Page 27 of A Bluestocking for the Wicked Duke

William saw Joane’s cheeks redden before she managed to cover them with her fan. He held her gloved hand and kissed it before turning to go. Lord James also said his goodbyes to Emma - kissing her lightly on both cheeks - before they walked out of the hall.

They went down the stairs, without saying a word to themselves, each still busy with his thoughts. William went to the steward at the base of the stairwell and told him to get them the curricle.

When he brought it, they got in and only then did they speak.

“The Lady Joane is a very beautiful woman,” William said.

“Yes, I know,” Lord James replied.

“And she is also excellent in conversations. She is of the ton and an excellent breed,” William said.

Lord James chuckled after he said that.

“You seem to be so impressed by her carriage that you forget why we met with them in the first place,” Lord James said.

“I have not forgotten. An injury inflicted to a man’s pride is difficult to heal and more difficult to forget. I am only more impressed that a man so uncultured and without moral standing could produce such a fine specimen. Her beauty is unrivalled,” William replied.

Lord James said nothing in return. He was the curricle driver and William noticed he was still steering the horses out of the huge compound. William noted his friend wasn’t complaining about Miss Emma’s conduct. He thought all that his friend said in the hall was just to gain the ladies’ favour. Now that Lord James had being with him for so long without making a negative comment about her, William was beginning to believe his friend had taken a liking to the loquacious lady.

“It seems you like the company of Miss Emma.” William commented. He kept his eyes straight on the road but was keenly observing his friend with his peripheral vision.

Lord James smiled; the smile quickly became a blush that reached his eyes.

“You do like the damsel,” William exclaimed, he was so surprised he turned to stare at his friend.

“She makes great company,” Lord James answered.

“We discussed at length about a lot of things. She is a very learned woman and behind that screen of cynicism and negative critique is a funny and caring woman. I find that a lot of the things I have heard about her are false,” he added.

William shook his head in disbelief.

“This is funny. We didn’t make ourselves known to these ladies to fall for their looks, character or wit but that seems to be exactly what happened,” William stated.

William observed Lord James smiled again, chuckling to himself.

“She said they were expecting us,” Lord James said.

William looked at his friend. His eyebrows arched into sharp crescents.

“I am surprised because Miss Joane also said something to that effect. I was first alarmed that our plot had unraveled before it even started,”

Lord James shook his head vigorously in support of his reply.

“No, not at all, they had just fully discussed what they felt would happen. And it turned out that was exactly what happened,” he replied.

“They had predicted that the next social meeting where we would meet them, we would approach them,” Lord James continued.

“How did they predict that?” William asked; his eyes showed his perplexity.

Lord James touched his friend’s forearm for a fleeting moment before holding the reins again.

“That is where our thoughts dispersed. They felt as men we would want to see the daughter of the man that injured our prides,” Lord James answered William.

William realized the soundness in their reasoning but why it differed from what was really happening.

“What did you say as a reply to her claim?”

“Nothing of import, I agreed with her.”