The Duke Conspiracy: A Sweet Regency Romance Adventure (Mayfair Mayhem Book 1)

by Wendy May Andrews

  “Have you about finished up?” Rose asked solicitously.

  “I have, thank you,” she replied as the gentlemen stood, taking their plates and summoning an attentive footman.

  Lord Kenneth, the gentleman who had escorted Lady Elizabeth, hadn’t had much to say over the supper but he now asked Rose to share the next dance.

  “It sounds like it’s about to be a cotillion. Those are my favourite,” he enthused, much to her surprise.

  “Thank you, my lord, it shall be my pleasure.”

  The rest of the night passed in a blur of activity as Rose spent most of it on the dance floor being handed from one gentleman to the next, not bothering to keep track of names or faces, just enjoying the rhythms of the dance. Her mother would be displeased that she was not paying more attention to each gentleman’s potential as a possible husband but despite her advancing years, she was in no hurry to commit herself.

  Before she knew it, it was the early hours of the morning and her mother was collecting her to escort her home.

  “You seemed to be having a fine time this evening,” Lady Smythe commented almost cheerfully.

  “I did have an excellent time this evening, Mama, what about you? Did you enjoy the ball?”

  “I think balls are intended to be enjoyed by the young, my dear,” her mother began in a bland tone. “But I did have some interesting conversations with the other matrons lining the walls of the ballroom. Not everyone there is as intolerable as I originally thought.”

  Rose laughed at her mother’s choice of words. “I am glad you were able to tolerate your evening. I must ask you, though, why do you bother attending such events if you find them such a challenge?”

  Rose’s mother displayed the most emotion she had witnessed there in quite some time, as her features were etched in shock over her daughter’s words. “I could never allow you to go out by yourself. It is my duty to chaperone and watch over you.”

  Now Rose felt truly terrible. “Let us go home to Eastwick, then, Mama. Neither of us enjoy the Season overly. It would be much better to just be comfortable.”

  “I do believe we have already had this conversation, Rosamund. You need a husband. The Season is necessary to find you one. We shall prevail.”

  Now Rose grinned at her mother. “I like the picture your words paint. Let us regard it as a battle we must fight and win. That shall add some needed spice to the blandness of the Season.” Her mother barely cracked a smile but after a brief pause, Rose pushed on. “Thank you, Mama, for your efforts on my behalf. Knowing what a sacrifice it is for you, I want you to know that I do appreciate it. You were quite correct when you said I would not enjoy being the aging spinster aunt in my brother’s home. If I cannot set up my own establishment, marriage is the best option. We shall prevail.”

  Lady Smythe finally softened and allowed Rose to clasp her hand with affection. “It is what mothers do, make sacrifices for their children. And it is not as bad as all that. The orchestra this evening was rather skilled.”

  “And was the food not delicious? Elizabeth and I were remarking on how skilled the cook must be to be able to prepare so well food for such a large crowd.”

  “Speaking of the cook, why don’t you sit in with me when I meet with the housekeeper next week? It is time for us to further your education on household management, and you have no experience with running a house in Town.”

  Rose smiled with genuine happiness at her mother. “That would be lovely.”

  They had finally arrived in front of their own house and an attentive footman was holding open the door waiting for them to alight. The ladies bade each other a good night and went their separate ways to secure their rest. Tomorrow was going to be a big day.

  Chapter Nine

  Rose and Mary hurried along the sidewalk up the fashionable street, barely noticing the elegantly clad noblemen and women they passed in their haste. Each had their thoughts full of the respective roles they would be fulfilling that afternoon.

  “This is ever so exciting, Miss,” Mary exclaimed as they approached Elizabeth’s house. “I’m afeared I’m going to give it all away with my fidgets.”

  “I have full confidence in you, Mary. You are going to be marvellous.”

  “How can you be sure?” fretted the maid.

  “I have known you nearly all my life, for one thing. For another, you have already proven your abilities in Vienna. This is hardly any different.”

  Mary blew out the breath she had been holding and smiled her relief at her mistress. “You’re right, Miss Rosie. Thanks, I needed that confidence booster.”

  As they climbed the stairs and were admitted by the earl’s rather imposing butler, Rose hoped fervently that her words were true. It felt so very different from anything they had involved themselves with in Vienna. She was unsure if it was because they had been in another country or if it was her father’s involvement, but in Vienna it had felt like a game. She couldn’t shake the sensation that this was so much more serious and dire. It was ridiculous, really, since there were, no doubt, schemes for marriage taking place throughout the Season, but she just could not rest easy about Broderick’s involvement. Bracing her mind for the ordeal ahead, Rose smiled bravely, bolstering her own spirits as she was ushered into Lady Elizabeth’s receiving room.

  “Miss Rose, it is a pleasure to see you,” Lady Castleton greeted as Rose was announced. “I shall leave you girls to your giggles. Elizabeth tells me another young lady will be joining you for tea. I wish the three of you a good afternoon. I have some calls of my own to make, but our housekeeper will see to all that you might need.”

  “Thank you, Lady Castleton. I wish you a good afternoon as well,” Rose answered politely, wishing she was better acquainted with her friend’s mother, who seemed like such a pleasant woman.

  “Come in and sit down,” Elizabeth ordered, bouncing a little in her seat after her mother left the room. “We barely had a chance to talk last night.”

  “I know.” Rose grinned. “We were both a little too popular for conversation.”

  “Are you complaining?” Elizabeth asked with an answering grin.

  “Not at all,” Rose replied with enthusiasm. “I am very much enjoying being a popular debutante, I will admit freely.”

  “Did any of the gentlemen catch your interest?” Elizabeth was impatient to find out.

  “Not in the least,” Rose admitted with a touch of reluctance. “I fear the efforts of the Season will be for naught. My poor mother is going through such a trial to sponsor me, and I cannot muster a drop of enthusiasm for any of the eligible men being introduced to me.”

  Catching sight of Elizabeth’s raised eyebrow Rose grinned and continued. “Nor any of the ineligible ones either.”

  “Rosamund Smythe, which ineligible gentlemen have you been speaking with?”

  “I danced with the Earl of Heath last night. The on-dit is that his wife did not die of natural causes. The whispers are that he helped her fall down those stairs. But he is so tragically handsome that I could not resist when he asked me for a dance. Thankfully, although my mother seems to pay no attention to me when we are at a ball, she chose to join me as he was escorting me from the dance floor and glared him away from my presence so I do not have to worry about him trying to call on me.”

  Elizabeth gave a delicate shudder at her friend’s words. “Can you imagine? How would you handle it if he wanted to take you for a ride in the park?”

  Rose shrugged and answered with simple practicality. “Well, surely I would be perfectly safe…at least until after the wedding.”

  This caused both girls to burst into laughter. Rose was the first to sober and bring both their attentions back to the matter at hand. “So, you are going to lead the conversation, I take it, as you are the hostess.”

  “Of course,” Elizabeth answered with pride.

  “Have you thought about how you are going to manage to get Lady Anne to open up about her father’s plans?”

  “W
e are going to gossip about the eligible gentlemen and how we could possibly get any of them to come up to scratch. You shall lament about your lack of connections and your fears that this will hold back certain likely candidates. Hopefully this will play upon her delicate feelings and she will offer you some suggestions that she has received.”

  “You, my dear, are brilliant.”

  “I cannot take the credit. I thought of it last night when you were telling that young baron about your father’s suggestions for getting through boring lectures in the House.”

  “I am so pleased that my father’s advice is getting so much mileage,” Rose answered with dry amusement. They quickly hushed as they heard the door knocker sound. Elizabeth pulled the bell for the housekeeper just as the butler announced Lady Anne.

  “Welcome, welcome,” Elizabeth called out, rising to greet the new arrival.

  Both girls feigned believable happiness at seeing the younger girl arrive. Lady Anne flushed with happiness, making Rose feel a stab of guilt, which she blithely ignored.

  “Thank you so much for inviting me,” Lady Anne began shyly. “I find it is rather difficult to make friends as ultimately we are actually in competition, vying for the attentions of the eligible gentlemen.”

  Elizabeth and Rose smiled at Anne briefly before replying as the housekeeper chose just that moment to arrive. Elizabeth requested that tea service be provided shortly and the housekeeper hurried away. Turning back to Lady Anne, Elizabeth continued as though there had been no interruption.

  “It is funny you should say that. Miss Rose and I were just talking about how difficult it is to catch the eye of certain gentlemen to whose suit we might be amenable. I have no wish to appear as though I am competing with any of my friends, but it is a challenge to get any of the eligibles to commit themselves. Would you not agree?”

  Rose was nodding to indicate her agreement, although inwardly she was grimacing. What foolishness the Season was, she thought with derision. Variations of this conversation were likely taking place in all the salons and parlours throughout Town as they spoke. This prompted her next words.

  “Lady Anne, I never thought of it as a competition, but I fear you are quite correct. Why do we not agree to lend each other a hand instead of interfering with each other’s efforts? We could compare notes and share strategies.”

  “What a lovely idea,” Lady Anne replied, although her enthusiasm was a trifle weak. “Do either of you have your sights set on anyone in particular? I saw you went in to dinner with Lord Terrance Leonard. Did you consider him a potential partner?”

  Rose did not have to feign her sigh of regret. “Not at all, I am afraid. I think I will require a husband to be a little older. Since I have travelled and seen a little more of the world than the average girl, I think I will require someone with a great deal more experience than poor Lord Terrance. He was pleasant enough, and I am certain he will make some lady a wonderful husband, but I am not certain he is even in the market for a wife at the moment.”

  Elizabeth took the reins of the conversation back into her capable hands. “My dinner companion was pleasant company as well, but in my opinion he had a little too much to say about his mother. I need a husband who is ready to set up his own establishment, or better yet, one who already has. I do not wish to compete with my mother-in-law for my husband’s affections.”

  “Oh, good heavens, no, that would be perfectly dreadful. What about you, Lady Anne? I did not take particular notice of anyone you were spending time with last night, were any of the gentlemen eligible for you in your estimation?”

  Lady Anne still seemed a trifle shy and Rose wondered briefly if they would actually be able to get the young woman to confide in them. Thankfully they were not left wondering for long.

  “A few of the gentlemen I danced with last night seemed perfectly lovely,” she answered softly with a small smile. “In particular, Lord Dunbar and Lord Edgecombe.”

  “Oh, Lord Edgecombe, I did not even notice him there last night,” Elizabeth answered, not with complete honesty. “How lucky for you that he asked you to dance. I had the pleasure last week. Besides being so handsome, he is also such a great dancer.”

  “Yes, he is,” Lady Anne answered shyly. “And he seems very interesting.”

  “Interesting?” Rose questioned.

  “Oh yes, would it not be dreadful to sit down to breakfast and dinner every day with a dead bore?”

  Rose and Elizabeth burst into chuckles at Anne’s words.

  “Oh yes, I can see your point entirely,” Elizabeth agreed while Rose was still giggling too hard to formulate an answer.

  Anne continued, much to the other girls’ surprise. “Most of the gentlemen I have met only wish to discuss the weather or the Season or their politics. They do not actually wish for you to have anything to say about their politics, though, mind you. As a debutante, you are expected to merely sit and listen to them. If you can muster up awe while you do that, it is all the better. I truly do not think I could playact for the rest of my life, so then where would we be?”

  Rose felt her jaw go a little slack over Anne’s words. The girl obviously had hidden depths of which she had been unaware. Her predicament grew. She resolved to hold her silence and wait to see how the afternoon developed.

  After pouring the tea that the housekeeper had delivered unobtrusively, Elizabeth once again steered the conversation.

  “I fear you are absolutely correct, my dear, Lady Anne. But what are we to do? Many of the gentlemen I have met thus far are rather dull and the ones who are not are so highly sought after, I am uncertain how to engage their affections.”

  “My father has told me countless times that affections can be engaged after the nuptials have been arranged, so really all you have to do is set your mind to the task of which gentleman is best for you and then arrange it.” Anne said this with such stark simplicity that both the other girls looked at her, unsure what she was getting at. This caused her to let escape a tinkle of laughter.

  “I must confess I am not fully certain what you mean by your words,” Elizabeth apologized.

  “That is completely understandable. It is a trifle unorthodox, I will agree. But my father has assured me that it will be the best plan to ensure my future happiness. All I have to do is find myself in a compromising situation with the gentleman of my choice. He will arrange everything else. And before you know it, I will be happily wed to a wonderful lord.”

  Rose just had to ask. “But do you really think you could be happy with someone you have tricked? Would he not be terribly angry? I cannot see how that would be a good way to start off your new life together.”

  “Surely if he allowed himself to get into the compromising position, he must have feelings for me of some sort, would you not agree?” Anne reasoned.

  Rose was not so certain but did not know how to articulate her thoughts on such an indelicate subject. She contained herself to an uncomfortable shrug.

  Anne continued. “And maybe he won’t even have to find out that he has been tricked.”

  “Do you think that would be possible to pull off?” Elizabeth asked before she thought of another question. “Have you tried this already?”

  Again, Anne let out one of her tinkles of laughter. “Not yet. I have been setting the stage thus far, making sure the gentleman in question is actually to my liking, and laying the groundwork for my plan.”

  Rose could only look at her in awe, amazed that she was able to present such an innocent face to Society and yet be so devious inside. She had seemed like such a quiet girl, dull almost. Although she felt a level of sympathy for the girl, she no longer felt any compunction about trying to waylay her plans if they still included the Duke of Wrentham. She hoped Elizabeth would pose that question next.

  “Is Lord Edgecombe to be your chosen one?”

  Rose smiled over her friend’s brief hesitation before saying the word one. She wondered briefly if Elizabeth had been about to say victim but had then though
t better of it.

  “I thought so. He is so very handsome and so kind. I think he would be a most comfortable spouse. And it would be a pleasure to share coffee with him each morning. But my father has convinced me that the Duke of Wrentham is a far better catch, and I cannot say I disagree. Who would not wish to be a duchess after all?” Anne said this with a matter-of-fact air but Rose sensed sadness beneath. It would seem Lady Anne did not have a deep yearning to be a duchess. Rose thought to test her theory.

  “I am not certain that I would wish to be a duchess. My father is merely a baron, so while we have been comfortable my entire life, we have never lived spectacularly. I think it might be a trifle awkward to go from being a baron’s daughter to being a duchess. I have so little experience with running a large house, let alone multiple of them, as I am sure Wrentham must have. And there would constantly be people wishing to curry favour with you for all sorts of various reasons.”

  Anne nodded her serious agreement. “I agree with you, Miss Smythe, but the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages. And my father would be so pleased. It seems to be very important to him. And I cannot say that I particularly object. The duke would, I mean will, make a very fine husband, to be sure.”

  Rose, hoping for further revelations, decided not to argue any further. “To be sure,” she agreed with unfeigned enthusiasm. Alex would make an excellent husband for someone, just not her or Lady Anne, Rose thought with restlessness stirring.

  “I must say, I find your plan rather intriguing,” Elizabeth said. “Perhaps I could use it for myself. I do not cherish the thought of enduring any more Seasons. I would like to get on with my life without being in the Marriage Mart for another year. Do you not agree, my dear Rose? You do not have too long to spend on the shelf either.”

  Rose felt her lips twist into a wry smile. Elizabeth was using truth to disguise their deception. “’Tis true,” Rose agreed. “My mother assures me that I absolutely must find a mate shortly or I will remain a spinster, and my family will never allow me to set up my own establishment, so I will be confined to being a drain on my brother for the rest of my days. I can assure you that I have no wish to be an unwanted guest in my childhood home. So yes, my dear Lady Anne, I beg of you to share with us a few bits of wisdom as to how we, too, can ensure we get the groom of our choice. And then perhaps we can figure out together who Elizabeth and I should choose.”