Page 8 of The Burdened Duke (Willenshires #4)

Gillian was in high spirits, at least.

Lavinia smothered a yawn and tried to look interested. Her sister was thrilled to attend the Pump Room, the centre of Bath Society, where everybody went, and her mother was looking forward to taking the waters.

“It will give my health the boost it needs,” Lady Brennon said, more than once, inspecting her complexion in a nearby mirror and giving a self-satisfied nod. “I wish we could persuade your father to come out with us. He has closeted himself in the library since he arrived.”

“I’m sure Papa is enjoying himself quite enough,” Lavinia said mildly, earning herself a grunt in response. “I’ve heard that sea-bathing is supposed to be more healthy than taking the waters.”

She drew her knees up to her chest, perched as she was on the edge of her bed, and thought about that. Lavinia had never, of course, swam in the sea. What would it be like? Better than wallowing in a bath or even swimming in a pond. The sea was a living thing, full of other living things. Powerful .

“I should like to go sea-bathing,” she remarked after a pause, thoughtfully.

Lady Brennon snorted. “Do not place your hopes upon it. We have only just managed to persuade your Papa to join us here, and I dare say that a sojourn at the seaside is not without considerable expense. I would advise you to partake of the waters while you still have the opportunity and leave the matter at that.”

Lavinia sighed, banishing her dreams of sea-bathing. It was probably for the best. Given her customary fortune, she would no doubt be swept away by the tide regardless.

Gillian had finally settled on a gown, a frothy, pale green confection that suited her remarkably well. Lavinia was wearing a plain deep purple dress, along with her straw bonnet. Her mother glanced over the gown, thrown over the bottom of Lavinia’s bed, and pursed her lips.

“Gillian, my dear, if you are prepared, perhaps you might descend to breakfast. Your sister and I shall join you momentarily.”

“Oh, I don’t mind waiting,” Gillian said, oblivious.

Lady Brennon cleared her throat pointedly. “I insist, my dear. Off you go.”

Gillian got the hint at last, throwing an apologetic look at her sister, and scuttled away. Lavinia uncurled herself from where she sat, feeling the first twinges of nerves.

“What is it, Mama? You look awfully serious.”

Lady Brennon sniffed, fingering the long, grey ribbons Lavinia had put out to wear in her hair.

“You caused quite a stir, waltzing with the Duke. And then he escorted you into dinner and sat beside you.”

Oh. This. I should have expected that Mama would not simply let this go. Lavinia bit her lip.

“He’s just being a polite host, Mama. I know you wanted him to dance with Gillian, but she was so tired, and I believe he could see that.”

“Indeed, well, what’s done is done, there. I only say that it caused a stir because a great many people mentioned it. I overheard a few intriguing conversations, and some people even made attempts to draw me out.”

“I am sorry, Mama,” Lavinia said, not quite sure what else she was meant to say. “I’ll try and avoid him, if I can.”

Lady Brennon tsked. “No, no, you silly girl. Look. I have heard a rumour that the duke is not looking for a debutante.” She raised her eyebrows expectantly.

Lavinia raised her eyebrows back. “Well, I should hope not. He’s a grown man, is he not? He may even be close to thirty now. I cannot abide the sight of aged gentlemen pursuing the affections of young maidens of but seventeen years. It strikes me as rather inappropriate, in truth.”

“Oh, my dear, you have no clue how Society works, but never mind. Don’t you see? It means that the duke might not object to a spinster. Your age need not be a burden!”

“I never consider my age as a burden, Mama.”

“You are an optimistic girl. I shall give you that. My point is,” Lady Brennon sat down heavily on the bed beside her daughter, leaning close, “you have an opportunity here. Why not try to catch the duke?”

Lavinia should have seen this coming, of course. However, she found herself flinching away, chest tightening. She gave a nervous laugh.

“Mama, really! There is quite a competition going on for the duke’s attention. You know how I hate to compete at anything.”

“Be serious, please. He would not have waltzed with you if he had not liked you.”

“Of course he would!” Lavinia wanted to laugh. “He is a kind man, and a gentleman. He would have waltzed with me to avoid offending me. Believe me, Mama, the duke feels nothing at all for me. I am his mother’s guest – no, you are his mother’s guest, and I am simply your daughter. I daresay he doesn’t consider me from one moment to the next. Why should he?”

Lady Brennon pressed her lips together. “Perhaps I have been remiss in your training. My dear girl, men like the duke do not simply make their feelings known. I daresay he is trying to decide which lady would make the finest duchess – that is something that must be considered – and you, my girl, are in his choices.”

Lavinia got to her feet. “No, Mama, I am not. Miss Victoria Bainbridge has her eye on him, and how can I compete with her?”

Lady Brennon sniffed. “Easily, I should think. She could never match your beauty.”

“She is clever, and rich, and confident. She has her eye on the duke, and frankly, she is the best choice. If he as logical as you say, why would he not choose her?”

Lady Brennon’s eyes glinted. “So you are intrigued by the man, at the very least? You would consider trying to catch him?”

Lavinia gave a groan. “No, Mama, I would not.”

How could she explain? Of course, the whole awful tale of their first meeting at Lady Clarissa’s party would make her mother see that the duke was not interested in her and would not change his mind, but that would involve having to tell her mother what had happened.

Absolutely not.

“Mama, I really must get ready. I don’t want to be late.”

Lady Brennon huffed. “Fine. But think on what I said. If you could catch a duke, it would change our fortunes forever. I tried to push Gillian at him, but he barely looked at her twice.”

On this cheery, maternal note, Lady Brennon swept out, slamming the door behind her.

***

The Pump Room was packed to the brim.

Lavinia had assumed – wrongly so, as it transpired – that mid-morning would be a pleasant, quiet time to take the waters and perhaps enjoy a cup of tea or two.

No.

The building itself was breathtaking – Lavinia was quite in love with the smooth white stone she saw everywhere, and the traditional Roman designs – and the assembly rooms were large and well-furnished. However, it seemed that this was the most fashionable time for Bath, and therefore the rooms were full.

They were required to sign in and elbowed their way through the crowds to find seats.

The Dowager Duchess accompanied them and walked arm in arm with Lady Brennon. Lavinia clutched her sister as though she might be torn away in the crush. She kept spotting a glimpse of broad shoulders, and a chestnut-curled head taller than the gentlemen.

That was him, of course. The duke. Try as she might, Lavinia was not quite able to restrain a shiver whenever he glanced her way. It was infuriating, but only to be expected. He was a rich and powerful man, who was also her host. His gaze was cool and level, almost unblinking, and really a woman would have to be blind to think him unattractive.

Stop it! she scolded herself, tightening her arm in Gillian’s.

“Ouch, Lavvy. Don’t pinch. I’m still tired from last night – do you think we shall find any seats?”

“We must,” Lavinia said, shooting a quick glance at her sister. It had been close to dawn by the time they retired to bed last night. Their mother had not permitted them to go to bed early.

Well, perhaps Lavinia would have been allowed to go, but Gillian was very popular and a great many eligible gentlemen wanted to talk to her, so naturally Lady Brennon would not allow her to miss out on such opportunities. Lavinia chose to stay up, mostly to keep an eye on her sister.

The duke had not appeared after supper. When the gentlemen finally joined the ladies again, he was not there, and Lady Brennon managed to find out from the Dowager that he had played billiards and then gone to bed.

Privileged man , Lavinia had thought sourly at the time. She felt it even more now, since her eyes were gritty and heavy with sleep.

“Perhaps taking the water would do you good,” she commented, eyeing her pale sister. “There’s meant to be all kinds of goodness in it.”

“I can’t imagine that water is that healthy.”

“Healthier than wine or port, certainly. Oh, there’s a seat. Do make haste.”

Lavinia dashed forward, manoeuvring Gillian into a single empty seat seconds before a large lady decorated with feathers could take the seat. The woman glared balefully at them both, and Lavinia smiled sweetly back until she moved off.

“Perhaps we should have let that woman sit here,” Gillian murmured.

“You need to sit, Gillian. You must rest.”

“But there’s only one spare seat. Where will you sit?”

“Well, I don’t need to sit right now. I am going to get us a glass of water each, and then we will sip it right here, and discuss its health benefits.”

Gillian giggled when Lavinia pulled a face. “Well, very well. Please do not tarry overlong, as I would rather not be left to my own devices, particularly if that lady returns and casts an unfriendly glance my way; I fear I may be compelled to relinquish the seat to her.”

“Don’t you dare. I mean it. I shall be right back.”

Lavinia scurried off through the crowd. She generally made better time by herself, without Gillian, because she utilized her elbows well enough to propel herself between people who would otherwise not think of moving out of the way of a young woman.

There was, unsurprisingly, a crowd near the pump, a harried attendant handing out glasses of cloudy water. Lavinia got to the counter and smiled winningly.

“Two glasses, please.”

A figure materialised at her side, making her jump.

“Do you often take the water, Miss Brookford?” Miss Bainbridge asked sweetly. “I myself do not enjoy the taste. Besides, drinking warm water is never a pleasant experience.”

“Not often,” Lavinia managed. “But I thought it might do my sister some good. At least, it won’t do her any harm .”

Miss Bainbridge leaned her elbows on the counter, gesturing to the attendant that she wanted one glass. He sprang into action, much more enthusiastically than he had done for Lavinia.

“I must compliment you on your dancing, Miss Brookford. You waltz remarkably well.”

Lavinia’s cheeks burned. She glanced at the other woman, not sure whether she was being insulted or not.

“Thank you. I don’t waltz often, so I am glad I remembered all the steps.”

“I think it odd how unforgiving Society is when it comes to things such as dancing,” Miss Bainbridge remarked, almost to herself. “If one misses a step, or stands on one’s partner’s foot – or, heaven forbid, trips and falls – everybody is shocked. It’s the most natural thing to do in the world, to make a mistake, but we simply cannot abide it as a society. Strange, no?”

Lavinia shot the woman a long look. “I cannot help but feel that you are not talking about dancing at all, Miss Bainbridge.”

The woman flashed her a wide, toothy grin, not the sort of demure smiles she generally preferred. Her round spectacles glinted.

“You are a clever woman, Miss Brookford. I admire that. Perhaps I ought to be frank.”

“Yes, perhaps.”

They were interrupted by the attendant sliding a glass of water towards Miss Bainbridge, who took it with a curl of her lip.

Lavinia, who had placed her order before Miss Bainbridge, glared at the attendant until he flushed red and turned back towards the pump.

“I intend to be Duchess of Dunleigh,” Miss Bainbridge said at last. “I don’t like to rely on wiles and cunning to achieve my ends. I have no skill in manipulation. I prefer logic, reason, and honesty, and I believe that the duke feels the same way. Frankly, I would make a good duchess. His Grace is not looking for a love match, but for somebody who would be an honour to his rank, and someone he can rely upon. I believe that such a position requires a great deal of responsibility, and I think I can fulfil those responsibilities. Can you declare the same for yourself?”

Lavinia stayed silent. Miss Bainbridge did not seem to expect an answer.

She drank back her glass of water in several long gulps, pulling a face at the taste, and set down the empty glass on the counter.

“Good day to you, Miss Brookford,” she said quietly. “I hope your sister recovers well today. She looked tired last night.”

Without another word, Miss Bainbridge glided away, her small form quickly swallowed up in the crowd.

The attendant set down two glasses of water without looking at Lavinia. Just as well, since she was glaring balefully at him.

It was something of an issue to get back through the crowd, clutching a glass of water in each gloved hand, but Lavinia managed it with her sharp elbows.

However, when she reached the place where she had left Gillian, she found the fat woman in the seat instead of her sister.

“Where is my sister?” Lavinia barked out, before she could help herself. “She was sitting here only a moment ago.”

The woman turned up her nose and did not deign to answer, fluttering herself madly with a fan and hiding a self-satisfied smile. Abruptly, somebody behind Lavinia jostled her, and she slopped water all over her arm.

“Oh, bother !” Lavinia gasped aloud, in a most unladylike way. With impeccable timing, she turned and found herself face to face with none other than the Duke of Dunleigh himself, staring impassively down at her.

“Oh,” she squeaked. “Your Grace.”