by Abby Ayles
* * *
“Much of that is simply woman’s work. Certainly, you can tend to that on your own,” Lord Grebs chuckled again.
* * *
Raven could almost feel the tension in the room experienced by every single one of the Woodley daughters and entirely unseen by their father.
* * *
“How about,” he said taking his daughter's hand with fondness, “The duke and I will go to the museum today. We will oversee the menu choices, I am sure that is something Your Grace would have the most interest in,” he added in Raven’s direction. “Then we will oversee the table delivery. It might be nice for you to make the rounds of the upper rooms as well,” Grebs said turning back to Raven. “I think you might find some of the experiments and studies quite interesting.”
* * *
“I don’t understand,” Lady Alexandra said. “You, Father? You want to go to the museum?”
* * *
Her eyes darted to Raven, remembering there was an outsider among them.
* * *
“Are you sure you are feeling up to it?” she asked in a softer tone. “I know your nervous attacks can happen quite suddenly.”
* * *
“Oh, I am more than fine. In fact, it has been far too long since I have visited the place. It is high time I go and see that my expectations are being met.”
* * *
Raven saw the nervousness that rained down on all the ladies’ faces. He wasn’t exactly sure what Lady Alexandra meant by sudden nervous attacks, but apparently, it was something she didn’t want him to experience outside their home.
* * *
Raven also knew from information from his Aunt Rebecca and just general observation that Lord Grebs had not left his house for some time. He couldn’t understand what was drawing the man to do so, now of all times.
* * *
“I wouldn’t want to trouble you,” Raven said to the lord.
* * *
In truth, he had actually been looking forward to spending the whole day, and hopefully many after, with Lady Alexandra today.
* * *
Yes, he still wanted to help her, even if it meant with Lord Grebs at his side instead of the enchanting lady. None the less, the prospect still had its disappointments.
* * *
“No trouble at all,” Lord Grebs said rubbing his hands together in anticipation. “I had nothing else planned for the day. I am still waiting on my next specimen to arrive. I am still hoping for a South American jungle creature from the Spaniards. But of course, it is hard to trust those kinds,” he went on in a conversational tone.
* * *
“I am sure that Alexandra will be happy for the help too, won’t you, my dear. The cook mentioned only yesterday that we needed more candlesticks if I was going to stay up so late with my studies. I fear you have neglected a great many duties of the house as of late.”
* * *
Lady Alexandra visibly deflated even more if that were possible. Raven could feel his muscles tightening with the desire to stand up and protect her.
* * *
“Why not take Josephine with you, dear,” he said in a manner which told the girls they were excused to leave now.
* * *
Josephine’s eyes shot up at the mention of her name. Unlike the youngest two Woodley girls who had sat with hands folded in their laps as the conversation had transpired, Josephine had been quietly set to work on a rather full basket of mending and shirts.
* * *
Raven came to the realization that where the two younger girls seemed to do little to support the house the weight was put on the elder two girls.
* * *
Josephine hesitated for a moment. She would never refuse her father, and certainly not in front of a guest, but at the same time, she eyed the massive pile that awaited her.
* * *
“I would be happy to accompany Alexandra,” she said after only a moment’s pause.
* * *
“Oh and do go and get me some fresh ribbon while you are out,” Sophia said quite suddenly. “The Derber ball is only a few weeks away. I must have some new ribbon for my dress.”
* * *
“Sophia,” Lady Josephine started in a severe tone but was interrupted.
* * *
“I think we should start off right now, if we are to make it to all the shops, don’t you think Josephine,” Lady Alexandra said coming to a stand.
* * *
“Sophia, let us discuss the matter at a later date,” she added for good measure.
* * *
“Oh, but you wouldn’t deny me going to Lord and Lady Derber’s ball. I am sure the duke wouldn’t hear of such a thing,” Sophia said pulling her face into a pout.
* * *
Lady Alexandra forced a smile on her lips. “As I said, that is something to be discussed at another time. I bid you good morning, Your Grace,” Lady Alexandra said, face rosy with embarrassment.
* * *
Raven yearned for her to look him in the eye. She would not, however. No doubt she was feeling embarrassed for the less than acceptable manners of her youngest sister.
* * *
“If you will just give me a moment to ready myself,” Lord Grebs said standing as well, “We can be off as well. I shall call Thomas to bring the carriage around,” he added, motioning to the door where the butler was to be found.
* * *
“If you would like, I already have mine ready and waiting outside,” Raven offered.
* * *
“Oh, yes. That will do nicely. Girls, please be kind to our guest. I will be but a moment.”
* * *
The earl left, leaving Raven alone with the youngest two Woodley sisters. Williamina didn’t seem to have much care at all for the company, and instead, her eyes kept flittering over to a small piano against the wall.
* * *
Lady Sophia Woodley, for her part, was all too happy to have the company of the Duke without the nagging of her older sisters.
* * *
“Is it not true that you are good friends with Lord and Lady Derber,” she started on the instant her father left.
* * *
It was clear that Lady Sophia had a one track mine. Her single goal was to secure a place for coming out in society.
* * *
“I don’t know if I would say good friends. I have only made their acquaintance recently.”
* * *
“I suppose that must be true, as you have been away for so long,” she continued with a polite smile. “It does make sense that they were one of the first families for you to connect with. After all, Lady Rebecca has such close ties to them.”
* * *
Lady Sophia talked with an air of confidence. He was confident that she wanted to show him that she clearly was wise enough to be included in social events as she was already well versed in them.
* * *
“In what way do you mean?” Raven asked interestedly.
* * *
“Well, Lady Derber is the chairwoman for the Woman’s Society for Orphaned Children. It is said that Lady Rebecca Sinclair, your aunt, of course, has been a candidate for the society’s board. A very prestigious position.”
* * *
Suddenly things were starting to clear in Raven’s mind. That was why his aunt had been so insistent on the choice of Lady Charlotte. She had insisted that Lady Charlotte was the most suitable choice for his wife and future Duchess of Raven.
* * *
The truth of the matter was, she was just the most suitable choice to get Aunt Rebecca a distinguished seat in a woman’s group.
* * *
“You don’t say,” he replied, relaxing back in his chair with a devious smile curling on his lips.
* * *
He couldn’t have been gladder to be left alone in the room with the younger Woodley girls. Now that he knew his aunt’s real purpose for pushing Lady Charlotte to him for marriage, it
would be easy for him to find fault in it.
* * *
Naturally, when it came down to the choice of his wife, he would have followed his own personal desires, in the end, no matter what his aunt thought. Now, however, he understood why Lady Rebecca was so reluctant to show any sort of excitement or encouragement at the prospect of Raven actually finding a match of his own choosing.
* * *
It would take little effort to resolve this matter of a board seat. In fact, it seemed quite comical the lengths Raven's aunt had gone to. He was sure to secure her the desires of her heart all on his own and without her way of a marriage proposal to Lady Charlotte.
* * *
With that complete, his aunt would have no reason to not look on Lady Alexandra with fondness. He was sure that once her own personal desires were removed from the equation, Lady Rebecca would open her heart to Lady Alexandra. He had already seen so much that the two shared in common, he was almost confident that his aunt would be happy to accept her into their family.
* * *
Of course, he would also have to find a way to convince Lady Alexandra of that as well. It seemed to be a far more difficult task. As much as he admired Lady Alexandra’s stubborn, tenacious willpower, he also feared it was what kept her at arm's length from all around her.
* * *
Raven would make it his goal to not only help the lady in her endeavors but to show Lady Alexandra that life would be so much greater if she chose him to be at her side.
* * *
Yes, Lady Alexandra had expressed some distaste for Raven, most often when he couldn’t help but tease her. None the less, he was sure that the feelings he had for her were reciprocated. He had known it, without realizing it, that first night he met her as they danced.
* * *
Every time their eyes had met since then, it had been confirmed to him. Just as he was swelling with admiration for the lady, so she was for him. He doubted she was willing to admit such a thing just as he hadn’t been at first. Once he broke through that hard-outer shell, he was sure he could get Lady Alexandra to see the truth within her.
* * *
Lady Sophia’s little discussion with him in the drawing room while they waited for Lord Grebs to return had been aimed at her own self-satisfying needs. Little did she know that her boasting might have just solved almost all the obstacles that laid in the way of his happy future.
* * *
Had he been a different man, he might have exclaimed with delight at the prospect. He was not a different man, however. He was the Duke of Raven and stayed composed as such while the lady spewed on with all the rest of the information she was fluent in regarding societal connections.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Lady Josephine and Lady Alexandra went about their day’s shopping with relative ease. It was an excellent day for it as the air was warm, but there was plenty of cloud coverage to protect their delicate skin from the sun.
* * *
At their father’s dismissal from the drawing room, both girls had gone upstairs to change into more suitable attire for walking the shops. Lady Josephine chose a soft pearl-colored gown with a blue stripped Spencer jacket. Lady Alexandra took the time to accent her sister's dark hair with a soft blue ribbon to complete her look. For Lady Alexandra, she changed into her brown muslin walking dress. She hadn’t even fixed her hair as of yet and wore it with half of her long brown curls in a tight bun at the back of her head and the rest flowing back freely.
* * *
She took a moment to pull it all back into one tight chignon with only a few short locks left framing around her face. Lady Alexandra studied her face in the mirror reflection for a few seconds. Almost every day for the last month she had spent out of the house walking to and from the museum as well as other errands. She feared that she had spent too much time out in the sun.
* * *
Already her hair was taking on natural rusty red highlights mixed in with her brown locks. Though she had seldom cared about her complexion, she couldn’t’ help but notice a smattering of freckles across her cheeks already warmed with a golden glow of exposure. Before she realized it, her mind went to wondering if the duke found her complexion displeasing. She knew a lemon concoction that would remedy the coloring to her cheeks and absentmindedly considered using one later today.
* * *
Shaking her head with a slight laugh, she waved off the notion. She had never once considered frilling herself up, as Lady Sophia liked to call it, for anyone. Why on earth she had considered doing so for the Duke of Raven just now was downright ridiculous.
* * *
Removing the notions from her mind, Lady Alexandra announced she was ready, and the two sisters made their way back downstairs. Lady Alexandra was surprised to find that the duke and her father had already left for the museum.
* * *
She would have liked just a moment alone with her father to ensure that he was ready to go outside the walls of their house. Her greatest fear was that he would have another episode, only this time it wouldn’t be within the safety of his library with only the Woodley girls and the servants to witness it.
* * *
She couldn’t even imagine what would happen if he went into a fit out in public, not to mention what the duke would think of him. If Lord Grebs did lose control on his fragile sanity, would the duke revoke his use of the greenhouse room? Any sensible gentleman would upon facing someone prone to maddening fits.
* * *
Already her family had been shameful enough when it came to the duke in Lady Alexandra’s opinion. It was true that her father did seem better around the duke but that still didn’t mean he wouldn’t lose his wit. If that was the case and the duke shared the information with others in the ton, it would be the kiss of death for her sisters. No one would take on a lady of little wealth with a mentally ill father.
* * *
It was bad enough that he was already well known as a recluse. It wasn’t completely unheard of for a widow or widower to withdraw after the death of their spouse, and so some forgiveness could be given on the part of society for such behavior. Maddening fits, on the other hand, would only gain him a bed in Bedlam.
* * *
Lady Alexandra enjoyed the quiet solitude of the earlier hours. For most of the other classes, the day had already begun, and they were well about their work. For members of the peerage, it would be at least another hour or so before they would leave the sanctuaries of their own homes to call on others or perhaps walk the parks and shops.
* * *
Lady Alexandra preferred this time to get her errands done as she could be more relaxed as she did it. Little did she have to worry about running into another lady who might question why she was picking up the candlesticks for the household and not one of the servants, and so on.
* * *
Lady Josephine, who had traveled the shops on several occasions with some of her lady friends, had probably never ventured out so early in the morning, Lady Alexandra ventured.
* * *
“It’s almost a completely different world before the fashionable hour,” Lady Alexandra explained as they neared.
* * *
“Quite a bit more people in my opinion,” Lady Josephine surmised as she studied the carts and passerby of Bond Street.
* * *
“I suppose it is busier. Many are getting the items for their houses before the gentlefolk emerge. I find it more peaceful, oddly enough,” Lady Alexandra said with a laugh.
* * *
Lady Josephine gave her a look of surprise.
* * *
“I just mean, everyone goes about their own business. They don’t stop to gossip or judge others like our kind. It's a bit relieving to know I can do my shopping and not worry about offending, saying the wrong thing, or heaven forbid buying something out of season,” she added with a roll of her eyes.
* * *
Just last year she had been in Mr. Goshin’
s shop buying trimmings for an evening gown. Her eyes had caught on a muslin fabric in cream with periwinkle patterns of fleur de lis on it. She had almost purchased some of the material, an extravagance, to make a gown for Lady Sophia. She was sure her sister would suit the slightly bold pattern well.
