“May my maidservant accompany me that evening?”
“Miss Alice?” he asked, and she nodded.
“Of course. She is more than welcome.”
“Thank you, Your Grace. She may only be a maidservant to some, but to me she is so much more. We have known one another for most of our lives. Her mother was employed by my mother, and we grew up together.”
“It is wonderful to have someone trustworthy.”
“Indeed. I owe many things to her. She is like family to me.”
The Duke glanced at her and smiled.
“What is that look for, Your Grace?”
“Again, you speak of Miss Alice with such pride and kindness. It is one of the many things that I adore about you. You treat everyone with such grace. It is mesmerizing to say the least.”
“I shall graciously accept that compliment.”
“I must admit, when I saw you for the very first time, I was dazzled by your beauty, but I never imagined your inner beauty would be even more captivating.”
Chapter Five
July 1815
Rivenhall Estate
Suffolk, England
The Duke entered the Great Hall of his estate with a smile and quickly made his way to his study. He had just arrived back from Swallow Park after yet another delightful visit with Lady Emma, and he simply could not stop smiling. He could not recall a time in his life when he had felt as elated and happy, and there was nothing that could possibly ruin his fine mood.
He had been delighted when Lady Emma extended her visit after she received word that her father was recovering well from his sudden illness, as he wished to spend as much time with her as possible.
As he entered the study, he was rather surprised to see Lord Harrison standing there.
“Harrison, what an unexpected surprise! I was not aware that you would be visiting.”
“I simply wished to stop by briefly. I have not seen you in a while.”
“I have been rather busy.”
“Has Lady Josephine been keeping you occupied?” he asked with a mischievous grin.
“Actually-” The Duke’s voice trailed off and Lord Harrison shot him a questioning look.
“What?”
“It has not been Lady Josephine.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“I have been spending time with Lady Emma.”
“Lady Emma? The beauty in the green gown from your mother’s ball?”
“Indeed.”
“I was under the impression that you and Lady Josephine had made arrangements-”
“My mother and her family are under that same impression. My mother has hopes that I will ask for Lady Josephine’s hand in marriage at my celebratory birthday ball.”
“But that will not be the case?”
“No, it will not.”
“And why was I not informed of this?” Lord Harrison asked.
“I have kept our meetings discreet, as I have yet to tell my mother that I will not be marrying Lady Josephine,” the Duke explained glancing at Lord Harrison. “I am aware that this is not the most desirable way to meet, but under the circumstances it is all I can offer.”
“And Lady Emma? Is she satisfied with meeting you in secret?”
“For the time being, but I wish to announce my intentions to everyone at my ball.”
“Perhaps you should speak with your mother and Lady Josephine prior to the event, to avoid any embarrassment, of course.”
“You are right. The last thing I need is for them to make a spectacle of themselves in front of all my guests.”
Lord Harrison looked out the window and frowned. “And as luck would have it, Lady Josephine has arrived at the estate.”
The Duke inhaled sharply and nodded. “Rather sooner than later, I suppose,” he said ruefully.
“Indeed,” Lord Harrison answered. “Do you require reinforcements?”
“For now, I think I shall be just fine,” the Duke answered, “but do stay close.”
Lord Harrison chuckled and nodded affirmatively.
The Duke swiftly walked out of the study and, as he stepped into the Great Hall, Lady Josephine immediately spotted him.
“Your Grace,” she greeted him with a pleased smile.
“My Lady.”
“Would it be possible to speak with you in private,” she requested.
“Of course.”
“There is something I must discuss with you,” she said, as he led her through the open doors onto the terrace beyond.
“There is something I must discuss with you as well, My Lady.”
“Very well. You may speak first.”
“No, I insist you speak first. You came all this way.”
“It is not an inconvenience, Your Grace.”
“I am aware it is not. I did not mean to offend you.”
“You did not,” she smiled and touched his arm. “You are such a tentative man.”
The Duke smiled politely and asked, “What is it you wish to discuss with me?
Have I said or done anything to upset you?”
“Of course not,” he responded quickly. “Why on Earth would you say something like that?”
“I have noticed that you have become very distant from me the last while. At first, I thought it was only my imagination, but as the days have passed and you failed to visit as you usually did, I came to the conclusion that something is certainly amiss.”
“You have not done anything to upset me.”
“Then what have you been doing? Why have you avoided me as you have?”
The Duke drew in a deep breath and looked kindly at her. “My Lady-”
“Judging by your facial expression, whatever you wish to tell me cannot be good.”
“My Lady, I do not think we are a good match.”
“I beg your pardon?” she asked, confusion and disbelief on her face.
“You are a wonderful woman, beautiful without a doubt, but I do not think we are compatible at all.”
“How can you say such a thing, Your Grace?”
“It is true,” he stated boldly.
She narrowed her eyes at him and asked, “Where is all this coming from?”
“From my heart, My Lady. I cannot ask for your hand in marriage and make arrangements for our life together if I do not feel it in my heart.”
She pursed her lips briefly and clasped her hands together. “Tell me, Your Grace, is there someone else in this heart of yours?”
“No, there is not. I simply feel that you are not the type of woman I see myself marrying in the future.”
Her eyes glistening with tears, she nodded slowly. “I see.”
“It is nothing personal, My Lady, and I do not wish to hurt your feelings or upset you. I do however think it is for the best. Men fall at your feet, and I am certain you will not have any problem finding yourself a suitable husband.”
“More suitable than you? Hardly,” she scoffed, and wiped a tear from under her eye, preventing it from rolling down her cheek.
“I am not the most desirable man in Suffolk, I assure you of that.”
“My parents might disagree.”
The Duke smiled apologetically.
“Very well then, Your Grace. I do believe the invitation to your celebratory ball is now moot.”
“I suppose it would be rather awkward for you to attend, but I will not forbid you.”
“You are most gracious, Your Grace.”
“I sincerely apologize if I caused you pain, or upset you in any way,” he said sincerely.
“Thank you,” she answered with a nod.
The Duke escorted her to the front of the house, and she left in quite a hurry, which was not surprising. Despite the Duke’s assurance that she was not the one at fault, the hurt was evident in her eyes.
The Duke turned on his heel and saw Lord Harrison standing in the doorway of the study.
“She seems to have taken the news rather well.”
“I might have und
erstated the situation,” the Duke cringed slightly.
“What do you mean?” he asked, but before the Duke could answer, he sighed. “You did not tell her of Lady Emma, did you?”
“I did not.”
“Your Grace, that is a rather important piece of information.”
“I simply could not tell her that I have replaced her with another.”
“But that is precisely what you did.”
“I am well aware of that.”
“You have no doubt invited Lady Emma to the ball, correct?”
“Indeed.”
“And what will happen when Lady Josephine sees you with her? What will she think? What will her parents think? How hurt will Lady Emma be when she finds out that she is merely a replacement? A better fit for you than Lady Josephine?”
“Harrison, do not lecture me.”
“I am not. I simply do not approve of the way you handled this entire situation.”
“You do not understand.”
“Then enlighten me.”
“Lady Emma is not merely a replacement,” the Duke said and hesitated a few moments. “I have feelings for her.”
Lord Harrison’s brows shot up and his jaw dropped. “Well, that certainly changes things.”
“Very much so.”
“Does she reciprocate those feelings?”
“It may seem so.”
“I am not certain how to respond to that.”
“Nor am I.”
“Have you spoken to your mother?”
“Not yet, but I plan on-”
“Owen,” he heard his mother’s stern voice behind him, and he glanced at her over his shoulder.
“Mother?”
“I must speak with you.”
“Actually, Harrison and I were in the middle of something-”
“It is not a request,” she said, her razor-sharp tone allowing no way out.
The Duke forced a smile, glanced briefly at Lord Harrison and turned towards his mother.
He quietly followed her to the drawing room and as he entered, she firmly closed the door.
“Mother, before you say anything-”
“How could you?”
“Please, allow me to speak.”
“I was in the garden and saw Lady Josephine sobbing in her coach. What happened? What did you say to her?”
“I simply told her I do not think that we are a good match,” he answered.
“You did what?”
“Mother-”
“How could you do such a thing? Do you even realize how long I have been planning this for you?”
“But that is the problem, Mother. You planned this, along with Lady Josephine’s family.”
“And why would that be a problem?”
“Because I had no opinion in the matter. I simply did not complain because I never thought that I would...”
The Dowager Duchess crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at him. “Tell me.”
“I met a wonderful woman who I have been meeting with for a while.”
“Why am I only hearing of this now?”
“Because I was not certain whether it was worth pursuing. I enjoy her company, she is warm and kind-hearted, not to mention beautiful. I did not mention her as I wished to be certain that she reciprocated my feelings.”
“She has feelings for you as well?” the Dowager Duchess queried.
“She does.”
“Who is this woman?” she asked, slowly approaching her son.
“Lady Emma. She is the daughter of the Marquess of Perrin,” he answered.
“The Marquess of Perrin,” she repeated, and her brow furrowed heavily. “I have never even heard of him.”
“They reside in Southampton.”
“The Dowager Duchess frowned and shook her head. “Where did you meet Lady Emma?”
“At your ball.”
“My ball?” the Dowager Duchess asked with exasperation.
“Indeed.”
“But I certainly did not invite her?”
“I am aware of that.”
The Dowager Duchess shook her head in disapproval and glanced at the Duke. “That is unacceptable.”
“Oh, Mother,” he sighed and rolled his eyes. “Can you, in all honesty, tell me you have never attended a ball you were not invited to?”
The Dowager Duchess hesitated for a brief moment and turned away. “We are most certainly not referring to me.”
“I thought so,” the Duke smirked self-righteously.
“Remove that smirk from your face. I am still your mother and I will not be treated with such disrespect.”
“Of course. I apologize, Mother.”
She sighed dramatically and looked at him. “As your mother, I try my utmost to fill the shoes of your father, as well as my own.”
“Oh, here we go,” he muttered under his breath and rolled his eyes at his mother’s impending theatrics. “I am aware how difficult it is for you to ensure that I have the best life imaginable, my dearest Mother. Father was a great man, and a wonderful role model to me. His actions were always noble, and he was well-respected by everyone with whom he was acquainted. I truly miss him and wish we had had more time to spend together, but do not for one moment think that you did anything less than a stellar job raising me after his death.”
“Your words are flattering.”
“But they are also true, Mother. You are a woman close to my heart and everything you have done for me up to this point is greatly appreciated. I cannot put into words how much you mean to me,” he said truthfully, “but there are times where a mother needs to step away from her son’s life. I am a man now, and I must make my own decisions. That includes choosing the woman I wish to marry.”
“Marry,” she exclaimed. “You wish to marry Lady Emma?”
“Indeed. I wish to make the announcement at my ball,” he answered.
“And you are certain she feels the same way?”
“I am certain. In fact, I have never been more certain of anything in my entire life.”
“Ideally, I would love to meet her before the ball,” the Dowager Duchess sniffed, but as she glanced at her son, she sighed, “but it seems that I will have to wait like everyone else.”
“Thank you for your understanding, Mother.”
*****
Emma looked over at Alice, who sat beside her in the coach, and took a deep breath. “I am incredibly nervous, Alice.”
“There is no need to be. You look magnificent, and the evening will be sheer perfection.”
“Your confidence and optimism are rather comforting,” Emma answered as the coachman opened the door of the coach and assisted them down the two steps.
“Good evening, My Lady,” the Duke’s butler greeted her and glanced at Alice. “Good evening, Miss Alice.”
“Good evening,” the two women greeted the butler in unplanned unison, which made them all chuckle in amusement.
They were led to the ballroom and Emma glanced around nervously, searching for the Duke. After a short while, she saw him descending the main stairwell accompanied by another young man.
Her heart pounded in her chest as she watched him approach, his face lighting up as he spotted her.
“My Lady,” he greeted her with a smile, took her hands and brought them up to his lips. “You are a true vision.”
“As are you, Your Grace.”
Alice cleared her throat and the Duke and Emma shot her apologetic glances.
“Pardon me, Miss Alice,” the Duke smiled and introduced Lord Harrison to them.
“Harrison, this is Miss Alice. Miss Alice is Lady Emma’s handmaid.”
Lord Harrison smiled, “I am very pleased to make your acquaintance.”
“And I you, My Lord,” Alice said.
“And this is the beautiful Lady Emma, the woman who has captured my heart.”
“You have done what many women wish they’d done,” Lord Harrison said to Emma. “It is wonderful to finally meet you. It seems Hi
s Grace had been keeping you a secret from everyone, even his best friend in the entire world.”
To Love A Duke: A Regency Romance (Finding Forever Love) Page 5
