by Matilda Hart
Chapter Eight
Lady Marion had summoned for the duke and waited in the parlor for his appearance under the archway that adorned the entrance from the west corridor. Sitting upright in an overly stuffed plush chair, she adjusted her posture so that she was the image of a proper lady and a lady doesn’t slouch. Hearing the clack of his shoes on the marble floor before she heard his enthusiastic voice, Lady Marion turned her head to face the opening where she expected to see Trevor at any moment.
“Hello, Mother. You’re looking well.” The smile on his face warmed his mother’s heart since she had such few joys in life for the past few weeks. Since losing her Andrew, she’d had to come to terms with not only the loss of her son but the fact that Trevor was to take his place, which was something for which he was simply not suited. The boy had always been one to sit in the background and let his brother take the lead in any situation and he was more than happy to let him. Trevor was her artist, her thinker and dreamer where Andrew had been a man of action and strength. Though they had both been educated, Marion knew that Trevor had always been a bit more intellectual than his brother, who had been groomed for the title of duke since the day of his birth.
Trevor would be the child that she would refer to as sweet whereas the only word that came to mind when thinking about Andrew was ruthless. She had raised two completely different men and the one who stood before her today made her worry about his ability to do his job. What he needed was a woman who possessed the traits that he was missing and there wasn’t a more cunning or devious mind than the one inside Evangeline Lockhart-Grant’s head. Lady Marion Grant would be able to pull the strings regarding the business handled by the office of the duke through his new wife and once they are wed she would be able to secure her own placement in the house of Westminster.
“I have the most wonderful news, my son.” Lady Marion smiled to Trevor as she informed him of the ball for the king. “Since Evangeline and I obviously cannot go, I have arranged for her sister to accompany you. Trevor turned on his heel then back to face his mother as he said,
“You can’t be serious. Mother, that woman absolutely hates me and I can’t see us having a good time together, especially when it’s being forced upon her.” He was obviously disturbed to have to take the sister of his brother’s widow to an affair where there would be so many different ladies available to him like ripe fruit on the vine ready for picking. She knew that if he went off by himself that he would fall for the first young thing that flaunted herself at his new title and Lady Marion would rather be cold in a grave than see her house fall thanks to the influence of common trash. No, she must assure that the union between Trevor and Evangeline occur without a hitch, leaving the security of the house of Westminster in her hands.
“I’ve already discussed it with the girl and she would be more than pleased to accompany you so I won’t hear another word about it. Just relax and have fun, my son, it’s only one night.” Reluctantly, Trevor agreed to be Emily’s date for the ball and as soon as he’d kissed his mother on the cheek to seal his end of the deal, the sisters walked through the grand archway and with a smile, Evangeline asked,
“Isn’t it wonderful, Trevor? A ball in honor of the king, how exciting.” She walked past him slowly so that he could get a good look at the way she swayed her hips as she strolled.
“How exciting, indeed,” he replied with an extended glance of Evangeline’s curves. Emily slightly rolled her eyes at her sister’s more than obvious vie for his attention but when she saw that he was entrapped by Evangeline’s enchanting grace she wondered just how much he and his brother were alike. At first, he reminded her of a wounded bird who needed time to heal his broken wing but as of late, he brought to mind something more menacing, like a vulture closing in on its prey.
“My sister is absolutely thrilled to accompany you. Isn’t that right, Emily?” The younger sister’s eyebrows raised as she forced a smile and said,
“Of course, sister. There’s nothing that I look forward to more.” Glancing to Trevor, she saw that he tried to hide a smile but she couldn’t tell if it was a genuine gesture of his approval of the situation or if he were reacting to her sarcasm.
“It should prove to be an interesting affair, if nothing else.” Trevor stared at Emily from across the room and she felt her heart skip in her chest as her eyes locked with his. She didn’t want to feel anything for him other than contempt, so instead of holding his eye, she looked to the ground in an attempt to dissuade his attention.
“Yes, well, I know that the two of you will have a lovely time together.” Evangeline smiled as she batted her eyes to the duke, causing him to take a step towards the large fireplace behind him. As he glanced at the dancing flame, he turned back to face them, saying,
“Mother, you surely remember Lord David Dumont of Essex.” Lady Marion nodded as the duke continued with, “He’s sent correspondence stating that he plans to visit briefly on his way to France and he’s to arrive the day after the ball.” Lady Marion’s face looked distressed as she said,
“What a treat.” Smirking to her son, Lady Marion stood from her chair and walked to his side, kissed him on the cheek and said,
“I’m headed to my chamber, love. An old woman needs her rest if she wants to be able to keep up with the youngsters.” Trevor smiled to his mother as he replied,
“Age has not yet begun to show itself on your face, Mother. You’re as beautiful as ever.” Turning to face her son, Lady Marion smiled as she said,
“No need for lies, my son, they don’t suit you.” With a smile, Trevor winked to her as she turned to walk towards the grand archway.
“I’m afraid that I must leave you, as well, ladies. I’ve got a few meetings later in the afternoon and I must be prepared, so if you’ll excuse me.” He walked between the two sisters, catching Evangeline’s eye as he walked past, not glancing in Emily’s direction at all as he pardoned himself and left the room. Emily turned to her sister and said,
“Lady Marion has a wonderful idea, I think I will retire for a nap, as well.” Kissing her sister on the cheek, she promised that she would be downstairs for dinner and that night as they sat around the table, Emily noticed that the duke once again averted her gaze. Heading to bed that night, Emily began to wonder if being his date for the ball was such a good idea after all.
Being summoned to her sister’s room before she turned in for the night, Emily worried that something was wrong and hurried to be at her side. When she walked into Evangeline’s chamber and saw her sobbing on the bed, Emily rushed to her side and wrapped her arms around her weeping sibling.
“Dear, dear Evangeline. What is the matter?” She rubbed her sister’s hair gently as she tried to provide her with some comfort as Evangeline’s arms embraced Emily tightly.
“Oh, it’s a lie, Emily, it was all a lie,” she babbled and as Emily tried to make sense of the mindless prattle, her mind wandered to the many possibilities to which she could be referring.
“You’ve got to tell me what’s wrong if I’m to be able to help you.” Evangeline turned to look at her sister with tears streaming down her face and before she burst into sobs again, she bellowed,
“My marriage to Andrew was built not on love but lies and deceit. I married him to attain status, not for the love in my heart. I don’t even believe in love, for it fades after time and the only thing that can assure my happiness is my title as duchess. I simply have to marry Trevor or else my life won’t be worth living.” Emily was not surprised at her sister’s confession, for she knew the true love of Evangeline’s heart was Evangeline herself. She assured her sister that everything would be alright in the end and the best thing for her to do would be to get some rest.
As she got Evangeline into bed, she smiled when she left the room, closing the door behind her with the blowing of a kiss. Walking down the quiet corridor to her chamber, Emily looked up to find herself face to face with none other than the young duke of Westminster. Against her wishes, her
heart leapt in her chest and she felt her hands become sweaty as she saw no escape from conversation with him.
“Miss Emily, I trust you’ve settled in nicely?” He inquired, trying to strike up an accord with her, contrary to his behavior when his mother was in the vicinity.
“Your home is quite lovely and I’m becoming rather adjusted, thank you.” She saw the expression on his face change when he said,
“This is not my home.” He looked to her then smiled, replacing the melancholy air about his face by asking, “What is your opinion on the arrangement decided by my mother for the ball?” She didn’t want him to know that she was on a mission of the utmost importance so she smiled and said,
“I’m really excited about it, actually.” He looked into her eyes as he reached up to place his hand on her elbow with a smile.
“It pleases me greatly to hear that. I was rather delighted to find that my mother had paired us for the evening, for I feel that the two of us got off to a rough start and I’d like the opportunity to prove to you that I’m not the pretentious ass that you must take me for.” She smiled, appreciating the fact that he could see his own faults and address them accordingly. Staring into his eyes, she slowly shook her head and said,
“Absolutely not, Your Grace,” but he cut her off before she could finish her statement.
“Please, call me Trevor. I still associate my brother with the title of the duke and I don’t know that I’ll ever get used to it.” She saw a truth and sadness in his eyes that made her drop her guard with him for a moment as she touched his arm and said,
“I’m truly sorry about your brother, I don’t know what I would do without my sister.” She didn’t want to feel anything for him but it seemed as if looking into his eyes was the only thing she wanted to do and no matter how hard she tried to tear herself away from his gaze, the more she was drawn to him and that was something that she simply could not allow herself to feel. Risking her happiness in the city was not an option, not to mention what it would do to her sister if she and the duke were to have a special friendship, so she excused herself politely and made her way back to the chambers, leaving Trevor alone to watch her walk away into the night.
Chapter Nine
The night of the ball came with a low buzz all around the Westminster estate, for not only did Evangeline’s future depend on the success of Emily’s assignment of keeping the duke’s attention from straying in any direction other than one that pointed towards her sister. She almost felt guilty about the ruse but when she arrived at the ball, all those feelings disappeared and she allowed herself to fully enjoy the evening. After walking in on the arm of the handsome duke, she noticed just how many young women were looking his way with lovelorn smiles on their faces and the fact that he showed none of them any interest was rather flattering. As a server walked by with a silver platter carrying glasses of wine, the duke plucked a glass for both himself and his date. Looking into her eyes as he smiled, Trevor said,
“May this night be full of possibility.” As she tried not to let herself get swept away by his charm, Emily found that to be an insurmountable task when he took her by the hand and led her in a waltz. He was so light on his feet and quite an excellent dancer, watched by many of the young maidens in attendance all night long. Emily could see why he would need a decoy date if he was to be matched with her sister for there were numerous beautiful noble ladies that would love to take the duke off of her hands but the entire night, Trevor never took his eye from Emily’s smile. He had become entranced by her beauty and the way she lit up the entire ballroom took his breath away, for not one at hand could compare to her beauty.
Emily was more than shocked when Trevor took her by the hand and said,
“Come with me, I want you to meet someone,” then led her to the large throne against the back wall where the king and queen watched with delight. Feeling butterflies in her stomach as they neared the ruler of the land, Emily suddenly felt nervous and held onto Trevor’s hand as if her life depended on it. Trevor loved the feeling of her hand wrapped tightly around his and had trouble hiding the impending smile on his face as he led her across the crowded room, in and out of a sea of faces that meant nothing to either of them. Emily’s gaze had rarely left Trevor’s face but she told herself that it was because she knew nobody else at the event but in all actuality, she had become quite enamored by his features. Approaching the royal couple, Emily glanced down to make sure that there were no flaws on her clothing and was suddenly worried that she may have something in her hair or teeth but trusted that Trevor would have said something if she were about to make a fool of herself.
Trevor and the king exchanged greetings and as Emily waited nervously at the side of the king’s cousin and when he turned and introduced her, she felt the color rush to her face as she curtsied to her king and queen.
“Lockhart? Surely not the widow of your brother?” Looking to the duke with a furrowed brow, the king wondered what kind of woman would so brazenly celebrate so soon after her husband’s passing.
“No, Your Majesty. Emily is the sister of Andrew’s widow, Evangeline.” Nodding, the king looked to Emily as he said,
“Tis a pleasure to meet you and I trust you will enjoy the evening.” Emily graciously nodded as she said,
“Oh, yes, Your Majesty. This evening is proving to be much more than I expected.” She thought that she would spend the majority of the night in attempts to keep the young duke’s attention but at the end of the night, she realized that he’d never once been distracted by another woman. He spoke in passing conversation as he’d be introduced to various noble daughters but he always returned to Emily’s side. Emily felt as if she’d somehow betrayed her sister by enjoying the duke’s company but she couldn’t help but feel the exhilaration that came along with his touch and the way he would stare deeply into her soul without effort.
Holding his hand as Trevor led her across the dancefloor once again, Emily felt as if she were where she belonged and she didn’t dare overthink it for the entire duration of the song. Feeling his hand on her back, Emily did not resist when she felt him pull her closer to his body, enjoying the sensations that were coursing through her body. She and Trevor must have danced for hours, for when she finally climbed into the carriage to return back to the family estate, her feet were throbbing but she didn’t have one iota of complaint. Emily wasn’t sure how she was supposed to act when she was alone with him but for the first time since her arrival at the house of Westminster, she was comfortable in his company and didn’t feel the urge to run from him. They chatted the entire distance back to the estate but the duke got a deep look in his eyes that prompted Emily to ask him what was wrong.
“There are just certain things that are expected of me simply because of who my brother was and I often wonder if there is a chance for happiness or if all things are tied to duty. I was raised to be honorable and do the right thing but at what cost? Should one sacrifice their own chances for a fulfilled life simply because of duty and honor? It’s the ongoing noble battle and I just fear that it’s finally reached my door.”
Chapter Ten
After bidding the duke farewell after a wonderful evening, Emily retreated to her chamber where she hummed and danced the waltz as she glided through the threshold into her room, smiling dreamily as she leaned against the door with a smile. As she sighed, she heard the distinct sound of someone clearing their throat and she turned with a startled gasp to see Lady Marion sitting in one of the high back chairs that hid in the shadows of the corner of the room. The woman stood and walked towards Emily with a menacing look on her face. Emily immediately became nervous, as she and the matriarch had no pending business or urgent conversations that must be completed. The hour was not late but she thought it a bit inappropriate for her to slink in the shadows of her room for an impending ambush.
“It appears that you had a nice evening with my son.” Emily didn’t know what she was supposed to say because she felt slightly as if she were be
ing accused of enjoying herself.
“I did as you asked and made sure that Trevor’s eyes did not wander past the view of his own house, milady.” Lady Marion read between the lines to see that her initial suspicion of the younger Lockhart was right on target.
“Do I need to remind you that you were to make sure that his attention didn’t stray from your sister?” Emily shook her head as she said,
“Oh, no ma’am. I made sure to talk about Evangeline at every possible opportunity.” It was a small lie but the woman needn’t know all the secret details and flirtations that occurred between Emily and her son.
“I just wanted you to know that you shouldn’t start thinking any strange thoughts about my son. The future of this house has been determined and decided by those that are affected by its outcome the most so don’t get any foolish notions about love or romance when it comes to my son.” Emily felt like she had a large stone on her chest as she tried to catch her breath. Standing in disbelief as she watched Lady Marion walk across the room, she couldn’t believe the audacity of the woman who had initially forced her to go to the ball with Trevor in the first place. “Just remember this and we shouldn’t have any problems.” Walking past Emily with her nose in the air and beady eyes focused on the girl’s face, Marion Grant of the house of Westminster walked from the room after having mad her point painfully clear.
Emily stood in the silent room in a complete state of disbelief as she tried to comprehend what had just happened between herself and the duke’s mother, for she’d done only as she was asked by the leader of the Grant family. She couldn’t believe that she was standing in the room after being chastised by the duke’s mother for doing exactly what she’d been asked to do. Realizing that the only person that was being put out by this whole situation and none of it actually had anything to do with her. Deciding that she’d had enough of the duke, his mother and her sister’s greedy ploy, Emily prepared to leave for London in the morning but first, she had to see her sister.
