Entangled with the Duke: A Clean & Sweet Regency Historical Romance Book
Page 5
* * *
“It is a burden you shouldn’t carry on your shoulders. You have already taken on the responsibility to raise them, not to mention the responsibilities that your father has forgotten. You have done enough. Shouldn’t you also look for happiness?”
* * *
“Happiness will come when I can stand before my mother up in the clouds and tell her that I have taken care of her little girls,” Lady Alexandra said with a solemn sigh.
* * *
It was something she had never said to a soul and was sure her own father didn’t even know. It was a weight and a burden she was asked to carry for her whole life through.
* * *
On the day that Lady Alexandra’s mother died, she had gone to the lady’s side. Her mother was so pale and weak. She had only just delivered little Sophia a few days before. Unlike before, she had not recovered from the ordeal.
* * *
The doctor had just pronounced that there was little left that could be done for the Viscountess beyond prayer and divine intervention. How Lady Alexandra had prayed for her mother in those days.
* * *
Nothing had come of her words sent heavenward. Instead, her mother announced that her end was nigh. She called each of her daughters to her side one by one to give her final words.
* * *
To Lady Alexandra alone she had implored the child to look after her sisters. She had put the weight of the household mantle on the frail eight-year-old’s shoulders and implored the little lady to see to her sisters' success in life.
* * *
Lady Alexandra had made that promise to her dying mother. She still remembered the look of peace and relief that shown in her dark-brown eyes before the life drifted out of them. It was that worry that had kept her lady mother hanging on for the last few days. Now that Lady Alexandra had been set to her lifelong task, her mother would rest in peace.
* * *
She wouldn’t let her mother down. She hadn’t so far. She had taken care of the house, raised her sisters, saw to their education, and prepared them for the roles life would give them in their future. It didn’t matter the cost or sacrifice to do so.
Lady Eagleton didn’t agree with her friend’s determination to put her sisters before herself. In all honesty, her heart ached for Lady Alexandra.
* * *
She wouldn’t have wished such a life upon someone such as Lady Alexandra, but if anyone had the tenacity to do so, it was Alexandra.
* * *
As much as she wished away her friend's circumstances, she also admired her bravery throughout it. Lady Alexandra was a dutiful daughter, a superb sister, and if anyone deserved a life of love and happiness, it was her.
* * *
Though love was undoubtedly a forgone ideal to Lady Eagleton, she had seen it enough in others. Of course, she did have great admiration for her own husband, and considered herself to be lucky to have such a warmhearted companion. It wasn’t love that she had for him.
* * *
That was something she had only seen and never felt. It wasn’t an unusual circumstance for a lady of the ton to go through life without love, and she didn’t consider it to be solely required for happiness. What she did see from various members of her family and society on a whole when they did find it, was that happiness was doubled over than one could even imagine.
* * *
Lady Eagleton had wished such emotions for herself as a young girl before her father and the Earl arranged her marriage. A part of her still hoped for it deep in the recesses of her heart, but she knew she would still live a happy, satisfied life if it never came her way.
* * *
She was sure, however, that unless Lady Alexandra found something so profound as love, she would never be shaken from her determination to put her family before her own needs. And certainly, if anyone was ever in need of doubled over happiness, it was the lady who had received so little in her life already.
* * *
“Oh look there he is,” Lady Eagleton said coming from her thoughts and pointing her fan discreetly across the room.
* * *
“How can you be sure?” Lady Alexandra said taking a quick glance at the two men that Lady Eagleton had pointed at.
* * *
“Obviously it is he. A young, handsome duke laughing in such a friendly manner with my husband.”
* * *
Lady Alexandra took a quick moment to study the gentleman. He did look much younger than she expected when told he was a close friend of Lord Eagleton, but then she had to remind herself that it was the Viscount he was friends with.
* * *
Though he did have a dashing smile of perfect white teeth as he spoke with the Earl, there was still something that made her consider him quite stoic.
* * *
Perhaps it was the fact that he towered over every other person in the room, including all the other men. He had large square features that reminded Lady Alexandra of the ancient marble statues from earlier civilizations.
* * *
He was most fashionably dressed in a dark navy coat with tan pantaloons and high rich brown leather boots. It was all the heights of fashion and perfectly placed on his body.
* * *
The thought of his perfection made Lady Alexandra unconsciously tug on the glove that had begun to slip again.
* * *
It was his face that made him look so solemn she finally decided. He had the same chiseled facial features to compliment his sturdy angular frame. His nose was slightly longer than usual and pointed at the tip. More than this, what caught Lady Alexandra’s attention was his thick black hair brushed back and made to shine in the candlelight. She was sure he looked just as his title entailed. A raven.
* * *
She only knew the creatures due to her father’s research endeavors. They were considered to be smart but cunning. Beautiful to look at but quite mischievous. She was sure that the Duke was exactly like his name stated.
* * *
“He does look quite friendly with Lord Eagleton, but there is something about him that unsettles me,” Lady Alexandra said honestly to her friend.
* * *
“Perhaps it gives you a quiver in your belly, sends your face to flush red,” Lady Eagleton egged on.
* * *
“Oh nonsense,” Lady Alexandra said waving her friend off with a giggle. “I think you have been reading far too many of Mr. Wright’s Circulating Library romances.”
* * *
“I have, and I am not ashamed of it,” Lady Eagleton said putting her chin just slightly higher into the air. “In fact, I have one that I am sure you will love.”
* * *
“Oh, to have time to read,” Lady Alexandra said with a sigh.
* * *
She loved to read just as much as her best friend, but always seemed to be lacking in the moments to do so. Because of this, she had as of yet to subscribe to a lending library despite her own family’s poor selection of books.
* * *
“You must make time, my dear,” Lady Eagleton said. “Now come and promise me that you will let me scheme on your behalf. It will make me so happy to do so this season.”
* * *
“Fine, I will let you scheme, though only on my sisters' behalf. And I must warn you; it will do little good when the Duke learns of the family you are sponsoring. Our financial misfortune is widely known.”
* * *
“Nonsense, he will have money enough. I am sure that instead, he will be on the hunt for a prospect of love,” Lady Eagleton said emphasizing the last words causing Lady Alexandra to roll her eyes and both girls to giggle as if they were young again.
Chapter Six
“My dear,” Aunt Rebecca coming quickly to Raven’s side as the band took its place on the small stage. “The dancing is about to begin. I must introduce you to Lady Charlotte.”
* * *
She was all ruffles as she hurried
over to him and again Raven groaned inwardly.
* * *
“So I see you have an eye for Lady Charlotte already,” Eagleton said with merriment as we walked into the great dance hall together with many of the other gents.
* * *
He had insisted on following Raven so that he might introduce him to his wife. He also had promised the lady a set as she dearly loved to dance.
* * *
“I have not set my eye on anyone,” Raven said narrowing his eyes at his aunt.
* * *
“Ah, I see. Well, if anyone is up to the task then it is this tenacious lady,” Eagleton said bowing politely to Aunt Rebecca.
* * *
“If you will both excuse me I am sure my own wife will be most disappointed if we don’t dance the very first set and I dare say I would rather get it over with anyway.”
* * *
He gave Raven a farewell wink and wished him luck before making his way through the ever-growing crowd to find his wife.
* * *
“I must introduce you to Lady Charlotte right away,” Aunt Rebecca continued with the Earls departure.
* * *
She was tugging at Raven’s arm like an errant child.
* * *
“I have spent half the night next to Lady Derber. She has gone on incessantly on how both her daughters have found infinite amounts of good fortune this year. I am sure Charlotte’s card is almost full already. Do hurry,” she added when Raven continued to take the trip through the crowd at a leisurely pace.
* * *
Aunt Rebecca continued to scan the room doing the best she could manage at her short stature.
* * *
“Oh dear, I can’t seem to see a thing,” she said with a huff as a group of gentleman flooded in the room from another door blocking her view.
* * *
“Perhaps you can tell me what she looks like and I can do the scouting for you, dear aunt,” Raven said wishing to get this over with.
* * *
“Well,” Aunt Rebecca said finding this to be a satisfactory compromise. “She is wearing a fine blue silk with long gloves. Her hair is the most beautiful golden brown with large angelic eyes and porcelain skin.”
* * *
Raven narrowed his eyes into slits at his aunt.
* * *
“I only need a basic description not an entire tale of her most beautiful qualities.”
* * *
“I am just trying to help, my dear,” Rebecca said as if such a notion of making her nephew fall in love from the mere words had not crossed her mind.
* * *
“Oh, I believe I see her now. She is standing with a slightly older blonde lady.”
* * *
“To be sure that must be her older sister,” Aunt Rebecca responded. “Do you see a way we might get to her for an introduction?”
* * *
“Eagleton himself is not far from them. It will take some time for us to cross, Aunt Rebecca. I will go on my own and have the Earl make the introductions. He knows the lady and her family already. You just wait here, dear aunt, at these chairs,” Raven said wishing to smother out his aunt’s matchmaking vigor.
* * *
He set his aunt at some chairs along the wall and walked away quickly to get some refreshments for her. He hadn’t been to London for some time, but it still seemed to him much hotter than he remembered despite the gentle breeze blowing through the windows from time to time.
* * *
“I think I will have a wonderful view of you dancing from just here,” his aunt said settling down into her chair with a drink in hand.
* * *
Her cheeks were slightly rosied from the heat, and he could tell she wasn’t entirely comfortable at the moment. He considered citing that as a reason they should leave right that moment.
* * *
He knew Aunt Rebecca would not have such a thing. She would not be moved from that ballroom until he at least danced with the lady in question.
* * *
Once he saw his aunt settled, he turned his attention back to the woman on the other side of the room. Much to his dismay Lord Eagleton was no longer there.
* * *
He found the backside of his parental figure and his new wife walking towards the open portion of the hall to prepare for the first set. It was only then that Raven saw that the lady speaking to Lady Charlotte wasn’t at all her older sister but Lady Eagleton herself. He thought this matter was of little consequence as the girl in question hadn’t moved from her spot even with her companion’s departure.
* * *
Raven considered waiting till the earl was no longer engaged in the set to go and make the proper introductions for him. Much to his frustration that would mean waiting for the length of dance and then having to endure the second set with Lady Charlotte.
* * *
It was more time than he was willing to bargain with. If he simply went to the lady himself, asked for the first available dance she had, he could retire to a quick nap before his time would come.
* * *
If his aunt was right, it could be several sets before she had one that wasn’t already promised to another.
* * *
The sooner he got his name on her little fan booklet and told his aunt of his place, the sooner he could find some moments of rest.
* * *
Raven continued to tell himself it was better to get the matter over with as he took his long, determined steps across the room. His tall frame and large stature had some great advantages. In this instance, others would move quickly to let him through.
* * *
He ignored several longing glances that came his way from other ladies of the room and kept his eyes on the one and only target he had for the night.
* * *
He was surprised to see that she wasn’t in a group of young ladies as most of the other single girls did. So often they either stayed at their mother’s side, timid and waiting for a chance, or ventured out with some of their friends hoping that the gents would mingle with them.
* * *
This lady did neither. Instead, she stood in her spot, just off of the main dance floor. Like her aunt, Lady Charlotte would have a good view of the floor but didn’t seem to be moving to take up the first dance herself.
* * *
Raven wondered if his aunt had been wrong in thinking her card would be full already as it didn’t seem any man was coming to collect her either.
* * *
As soon as Raven got within speaking distance of the lady, her attention turned to him. He was so tall that he was used to such a fact.
* * *
However, when the lady looked up at him with her large brown eyes, he seemed to forget his words for just a moment. He was never one to be tongue-tied or unsure of himself, but for only the briefest of seconds he feared that he had made an error barging before the lady so.
* * *
Swallowing hard, he took a deep bow before the lady.
* * *
“Forgive me for introducing myself,” he said as he bowed. “I am the Duke of Raven. My aunt Lady Rebecca Sinclair tells me she is a great friend of your mother’s.”
* * *
The lady’s delicate brown brows furrowed in misunderstanding.
* * *
“Perhaps I am mistaken?” Raven asked seeing she didn’t either recognize the names given or the connection.
* * *
“No, I am sure you are not,” the lady assured him with a soft smile. “I know your aunt, but by name only I must confess. I had no idea that she had a connection to my mother.”
* * *
“Oh,” Raven said straightening up and washing with relief. He had never feared embarrassment amongst the ton until this very moment.
* * *