“What have you been spending your day doing Devon?” she hoped he wouldn’t notice the strain in her voice and her discomfort at the conversation and the casual way she addressed him. She had never before uttered a single word to him and now she was expected to hold an entire conversation with the man. Heaven help her.
“Oh the usual, just another boring day in London.”
“Certainly you don’t find London boring my…” she quickly caught herself before muttering milord and fully arousing his suspicions. “…my dear brother,” she finished lamely.
He looked at her suspiciously anyway, one blonde eyebrow raised. “Dear brother? You are apparently in a good mood today. And yes, I do find London boring. At least most of the time. I’d much rather be in the country helping run the estate.”
“Then why don’t you go?” It didn’t make sense to Hope why he would endure the drudgery of another season in London if he preferred the country.
Devon laughed. “My, my Noelle, you are in a peculiar mood today. You know as well as I do that father wouldn’t permit me to just up and leave in the middle of the season. He has all but threatened me to find a wife and be engaged by the end of the season or else he’ll interfere and arrange a match.”
“He said that?”
“You know he did. He’s getting impatient with the two of us. I suppose we better start taking the marriage mart more seriously or we’ll find ourselves in marriages we won’t desire. Can you imagine the type of partner father would choose for us?” He shuddered at the thought. Hope laughed nervously, not sure how to respond. Luckily Devon didn’t seem to mind which was good because there was nothing Hope could do or say in that regards.
After a few moments of silence between the two Devon turned himself slightly so he could look directly into her face while he spoke, “Tell me Noelle, do you believe in love?”
Hope thought a moment before answering. Of course she hadn’t given it much thought. She knew that a working girl like her would most likely never have the opportunity to fall in love and if she ever did marry it would be more for convenience and companionship then for some magical emotion. Knowing that her life would never amount to a fairytale she had quickly decided to never give love a second thought. But of course, Devon wasn’t asking her what Hope Hillburn’s philosophies on love were, no he was simply asking his sister. She tried to think about how Noelle might respond.
Finally she spoke, “Of course I do, I mean why else do you suppose I’m still searching for a mate? If I didn’t believe in love I would’ve married the first gentleman who had offered for me.”
To her surprise he guffawed long and loud, “Oh what a thought that is! You’d be married to Lord Trimble, do you remember the man? Of course you do, how could one forget his bulbous nose? You almost couldn’t see the man’s face beyond that monstrosity. And don’t forget the way he spit when he spoke, and his laugh, that maniacal laugh that could make even the deaf squirm in their seats. Yes, seems your fate could be much worse than being a spinster.”
Hope couldn’t resist his infectious laughter. She had no idea who Lord Trimble was but her mind conjured up a ghastly image thanks to Devon’s descriptions and she momentarily understood Noelle’s desire to remain unattached if all the gentleman who had offered for her were similar to the unfortunate Lord Trimble.
“I suppose I have just been dragging my feet this entire time, certain that I could find somebody to fall in love with, to make a match based more on true emotion then advancement in society. But maybe I’ve been chasing after an elusive dream all this time, maybe we both have.” He turned his pensive brown eyes on her and she just shrugged so he continued, “I guess that’s enough philosophizing for one afternoon. Maybe we’ll both get lucky and happen upon our true loves at the Weatherston ball this evening.”
“If only we could be so lucky,” she smiled at him coyly and he returned her grin before they were interrupted by someone clearing their throat. Startled, they both looked up to see Noelle standing in the doorway.
“It looks as if it’s time for you to start readying yourself for said ball, run along Noelle.” Hope quickly rose, her heart beating a riotous cadence in her chest. For a brief moment she had panicked, thinking that Devon would surely recognize his sister standing in the library entry way despite her shabby clothing but fortunately for both of them, he hadn’t seemed to sense anything was amiss. Hope briskly exited the library, Noelle trailing closely behind as they made their way back to Noelle’s chambers.
The minute the door was shut behind them, Hope let out a slow, shaky breath she hadn’t realized she had been holding. “That was a close call. Why didn’t you just wait for me in here like we had planned?”
“Oh nonsense, he didn’t suspect a thing. I came back here when I first returned and when I found the room empty I couldn’t resist coming to find you. Wasn’t that the most thrilling thing you have ever done? Devon was completely fooled. And I passed another servant on my way to the library and she just nodded politely, not even flinching. I told you my plan was genius.” Noelle was smiling like the cat that had gotten the canary.
Hope agreed that her plan had been many things, but genius had not been one of them. She was just relieved to see her mistress had returned safely and told her as much, “Oh milady, I’m so glad you’re back and that you are unharmed. I hope this little visit sated your appetite for adventure and we can put this nonsense behind us. Now help me get out of this gown so we can get you ready for tonight.”
She turned her back to Noelle so she could undo the hooks on her dress. After a few minutes of standing there with nothing happening she turned around to see Noelle laying on her back in the middle of her large bed, “Oh Hope, I think I’m in love.”
“In love?” she sputtered, “Surely you jest. How could you possibly be in love after only being in the man’s presence for less than an hour?”
Noelle sat up, pulling her legs beneath her. “Oh Hope, if you could’ve been there you’d understand. Not only is Soren the most handsome man I’ve ever seen but he’s charming, witty, and intelligent.”
Hope thought about things for a minute before calmly saying, “Well I’m glad for you milady. Now let’s get you ready for the ball and maybe tonight you’ll be lucky enough to fall in love with a suitable gentleman, one whom you could actually marry.”
Noelle huffed and pouted the rest of the entire evening, upset with Hope for deflating her excitement and bringing her crashing back to reality. Hope was just relieved to be back to her duties, quietly taking care of her mistress and pondering how grateful she was to have life return to its normal routine, hoping that all this talk of the handsome American would be put to rest once and for all.
Chapter 4
Pierce had spent the better part of a day fretting about the wager he had made and won against the Earl of Brattondale. He was currently sitting in his study nursing a drink feeling as if he was in a stupor, not sure if he should feel relieved or upset by the outcome of the game of piquet. He knew that he needed to go meet the mysterious Lady Noelle sooner rather than later but he couldn’t quite muster up enough excitement to go about the task. Instead he was contemplating another distasteful task he knew he had to take care of immediately—inform his mother, the Duchess of Kerrington that he was to be wed.
He was ashamed at the thought of telling his mother about how he had flippantly bet on a lady’s hand in marriage. He knew she would be disappointed that he hadn’t taken marriage more seriously and that he had failed to make a love match. She had always held such high hopes that he’d meet the right girl and fall in love and then get married. And at one point, in his younger years, he had honestly tried to go that route until he figured out for himself that it wouldn’t happen. Rare was the person of the aristocracy who was lucky enough to find real love and by now he had relegated his fate to that of the majority of the ton—marrying for convenience and appearance.
His thoughts were interrupted by a light knocking on the door
followed by his butler entering, Viscount Martineau following closely behind. He straightened in his chair, “Thank you Simon for showing Lord Martineau in. You are dismissed.” Simon nodded his head stiffly before quietly disappearing.
Elliot sat down in a chair opposite the sturdy desk Pierce was sitting behind that dominated the room and leaned forward on his elbows, “What’s this about you needing to speak to me? You haven’t gotten yourself in to some sort of trouble have you?”
“I guess that depends on how you look at it.” Elliot arched an eyebrow but sat quietly, waiting for Pierce to continue. He exhaled loudly before continuing. “Remember that night at the Sedgewick ball where I played Lord Brattondale in a hand of piquet?”
“Of course.”
“Well you left before you had a chance to see the outcome of the game.”
Elliot relaxed, leaning his large frame back in the chair he was occupying, “Oh, did you lose to him as well? He was in top form that night but I don’t see as how losing a few pounds to the arrogant earl should upset you. If it’s your pride that’s hurt I might understand, but this shouldn’t be about the money for you.”
“Of course it isn’t about the money,” he snapped. “And it’s not about my pride either—I won.”
“Then what’s the trouble?”
“I didn’t play for money; he bet his daughter’s hand in marriage.”
Lord Martineau jumped to his feet, “And you won? That’s absurd, what kind of man wagers his daughters hand in a card game?”
“What kind of man plays for a lady’s hand? What does that say about me? I still can’t believe it myself but what’s done is done and I surely can’t go back on my word. It looks as though I’ll be marrying Lady Noelle as soon as the announcement can be made, the banns read, and everything arranged.”
Elliot began pacing back and forth, “The only way you could get out of it is if you’re found compromising another young lady and are forced to marry her instead. Do you have someone in mind you’d rather wed?” he asked hopefully.
“No, that’s the problem. There’s not a single lady who interests me, not one. The way I figure, I might as well marry the earl’s daughter. One lady is as good as the next one as far as I’m concerned.”
Lord Martineau shrugged, “You’ve got me there, I’d say I have to agree. We can’t all have a fairytale ending now can we?” Bitterness crept into his voice. Elliot knew better than anyone how true that was, having lost the one person he had ever loved years ago. One day she had been in his life making him the happiest man alive and the next she had disappeared, just like that. He still hadn’t been able to get over the loss or figure out what had happened to her.
“I need you to go with me to Ridgecrest Manor to speak with my mother.”
“Come on man, are you really that cowardly? You know that the Duchess’s bark is worse than her bite, you have nothing to be afraid of.”
Pierce looked at him and rolled his eyes, “You’re opinion of me is pathetically low if you think I’m afraid of my own mother. No, I need you to accompany me to ensure I come back. I have half a mind to flee the country and head to America but that would only disgrace my family and my poor mother would never live that scandal down.”
Elliot finally resumed sitting, scoffing dismally. “I can understand that my friend, more than you could ever know. I can’t tell you how many times I thought about leaving after Felicity had disappeared.”
“You’re still not over that chit?” Pierce asked incredulously. He hadn’t heard his friend utter that name for years.
Elliot’s eyes flickered with sadness for one brief moment before focusing on Pierce, “The past is in the past for crying out loud, just because I could empathize with you doesn’t mean I’m some love struck schoolboy still pining away for his first love. Forget I mentioned Felicity and we’ll have a deal. I’ll go with you to Ridgecrest Manor.”
“I knew I could count on you.”
***
The ride to Ridgecrest Manor took the better part of a day. By the time the coach had pulled up in front of the imposing stone dwelling, the sun was already beginning to set and the air had become noticeably colder. It didn’t take long to find his mother, she was curled up on her favorite chair in the library, a book lay open on her lap. She looked up as he entered the room, welcoming him with a warm, motherly smile. Though he hadn’t had time to send word ahead informing her of his visit she seemed not at all surprised by his sudden appearance. He went to where she was sitting and bent to plant a gentle kiss on her cheek.
She reached up and cupped his cheek with her palm, “My darling boy, to what do I owe this great honor? I thought you had all but forgotten about your lonely mother.”
A twinge of guilt clutched at him as she reminded him of his neglect. He hadn’t spent near enough time with her since his father had died, preferring to stay at his townhouse in London where the memories of the late Duke of Kerrington weren’t as prominent. It pained him immensely to be in the house his parents had shared together and more especially to see his mother without her other half. The two of them had always seemed like one entity, completely complementing and fulfilling the other so when his father had passed away the sight of his mother all by herself was too sad and lonely for him to bear.
Pierce bided his time by taking the seat opposite of his mother and making himself comfortable before speaking, “I came to tell you that I am to be wed; following the announcement of our engagement and the reading of the banns of course.”
His mother clapped her hands together excitedly, completely ignoring the book in her lap that had fallen to the ground, hitting the carpet with a dull thud. “What a pleasant announcement. You know I’ve been waiting for ages for you to come to your senses and decide to settle down. Now tell me, who’s the lucky lady.”
Pierce tried to ignore the uneasy feeling in his stomach at her excitement, “Her name is Noelle Parrish, she’s the daughter of the Earl of Brattondale.”
“And?” she gestured with her hand for him to continue.
“And what? What more would you like to know?”
“Oh I want to know everything—how’d you meet? What is she like? Is she beautiful? Of course she is, that should be a given, you have impeccable taste just like your father.” She smiled and gave him a wink.
The uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach increased, “Actually, I’m not sure.”
“Not sure?” she asked, confused.
“Well I haven’t exactly met her.”
The look of confusion on her lovely face only deepened, “You haven’t met her?”
Feeling his patience wearing thin he snapped, “Quit repeating everything I say. No I do not know her; I won her hand in a card game against her father.”
The Duchess sucked in a shocked breath, one hand going quickly to clasp the gold locket hanging from her slim neck, “Please tell me I didn’t just hear you right.”
“Oh you heard me clearly, mother.” He snarled. He knew he was being short with her but he couldn’t seem to help it. He knew she wouldn’t react well to the news but had desperately wished that just for this once she would’ve simply sat back and listened and told him it was his life to do with as he pleased, but he knew it would never be that easy with his meddling mother.
“Don’t snarl at me boy, it’s very unbecoming.” She retorted.
“I didn’t snarl,” he shot back perturbed.
“You most certainly did snarl and speaking of unbecoming, this news, although greatly anticipated is preposterous! You can’t marry a lady who you don’t even know. What about love, surely you haven’t given up the possibility of falling in love have you? There are so many fine ladies out there with whom you could quite easily come to love.”
“But there’s not. If there had been even one I could’ve fallen in love with I’m sure I would’ve found her by now. Heaven knows it’s not from lack of trying. I’ve grown wearisome of the marriage mart so I figured at this point any girl would do.”
“You sound so callous about the whole thing, it’s marriage you’re deciding on not the main course of your next dinner.”
“Well what’s done is done. I can’t honorably back out now so I fully plan on going forward with it. Not everyone can have the relationship you shared with father you know.”
“Well I expect you to at least try. There’s nothing you can do about your selection of a wife now but you can at least try to fall in love with the girl.”
“Don’t get your hopes up mother.” He knew he certainly wouldn’t.
Chapter 5
Noelle stifled a yawn as she moved to the sideboard in the dining room to fill her breakfast plate up with gooseberry tarts and clotted cream. She was ravenous after a late night at the Weatherston ball. Though she normally loved socializing and having various gentlemen dance attention on her, the previous night had been nothing but a bore to her, the ball lasting till the wee hours of the morning. She was restless and found her thoughts wandering to Soren all too frequently wishing she could be with him instead of in the stuffy ballroom dancing with men who in her mind couldn’t even compare.
She had no sooner sat down when her father walked into the room. But instead of filling up a plate of food for himself, he marched right in and sat at the head of the long table in his customary seat. “Darling, we must talk.”
Noelle looked up from her plate and noticed for the first time that her father’s face appeared unusually pale, “What is it father?”
He cleared his throat before starting, “You know very well that I have been prodigiously patient with both you and your brother about finding proper matches, especially with you Noelle.” He gave her a pointed look that made her nervous, not sure she liked where this was going.
Deceiving the Duke of Kerrington (Ladies of Deception) Page 3
