by Matilda Hart
“However shall we resolve this situation? I know not even your name, fair maiden.” Emily looked into his blue eyes and though she knew that he was meant for her sister, the heart in her own chest beat out of rhythm for a brief moment as she caught her breath and said,
“Emily, Your Grace, sister of your brother’s widow, here for her in her time of need.” He tilted his head and said,
“Oh, please. I’m Trevor as long as no one else is around to properly object. I’m not used to this yet, my brother was the one groomed for the title, not I.” He awkwardly shifted his weight as he continued, “Forgive me, as I am just as surprised to learn of you as you are of me, like new friends getting this fortuitous encounter.” Emily notices how he is nothing like his brother, for the elder of the two was quite arrogant by reputation and didn’t possess the fair features that her eyes so gladly gazed upon. She’d found Andrew boorish where Trevor seemed to be of a much different demeanor than his brother and somewhat humble, which was rare amongst nobility. “I saw you there, just above the rise of the hill. You ride with such grace, I’d hoped to get the chance to speak with you and compliment your form.” He smiled to her, causing the blush in her cheeks to rise as she said,
“Why thank you, it is one of my purest passions. There’s nothing like the feeling of racing across the land with the wind in your face and the smell of the fresh air, don’t you think?” She smiled to him, remembering the promise that she’d made her sister, wondering if she would be able to keep the handsome duke preoccupied while she mourned his brother. Surely, many a maiden would love to take her place next to his side and she surely would be no competition when his eye began to wander.
“Oh, I’m not much of a rider, myself, even though I do enjoy the occasional jaunt across the lands. Perhaps, one day you will allow me to accompany you?” He smiled as he stepped toward her and she smiled, saying only,
“Perhaps,” before turning and walking from the stable back to the main house. She didn’t turn to look, but she knew he was watching her walk away from him, up the path towards the home but what she didn’t know is that he had a smile on his face that could be seen from miles around.
On her way back to the house, Emily began to feel a twinge of regret about her deal with Evangeline, for it was neither of their concern who this man chooses to give his heart to and now that she’d met him, she couldn’t help but feel a bit tawdry about the whole thing, as if she were conspiring against a friend instead of helping a loved one. She would have to give her sister’s plan a bit more consideration but first, she planned to go upstairs and wash, change clothes and make herself presentable for Lady Marion, hoping that she would be better received by the woman on their second meeting. Elizabeth and Emily dined alone so that they could catch up last night and she hadn’t had the chance to apologize for her appearance upon her arrival. Hoping that she could gain some favor in the woman’s eyes, Emily dashed upstairs to begin the dull routine that made a lady proper in a proper lady’s eyes.
She tried to erase Trevor’s smile from her mind as she made her way to her chamber but simply couldn’t get his blue eyes out of her mind. Not wanting to do the stupid thing and fall for him when she was so close to finally getting the independence she so desired, she shook him from her mind and began her day.
Chapter Four
Knocking on the door to Evangeline’s chamber after she’d washed and dressed for the day, Emily awaited until she heard her sister’s voice answer,
“Yes, come in.” Pushing open the heavy, mahogany door, she peeked her head inside and saw her sister standing in front of a full length dressing mirror.
“What do you think, sister? Isn’t it gorgeous?” Evangeline spun around to present the newest of her gowns, a red satin beauty with gold embroidery and Emily smiled as she gazed upon her sister admiring herself in her newest decoration.
“It’s quite lovely, Evangeline. What’s the occasion?” Evangeline took her sister in her arms and gave her a small hug, holding on to each other at the elbow as she whispered,
“It’s Lady Marion. She and I spoke last night and she thinks that it would be splendid for Trevor and me to marry. In fact, it was she who proposed it to me before I had a chance. It’s marvelous, sister. Don’t you think?” Emily smiled as she looked to her sister but couldn’t help but feel a pang of regret after meeting the charming duke in the stables earlier in the morning. He was quite handsome and seemed too nice of a man to have to deal with the scheming and plotting involving his own heart that was going on right underneath his roof.
“I can barely believe my own ears, this is definitely surprising.” Emily replied as she ran her fingertips along the smooth material, giving her sister a nod and smile. She couldn’t believe that his own mother was going along with the plan to trick her son into marrying her sister but then again, there wasn’t much that surprised Emily when pertaining to the rich and what they would do to stay that way. “But, the dress, sister dear. Isn’t it a bit too early in your mourning to be wearing such a wonderful dress?” Evangeline waved off her sister with a smile and gushed,
“Lady Marion has decided to host a concert in two months’ time, right after the proper period of mourning, of course, so that I could possibly gain his attentions. She doesn’t know it yet, but with these eyes and a quick sway of my hips, I could have his attention by the end of the day but I’m not that brash, dear sister.” She picked up a black veil from her dressing table and tossed it over her face with a look of mimicked sorrow and said, “Besides, I’m mourning.”
Emily took the veil from her sister and tossed it onto the bed as she motioned for her to turn around.
“Let me help you out of this contraption and get you into something a bit more suitable for a widow. As Evangeline undressed and got back into her dark dress, Emily hung the elaborate, red gown over the changing screen and nodded with approval as her sister walked out from behind it wearing a simple, black dress.
“Much more suitable, don’t you think?” Emily asked but she could see by the scowl on her sister’s face that she’d much rather be wearing the more risqué of the two garments.
“I suppose so and I’d do anything to honor Andrew’s memory, God rest him.” Evangeline fussed over her hair for a moment before donning a black mourning hat, adorned with black, beaded flowering patterns on the side. Deciding that she was ready for the day, Evangeline took her sister by the hand and headed for the door. Her chamber was far larger than the one designated for Emily but then, of course, Emily had not been the Duchess of Westminster. As her eyes gazed upon the intricately carved details on the elaborately decorated headboard, which matched the carvings on the large bureau and a smile crept onto her face as she quickly admired the wonderful craftsmanship that went into these lovely pieces.
The sisters spent the day mostly walking around the estate so that Emily could see the entire area and appreciate its beauty then as dinner neared, the two went inside to freshen up and change. Evangeline went to Emily’s chambers after she was done to see if her sister needed help with anything and found that she was putting the finishing touches on her hair.
“Do you want to walk to dinner together?” Evangeline asked with a smile, to which Emily nodded and smiled.
“Of course, I shall escort you, milady” she replied with a grin and the two sisters interlocked at the elbows and walked each other down stairs to dinner. The table was far larger than any that Emily was accustomed to using and the ornate settings and trimmings were what one would expect from a house of nobility. Leaving the head for Lady Marion, Evangeline sat to the right of her and Emily took the place next to her sister. There were faces that Emily had seen around the estate but she couldn’t put a name to, so she simply smiled and greeted them as they entered the dining hall. Lady Marion was of course the last to arrive and just as she took her seat, she looked up to see her younger son standing in the doorway of the great dining hall.
“Oh, gracious be.” She stood up and rushed to him, t
aking him into her arms before stepping away to look at him, placing her hand on his face. “Look at you, my son.” She beamed as she ushered him to the table, where the servants had already began to rearrange the settings so that he could take the head seat.
Emily turned with a smile to greet the new duke but as he made eye contact with her, he simply kept walking and kept his gaze from her face. The new duke was greeted and took his seat, looking to his mother and Evangeline with warm eyes when he spoke. She sat quietly as she watched him go on about his travels and the last few months of his life with Evangeline and Lady Marion but when she would try to join in the conversation, Emily was politely dismissed or answered with short, cold replies. Wondering what had brought on such a change of attitude since this morning, she simply ate in silence as her sister and Lady Marion entertained the duke. They seemed pleased at his return and even though she didn’t know him well at all, Emily sensed that he was tense with all the attention being thrust upon him.
Evangeline flashed her winning smile and placed her hand on the duke’s shoulder when speaking to him, which he seemed to like due to the way he would look at her when he spoke. It seemed as if Lady Marion was pleased that the two hit it off so well and when she excused herself for the night, she gave Evangeline a smile that said the two of them shared information that wasn’t public knowledge as she said,
“Good night, my dears, you two have fun.” With that, Lady Marion walked from her seat and glared at Emily as she walked from the dining room then disappeared down the corridor. Assuming that Lady Marion’s dislike for Emily had to do with money or thinking that she somehow wanted anything belonging to her, she tried to shake off the woman’s hatred for her and concentrate on getting her sister married again then take herself back to London. She couldn’t get away from the estate of Lady Marion or the entire house of Westminster fast enough for her own liking and two months from now, hopefully her sister’s plan would succeed so that she could finally return to her life. Emily vowed to do whatever she needed to do to assure the duke and her sister fall in love with one another for the sooner their love could bloom, the quicker she could go back to London and that day couldn’t come soon enough for the younger sister.
Chapter Five
Evangeline and Lady Marion immediately begin with preparations for the concert and there is no expense spared when it came to decorations, flowers and food but Emily was told that it must remain a secret until the time of the event. It would be distasteful for the mother and wife of the former duke to plan any type of festivities during the time of mourning but Lady Marion needed to make sure that when the proper time came, there would be a reason to push Evangeline and Trevor together. Emily woke before the sun and once again went for a morning ride to find that Trevor was in the stables when she returned. Not sure how to act with him since he ignored her all through dinner, she nodded and said,
“Your Grace,” as she walked past on her way to hand the rein to the stable hand.
“Your Grace? I thought we were past that and onto other things like first names.” He smiled as she turned to face him. Her heart almost stopped when she looked into his blue eyes but she tried to keep herself from blushing as she said,
“Well, after last night’s dinner I could only assume that we were back to a more formal camaraderie.” He reached out to her shoulder as she tried to walk past, stopping her so that he could look into her eyes when he said,
“Forgive me for last night, please. Dealing with my mother and the new duties are all just a bit too much for me to take right now. I never meant to make you feel as if I didn’t see you during dinner because it was all I could do not to stare at you all night.” His hand ran down the length of her arm then he took her by the hand. “My only brother is dead and I’m supposed to take his place but I don’t know how to just walk into his shoes.” He looked to the ground as he said the words, so unlike any nobleman she’d met before. Men of nobility showed no sign of humility, especially around women and this was a trait that immediately struck Emily as unique and admirable.
As he looked up, still holding her by the hand, saying, “Please, forgive my actions at dinner last night. I was afraid that my mother may see something in my eyes of which I may not even be aware, for I am not trained in hiding my emotions or desires.” He gave her hand a squeeze and she pulled it away as she gasped, trying not to let him see that she enjoyed the feel of his hand, even though she still wore her riding gloves. His grasp was firm, yet held a certain tenderness that she hadn’t expected but what surprised her most was that she enjoyed his attention, which was not what she’d had in mind. Looking into his eyes, knowing that her sister had already spoken for him and not allowing herself to feel anything for him was too much for Emily so she removed her hand from Trevor’s grasp and took a step towards the house.
“Forgive me, if I’ve given you the wrong idea. I’m here to help my sister during her time of mourning and nothing else. Excuse me.” She turned on her heels and walked toward the house, unable to turn and look at him out of fear that she would return to his side for one more smile.
Emily couldn’t allow herself to begin to form feelings for Trevor because she didn’t plan on staying around long enough for romance to bloom and her life was in London. Her heart wanted her to turn around and get one more look at his face but she knew that if she did, there was a chance that she would let herself fall for his blue eyes and that was something that she simply couldn’t allow. The reason she was here was to assist her sister and make sure that Trevor didn’t fall in love with anyone before she had a chance to pursue him and since there was no one around to keep his heart from, she saw no reason to continue their blooming friendship. Realizing that she shouldn’t be around Trevor out of fear that she may develop feelings for him, she vowed that her morning ride would be earlier the next day so that she could miss any meeting of chance.
Seeing a different man than she’d met at dinner the night before was confusing, for one moment, he seems as arrogant and entitled as his brother but then there was the charming man that smiled after a morning ride and said all the right things. It was as if he was one man when he was alone with her and a completely different person when his mother was near. Trevor seemed to want to make her proud, something that had always been left up to Andrew and now it was his time to step up and lead the family. She knew that if she got any more involved with him that it would make it more difficult to leave when the time came and Emily wanted no reason to make her want to stay in the country. It would be quite easy to fall for the handsome duke but she had to keep her concentration and focus on the goal, which was her independence in London, living the life as a single woman, which wasn’t completely unheard of but usually only reserved for spinsters and widows. Her mother thought that Emily desiring a life without a husband and children was completely absurd and she didn’t agree with it at all, hence the reason she still lived at home. With what Evangeline was proposing, she could financially procure her own security and even though it would cause discourse with her parents, Emily could finally live the life that she’s been yearning for since childhood.
There was no way she was going to look over her shoulder toward the stable in search of Trevor’s face only to find that he was once again watching her walk back to the house and she fought the urge with every ounce of her will. She could feel her heart begging her to just turn her head and look at him but she refused, keeping her head straight and her gaze planted on the rear entrance to the east wing, where she would enter and head to her bed chamber to freshen up after her ride and cool off after her meeting with the duke. Emily promised herself that she would not allow any more chance meetings in the stables with him as she walked away from Trevor with a pounding heart.
Chapter Six
Evangeline and Emily spent the majority of the day sitting around talking, which Emily found extremely boring, thinking about all the social engagements that she could be attending in London if she’d not been stuck at the Westminster e
state. In her opinion, there wasn’t much she was doing other than keeping her sister company, for she had not been needed for comfort that she could tell. Putting up with two months of life in the country was a small price to pay for her independence and she would sit and drink tea for the entire time if that’s what was required. She quickly grew bored of walking around the estate and enjoying the gardens, wondering how her sister could possibly want to live her life in such a quiet place where nothing happened that wasn’t planned, including falling in love.
Emily required spontaneity and in a world where even the fate of one’s heart was planned by another was not where she saw herself finding happiness. It was the same thing every day at the Westminster estate: wake, dress, parade around the house looking important then dress again for dinner, where Lady Marion would be ever so subtle about her disdain for the strange woman under her roof. As Emily dressed for dinner, she thought of her encounter with Trevor in the stables earlier that morning and her heart fluttered as she thought of his eyes. Trying to flush his mind from her memory with a splash of cool water to her face, she patted her wet skin with a clean cloth as she shook her head.
“He’s not even that handsome, anyway. What’s with you lately?” She didn’t even believe the words as she spoke them aloud, trying to validate herself but it was no use. As she looked into the mirror and checked her reflection, she heard a knock at her door but knowing Evangeline would walk in without waiting for a response, Emily simply turned to face the opening where her sister already stood.
“Shall we go to dinner together?” Emily nodded as she checked her reflection once more, wondering if the amount of bosom she was showing was appropriate for dinner with Lady Marion, but she’d already donned it and would have to do, risqué or not. Her sister wore a black dress but wore no veil or hat once again but then again, her mourning didn’t seem to be all that traditional since she already had her second husband already in her sights, merely awaiting the proper time to pounce.
