by Lucy Langton
“Well, for starters, you are wealthy, have a title higher than my own, and certainly would be able to provide a decent home for me,” Kitty explained. “I always did enjoy visiting your family’s countryseat.” Hugh smirked as he nodded his head.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve been there,” Hugh said.
“Probably since your parents’ deaths,” Kitty pointed out. Hugh only nodded again as he seemed to sober at the thought.
“Well then, if I have amiable qualities, what’s keeping you from considering me your perfect match completely?” Hugh asked, teasing her.
“Your reputation befalls you, Hugh. You’d have to change your wicked ways if I was ever to consider you as a suitor,” Kitty said with a shake of her head, knowing that Hugh would never change.
Kitty saw the blush in his cheeks as he said, “I would be willing to do such a thing if only you’d ask me, Kitty.” She was surprised to hear him say this, wondering why she had anything to do with the way he acted. She had to look away from him for a moment as she thought about what she should say next.
Kitty thought of the suitor she once had in the past. She thought she was in love, but found out the day before he proposed that he’d been sleeping around with other women and had gambled most of his wealth away. Kitty had vowed never to let her heart go to anyone that didn’t have a decent reputation and could prove to her that he was the perfect gentleman.
“Perhaps then I can put you to the challenge, Hugh,” Kitty eventually spoke up as the dance came to an end.
“And what sort of challenge would that be?” Hugh asked with a raised eyebrow and a smirk on his face. He still held her hand in his, and for the moment, Kitty didn’t mind. Even as the dance stopped and all the other dancers moved away, she still remained with him because she knew that Hugh never backed down from a challenge.
“I challenge you to become one of the most respectful gentlemen in society,” Kitty said. “I am convinced I shall never find a proper man for a husband and therefore challenge you to prove me wrong.” Hugh began to rub his thumb over her knuckles, the feeling seeming to send waves of pleasure through her. He leaned his head towards her, and for a moment she thought he was going to kiss her, but instead he spoke in a soft voice.
“I’ll accept this challenge only if you’re willing to play with me,” Hugh said in a teasing voice.
“And what do you propose?” Kitty asked.
“I propose that we put this to a test. In seven days, I will do all that I can to win your affections,” Hugh explained, surprising Kitty. “And if I succeed at becoming a more respectful gentleman in your eyes, and in the eye of society, then you shall marry me the following Sunday.”
Kitty removed her hand from his and created space between them as his words washed over her. She’d never considered Hugh to be a possible suitor for her, but there was something about him that always drew her to him. And knowing that Hugh had such a bad reputation, she didn’t feel like he could honestly succeed at such an accomplishment in such a short time.
“You have a deal, Hugh,” Kitty said with a smile, curious to see what Hugh would attempt to do in just a week’s time. “I will postpone any current or future proposals until the end of next week. And if you can prove to me … no, show me that you can become a new man, then I shall consent to marry you.” Hugh smiled down at Kitty in such a way that her heart thumped against her chest. She could tell that he was eager to fulfil this challenge, and a part of her wanted him to win. But as rumours about Hugh started to flood her mind, she had little hope.
“I never turn down a challenge,” Hugh said as he dipped his head.
“But let’s see if you can actually win,” Kitty said in parting. She then made her way through the crowd to return to her aunt. Kitty felt foolish for ever agreeing to do such a thing. But if it meant that Hugh would change his ways, if only for a short time, then she could say that at least she tried in the end.
Chapter 3
This was the first time that Hugh was actually nervous about a challenge. Any time before when he’d been given any sort of dare, he’d always dive into it with confidence and eagerness to succeed. There was something about proving himself that always got Hugh ready to take action. But as he watched Kitty walk away from him, her words ringing in his ears, he knew that he couldn’t risk losing to this challenge.
Never before had a challenge meant so much to him. This time, he wasn’t just playing for money and bragging rights. He was playing with his dearest friend’s heart. As he watched her from afar, her pale gown hugging her body in all the right ways, he was certain that he wasn’t the only gentleman in the room that had his eyes set on her. And as he thought about what she said, how she’d postpone all proposals for him, it made him wonder just how many suitors she currently had.
Hugh could easily see why Kitty was so charming. She always looked out for everyone she cared about. The fact that she kept a watchful eye on her beloved aunt showed that Kitty had a large heart. Not many young ladies could compare to her in beauty, and everyone in Town already knew that she had an outstanding voice that opera singers would surely kill for. Hugh knew that the challenge she placed before him would be difficult, and one that held the highest stakes yet.
As Hugh circled the room, gathering his thoughts and planning his next move to win over Kitty’s affections, he spotted Lord Harding near a table on the far side that held several beautiful centrepieces with exotic fruit. There, Hugh could see him talking with another young lady. Just seeing him made Hugh seethe with anger.
He didn’t like the idea that the gentleman that had accompanied Kitty to the ball would speak with any young lady but her. And as Hugh watched the young lady laugh at whatever Lord Harding had just said, Hugh was compelled to take some sort of action.
Hugh closed the distance between them, and once the young lady spotted the Duke, she bid Lord Harding farewell and quickly left. Lord Harding turned to see who had spooked the young lady away, and his eyes narrowed at Hugh as the Duke came close to him.
“Can I assist you with something, Your Grace?” Lord Harding asked in a frustrated tone as he dipped his head to the Duke.
“Miss Worthington is without her companion for the night, so I thought I’d drop in on you and the intimate looking conversation you were having with another young lady,” Hugh said point blank. He wasn’t one for mincing his words, and it often contributed to his poor reputation. He mentally chastised himself, knowing he’d have to break a few old habits if he was going to impress Kitty.
“Surely you mistake me, Your Grace,” Lord Harding said with a smirk on his lips. A large part of Hugh wanted to slap that smirk off his face but knew that violence wasn’t the answer. He’d have to use his wit to outsmart Lord Harding while showing Kitty he was the finer gentleman.
“No, I don’t believe I’m ever wrong,” Hugh said with a chuckle. “That is why I approached you. Surely you wouldn’t want Miss Worthington to see you with another woman.”
“Again, Your Grace, you’ve mistaken me for doing something unforgiven,” Lord Harding said. “After all, I’m not like you.” Hugh narrowed his eyes at the man.
“And what exactly is that supposed to mean?” Hugh asked, no longer wanting to beat around the bush.
“Oh, Lord Blackmore, everyone here knows who you are and what you represent,” Lord Harding said as he gestured to the room. “You’re the black sheep of the herd and make us lords look bad, like some kind of animal that spends his money faster than he can make it.” Now Hugh wished that Lord Harding had been the man with whom he would have duelled that morning. He’d have been happy to take him out. But now, he had to play his cards right in order to recover from such a comment.
Hugh smiled at Lord Harding, making the man obviously uneasy. “Sometimes I like people to think I’m someone that I’m not so that one day I can really surprise them,” Hugh said in a dark voice. It was clear to him that he’d responded in a different way than he’d expected. Out of the cor
ner of his eye, he could see Kitty approaching them. This was his time to really show her what kind of gentleman he could be.
“Well, you have a very odd way of doing so,” Lord Harding replied. When Hugh bowed to him, it further surprised Lord Harding. The man returned the gesture, and Hugh was certain that the earl was trying his best to figure out his moves.
Then, Hugh made his leave. He wanted Kitty to see that he’d been friendly with Lord Harding, even if the man then complained to Kitty later. She would have seen for herself how he’d acted and would hopefully discredit Lord Harding and think him a liar. But as Hugh went to walk away, Lord Harding moved just at the right moment, causing Hugh to trip over the man’s boots and go tumbling to the floor.
However, as Hugh twisted his body at the last minute, he dragged Lord Harding down with him as they both went crashing into the table. It shattered under their combined weight, a loud crash sounding as everything on the table went falling all around them.
After the loud crash came the sound of silence. The crowd closed in on the two as they staggered to their feet, completely covered in cake and broken china. Whispers started circulating through the air that both gentlemen could easily hear. For Hugh, this was not looking like a good start to his challenge.
“Oh goodness. What a mess,” came the worried voice of the Marquess of Grindleton, Lord Miller. The short man came walking near the mess. Hugh was wiping cake and icing off of his clothes and face, and could see the paleness in Lord Miller’s face. “No, not my prized pineapples.” Hugh looked down at the floor to see the exotic fruit had been smashed to pieces in the fall.
“You clumsy fool,” came Lord Harding’s bellowing voice. Hugh simply sighed, not knowing what to do or say as he did his best to clean himself. Several servants came forth to assist, but it seemed that it would do no good.
“Forgive me, Lord Miller. It was a terrible accident,” Hugh eventually said as he neared the marquess. “What can I do to make this up to you?”
“I believe it is time that you retired for the night, Your Grace,” Lord Miller said as his eyes turned upon the Duke. His face was quickly turning a dark shade of red, and Hugh could tell that he’d angered the older man.
“As you wish, Lord Miller,” Hugh said as he humbly bowed before the man. He turned and made his way towards the front entrance. Before he could get out of the ballroom, Kitty interrupted him by stepping into his path. She had a grin on her face, and as he neared her, he could hear her laughing.
“Oh goodness, Hugh. What a mess,” she said as she giggled, gesturing to his clothes that were now clearly ruined.
“Indeed,” Hugh said as he looked down at himself. “I tried so hard to refrain from arguing with Lord Harding that it seemed that I couldn’t avoid confrontation no matter what I did.”
“And why on Earth would you have been arguing with Lord Harding?” Kitty asked, her mirth subsiding.
“We had a difference of opinion is all and wanting to be the better man you think I can’t be, I tried to simply walk away,” Hugh explained. “And even though I might be able to dance well, it seems that simple walking is beyond me.”
“It’s not that I don’t think you can be a better man, Hugh,” Kitty admitted. “It’s simply that you haven’t proven yourself capable in the past.” Hugh only nodded his head. He was embarrassed for what had happened, and wanting to make it up to the Marquess, he hoped to send him a letter in the morning. At that time, Lord Harding came walking past him, his face beet red as he fumed with anger. He didn’t even bother glancing at Kitty as he left the dance hall, no doubt eager to get cleaned up as well.
“Well, it seems my date for the night has departed,” Kitty said with a sigh.
“Do you need my carriage?” Hugh asked, more concerned about the elder Lady Winthrop.
“No, we came in our own carriage, thank you,” Kitty said as she focused her attention on Hugh once more. As he looked down into her beautiful blue eyes, her blonde hair seeming to shine around her, he wondered why he hadn’t tried to impress her before.
“Well then, do excuse me,” Hugh said as he bowed to Kitty. “Do have a more enjoyable evening with me gone.” Kitty giggled as he left then. Hugh sighed with relief once he was in the foyer. He couldn’t believe how the night had ended and wondered if he’d be able to improve his reputation after a night like tonight. But as he left the dance hall, the fresh night air coming to greet him, he felt more determined than ever to impress Kitty.
~*~
Kitty could hardly believe how the night had transpired. She’d originally looked forward to the ball as a way to forget her anger at Hugh for his foolishness and her unneeded worry over him. Her performance had gone splendidly, and she’d received all the praise she could handle. But the one thing that Kitty had not expected was Hugh showing up to the ball and asking her to dance. Furthermore, he’d surprised her when he’d accepted her challenge.
As Kitty returned to her aunt’s side, she wondered if Hugh would ever be able to convince her that he’d be the perfect husband for her. Though he was wealthy and charming, as well as her oldest friend, she could hardly believe that Hugh would be anything more than his reputation. Though he was rather handsome and always had a certain effect on her, Kitty wanted more in a husband than all of those things.
“What ever happened to Lord Harding?” Aunt Matilda asked upon her return.
“You won’t believe this, but Lord Harding and Hugh had quite a tumble and completely destroyed a table and the finest pieces that the Marquess had, to include several pineapples,” Kitty explained. She watched as her aunt thought about what she had said, and once it had dawned on her, she began to laugh quite loudly. Kitty couldn’t help giggling with her, the event both quite surprising and hard to believe.
“How ironic, my dear,” Aunt Matilda said once she was able to contain her laughter. “Your two most promising suitors ended up tumbling down together.”
“You think they are promising?” Kitty asked, quite surprised by her aunt’s words.
“Oh yes,” Aunt Matilda assured. “Hugh has always been a close friend, and Lord Harding is the most promising eligible gentleman of the season.”
“I wouldn’t marry Hugh just because we’re childhood friends,” Kitty said as she turned her attention back on the ball. Everyone seemed to be whispering about what had transpired, and she was worried how much more the Duke’s reputation had been tarnished.
“Well, he’s also wealthy and quite handsome,” Aunt Matilda said with a chuckle.
“Aunty, you are more than welcome to marry him then. But Hugh has such a poor reputation,” Kitty said.
“Kitty, darling, there is more to a man than just what people say about him,” Aunt Matilda said as she straightened her posture. “You’ve known Hugh since you two were young, so no one should know him better than you.” Kitty was silent as she thought about her aunt’s words. She figured that she should know him better, but these past few years she felt as if she didn’t know him at all.
“Good evening, Miss Worthington,” came the sweet voice of Miss Beatrice Talbot. Miss Talbot was known within the same social circles as Kitty, but Miss Talbot had debuted several years before her. Kitty looked to see a small group of ladies coming her way as they followed Miss Talbot. She figured they had come to talk to her about her performance, but she was quickly mistaken. “What a spectacle did the Duke and Lord Harding make.” Kitty smiled, even though she didn’t like where this conversation was leading.
“It was quite unfortunate that the accident did occur,” Kitty said as she smiled at the group of ladies.
“Do you really think it was an accident?” Miss Talbot asked. She glanced at her friends who all giggled at the question.
“I like to think that it was an accident,” Kitty replied. “I’d hate to think that anyone would want to be covered in cake on purpose.”
“It must be so trying to have so many suitors that they’ve started to literally fight over you,” Miss Talbot said
as she laughed, covering her mouth with the back of her hand as she did so. Miss Talbot was always very proper and was a beauty in her own way, but from what Kitty had heard about the older lady, she wasn’t very charming to be around for long periods.
