by Abby Ayles
“Someone by the name of Josiah Morton. I met him at an event last week. Lovely young man, his title slips my mind, but he seemed like the sort who might take good care of you.”
“I am sure he is wonderful,” she replied. “I shall choose a dress for tonight.”
Baron Langley nodded and stood up, resting a heavy hand on her shoulder. “Just make sure it is not too exposed, I don't want you to get cold.”
Kitty smiled. “I shall choose one with long sleeves,” she replied.
“Good girl,” her father said. “I shall ensure that dinner is excellent for tonight.” And with that he left the room.
Kitty was just happy to be able to while away the hours trying on dresses, now that she had an excuse. It was something to do.
She eventually selected her best dress, a pretty pink number that highlighted her chestnut locks and bright blue eyes. After finding the right shoes and jewellery to go with it, she laid them out carefully on her bed, then returning to her seat by the window.
Staring out at the bright green fields, the wispy clouds dancing in the blue sky, and the little birds swooping past her window, she wondered what this young man would be like. However much he seemed intent on scaring them away, her father had excellent taste when it came to her suitors.
Dinner time arrived and, dressed and made up, Kitty felt like she was royalty. She smiled at her own reflection as she walked past the mirror and out of her bedroom. Ordinarily her father wouldn't even let her leave the room when she was “recovering”. This was a wonderful exception.
“You look like a little doll,” her father said with a proud smile.
Kitty beamed. “I am glad. Is he here yet? I would love to meet him.”
“He is not, but he will no doubt be here soon,” Baron Langley replied. “So we must make sure we are ready to receive him properly.”
Sure enough, just as they made their way downstairs, a young man was shown in by the butler. He was very tall, with dark wavy hair, bright eyes, and a sharp, handsome face. He smiled warmly as a maid took his coat and hat to be hung up somewhere.
“Master, mistress,” the butler began, “Duke Josiah Morton is here.”
She had not expected that. A Duke. And at his young age too! Duke Josiah Morton was almost the ideal. Handsome, young, wealthy, and powerful. Provided he was also a charmer to talk to, she would have no trouble getting along with him.
“Charmed to make your acquaintance,” Kitty said, making eye contact with him.
Sitting down for dinner, Kitty smiled politely at him. She could almost melt as he smiled back, he was so handsome. “I am pleased that you were able to make it.”
“Well, when a Baron says he has a pretty young daughter looking for suitors, I do like to oblige,” he replied. “I am only sad that you were not at last week's ball.”
Kitty looked aside. “I am afraid I was away, but I shall be at Duke Haskett's gala this weekend, if you shall be there.”
“I may,” he replied. “You really are lovely, I am astounded that you do not yet have any suitors,” Duke Morton said, grinning at her.
She nodded. “It is a little complicated. But I am away a lot. Most young men are not prepared to handle that.”
“What a coincidence, I am away a lot also. I suppose we could try and travel together,” he replied.
“I am not sure that you would want to accompany me on my travels,” Kitty said with a nervous giggle.
“And why would that be?” Duke Morton asked, sipping his wine.
Kitty could feel her face hot with shame. Ought she to hide this from him? It would not be right, surely? And yet she knew what happened whenever she mentioned her condition. Or better said, whenever her father mentioned her condition.
It was probably better to get it out of the way. As quickly and as casually as possible. If he was going to ignore her, then so be it. But there was no point letting him build up hope and interest only for him to back away as soon as he found out.
Besides, it wasn't as though her condition would scare away everyone. She was not so ill. Someone would eventually look past it and understand her.
But before she could say anything a maid marched in and curtsied low before her.
“We have a letter for you, mistress,” the maid said, holding out a tray with a letter on it.
“Thank you,” Kitty replied. Taking the letter and turning it over, she saw a deep brown wax crest had sealed it. “Father, may I take this to the hallway to read? It may require my immediate attention.”
Baron Langley raised an eyebrow a little. “Of course, but please return as soon as you are done.”
Kitty left the room. She couldn't read this in front of her new suitor. She knew where it was from based on the seal. The resort. She opened the letter and read it. Just a confirmation that her treatment would not be for another six months, unless rescheduled, as she was doing very well. Kitty sighed in relief.
“Maid?” she asked softly, so as to not be heard on the other side of the door.
The maid, who had followed her out of the dining room, patiently waiting for further instruction, walked up to her. “Yes, mistress?”
“Please leave this letter on my father's desk, for his records,” Kitty said. “And thank you for bringing it to me.”
The maid curtsied. “Of course, mistress. I shall see to that immediately.”
Kitty was happy. She knew her father would no doubt reschedule, but it was always good to hear that her health was robust. Even if her father wouldn't believe it.
Re-joining her father and the duke, she curtsied before sitting down.
“What was that?” her father asked. “Nothing important?”
She shook her head. “Not at all.”
“If it requires my attention, I can—”
Kitty shook her head again. “It is all arranged.”
“I see, was it from the resort?” her father asked.
“Oh, it is nothing, just my treatment has been rescheduled,” she replied without thinking.
“Treatment?” Duke Morton asked, raising an eyebrow. “Whatever for, you seem right as rain?”
Kitty smiled, feeling a sweat break out on the back of her neck. From the looks of it he was not the sort of man to take these things lightly. “It's just a little care I require for an ailment I have had since I was a girl. It doesn't cause me much trouble.”
“And you cannot say what that ailment is?” he asked.
“I am not sure why I should have to,” Kitty replied defiantly. “It clearly does not affect me in my day to day life.”
“I am not sure I could marry a young lady who is going through treatment for something,” the duke said, an eyebrow rising again in suspicion.
Kitty sighed. “That is your choice to make, though I do believe it is foolish to dismiss someone on grounds of her health alone,” she said somewhat bitterly.”
“I am not sure it is worth my staying for dinner,” he replied.
“Now, now, let's not be too hasty,” Baron Langley said, slight panic creeping in his voice.
“I have some matters to attend do at home,” Duke Morton replied, standing up. “It has been lovely seeing you again, and I hope I shall see you soon.”
Baron Langley sighed in resignation. “Of course, I hope that you are able to attend to all the matters you need to.”
Duke Morton nodded and smiled. “Thank you. Do not worry about seeing me to the door, I am sure I can find my own way.”
“I am sorry to have troubled you, Your Grace” Kitty's father said, settling back into his seat as the duke left. He looked down at his plate.
Kitty could tell her father had lost his appetite. This was a bad sign. This was always a bad sign. When he was comfortable and happy, he was always hungry. When he did not eat, something was wrong. He kept staring at his plate until they heard the front door close. Duke Morton, like many before him, had been scared away.
Kitty sighed.
Baron Langley glared at Kitty. “
Why would you say something so blatant in front of our guest, Kitty?” he said, exasperated. “Now he shall not want anything to do with you.”
“I- I was not thinking,” Kitty replied. “You mentioned the resort and I- I am so sorry, father.”
“The resort is not a problem. People attend resorts all the time for perfectly innocent reasons. It is the treatment we did not want him to know about yet. And you had to mention it,” he said bluntly, pushing his plate away. “I am not hungry. You have spoiled my dinner.”
“Well ordinarily it is you who cannot keep quiet about my condition,” Kitty replied angrily. “Why do you think all my last suitors left, father?”
“They need to find out sooner or later,” the Baron replied. “After all, with your condition we cannot exactly keep it a secret. But there is a time and a place to reveal these things so that good men are not scared away by the idea of courting a woman who is so frail.”
“Pray, tell me then,” Kitty replied, “when is the right time and place. Because I am not sure if you have noticed, father, but every suitor has left, no matter when or where you have told him.”
She knew this hurt her father and she shouldn't have said it. But she was not about to sit there and be blamed for her own lack of suitors. Her father's face grew red with rage.
“Perhaps at the gala I shall meet a man who does not mind, but so far they have all been resistant to courting me for that very reason,” she added.
“No, young lady, you shall not attend the gala. You may come along and wait in the front room as everyone else enjoys themselves,” he replied.
Kitty felt a pain in her chest. “Daddy, please don't,” she started. “I shall behave, I am sorry. I do not know what came over me. Just allow me to—”
“No,” her father said bluntly. “No, you have disrespected me and you need to learn.”
Kitty felt her heart sinking as she realized what she had just done to herself.
Chapter 3
The gala would have been wonderful if she had been allowed to attend. She watched from the front room of the Duke Haskett’s mansion as the guests paraded up the stairs, each more elegantly dressed than the last, laughing, smiling, and ready for a long night of drinking, socializing, and dancing.
Kitty could hear the cheer outside the door to the front room, wondering if she got closer to the door whether she would be able to make out the conversations taking place. But then she would not be able to see them marching in.
Everything looked so luxurious, so exciting, so beautiful. She should be out there, or, better yet, already in the ball room, wearing her sapphire blue dress, spinning and dancing until she was giddy with joy.
Instead, dressed fairly plainly, Kitty sat holding a book in the front room, trying to eavesdrop on the guests as they arrived. She would not be able to listen in once everyone was there. The dancing was taking place at the other side of the vast mansion, and she could barely hear the music.
But people had been arriving for the past hour, and already the crowd was thinning and slowing. Soon everyone would be dancing in the ball room and she would just have to sit in the front room and read a book, like a child waiting to be sent to bed.
As the last coach pulled away and the last beautiful dress waved in the breeze and disappeared through the front door, Kitty curled up tighter in her window seat and finally opened her book.
Before she could even begin reading, the door opened with a slam, startling her.
A young woman walked in, sighing in exhaustion. She turned to the left and arranged her hair in the mirror, before inspecting her face, her jewels, and the fit of her dress. She was oblivious to the fact that she was not alone, so Kitty picked her book back up and began reading it quietly, as though she also had not noticed the other woman.
Nevertheless, she watched over the edge of her book as this beautiful young woman, with a crowded arrangement of silky, shiny, thick black hair, mellow blue eyes, and a sensual gait, preened herself in front of the mirror.
As Kitty turned the page, an abandoned book mark slid out and landed on the floor with a whisper. It was loud enough. The lady turned around and scanned the room.
Then her eyes landed on Kitty. “I beg your pardon, I did not see you there,” she said with a nervous chuckle.
Kitty shook her head. “It is quite alright, I was absorbed in my book. I am Kitty Langley,” she said.
“I am Delilah, Delilah Sinclair,” the woman replied.
Sinclair... Kitty knew that name from somewhere, though she couldn't quite put her finger on it. It was something important, and yet as soon as she felt she was about to recall it, it slipped her mind.
Delilah had returned to her reflection and was aligning her necklace so that the clasp was once again behind her neck.
“Why are you not dancing? At first, I thought you were a member of staff, you are dressed so plainly, but your clothes look far too expensive,” Delilah observed, walking over to the fire place, sitting down before it, and slipping her feet out of her slippers.
Kitty was surprised she could tell from that distance. “I am the daughter of Baron Langley,” she replied. “But I am not allowed to attend the gala.”
“Oh, I see. Are you still a little young?” Delilah asked, placing her bare feet on a little footrest and sighing in relief. “I didn't take you for a child.”
“Not at all. I was going to be there, but I had an argument with my father, and it is my punishment to not attend the gala,” Kitty replied.
“That must have been a serious matter,” Delilah said, finally leaning back in her chair, looking into the fire.
“It was,” Kitty replied. “He had invited a Duke round for dinner, and was hoping that the young man would show some interest in me. But I accidentally mentioned my condition, and he would not have left faster if he had a pack of wolves chasing him.” She laughed nervously. “That happens a lot, though.”
“A condition, eh?” Delilah asked. “I understand that. My own father suffered from chronic stomach and chest pains. The doctors said he had a growth inside him which could not be removed. These things do get in the way of your life, and the life of your family. Not everyone is prepared for that.”
Kitty shrugged. “That is just it, there is nothing to be prepared for. I am managing my condition myself. I do not need a husband to care for me like some invalid. I am perfectly capable of looking after myself. But my father does not believe so, and insists on my getting all sorts of treatment. Which, naturally, means all my suitors need to find out about the treatment, and that puts them off.”
“So you are not seriously ailing, or dying?” Delilah asked a little flippantly.
“Nothing so serious, although my father seems to believe I am at constant risk of coming to harm,” Kitty replied. “I can hardly believe that the man who spends half his life talking about how ill and frail I am has punished me for even mentioning my illness.”
“I suppose it is not an easy thing for him to manage. On the one hand he needs to defend you, but on the other he wants to make sure you marry the right man,” Delilah replied. “All fathers are a bit like that.”
Kitty pursed her lips. “I suppose so. But my father has a justification for acting this way.”
“And your mother?” Delilah asked.
“She passed away when I was a little girl. I think my father is more protective because of it,” Kitty explained.
“It must be difficult,” Delilah said, nodding. “But I am sure that will you persevere.”
Kitty felt her heart warm a little towards Delilah. “I do my best. It's easier now I'm not quite as ill as I used to be. I used to be such a sickly child. My father doting over me was just what I needed back then. But now I am a grown woman. Sometimes... sometimes it feels as though my condition has moved from being a physical burden to being an emotional one.”
“How so?” Delilah asked.
“I used to hurt, and my joints were stiff all the time. But lately I only have the odd bad
day. Most of the time I am no less capable than any other girl my age. And now I must pretend to still be ill, and go along with my father's beliefs, which is ruining my marriage prospects. If I were to act as well as I feel, my father would be saddened by the fact that he does not need to care for me.” Kitty sighed and sank back further into the window seat.
It was odd to talk to a stranger about this, but she felt better for talking to this wonderful young lady. She noticed that although there was a ring mark on her finger, there was no ring.
“Tell me a bit about you, seeing as you know my life story now,” Kitty said. “Are you married?”
Delilah pursed her lips. “I am not.” Then, she fell silent.
Kitty paused, waiting for Delilah to add something else. Especially considering the little white line left behind from wearing a wedding ring many years. But she said nothing.
“Are you engaged yet?” Delilah asked suddenly, before Kitty could say anything else. “You look about the right age.”
“Like I said, my father manages to scare all my suitors away. Or, well, I did so this time. But generally it is him,” she replied. “I don't think any one of them stayed for long enough to get to know me as a person.”
“Oh,” Delilah said, sounding a little disappointed. “I would have thought that, what with you being so pretty, at least one would have given you enough time to prove yourself. I have trouble believing that all young men would be so superficial.”
“Alas, it seems that they are,” Kitty replied.
“You will find the right man eventually,” Delilah said with conviction. “There is no doubt plenty of men out there who would give their right arm to be married to someone as lovely as you.”
Kitty laughed nervously. “No young man would have me, not as I am now. Between my treatments and my father's exaggeration of my illness, none have been brave enough to stay.”
“And why would you want to settle for the sort of man who runs for the hills when he faces even the smallest challenge? If you ask me, your circumstances are a blessing, as they will drive away all but the most serious of suitors,” Delilah mused.
