He half-rose as she entered, then seated himself again and indicated with his hand a chair on the other side of the desk.
Andrina looked at him and thought that he was looking more cynical than usual and she saw too that he still looked angry and there was a frown between his eyes.
She felt her spirits sink – then once again she told herself defiantly that she would not be overpowered by him.
Because she was nervous she spoke quickly as she began,
“I think before I hear what you wish to say to me, Your Grace, I should thank you in all sincerity for your great kindness in giving the ball last night.”
She paused.
The Duke made no reply and Andrina went on,
“Everyone today has been saying that it was the best party they had ever attended and that Broxbourne House had never looked more magnificent!”
Still the Duke did not speak and after a moment, because his silence was so nerve-racking Andrina said in a low voice,
“Why did Your Grace – wish to see – me?”
“I wished to congratulate you, Andrina. You have been more astute than I expected or gave you credit for.”
“About what?” Andrina asked.
“As if you did not know!” he replied scornfully. “Let me make it easier by telling you that your ‘ardent admirer’ called to see you after you had left the house.”
“I have no idea – what you are talking about,” Andrina answered, but the colour rose in her cheeks.
“As I have already said, I must congratulate you,” the Duke went on. “From a worldly point of view it is a brilliant match and it will put you in a position where you can look after your sisters, as you have not been able to do in the past.”
Andrina’s eyes were on the Duke’s face.
Then she said hardly above a whisper,
“What – are you – trying to – tell me?”
“I am informing you,” the Duke said, “that the Earl of Crowhurst has asked for your hand in marriage and as your Guardian I have naturally given him my consent!”
For a moment Andrina felt as if her heart had stopped beating and she was paralysed.
Then without thinking what she was doing she rose to her feet and walked across the room to the window to stand staring out at the garden bathed in sunshine.
“You have achieved what you set out to do,” the Duke’s voice said behind her. “Crowhurst is a matrimonial catch, as my cousin Evelyn will be able to assure you in more detail than I can.”
Andrina did not move.
She was remembering how last night when the Earl of Crowhurst had touched her she had felt disgusted and revolted to the point where she longed to scream.
She recalled how she had fought herself free of him and how frightened she had been that his superior strength would hold her captive despite all her efforts to escape.
When she went to bed, she had scrubbed violently with soap and water the places on her shoulder and on her neck where he had kissed her. Even then lying in the darkness she could feel the hot insistence of his mouth.
She had told the Duke that she hated him, but it was a very different hatred from that which she felt for Lord Crowhurst.
The Duke angered her and she fought him mentally. But what she felt for Lord Crowhurst was entirely physical, the shrinking of her whole body when he came near her, as if from something evil and unclean.
“I am waiting, Andrina,” the Duke prompted.
Andrina turned from the window.
“Please,” she said in a voice that he could hardly hear. “I – cannot – marry him!”
There was a moment’s silence.
Then the Duke said,
“Am I hearing you aright, Andrina? Are you telling me you do not wish to marry his Lordship?”
“I – cannot do – so,” she answered and still her voice seemed strangled in her throat.
The Duke rose to walk to the mantelpiece and stood with his back to it.
“As your Guardian,” he continued, “I must point out the advantages that this marriage would bring you.”
Andrina would have turned back to the garden again, but he said sharply,
“You will listen to me, Andrina! Come and sit down!”
Slowly and reluctantly she obeyed him, crossing the floor to seat herself on a chair at the side of the hearth.
She thought as she did so that to sit beside the Duke when he was standing made him seem even larger and more overpowering than ever.
Because she knew that she must obey him, she clasped her hands together in her lap and waited.
“The Earl is not only a very rich man,” the Duke began after a moment, “but he is also accepted in the most exclusive circles. He is well known in the field of sport and he has one of the best racing stables in England.”
He paused before he went on,
“He has also, which from a woman’s point of view it appears, is important, fallen in love with you, in fact he was quite lyrical about your attractions.”
There was a sarcastic note in the Duke’s voice that made Andrina wince.
It was quite obvious, she thought, that he did not share the Earl’s sentiments.
“You came to London to find a husband.”
Andrina made a little gesture of protest, but he carried on before she could speak,
“Oh, I know the pretext was that you were concerned only with your two sisters. But you must have realised that there were men who would be interested in you as well. And so, Andrina, you have managed to pick the ripest peach from the very top of the tree!”
Again there was a note in the Duke’s voice that made her feel as if he flicked her with a whip.
Then, clasping her hands so tightly that her fingers were white, she said,
“It’s no – use. I understand all the – advantages. I know how much I could – help Cheryl and Sharon, but I cannot marry him – I cannot!”
Her voice broke on a little sob.
There was silence until the Duke asked in a different voice,
“Will you give me a reason?”
“I do not – love – him!”
He could hardly hear the words, and yet they were spoken.
“Love?” the Duke ejaculated and his voice seemed to echo round the Library. “Love, Andrina? This is the first time you have ever mentioned that illusory emotion. I thought it was position you wanted, a title and a coronet to wear on your pretty head! Those things seldom go hand in hand with love!”
‘He is right,’ Andrina thought unhappily.
She had been so intent on seeking what she thought was best for Cheryl and Sharon that she had forgotten that marriage was not only the house one lived in, the name one took or the social position one achieved – it also meant living with a man.
But how without love could one tolerate the closeness and intimacy of it?
There was a silence for some moments before the Duke said,
“I am waiting, Andrina, for you to explain this sudden change in your aspirations. Can it be that you yourself have fallen in love?”
“No – no – of course not!” Andrina answered quickly. “It is just – that I know I could never – marry the Earl, not if he was the – last man alive!”
She spoke passionately and the Duke with his eyes on her face said quietly,
“Love sometimes comes after marriage. You have not known him long.”
“He is horrible!” Andrina cried. “There is something about him that – frightens me. I could not – let him – touch me again.”
“He touched you?”
The Duke’s question was sharp.
“He kissed my – shoulder and my – neck,” Andrina murmured. “I thought that I would be – unable to – escape from him.”
The Duke could hear the terror in her voice.
Then he said dryly,
“You were exceedingly successful in extricating yourself from the same position where I was concerned!”
“That was –
different.”
“Why?”
She could not answer him, for she did not know herself why she had not been frightened when he had kissed her.
She had been shocked, surprised, angry at his audacity, but she had not been frightened as she had been by the Earl, nor had she felt revolted and disgusted by the touch of his lips.
In fact she could remember that strange sensation, unlike anything she had ever known before, which had certainly not been disgust, but something very different.
With an effort Andrina rose to her feet.
“Will Your Grace thank the Earl of Crowhurst for his offer,” she said, “and inform him that I cannot – accept it?”
“You are sure of what you are saying?” the Duke remarked. “You don’t think, Andrina, that you would be wise to accept the Earl, knowing you are unlikely to receive a better offer?”
“I am quite certain! I would rather remain unmarried for the rest of my life!” Andrina countered violently.
“Very well,” the Duke said. “I will send a groom with a note to his Lordship and I will try to ensure that he does not trouble you in the future.”
“Please do – that,” Andrina pleaded, “I could not – bear to meet him – again.”
“I cannot promise that that will not happen,” the Duke answered, “but at least he shall not trouble you in this house. If you meet in anyone else’s, do not go into the garden with him!”
Andrina blushed.
“It was unnecessary for you to add – that, Your Grace.”
“You have a habit of being forgetful in such matters,” the Duke replied.
She would have left him, but then she remembered that she had wished to see him about Sharon.
“I think, Your Grace,” she said, “I should inform you that 1 am not pleased at the manner in which Count Ivan Birkendorff is pursuing Sharon. I do not consider him to be suitable as a husband and I should be grateful if you would persuade him to interest himself elsewhere.”
“Has Sharon asked you to speak to me about this?” the Duke enquired.
“No, of course not,” Andrina replied. “Sharon is young and impetuous and, of course, the Count is very handsome, but there is no point in her wasting time with him.”
“Of course not, if he is not to be allowed to offer her anything but a transitory amusement,” the Duke agreed solemnly.
“There is certainly no time for that,” Andrina said. “Your Grace is aware that when we have spent our money we shall have to return to the country. Before that happens both Cheryl and Sharon must be married!”
“I quite see you must concentrate on the serious business of finding husbands.”
Andrina knew that the Duke was laughing at her and she answered crossly,
“It may be a joke to Your Grace, but for Cheryl and Sharon their happiness depends entirely on what happens in these next few weeks. They are carefree and impulsive. I have to think for them.”
“And yet you are not prepared to sacrifice yourself on their behalf?”
Andrina raised her eyes to his and he saw how worried they were.
“That is what I know I – ought to – do, but it is – impossible for me.”
“I beg your pardon, Andrina,” the Duke said unexpectedly. “You have made your decision and I should not have mentioned it again. Forget it and stop fussing unnecessarily over your sisters. All three of you are young and very beautiful. Make the most of your success while you can. Tomorrow will take care of itself.”
“That is a gambler’s outlook, Your Grace,” Andrina flashed.
“Then have a gambler’s faith that you will turn up the right card,” the Duke replied.
He smiled and she thought that he looked kinder and more sympathetic than he had ever done before as he said,
“Leave everything to me, you foolish child! If you trust me, I will find solutions to your problems.”
“I do trust you,” Andrina said instinctively and was surprised at herself for saying so.
Then she added,
“I am sorry – Your Grace, if I was – rude last night. You have been so kind, more kind than I could ever have expected or hoped. I am – ashamed that I have not behaved as you would have wished me to do.”
The Duke smiled again.
“You behave somewhat unpredictably, Andrina. But what woman ever does anything else?”
Andrina did not quite know what to make of this remark, but she thought about it long after she had left him.
She found Cheryl had now returned and was upstairs taking off her bonnet.
“You are very late, Cheryl!” Andrina pointed out.
“It was so nice in the Park,” Cheryl answered in a dreamy voice. “And we watched the ducks swimming on the Serpentine.”
“What did you talk about?” Andrina asked tentatively.
“Oh, lots of things.”
Andrina was longing to question her further; but it appeared that Cheryl had rung the bell, for her maid came into the room and there was no chance to say anything intimate.
Instead Andrina went in search of Sharon, only to find that she was with Lady Evelyn, and for the rest of the evening she seemed, Andrina thought, to deliberately avoid the chance of a private chat.
She could only hope that the Duke would do as she had asked and prevent the Count from wasting any more of Sharon’s time.
He was so good-looking and from all reports quite clever, so it was natural that Sharon would be dazzled not only by his handsome countenance but also by his typically Russian aura of glamour, which one did not find in English gentlemen.
‘She will soon forget him,’ Andrina told herself. ‘Tomorrow I will talk to her again about making herself pleasant to the Duke.’
And if it was not the Duke, she went on in her mind, there were obviously a number of gentlemen who had sent flowers and who made their way quickly to Sharon’s side the moment she appeared at any party.
Now that she was free of Lord Crowhurst, Andrina felt as if a cloud that had been overshadowing her ever since last night had been lifted and she was in the sunshine again.
They went out to dinner and danced afterwards, but the Duke did not accompany them. As it was a party given for some very young people, Andrina felt almost as if she was one of the Dowagers.
Watching the young men dancing with Cheryl and Sharon, she thought that they all looked very immature and told herself it was because, even though he infuriated her and they seemed to fight whenever they met, there was something stimulating in fencing with a man as sophisticated and intelligent as the Duke.
She wondered what had made him so cynical and thought perhaps Lady Evelyn would know the answer to that question.
Sometime in his life he must have been young and ardent and full of laughter.
Why had he changed and why, when he was so richly endowed with a great position and magnificent possessions, did he go out of his way to be ironic and sarcastic?
It was a problem she could not solve, but she went to bed thinking of the Duke and when she awoke in the morning she had an uneasy feeling that she had dreamt of him.
*
The ladies of Broxbourne House breakfasted in an attractive boudoir, which was situated between their bedrooms.
It was fragrant with the scent of flowers from the bouquets and basketfuls they had been given and Andrina entered to find Cheryl looking exquisitely lovely in a white muslin negligee, her fair hair falling over her shoulders.
“I slept so late,” she said with a smile, “I thought you would not mind if I had breakfast before I dressed.”
“Of course not, dearest,” Andrina answered. “There is no hurry in the mornings, thank goodness. We seem to be on the run all day.”
“Tonight there is a dance at the Russian Embassy,” Sharon said with a sudden lilt in her voice that Andrina did not miss.
“I had not forgotten,” Lady Evelyn exclaimed as she entered the room. “The Princess de Lieven has asked us all to dine, which I can tell you is a
very great honour. Her Highness normally has no use for young girls.”
“I wonder who could have persuaded her to make an exception where we are concerned?” Sharon said with a hint of mischief in her eyes.
As Andrina knew the answer to that, she said quickly,
“I see you both have quite a number of letters. Is that not exciting? At home if we received a letter once a month it was an event!”
Cheryl was opening one of her letters and Andrina had seen the crest on the back of the envelope and knew who had sent it.
Then suddenly Cheryl gave a little cry.
“Oh, no!” she cried.
“What is it?” Andrina enquired.
Without replying Cheryl rose and throwing the letter down onto the table ran from the room.
Andrina picked it up and read,
“I have been told not to see you again by ‘him who must be obeyed’ where you are concerned. But this is just to tell you, my darling, that I love you with all my heart and I shall never love anyone else.
There has never been anyone so beautiful as you, and although I may not see you, your face will always be before my eyes.”
Andrina read it incredulously not once but twice and there was no need to read the address on the top of the writing paper to know who had sent it.
“What is it? What has happened?” Lady Evelyn asked.
Without replying Andrina, holding the letter in her hand, opened the boudoir door and ran downstairs.
She knew that the Duke breakfasted in the morning room, but when she approached it she saw that the door was open and knew that he would have finished and gone into the library.
He was there standing on the hearthrug with The Times newspaper open in his hands.
He looked up as she appeared, then closed the newspaper and laid it down on an adjacent table.
Andrina walked across the room towards him and held out the letter that Cheryl had received.
“Will you explain this?” she asked.
The Duke took it from her without haste, read it and handed it back.
“As you must have guessed,” he said, “I have told the noble Marquis to leave Cheryl alone.”
“Why? Why?” Andrina asked.
“For reasons I do not think it fair to tell you,” the Duke answered. “You must accept my judgment in the matter.”
The Husband Hunters Page 11
