Page 13 of The Duke’s Spinster Bride (A Duke’s Game #2)

Chapter Thirteen

“H is Grace left early this morning, madam.” Lucy did not even look up from her embroidery as she said it. “That should make it far easier to avoid him.”

Andrea flushed, she had been hovering by the drawing room door, trying to peer through the gap without it appearing that that was what she was doing. Apparently, she had not been as subtle as she had hoped.

She stiffened and looked at her maid, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear as she did. Lucy continued to embroider very intently and Andrea sighed.

“I am not avoiding him.” She made a vague gesture with her hand. “I just happen to not see him very often.”

Lucy arched an eyebrow at her. “Which is why whenever you spot the Duke you seem to remember some duty or another that requires your immediate attention and also happens to be at the opposite end of the castle.”

“Well, there is rather a lot to do. And if I run into the Duke, we end up talking and then my whole day is thrown off schedule.” Andrea flopped onto the sofa beside her maid, and ran a hand through her hair.

“You make it sound as though it is a bad thing.” Lucy canted her head towards her.

“I just… I do not know what is happening to me, Lucy. Every time I run into him of late, my tongue seems to tie itself in knots. My legs seem determined to be their most uncooperative. The amount of times I appear to trip in his presence, it is a wonder he does not think I am doing it on purpose. Oh goodness, you do not think he thinks that, do you?” She buried her face in her hands, and felt Lucy gently rub a small circle on her back.

“I am sure he does not think you are doing it on purpose. And no doubt if he did, he would just assume you were trying to flirt with him.” Lucy said, her tone kind.

“That is hardly a comforting thought!” Andrea exclaimed. “At this rate, the man will think he has married a complete and utter fool.”

“I doubt that, Your Grace. He seems to think rather highly of you. If he did not, no doubt he would not have set up the meeting with his solicitor and requested your presence.” Lucy pointed out reasonably.

The solicitor had visited the day before to discuss her and Frederick’s ideas for the estate, highlighting potential areas of risk and advising them on the wording of their proposals. Andrea had got so caught up in her excitement that she had almost forgotten her husband was there, until he had interjected.

“At least I did not make a mess of that meeting. I managed to keep my head, and the plans will move ahead. Not like –” Andrea cut herself off and shook her head, clenching her fists. So many mistakes, for every success there are at least three things I could have done better. “I just feel like I am getting it all wrong.”

“You are doing your best, and that is all any of us can do. You are still new to the station. If you never make a mistake, how are you to learn?” Lucy opened her mouth, and then closed it again. “If I might be frank, your Grace?”

“Of course.” Andrea motioned for Lucy to speak her mind.

“You are being rather hard on yourself. I worry that you set such high standards that you will never achieve them.” Lucy chewed on her bottom lip. “You have achieved a great deal in a short amount of time, you are allowed to be proud of yourself, your Grace.”

“I do not want anyone to think I am complacent. And well, I am aware that I spent a lot of time simply winding up the duke rather than tending to my duties.” Andrea swallowed. “I have rather a lot of catching up to do.”

“Most women are focused on other things, so soon after their marriage.” Lucy gave her a meaningful look, and Andrea let out a splutter of indignation.

Her cheeks burned and she looked away. She is talking about producing an heir. The thought made her chest constrict. His grace has already made it clear that is not what he wants. An image of a child with his dark blue eyes and her blonde hair swam into her mind.

She pushed it away, an odd sensation coursing through her as she did.

“You know very well that this is a marriage in name alone.” She tapped her fingers against her thigh, her heart tumbling around her chest. “And you also know how I feel about such things.”

“Of course, all I am saying is that very few women would expect you to take on quite so much, and to do it all perfectly from the moment you start.”

“You know what the ton can be like. You know how harshly they can judge people.” Your deficiencies. Her father’s voice filled her mind. “No doubt they will already think less of me when… Well, when no heir is forthcoming. But at least they will not be able to accuse me of mismanaging the household.”

Andrea rolled her shoulders back, straightening as she did so.

“You are a duchess now, you need not curry their favour. Your husband can protect you.” Lucy pointed out.

“I cannot rely on his good will alone.” I will not rely on it. She clenched her fists. “Besides, we will part ways before long. I will return to London and he will… Well, he will do whatever it is he usually does I imagine.”

There was a pang in her chest, but she ignored it. They had agreed on going their separate ways, and no matter how much she was starting to enjoy the Duke’s company, that would not change. It is probably only the novelty of it anyway. That is it.

She had been perfectly happy without a man in her life, and no doubt she would continue to be happy once they had parted. He probably will not even wish to have me around if I cannot start to pull myself together around him.

Andrea absently fingered the engagement ring on her finger, shifting in her seat as she did so. What would the Duke think when they parted ways? Would he – no, what am I thinking?

“I think I am going to go for a walk. I am feeling far too restless to remain inside.” Andrea got to her feet and strode towards the door.

Lucy made to put her embroidery down. “Shall I accompany you?”

“That will not be necessary.” Andrea waved her away. “I need some time alone with my thoughts, and would not wish to interrupt you and your work.”

“If his Grace returns and asks where you are, what do you wish for me to tell him?” Lucy asked.

Andrea paused, a hand on the doorknob. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end, and forced herself to breathe. Where have you been? Her father’s voice echoed around her mind.

She counted to four as she inhaled and then again as she exhaled, flexing and unflexing her fingers. “I doubt that the Duke will ask where I have gone. But if he does, tell him… Tell him I am in the gardens. Or that I am out. Tell him that I have gone for a walk about the grounds.”

“As you wish, Your Grace.” Lucy stood and curtseyed to her.

“I will see you in time to change for dinner. I have my pocket watch with me so you will not need to come find me.” She held up the gold object.

The watch was one of the few things of her mother’s that she had. She had come across it when she was a child visiting her mother’s family. Her mother had left it behind once she had married Andrea’s father, as he had thought it a rather manly thing to be in her possession.

She ran her thumb over the inscription inside of it as she strode through the castle. To my darling, Helena, so that you might better count the hours until we are together again. It was from her grandfather to her grandmother.

“What would it be like to have someone love you like that?” She wondered, thinking about the portrait of the pair of them.

When she had first seen it, she had thought the portrait a particularly cruel joke. She had been angry, assuming it was a reference to some betrothal she knew nothing about until she had seen the inscription beneath the painting that had revealed it was her grandmother and grandfather.

“We could have been twins.” Andrea shook her head. “I wonder if it would have been strange for my mother to see what I looked like as I grew?”

Her chest tightened at the thought of her mother. Her father’s angry eyes seemed to bore into the back of her neck, and she rubbed at her skin. It feels like I have left a viper out there, waiting to strike. It made her think of Frederick – could she ask for his help? I told him I would deal with my father.

She pushed the thought out of her mind. “I have the power. Not him.”

But what am I supposed to do about him? What if he reveals what I did? She thought of her mother, and felt a weight settle across her chest.

She was so lost in her own thoughts, that she missed a step and stumbled into the garden, cursing as she flung out an arm to catch herself.

“Do you need a hand?” A voice called as Andrea pulled herself to her feet.

She looked up and saw a man moving towards her with short dark hair, and pale green eyes. From the clothes he wore, it was clear he was no servant. His hat was one of the most extravagant things she had seen in a long while, with several peacock feathers sticking out of the brim.

Something in the way he moved reminded her of Frederick. Where Frederick moved with an almost boyish enthusiasm and cheeky confidence, this man was more languid. Frederick moved with an easy grace and warmth, this man seemed more firm. Why am I thinking about Frederick?

“No, thank you.” Andrea called to him, waving him away from her. “It was just a moment of distraction on my part, I suspect there will be no lasting damage.”

“Good, I imagine my cousin would be most displeased if harm came to his wife and I allowed it.” The man smiled at her.

Andrea frowned at him, trying to recall his face without thinking of the similarities to Frederick. Stop thinking about him; why am I such a goose-brained fool around him? “Cousin?”

“Oh, right!” The man slapped a hand to his forehead. “I forgot we did not have the chance to meet at Grandmother’s games. I had no wish to let her play the matchmaker when I am quite content to remain a bachelor eternally.”

“There were rather a lot of single people at the games.” Andrea nodded, wondering if the Dowager Duchess had had Andrea slated for a match with anyone else.

Did she only invite me in the hope I would win the heart of one of her grandsons? Or a grand nephew? She tried to think of the conversations she had had with Lady Agatha, but could never recall the woman trying to steer her towards a man during the games. I barely saw Frederick, and the games were at his estate.

She glanced up to find the young man looking at her curiously and she realised she had been silent rather longer than was usual. She cursed at her distraction. “I beg your pardon, but I do not think I recall your name.”

The man bowed low. “I am Thomas Heathcliff, Marquess of Elington.”

“A pleasure to meet you, Lord Elington.” She dropped into a curtsey.

“And you, Duchess Caverton.” He grinned at her.

With a start, she realised what she had said, her eyes widening as she hastened to add. “You must think I am terribly rude to have forgotten you already. After all, you were doubtless at the wedding so we must have already met. I would beg your forgiveness, there were rather a lot of people to try and remember, but I will do better in future.”

“You have no need to apologise, Duchess, I was not at the wedding. I was tied up in Scotland and could not get back in time.” He waved down her apology and glanced around them. “That is why I am here. I wanted to spend some time with Felty and his new wife.”

“I see.” Her shoulders relaxed and she let out a breath she had not realised she was holding.

Thankfully, Lord Elington appeared not to have noticed the tension she had felt as she was looking around the garden, his top hat in his hand.

“I do not suppose you know where my cousin is? We were supposed to meet in town but I got an earlier train and I loathe waiting any more than is strictly necessary.” He shuddered.

“So you were the business that called him into town.” Andrea nodded to herself, trying to remember if Frederick had mentioned that his cousin was visiting them. Not that I gave him the chance to.

She shifted as she remembered Lucy teasing her about avoiding her husband. If she had not been so busy keeping herself busy, then she would have been prepared for this.

Though, I do not seem to be doing too bad a job of talking to him. The realisation sent a wave of pride through her and she straightened slightly. She was not fumbling her words or thoughts. Her heart was perfectly content to move at its usual pace.

“I assume so. My apologies for stealing him from your side.” He looked around and then swept into a low bow. “I must beg your forgiveness.”

“Do all your family treat life as a joke?” Andrea asked, though she could not keep the amusement from her voice.

“Not all of us, no. There are plenty who are so serious, just the mention of their names would bore you to tears.” He shuddered again and twirled his hat on the fingers of his left hand, before flipping it onto his head. “But amongst us cousins, Felty, Dorson and I have always been a troublesome trio.”

“Then I should count myself lucky that I only have to deal with two of the trio.” Andrea looked around as they began to walk towards the house. “Or in this case, only one of the trio.”

“For now.” He laughed and she joined in.

Why does my mind seem to work now, yet when I see Frederick my legs turn to jelly and any semblance of thought vanishes? There was a kind of camaraderie she felt with the Marquess, a friendship that made her think of Charlotte and the few people she had found to talk to in the ton.

“I am sure we could convince Dorson to join us if you feel you are missing out.” The Marquess chuckled.

“If you think you can pry him from Charlotte’s side when she has just had their baby, then you are sorely mistaken sir. I do not think I have ever seen someone so devoted to another person.” Her chest twisted as she thought of her God son. I should really visit them.

Yet what if Charlotte asked her to hold him again? How furious would her friend be if she dropped him? What happened if you dropped a baby? They seemed so terribly small and fragile. I wish I could ask someone about this.

But that was the kind of thing you talked to a mother about – or at least, that was what Andrea assumed. How different would it be if she had lived? She swallowed around a lump in her throat.

“Yes, I would never have guessed old Dorson would be the first of us to get married.” Lord Elington stroked his chin, his words breaking Andrea out of her thoughts and jerking her into the present.

“Who did you think would be first? I did not get the impression that Fre- Duke Caverton was particularly inclined to marriage before now.” Andrea caught herself on the familiar reference and hastily looked away from Lord Elington.

He shrugged. “I thought we would forever be the three bachelors, yet here I am, the last man standing. Though I suspect Grandmama means to put an end to that.”

Lord Elington’s lip curled and he shook his head making general noises of discontent.

Andrea found herself nodding, thinking of the pleased expression on the Dowager Duchess’s face when she had discovered Andrea and Frederick. Do not think about what you were doing. “She does have a tendency to orchestrate such things.”

Andrea was grateful that her voice sounded nonchalant and not flustered.

Lord Elington gave her a sidelong glance. “I am surprised she did not have you and Felty married before now.”

Andrea pursed her lips and shrugged. “She never seemed to want to push me into such an arrangement. I think she rather liked having a female protégé who might follow in her rather more eccentric footsteps.”

“Does this mean I should fear the pair of you?” he made a warding off gesture with his fingers in the sign of a cross. “I shall not be tricked into a marriage.”

Andrea laughed and rolled her eyes. “Hardly. I have no wish to play the matchmaker.”

“That is a relief. Though if you have any single friends you wish to introduce me to…” He trailed off, waggling his eyebrows in a suggestive manner.

She crossed her arms. “And why would I do that, when you have just told me you have no wish to marry?”

“Perhaps your introduction will help me find the right woman.” He grinned at her.

Andrea laughed. “I think I will leave that sort of thing to the Dowager Duchess.”

“Probably for the best.” Lord Elington agreed.

They were still walking through the gardens, the sound of birdsong occasionally drifting towards them on the breeze. Before Andrea could say another thing, a voice rang out.

“Elington! You devil! I was waiting at the station for half an hour.” Frederick appeared and bounded towards them, smacking his cousin affectionately as he drew level with them.

Andrea’s heart skittered as his cologne wafted across the breeze, and she forced herself not to look away. Her mind went irritatingly blank, and she only just managed not to frown.

“I caught an earlier train.” Lord Elington threw an arm around Frederick. “You know how I cannot abide waiting, and the station is truly one of the least pleasant in the country.”

“Then you will be pleased to know that the Duchess and I have great plans for it.” Frederick looked at Andrea, the pride in his eyes sent a shiver down her spine and she looked away. “Andr- The Duchess has some truly terrific ideas, especially when it comes to modernisation.”

“His Grace is being overly generous.” Andrea mumbled, her cheeks flushing scarlet. “I have made a few suggestions, that’s all.”

She wished she could bring herself to look at Frederick, but every time she did, her legs turned to jelly. What is wrong with me? She tugged at the sleeve of her dress.

“You are being far too modest. Did you see the renovations on the Cotterell farm on your way here?” Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Frederick gesture over his shoulder.

Lord Elington’s eyes widened. “That was your doing? How on Earth did you convince them to agree? Felty has been trying for years.”

Andrea jerked her head upwards, eyes finding Frederick’s. “Is that why you asked me to speak to them?”

Frederick nodded. “I did tell you at the time that I suspected you would have a better chance getting through to them than me.”

“I thought… Well…” Andrea chewed on her lip.

She had thought he had been making fun of her when he had suggested it. When she had met with the Cotterells and saw how combative Mr. Cotterell was, she had been sure Frederick was trying to set her up to fail. Apparently not.

“So how did you do it?” Lord Elington asked, leaning towards her.

Andrea shrugged, focusing on Lord Elington seemed to help her mind remain clear and not befuddled. “I talked to his wife. She helped me understand what it was that her husband needed to hear and together, well, we made a rather convincing case.”

“I see why Grandmama speaks so highly of you.” Lord Elington nodded to himself.

Andrea tried to think of a way to turn the conversation to something else. While she and Lucy had talked of her practicing receiving compliments, the actuality was rather more difficult for her to manage.

Frederick was studying her, his eyes narrowed as though he could see her discomfort. “No doubt Elington has been filling your head with all sorts of lies about our misadventures.”

She rolled her eyes. “Of course, you would think we were talking about you.”

“I assure you, everything he has told you is a complete and utter lie.” Frederick gave her a cheeky grin. “And what was not a lie was entirely his fault.”

Before Andrea could say anything, Lord Elington gave his cousin an affectionate push and interjected. “It seems marriage has affected your memory, old boy. I am fairly certain it was you who instigated that incident at Dorson’s. You know, the one involving the sheep and-”

“- I am sure the Duchess does not want to hear about that.” Frederick shot his cousin a glare, his ears endearingly red.

Andrea looked between the two men. “Oh, but I do.”

Images of a younger Frederick and his cousins seemed to fill her mind, followed by woolly sheep and various tomfoolery. What did they get up to? She found herself watching as the colour on Frederick deepened.

It was a pleasant change, especially when he seemed to delight in making her blush. She was about to press the Marquess for more details when the clock chimed two.

“Oh, drat. I have an appointment with the stable master about the new mare.” She looked at Lord Elington and then Frederick. “But I do expect to hear details of this story later.”

“And I will be most pleased to share them.” Lord Elington laughed as Frederick let out a splutter of outrage. “Until we meet again, Madam.”

She inclined her head towards him and then to Frederick. “I shall look forward to it.”

An odd look flashed across Frederick’s face, though it past too quickly for her to be sure of it. The brief darkening of his eyes, the tightening of his lips was replaced by a smile.

“I will see you both at dinner.” Andrea puzzled over the look on Frederick’s face a moment longer, before turning to his cousin. “It has been lovely meeting you.”

“And you.” The Marquess inclined his head towards her.

Andrea turned away from the men, but as she walked to the stables, she had the distinct impression that her husband’s eyes were following her.

She looked back, but he seemed engrossed in conversation. I am probably just imagining things.

The feeling of being watched continued until she could no longer see the two men.