To Love A Duke: A Regency Romance (Finding Forever Love)
Page 6
“Harrison can be rather sensitive when it comes to such things,” the Duke chuckled.
“You know not of what you speak,” Lord Harrison chuckled in return.
*****
Across the ballroom, Lady Josephine stood with Lady Marlborough and Lady Angela as she glanced at the Duke who was standing beside the young woman with red hair, gazing at her the way she wished he had looked at her. It was obvious that she was angered and embarrassed but as much as she tried to act as if she did not care, her efforts were in vain.
“I cannot even believe that he invited another woman with you in attendance,” Lady Angela said dramatically.
“In all honesty, he did warn me that it would be awkward. He did, however, fail to mention the attendance of another woman,” Lady Josephine complained.
“And this other woman seems to be his soon-to-be wife,” Lady Angela pointed out.
“How on Earth do you know that?”
“I can tell by the way he looks at her,” Lady Angela said. “Who is she?”
“Lady Emma, the daughter of the Marquess of Perrin.”
“Perrin? I have never heard of that name.”
“Nor have I. Where is she from?”
“Southampton apparently.”
“How do you know all this?”
“Good news travels fast.”
“Bad news even faster,” Lady Josephine muttered.
“There is something familiar about her,” Lady Marlborough said.
“What do you mean?”
“I have seen her before, only I am not certain where.”
“Her handmaid looks rather familiar as well.”
After a short pause, Lady Marlborough gasped, and Lady Angela and Lady Josephine stared at her in confusion.
“What is the matter?”
“I remember where I have seen them before.”
“Where?”
“The dressmaker store in Belton. They are seamstresses.”
“What?”
“That cannot be,” Lady Josephine gasped.
“I am certain of it.”
Lady Josephine laughed almost maniacally and said, “This is the best news I have heard in a very long time.”
Lady Angela’s brow furrowed and as Lady Josephine stepped away from them, Lady Angela grabbed her arm. “What are you going to do?”
“I am going to tell the Duke that his precious love is a fraud and a liar.”
*****
“Shall we dance, My Lady?” the Duke asked Emma, holding his hand out to her.
“That would be delightful, Your Grace,” Emma smiled as she placed her hand on his and he led her to the middle of the ballroom.
“Your Grace?” they heard a female voice behind them and turned around.
The Duke pursed his lips slightly and glanced at Lady Josephine. “Lady Josephine, may I introduce Lady Emma. Lady Emma, this is Lady Josephine.”
Emma glanced at her in horror, recognizing her as the horridly rude woman who was at the dress store. She was the same woman who had treated the seamstresses in such a crude and patronising way.
“Lady Josephine, pleased to make your acquaintance.”
“Likewise, Lady Emma. How is your work at the dress store?”
The Duke glanced at Emma in a perplexed manner. “What do you speak of, Lady Josephine?”
“Perhaps we should allow Lady Emma to answer that question,” Lady Josephine pointed out with a smirk.
“My Lady?” the Duke asked, as he gazed at Emma.
Emma’s heart pounded in her chest and she was uncertain of what to say.
“Very well, it seems that Lady Emma has lost her voice, so I will speak,” she said menacingly.
“Lady Josephine, this is hardly the time or the place for unpleasantries,” the Duke interjected, as he heard her tone.
“Perhaps, but I feel that you must know that Lady Emma is not a lady at all.”
“What?”
“Your Grace, I-,” Emma croaked.
“She is a seamstress at a dressmaker store in Belton. She is not the daughter of a Marquess. She is a liar and she has betrayed you.”
The Duke, visibly shaken, was silent as this information sank in. Then he looked at Emma. “Is this true?”
Before Emma could answer, Lady Josephine interrupted, “Of course it is true. The expression on her face is evidence enough.”
“My Lady?” the Duke asked and turned to Emma. “Is this true?”
“Your Grace...”
“Is this true?” he repeated.
She nodded wordlessly and the Duke stepped away from her. “You lied to me?”
“Your Grace, please allow me to explain,” Emma stuttered.
“I do not wish to hear your explanation.”
“I am truly sorry. I-”
“Perhaps it is better if you leave,” the Duke said firmly and turned away from her.
Emma looked away from him and pressed her lips tightly together. Her gaze moved to Lady Josephine, who gave her a victorious wave before turning to the Duke, to comfort him no doubt.
A tear ran down her cheek and she turned on her heel, rushing toward the exit.
“Emma,” she heard behind her, but she continued at a run out of the Ballroom.
Someone grabbed her by the arm and spun her around.
Alice’s brow furrowed as she looked at Emma. She asked, “What is the matter?”
“I am leaving,” Emma sobbed.
“Why? What happened, Emma?”
“She recognized me.”
“Who?”
“Lady Josephine.”
“The horrid woman from the store?”
Emma nodded.
“That’s terrible.”
“She confronted me in front of the Duke, referring to me as a liar. He did not even give me a chance to explain. He simply told me to leave.”
“Should I speak with him?”
“I do not think that is a good idea,” Emma said, briefly glancing into the ballroom. “Lady Josephine is there with him, most certainly consoling him.”
“I truly despise that woman.”
“You and I both. But I am the one at fault here.”
“Emma...”
“No, Alice.”
“I was the one who convinced you to do this.”
“But I could have stopped it. I should have stopped it. Now it is over.”
“I am sorry, Emma.”
“Let us go home. I have had enough of these people.”
“I agree.”
Chapter Six
August 1815
Rivenhall Estate
Suffolk, England
“Your Grace? Are you even listening to a single word I have said?” Lady Josephine complained.
The Duke furrowed his brow and glanced at her as he answered apologetically, “I apologize. What did you say, My Lady?”
She sighed with annoyance and responded. “Where is your mind, Your Grace?”
In all honesty, the Duke was not even sure himself. The past few weeks had dragged by, and despite his anger towards Lady Emma, or Miss Emma as he had learned, he missed her presence.
Of course, he did not dare make Lady Josephine aware of his feelings. Despite the hurt and betrayal he felt because of her lies, he still loved her, or the person she had pretended to be. Even though she was not the daughter of a Marquess, he still loved her, but he was unsure of everything else at that very moment. He had never given her the opportunity to explain herself – he had been much too angry to even glance in her direction – but now he wished he had listened to her. He wished to hear the reason why she lied about who she was. He felt like a coward. He had been too afraid and angered to realize that she might have a good reason for doing what she did, but now he will never know.
Instead, he was now spending his time with Lady Josephine, who attempted to rebuild the relationship she thought that they had, but the Duke was not interested. He did not tell her this directly, and it was his own fault that sh
e assumed they would pick up where they had left off.
“Your Grace?”
Lady Josephine’s voice was filled with irritation and he glanced at her once again. “I am truly sorry, My Lady.”
“What is the matter, Your Grace?”
“I am rather distracted today, it seems.”
“Not simply today, Your Grace. You have been distracted for a while now,” Lady Josephine pointed out. “Is something the matter?”
The Duke glanced at her with a frown and pursed his lips.
“Whatever it is, you can certainly tell me,” she stated.
He glanced out in front of him at the estate gardens and sighed. “What are we doing?”
She glanced at him, perplexed at his question and shook her head. “We are having tea on the terrace of your estate.”
“That is not what I meant.”
“I do not understand, Your Grace.”
“I appreciate the fact that you have consoled me in this time and kept me from losing my mind, Lady Josephine.”
“You are most certainly welcome. You are aware of my feelings for you, and even though you had a momentary lapse of judgment, which we will never refer to again, those feelings have not changed.”
The Duke cocked his head and looked at her.
“What is it?” she asked, mimicking his gesture.
“You are under the impression that it was a momentary lapse of judgment?”
“What else would you prefer to call it?” she asked. “You thought you fell in love with a woman who fed you the lies you wished to hear.”
“But I did fall in love with her.”
“She lied to you, Your Grace. She betrayed you.”
“Yet, I still do not know the reason why she did it.”
“Are you insinuating that what she did may not have been as terrible as you think?”
“Indeed.”
“That is preposterous,” she exclaimed. “She lied to you.”
The Duke stood up slowly and shook his head. “Perhaps, but I must know why.”
“Where are you going?”
“To find her.”
Lady Josephine stood and grabbed his arm. He glanced at her and narrowed his eyes.
“Your Grace, if you walk out that door, I will not be here when you return. I will not be here to console you or assist in mending your broken heart because you are running back to a woman who betrayed you. She will do it again.”
The Duke pulled his arm free from her grasp and nodded. “Send my regards, and my apologies, to your father.”
Lady Josephine’s jaw dropped, and a gasp escaped her throat as she watched helplessly as the Duke left her alone on the terrace. A few minutes later, the butler approached her with a polite, forced smile.
“My Lady, His Grace ordered me to escort you to your coach.”
“That certainly does not surprise me,” she muttered angrily.
*****
Emma Cooper’s Home
Belton, Suffolk, England
“It is rather odd, Alice,”
Emma sighed, as she and Alice sat under the old oak tree behind her home. It was a sunny afternoon, and despite the sweet sounds of the birds singing in the trees, Emma’s heart felt dull and shattered. Her life had been rather miserable since the Duke had told her to leave his estate and never return. Frankly she did not blame him, as she did lie to him about who she was. She was angry with herself for not telling him the truth a long time ago but spending time with him had been incredible and falling in love with him was even more magical. Now, it was over, and it was only a distant memory.
“What is, Emma?” she asked.
“I thought I would stop missing him.”
“The Duke?”
“Yes, but every day that passes only makes it harder to forget.”
“Was he the first man you ever loved, Emma?”
“He was,” she nodded sadly and lowered her gaze. “He still is.”
“I have never been in love, but I would like to be.”
“You do not. It is too painful.”
“Not all love is.”
“Perhaps, but do not be as foolish as I was, Alice. Fall in love with a man who trusts you, believes you, and whatever you do, do not pretend to be someone you are not.”
“That is wise advice, dear Emma.”
“I should have taken my own advice, then I would not be feeling the way I am right now.”
“It shall pass.”
“Your optimism is comforting but I’m not so sure.”
Emma frowned as she heard the pounding of horses’ hooves on the lane in front of her house.
“What is it?”
“I thought I heard something.”
“The sound of hooves?”
“Indeed. Did you hear it also?”
“I did,” Alice said with a nod and stood from the grass. “Perhaps a noblewoman is lost and requires our assistance.”
“You are welcome to assist. I have had enough of those people,” Emma muttered and waved her off.
“Very well. I am not sharing my reward with you.”
Emma chuckled and stretched her legs out on the grass. Alice was away for a short while and when Emma heard footsteps approaching her, she sighed. “Those nobles are truly exhausting.”
“Are we?”
Emma glanced in the direction of the male voice and her eyes widened as she saw the Duke slowly approach her. She scrambled to her feet and glanced at Alice, who was a few steps behind the Duke.
“Indeed, you are,” Emma answered.
“You are correct. We can be rather exhausting.”
“What are you doing here? How do you know where I live?”
“The ladies at the dressmaker’s store told me where you lived. They were rather shocked that I was searching for you.”
“That is not surprising,” Alice chuckled behind them.
Emma glanced over the Duke’s shoulder and widened her eyes briefly at Alice.
“Miss Alice, would you kindly give us a few moments to speak in private?”
“Of course, Your Grace,” Alice responded.
“No.” Emma overruled, “whatever you must say to me, you can say in front of Alice.”
“I do not mind leaving, Emma. You and His Grace clearly have much to discuss,” Alice countered.
“Indeed we do,” the Duke agreed.
Emma’s gaze followed Alice as she went into the house and then she glanced back at the Duke. “What are you doing here? Should you not be entertaining Lady Josephine?”
“I wish to know why.”
“Why what?”
“Why did you lie to me? Why did you pretend to be the daughter of a Marquess?”
“It is a rather long story.”
“I have time.”
Emma cleared her throat and said, “It started when Lady Josephine entered the shop. She needed a dress to be repaired as soon as possible. After she left, I found the invitation to the ball. Grace thought it would be an evening well spent so she urged me to attend, and I did. We thought up a whole new persona for me, in case someone asked. It was only to be for that one evening, but then I met you. You stirred feelings inside me, feelings that I had never felt before. Feelings I could not control, and-”
“And?”
“It was wrong of me to lie to you, Your Grace, and I wanted to tell you who I was, but I was afraid.”
“You were afraid that you might get caught?”
“No, I was afraid of losing you, which is what happened,” she sighed. “You may think that I am a liar, as does everyone in Suffolk for that matter, but I never lied about who I was, nor of my feelings for you. It was never my intention to hurt you, Your Grace. If I could take it all back I would. If I could choose to do it over again, I would not.”