Page 31 of The Duke of Derby (Pride and Prejudice Variation)

“She is,” replied Kitty. “I received a letter from her just a week ago. They settled in Bath. It turns out that her footman seems to be quite good at keeping her spending in line with their income, because her letter was full of complaints about him teaching her how to budget. Even so, she seemed quite happy with him.”

Silence descended once more between them. Kitty wanted so much to sit and talk with him for hours about their childhood, but she couldn’t ignore her father’s guests in such a way. So, she was hesitant to even start the conversation.

“Well, I suppose I should greet the other guests,” she finally said lamely. “I hope to see you again later in the evening.”

Marcus bowed. “I hope so as well,” he said. There was an earnestness and fervency to his statement that made Kitty pause only for a moment before she turned to walk away. She truly did not wish to leave his company.

Fortunately, she somehow ended up at the same whist table as him only an hour later.

Not only that, but she was his partner for the game.

Since they were at a table with two of Papa’s friends, they didn’t speak much to each other, but there was an enormous amount of unspoken communication that whisked back and forth between them.

Somehow, she was able to read his expressions far better than she had ever done with a partner during a card game before, which made it possible for her to frequently play a card that he needed her to play.

He also seemed to know exactly what she needed as well.

With such perfect teamwork, they absolutely trounced their opponents, who accepted the loss with bad grace.

Though they separated again after their game, Kitty somehow couldn’t help but watch Marcus for much of the rest of the night.

Though he was, by far, the lowest ranked person in the room, somehow he seemed to get along easily with everyone he spoke to.

She marveled at such social skill, though she marveled even more at how handsome he had grown.

Memories of their childhood spent together flowed through her mind, the games they played and the adventures they shared. One memory, in particular, bounced around repeatedly.

She had just turned fifteen, and her mother had begun talking about preparations to bring her out, telling her how to behave herself around men and what not to do.

She and Marcus had somehow escaped from her nurse, as well as from Lydia and John, so that she could complain about everything her mother had said.

Kitty could no longer remember all that she had been complaining of, but she knew that one of them was that she was absolutely, positively forbidden from letting a man kiss her.

When she was done complaining, Marcus, with a strange look on his face, said, “Perhaps, I could give you your first kiss. That way, you could know what it’s like, since you won’t be allowed to do it again until you get married.”

Kitty remembered thinking it might be nice, but she was already trying to be a young lady, so she turned down his offer. Now, however, she wished she had accepted. She was twenty-one, almost twenty-two, and even to this day, she had still never been kissed.

As the evening was winding down, Kitty noticed that Marcus was preparing to leave. Sudden panic welled up in her chest. She realized that once he walked out that door, she would probably never see him again. She knew she could not allow that to happen.

Without thinking it through, she rushed over to him and pulled him to the side. In a low voice, she said, “Marcus, I would very much like it if you called on me sometime.”

Pleasure, warmth, concern, and sadness each took a turn in his shifting expression. “I am afraid I can’t do that, Lady Catherine,” he finally said.

The way he called her Lady Catherine told her everything she needed to know. The gulf between them was simply too vast. Him calling on her was not much different than Lydia running off with a footman.

Still, she couldn’t accept his refusal. “You can, if we can get Papa’s permission,” she said. “You do want to, don’t you? We didn’t get the chance to reminisce at all.”

“Is that what you want?” he asked. “To reminisce over our childhood?”

Somehow she knew that what he was asking was if that was all she wanted. “I can’t answer that. Not here. Not now,” she said. “But please, I beg you to come with me to ask Papa. I can’t let you leave without knowing that I will be able to see you again.”

“I never could say no to you, Kitty,” he said. “Not when it was something important to you.”

She led him over to her father and asked him for permission for Marcus to call on her. Papa got a steely look in his eye as he looked at both of them. Finally, he said, “Mr. Greggson, you may call on me tomorrow evening when you are done with your work.”

~~~~~

It took a week before the duke gave Marcus his permission, during which time Kitty was certain her father had sent his investigators out to learn more about him. The report must have been favorable, however, for a week later Marcus called on Kitty.

Without the pressures of a party, the two of them chatted easily, sometimes talking over old times and sometimes discussing the present.

Marcus continued to call on Kitty every Sunday for two months, and every week it was the thing she looked forward to the most. After only two of these visits, Kitty was certain she had found what she had been looking for ever since she saw all four of her sisters get married in the space of a single year.

She loved him. She loved Marcus with all her heart, and she was certain her own future happiness depended a great deal on being able to continue to see him as often as possible.

Even so, it took another six weeks to determine what was best to be done.

He was the second son of a minor gentleman, currently working as a clerk in a solicitor’s office, and she was the daughter of a duke.

After talking it over with Mrs. Rigby, who still acted as her companion, she realized that if she wanted the happiness of marrying Marcus, she would have to do something about it herself.

Her first step was to get permission from her father. She did not wish to behave as Lydia had done and bring embarrassment to the family. She at least wished to be certain that she was not making a mistake. Though he hesitated, in the end he did give her permission to proceed.

On the last day of March, when Marcus once again called on her, she led him wordlessly to the blue salon. Once they were inside, she closed the door.

Marcus’ eyebrows rose at her boldness, but he said nothing.

“Marcus Greggson, I believe I have loved you my whole life, though the love of a child is very different from the love of a woman. Still, I have never loved anyone else despite being in society for almost six years. Please, Marcus, please say you will marry me.”

As she spoke, his eyes widened, and she began to wonder if she was making a terrible mistake. Maybe she had simply assumed that he loved her in return when all he really felt for her was a fondness for a childhood friend.

Fortunately, he did not keep her in suspense long. He stepped towards her and took her hands in his. He was not wearing gloves, and she could feel the roughness on his finger where he had gripped a pen for far too many hours.

“If you loved me even back then, why did you refuse my kiss?” he asked.

The question drew her attention to his lips and caused her to bite her own in nervousness. “I wanted to,” she said, “but I was trying to be a proper young lady. It wouldn’t have been right. If you must know, I have come to regret that decision.”

“Would it be right, if I offered to kiss you now?” he asked. A flame was burning in his eyes as he asked.

“No, it wouldn’t,” she said, “not unless you agree to marry me first.”

“Will you let me do it anyway?” he asked. The flame was hotter, and Kitty was absolutely caught in his intense gaze.

“I will,” she said without a moment’s hesitation.

He kissed her, and with that kiss he conveyed two decades worth of attachment and adoration.

When he stopped kissing her, he still held her in his arms. As he looked down at her, the fire of his passion, though subdued, still lingered in his eyes.

“I have loved you for as long as I have known you, Kitty,” he said. “My first memory is of you giving me a flower that you picked in the garden. Even that memory from when I was only three is colored with the warmth that I always associate only with you.”

He let go of her and stepped back. Suddenly, Kitty felt very cold and lonely. “Are you certain this is what you want, Kitty? I am man enough and responsible enough to know that I am not even close to being your equal. Are you sure?”

“I am absolutely certain,” she said. “Papa has agreed as well. He said that you were far too honest and much too boring and that such a man couldn’t possibly waste my fortune or treat me badly. It may sound harsh, but I think he likes you. That is just his way.”

“In that case, I will turn the question on you, for I have dreamed of asking you this question for years, and I will not be denied my one chance. Kitty, will you make me the happiest man in the world and agree to become my wife?”

“Yes!” she cried. Then she kissed him again.