by Ayles, Abby
“I do not wish to keep you from your missing person duties, my Lady,” the duke stood back and bowed slightly. “I do believe Mary is to show me to my room.”
“Before you do, Sir, may I ask you a question?”
Duke Colbourn was once again impressed with her boldness. He nodded. “Very well.”
“You are here to purchase art, is that right?”
“It is, yes.” Duke Colbourn nodded.
“If you are here to purchase art, I must show you the paintings in this room first before I give you over to Mary. It will give you a small representation of my father’s collection.”
Duke Colbourn thought about it for a moment. “Would your father approve?”
“It will only take a moment and Mary will come with us. Won’t you, Mary?” Annabelle looked directly at the young maid, who was a decent girl of about 25, a hard worker and an honest person.
Mary smiled and curtsied lightly in one small bounce. “Yes, ma’am. Of course.”
Annabelle turned back to him with a satisfied smiled. “There, you see? All is well. We will just make a circle here in the foyer.”
“Well then, that sounds wonderful,” Duke Colbourn replied. “Do you know a lot about art?”
“I have studied some of the greatest artists in history,” Annabelle admitted, with a nod. “Van Gogh, de Goya, Raphael, Michelangelo, and others. I do not know a great deal about Tiziano Vecelli but I would like to.”
Knowing that he was so interested in art made her wonder how long she would be able to hold back her admiration for Duke Colbourn. When she stopped talking and he said nothing, she glanced up at him and did a double take. The look on his face was priceless. She smiled.
“Does this impress you?”
He nodded. “I must admit it does. I am also impressed with your confidence and intelligence.”
“I appreciate the compliment, your Grace.” He was going to make it very difficult for her to block her returned admiration.
“And you are quite beautiful. I hope that I am not being too bold.”
She hesitated before shaking her head. “I am honored to be admired by you, your Grace.”
“You must be very inspirational to your friends.”
“I am a positive woman, if that is what you mean. My best friend, Miss Rickman, is the same way. Unfortunately, her sister is not. You will enjoy meeting Miss Rickman, I am sure.”
Again, Duke Colbourn blinked in confusion. Could this woman possibly not see that he was attracted to her? If he made it any more obvious, there would be trouble in the household. He swallowed and composed himself.
“I am sure I will. What can you tell me about her?”
“She is the daughter of Lord Rickman. He is a wonderful man, much like my father.”
“Your father is a great man. He has a good reputation in society.”
“He should.” Her pride in her father was obvious in her voice. “I am blessed to be his daughter.”
“And you have a brother and sister?”
She raised her eyebrows, looking up at him. She had stopped in front of two portraits of her parents, side by side in between the door to the parlor and her father’s study. He gazed at the portraits.
“I do. How did you know?”
He looked at her smiling. “Your father is well-known, surely you know this.”
She nodded. “Yes, but…”
“I have heard many things about your family. I did not realize until I arrived that you are near the same age as me. I was under the impression you and your siblings were much younger, less than ten.”
Annabelle had to laugh. “I wonder where you might have gotten that impression.”
He laughed with her. “I do not know. Had I done a bit more research, I might have realized it. I am glad, though, to meet you and find that you are not, in fact, less than ten.” He turned his eyes to the portraits again, sensing he was making her somewhat uncomfortable.
Annabelle was not uncomfortable. She was concerned about her father’s opinion. Before she continued to the next paintings she wanted to show him, she vowed to ask her father about it.
Chapter 4
The ballroom was filled with members of society, dancing in circles, talking, and laughing. Annabelle stood to one side, watching them. Her card was half-filled before the first dance started. She expected it to be filled by intermission.
Julia was standing next to her, also watching.
“Why are you ladies not dancing?”
Annabelle heard the now familiar voice of Duke Colbourn at her side. She looked up at him. “We are merely taking a short break. My feet are getting tired already.” She looked at Julia.
“I must find out if these shoes are too small. I feel like my toes are being smashed together. It is uncomfortable.”
“Terrible luck, my girl,” Julia replied, looking down at the slippers on Annabelle’s feet.
“I would trade you shoes but my feet are smaller than yours and my shoes would do you no good.”
Annabelle nodded. “We have established this before,” she said with humor in her voice.
“You have worn shoes that are too small in the past?” Duke Colbourn asked, lightly.
“I have,” Annabelle grinned at him. “And I suppose I did not learn my lesson, as I am still wearing these shoes.”
“They are the same shoes?” The Duke could not help chuckling. “You are asking for punishment, my dear. You will not be able to walk tomorrow.”
The three of them laughed.
“I do not suppose it would be proper for me to take them off and dance without them.”
“I think you would cause quite an uproar if you were to do that,” Duke Colbourn replied.
“But my feet are barely noticeable beneath my gown. I do believe I could do it.”
Julia was still laughing. “Please do not do that, Annabelle. You know it will cause a shock if even one person noticed. It would catch on like a fire and everyone would know and stare at your feet for the rest of the night.”
Again, the three of them laughed.
“I have a suggestion for you, Miss Cartwright,” Duke Colbourn said.
“Perhaps we can all go out on the veranda and find a spot that is secluded from the other guests. You can remove your shoes and rub your feet until they feel more relaxed.”
Annabelle thought about it for a moment. She was reluctant to admit she was considering it but he could tell by the look on her face anyway.
“Come,” he prompted, resting one hand on the back of her forearm. The touch sent chills through her body. She pulled away slightly but could still feel the warmth of his fingertips.
“I will walk with you and guard you from the clay-kickers and the beef-witted scatterbrains.”
“That is kind of you, your Grace,” Julia said, giving Duke Colbourn a bright, beautiful smile.
Annabelle pushed down a feeling of instant jealousy. She would not allow herself to be taken in so quickly by any man, no matter who he was or how handsome he was. She would keep her wits about her until she had a chance to talk to her father.
Her concern was that if she allowed Julia to become close to the Duke and then find out her father had no qualms with him, she would be too late.
She debated herself in her mind, walking with Duke Colbourn and Julia to the veranda. She and her friend each took his elbows and circled their small hands around them.
She noticed when looking up at him that he was very proud to have them flanking him.
It made her nervous, excited, and a little afraid. She wanted to pursue something with him. She felt a quivering in her stomach when she looked at him.
Touching him made her knees weak. But she remained strong and vigilant, refusing to let her feelings overrun her brain.
Once they were outside on the veranda, the three of them scouted the area for a secluded spot.
“How about that bench down there?” Duke Colbourn pointed down the slight hill to an iron bench placed directly u
nder a large tree with low-hanging branches.
He looked down at Annabelle. “There is a path to take us there and once you sit down, your feet will feel better.”
“I do hope so,” Annabelle said. “I really must remember to give these shoes to Miss Cecilia. She has smaller feet than I do.”
“Or you can give them to your best friend,” Julia laughed.
Duke Colbourn joined her laughter as the three of them went down the steps from the large veranda to the ground.
Annabelle smiled, though it was strained. The steps were in two tiers and they had to turn in the middle and go down the second set in the opposite direction.
By the time they reached the bench, Annabelle’s feet were burning.
She was anxious to take the shoes off but unwilling to let it show. She did not want to appear weak in front of the Duke, even if he was more inclined to court Julia than herself.
She sat on the bench the moment they reached it and pulled off her right shoe. Instant relief flooded her body. It doubled when she pulled off her other shoe.
“Oh my,” she murmured, rubbing her right foot, propping it up on her knee. Duke Colbourn looked up at the sky, unwilling to gaze upon her lower leg and ankle. He caught a quick glance of her small foot and wondered how her shoe could possibly be too small for it. She had a lovely form, from what he could see, and her shapely leg made him feel jittery inside.
Annabelle noticed when Duke Colbourn looked away and grinned at Julia. Julia’s eyes moved to the Duke.
“Did you see any artwork of appreciation in the conservatory, your Grace?” she asked, drawing his attention so he would not feel uncomfortable while Annabelle rubbed her feet.
“I did.” Duke Colbourn turned slightly away from Annabelle, directing his eyes on Julia. “It is a wonderful museum of eclectic pieces. I admire many of them for their beauty and others for their lack of it.”
Julia tilted her head to the side. “Do you have a favorite piece? One that you do not own and have been searching for?”
Duke Colbourn thought about it. “I suppose I have always loved Portrait of a Lady,” he said.
“I know that painting,” Julia said. “It is a famous piece from the time of the Italian Renaissance.”
“That is correct, Miss Cartwright,” Duke Colbourn said, turning his eyes instinctively to look at her.
She had her left leg propped up on her right knee and was massaging her aching foot. He turned his eyes away again quickly.
“I have forgotten the artist. Is it a Lorenzo Casta?”
“No. It is Lord Leonardo da Vinci who painted this particular portrait of a lady.” Duke Colbourn said.
“There are many portraits of many different lovely women over the last few hundred years. But this one is particularly striking and I am very interested in seeing it in person someday.”
“Do you know where it is at this time?”
Duke Colbourn shook his head in answer to Julia’s question. He was struggling with himself mightily. He did not want the women to see that he was aware of Miss Cartwright’s movements in his peripheral vision.
It would be a disgrace if he were to show vulnerability in front of them. It seemed to him that Miss Cartwright was prone to rebuff his advances, pushing him in Miss Rickman’s direction.
Miss Rickman, for her part, was just as lovely, and he would not object to a courtship with her.
But there was something about Miss Cartwright that struck him, something that made him want to speak to her, be near her, enjoy her very presence. He was uncertain about her feelings for him, as they had just met that very same day.
He realized that he had lost himself in his thoughts and neglected answering Miss Rickman’s question, other than shaking his head.
“I have not kept up with it because I have been in pursuit of the paintings of Tiziano Vecelli, my mother’s favorite artist. That is what brought me here to your village and the home of Duke Cartwright. I am surprised I did not meet your mother. Is she coming at a later time?”
Annabelle shook her head. “She stayed at the house with Miss Joanna. The girl was being completely unreasonable and my mother does not tolerate such behavior.”
“Is your sister not used to being told what to do by the Duchess? I thought you had been in her care for some years now.”
“We have,” Julia replied, gazing up at him with clear admiration. “Joanna knows full well what she is doing. She was a lovely little girl, an affectionate sister. The sorrow of losing our brother was too much for her to bear. We must tolerate her until she is well.”
“How long will she resist your mother’s efforts?” He turned to Annabelle, who had lowered her leg and was now flexing her feet under the long gown she was wearing where no one could see them.
She directed her eyes up to his face and then lowered them to his chest. She was afraid to look him in the eye. She was afraid of what he might see.
“There is no way to know the answer to that,” she replied, keeping her voice light-hearted. “She is struggling so much. It is a shame. She reminds me of a wild horse that refuses to be tamed. I watched our groom attempting to tame a horse. It was wild, bucking and kicking, making loud, throaty noises.” She made a guttural sound like a horse.
Duke Colbourn could not help but chuckle.
“Shall we not gossip about your sister, Miss Rickman. I do apologize.”
Duke Colbourn bowed to her.
“Do not apologize, your Grace,” Julia replied. “You are a stranger in this place and do not know my sister or her pain.”
Duke Colbourn had to agree with that assessment. He was glad that Julia did not share in the pain her sister was feeling. “As twins, you must be very different. You are much stronger than she appears to be.”
“She is,” Annabelle replied in a firm voice. “Julia is a respectful, intelligent lady with a great deal of potential to be one of the world’s most prominent women in history.”
Julia blinked rapidly and raised her eyebrows, staring at Annabelle with amusement on her face.
“Might I ask how you came to such an idea, my dear friend? What have I done that is so accomplished?”
“Nothing yet,” Annabelle answered with a smile. “But you will. I know you will. Your destiny is to be a great woman, remembered by all for generations to come.”
Duke Colbourn could tell Miss Rickman was flattered by her friend’s appraisal. Her small green eyes brimmed with tears.
“That is such a lovely thing for you to say, Annabelle. Thank you.”
“I only speak the truth.”
There was a moment of quiet while the three considered their conversation.
They heard the sound of a female voice caterwauling on the veranda they had been standing on. They looked up to see where it was coming from.
“What in heaven’s name is that sound?” Duke Colbourn asked.
“It sounds like Joanna. But I did not think she was coming. I did not know if mother would bring her or not.” Annabelle slipped her shoes back on and stood up.
The pain that split through both her feet when she put her weight on them made her want to scream. “Oh!” she said, sitting back down again. She looked at her friends through pained eyes.
“Oh dear. I do not think I can walk in these shoes. I will have to go home. I cannot make it through the entire dance. I can barely stand.”
Duke Colbourn felt like he was caught between a rock and hard place. He did not want to leave the lovely lady but there was protocol to be considered.
“I will go in and find your father. He will know what to do.”
Annabelle nodded and watched with regret as Duke Colbourn hurried back to the veranda, going up the stairs two at a time.
“He is a lovely man,” Julia sighed. She sat on the bench next to Annabelle.
“But why do you flatter me in front of him, Annabelle? I know you must be interested in him.”
Annabelle looked at Julia, wanting to tell her that her father seemed m
ore inclined to keep his daughter for someone else but she could not say it.
“You are perfect for him, Julia. I can tell.”
Julia said nothing. She scanned Annabelle’s face for a moment before looking back at the big glass doors of the mansion.
Chapter 5
Duke Colbourn looked around, wondering where the Duke might be. The noise from the woman on the veranda had taken the attention from anything else. The music inside had not stopped.
He did not see Duke Cartwright but he did spot Miss Cartwright’s younger sister, Miss Cecilia. He crossed the room and leaned to speak to the girl.
“Miss Cecilia, you must find your father and send him out to the back veranda. There is a bench where your sister is sitting. She needs to go home but cannot walk.”
Cecilia looked shocked so Duke Colbourn continued quickly.
“Her shoes are too small. She has hurt them by wearing them.”
Cecilia’s face immediately changed to one of knowing.
“Did she wear those shoes again? What is wrong with that girl?” She giggled, covering her mouth. “I am sorry. I should not laugh when she is in pain. She has been told not to wear those shoes. Why, they are even too small for me!”
“Go fetch your father, please.” Duke Colbourn nodded, repeating the order gently. Cecilia nodded.
He turned and went back to the double doors, going down the stairs and crossing the lawn quickly.
Miss Rickman was now sitting next to her friend. They weren’t talking, which he thought was a little strange.
Less than five minutes later, Annabelle looked up into the amused eyes of her father.
“Someone did not get rid of her small shoes.”
Annabelle giggled and blushed. “No, I did not. I am sorry, father.”
He just shook his head, leaning down to scoop her up in his arms. He glanced at Duke Colbourn, who met his eyes briefly before looking away. “Thank you for having Cecilia come for me, Duke Colbourn. That was a good thing to do.”
