Courteously Seduced By An Enigmatic Duke (Steamy Historical Regency Romance)

by Scarlett Osborne

  But, alas, the Season had been a failure. None of the gentlemen drew her. They were all the same, stuffy gentlemen with flowery words who all blended together in her mind. They had been drawn to her, yes. With Hannah’s odd beauty, they flocked to her side, most attempting to court, others bold enough to go straight to a marriage proposal. Hannah had turned them all down, disinterested.

  Any other Duchess might have been upset at her daughter being so picky. They might have even forced her to choose. But not Her Grace. She simply went along with Hannah’s wishes, enjoying herself at each ball while she did so.

  “What is all this talk of love I hear?” The Duke swept into the drawing room, his voice booming.

  Her Grace looked up at him, her eyes lightening. They always did that. “Hannah was simply explaining to Rosamund and Violet why this Season was a failure.”

  “I wouldn’t quite call it that, Mother,” Hannah noted. “I did learn what I expressly did not want in a husband.”

  “Keep that up, Hannah, and you may never marry,” her father said.

  Hannah only shrugged. Her father was not opposed to her ideas, either. He knew more than anyone what it felt like to be in a loveless marriage.

  “Now, then.” The Duke sat in his favorite chair. “I have something to tell you all.” Everyone looked at him with interest. “My cousin will be visiting us from New South Wales. He happens to own many sheep ranches in the colony.”

  “How long will he be staying?” Hannah asked. She continued her needlework, not very interested in the topic. They entertained people at the manor all the time. Some stayed for a few weeks, others a matter of months.

  The Duke was not very forthcoming on that account. “A long while,” he said. “Until he has properly learned the business of running the manor and its subjects.”

  Hannah perked up at that, frowning slightly. Her sisters continued struggling with their needlework, listening but not aware of the conversation’s weight as were Her Grace and Hannah. “Your cousin,” Her Grace said. “Ah, your heir.”

  “Yes,” the Duke confirmed with a nod. “I thought it was high time he learned more of his inheritance. And high time you two met, Hannah.”

  Hannah noted the hidden meaning behind his words. If she failed to find a suitable partner during the Season, perhaps the heir might suit her tastes? After all, Hannah had always made it clear that, in addition to love, she did not want someone who was drifting through life with no goal or indication as to what he wanted to do with the time he was given.

  A gentleman coming all the way to Gresham Manor simply to learn how to be a proper Duke made her skin tingle with interest.

  How ambitious. How does a sheep farmer, as successful as he might be, be a Duke? As my husband?

  She kept her thoughts to herself, not wanting to give her parents the impression that she was actually considering it. The thought merely intrigued her. And, besides, her father had good intentions and he was a reasonable man. Hannah could not be forced to do something she didn’t want to. She wasn’t worried.

  “He has lived in the colony for all his life,” the Duke continued. “So I fear he knows nothing of the English society. It may be long before he is well acquainted with his duties once I have passed.”

  “We shall be proper hosts,” Hannah said. “Am I right, sisters?”

  “Yes, Hannah,” her sisters said in unison. Hannah smiled.

  “Good.” With a clap of his hands, the Duke rose. “He will be arriving within a month’s time.”

  Hannah nodded. She could feel his eyes on her, weighing her response, so she gave him nothing. Finally, he decided to leave. Her Grace spoke up after, “I hear he is a handsome man,” she said.

  “How would you know, Mother? You’ve never met him.”

  Chapter 4

  The arrival of the heir came much quicker than she expected. The weeks had passed peacefully. Hannah fell back into her usual practice, forgoing fancy gowns in favor of simpler ones. She went riding every morning at dawn, lounged with Her Grace in the drawing room, and sometimes headed into town with Lily. She had nearly forgotten all about his arrival.

  When her father announced that he would be arriving that day, Hannah felt a tremor of excitement rush through her. She’d read about foreign lands, heard about the colonies, but she’d never seen them herself.

  What will it be like to meet a man who was raised there?

  As Lily flitted around her like a flighty bird, Hannah’s mind wandered.

  Do they dress the same?

  She imagined they might since their climates were similar, more or less.

  Do they speak with a different accent? Do they have the same mannerisms as we do in England?

  Hannah supposed not, since his reason for coming here was partially to learn the ways of an Englishman. Still, she couldn’t imagine that it was very dissimilar.

  “Are you excited, M’Lady?” Lily asked her as she fitted Hannah into her gown.

  “Quite,” Hannah said honestly. Not as excited about the man as she was about the experiences he would bring, however. “I wonder what he is like?”

  Lily sighed wistfully. The sound was so soft, Hannah thought she had imagined it until Lily said, “I picture him to be a dashing gentleman with big hands.”

  Hannah giggled in surprise. “Big hands?”

  Through the looking glass, Hannah saw Lily blush. “I find big hands to be a sign of safety, M’Lady,” Lily opened up. “It means he can protect you.”

  Hannah smiled at the simple thought. It was just like Lily to find pleasure in the small things others wouldn’t.

  Lily finished lacing her into her gown and stepped back to observe her work. Hannah wore a simple, yet elegant gown, with long sleeves and a slightly flaring skirt, all in the color of moss. Somehow, Hannah’s golden eye seemed to glow brighter. “You look beautiful, M’Lady,” Lily said.

  “Thank you, Lily.” Lily paid her compliments often, nearly every day, and Hannah knew she meant every one of them. She would often find her staring longingly at her wardrobe. “As usual, my hair looks lovely, too.”

  The compliment was aimed at Lily and she blushed. She had done Hannah’s hair up into a neat chignon, soft tendrils of her auburn hair floating around her face. “You’re welcome, M’Lady.”

  “I suppose it is time to meet our new visitor, is it?”

  “Nearly so, M’Lady.”

  “Then, shall we?” Hannah lifted her skirts as she made her way to the door, Lily on her heels. She found the rest of her family in the main drawing room, the butler lingering by the doors in wait for the visitor.

  Her Grace wore a blue gown in a similar style to Hannah’s. She was talking to Violet and Rosamund, who stood before her with raised chins. “No excuses,” Hannah heard Her Grace say.

  “Mother, please!” Rosamund begged.

  “Yes, Mother, please!” Violet echoed.

  “I will not hear another word of it.” Her Grace’s voice was strong, killing the discussion. Hannah drew closer. Lily had not entered the room with her, disappearing to do something else.

  “What is the matter?” Hannah asked.

  Her Grace looked unfazed, hardly upset. “They believed that in light of our visitor, they did not have to attend lessons with Miss Jolley.”

  “Oh, no, we can’t have that, can we?” Her sisters looked at her in betrayal. Hannah softened. “Why don’t you let them be for one day, Mother? They can spend the day riding with me instead.”

  “They can ride after their lessons.” Her Grace’s tone left no room for argument.

  Hannah sent her sisters an apologetic look and they dejectedly claimed their seats by their mother’s side, heads hung. Hannah tried hiding her smile.

  It wasn’t long before the butler announced the arrival of Mister Rowland Albertson. Hannah, her mother, and her sisters made their way to the wide foyer to greet him. Again, that tremor of excitement rushed through her and she lifted her chin expectantly.

  Will he be
kind? Will he be as interested in riding as I am?

  The Duke was already present when the doors opened and Mr. Albertson was ushered inside. The questions didn’t stop coming but she didn’t try to picture how he would look, preferring to be surprised.

  This was certainly a surprise.

  He was tall. That was the first thing she noticed. He seemed to scrape the ceiling of the foyer, though she knew that was impossible. She was tall herself, so to see someone with a stature like his, even from this distance, made her pause. But what rendered her speechless was his face. He was utterly handsome, with a strong jawline and sharp eyes that swept across the room the moment he stepped in. His skin was not fair like the men she’d met in London, it was tanned, deepened by the glare of the sun. His hair was a dark brown which he kept relatively short, his mouth a hard line that barely tilted upwards when the Duke went to greet him.

  Her heart…

  Hannah resisted the urge to raise her hand to her chest, trying to repress the feeling. But it only grew, her eyes glued to his broad shoulders and his large hands. She’d never felt anything like this before—so excited, so nervous.

  So warm.

  “It is a pleasure to finally meet you,” His Grace said to Mr. Albertson.

  Mr. Albertson nodded. “It is a pleasure to meet you as well, Your Grace.”

  They shook hands, and as the servants brought his luggage around, the Duke turned to his family. “Please, let me introduce you to my lovely wife, Her Grace, the Duchess of Gresham.”

  “It is a pleasure, Your Grace,” he said. He didn’t look at Hannah or her sisters, not past the simple glance of his eyes when he first entered. His voice was neither cold nor warm when he spoke to the Duchess.

  “It is a pleasure to have you with us, Mr. Albertson,” Her Grace said pleasantly. “I hope you enjoy your stay with us.”

  “I don’t doubt that I will.”

  Finally, the Duke moved on to his daughters. Hannah held her breath, waiting. Her fingers tensed.

  He’s much more handsome up close.

  “My daughters,” he began, “Lady Hannah, Lady Rosamund, and Lady Violet.”

  They all curtsied dutifully. Mr. Albertson waited until they straightened before saying, his tone bland, “It is a pleasure to meet you.”

  Hannah wasn’t sure who he was talking to. All of them at once?

  She tried catching his eye but he turned away, looking once again at The Duke. “It has been a long and tiring trip, Your Grace,” he said. “It would be nice to relax for a while before heading to my bedchamber.”

  “Then, why don’t we head along to the drawing room?” the Duke offered with a smile. “If you would follow me…”

  Miss Jolley materialized out of nowhere to usher Rosamund and Violet away for lessons. They walked away sullenly, stealing glances at Mr. Albertson as if just as enraptured by him as Hannah was. Now that the greetings were over, they were no longer needed. Hannah and Her Grace, however, followed them into the main drawing room.

  “Why don’t you tell us about your trip, Mr. Albertson?” Her Grace said as she claimed her seat. Hannah sat by her side. She didn’t mind remaining silent. For now, she was content with simply watching him.

  He moved with the same grace she’d witnessed in those she’d met in London. Hannah didn’t know why she expected him to be any different. From what she’d learned, New South Wales was a rather new colony and Mr. Albertson’s father had been one of the first settlers. That didn’t give them much time for customs to change.

  Still, everything he did intrigued her. His eyes remained on an unidentifiable spot before him, his mind seemingly elsewhere while the Duke spoke.

  “It was dreadfully boring,” Mr. Albertson said. “I fear I will never truly get used to traveling by ship. I much prefer to move around on horseback.”

  “Is that so?” His Grace said, his tone tinged with interest. Hannah knew it was coming, felt it in her bones. “My daughter is a lot like you. From the moment she first rode a horse, she has never been able to stay away from them. I’m sure she would love to show you the stables.”

  “Father…” To her horror, her cheeks grew warm. Hannah looked away, hoping to hide it.

  Why is he saying such things? How embarrassing!

  Hannah lifted her gaze, curious to see what Mr. Albertson was thinking when he said nothing to the Duke’s suggestion. She found him staring at her. She held his stare, searched it, wondering what was going through his mind.

  Does he find me beautiful?

  Hannah’s fingers curled in her lap as her cheeks warmed without warning. He gave nothing away and as soon as it began, it was over. He looked away and nodded at the Duke. “A lovely offer. I might take you up on that.”

  Hannah’s gaze dropped to his hands once again. A cheek-warming image popped into her mind, of those hands sliding around her waist, bringing her close. She lifted her gaze to his face, happy for once that he wasn’t looking at her. She could stare in peace. She could let herself imagine those lips of his brushing against hers.

  An hour passed in the newcomer’s company. Hannah didn’t say much and neither did her Mother. But Hannah felt that Her Grace simply didn’t feel the need to contribute much, while Hannah couldn’t possibly think of how she could. She found herself thinking hard on something to say, a way to ease herself into the conversation, but nothing came to mind. Only the Duke and Mr. Albertson did the talking.

  The conversation went as well as a conversation between two people who didn’t know each other well could go. Her Father spoke of inconsequential things, asking him questions here and there about his time in the colony. Mr. Albertson was only forthcoming when asked a direct question. For the most part, he also didn’t say that much, instead sipping on his single glass of brandy. Hannah wondered if he was cold or simply not much of a talker. She honestly couldn’t tell.

  Just when she thought she could find a way into the conversation, her Father brought it to a close. “Well, we have bored you enough,” he said. “I’ll allow the butler to show you to your bedchamber.”

  Mr. Albertson said nothing, only nodded and rose. Hannah watched him leave, unable to tear her eyes away from his retreating figure.

  “Are you finished?” Her Grace’s voice broke in.

  Hannah looked at her. “Pardon me?”

  Her Grace tilted her head to the side knowingly. “I don’t think you could have made it any more obvious, My Dear. You are smitten with him, aren’t you?”

  “Smitten?” Hannah’s disbelieving laugh sounded genuine to even her ears. “Mother, you cannot be serious.”

  “He is quite handsome, don’t you think? It’s very normal to feel that way around handsome men.”

  “It isn’t my first time being around a handsome gentleman.”

  “Yet you haven’t looked at a single one the way you looked at Mr. Albertson just now.”

  “He was...interesting, that’s all. He wasn’t what I expected.”

  “And what did you expect?”

  Hannah didn’t know. But she definitely knew it was not that. “He’s...distant.”

  “He’s a stranger,” Her Grace said simply. “He doesn’t know us any more than we know him, though he is your father’s cousin. I reckon the next few months will change that.”

  “Just how long will he be staying?”

  “Who knows?” Her Grace said with a shrug. “I suppose we’ll just have to wait and see.”

  Hannah watched her mother, realization dawning on her with embarrassing delay. Mr. Albertson wasn’t only here to learn about the Dukedom he would one day inherit. Her parents also saw him as a potential partner for Hannah. It all made sense to her—the way His Grace had made note of their interest in riding, her Mother’s subtle comments. She had failed to secure a husband during the last Season. What if they were trying to pair her with Mr. Albertson?

  Hannah looked away. She expected a wave of repulsion to the idea, but it never came. All she could think about was the way Mr.
Albertson had looked at her from across the drawing room. Her face didn’t grow hot from revulsion, but in delight.

  Chapter 5

  Hannah paused in her tracks at the sight of Mr. Albertson in the stables. She hadn’t seen him since they met the day before but he was all she could think about. She wasn’t sure what it was, but there was something that drew him to her. Perhaps it was his standoffish attitude when they met. Or maybe it was the way he spoke with the Duke, with a quiet strength and underlying intelligence that somehow made his good looks much more captivating.