Page 18 of Ravished by the Beastly Duke (Regency Beasts #1)

CHAPTER 18

“ T his is the perfect dress for promenading,” Eveline declared, positively ecstatic.

“You are right, Your Grace,” Gracie responded with equal excitement. “You shall certainly be the talk of the town if you wear this feather in your hair.”

“You think so?” Eveline was doubtful.

This was her first promenading since she got married, and as much as she wanted to impress, she was also afraid that she might be overdressed.

“Feathers in the hair is the latest trend, Your Grace,” Gracie proclaimed. “The Queen of France was seen donning them last Season, and now everyone in Society cannot wait to lay their hands on feathers.”

Eveline made her decision then. Anything the Queen of France wore was definitely good enough for her. After all, she was the most fashionable queen in the whole of Europe.

A quick knock sounded at the door, and Gracie went to answer it.

“His Grace is waiting.”

Eveline knew she should not keep her husband waiting. Therefore, she slipped into her dress, and after Gracie worked her magic on her hair, she topped it off with the crimson feather, which paired perfectly with the burgundy-colored dress she wore.

Gracie added some rouge to her cheeks, and Eveline almost did not recognize herself in the mirror.

“You look positively radiant, Your Grace,” Gracie complimented.

Eveline nodded. Her maid definitely was not exaggerating.

She made her way out of her chambers and to the staircase to find her husband standing at the bottom.

As soon as his eyes landed on her, his mouth dropped open.

The closer she got to him, the more evident the admiration on his face was.

When she finally stopped right in front of him, he could not keep his hands to himself.

He tucked a stray lock of her hair behind her ears before cradling her cheeks.

“If I kiss you now, would it ruin your powder?” he whispered.

“I suppose it would, yes,” she responded, smiling.

“Then we shall make do until after the promenade,” he said, only planting a kiss on her hand.

He led her to the carriage, and soon enough, they were at Kensington Gardens, one of the hot spots for promenading, where the ton flaunted their fashionable attires.

William was the first to step out of the carriage, and he extended his hands to help her down.

“Thank you, husband,” she said, smiling radiantly at him.

He tipped his top hat to her with a flourish. “Anything for you, My Lady.”

Eveline giggled.

“It is a beautiful day, is it not?” he said.

Eveline looked around, and she could not help but agree. Aside from socializing with other members of the ton and showing off her dress, one of the reasons she loved promenading was the beautiful garden.

It was a beautiful burst of various colors, and Eveline’s heart almost burst with joy from just witnessing it. From the green leaves to the purple hibiscus, the red roses and the yellow sunflowers.

She closed her eyes as she inhaled the fragrant air

“The garden is absolutely lovely,” she breathed.

“Now, shall we?” William prompted, offering her his hand.

Eveline gave him her hand, and he tucked it neatly by his side as he led her further into the garden.

The park was beginning to fill up with people in fashionable attire, walking around in groups and pairs.

Eveline spotted a family of four having a picnic nearby, and she could not help but be enchanted by the sight.

For a moment, her heart ached as she wondered if she and her husband would ever have picnics with their children. However, she did not say a word of it to him.

“Your Grace,” a voice called from behind.

Eveline and William stopped.

They turned around to see a rather young bachelor beaming at William. His hair was sandy-blond, and his freckled face and clean-shaven boyish face told Eveline he was a late teen.

William seemed to know him because he had a small smile on his face.

“Jeffery, fancy seeing you here,” he said, before turning to her. “Oh, I should introduce you to my wife. Eveline, this is Jeffery, the Baron Pembroke, one of my officers in the Army. Jeffery, this is my beloved wife, the Duchess of Mayfield.”

Eveline beamed at the young man.

“Your Grace, it is lovely to meet you.” He bowed. “I must tell you, His Grace is the best captain I’ve ever had.”

“You flatter me,” William said.

“You know I do not.”

Eveline looked at her husband, seeing another side of him that she had never seen before. He was beaming at the young man, and he seemed proud to have run into him.

“How did you arrive back in London so soon?” he asked.

“My brother seemed to have a change of heart,” Jeffery explained. “He wants me to be in charge of some of the business.”

“I am certain you will do a fine job,” William reassured him.

“I shall do my best,” Jeffery said, “as long as…”

“Jeffery!” a loud voice called.

It was an older woman with a group of younger children in tow, and she was now walking towards them.

“Why are you troubling this good couple?” she chided.

“Mama, this is my Captain—the one I have told you about,” Jeffery said, beaming at her.

“Is that so?” She was all smiles now as she stopped in front of them.

William regarded her with a polite smile.

“This is His Grace, the Du?—”

“Ah!” the older woman yelped, her eyes widening as she stared pointedly at William’s scar.

William’s smile dropped, and Eveline’s heart broke as she realized what had just happened.

The younger boys and girls following the woman were also whispering among themselves as they eyed William.

The older woman was still staring in shock at him as though he were an animal in a menagerie.

“Mama!” Jeffery hissed.

“I… I apologize,” the older woman finally said when she caught herself. “Jeffery has?—”

“I am afraid we have to leave,” Eveline cut in.

She did not quite care if she came across as rude or not. After all, what was more rude than the woman gawking at her husband?

With that, she pulled William by the hand, and as they left, she heard one of the younger boys ask, “Why is his face so scarred?”

Eveline quickened her steps, but she could not help but hear Jeffery yell at the little boy.

She stole a glance at her husband, but his face was not quite readable.

“I am so sorry,” she whispered.

“I am used to it,” William said simply.

Eveline stopped in her tracks and took her husband’s hands. “But you do not have to be.

He simply shrugged. “What other choice do I have?”

“You got this scar while fighting for your country, and no one should make you feel bad for it,” she said fervently, her anger flaring.

“You are right,” William relented. “However, it does not quite affect me.”

Eveline knew that was a lie. After all, she had seen the look on his face when the woman had yelped at the sight of him.

He had looked hurt, and the smile in his eyes had dimmed. It definitely affected him.

“I do not believe you,” she responded as they resumed walking.

William sighed. “I do not want you to bother yourself with such a frivolous matter.”

“But it is not a frivolous matter,” she insisted.

“If only you had been here when I had just returned from the war,” he said, rather amusedly.

“What happened then?” she asked.

“Well, my looks had invited more severe reactions,” he explained.

“How so?”

What could possibly be more severe than someone screaming in shock at the sight of his scar?

“My scar was still fresh when I returned. It was red and rather ugly,” he said.

“And the ton did not take kindly to it?”

“Oh, they did not.” He chuckled. “Some people bolted at the sight of my scar. “

Eveline gasped in outrage.

How could they?

“I do not blame them,” William continued. “After all, people fear what they do not know.”

“That is simply inhumane!” she huffed.

Poor William!

“I became a recluse after an especially unpleasant experience when I went to the lawyer’s offices upon my return. I should have simply invited him to my home, but I wanted to go out into town. I regretted it instantly. The moment I stepped out of my carriage, mothers clutched their babies to their chests as though I was a monster who would devour the little ones.”

Eveline’s heart ached for him. Not only was it sad that he had experienced that, but it was even more heartbreaking that he had been all alone.

“You do not have to tolerate such disrespect,” she told him.

He shrugged. “What am I to do? I am already seen as a monster because of my scar. I could not possibly prove them right by doing something drastic.”

Eveline could not help but agree. After all, he was a rather large man, and anything he did to ward off the unwarranted attention would be seen as threatening.

“You are right. However, it would not be so threatening if I did it now, would it?” she said, smiling, as she realized what she had to do.

“Oh, Eveline! What are you planning?” He stopped in his tracks as he regarded her, an amused smile forming at the corner of his mouth.

“I suppose you will not know until I do it,” she quipped.

Out of the corner of her eye, Eveline spotted a fountain nearby.

“Isn’t that just beautiful?” She pointed at it.

Her husband pulled at her hand. “Then let us go there.”

The foundation was built in the form of a swan, and the water spilled out of the swan’s beak.

“This must be a new structure,” Eveline noted. “I cannot remember seeing it last Season when my sisters and I promenaded.”

“Let us sit here for a while,” William suggested, pointing at a bench just beside the fountain.

Beside the bench was a bed of flowers, and they were not just any flowers, they were…

“My favorite!” Eveline squealed as she rushed towards them.

They were white tulips, and when she bent to inhale the fragrant scent, the smell of honey, greenery, and citrus wafted to her nose.

“Hmm!” she sighed.

“Evie, have you truly not changed? You are, after all, a duchess now,” a rather familiar voice said.

Eveline’s eyes flew open immediately, and she quickly jumped to her feet. “Lily!” she exclaimed.

Her friend stood a few feet away, regarding her with a smirk.

Eveline closed the distance between them in no time as she hugged her.

“Oh, Lily! How I have missed you,” she said when she finally released her friend from her fierce hug.

Lily was also beaming at her. “You nearly knocked the air out of me, but I am also happy to see you.”

Eveline smiled.

“I must say, marriage agrees with you,” Lily continued.

“How you flatter me, Lily!” Eveline said. “Come, let me introduce you to my husband.”

She led her dear friend towards her husband.

“Lily, this is my husband, the Duke of Mayfield. William, meet my dear friend, Lady Lily, daughter of the Earl of Brightwater.”

“It is great to finally meet you, Your Grace,” Lily said. “I have heard so much about the lucky Duke who was fortunate to make Evie his bride.”

Eveline laughed.

“I assure you, I know how lucky I am to have landed my darling wife,” William returned.

As if to further drive the point home, he pulled Eveline towards him and wrapped his arms around her shoulders.

“I am glad, Your Grace.” Lily smiled. “Oh, you two make a fine couple.”

She smiled sweetly, and for a moment, Eveline could see tears well up in her dear friend’s eyes before she quickly blinked them away.

“Thank you.”

“Why don’t you both join me?” Lily suggested. “I invited a few ladies to a picnic, but they seem to be running late. If you ask me, I would say they probably would not make it. What do you say we turn this into a picnic for us three instead?”

Eveline looked at her husband. She wanted to say yes, but it would be purely for selfish reasons, especially as she had not spoken to her friend in a rather long while. On the other hand, she was not quite sure if her husband would enjoy the experience.

“Lily, I am not so certain?—”

“Why, we would be happy to join you,” William said cheerily.

Eveline gaped at him in shock.

“You sure are full of surprises,” she whispered to him as they made their way to Lily’s picnic.

First, he had eagerly conversed with her sisters, and now he cheerily accepted Lily’s invitation.

“Any friend of yours is a friend of mine,” he simply whispered back.

“Evie, no other wedding has caused as much uproar as yours had since the Prince took a wife,” Lily said as she carefully put grapes on plates.

Eveline gasped dramatically as she clutched her pearls. “Is that so?”

William enjoyed this, seeing his wife interact with other people. He loved to see how she acted around her sister and her friends.

“It was in the newspaper,” Lily continued. “Would you believe that, Your Grace?”

William recognized her attempt to bring him into the conversation. Therefore, he knew he must react appropriately.

“I cannot believe it!” he responded dramatically.

“Have they run out of events to report?” Eveline asked.

“Now I am curious. What was the headline?” William asked.

“Rich Eligible Duke wed Spinster in her Third Season!”

“How could they?” Eveline gasped, looking at him.

William could not help but burst into laughter.

“The headline is rather dramatic, is it not?” he remarked. “It was a simple wedding, after all.”

“Why would they call me a Spinster in her Third Season?” Eveline asked.

“They would do anything to sell copies, would they not?” Lily scoffed.

“At least they called my husband rich.” Eveline shrugged.

“They must have access to my bank accounts to have made such a declaration,” William said

They all laughed.

“The headline could not have sounded worse if it had been written by Lady Sarah,” Lily snorted.

“Now that you mentioned Lady Sarah, I must tell you. I ran into her at the modiste’s,” Eveline said eagerly.

William watched his wife’s eyes twinkle as she told the story of how she had put the rude girl in her place.

“She was shocked.” Eveline giggled.

“How I wish I could have witnessed the day words failed Lady Sarah,” Lily said.

“You do not know how much I wished you and my sisters were there to share the moment with me.”

“Were her followers not there to witness it?” Lily asked.

“Oh, they were. However, they were all silenced. Even Lady Helen could not utter a word.”

“Speaking of Lady Helen, have you heard the scandal she was recently caught in?” Lily asked in a low voice.

As much as William hated to admit it, he loved hearing about the latest gossip, and Lily seemed to be a rather compelling storyteller.

“You must tell me,” Eveline pressed in an equally low voice.

“She no longer has a dowry,” Lily hissed.

Eveline gasped again. “How so?”

William also itched to know the reason. After all, having no dowry was the worst nightmare of most ladies of the ton.

“Do you know her brother, the Earl of Mallory?” Lily asked.

“I might have seen him once or twice before at a party. He has a reputation for being a rake, does he not?” Eveline responded.

“Well, he has squandered their fortune.”

“Oh, how sad!” Eveline shook her head. “Did he invest in a bad business?”

Lily shook her head. “That would have been honorable. It is the details of this that make it so scandalous. Lord Mallory has squandered his fortune on visiting brothels and consorting with whores.”

William’s eyes widened. “Oh, this is truly scandalous.”

“Apparently, he even paid for the services of some highly sought-after courtesans who, of course, cost a fortune.”

Eveline clapped a hand over her mouth in shock. “That is truly embarrassing.”

“Lady Helen can only wish for a love marriage, now that she no longer has a dowry,” Lily said.

“Despite her transgressions towards me, I cannot help but feel sorry for her,” Eveline admitted. “I wish her nothing but the best, and I can only hope that she learns from this.”

“You are far too gracious,” William commented. “From what I have gathered, this Lady Helen was eager to put you down.”

“Precisely!” Eveline responded. “I know how damning it feels to be the object of ridicule for the ton, and I would not wish that on anyone, not even those who ridiculed me.”

“You have a good heart, Evie,” Lily said, before pointing at something in the distance. “Oh, there they are, Miss Mary and Lady Amelia. The ladies I have been waiting for.”

“Then we must take our leave,” Eveline announced.

William helped her up, and they said their goodbyes to the amiable Lady Lily.

“It was lovely to make your acquaintance, Lady Lily,” William offered.

“You must come to the estate for tea or dinner, Lily,” Eveline added.

“I shall honor your invitation in the coming days,” Lily said.

With that, the couple resumed their promenade.

There was a spring in Eveline’s steps.

“It is rather lovely to see Lily again. It has been far too long,” she mused.

At that moment, William realized just how hard it must have been for his wife to leave the home she knew, along with her sisters and friend, to be with him.

“We must invite Lady Lily for dinner one of these days,” he suggested.

Eveline’s eyes widened with excitement. “Yes, we must! We could also invite your friends as well. Would it not be lovely?”

She was now beaming with joy.

“And if you want, we can invite your sisters as well,” he added.

“Oh, you are the best husband in the world!” she exclaimed, hugging him.

The action drew a few eyes, but Eveline did not seem to mind.

“Now, we must write the invitations the moment we get home. It shall be such a splendid affair—only with our friends and family, of course.”

A group of young ladies passed by, and William noticed them do a double take and quickly avert their gazes.

“Did you see those ladies?” Eveline asked in a rather bitter tone.

“Let it go,” he admonished. “It does not bother me.”

That was partly true and partly a lie. It bothered him that upon catching sight of him, people would either flee, scream in shock, or avert their gazes. However, he had been used to these reactions so much that he was no longer as bothered as he used to be.

“Well, it certainly bothers me that they treat you so,” Eveline huffed.

“I have chosen not to let it bother me.” He shrugged.

Another group passed by, and again, they stared at him and then averted their gazes just as quickly.

“Oh, this is simply ridiculous!” Eveline complained as she took his hands. “If they wish to stare, then I shall give them something to stare at.”

With that, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed a kiss to his lips.

William gasped, shocked.

Eveline nipped his lips, and for a moment, he chose to forget the fact that they were right in the middle of the park. He kissed her right back with equal fervor.

At that moment, he forgot about everything else—the pitiful eyes and the scared eyes that followed him at all times. At that moment, all that mattered was his beautiful wife, who was not afraid to kiss him in the full sight of everyone at Kensington Gardens.

The kiss only lasted a moment, but when Eveline finally let go of his neck, they had garnered a small audience.

Eveline gasped as she caught her breath, smiling. “Since all of you have decided to gape at my husband’s scar, I decided to give you something to stare at,” she drawled.

William could see the shame in their eyes as they began to disperse.

“That is beyond insane,” he said, smiling down at her.

“Then you must be ready for more insane antics, since we are stuck together for the rest of our lives,” Eveline quipped.

William shook his head in disbelief.

His wife constantly kept him on his feet, and he enjoyed it more than anything.

He kept his arm around her shoulders so that she was pressed against him even as they walked. This was a far cry from the other couple in the garden, who simply held each other’s hands.

“How do you pull such antics without giving a care about what people would say?” William could not help but ask.

Eveline shrugged. “I am used to receiving disapproving looks,” she said simply. “I am used to entering ballrooms and seeing ladies whisper to each other behind their hands.”

The thought of people treating his wife in such a manner infuriated William to no end.

“You must let me know if someone says anything like that to you again,” he pressed. “No one speaks to my wife like that.”

Eveline nodded. “Then you must understand why I am so protective of you too.”

“It is true. I do not particularly care if they run at the sight of me, but I cannot stand the thought of anyone even looking at you with less than respect.”

“And I feel the same about you,” Eveline returned. “I could not give a care for the wagging tongues that followed me as a maiden. However, someone looking at you askance is enough to incite my wrath.”

William looked down, smiling at her at the same time she beamed up at him. They did not have to exchange words to know what the other was thinking.

At that moment, William finally realized how much she had come to mean to him in the very short time they had spent together.

“It is getting quite chilly,” she said. “Let us head home.”

The moment they were in the safety of their carriage, William cupped her face in his hands and captured her lips.

He kissed her, not with ferocious hunger or need as he usually did. This time, it was with pure adoration.

With his lips, he communicated with her what a thousand words could not quite convey.

When they finally pulled away from each other, she smiled sweetly at him. He pulled her towards him, and she rested her head on his shoulder.

That single motion broke the last of his defenses, and he knew right there and then that she was the one. She was his person.

“You know, I never had anyone like you have your sisters and Ava,” he suddenly said.

Eveline sat up and turned to look at him.

“Growing up, it was only me,” he continued. “I had the staff, of course, but they were not my siblings or friends, so I could not feel quite connected to them.”

“But what about your father?” Eveline asked.

“My father was rather…”

The carriage suddenly lurched to a stop, interrupting William. A part of him saw this interruption as a welcome relief. After all, telling her about his past was possibly the most nerve-wracking idea he had ever conceived.

“Oh, we are home,” he announced, before helping her out of the carriage.

As William stood there beside his wife, in the evening breeze, he was torn between simply having a quiet dinner with her then going to bed early, and finally telling her all that he had been holding back.

A part of him wanted to take the easy way out, and yet the other part of him ached to finally let go, to bare himself to this woman, who completed him in a way that he never could have imagined.

“It is a rather breezy evening. Shall we spend some time at the pavilion?” Eveline asked.

William was not yet sure what choice he would make, but he knew now that he was not having an early night.

His wife slipped her hand in his as they walked to the pavilion in the garden.

“The garden is even lovelier at night,” he remarked.

He was in awe of how much his wife had transformed the garden, which was, once again, a testament to how much she had changed his life.

“Wilson told me how much you loved the garden,” Eveline admitted as they both sat on the plush chaise in the pavilion.

“Indeed, I do,” William confirmed, smiling as he remembered running around in the garden at a very early age.

Wilson would half-heartedly tell him off, but he would insist on assisting the gardener, even though the ‘assistance’ often only involved smearing himself with soil.

“William,” Eveline began in a tone that told him what she was about to say was important. “Can you tell me about your childhood?”

William felt a wave of panic.

He knew the day would come when he would finally have no choice but to be honest with his wife. However, that did not make it feel any less terrifying.

“I know it is probably difficult for you to say, but I want nothing more than to get to know you better,” Eveline added, her eyes heavy with concern. “I know you are still holding back some part of yourself from me.”

William knew she was not exactly lying.

“While I do not know the reason, and I do not know how to assure you that you can speak freely to me, I can assure you of this. If you unburden yourself to me, you will most definitely feel better.”

She took one of his hands in her palms. They were soft and warm to the touch.

“You have carried this heavy burden alone for far too long. It is time to find some relief.”

Her words, like a balm, soothed him, and her touch reassured him. And at that moment, he was truly certain that for the first time in his thirty-plus years, he had found a woman worthy enough to be vulnerable with.

“However,” she continued, “if you are indeed not ready, then you do not have to say a word. I shall be here every step of the way until you are fully ready.”

William pondered on her words. He knew what his decision was. His whole life was leading up to this one moment.

“I am ready,” he announced.