“There is nothing a Duke can do that is too odd, my dear,” her mother scolded her. “You must answer when he calls for you. It is very rude for you to ignore such a man of power and wealth.”
“His power and wealth are not important to me, Mother, as you well know. I was uncomfortable and a little frightened, to tell you the truth, when I went on the ride with him that day a few weeks ago. I do not wish a repeat of the situation.”
“Everyone has a day when they are not really themselves. We are all known to have days like that. You should give him another chance.”
“I don’t think I want to, Mother.”
“You must. He is the Duke.”
Elizabeth frowned. “You keep repeating that as though it makes his behavior less strange. I do not want an eccentric husband. I want a man who is control of himself. The Duke has problems that he is hiding. I don’t want my husband hiding things from me. I want a man who knows his flaws and is willing to expose them to me in order for the situation to be resolved.”
“All right, all right. You have made your point.” Her mother didn’t want to hear any more. She waved her hand in the air dismissively and turned to another one of her daughters to start a new conversation.
Despite her decision that he was too strange for her, Elizabeth felt a strange pull on her heart whenever he was mentioned or thoughts of him crossed her mind. She dared not picture his handsome face or she would feel an awkward pain in her chest, as though her heart was being squeezed tight. She wanted to see him and talk to him. However, she was worried and didn’t want to make a mistake.
* * *
For Elizabeth, it was a matter of wait and see. She avoided him on three separate occasions, even leaving a ball early so that she did not have to dance with him. By the fourth dance, she had grown tired of the game. She would dance with him, she decided. She would talk to him if he approached her. It was best to get things cleared up, she thought, and she had not seen him dancing with anyone in particular since their horseback ride together.
At that particular dance, it seemed that he was avoiding her. He didn’t approach her nor did he ask her to dance. She found she was annoyed by that. When Lord Draper came to ask for a dance, she agreed, wondering if it would affect the Duke at all.
She didn’t enjoy it. Lord Draper was very hands-on and touched her in a way that made her feel dirty. Her mother seemed to disapprove, her twin sisters were giving her confused looks and the Duke looked like he wanted to hurt someone. It hadn’t crossed her mind that he would react violently to her decision. As they danced, she was sure that she had made a mistake accepting Lord Draper’s offer. It didn’t seem like anyone thought she was doing the right thing except Katherine. In addition, Elizabeth had long suspected her sister Katherine had ulterior motives for saying the things she had said about the Duke. She didn’t know what Shawn was like.
By the time the dance was over, Elizabeth felt like bursting into tears. She thanked the Earl for the dance, grabbed her shawl and handbag and left as quickly as she could, hoping she was going unnoticed. She told her mother where she was going, but no one else.
No one else needed to know.
* * *
Shawn noticed when Elizabeth agreed to dance with Lord Draper. It made him angry. He had an extra drink to control his emotions. He watched them through narrow eyes, not caring if everyone else in the ballroom could see how he felt about it. It gave him a jolt of satisfaction when Elizabeth glanced at him during the dance as Lord Draper spun her around. Her face turned from boredom to fear.
He turned up one side of his lips in a sneer. She wanted him to be jealous. He was certain of it. Well, she’d succeeded. He set down his empty glass on the table behind him and picked up a fresh drink from a passing server.
She danced only the one dance with the Earl. Then she vanished. He watched for her the rest of the night, but she did not return. Finally, he went home, discouraged and lonely, wishing he’d just controlled himself on the ride and not behaved so rudely. He was disappointed in himself more than he’d been in a long, long time.
During the time he’d been back, the city began to feel the weight of struggle lifting from their shoulders. He could tell that his citizens were happier and knew they were grateful. He went down into the market area and walked around frequently, speaking to his people about their welfare. He wanted to make sure everyone was progressing and doing better. He was most often greeted with happy people.
He was unable to go through the throng of people that gathered in the market around the carts and shops for long. The sounds bothered him and made him retreat to his home after only a short time. Nevertheless, during those times, the people were happy to see him.
After that last dance, Shawn went to bed that night with determination on his mind. He was going to confront this problem face to face. In the morning, he was summoning the Earl to his mansion and they would discuss Elizabeth.
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“I ask you to quit your pursuit of Miss Elizabeth, Lord Draper.”
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CHAPTER TWELVE
CALCULATING THE RISK
At breakfast the next morning, Shawn requested that a piece of paper and a pen brought to his table. James brought the requested items and Shawn scribbled a note.
“Have this sent to the Earl of Braxton immediately. Have the boy wait for a reply and have it brought to me immediately. This will have an effect on what I do today, so I want to know something immediately. It is a request for a meeting with the Earl and it will be in the library. Be sure that we are not disturbed. Once you have announced his arrival, you are to close the doors and do not let anyone in. Am I clear?”
“Yes, my lord.” James nodded and backed out of the room, feeling a bit terrified. He dared not open the note and read it. It was not his place. He sent young George with the message and waited fitfully for the reply, repeatedly running a soft cloth over several sculptures in the main foyer without realizing it. He had been worried about the master since his return. He could tell something was off; something was different. Shawn had not consumed so much alcohol before he left to serve in the Army. At all hours of the night, James could hear Shawn crying out in his sleep. It was unnerving and concerned James very much.
He kept silent, but he never stopped being troubled by it. He kept a watchful eye on his master.
When Lord Draper finally arrived, James felt his anxiety coming to a peak. He nervously announced the Earl and closed the doors as the Duke had instructed him to do. He didn’t know that the messenger boy had already spread news of the meeting all around the town. If he had, he would have been even more concerned.
* * *
The Earl crossed the room stiffly, nodding at the Duke. “Your grace.”
“Lord Draper. Please sit.” Shawn indicated the chair in front of the desk.
“I would prefer to stand. May I ask, your grace, why I have been summoned here?”
Since the Earl wasn’t going to sit, Shawn didn’t sit either. He rounded the desk so that it wasn’t between himself and the Earl. He noticed when Lord Draper backed up a few steps. It gave him some satisfaction.
“Would you care for a drink?” The Duke was already headed to the bar. He poured a large glass of brandy and nodded when the Earl declined. “I have asked you here to discuss Elizabeth Dowling.” Shawn was a man that got to the point immediately. He didn’t feel the need to beat around the bush. Everything needed to be out in the open.
“Elizabeth? What is it you wish to discuss?”
“The Lady is a fine woman, is she not?”
“She is.”
“You have asked her father for her hand?”
“I have. I believe we discussed this at a ball in the past several weeks.”
“Yes, I believe you are correct. However, I have noticed that you are still pursuing her. Has there been a change?”
Lord Draper clenched his jaw. He had b
een trying to make that change happen without success. “I’m afraid nothing has changed in that regard, your grace.”
“I see.” The Duke nodded, lifting his glass and emptying it halfway before lowering it. “Are you aware that I have had Miss Elizabeth here in my home?” He didn’t clarify that Elizabeth had not actually been in his home, only to the stables, but it certainly wasn’t something the Earl needed to know.
Lord Draper’s face darkened slightly. Shawn could tell he was trying not to frown. “I was not, my lord.”
“Were you aware that I have intentions toward Miss Elizabeth?”
The Earl looked as though he was struggling internally. His taut face and tense lips made it look like he was trying not to explode. “No, my lord.”
“What say you now that you know this?”
Lord Draper cleared his throat. He clenched his jaw. He looked very much like a man who wanted to vomit. “I do not know what to say, your lordship.”
Shawn looked at the man over the rim of his glass. He narrowed his eyes and cocked his head. “Are you sure about that? It has come to my attention that you have been attempting to force a courtship for some time now.”
“I do not feel I have been forceful.”
“I suppose you would call it persistence.” Shawn tipped his glass in his rival’s direction. “And for that I must commend you. If there is one thing you have going for you, it is a noticeable stubborn streak that I do believe you get from your father, whom I have done business with in the past. In fact, my family has done quite a lot of business with your father. He is an honorable man.”
Again, Lord Draper’s jaw clenched. “I beg your pardon, your grace. Do you mean to say that I am not an honorable man? Because I have every intention of being honorable with Miss Elizabeth when she...” He stopped, biting his words off in mid-sentence. He wasn’t sure that speaking to the Duke, the very ruler of Fairbanks County and neighboring counties all around England, was a wise thing to do.
“I ask you to quit your pursuit of Miss Elizabeth, Lord Draper.” Shawn could see that his request angered the Earl.
“I would rather not do so, my lord,” Lord Draper growled through clenched teeth.
“Oh?”
“I do not feel…she would be…well suited to you.”
The Duke raised his eyebrows. “And what do you base that feeling on?”
“She is a well-refined woman, your grace. She is grounded, intelligent, the kind of woman who would do well performing on the piano, hosting dinner parties and reading quietly on the porch. I do not believe she is a woman accustomed to heavy drink and debauchery.”
Shawn opened his eyes wide. “Debauchery? May I ask for an example where you have seen debauchery take place in my presence?”
“Heavy drink often leads men to sin and wickedness. Acts of war lead men to commit horrendous crimes against humanity. I am grateful that you were active in keeping our people secure and I am grateful you have returned to set right the misdeeds that have befallen our county. But I do not believe it is appropriate to subject Miss Elizabeth to it. She is sensitive and delicate.”
Sensitive and delicate were not how Shawn was inclined to describe what he saw in Elizabeth. He saw a streak of excitement and adventure. He saw her as energetic and fun. He could not forget the beautiful sight of her laughing at his silly questions and jokes. Despite the tension that had been between them, he knew that she was the one he needed, the only woman he desired. “You will not quit your pursuit of Miss Elizabeth?”
“I must decline, your grace.”
His voice was so low that Shawn could barely hear it. He grunted. “This must be decided in some way, Lord Draper. I will not allow one of my subjects to pursue the woman I intend to marry.”
“I decline.”
Shawn inhaled sharply. He could draw his blade and run the man through if he wanted to. That would not draw Elizabeth to him though. It might push her away for good. “We shall duel then.”
Lord Draper’s throat constricted. “A duel?” he asked incredulously.
“Yes. Do you accept my challenge?”
He didn’t want to. He knew that the best thing would be to withdraw immediately. However, he couldn’t. He was determined to save Elizabeth from a life of misery with the Duke. “I accept, your grace.”
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“That’s why he’s dueling today!” Jillian interjected, not enjoying the view of her sisters bickering. “Because he wants to show how he truly feels about you, Elizabeth! He wouldn’t be doing so if he didn’t truly care about you. He wants to marry you! Can’t you see that?”
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CHAPTER THIRTEEN
A MISTAKEN IMPRESSION
Elizabeth picked up the little knife and spread the creamy cheese over a cracker. The steam from her teacup rose above the liquid in a small swirling fog. She was anxious to drink it, but it was still too hot. She dropped two spoonfuls of sugar into it while she took a bite from the cracker. She used a tiny spoon to stir the tea, mentally willing it to cool enough for her to drink some.
She was glad she wasn’t holding the hot tea when the door slammed open and her two twin sisters came bounding through, looking much younger than their years. Their eyes were wide and they practically bounced over to where she was sitting, dropping onto the couch so that they flanked her. She looked from one to the other in surprise. “What is the meaning of this? What’s going on?”
“Oh, Lizzie! Oh, Lizzie!” Both girls looked breathless, excited and fearful at the same time.
“Calm down, sisters, and tell me what’s happening?”
“You haven’t heard?”
Elizabeth frowned and sighed. “Obviously, I have not heard. What are you going on about?”
“It’s the Duke! He and Lord Draper are going to have a duel! I think it’s going on right now!”
Her frown deepened. She was instantly afraid for the Duke, even though she knew he could hold his own. She had similar feelings of concern for the Earl of Braxton, but more because she didn’t want to see anyone get hurt or killed. “Whatever could they be dueling over? It can’t be land or money. Lord Braxton isn’t that foolish, surely.”
“Oh, it’s not land or money.” Janelle leaned close to her sister. “It’s not power either. It’s you! It’s you!”
“What?” Elizabeth’s voice rose to a squeaking pitch. “Me?”
“That must make you feel very special, Lizzie.” Katherine came through the door and stood in front of her, crossing her slender arms over her ample breasts. Elizabeth gave her a narrow look.
“Why would you say that, Katherine? I do not want anyone dueling over me! It is a foolish and childish method that resolves nothing and leaves many upset and afraid.”
“I don’t think so, Lizzie. Not this time.” Jillian was shaking her head.
“What do you mean, Jill?” Elizabeth asked.
“The Earl has no one to mourn him, should he be killed.”
“And he has no one to sit with him and minister to him if he is injured,” Janelle added.
“That sounds very sad to me.”
“It doesn’t sound sad to me,” Jillian responded, continuing to shake her head. “He is not a pleasant man. I don’t know why he continues to pursue you. That is probably why the Duke was forced to challenge him. He is as tired of watching Lord Draper make a fool of himself as we are! He asked for your hand some time ago. He should have stopped his pursuit when Papa said no the first time.”
“While I agree with that, I do not agree that a duel is a good thing.”
“I didn’t say it was a good thing,” Jillian defended herself, sticking out her lower lip. “I said it wasn’t going to be a bad thing for Lord Draper’s family. Since he has none. Nor friends. He has no friends.”
Elizabeth sighed and rolled her eyes. Her younger sisters weren’t going to understand her, no matter how many times she repeated herself.
“At least Lord Draper doesn’t pursue more than one person at a time.” Katherine put her nose up in the air and moved across the room on silent feet to sit on a chair near the pastries. She picked one up, glancing over her shoulder to see the impact of her words on her sisters. The twins’ eyes grew wide once again.
“Has the Duke been pursuing more than one woman, Katie?” Janelle asked. “How do you know?”
“Because if he has been pursuing Elizabeth, he has also been pursuing me. That is proof enough for me. You can’t deny what you see with your very eyes.”
The twins frowned and gave each other skeptical looks. “I have not seen him make any advances toward you, Katie. What are you talking about?”
“He dances with me at nearly every ball. He has sought me out specifically for conversation in the past. I always answer to his call. That’s more than some can say.” She sniffed and turned away from her sisters to pour heated water into a tea cup and dropping the infuser into the water. She took it by the small chain and bounced the infuser in the water, even though her mother had repeatedly told her that it would not make it brew faster. In fact, if she wanted it to steep correctly, she should not bounce it at all.
She released the chain and turned to look at her sister. Elizabeth was giving her an angry look. “I don’t know why you are angry with me, Lizzie,” Katie said in a huffy tone. “You have been avoiding him. You told Mother he was odd. You said you didn’t know if you wanted to even talk to him again. Well, you haven’t danced with him since you went riding that day and you haven’t spoken to him at all, as far as I know. So why are you angry?”
It made Elizabeth even more frustrated to know that Katherine was right. She had behaved that way, even though her heart kept telling her to stop, to go to him, to confess her true feelings. “His odd behavior did concern me, Katie. But I was going to give him another chance.” She defended herself, but it came out weak and insecure.
Regency Romance: More For A Duke (The Fairbanks Series - The Familial Adventures) (CLEAN Historical Romance) Page 5
