It was a good chance for Alexandra to show Magdalene around London since they hadn't had an opportunity before, with how busy their schedules had been. Now that the ball was out of the way, they would have a little more time to themselves and could perhaps indulge in a bit of frippery and fun in the city.
They left the house with a footman following discreetly behind them and took to the streets of Mayfair. They watched the gentry go about their business as they strolled along the thoroughfares. Once they got to Berkley Square, they took a seat and waited to give their orders.
“So many choices, Xandra, how shall I choose?”
Alexandra smiled, “I recommend the cream ice, maybe some jellied fruits and caramel.”
“I know, how about we take different things? I’ll have those, and you can have the bergamot and Gruyere cheese with chocolate.”
“We shall look like frightful gluttons,” Alexandra protested.
Magdalene looked around them at the other people enjoying their confections. It was a little early in the day for the usual crowds who liked to enjoy their sweets after a carriage ride in the park during the fashionable hour. Still, those who were scattered about the square or stopped their carriages to make orders were making sure to get a variety of confections for their edification.
“I think we shall be fine,” Magdalene said.
“Indeed, I expect you will be back with some gentleman trying to court you.”
Magdalene leaned in. “Yes, after you’re married perhaps you can chaperone me. That way we can both come.” She looked wistfully at Alexandra and knew that her sister was thinking about them no longer being together. She was thinking about them living in separate houses and not seeing each other every day.
“You shall come and stay with me after the wedding, never fear and I should be happy to chaperone you and your beau,” she said softly. She thought about telling Magdalene about her encounter last night. Should she do it now or wait until later?
“What are you thinking about?” Magdalene asked as if she could read Alexandra’s mind.
Alexandra opened her mouth, closed it and opened it again, “I did something last night.”
Magdalene’s eyes narrowed, “What did you do?”
“You remember the Duke of Greenwick? Father introduced us at your ball.”
“Indeed, I do. He escorted you to dinner, did he not?”
“He... did.” Alexandra hesitated not knowing how to tell her sister about what the duke had said.
“And…?” Magdalene prompted.
“He wishes me to break my betrothal to Francis Godwin and marry him.”
Magdalene's eyes were as wide as saucers as she stared at Alexandra not so much in surprise, but as if she was teetering on the edge of being scandalized.
“And what did you say?” she asked which was not at all the response Alexandra was expecting.
“I... did not say no.”
“Alexandra, you know Father will never agree to this.”
“I do know it, and for all I know, the Duke could be toying with my feelings.”
This seemed to surprise Magdalene. “Do you think so? He looked most earnest in his dealings with you last night.”
“I wasn't aware that you were watching so keenly,” Alexandra said wryly.
“I haven't seen you pay so much attention to a man in all the time that I have known you, Alexandra. Of course, I was watching.”
“Oh,” Alexandra said feeling disconcerted, “I was not aware that I was that obvious.”
“Only to me who knows you better than you know yourself,” Magdalene assured her.
“Very well. It would not do to create a scandal. Father would be most displeased.”
“He will be most displeased if you try to break your betrothal.”
“I know th–” Alexandra’s words cut off as she caught sight of the subject of their conversation, emerging from a haberdashery, a woman on his arm. She stared in surprise, watching as they conversed for a while before he handed her into a carriage, with a kiss on her fingers. Alexandra gasped, standing up and dropping her ice.
“What is it?” Magdalene asked urgently and then followed Alexandra’s eyes to their source. She made a sound of surprise, and then grasped Alexandra’s hand vigorously, urging her to sit back down.
“Xandra, you are making a scene,” she hissed as a few people around them glanced in their direction, watching Alexandra’s frozen form, her wide eyes fixed on Percy as he turned from handing the woman into the carriage. His eyes happened to catch hers as he turned, and he stood across the street from her, frozen in place as well.
“Alexandra?” Magdalene hissed again, pulling at her arm.
The Duke started across the street, turning his head to make sure the road was clear of traffic. With the loss of eye contact, Alexandra seemed to come back to life. She grabbed at Magdalene’s arm.
“Let us go,” she whispered urgently, already trying to drag Magdalene away.
Her sister stood up too quickly, and in the process, tripped and lost her shoe.
“Oh, for crying out loud,” Alexandra exclaimed irritably and reached for the shoe that had rolled under the bench they had been sitting on. “Come on, let’s go.”
Magdalene limped a few steps, trying to pry her hand out of Alexandra’s so she could take her shoe and put it back on.
“Alexandra, stop!” she whined, her sister’s hand like a vice about her wrist. “You shall bruise me.”
“We have to get out of here,” Alexandra said, her breath coming like bellows in her chest. She was seething with anger, mostly directed at herself for ever taking Percy seriously. Clearly, he was a rake who was trying to bamboozle her into breaking her betrothal while he cavorted with that Bird of Paradise. It was probably all some game to him.
“Lady Alexandra,” she heard call behind her and lengthened her stride, dragging her sister along with her. She could not believe the Duke was seriously trying to attract her attention in a public street! It was well known that she was spoken for, so he was courting scandal and did not seem to give a fig. Oh, she had been so wrong in her assessment of him.
She felt a strange pain in her chest at the thought but dismissed it. Likely her corset was tied too tight. She would ask Constance to adjust it later. At the moment, she needed to get away from her tormentor! She began to walk faster even as Magdalene complained.
“Alexandra, stop. I need to wear my shoe!” she cried.
“Lady Alexandra!” Duke Percy’s voice was getting nearer.
Alexandra walked faster.
Suddenly a vice-like grip encircled the arm that was holding her skirts clear of the ground.
“Lady Alexandra, may I have a word?” a grim voice ground out. She did not turn to look at him or acknowledge him in any way.
“Excuse me, Your Grace,” Magdalene said, sounding uncharacteristically stern. Alexandra turned to her in surprise, “Unhand my sister this instant or I shall scream bloody murder!”
Percy stared at Magdalene as if dumbfounded and then he released Alexandra’s wrist as if it burned him.
“My apologies, my Lady. I was not thinking clearly,” he said, “I merely wished to...uh, give your sister my compliments on her impending nuptials,” he said to Magdalene even as his eyes burned into Alexandra.
Alexandra snorted in derision, “There was no need to bruise me to do so, Your Grace,” she said as coldly as possible, lifting her pale wrist where the clear imprint of his hand was apparent.
He blanched and looked remorseful, “My most abject apologies, my Lady. In my...enthusiasm I quite overreached. Please, allow me to replace the ice that you dropped as you ran off and let us…” his eyes glanced at Magdalene and then back at Alexandra, “speak civilly.”
“Oh, I know everything,” Magdalene said, “You can stop trying to speak in code.”
Percy’s eyebrow rose in surprise, “Everything?” Alexandra blushed to the roots of her hair. She lowered her eyes, looking away from him and
hoping her still innocent sister would not hear the sly innuendo beneath his words.
“Yes! Everything,” Magdalene said, “You have plenty of nerve, Your Grace, confronting my sister in public when you know that she is promised elsewhere.”
The Duke sighed, “I merely wished to...clear up any misunderstanding the scene that you witnessed might have caused,” he said eyes intent on Alexandra, “I was merely...wrapping up old business.”
Alexandra narrowed her eyes at him, “Oh, is that what they are calling it these days? Old business?”
Percy rolled his eyes, “What is understood does not need to be explained,” he intoned solemnly.
“And what am I to understand from that display?” Alexandra asked him sharply.
The Duke looked around at the crush of people, “Would you consent to walk with me in the park where we can speak without fear of being overheard?”
Alexandra hesitated but Magdalene reached out for her shoe, put it on her foot and then grabbed Alexandra's hand. “Well, come on then,” she said, “let us walk.”
They adopted a leisurely pace, the Duke occasionally nodding to acquaintances while Alexandra and Magdalene walked in front of him hand-in-hand. For all anyone knew, Percy was courting Magdalene and Alexandra was chaperoning them to the park.
They paid the entrance fees and took a less-traveled path that meandered beneath the trees of a London park. Once they lost most of the pedestrians taking the air, Magdalene unhooked her arm from Alexandra's.
“I will wait here,” she said, “You may walk away out of earshot, but stay within my sight.” She was glaring daggers at the Duke as she said it and Alexandra couldn't quite hide her amusement.
“Yes, my Lady,” she teased before taking a few steps away from Magdalene. She was not sure this was a good idea. But if Percy had an explanation, she owed it to herself to hear it.
“Speak then, Your Grace.” She could hear the bitterness coloring her words and made no attempt to hide it.
“I will not hide it from you, my Lady. Monique has been my mistress for quite a few years now. This morning I ended our carte blanche. The visit to the milliners was goodbye. As soon as I met you yesterday, I knew that my relationship with Monique was at an end. My relationship with any other woman was at an end.”
Alexander wanted to believe him, she did, but she was afraid of being made a fool of. She was afraid of breaking her father's trust. She wanted this man, she knew that, but she also wanted to do her duty. It was a painful dichotomy that she could not see how to resolve.
Perhaps this morning had been a sign. A sign that she should continue to be a dutiful daughter who obeyed her father and did not entertain silly romantic notions of love and family that were at best an impossible dream–at worst a foolish nightmare.
“Perhaps that was a mistake,” she said coldly as she dared, “Perhaps you should go to her with a suitable gift and apologize for your lapse in judgment.”
Percy regarded her shrewdly. “Oh, but I am very sure I did not make an error. What I am sure of is that you are trying to make one now.”
Alexandra's face flushed in embarrassment. and she glared up at him “How dare you presume to know what I'm thinking?”
“You are not nearly as opaque as you imagine,” the Duke said, his voice laced with amusement.
Alexandra felt a growl building up in her throat. Annoyed, she turned away, the pulse in her throat throbbed visibly. She did not like how out of control this man made her feel! Suddenly, she missed her humdrum existence from the day before yesterday.
She missed dreading nothing more hurtful than the existence of a mole on a cheek. The Duke of Summerhill wasn't such a bad choice if one disregarded her total lack of passion for and complete ambivalence to His Grace.
Her heart was on the line. She knew the heat that had suffused her body when Percy had put his lips on hers. She knew the helplessness of want and need. Even now, as angry as she was with Percy, she wanted to reach out and touch him even if it were just linking their hands together.
His eyes, so intent on her, seemed to darken as he stared first into her eyes and then his gaze dropped to her lips. He stuck his tongue out, running it over his bottom lip, leaving it wet and gleaming. Was he trying to tempt her? Out here in the park? With her sister, not ten steps away from them?
Surely not!
Unless he was the devil. Alexandra would not put it past him to be the devil. Who else would awaken such wicked feelings in her soul?
His head was coming closer to hers.
“Your Grace!” she murmured under her breath, trying to remind him of where they were because clearly, he had forgotten. He pulled back, face blanching.
“My apologies,” he murmured with a bow, “you make me forget myself.”
“Typical of a man to blame the woman,” she answered wryly.
He smiled, seeming to see something that filled him with happiness, “Indeed. We are a hopeless breed,” he confided.
“Yes, you are,” she agreed fighting hard not to smile back at him. He was still in her bad graces and would have to strive very hard to remove himself from them.
Chapter 8
Tea and Biscuits
Percy’s heart was beating hard, torn between fear and passion. The fear of possibly losing Lady Alexandra even before he had her and the passion ignited by the look in her eyes.
Her eyes had gotten so hot when she was looking at him that it was all he could do not to reach out, pull her to him, and ravish her mouth. He felt like he still might do it, he was not completely back under control. They were in public, in the middle of a park with members of the ton taking the air a few steps away.
Lady Alexandra’s sister stepped deftly between them, saving him from scandal.
“That's enough,” she said, amusement shining in her eyes.
Percy stiffened, his eyes narrowing thoughtfully, “May I invite you and your sister for tea at my residence, my Lady?” He asked.
Alexandra's face filled with becoming color, but she shook her head, “We cannot do that!” she said in scandalized tones.
“Whyever not?” Lady Magdalene asked, much to Percy’s surprise. He had not expected to find an ally in her sister especially after her dire warnings earlier.
“B-b-b-because,” Alexandra stuttered, looking flustered and confused.
“Are we not allowed to go for tea?” Lady Magdalene inquired, seemingly genuinely mystified.
“Of course, we can go for tea, but we cannot go to the house of a bachelor for tea. Not without a chaperone!”
“But I thought you were my chaperone,” Lady Magdalene smiled slyly. Percy was glad to see that she understood his intentions at once.
“Madame, I do assure you I have no ulterior motives. I merely wish to invite you to have tea with my brother and me,” he said earnestly to Lady Alexandra.
“Indeed? No ulterior motives? Are you quite sure about that?”
Percy smiled, enjoying what a cynical little chit Lady Alexandra was, “None at all. I do assure you.”
“We shall call upon you later. You can drop off your official invitation at our residence on Mayfair.”
“I know well where it is,” Percy said, his eyes twinkling. Lady Alexandra merely narrowed hers at him.
“I look forward to seeing you,” he said with a formal bow. “I shall take my leave of you now and let you continue enjoying your day.”
Lady Magdalene curtsied prettily, “Your Grace,” she said formally.
“My Ladies,” Percy replied with bow before walking away. He could feel Lady Alexandra's gaze upon him for a long time like a warm bit of sunlight between his shoulder blades. He could not help smiling as his mood lifted, a feeling of excitement swelling in his chest.
He hurried to his own residence. If he was to receive Alexandra and her sister for tea, then they had to get ready. He would perhaps invite his aunt Sarah to provide a suitable chaperone to the girls. After all, his goal was merely to spend time with his beloved, n
ot to provide scandal for the ton and be the subject of the latest on-dit.
* * *
Francis had just finished fencing and was sitting down to lunch at his club when he overheard the strangest conversation. Lord Brimley and his brother sitting at the table behind him seemed to be discussing an incident that happened on Berkeley Square on the morn.
“I tell you, he was running after that woman in the most scandalous manner. He didn’t care that everyone in the square could see him!”
“Do you think perhaps she was his secret lover?”
Lord Brimley laughed,” Well, she's not so secret now if she was before. I thought she was betrothed to some duke or other. At least that’s what I heard said.”
“So, he is messing with a taken lady? Typical. The man has no manners,” the brother said bitterly.
Godwin’s eyebrows rose at this conversation. It was more suited to a ladies' sewing circle than a gentlemen's club. It seemed to him that these brothers had a personal ax to grind. He turned around, unable to contain his curiosity.
“Gentlemen, pardon my intrusion but of whom do you speak?”
Lord Brimley turned around, “Your Grace I did not see you there,” he exclaimed, “We were speaking of Greenwick, who might be having a scandalous affair with a betrothed woman.”
“Indeed? What woman might this be?”
“Some country bumpkin who happens to be the daughter of an Earl.”
Godwin’s eyes narrowed, “Do you happen to know which Earl?”
Lord Brimley shook his head, “Indeed, I do not. I suppose I can find out if you really must know.”
Godwin hesitated, torn. He did not want to believe that it possibly could be Lady Alexandra. On the other hand, she fit the description to a tee. Nevertheless, he shook his head haughtily.
“Never mind,” Francis said, “I should not have asked.”
He turned around to finish his meal, resolving to call upon his fiancé and invite her out for a stroll at Vauxhall Gardens. Perhaps they could take in the theatre, and he could find out if there was any truth to this nonsense.
Daring Fantasies of a Noble Lady Page 6
