Page 101
Story: His Duchess' Mischief
His strides were leisurely and relaxed, and he felt more at ease than he had in an age, aware that it was in no small part due to Alicia’s presence.
I never knew how much I disliked attending these events alone. She is a shield against the hordes of simpering mamas I have fought against all these years.
But she was more than just that. He enjoyed her company and hadn’t smiled so much in years.
People will begin to think I am amiable. How hideous.
“Christ, Radcliffe. Could you look any more terrifying?” Michael’s voice cut through the din, and Seth bowed to the group.
Isaac was dressed as a fox but had hardly made any effort with it. He did not approve of frivolity or public performance, and he had done the bare minimum with his attire.
Lucas, on the other hand, was dressed as a court jester, resplendent in a garish mixture of pinks and purples. He laughed as Seth winced at him.
Michael had golden feathers sticking from his mask, and his attire was all gold and tan. It seemed he had come as a peacock, and was grinning from ear to ear.
“You know, I think your lady wife matches me,” he said, stroking the feathers. “I should dance with her.”
Seth leveled him with a cold look as Michael chuckled at his jealousy. Isaac yawned, looking just as bored as Seth felt.
“Ishall be the only one dancing with my wife,” Seth stated.
Isaac and Lucas sipped their drinks awkwardly at his tone. Michael raised his hands in surrender, chuckling quietly.
“I saw Sheringham at my club yesterday,” Isaac interjected, and Seth’s spine stiffened. “He said you went to see him. I didn’t know you two were friends.”
“I have not done a good job of keeping in touch with him,” Seth admitted carefully. “I should have called on him a long time ago. He was a great support to me after my father’s death.”
“Is that why you visited him, then?” Isaac’s eyes were sharp and curious in the candlelight.
“I suppose marriage has made me more predisposed to make connections.”
Michael laughed—a loud bark that grated on Seth’s nerves.
“I haven’t seen him in an age,” Lucas said. “I was never overly fond of Sheringham.”
“That is because he always beat you at Jackson’s. You were never able to spar very well,” Isaac drawled.
Lucas looked genuinely affronted.
Seth glanced between them, a thought coming to the fore before he could fully process what he was about to say. The words were out before he could retract them.
“We spoke of Gordon,” he muttered, and three pairs of eyes swiveled to him. “Reminiscing about the good old days.”
There was a long silence, and then Michael made a strange noise at the back of his throat.
“They were never close, no matter what Sheringham might say,” he said, drinking deeply from his glass.
“Perhaps not,” Seth conceded. “But it was good to talk about him.”
What is the matter with me? My friends are going to believe I have become sentimental.
“I was thinking of him today, actually,” Lucas spoke up. “He would have been appalled at my waistcoat. No one could criticize a man’s attire so earnestly as Fern.”
Seth smiled as Lucas met his gaze, a warmth in his eyes that he appreciated.
“I say, Lucas, why don’t you ask the good Duchess to dance?” Michael chimed in, waving his glass in Alicia’s direction.
She was still at the refreshments table, and there were far too many men in her vicinity for Seth’s liking.
I never knew how much I disliked attending these events alone. She is a shield against the hordes of simpering mamas I have fought against all these years.
But she was more than just that. He enjoyed her company and hadn’t smiled so much in years.
People will begin to think I am amiable. How hideous.
“Christ, Radcliffe. Could you look any more terrifying?” Michael’s voice cut through the din, and Seth bowed to the group.
Isaac was dressed as a fox but had hardly made any effort with it. He did not approve of frivolity or public performance, and he had done the bare minimum with his attire.
Lucas, on the other hand, was dressed as a court jester, resplendent in a garish mixture of pinks and purples. He laughed as Seth winced at him.
Michael had golden feathers sticking from his mask, and his attire was all gold and tan. It seemed he had come as a peacock, and was grinning from ear to ear.
“You know, I think your lady wife matches me,” he said, stroking the feathers. “I should dance with her.”
Seth leveled him with a cold look as Michael chuckled at his jealousy. Isaac yawned, looking just as bored as Seth felt.
“Ishall be the only one dancing with my wife,” Seth stated.
Isaac and Lucas sipped their drinks awkwardly at his tone. Michael raised his hands in surrender, chuckling quietly.
“I saw Sheringham at my club yesterday,” Isaac interjected, and Seth’s spine stiffened. “He said you went to see him. I didn’t know you two were friends.”
“I have not done a good job of keeping in touch with him,” Seth admitted carefully. “I should have called on him a long time ago. He was a great support to me after my father’s death.”
“Is that why you visited him, then?” Isaac’s eyes were sharp and curious in the candlelight.
“I suppose marriage has made me more predisposed to make connections.”
Michael laughed—a loud bark that grated on Seth’s nerves.
“I haven’t seen him in an age,” Lucas said. “I was never overly fond of Sheringham.”
“That is because he always beat you at Jackson’s. You were never able to spar very well,” Isaac drawled.
Lucas looked genuinely affronted.
Seth glanced between them, a thought coming to the fore before he could fully process what he was about to say. The words were out before he could retract them.
“We spoke of Gordon,” he muttered, and three pairs of eyes swiveled to him. “Reminiscing about the good old days.”
There was a long silence, and then Michael made a strange noise at the back of his throat.
“They were never close, no matter what Sheringham might say,” he said, drinking deeply from his glass.
“Perhaps not,” Seth conceded. “But it was good to talk about him.”
What is the matter with me? My friends are going to believe I have become sentimental.
“I was thinking of him today, actually,” Lucas spoke up. “He would have been appalled at my waistcoat. No one could criticize a man’s attire so earnestly as Fern.”
Seth smiled as Lucas met his gaze, a warmth in his eyes that he appreciated.
“I say, Lucas, why don’t you ask the good Duchess to dance?” Michael chimed in, waving his glass in Alicia’s direction.
She was still at the refreshments table, and there were far too many men in her vicinity for Seth’s liking.
Table of Contents
- Page 1
- Page 2
- Page 3
- Page 4
- Page 5
- Page 6
- Page 7
- Page 8
- Page 9
- Page 10
- Page 11
- Page 12
- Page 13
- Page 14
- Page 15
- Page 16
- Page 17
- Page 18
- Page 19
- Page 20
- Page 21
- Page 22
- Page 23
- Page 24
- Page 25
- Page 26
- Page 27
- Page 28
- Page 29
- Page 30
- Page 31
- Page 32
- Page 33
- Page 34
- Page 35
- Page 36
- Page 37
- Page 38
- Page 39
- Page 40
- Page 41
- Page 42
- Page 43
- Page 44
- Page 45
- Page 46
- Page 47
- Page 48
- Page 49
- Page 50
- Page 51
- Page 52
- Page 53
- Page 54
- Page 55
- Page 56
- Page 57
- Page 58
- Page 59
- Page 60
- Page 61
- Page 62
- Page 63
- Page 64
- Page 65
- Page 66
- Page 67
- Page 68
- Page 69
- Page 70
- Page 71
- Page 72
- Page 73
- Page 74
- Page 75
- Page 76
- Page 77
- Page 78
- Page 79
- Page 80
- Page 81
- Page 82
- Page 83
- Page 84
- Page 85
- Page 86
- Page 87
- Page 88
- Page 89
- Page 90
- Page 91
- Page 92
- Page 93
- Page 94
- Page 95
- Page 96
- Page 97
- Page 98
- Page 99
- Page 100
- Page 101
- Page 102
- Page 103
- Page 104
- Page 105
- Page 106
- Page 107
- Page 108
- Page 109
- Page 110
- Page 111
- Page 112
- Page 113
- Page 114
- Page 115
- Page 116
- Page 117
- Page 118
- Page 119
- Page 120
- Page 121
- Page 122