Page 10 of Always the Bridesmaid, Never the Duchess (Wallflower Season #3)

Chapter Six

A ndrew took his time upstairs changing into his morning suit. Despite the fact that he had managed to vex Kate so early in the morning, he found himself restless and ill at ease. The sooner they finished their business together over the wedding, the happier he would be.

His valet had laid out a dark coat with a stark white linen shirt.

The clean lines of the coat stretched across his broad shoulders.

He would need to have his valet fetch his new attire for the wedding.

He and Harry had visited Bond Street when Harry first became engaged to Miss Roves.

They had been fitted for new morning coats and trousers for the ceremony.

Usually, Andrew loathed such attention to appearance, but he wished to cut a dashing figure while in the presence of Miss Avery.

Anything to elicit a response such as the one he received the night of the masquerade ball and show her that he wasn’t a scoundrel with a gossiping tongue like she believed.

He stopped. Why do I care what a bluestocking like Kate thinks of me? I have a beautiful mistress who is quite willing to warm my bed without an argument. The sooner we complete these preparations the sooner I can leave Renwood Castle and its mistress.

Downstairs, he found her in the library, so deeply engrossed in a book that she did not look up when he stepped into the room. Tibbs’s hackles rose and a small growl announced his presence. Sally stood by the desk tidying her mistress’s correspondence.

“I seem to have arrived on the wrong side of your dog, Miss Avery,” Andrew said.

Startled, Kate looked up and closed the slim, green volume she held in her hand. “Oh! I did not hear you, Your Grace. Thank goodness Tibbs is an excellent watchdog. He knows to protect me from those whose intentions are less than honorable.”

Andrew ignored her thinly veiled attempt to provoke him. Instead, he reached down and picked up her discarded book. “Ah. This is an excellent volume of poetry. I found The Lover’s Infiniteness particularly engaging.”

“Did you not find the language of the era a bit tedious?” Kate asked. She snatched the book from his hands lest he see that her place was marked at the love poems. She shoved it onto the shelf.

“On the contrary, it was the language of the time. I would venture to say that if these men were alive today, they would find many a maiden swooning at their feet.”

Kate sniffed. “Some women swoon at the slightest glance from a rake. I find it shows a weakness of character.”

Andrew’s eyes scorched her skin as he glanced from her mouth to the nape of her neck and traced the lines of her collarbone that peeped out from the lace of her gown.

“I think your words are untrue and hide your true nature. The words you wrote asking a rake to attend to you the night of the masquerade ball show me the woman behind the mask.”

Kate turned on her heel and looked out the window. She couldn’t bear the man. He was simply too provocative in his looks and in his speech. “This will never do. I think that we should simply tell Miss Roves and the Earl that we cannot work together.”

“I agree.”

Kate whirled around in surprise. “You do?”

“Of course. You are quite willful and unable to listen to reason. However, I am a man of my word, and I shall see this through to its conclusion despite how trying it will be on my own.” Andrew’s visage remained stony.

He dared not let her know how fetching Kate looked with the morning sun shining through the window behind her.

He would not rise to her verbal challenges.

Kate stamped her foot. “It seems I am not the one who is trying. You fight my every suggestion. I shan’t spend one more moment in your presence.

I must go speak with the cook so that I can finalize the menu for the wedding breakfast.” She reached down and picked up her book of household accounts from the desk.

She hurried from the room. Andrew allowed her a moment to escape before following behind her. “I will come with you. This is a mutual decision to be made. I want to ensure that Harry’s wedding is everything it should be. As I said, I am a man of honor, so we will need to work together.”

“Fine.” Kate refused to look at him. She marched down the hallway, startling a maid who was busy polishing the candle holders.

In the kitchen, the cook and staff looked up at Kate’s entrance with the Duke at her heels.

Mrs. Humphrey, the cook, did not know whether she should curtsy or continue to stir the pot hanging above the open flame of the fireplace.

It was a rare moment when the lady of the house would bring a visitor into their domain.

Kate realized that she had put her servants at a disadvantage and felt a moment of shame. She had allowed the Duke to upset her. She drew in a breath to compose herself. “Please continue with your task, Mrs. Humphrey. I have gone over the menu for the wedding, and I wish to make a few changes.”

“Of course, My Lady. Hannah. Take over stirring the pudding. Don’t let it scorch.” The cook wiped her hands upon her apron and glanced at the Duke, in awe and unsure of herself.

“Pay me no heed. I am simply here to help plan the wedding. I did not mean to disturb you, Mrs. Humphrey,” Andrew said.

Kate opened the book and read off the first few items. “I know we discussed having sweet rolls and bits of ham and beef at the table, but I think we will need to add an additional dish as our guest list has grown by an additional twenty people.”

“It shan’t be a problem, ma’am. I have spoken to the butcher’s boy just yesterday and they promised to provide additional meats in their delivery.

I have taken the liberty of asking for two girls to be sent from the village to help out the week of the wedding.

They will assist with duties in both the kitchen and in the guests’ rooms.”

Kate felt a small glow of pleasure that her servant displayed such efficiency in front of the Duke. She was able to run a household with no input from a husband.

“What of the cake, Mrs. Humphreys?” Andrew said. “There must be a wedding cake and chocolate at the tables for our guests.”

Mrs. Humphreys bobbed her head. “Yes, Your Grace. I’ve soaked the fruit for weeks in the rum. It should be large enough to serve all the guests.”

“Very good.” Andrew nodded. He turned to Kate. “I see your staff is more than capable of handling things. You run an excellent household, Miss Avery. You shall make someone a fine wife. Shall we walk to the family chapel so we can discuss the flowers?”

Kate shook her head. His mention that she would make a fine wife when he knew she was past a suitable age for marriage was cruel beyond measure.

She fought to keep her emotions under control.

Suddenly, she felt drained from the constant battle of words.

“I feel quite unwell suddenly. I think I should rest, and then perhaps, we can discuss the flowers this afternoon.”

Andrew thought she did look quite pale. Perhaps he had been too harsh in his words earlier and had caused her greater distress than was warranted. “Shall I ask a servant to attend to you in your room?”

“No.” Kate shook her head. She fled from the kitchen, leaving Andrew standing bewildered amongst the kitchen staff.

Upstairs in her bedchamber, Kate paced. Now that she was alone, she felt silly to have let his words distress her.

When he said that she would make a good wife, it wounded her.

She knew that such an event would not occur.

She was always the bridesmaid, never the bride.

Of course, Andrew would have no way of knowing this.

When he chose to marry, he would have a whole stable of women willing to accept his proposal.

Kate, however, would have to sit and wait until a man chose to notice her. Something she knew would not transpire.

She flung herself on the bed. Her tears, when they came, were brief.

Kate did not care to wallow in self-pity for long.

If she allowed herself to dwell on her lack of prospects, she would simply languish away from despair.

She wiped her eyes. A quick glance in the mirror told her that her face was pale, and her hair had fallen from its combs.

If she dared to appear downstairs, her grandmother would proclaim that she looked unseemly and that wouldn’t do.

She sat down and looked at the damage her emotions had wrought.

“I am worried. I’ve never seen you so out of sorts, ma’am,” Sally said. She moved swiftly next to her mistress and attempted to repair Kate’s hair.

“That man is insufferable,” Kate sputtered. “If I say blue, he says green. If I say the weather is pleasant, he will claim it is stormy.”

Sally kept her face neutral. “He is a man used to having his own way.”

Kate gave an unladylike snort. “And I am a woman who will not simper and act a fool for any man no matter how handsome he is.”

Sally wisely kept her own counsel and focused on securing Kate’s curls.

A short time later, Kate descended the stairs and felt ready to proceed with planning the wedding. However, she failed to find Andrew in any of the downstairs rooms. Perhaps he had retired to his room or gone to walk about the grounds.

“Mr. Scoville, have you seen His Grace? We were to inspect the chapel this morning.”

The butler shook his head. “I am sorry, Miss. He left a short time ago. He gave me this note for you.”

Kate took the note from Mr. Scoville and opened it.

Dear Miss Avery,

I apologize if I have distressed you today. I have matters to attend to in Devonport and a meeting with the Earl of Winfield to apprise him of our progress. I shall return tomorrow morning, so we may continue with the preparations.

Kate folded the note, confused. Surely her emotions had not been so obvious as to warrant his departure. Perhaps he spoke the truth and he simply had matters to attend to. She shouldn’t let his abrupt departure disturb her.