Page 6

Her eyes widened at his dismissal. Eleanor stood deciding if she should bother to continue this pointless conversation. Saving her strength for another day, she gathered her skirts, and with a quick look of disgust thrown in his direction, she turned and left.

Derek rubbed his temples. He spent countless years meeting people, negotiating deals, making a reputable name for himself. It was not in his plan to be awarded the title of Duke by a distant relation and become in charge of three young women.

The thought of being amongst his father’s peers as a solicitor was enough to have him running towards another life. The irony that he ended up in a higher society than the one he left was not something he could wrap his head around.

Another knock sounded from his door. He pushed out a deep breath. If it was Charlotte to come in to talk his ear off about the ball she was throwing, he was going to reconsider coming here.

“Come in.”

The door swung open, and his old friend and solicitor William Pranton came in.

“Ah, William, thank God it’s you and not another female.”

William looked over his shoulder. “Trouble in paradise?”

Derek laughed. “This is hardly paradise.”

William took in his surroundings. The decor was a bit outdated, but it was spacious, held plenty of room for Derek’s books and ledgers, and had a nice big fireplace he was sure would help his long nights of work in the colder months. But his favorite part was the room had its own door to the outside. He could come and go without interacting with anyone else.

“It doesn’t seem all that bad to me,” William offered, pushing his spectacles further back up his nose.

“The room is fine, it’s the other occupants of the house that cause me grief.”

“Ah. Hence the female comment.”

Derek nodded. William was a bit on the nose with his conversations. Sarcasm was a language William was not fluent in.

“Have you talked to them yet?”

Derek shook his head. “Not yet. When I arrived, the eldest daughter fainted. I couldn’t possibly bring it up then. I wanted to wait until she was feeling better. I’ll wait until after the ball to discuss it with them.”

William scrunched his face. “She fainted? Is she all right?”

Derek offered a shrug. “I’m not sure. The Duchess made a godawful squeak and started squawking orders to their butler,who stood there smiling at everyone. The man must be deaf. Anyway, I couldn’t leave the poor girl on the ground, so I carried her to her room.”

William processed the story. “Quite a welcome.”

“That’s what I said,” Derek admitted. “She just stopped in to thank me and yell at me.”

“Seems like it would have been an intense conversation.”

Derek sat with that comment for a moment.

It wasn’t that the conversation was intense. Sure, it had its moments, but it was more that the woman was intense. And that was something that struck him as fascinating.

“William, what do you know of the oldest? Why isn’t she married?”

William once again reached to push up his sliding spectacles.

“Not much. Everything I hear is she is quite popular and regarded as a societal belle. She has had several suitors in the past, but she has declined them all.”

Derek absently nodded at the information. She practically oozed pedigree, but her ability to state her opinion was more from stubbornness than preserving her property.

“Wait, back up a moment. Did you say there is to be a ball? With dancing?” William’s eyes widened in surprise. It was no secret Derek despised anything regarding thetonwith balls being at the top of his list.

“No. A croquet ball.” Derek deadpanned. “Yes, a ball with dancing. Eleanor said her mother is throwing it in my honor. Which means, not only do I have to be there, but I have actively talk with people who would rather see me fail than actually care for my wellbeing.”

Derek had been around society long enough to know that although his life path had been nothing sort of impressive, there was nothing “polite” society hated more than the self-made man. It was either you came from old money, or you were worthless.