Page 8 of The Duke’s Reluctant Muse (The Untamed Nobles #3)

“It was very kind of you to come to call.” Elizabeth smiled warmly at Lady Annette, thrilled that her new friend had come to take tea the very day after their first acquaintance. “Did you enjoy last evening? I thought the entertainment was quite marvelous!”

Elizabeth smiled as she poured the tea. “It was, indeed.” Lord Templeton had put on a performance by some actors and musicians and Elizabeth had been quite transfixed with the story – to the point that she had almost entirely forgotten about all that the Duke had said to her. “I must tell you again how grateful I was for your company. Might I ask if your brother improved in his awareness of your presence at all?”

At this, Lady Annette laughed and shook her head, her auburn curls bouncing lightly. “No, not in the least! He came to find me at the end of it all and asked if I had enjoyed the evening, seeming to be entirely unaware that he had done nothing to assist me.”

“Oh dear.” With a sympathetic smile, Elizabeth set a cup of tea down in front of Lady Annette. “I am sorry to hear it.”

“At least he made sure that I was taking a maid with me today,” came the reply, along with a small smile. “Though he did not enquire as to where I was going. I could have been going to call upon a gentleman and he would not have known it!” She laughed as Elizabeth’s eyebrows lifted. “Not that I would have done so, of course.”

Elizabeth laughed along with her new friend. “Indeed.”

“You did appear to be a little quiet when you first came to the ballroom.” Lady Annette took a sip of her tea, her eyebrows lifting. “Was all well between the Duke and yourself?”

“You saw me speaking to him, I imagine.” Sighing, Elizabeth shook her head. “He spoke to me quite unfairly, truth be told, though I do not need to speak of the specific things he said.”

Lady Annette’s eyes widened. “I do hope that you defended yourself?”

Elizabeth smiled. “I did. But he did not have an opportunity to respond, for Lord Dalton guided me to the ballroom and sat with me whilst the Duke sat behind. We did not speak for the rest of the evening though he did make certain that I was safe in my carriage when it came time for me to leave.” As she sipped her tea, Elizabeth recalled how inwardly, she had been fraught with tension and upset when Lord Dalton had offered his arm, ready to take her away from the Duke. He had not said anything about what the Duke had spoken to her but she had seen the flash of anger in his eyes as he had thrown a look over his shoulder toward him. That had given her a little comfort, realizing that it was not just her own heart that had been upset by all that the Duke had said.

“I am glad to hear it! He may be a Duke but I have heard a good many things about him already which make me quite determined to stay back from him.”

Hearing this, Elizabeth’s brows knotted together. “Whilst I can well understand your concern, I would not always be inclined to listen to gossip.”

“I suppose there is no need for me to do so now, since I have you for a friend, you who are now chaperoned by him!” Lady Annette smiled, her eyes bright with curiosity. “Might I ask then whether what is said of him is true?”

Elizabeth pressed her lips together, aware that she desired very much to state that yes, all that the lady had heard of the Duke was true but that came solely from the awareness that she had been greatly upset by him. “What is it that you have heard? I will not be able to confirm nor deny it unless I know.”

“Well,” Lady Annette began, leaning forward in her chair, “I have heard that he caused a great upset in society some years ago, though the details of that have not been made known to me. They are somewhat murky, truth be told.” She let out a small sigh. “I confess that I am much too eager to know of society’s gossip, for it is something that does incite my interest.”

Elizabeth said nothing, waiting for Lady Annette to say more. Thankfully, her friend was more than willing to oblige.

“Since he has returned to London, it seems as though the Duke has been determined to find a bride, seeking out one lady after another! His mood is dark, however, his temper tempestuous and his demeanour extremely disliked. Indeed, he has a high title and I have no doubt that he has an excellent fortune but I can well understand why these three young ladies did not desire the connection.” Lady Annette shook her head. “Whatever it is that he did in society, the ripples still reach him even now. There are certainly shadows that surround him, are there not? I do hope that you are not upset by my speaking so, however?” Her eyes rounded, her breath hitching. “I am truly sorry if I have disappointed you in being as blunt as this, I do not want you to think lesser of me.”

“No, not in the least.” Elizabeth reached for her tea, a quick smile on her lips. “I asked for you to tell me, did I not? The truth is, Lady Annette, I know that all that you have said is quite true.”

“Oh.” Lady Annette blinked. “Then he is of a dark disposition?”

“But not for the reasons that one might think,” Elizabeth answered, hastily. “The upset that he caused in society was for good reason, though I myself am unaware of all the specifics. It is a great pity that society turned its back upon him, however, for then I am sure that his disposition, as you have said, would be a good deal brighter.”

Lady Annette frowned heavily. “I see. That does suggest that there is more to his character than might then be seen.”

“Certainly, I think that is so.”

“Though he was still very rude to you in the way he spoke,” Lady Annette said, setting her tea cup down. “Lord Dalton clearly thought so also, given the angry expression on his face.”

I did not know that she had seen that. “That is true,” she answered, aware that she did not have a strong friendship with Lady Annette as yet and wanting to be cautious in what she shared. “But all gentlemen and ladies are inclined towards making mistakes at times, are they not?” She smiled and reached to pour another cup of tea for them both. “I think that I shall have to do what I can to forgive him, whether or not he comes to apologise to me. Especially since he is to be my chaperone!”

Lady Annette giggled at this, making Elizabeth laugh along with her. “Yes, I suppose one cannot put a great distance between oneself and one’s chaperone!”

“Indeed not!”

“Sister?”

The door opened without warning and her brother strode into the room, a letter in his hand. He was looking down at it rather than glancing at her, coming to a stop only a few steps into the room. “Elizabeth, I have a letter from the Duke with an apology contained within. I wondered if you might...” Lifting his head, he came to a sudden stop, his eyes rounding at the sight of Lady Annette who quickly rose to her feet by way of greeting.

“It is quite all right, brother.” Elizabeth smiled, gesturing to Lady Annette. “This is my new acquaintance, Lady Annette. Her brother is the Earl of – ”

“Westridge, yes.” Surprising Elizabeth, Lord Dennington not only interrupted her but came directly towards Lady Annette, bowing in front of her. “We have been introduced before, Lady Annette, though you may not recall it given that it was some years ago.”

Lady Annette flushed. “I do not, I confess it. Forgive me.”

“There is no need.” Lord Dennington smiled warmly. “You were only a child, I believe, when I came to reside at your father’s house for a time. Your brother and I were known to each other at Eton, you understand. Though it has been some time since I have seen him!” He chuckled, reaching to hand Elizabeth the letter before sitting down close to Lady Annette. “Tell me, is he just as absent minded as he always was?”

This made Lady Annette laugh aloud and Elizabeth, a smile on her own face, turned her attention to the letter. Her brother would be able to engage Lady Annette in conversation for some time, she was sure and that meant she could read all that the Duke had said.

‘My friend. I am sure that, by now, your sister has informed you about last evening. I must tell you that I am deeply sorry for my lack of consideration and care and that I will confess to speaking a little harshly. I can assure you that I will take my responsibility as chaperone a good deal more seriously than I did last evening, if you would be willing to give me another opportunity to prove myself.’

Elizabeth frowned. Though this apology was welcomed, it was not given to her but to her brother. Surely it would have been better for him to speak to her about his behavior rather than write to her brother?

‘In regards to the warning I was given by Lord Dalton – which I am aware I have not written to you about as yet – it is the reason that I did not accept your sister’s request to practice conversation. It is not about the lady herself but rather the awareness that all young ladies in London do not present themselves as they truly are. Lord Dalton made that very clear to me indeed, given what he had experienced as regards a connection with a young lady who then only revealed her true nature when he came to call upon her at an unexpected time. In that way, I can now see that the young ladies of London present themselves in a most desirable way rather than show their true character. I am a good deal more cautious now than I was before and though I am certain your sister has an excellent character, I am also quite sure that she did not truly desire to do such a thing as practice conversation with me. Her generous nature mayhap encouraged it but I am sure the genuine desire was not truly there. In that regard, I confess that I am troubled when it comes to pursuing a good match. How am I to ascertain the true character of a lady if I do not see it? Your advice, in this matter, would be greatly appreciated. I should also like to say that if, at any time, these letters weigh heavily upon you and you find your ailment increasing, then I shall stop immediately. All you need to do is inform me.’

A long, heavy sigh escaped Elizabeth’s lips as she read the Duke’s letter. He was quite sure, then, that there was nothing true in any young lady’s character, that all he was being shown was the very best of a lady rather than anything genuine. What was she to say to that? How could she speak to him and encourage him that all was not as he feared? Indeed, many a young lady would present herself as best she could when it came to society, but one could only be known through prolonged conversation, through time spent in each other’s company and in an honesty which could only come after some duration. Would he be willing to do that? Or would any young lady be willing to pursue a gentleman such as he, given all that has been said of him and the shadows that cling to him still?

“I think I must take my leave.” Lady Annette sighed, smiled and rose to her feet. “You are to attend the ball this evening, I hope?”

Elizabeth nodded. “Yes, I am.”

“With the Duke?” Lady Annette’s gaze flicked to Lord Dennington and he immediately grinned, rising to his feet.

“I do intend to be there,” he said, as Elizabeth frowned. “I shall see you this evening, Lady Annette.”

Waiting until Lady Annette had taken her leave, Elizabeth turned sharply to her brother. “You told me that you were not certain as to whether or not you were going to attend this evening! You stated that you were feeling a little fatigued and...”

“And now I feel quite well enough to come along. Though I shall only dance one or two dances.” Her brother chuckled at her frown. “You do not need to look so frustrated, Elizabeth. This is what I am meant to be doing here in London, is it not? I am meant to be feeling an improvement, to turn away from all that I have been focused on and instead, find a little enjoyment!”

This made Elizabeth’s frown lighten just a little. “Indeed, I suppose that is true.”

“Then do not worry! If I begin to feel tired or if my head begins to ache, then I shall take my leave and ask the Duke to step in… if you wish him to, that is.” His smile faded. “You have not told me about last evening, so I do not know what it is that the Duke speaks of.”

Elizabeth glanced at the letter, a small smile curving the edges of her lips. “It is quite all right, Dennington. The Duke was not as close a chaperone as he ought to have been but I am sure, after my letter, he will be just as he should be.”

Her brother tilted his head. “You must inform me of what you say in it, recall. If he is present this evening, as I expect, then he may well speak of it.”

Nodding, Elizabeth rose to her feet. “I shall write my response, send it and then come to find you so I can tell you everything.” A twist of urgency pushed her steps to the door. “Now if you will excuse me, I have a long and detailed letter to write.”