“I expect that she will not remain on the Marriage Mart for long, but I do hope that she will be settled soon.”
“Yes,” Nathaniel said, choosing his words carefully, so as not to suggest any particular interest in Lady Maude, while still being polite. “Well, I do hope that she will be happy in her eventual marriage.”
Berwick seemed to understand that Nathaniel was not interested in this line of discussion and soon changed the subject to horses. Nathaniel hoped very much that he had not just offended a new political ally. He was relieved to see that Berwick remained just as friendly as ever as they continued to talk, but Nathaniel could not help but wonder if the subject of Lady Maude might come up again at future meetings.
Chapter 26
Anna was eager for her walk in the park with the Duke of Yanborough and Bridget. Unable to wait patiently, she left the boarding house earlier than necessary and arrived at the park before either of her companions.
She decided to wait for them by the edge of the pond, just as Bridget had done the last time they met. She watched a few ducks swimming in the water and thought that they must be very cold. As she pulled her shawl tightly around her shoulders, she imagined the Duke’s arms wrapping around her instead.
What might it be like to be held by him? I long for nothing more than to press my body close to his.
Anna allowed herself to indulge in this fantasy for a moment before pulling her mind back to reality.
A short time later, Bridget strode toward her with a smile on her face. “I knew that you would be early,” she said, sounding rather pleased with herself.
Anna smiled at this, and greeted Bridget warmly. They waited together, and the Duke arrived only a few minutes later, looking especially handsome with his dark hair tousled by the wind.
“Good afternoon, Your Grace,” Anna said, as he approached. “May I introduce my friend, Miss Bridget Rowley,”
“Good afternoon, Miss Conolly,” the Duke said, smiling at her. “Miss Rowley.”
“Your Grace,” Bridget said. “You may not remember me, but we met briefly at the party on the closing night of the ballet. It is a pleasure to see you again.”
A slightly confused look seemed to cross his face, but he soon composed himself, saying, “Yes, of course, it was lovely party.”
Anna supposed that he must not have remembered meeting Bridget, but was too polite to say so. No doubt he had met too many people that evening to remember them all. She glanced at Bridget to see if she would be offended, but saw that her friend looked perfectly happy.
As they set off for their walk through the park, Bridget made polite conversation with the Duke, and he told her of his newfound interest in the ballet. After a few minutes of this, Bridget’s pace slowed down slightly, so that she fell behind Anna and the Duke.
They continued to walk, and Anna glanced over her shoulder to see that Bridget was following several paces behind them.
“It was kind of your friend to act as our chaperone,” the Duke said.
“Yes,” Anna agreed. “Miss Rowley has always been a good friend to me, and I was very pleased when she offered. I do love to walk in this park, but Mrs. Hughes would not have been able to come with us.”
“Ah, well I am glad that Miss Rowley is here then, else we could not have come here,” the Duke said gravely. “I would not like to miss such beautiful scenery.”
The scenery at the park was quite beautiful, with the sun’s reflection shimmering on the surface of the pond. The trees that surrounded the edge of the park were in full Autumn colors, the leaves a riot of red, gold, and orange. But the Duke did not seem to be looking at any of these things—his eyes were focused on Anna.
When they had first met at the party, the Duke’s intense gaze had made her feel exposed, as though she were standing naked in front of the crowd of people present. Now, she no longer felt embarrassed by that look, but returned his gaze just as intensely.
They continued to walk in silence for a time, but though they did not speak, Anna felt that they were communicating with one another all the same. It was as though waves of energy were passing between them, and she felt a connection to the Duke that was unlike anything else she had ever experienced. After a few moments, the Duke spoke again, and Anna felt that she was being pulled back to earth after floating above it for some time.
“Do you have much left to do to prepare for your trip to Wiltshire?” he asked.
“No, Your Grace,” she said. “I have written to my mother to tell her when I am coming, and I will only need to pack a few things.”
“That is good,” the Duke said, and then he seemed to hesitate before continuing, “Will you write to me while you are away?”
“Your Grace,” Anna said, surprised by this request. “I will only be gone for a few days. If I send a letter, I may very well return to London before it does.”
The Duke laughed at this, and Anna joined him, for his laughter was a most captivating sound, and she found that she could not resist it.
“I suppose that is true,” he conceded. “Still, I have come to enjoy our conversations so much, and I shall miss you while you are away.”
Anna looked at him, searchingly, for a moment before she replied. “I shall miss you as well, Your Grace.”
She had not been embarrassed by his intense gaze, but she now found herself blushing at the words he spoke. She knew that she ought not to have told him that she would miss their conversations, but she could not deny the truth of the statement.
“Well, I suppose that I shall have to call upon you just as soon as you return to London, then,” the Duke said, sounding resolute, as though he had just come up with the solution to a complex problem.
“I would like that very much, Your Grace,” Anna said.
She meant what she had said, but all the same, she wondered how long this could go on. Yesterday had seemed interminable with no visit from the Duke, but she could hardly expect him to pay her a visit every day for the rest of her life. In time he would marry the daughter of another Duke, or the sister of an Earl, and whoever his wife might be, she would not like him to pay social calls to a ballerina.
“Then it is settled,” the Duke said cheerfully, as they continued to walk along the sunny path.
The rest of the walk was very pleasant, indeed. The air was chilly and refreshing, but the sun shone on them brightly, keeping Anna from feeling uncomfortably cold.
As they walked, they talked pleasantly of Anna’s upcoming trip to Wiltshire. Anna shared stories of the childhood friends she had not seen in two years, and the Duke seemed to be fascinated by the mundane details of village life.
When the sun was low in the sky, and their shadows had grown long, they agreed that they must return to their homes. However, both Anna and the Duke expressed their regret at parting, for it seemed that they would not see each other again until Anna returned from Wiltshire.
When the Duke had set off in one direction, toward his townhouse, Bridget moved closer to Anna so that they were standing side by side. She offered to walk with Anna back to the boarding house, and Anna accepted the offer with a smile.
“What did you think of the Duke?” Anna asked, as they walked.
“He is even more handsome than I remembered,” Bridget said, arching one eyebrow at Anna.
“Hmm…” Anna said, her lips pursed. “You know that is not what I meant.”
“I know. I am sorry,” Bridget said, laughing gaily. Anna could not help but laugh along with her.
After a moment, when their laughter had died down, Bridget said, “I can see that he is quite taken with you, but I think that he seems to be an honest gentleman.”
“Do you think that it was a mistake to accept the use of his carriage?” Anna asked.
“No,” Bridget said, sounding quite certain. “I think that you can trust him to behave honorably. If he says that he expects nothing in return, then I think you ought to believe him.”
“I think so, too,” Anna said,
“but I must admit that I feel much more confident knowing that you agree with me. Thank you, Bridget, you are a good friend to me.”
“As you are to me,” Bridget said, smiling broadly at Anna.
Soon after, they arrived at the boarding house, and the two friends parted with kisses on the cheek, and a promise to see each other as soon as Anna returned to London.
Chapter 27
When the day of her journey to Wiltshire finally arrived, Anna felt strangely nervous. She knew that her mother would be pleased to see her, but it was strange to think of returning home after two years away. She wondered whether the village would seem different to her after spending so much time in London. The mere fact that she would be arriving in the small village in the carriage of a Duke was a sign of how much her life had changed since she had left the village.
The carriage would be arriving to take her to Wiltshire at nine o’clock, but Anna had awoken in the wee hours of the morning, and found that she was unable to get back to sleep. She had already packed a small bag with her extra clothes, and she had finished all of her mending earlier in the week, so there was nothing left for her to do as she waited in her room.
Anna dressed quickly to keep out the chill and then sat on her bed, humming to herself and thinking of all the things that she would tell her mother when she arrived in Wiltshire. She wondered whether she ought to tell her about the Duke of Yanborough.
Of course, I can hardly tell her about the stirring I feel, deep in my most intimate places, every time I see him.
Anna had already resolved not to tell her mother that the carriage in which was arriving belonged to the Duke, and she was not inclined to change her position on this point. But she did wonder whether her mother might have some useful advice for her about her visits with the Duke.
Her mother had always said that they were better off without a man in the house, but Anna knew that her mother had been lonely after her husband died. As a child, it had never occurred to Anna to wonder if her mother might wish to fall in love again, but now that she thought back, she wondered if her mother regretted the choice never to remarry.
When she arrived in the kitchen the hour was still quite early. Mrs. Hughes was already there, dressed for the day, and stirring a large pot of porridge over the hearth.
“Good morning,” Anna said brightly, as she entered the kitchen.
“Good morning, Anna,” her landlady replied. “Are you excited for your journey today?”
“I am,” Anna said, smiling warmly at the thought of returning home. “Though I suspect that I will miss London terribly once I am back in the village.”
“I suppose you might,” Mrs. Hughes said. “Though perhaps you will find the space and the fresh air so appealing that you will never return to us.”
“I do not think there is any risk of that,” Anna said, quite truthfully. It was true that London was crowded and dirty, but she loved it here and was sure that she would be eager to return when the time came.
“Well, I am glad to hear that,” Mrs. Hughes replied. “I am sure I would miss you terribly if you did not return.”
“And I would miss you just as much,” Anna assured her, smiling at her fondly.
Mrs. Hughes spooned some porridge into a bowl for Anna, and added a lump of sugar, saying in an undertone, though no one else was present, “Don’t tell the others that I’ve given you sugar in your porridge, or they’ll all want some, but they’re not as sweet as you, so they don’t deserve it.”
Anna laughed at this, knowing perfectly well that Mrs. Hughes would give everyone a pinch of sugar if they asked for it.
“Your secret is safe with me, Mrs. Hughes,” Anna said in a falsely grave tone.
Mrs. Hughes laughed at this, and then returned to stirring the porridge, while Anna ate her breakfast. She wondered whether she would see any of the other tenants before setting off for Wiltshire, but she thought it unlikely. Most of the residents of the boarding house slept late, as they were performers and therefore worked late into the night.
When she had finished her porridge, Anna brought her bowl and spoon to the trough in the back garden to wash them, but she found that the water had frozen overnight, so she brought them back inside. She hoped that the water would melt soon so that she could wash her dishes before leaving.
There was a knock at the front door only a few minutes later and Anna was surprised to discover that it was nearly nine o’clock. Mrs. Hughes went to open the door and Anna took over stirring the porridge in her absence.
When Mrs. Hughes returned to the kitchen a few minutes later, there was a rueful smile on her face as she said, “Your carriage awaits, m’lady.”
Anna laughed aloud at being called “m’lady.” She apologized for leaving the dirty dishes behind, and bid Mrs. Hughes farewell, before picking up her traveling bag and wrapping a shawl about her shoulders.
When she arrived in the entryway, Anna was surprised to find the Duke of Yanborough waiting for her. She had expected him to send the carriage and coachman on their own.
“Your Grace, it is a pleasure to see you again,” Anna said, curtsying when she saw him.
“I assure you that the pleasure is entirely mine, Miss Conolly,” the Duke said, bowing slightly.
“I did not realize that you would be coming this morning, Your Grace,” Anna said, feeling a bit foolish as she did. It was, after all, his carriage, why should she assume that he would not come?
“I had not planned to,” the Duke said, with a shrug of his broad shoulders, “but I decided that I had best see that you set off safely on your journey.”
“But what about you, Your Grace? How will you get home if I take the carriage?”
“I do not mind walking,” the Duke said. “Although, if you would be amenable, we could ride in the coach together back to my townhouse and you can set off for Wiltshire from there?”
Anna felt a flush spreading in her cheeks as she considered this. She bit her lower lip nervously. She could not deny that she wanted very much to agree to this plan, for it would mean more time with the Duke, and she wanted nothing more than that.
“Of course, if you would rather not, I am perfectly happy to walk home, as I said,” the Duke said, and Anna could see that he was being genuine.
“No, Your Grace, there is no need for you to walk,” Anna said, her heart racing in her chest at the thought of riding in the carriage with him, even if only for a few minutes. They would not be alone, for the coachman would be just a few feet away, but they would be separated from the rest of the world, enclosed in a small compartment together. The thought was thrilling.
The Duke extended his arm, and Anna placed her hand on his arm, allowing him to escort her outside to the waiting carriage. The coachman seemed to notice nothing out of the ordinary about this scene, and merely opened the carriage door for them. Anna climbed in with the help of the Duke, who followed behind her.
Once she was settled in her seat, with the Duke sitting opposite her, and the door to the carriage closed, Anna took a deep breath to steady her nerves. The Duke seemed to be quite comfortable, but he was gazing at her intensely.
Something in the way that he looked at her made Anna feel as though his eyes were actually caressing her body. She could not have explained why she should feel that way, and if she was being perfectly honest with herself, she did not mind the feeling.
“I really must thank you again, Your Grace,” Anna said, “for lending me the use of your carriage.”
“You are most welcome, Miss Conolly,” the Duke replied, still watching her intensely. “Anything that I may do to help you, I am eager to do.”
“That is very kind of you, Your Grace,” Anna said, now returning his stare, feeling bolder than ever before. Her breath was coming quickly now, and she felt warmth radiating through her body.
Anna felt a shiver running up her spine as she looked at the Duke and he looked back at her. She could no longer deny that he was looking at her with unadulterated desire
, nor could she deny that felt exactly the same way. She wanted nothing more than to lean forward, closing the gap between them, and kiss him.
Why did I agree to ride back to his house together? I cannot be trusted alone with him.
Anna was struggling to control herself, and thought that she would not be able to resist temptation for much longer, when the carriage came to a stop. She had been so focused on the Duke that she had not looked out the window to see where they were travelling, so she had not realized that they had pulled up in front of an elegant townhouse.
“Home at last,” the Duke said, though he did not sound particularly happy about it.
Anna took a deep breath to calm herself before speaking. “Thank you for coming to see me off, Your Grace.”
The Art 0f Pleasuring A Duke (Steamy Historical Regency Romance) Page 20
