Romance: Regency Romance: A Lady's Powerful Duke (A Regency Romance)

by Matilda Hart

  “I understand that you were waylaid on your way here yesterday,” someone said. Her father answered for them all, for which she was grateful, and soon the chatter turned to talk of highwaymen and the one they called The Rogue.

  “A handsome lad, by all accounts,” one male guest said. “A pity he did not turn his hand to a less profitable but more legal trade.”

  Maddi noticed how the duke tensed next to her, and she wondered why that was. Did he know the brigand? Had be been waylaid himself, and was he harboring thoughts of vengeance? She remembered how handsome he had been, the leader of that ragtag group of men, with his fine gray eyes and beautiful smile. Why would he have turned to a life of crime, she wondered.

  “There are many reasons that might make a man turn from the straight and narrow,” the duke said, and Maddi realized that she had spoke her thought aloud.

  “What reasons could there be, Your Grace?”

  “If he has no way of earning a living to keep his family alive, he might feel desperate enough to attempt to live outside the law,” he said. “Perhaps he was forced into it by the accident of birth. What a man sees when he is growing up is all he knows.”

  “Both very compelling reasons, Your Grace, but surely there are farms where one may work?”

  “Farmers only need so many hands to work for them,” he countered. “And not all farmers wish to employ all those who may be employable.”

  Their conversation was interrupted by the gentleman across the table from him, who asked him about the progress of the restoration of his home. Maddi listened keenly. It seemed that large sections of his home had been razed to the ground by a fire some claim was deliberately set.

  “The builders have estimated six more months for the major work to be complete,” he said. “But if there continue to be unexpected interruptions, I foresee a longer time span.”

  “And how is your dear mama handling all this disruption?” This question from an ancient lady whose voice quavered like fine lace in a summer breeze.

  “She has done well, considering the mess the place was in when they first started,” the duke replied. “The west wing, which had the least damage, has been fully restored, and this is where we will continue to live until everything is sorted.”

  Maddi wondered how old he was, and what had happened to his father. There was just something about this man that made her body warm with feelings she had never had before. When the group began the first number, Maddi found herself whisked away on the arm of a portly young man with a happy grin who nevertheless had the unfortunate habit of stepping on her toes. The following two dances were with nondescript young men whose skill in dancing was a dull as their faces.

  The fourth set was with a man who seemed somewhat older than his predecessors, and whose skill on the dance floor suggested other advantages above those of the men before him. Something about him made Maddi cringe. He was perfectly polite when he spoke, but she found he held her a bit too closely, and that his grip was a tad too firm around her hands and waist. She was relieved to be released when the dance was over, and she stepped away to get herself a drink. One was presented to her and she looked up into the smiling brown eyes that had captivated her when he had first appeared.

  “That was a particularly energetic dance, Lady Madalene,” he remarked. “I pity you having to do every number with another eager young swain.”

  Maddi smiled. “And are you not numbered among the lot of them, Your Grace?” she asked in amusement.

  “I may be an eager swain,” he responded, “but I draw the line at ‘young’!” He looked around at the assembled guests. “Most of the other eager swains are at least five years my junior, and some more.”

  It was impolite to ask personal questions, but Maddi suddenly wished to know exactly how old this eager swain was. She felt the inadequacy of every one of her twenty and one years when she was in his presence, and yet his face was unlined, his body robust, his voice deep and strong. There was nothing to indicate his age. And when the time came for their two dances, she was sure he was much younger than he seemed, for he was nimble and agile, and an excellent dancer.

  At the end of the evening, Maddi found that she had thoroughly enjoyed herself, and that although she had begun the evening in expectation of having to put a good face on things, she had had no need for artifice, as most of the guests, and the young men with whom she had danced, had been remarkably pleasant company. Perhaps her boredom in the past had stemmed from her having been younger and less mature? It was something to consider. And perhaps this visit would turn out to be the best one, after all.

  Chapter 4

  Drew had looked forward almost impatiently to his two dances with the ravishing beauty who was the center of attention at the party. Her scent had wound its way into his system, and the sight of her made his body tighten. When he had walked into the room, she had been surrounded by men eager to do what he wanted to do...stand next to her, dance with her, hold her, sweep her away to some place where they could make inappropriate advances to her. At least, that was what he assumed, if the looks on their faces were anything to go by.

  He had always prided himself on being cool and in control, but for the first time this evening, he was finding himself having to rein in his thoughts and curb his tongue. The things that Beauty made him want to say were beyond outrageous, and would only paint a picture of him as a rake. Which was the last thing he wished to do. While he was still not certain that he wanted to marry anyone, including Beauty, he knew he wanted to spend more time with her, to get to know her. And if it meant that he would have to marry her, at least he would enjoy having discovered someone who could make him forget that he was a gentleman.

  He knew she was an innocent, but there was such fire in her eyes, such a passion for living, that he felt drawn to her spirit, like bees to nectar. It would be up to him to protect her reputation by maintaining his distance as a gentleman ought to do. The final dance had been a waltz, as though the musicians recognized that they needed to give the assembled group a chance to cool down after the lively quadrilles and country dances. Drew had savored every intimate moment, more happy than he would ever admit that he had been the man lucky enough to hold her at arm’s length and look into her eyes as they circled around the room under the watchful eyes of her family.

  Now, he watched her as she walked out on her father’s arm, and he was suddenly grateful that his mother had substituted his name for hers on the invitation. He would find out over the next two days whether or not his sister was right about his way with women. In the meantime, he had to figure out a strategy for getting some time alone with her, without compromising her. Having had to be the go-between in his sister’s courtship rituals with Percy, her husband of five years, he knew that there were ways to get a few precious moments with a woman if one were motivated enough. And for the first time in his adult life, Drew was motivated.

  Sleep came slowly. Drew tossed and turned on a perfectly comfortable bed, threw the pillows off, put them back on, turned to left and right, lay on his back, rolled over...that last was most uncomfortable, as by that point in the wee hours of the morning, his cock was half hard and aching. Finally, he gave up and sat in the big armchair by the fireplace, where his valet found him the next morning. He ached in every joint from the discomfort of having slept in a chair, and ordered a hot bath to soak his soreness away. His valet knew what he would need, and before too much longer, he was sitting in a tub of almost scalding water, loving the way it eased his sore muscles and soothed his aching manhood.

  He dressed carefully, after sitting in the tub until the water was cool. His pantaloons were a fawn color, and his Hessian boots were a nice contrasting black, and highly polished. His shirt, cravat, waistcoat and coat completed his morning outfit. If he wished to catch the eye of the lovely Madalene, he would need to pay even closer attention to his attire than he normally did. Breakfast was probably being served by the time he was done dressing, so he hurried off to the drawing ro
om where the food had been set out on the sideboards and people were helping themselves to what they needed. He chose boiled eggs to have with his oatmeal cakes and cheese, and bread and butter.

  As people straggled in, he observed their faces and noted those among them who had imbibed too freely the night before, while the younger set had danced the night away. His beauty had yet to make an appearance by the time he had finished his breakfast, and he wondered whether the dancing had been too much for her. She appeared to be a more robust girl than that. Perhaps she had gone out before breakfast? He excused himself and took himself off for a stroll around the grounds, in hopes of meeting her.

  His efforts met with no success, and he abandoned his walk, returning to the house and ensconcing himself in the library, where he thought to while away an hour or two before he would go riding. The door was open as he approached, and he walked in leaving it ajar, supposing that that was how it was meant to be. Lord John had an extensive set of works, but Drew could not settle his mind on one thing. So he sat with the papers and began a thorough reading of the news, losing himself in the stories reported in the rag. He was so lost in his readings that he failed to see her until she was almost upon him.

  “Your Grace, please pardon me,” his Beauty said, “I did not mean to intrude.” She lowered her eyes before his, and he watched the slow rise of color in her cheeks. She was enchanting.

  He stood as she approached, putting the paper down, and smiled at her. “I am, as yourself, a guest here, my lady,” he replied. “There can be no thought of intruding.” He stepped away from her, because whatever the scent she had used upon her person, it was making him dizzy with desire. He walked away to the windows that overlooked the lawns on which the assembled group might play bowls or croquet. Turning towards her again when he was a safe distance away, he added, “I missed seeing you at breakfast this morning.”

  “I went for a walk,” she said. “It was such a lovely morning, and I was not hungry then.”

  He looked at her closely. “And now you are?” he asked, and watched her nod her head.

  “I’m sure the butler can arrange for a tray to be brought to you in the drawing room,” he said. “Why don’t I go and see to it? I’ll have them bring your food to the drawing room, shall I?”

  “Thank you, Your Grace, but it is not necessary to put yourself out for me. I shall go myself below stairs and…”

  “I would not hear of it,” he protested. “I shall find Gibson, and he will take care of it for you.” He gestured for her to precede him out of the room, and followed her, still leaving the door ajar. “I shall see to it now, Lady Madalene.”

  He could feel her eyes on him in the moment before she stepped into the drawing room. He found the butler, explained what he needed, and then forced himself to go back into the library and pick up the paper he no longer had any interest in reading. Instead, he set himself to planning a dinner party of his own to which he would invite his Beauty and her family. He wished that it could be a full house party but there was not enough usable space to have guests stay over. Unless he opened up the townhouse…

  Drew saw her again later that afternoon as he was out riding. She was walking with her cousins and they were talking earnestly. He wondered what they were discussing so seriously when suddenly she looked up, and their eyes made four. He thought she smiled, and he returned it, before she dropped her eyes and moved away, leaving him astride his horse in need of an adjustment. He let the animal have its head, needing to blow away the remnants of desire that held him in its grip. By dinner time, he was calm and in control once again. This time, he chose to sit across from her so that he could look his fill on her and bask in her beauty.

  He watched her converse with the people on each side of her, and smile at them in agreement or amusement as the case warranted it. He watched her lift her glass to the lips he wished he could taste, and sip the liquid in it. He watched her make a face, but it passed so swiftly that no one would notice, unless it was someone like him, who was watching her every move. He watched her push the fish around on her plate, and found himself smiling at the discovery that his Beauty did not enjoy dry wines or fish. He watched the fall of her hair when she turned her head to smile at something her uncle said to the table as a whole -- something he had missed because he was watching her -- and it made him want to touch it, and run his fingers though its lushness.

  “She is a beautiful filly, is she not, Your Grace?” the gentleman next to him said, casting him a sly wink. “If I were just a few years younger, I’d give you all a run for your money.”

  He chuckled quietly, and Drew clenched his fists, knowing he had no right to the woman sitting across from him, but feeling every bit as protective of her as though he had. Jealousy was an entirely new emotion for him, and he breathed deeply to control his urge to smash the man’s face with his fists. Instead, he reached for his wine glass and took a deep swallow, choosing not to respond to the comment, for fear he said the wrong thing. He turned his attention back to the woman who had bewitched him...and she caught him watching her. He felt the heat rise in his own cheeks to match the color in hers that spread down her neck onto her ample bosom. He swallowed and looked away.

  After dinner, he joined the men in the earl’s study, and indulged in a glass of his host’s best malt whisky. He needed to put some distance between himself and this growing desire for a woman he had only just met. The burn of the alcohol kept him from dwelling too long on the way the Lady Madalene’s lips curved up when she smiled, or the way her lush body filled out the bodice of her gown. He could misremember the sound of her voice when she was amused, or the look in her eyes when she was bored.

  “Will you be going shooting with us in the morning, Lord Andrew?” his host asked.

  “I shall indeed, my Lord,” he replied. “Wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

  “I have just the horse for you,” Lord Oakley said. “I bought him only a year ago, and he is magnificent. You will enjoy riding him.”

  “Looking forward to it, my Lord,” Drew said. And he was. It would be one more thing to do that would occupy his mind, and so keep it away from thoughts of Madalene James. He nursed the single drink for a while, and then retired to bed, where he lay for a long while before sleep came.

  Chapter 5

  The gardens were beautiful in the early morning, and though Maddi enjoyed being alone most of the time, she could not help but wish that she had someone to walk with today. And as she paused by the fountain, she knew exactly who she wanted that someone to be. She had no experience with men, although she had been presented to polite society three years ago at age eighteen, and had been enjoying some of the balls in the London season since then. No man had come forward to ask for permission to address her with an eye to marriage. In fact, no man had shown even the slightest interest in her, and although she had wondered why that was, she had not been concerned or upset by it.

  Andrew Dunn had changed all that. With one look into her eyes, he had made her wish more than anything else to be the woman he chose. She did not wish to consider any other man’s suit; she wanted only one. Of course, as she resumed her walk, she knew somehow that if he did not pursue her, she would be devastated, and for the first time in her young life, she dreaded their next encounter. What if the feelings coursing through her were all one-sided? What if all he saw when he looked at her was a silly young flibbertigibbet?

  It was still early enough for breakfast, and as she did not wish for a repeat of yesterday’s fiasco, when he had had to order up a tray for her, she retraced her steps and eventually found her way into the drawing room where breakfast was still on. Her mother and aunt, as well as her cousin Jane, had already come down, and she was grateful for their company. Although she knew that the men had gone shooting, she did not know whether or not His Grace the Duke had gone with them, and she would be glad of familiar company if he appeared for breakfast.

  So it was with a mixture of disappointment and relief that the break
fast hour ended without any sign of him. She went with her mother meekly to the sitting room and picked up a bit of embroidery, not from any particular interest in completing the design, but more for want of anything better to do.

  “Maddi,” Jane said, bringing her out of the maze of her own thoughts. “Shall we play a game of croquet?”

  Maddi smiled gratefully and gladly quit the sitting room. Jane was older than her by some six years, and considered to be on the shelf. Maddi had never wondered before what it was like to be an unmarried woman that close to thirty years of age. Jane had never seemed in the least bothered by the distinct possibility that she would become an old maid. In fact, to some, she already was. Her cousin was a cheerful soul, plain of features until she smiled, and then, like her father, she blossomed into a creature of great beauty.