“He is a patron of the ballet,” Anna said. “The Duke of Yanborough.”
Her mother looked up at that, stopping her work suddenly. “A Duke?” she asked, bemused.
“Yes, Mama,” Anna said, keeping her tone casual. “Many aristocrats are patrons of the ballet.”
“I see,” her mother said. “And are many of them acquaintances of yours?”
“Well, I have met many of them at the parties after our performances. It is part of my job to mingle with them from time to time.”
“Mingle with them,” her mother repeated. “I see. And is it usual for these gentlemen to make generous offers, such as lending the use of their carriages, as a result of this mingling?”
“Well…” Anna said, pausing for a moment, and trying to think of the best way to explain the situation. “No, I would not say that it is usual. But the Duke has been calling upon me from time to time, and I mentioned that I wished to come and see you. And he had no need of his carriage, so he offered it to me.”
“Why has he been calling on you?” her mother asked.
“I suppose because he enjoys my company,” Anna said. “For the same reasons that anyone calls on anyone.”
“In my experience, gentlemen call on pretty girls because they wish to marry them,” her mother said. “Or to form less conventional romantic attachments.”
“Mama,” Anna exclaimed, shocked that her mother would even suggest such a thing. “I have been very clear with the Duke that I will not consent to be his mistress, if you must know. I am not naïve to such things. I know that many gentlemen seek out ballerinas as their mistresses. But as I said, I have been very clear on this matter. And the Duke has made it clear that he does not desire such an arrangement.”
“Well, I doubt that his wife approves of his acquaintance with you,” her mother said.
“The Duke is not married.”
“Oh, I see,” her mother said. “Well, that simplifies things. Or makes them more complicated, I suppose.”
“Mama, what on earth is that supposed to mean?” Anna asked. “And what do you know of aristocrats, in any case?”
“Oh, not much, I suppose,” her mother said, returning to her work. “But I was a chambermaid in a Baron’s household for a few years, and I learned a few things during that time.”
“When was this?” Anna asked, surprised that she had never known this about her mother.
“Oh, years and years ago,” her mother said. “Long before you were even thought of. I was just a young girl, but the Baron was determined that his son should marry the daughter of an Earl—increase the family’s wealth and status.”
“I see…” Anna said, though in truth she did not really see what this had to do with her at all.
“Do you?” her mother asked.
“Perhaps not,” Anna admitted. “Will you enlighten me?”
“The Duke is in love with you,” her mother said, in a matter-of-fact tone. “Or at least, he is smitten by you. And why wouldn’t he be, a pretty girl like you?”
Anna blushed at this but said nothing. She knew that she was pretty, but she also knew that no good came of saying such things aloud.
“Perhaps he really does not wish to make you his mistress, in which case, he must wish to marry you. But if that is the case, he will cause quite a scandal. It was something of a scandal even when the Baron’s son married the daughter of an Earl, but it was overlooked because the Baron’s son was rich.”
“I see…” Anna said, beginning to understand what her mother meant now. “If I were to marry the Duke, the scandal would not be overlooked.”
“I should think not,” her mother said, her eyes still focused on her work.
“And the Dowager Duchess will doubtless do anything in her power to avoid a scandal,” Anna said, more to herself than her mother.
“Ah, you didn’t mention that the Duke’s mother was still alive,” her mother said. “That settles the matter.”
“Well, I admit that it makes the situation more complicated,” Anna said. “But it is not really up to her, is it?”
“Hmm…” Her mother said, through pursed lips, “Perhaps not entirely up to her, but I imagine she will not think so. And nobleman or not, I expect the Duke will not wish to upset his mother.”
Anna considered this as she continued to work on the mending. She had moved away from home and did not consider herself particularly close to her mother. Yet, here she was, visiting her mother and hoping to please her. Her conversations with the Duke about his family had led her to believe that he loved his mother in a dutiful way, and it seemed likely that he would wish to please her as well.
* * *
The remainder of Anna’s visit home was uneventful. She was careful not to mention the Duke to her mother again, and her mother seemed to follow her lead and did not ask about him. They spoke of the weather, and the neighbors, and her mother’s many aches and pains.
Her mother reported that Billy, the boy Anna had been keen on as a girl, was now the village blacksmith. He had married the baker’s daughter and they were expecting their third child. Anna supposed that in the past she would have found this information quite interesting, but now it seemed unimportant.
Anna continued to help her mother with various tasks around the cottage. She vaguely wondered how her mother was managing when she was not at home to help. However, when she tried to ask about this, her mother brushed her concerns away with a wave of her hand.
Anna considered whether she ought to invite her mother to move to London with her. It seemed clear that her mother would not enjoy living in the city, so it would probably be best for her to stay in the village where she felt comfortable. Still, with no family to care for her as she got older, Anna worried what might become of her.
On the final day of her visit, Anna packed up her things in a small bag. She had arranged to meet the carriage coachman at the inn on the edge of the village, which was about a quarter of an hour’s walk from her mother’s cottage.
“Mama, I shall miss you when I’m back in London,” Anna said, as she was preparing to leave.
“I shall miss you too, my lovely,” her mother said, smiling kindly at her daughter.
“I know that you said you would not enjoy life in London,” Anna said, “but perhaps you might like to visit sometime?”
Anna was hoping that if she could convince her mother to visit, she might be able to encourage her to move there eventually. She had a notion that her mother’s aversion to city life had more to do with fear of the unknown than anything else.
“Oh,” her mother said, “well, perhaps some day…”
Anna had hoped for a somewhat more enthusiastic response to her invitation. However, she decided that she ought not push her mother on the matter at the moment. So, she merely said, “I promise to write to you when I get back to town.”
“I know you will, my lovely,” her mother said, and she reached out to stroke her daughter’s hair. Anna closed her eyes for a moment at her mother’s touch. The sensation was one to which she was not accustomed, but it was pleasant nonetheless. She wondered if they might be able to have a closer relationship one day, but could not see how it would be possible while there was so much physical distance between them.
Thoughts of her mother, and how she might connect more with her, stayed with Anna as she walked to the inn to meet the carriage coachman. However, once she had sat down inside and the door was closed, all she could think of was returning to London, and to the Duke.
Could Mama possibly be right about him? Could he possibly wish to marry me?
Anna considered this as she traveled toward the city. Her initial anxiety about the resultant scandal, and the outrage from the Dowager Duchess, was soon driven out of her mind by other thoughts. She could not know whether it was even a possibility, but the thought of sharing her wedding night with the handsome Duke was intoxicating to her.
The motion of the carriage rocked her gently as she imagined what it might
be like to embrace the Duke, to actually touch him. A shiver passed through her, and her skin tingled at the thought. She imagined the Duke’s strong arms wrapping around her, pulling her close, and longed to kiss his full lips.
Chapter 30
Nathaniel was at home when the carriage returned from Wiltshire. He had longed to go to Miss Conolly the moment he knew that she had returned to London, and had only managed to stop himself through an enormous show of will power.
It had been late in the evening when he had learned of her return to town, and Nathaniel knew that it would be most improper to go to Miss Conolly at that hour. He was past the point of caring what others thought, but he did not wish to give her the impression that his intentions were anything other than honorable. Nathaniel knew that he must approach their next meeting with great care.
Nathaniel thought that the night he learned of Miss Conolly’s return to London, before he could see her again, was the longest he had ever endured. He supposed that he must have slept, but it was a restless, fitful sleep. He awoke early and spent the morning pacing, first in his room, and then in the library, counting the minutes until midday when he could properly visit her.
The sky was a steely gray outside the window, but Nathaniel saw no heavy clouds that would indicate oncoming rain. Deciding that some fresh air would do him good, he chose to walk to the boarding house. In addition to providing him with fresh air, this had the added benefit of filling the last of the time before he could see Miss Conolly.
The walk was not long, but Nathaniel felt as though he were moving into a different world. London seemed to change into an entirely different city as he moved from the elegant townhouses of his colleagues and social peers, to the boarding houses and tenements of working people.
This part of the city might be less beautiful to most of his peers, but Nathaniel found it charming in its own way. The people here moved about with a sense purpose that the aristocracy seemed to lack. Children played in the streets while their mothers swept the front steps, or hung laundry to dry out their windows. Everywhere was the sound of cheerful voices.
By the time that he had arrived at the boarding house, Nathaniel was wondering what it might have been like to have this sort of childhood. He could hardly imagine such a thing, but of course, it was the most common thing in the world. He wondered if Miss Conolly had grown up in much the same way. He considered the prospect of learning everything about her over the course of a lifetime, and a thrill of excitement passed over him.
He was imagining the conversations that he might have with Miss Conolly, as well as other things they might do together, when he arrived at the door. Pushing the thought of hours spent together in bed out of his mind, he knocked on the door and was soon greeted by Mrs. Hughes.
“Good day, Your Grace,” she said with a smile and a curtsey.
“Mrs. Hughes, a pleasure to see you again. Is Miss Conolly at home?”
Over the course of his visits to Miss Conolly, Nathaniel and Mrs. Hughes had repeated the same script, and today was no exception. He took his usual seat in the parlor while Mrs. Hughes went to fetch tea and tell Miss Conolly that he was here.
It was only a few moments before she entered the room, but having been parted from her for nearly a week, Nathaniel felt as though it was hours. When he finally saw her, his heart skipped a beat. She was as beautiful as ever, but her visit home seemed to have given her a new glow, as though the sun shone out of her face.
Nathaniel stood to greet her, and felt his breath catch in his chest. He hoped that his voice would not shake when he spoke, and he cleared his throat before saying, “Miss Conolly, it is a pleasure to see you again.”
She curtsied gracefully. Nathaniel was struck once again by the way her body moved with each part in perfect harmony.
“Good afternoon, Your Grace,” Miss Conolly said. Her eyes were lowered demurely to the floor as she spoke, but she raised them a second later and they met Nathaniel’s. When his eyes locked on hers, he wanted nothing more than to stride across the room and take her in his arms.
I must control myself. Mrs. Hughes would not stand for such a thing.
Instead, he sat down in his chair, and watched Miss Conolly as she sat down in the chair across from him. He smiled at her, and felt a warmth spreading through him as she returned his smile.
“Did you enjoy your visit to Wiltshire?” Nathaniel asked, not wishing to overwhelm her right away.
“Very much, Your Grace,” she said with a smile. “I really must thank you again for lending me your carriage. The trip was much easier with it.”
“I was happy to lend it to you, Miss Conolly,” he said. “I am very glad to be able to facilitate a visit that has obviously made you so happy.”
“That is very kind of you, Your Grace,” Miss Conolly said. “I do not imagine that many Dukes care so much for the happiness of common folk such as myself.”
“Miss Conolly,” Nathaniel said, leaning forward as he spoke to her, “I think that you are the least common person I have ever had the good fortune to meet.”
“Your Grace,” Miss Conolly said, her voice quiet and her eyes wide as she looked at him. “I believe that is the kindest thing that anyone has ever said to me.”
Nathaniel looked into her wide eyes, and took a deep breath to steady himself.
“I am only telling the truth,” he said, quietly. “Ever since our first meeting, even before that, from the first time that I saw you on stage, I have hardly thought of anything else. Now that I have come to know you, you have captured my attention even more fully.”
“I…” Miss Conolly began, and she hesitated before continuing. “I am very flattered, Your Grace. I think of you often, as well.”
“I am very pleased to hear it, Miss Conolly. I must admit, though, that I was not entirely honest before when I said that you have captured my attention. The truth is that you have captured my heart. The past several days, while you have been away, have been the longest of my life. The thought of spending another day apart from you is unbearable.”
Miss Conolly was still looking at him with her eyes wide, and now her mouth was slightly open as well. Nathaniel could see that he had shocked her, but he also saw a smile beginning to curve her lips.
“Oh, Your Grace,” Miss Conolly said. “I am extremely flattered, and I must admit, that I have come to feel much the same way about you since we met.”
Nathaniel smiled broadly at these words, and leaned even further toward the woman he loved. “Then, Miss Conolly, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
He looked at her expectantly, and was pleased to see a smile upon her lips. However, a moment passed, her smile began to fade and she looked down at her hands, folded in her lap. Nathaniel felt a tightening in his chest, and his body went cold.
“No, Your Grace.”
“No?” Nathaniel repeated, too stunned to say anything more.
“Your Grace,” Miss Conolly said, her head still downturned, “nothing would make me happier than to accept your proposal.”
Nathaniel heard a hitch in her voice, as though she were holding back tears. He could not understand why she would refuse him if doing so made her so unhappy.
“Then say yes.” he said, bemused. “Please, Miss Conolly, say yes. I want nothing more than to make you happy.”
“I know that you do, Your Grace,” she said. “And I want to make you happy as well, but if I accept your proposal it will cause a scandal that will surely make you miserable. And no doubt it will cause a rift between you and the Dowager Duchess. She will never accept a ballerina as her daughter-in-law.”
Nathaniel breathed a sigh of relief at these words. He knew that these obstacles, while significant, were not insurmountable.
“I know that there will be some surprise amongst the ton, but these types of scandals do happen from time to time,” he said, hoping that he sounded reassuring. “They are always overshadowed by a new scandal in time.”
“Perhaps your frien
ds will grow accustomed to me in time, but what of your mother?” Miss Conolly asked.
Nathaniel considered this for a moment before speaking. “My mother will likely try to convince me that I must marry some debutante, but I will make it perfectly clear to her that I have no intention of doing that, and I believe that she will respect my decision in the end. She wants me to be happy, and you make me happy.”
“And will she approve if I wish to continue working as a ballerina?”
This question took Nathaniel off guard. He had never considered that possibility that Miss Conolly might wish to continue her work in the ballet once she was a Duchess. “Is that what you would wish?”
“Yes,” she said, firmly. “I cannot dance forever, but I still have several years ahead of me, if I am lucky, and I would like to continue for as long as I can.”
The Art 0f Pleasuring A Duke (Steamy Historical Regency Romance) Page 22
