Page 15 of Courting Scandal With The Duke

‘Your Grace.’ She dipped a curtsey. ‘How kind of you to attend our small affair. ’

Xavier glanced around. Half of London seemed to be there.

Miss Simon was surrounded by a group of young people, including the Stallton fellow he had met in the park.

Today she wore a pale pink muslin gown with lace at the neck and hem.

Ringlets of light blond surrounded her heart-shaped face.

She looked sweet. One of the other girls whispered something in her ear and she put her hand over her mouth, clearly hiding a giggle.

He felt a tug of irritation.

He had expected to find very little company given that the Simons were newcomers to town and hardly member of the haute ton . He had hoped to have some quiet conversation with Miss Simon. She seemed nervous around him, and he wanted to try to make her comfortable.

Clearly not today.

And the thought of joining the giggling group of adolescents set his teeth on edge.

Perhaps he was mistaken in thinking Miss Simon the perfect bride.

She was very young.

She must have felt his gaze, because she glanced up. And blushed wildly.

‘Dowager Countess of Lipsweiger and Upsal, and Miss Lowell,’ the butler announced.

Without thinking, Xavier turned from his potential bride to be to take in the Countess as she breezed into the drawing room in a vibrant blue gown with her aunt in tow.

There was a flash of amusement in her dark eyes, beneath the dramatic cast of her dark eyebrows, and the jaunty small hat on her dark curls.

It was like staring at the sun after looking at the moon.

He stopped himself from crossing the room to greet her. Instead, he forced himself to approach Miss Simon.

As he drew near, the group around her seemed to melt away. Even the brash Mr Stallton took himself off.

It was all a little too obvious to Xavier’s taste. Mrs Simon must have had something to do with it. Damn it, he hadn’t made any sort of declaration, and he didn’t like the idea that he was being jockeyed into position.

Miss Simon gave him a scared glance and he realised he was frowning. Or scowling, as Julian would have it.

‘Good afternoon, Miss Simon.’

‘Your Grace.’ She dipped a low curtsey.

‘I hope you find yourself well?’ he asked.

‘Yes. Oh, yes. Very well. And you?’

‘I am well also.’

She sent him a hesitant smile.

Whereas she had seemed at ease with the young people before he arrived, now she looked like a nervous cat, ready to run up the nearest set of curtains if he so much as breathed wrong.

She waved her fan vigorously. ‘It is very warm in here, isn’t it?’

‘I suppose it is.’ He had not noticed it as being particularly warm.

‘Would you like to take a turn about the garden?’ she said breathlessly. ‘The spring bulbs are at their most beautiful at the moment.’

She sounded as if she were repeating a lesson.

A warning prickled across his skin. He glanced casually around the room and saw that her mother was watching them intently.

And Miss Simon was looking anxious.

‘Why don’t I open a window instead?’

‘Oh,’ Miss Simon said faintly. ‘I do not think Mama would like that.’

‘Nonsense. If you are hot, a little bit of air will help enormously.’

‘But surely a walk in the garden—’

He strode to the nearest window and pushed up the sash. Not much more than a crack, but enough to let in a bit of a breeze. The curtains wafted gently into the room.

‘That is better, isn’t it?’

Miss Simon gazed at him for a moment and then her expression changed to relief and she smiled. ‘Much better.’

She looked lovely. Happy. As if—

Right then, the Countess joined them. ‘Miss Simon. I have you to thank for my presence here today. Your mother said you most particularly asked that she send me an invitation.’

Miss Simon’s smile once more became nervous.

‘Mother said it was too short notice, but I am very glad you decided to come.’ She glanced from Xavier to the Countess and then down at her toes, apparently at a loss for further words.

Then said in a rush, ‘I was going to show His Grace the garden. All the spring flowers are in bloom. It is quite lovely. Perhaps you would like to see it?’

The Countess looked surprised. ‘I am sure I do not wish to intrude upon your tête-à-tête.’

‘No, no. His Grace does not wish to see the gardens, do you?’

It seemed Miss Simon was now hoping to speak to the Countess alone. What was the minx playing at?

But she was right, he did not wish to be alone with Miss Simon. He had absolutely no intention of proposing to her today. It was far too early in their acquaintance, and he certainly wasn’t going to allow his hand to be forced.

‘Miss Simon is right. I have no interest in flowers.’

‘I for one adore spring flowers,’ the Countess declared. ‘It is such a delight to see colour after the drab of winter.’

It was a delight to see her after the drab of debutantes.

Xavier clamped his jaw shut before he said something stupid.

When they stepped through the French doors from the drawing room along a path and into a small walled garden, Barbara gasped at the dazzling array of colour.

Spring bulbs of every variety and hue met her gaze in every direction.

‘How beautiful. ’

‘My uncle loves Holland bulbs. For years, he even tried to grow a black tulip,’ Miss Simon said. ‘He thought he could make a fortune.’

‘I think the Duke will be sorry to have missed this.’

‘Well, to be frank, I am glad he did not join us, My Lady. He scares me to death.’

‘My dear Miss Simon, the Duke is a gentleman. Nothing to be scared of, I am sure.’

‘You seem so at ease in his company, I thought perhaps you might be able to offer me some advice. All Mama says is “be your sweet self.”’

‘I think your mama is probably right.’

‘Countess, I c-can’t be myself when he frowns at me so.’

‘Please, call me Barbara, if we are to be friends.’

The child looked up at her. ‘I am Isabelle.’

‘Isabelle, you must be doing something right, because he definitely seems interested in you.’

Isabelle’s eyes sheened with unshed tears. ‘All I can think is, why me? I always thought Adam and I… We are neighbours, you know, and dreamed of— But now all Mama can think about is being the mother-in-law of a duke and the advantages it will bring to my younger sisters.’

Saddened, Barbara plopped down on the nearby bench. Had not she herself gone through something very similar? Commanded to wed where she had no interest?

Isabelle sat beside her and dabbed at her eyes with her handkerchief, sniffled then blew her nose. ‘At first, I was flattered. I mean, he is a Duke and he is not terrible looking, I suppose.’

Barbara couldn’t quite believe her ears.

Not terrible looking? In Barbara’s eyes, the Duke was one of the most handsome men she had ever met.

Compared to the manly and darkly handsome Duke, the Stallton lad, for example, was a weedy, spotty youth.

Well, there was no accounting for taste. Poor Derbridge. Poor Isabelle.

‘Perhaps if you let him know your heart is engaged elsewhere…’

Isabelle shuddered. ‘I couldn’t. Mama will murder me. And besides,’ she said in awed tones, ‘it would not be so bad being a duchess. I mean, to be so rich… If only he would stop frowning at me. I feel as if I am doing something wrong all the time.’

Once again, Barbara felt a stab of pity for Derbridge.

And a touch of annoyance at Isabelle too.

On the other hand, she could understand why his wealth and position might attract the young and impressionable girl.

Not to mention that she had seen no sign from Derbridge that he was looking for a love match.

But if Miss Simon truly cared for someone else, wouldn’t that make life unbearable to both of them as time went on? Or perhaps once wed they would simply ignore each other for the most part, once duty was done.

Her heart ached for both of them. She knew what it was like to be pressured by family into doing the ‘right thing’ to suit others. She also knew how it felt to be stuck in a loveless marriage .

Not that her father loved her more because she had obeyed his wishes.

She took a deep breath. ‘I really do not think I am the right person to offer advice. I barely know the Duke.’

Isabelle sighed. ‘Mother says this Season is my one chance to make a good match and help my sisters. And that if I don’t, I will be left on the shelf like my Aunt Bertha.’

Aunt Lenore had also been left on the shelf, but Barbara had no idea if it was by choice or because no opportunity had presented itself.

‘I see. My advice is to give yourself time to get to know the Duke better. Do not be rushed into anything before you are sure.’ It was the best she could offer, without seeming to interfere in something that was not her business.

‘C-could you mention to him what I said?’

‘About the frowning.’

She winced. ‘Well, that and well, about you know—my preference for another.’

Her stomach sank. It all sounded a bit melodramatic. ‘I do not know. If the opportunity arises, perhaps.’

Miss Simon beamed. ‘Oh, thank you. I knew you would help me.’

‘I—’

‘There you are!’ The plump figure of Mrs Simon came through the gate.

‘I have been searching everywhere for you. Isabelle.’

‘I was about to return to the house,’ Isabelle said quickly, jumping up.

Her mother nodded briskly. ‘People are leaving. You need to come and bid them farewell.’

‘Yes, Mama.’ The pair hurried off.

Barbara sauntered along the path between the tulip beds, yellow on one side and pink on the other, trying to imagine telling the Duke not to frown at his intended.

‘Countess.’

Startled, she turned.

Derbridge? Here? After he had already refused a walk in the garden with Miss Simon?

The sunlight that made the flower colours so vivid made his hair gleam with hidden gold highlights and made him look taller and more substantial than ever.

‘Your aunt asked me to seek you out. She is waiting to leave.’

Barbara gritted her teeth at her aunt’s obvious ploy to throw her and the Duke together. Not only was it unconscionable, given his interest in Miss Simon, it was absurd. The Duke barely tolerated her for the most part.

‘I was admiring the flowers. They are beautiful, are they not?’

He opened his mouth then closed it again.

How odd when he usually said whatever was on his mind. ‘You do not agree?’

A wry smile twisted his lips. ‘I was going to say they are not nigh as beautiful as you, but then I prefer hearty roses to these pallid, short-lived monocotyledons .’

The breath left her body in a rush. Her mind whirled, leaving her speechless. ‘I cannot tell if that is a compliment or not,’ she said, finally, laughing lightly .

He gave her a quizzical look. ‘I believe I was stating a fact.’

Her heart gave an odd little tumble, which was not what she wanted. The man was practically engaged. ‘Well, it seems I must leave beauty behind and return to my aunt.’

‘About this list we discussed.’

‘Ah, yes.’ Her ticket to freedom. ‘Do you have it?’

‘I have decided against the wisdom of providing such a list.’

‘Why?’

‘Because upon reflection, anyone with a smidgeon of common sense would not commit the sort of social solecism that would be on such a list, and I do not think you are a lackwit.’

She raised an eyebrow. ‘Another compliment? You are overflowing with them today.’

A brief smile touched his lips. How could Isabelle think him only tolerably handsome when faced with such a boyishly charming smile, however fleeting? ‘I cannot imagine you intend to turn to a life of crime, or to start practising blood sports in public, or to commit adultery with a married man.’

‘Unlikely.’ She huffed out a breath at his examples. ‘No, those are not things I might mistakenly do.’

‘You see?’

‘Well, it seems I am safe, then. I shall enjoy all that London has to offer with impunity.’

His famous frowned returned. She found it intriguing rather than frightening. She wanted to know what he was thinking. Had he realised he had just given her a carte blanche that was not at all a good idea?

On the other hand, he had no idea why she had requested the list in the first place. And since speaking with him about it, she had discovered one or two very wicked things a lady might do to ruin her reputation, which happily did not involve the ruin of anyone else.

He pursed his lips. ‘I wanted to discuss this further, but unfortunately I have another of these dashed affairs to attend.’

‘Two in one afternoon. Your secretary is keeping you busy.’

‘Unfortunately, he had accepted the other before I received the invitation to this one.’

They walked along the path to the gate.

‘You could have cancelled the first one, I assume?’

‘It was from an old friend of my mother’s. She is bringing her daughter out this Season and I had promised I would attend.’

How interesting to learn know he would not break a promise for convenience’s sake.

He really was a stickler for the rules and, annoyingly, she thought better of him because of it.

They parted at the French doors into the house and he went to take his leave of his hostess.

Barbara found her aunt in conversation with a couple of her friends in an antechamber adjoining the drawing room.

‘Are you ready to depart, dear?’ her aunt asked.

‘I am. ’

They searched out their hostess and Isabelle.

Isabelle gave her a speaking look and leaned forward. ‘If you ask him, will you let me know what he says?’

Inwardly, Barbara groaned. How on earth would she broach such a topic as that with the Duke?