Page 16 of The Duke’s Reluctant Muse (The Untamed Nobles #3)

He almost kissed me.

A flush of heat touched Elizabeth’s cheeks as the carriage made its way towards the Duke’s townhouse. An invitation for dinner had arrived shortly after her return home the previous day – the day when the Duke had practically held her tight in his arms – and both she and her brother had been eager to accept. There was a soiree to attend later in the evening but Elizabeth did not mind whether or not she made her way there. She wanted to be in the Duke’s company and in his company alone.

Though I have not told him about the letters.

Her brows pulled together as she bit her lip. If she admitted to herself or to the Duke of her feelings, would she not have to also admit to him that she had been the one who had been writing to him? That was not a truth that she wanted to keep back from him but, at the same time, she was a trifle concerned over what his response might be. Would he be embarrassed? Would he be upset with her and her brother for the deceit? Or would he understand that it had been well intended?

“You are frowning, Elizabeth.”

Looking at her brother, Elizabeth schooled her features into one of contentment. “I am not frowning.”

“Yes, you are.” Her brother leaned forward just a little. “Is there something the matter?”

Elizabeth let out a slow breath, wondering if she ought to tell her brother the truth. Recognizing that he had been honest with her about Lady Annette – though she had needed to encourage him into speaking with her about it – she chose to be honest with him. “I have been wondering about telling the Duke the truth as regards the letters I have been writing to him.”

Lord Dennington’s eyebrows lifted. “Is that so?”

She nodded.

“And why might that be?”

“Because I do not want anything between us,” Elizabeth answered, quietly. “I have become rather fond of the Duke of late, Dennington, and would prefer that he knew the truth. Besides, it is not as though he is writing to you any longer, is it?”

“I understand that is because he needs no further advice,” came the reply, “because he has chosen not to pursue any young lady for the time being. Though, I suspect, that is not the way he truly feels.”

Elizabeth frowned. “What do you mean?”

“I mean that I think he is drawn to you,” he answered, speaking quite plainly now. “Though mayhap he is not certain as to his feelings and even less so over what he ought to do about it all, but I have seen how he looks at you, Elizabeth. And now, it seems, you feel the same way about him!”

A smile wrapped around Elizabeth’s features, her spirits lifting high. “That is good of you to say, Dennington, but the truth is that I do not know what I ought to do with all that I feel either! What I do not want is to keep back the truth from him.”

“Then you wish to tell him? Or do you want me to do so?”

Elizabeth shook her head, refusing to let her brother take the responsibility for something that she had done. “No, Dennington. When the time comes, I shall speak with the Duke though I do not think it will be this evening. Tonight is about whatever happened yesterday afternoon!” Having already told her brother about what had happened, Elizabeth let out a small sigh. “Whatever it is, I confess I am both a little intrigued and also a trifle confused!”

“All will be made clear.” Her brother sat forward as the carriage began to slow. “I already understand a good deal of what the Duke has endured but it will be good for you to hear what he has to say. Besides, it will be a sumptuous dinner, I am quite sure.”

Elizabeth chuckled softly. “It would be like you to think of your stomach!” She had no time to say anything more given that the carriage pulled up to the front door of the house, with the door opening and the footman coming down to assist them both from the carriage. She was led into the Duke’s drawing room, her brother beside her and her heart pounding furiously as she entered.

The Duke of Nottingham’s face was bright with warm, welcoming smiles as he came towards her, his hands out either side. “Might I take the opportunity to welcome you both to my townhouse. I am very glad that you were both able to join me for dinner, particularly given how belated the invitation was.” He winced. “In hindsight, I ought to have arranged this a good deal earlier.”

“Nonsense. We are glad to have been able to join you now.” Lord Dennington slapped the Duke on the shoulder and then made his way directly towards the table in the corner, the one which held the brandy. “My sister has informed me that you had a difficult time yesterday.”

“I did indeed.” The Duke’s voice took on a slightly more serious one. “But let us go to sit for dinner and I shall share all.” The gong sounded before Elizabeth had even had opportunity to sit down and with a smile, the Duke offered her his arm.

“I thank you.” Taking his arm sent butterflies into her stomach, though the grin on her brother’s face made her eyes narrow quickly. With a chuckle, Lord Dennington followed after them and together, the three walked to the dining room, ready for the splendid meal to begin.

***

“The lady I saw yesterday, the one that I confess I hid from, caused me a great deal of trouble some years ago.”

Elizabeth set her cup of tea down in the saucer, listening intently as the Duke began. Their dinner had passed without any talk about the Duke’s past nor the lady he had seen yesterday and Elizabeth had to admit to a slight frustration in that. She had very much enjoyed the dinner, however, and being in the Duke’s company again had brought her a good deal of happiness.

“This is the lady that Elizabeth told me about,” her brother interrupted, as he handed the Duke a whiskey from the decanter in the corner of the room. “The one that you were most upset to see again.”

The Duke ran one hand over his face, scowling lightly. “I must have appeared to be quite ridiculous, running from her the way that I did.”

“Not in the least.” Elizabeth smiled gently as the Duke looked at her steadily. “You said that you feared you showed weakness but I promise you, you did not. It was quite clear to me that you greatly feared this lady’s presence, though I do not know why that might be.”

A heavy breath escaped the Duke’s lips. “I will explain all to you. The lady in that carriage is the Marchioness of Ludlow.”

“Ludlow?” Elizabeth searched her memory for any hint of recognition but none came. “I do not think I am acquainted with her.”

“No, you would not be. Her husband is something of a recluse – unwell, some say, whereas others state that he simply prefers his own company. Lady Ludlow has made it quite clear to all and sundry that she is greatly displeased with this situation though the gentleman was, I believe, very much the same when they were engaged so it should not have come as a surprise to her.”

“Are you acquainted with her, Dennington?” When her brother nodded, Elizabeth caught the sharp glint that flashed in his eyes. Clearly, the lady had not made a good impression upon her brother either.

“Lady Ludlow is determined to enjoy society,” he said, with a scowl. “She is inclined toward no-one but herself and, unfortunately, made it quite clear that she is not in the least bit desirous of her husband’s company.”

Elizabeth blinked, then flushed, turning her gaze away as she realized what her brother meant. Lady Ludlow, despite her marriage, was seeking out connections with other gentlemen.

“She has also an intimate friendship with the Earl of Gateshead.” The Duke shook his head, scowling heavily. “And it is because of that connection, she began to cause me difficulty.”

“It is quite disgraceful that she should be so close to her brother in law,” Lord Dennington muttered, as Elizabeth’s eyebrows lifted high. “I understand that she pretends to be as a sister ought to be but I am quite certain that everyone in society is well aware of the truth of it all.”

“Goodness.”

The Duke took a mouthful of whiskey, then came to sit beside her on the sofa, one hand going to settle on hers for a moment. “Forgive me for being indelicate, Elizabeth, but I must be truthful if you are to understand. I am sure that these… delicate matters are not particularly palatable but they must be known.”

Elizabeth nodded, her gaze dropping to the floor for a moment as she fought back against the heat rising in her. “I understand.” She pulled her eyes back to his, managing to smile briefly. “Pray, do continue.”

The Duke glanced to Lord Dennington, who nodded, before lifting his hand from hers and then rising to his feet again, seeming unable to sit down and speak at length about this clearly difficult subject.

“The Earl of Gateshead – brother to the Marquess of Ludlow – sought a bride. And he decided upon my sister, Martha.”

Elizabeth’s eyes flared wide, a gasp catching in her throat.

“You can imagine my response.” The Duke’s lip curled. “I had no intention whatsoever of permitting Martha to have any connection to such a gentleman. I did make that quite clear to Lord Gateshead and he appeared quite displeased with me – not that I gave any consideration to his feelings, of course!”

“Of course not, why should you?” Elizabeth answered, as her brother nodded emphatically.

“Then,” the Duke continued, with a heavy sigh, “Lady Ludlow came to the fore. Her connection to Lord Gateshead was quite apparent and she gave me a good deal of encouragement as regarded the match. She told me that, given his own brother’s disinterest, she had taken it upon herself to help Lord Gateshead find a good match – but I did not believe her. The truth was, I was sure, that she wanted a young lady of suitable rank and standing but also someone who would be able to be easily pushed aside when required by Lady Ludlow herself. It was utterly despicable and I made it quite clear to Lady Ludlow that such a thing would not occur.”

“Goodness.”

The Duke closed his eyes, let out a slow breath and then threw back the rest of his whiskey before he continued.

“Then something took place which I had not expected.” Swallowing hard, he sank down into a chair and pushed one hand through his hair, his gaze on the floor. “Lady Ludlow and Lord Gateshead tried to force my hand.”

A knot tied itself in Elizabeth’s stomach. “They did something to Martha?”

“They tried to do so, yes,” the Duke told her, looking at her under heavy eyebrows. “I had attended a soiree at Vauxhall Gardens one afternoon. It was broad daylight, the sun was high in the sky and I had no concerns as regarded permitting Martha to step only a short distance away from me.” He shook his head, a hiss of breath escaping him. “I made certain to keep a close eye on her, however, a sudden distraction caused me to turn away for only a moment and when I looked back, she was gone. The gardens are vast, as I am sure you are aware, but I could not permit myself to panic for fear that someone would notice my concern and become aware that Martha was no longer in close company with me.”

Lord Dennington clicked his tongue. “I am sure that it must have been a moment of dread for you.”

“Indeed it was.”

Elizabeth’s hands tightened in her lap, as though she was reliving that exact moment with the Duke, as if she were herself in the gardens searching for Martha. “What did you do?”

The Duke looked back at her, his expression still grave. “I walked through the gathered crowd with a smile on my face and a growing fear in my heart,” he said, plainly. “I did not know what had become of her. It was only when I saw Lady Ludlow scurrying through the crowd that I began to realise. I followed her, of course, soon finding my sister in the grip of Lord Gateshead.” A dull red began to creep up his neck. “He had done nothing to her other than hold her fast and, from my hiding place, I watched as he and Lady Ludlow spoke in low tones. When she stepped away – no doubt to go in search of me, to declare that I had no other choice but to permit the marriage given the scandal that would have taken place had society known of my sister’s presence with Lord Gateshead – I acted quickly.”

“What did you do?” Hearing the quaver in her voice, Elizabeth gripped her fingers all the more tightly together. “She was saved, I understand.”

The Duke nodded. “Yes, she was. I rushed forward, pulled Martha to me with one hand and swung with the other. As Lord Gateshead was recovering, I turned to Martha and told her to run back to the carriage as quickly as she could – but without being seen – and to return home. She was white faced and trembling but she did as she was told, much to my relief.”

“And then you had Lord Gateshead to deal with.”

A taut smile crossed the Duke’s face. “Indeed. I will not pretend that I did not throw my fist in his face on more than one occasion, though I hope that does not make you think poorly of me, Elizabeth.”

She shook her head. “No, of course not. I quite understand.”

“I was filled with fury over what they had tried to do,” he continued, as though he had not quite heard her. “There came others from the soiree, of course, coming to see what had occurred. I could not say, of course, for it would have made the scandal fall upon Martha’s shoulders which was precisely the opposite of what I wanted to do.”

“And thus, it fell upon you?”

In answer to her question, both the Duke and her brother nodded.

“Lord Gateshead made out – along with Lady Ludlow thereafter – that Nottingham had been pursuing a connection with the lady and that Lord Gateshead had been forced to step in the way of it all.”

“As if he had to physically prevent me from putting my hands on the lady,” the Duke muttered, with a shake of his head. “The whispers began from there, and even though I stated that it was not the reason for my anger, the ton did not know what to believe. I could not say a word about it all in order to protect Martha though, I am glad to say, not everyone in the beau monde believed it.”

“Some did not.” Lord Dennington smiled ruefully. “Enough for Martha to make a happy match, though you were treated a good deal less favourably, all the same.”

Elizabeth let out a breath, astonished at all that the Duke had been forced to endure. Little wonder he had been so ill at ease when he had first come back to society!

“I was glad for my sister,” the Duke said, standing so he might pour himself another drink. “Though I was angry at all that had taken place, angry that the ton could think so poorly of me. Thus, I stepped back and remained at my estate for a few years, harbouring my grudges and becoming a little too melancholy.” A bark of laughter escaped him, though it held no mirth within it. “And then I returned, thinking that it would be easy enough to find a suitable match, believing that society would have forgotten the rumours about me. I acted foolishly, it seems, and the ton not only remembered all that had been said, they added yet more whispers to it.”

“But things are improved now,” Elizabeth said, quickly, as he looked to her again, a softness coming into his expression as he nodded. “Finally, it seems that society have been willing to set all that they might have believed about you aside. You have become a welcome member of the beau monde , have you not?”

The Duke paused for a moment, considering. “Not without assistance,” he admitted, throwing a look to Lord Dennington before returning his gaze to Elizabeth. “I will admit I felt rather foolish to even require such a thing but there has been understanding and generosity from you both. Even though I am well aware, Elizabeth, that you did not understand all.”

She lifted her shoulders. “I did not need to.” Her smile returned as she realized just how often he had been referring to her as ‘Elizabeth’ rather than ‘Miss Jeffries’. Was that a sign of a growing intimacy between them? She could only hope that it would be so.

“I cannot imagine what you must have felt upon seeing Lady Ludlow return.” Lord Dennington shook his head, his jaw tight. “You must now fear that her presence here in London will bring you the same difficulties as before.”

“Yes, that is it precisely.” The Duke ran one hand over his chin. “In truth, I felt nothing but shock in that moment, swiftly followed by an outpouring of dread. She will, no doubt, be just as dark-minded as she was before and will have no hesitation in speaking ill of me.”

“Though why would she have need to?” Elizabeth asked, not understanding. “The past cannot be changed and she cannot succeed in her attempts to force Martha into a match with her brother in law, so why should she seek to mortify you all over again?”

The Duke offered her a small, sad smile. “You are much too good a character to understand this, I think. Unfortunately, Lady Ludlow is the type of creature who does nothing but seek out revenge against anyone who has wronged her or even slighted her – and she will pursue it until she is satisfied.”

A tightness clung to Elizabeth’s chest. “And you do not think she will be so even now?”

“No I do not think so. I think she will be glad to take whatever opportunity she can to shame me all the more.” A heaviness sank into the Duke’s frame, his shoulders lowering. “It seems to me that the progress I have made in society will now come to naught, and I am sorry for it – and for you and to you also, Dennington, for all the assistance you have given me.”

Silence fell over the room as Elizabeth looked first at the Duke and then at her brother. Both appeared to be quite heavy-hearted, given the expressions on each face. Her lips twisted, pulling to one side as she considered, only to shake her head with a sudden determination.

“No, you cannot permit her to do so.”

Her brother frowned. “What do you mean, Elizabeth? There is nothing that can be done.”

“Yes, there is.” Elizabeth sat nearer to the edge of her chair, her heart quickening. “You must take a stand against Lady Ludlow. The ton know of her lack of love and consideration for her husband, yes? They know that she is inclined towards other attachments and though they have listened to her before, if they are reminded of the lady’s failings, then will that not make the beau monde less likely to give her notice?”

The Duke’s lips twisted for a moment. “I do not want to start spreading rumours about her, however, in order to protect myself. I have no interest in doing that.”

“And I would not suggest it,” Elizabeth answered, quickly. “But I have acquaintances now – many of them – and one in particular is very good at listening to gossip and responding to it.” Her lips quirked. “Though I know that she is doing her utmost to step back from it all, telling me that she knows full well she ought not to be paying in the least bit attention to such things!”

At this, her brother let out a quiet chuckle. “I see what you intend to do, Elizabeth.”

She gave him a smile. “You do not think poorly of me because of it, I hope?”

“No, not in the least.” Sitting back, a small smile tipped up his lips at the corners. “Lady Annette will do whatever you ask, I know, though she has been making a concerted effort not to involve herself in gossip.”

“Lady Annette?” A question in the Duke’s voice made Elizabeth turn back to him quickly, nodding as she did so. “Yes, Nottingham. Lady Annette and I can, should we hear anything being said of you by this lady, counter it with what we know of her. It is not that we are spreading rumours, of course, but more that we will seek to remind the ton of the character that the lady has. Lady Annette will do more than I, for she is much more in the way of things that way than I am.” Her shoulders lifted, her fingers twisting in her lap as a strike of nervousness ran through her frame. “I understand that it may not be very much and might not make even the smallest difference, but it is something. ”

After a few moments, a warm smile began to spread across the Duke’s face, taking the heaviness from his expression and lifting Elizabeth’s heart at the same time. “You are quite remarkable, Elizabeth,” he said, with a tenderness in his tone that sent fire erupting in Elizabeth’s stomach. “Even when there is darkness, you are determined to find a little light. I value you a great deal, I must say. Your wisdom in this, your determination to support me, is more than I deserve, I am sure.”

“Not in the least, Nottingham.” Lord Dennington rose to his feet and lifted his glass in Elizabeth’s direction. “Sister, I echo all that the Duke has said. You are quite right that we should not give up. Lady Ludlow has caused enough difficulty already and we might fight against that.”

“I quite agree,” Elizabeth answered, her gaze still fixed to the Duke, unable to tear her eyes away. “And I am sure that we shall succeed.”