout her body. She did not necessarily know what it meant for her, but at least there was no other woman yet.

  “Are you happy, Alice?”

  "Why would I be happy?"

  “Do you realise how impossible you are? Do you know what this even means?”

  “You are going to have to tell me for I do not know.”

  “It means that he likes you better, of course. You can be rather obtuse when it comes to men, Alice.”

  “Obtuse is a strong word to use.”

  “But apt. I am still somewhat worried about the woman, Alice. From what I have heard, she does not take no for an answer. Her name is Rose Charpentier, and she is a real beauty, the type of fair loveliness that men lose their minds over.”

  Alice’s insecurities about her appearance surfaced. They were the same insecurities that had plagued her when Henry had left her for a fair beauty. Her dark hair and chartreuse eyes were no match for these women. It was only reasonable that men chose them over her. Alice needed to know just what the woman looked like and, judging by her surname, she was either French or had French ancestry.

  “Violet, can you tell me what she looks like?”

  Her sister paused. “Is it really necessary? If Luke does not like her, then you should not worry about it.”

  “Does she look like Bridgette?” she asked quietly.

  “Why do you insist on bringing up old issues, Alice? She has blonde hair, blue eyes, and skin that many would call peaches and cream. So, in that regard, they look alike. Are you happy now?”

  Alice remained silent. Violet would not understand how she felt because she had never experienced the kind of pain that she had. She had never experienced public rejection and humiliation as she had, and she likely never would. A proposal from Gregory was expected any day now, and already their mother was thinking of Violet's trousseau. Her sister would need a new set of everything before leaving the house and becoming a wife, and her mother would ensure that. Patterns and colours were being discussed, what material would fare better in which season, and the accessories that could potentially accompany each item of clothing. It was an exciting time indeed for the family, and Alice felt terrible for being the one to bring down the mood.

  She should learn to set aside her own feelings so that her sister would not need to concern herself. “It would not be a surprise to me if Luke grows to like her, and if he does not, then it is all the same to me. I wish him ever
y happiness in life.”

  Violet's brow was deeply furrowed as she looked at her and Alice could see that her sister did not believe a word she had said. But she had to convince her for her own sake. She could not continue to discuss Luke without being affected by it. It was best that she did not think about him at all.

  "You do know with whom you are speaking, Alice? I am your sister, the one who knows your every secret, pain and joy. Even when you do not tell me everything, I know when there is something wrong. Have your feelings for Luke truly disappeared, or are you trying to ignore them?"

  "Violet, he is a good man – there is no denying that truth. However, if he is meant to marry another woman or me, then it will happen. No amount of speaking about something over and over again will change anything. I shall be happy with whatever he chooses to do. Now, let us speak of you and Gregory. Was he at the ball tonight?"

  Her sister narrowed her eyes for a second before settling into the bed, drawing the covers over her. “I have a lot to talk about, so I shall sleep right here beside you.”

  “Oh, no. You are not one to sleep next to, Vi. I will either find myself without a bed or without covers.”

  “Do stop complaining and hear what I have to say. You talk far too much.”

  “Is the kettle calling the pot black? But never mind, continue with your usual descriptions of the ball.”

  “Well, Gregory was there looking handsome as usual. He brought a bouquet of flowers for me – they are downstairs in a vase. You will see them later.”

  Violet spoke very late into the morning with little input from her. Her sister seemed to understand that she did not wish to talk much about anything for her mind was preoccupied with thoughts of Luke. Alice tried her best to forget about what Violet had said, but it was not a simple thing to do.

  She was right in not attending any balls, or she might have seen the woman. She could not label her as her competition when she had not pursued Luke, and neither had he pursued her. He was free to choose who he believed would make him the perfect wife, if he decided to marry, and Alice would congratulate him on his match. Now she only needed her heart to understand this.

  ***

  Luke had had just about enough of his father's ways. The man had gone too far, and yet he felt not an ounce of shame for his actions. “Are you not remorseful at all?” he asked.

  "Why should I be? Lord Campbell came to me to discuss his debt, and he gave me a solution that I believed favourable for everyone. What is there to be remorseful about?"

  Luke walked away from his father to lean against his desk. His father had come to see him at his own house under the pretence of speaking about business when he really wished to discuss his upcoming marriage. He snorted. Upcoming marriage? Alice had no notion of this. How could they speak of marriage?

  “Look at me when I speak to you, Luke.”

  “Forgive me, Father, but I cannot do so at this moment.”

  He was struggling to keep his cool, as it were. His father needed to give him some time.

  "You are being melodramatic, Son. People get married every day. What is so special about you and this woman?"

  Luke whirled around. “Have you become so hardened that you fail to see the issue here?”

  “What? What issue is there? I have done you a favour, Luke.”

  "A favour? You consider forcing someone into marriage as a favour?"

  “She is a beautiful woman. What is there to complain about?”

  "Oh, well. That certainly makes all the difference. Let us write to the newspaper and request that they do a full interview about how selfless you are!"

  “Luke,” his father warned. “There is no need for this sarcasm. Instead of complaining and giving me ridiculous excuses, you should make your move and marry the woman.”

  “Marry the woman, he says,” Luke muttered. “As if it is so easy.”

  “Campbell and I can set up a meeting between the two of you where you can discuss your betrothal. You can be married before the year is out at the most, or at the end of the season at the earliest. What say you?”

  “When pigs fly,” Luke said under his breath.

  "Speak up, boy! Do you agree? I shall send a note to Campbell today and tell him to speak to his daughter –"

  “You will do no such thing, Father!”

  “Very well, you can organise it on your own. You are a grown man, after all. You can do it yourself.”

  Was his father purposely not listening to him? He was actually smiling as though everything was as simple as he said it was. Had the man gone stark staring mad?

  "Father, please. You need to listen to what I am going to say to you. If Alice finds out about this deal, she will believe that her father sold her out, that he used her as a bargaining chip. What child wishes to be treated in this way by their own parent?"

  “That is exactly why she must never find out, Luke. I trust you to keep this to yourself when you court the girl.”

  “Court Alice? Have you forgotten that I do not wish to get married?”

  His father sighed. “Are you still talking about that hogwash? You are my son, the son of a duke. There is nothing else more important in your life than to get married and produce heirs to continue the family name.”

  “Am I also your bargaining chip, Father?” Luke asked quietly. “Have you renounced me as your son in favour of a few thousand pounds and a title?” Luke was beginning to see that gambling and drinking had taken its toll on his father.

  “It is because you are my son that I am doing this for you. Do you think I made this decision lightly? I would have never agreed to it just for the sake of money. For goodness sake, I have more than enough money. Campbell was the one to approach me, and I thought it a good idea to find you a beautiful wife and end your bachelor days. You are now five and twenty, Luke. It is time that you found a wife and settled down.”

  His father was so intent on getting him married that he had forgotten his own past. “At what age did you get married to mother, Father?”

  “Two and forty, you know that.”

  Luke shook his head. “No, I speak of your first marriage.”

  His father narrowed his eyes at him. "I hardly see why that matters. I knew my duty, and I got married. You are the son of a duke. Therefore you must get married."

  “And yet, look what happened to you.”

  His father's face turned beet red. He raised his finger and pointed it at Luke, spittle flying from his mouth as he spoke. “How dare you speak to me in this manner!”

  "No, Father. How dare you meddle in my life! You may stay in my home for as long as you like. I am going out."

  Luke turned on his heel and left his spluttering father behind him. It took him less than ten minutes to get to his horse, saddle him, and ride out of the gate. He did not know where he was going, but he needed to think.

  ***

  Alice was regretting her decision to go out with her sister and Gregory to Hyde Park. It was less her choice and more of Violet nearly pushing her out of the door. Her sister insisted that she would become ill from being cooped up in the house for so long and that she needed her to be healthy and lively for when her wedding would eventually take place. Alice knew that Violet was worried about her.