Page 21 of Wedded to the Loveless Duke

Four Years Later

Eleanor stepped into the drawing room holding her son Richard on her hip and found Phillip playing with their oldest, Diana. The little girl was clapping her hands in delight as her father acted out Romeo and Juliet for her. Eleanor smiled at Phillip when he looked up, and she came to sit beside him.

He straightened and leaned over to kiss her cheek and then cooed at their baby boy. The six-month-old gave a toothy grin and giggled at his father’s antics. Diana pushed to her feet and toddled over to join them.

“May I hold Richard, Mama?”

Eleanor shifted closer to Phillip and patted the spot beside her. “Of course you may. Come sit beside us.”

Diana climbed onto the settee and held out her arms. Richard reached for her with a broad smile. Eleanor placed the baby into her daughter’s arms carefully and then leaned into Phillip’s side as Diana entertained her brother with silly faces.

“I received word that the Duchess of Bedford is expecting. She wished us to be the first to hear the news after Bedford himself,” Phillip said.

Eleanor straightened. “Really? They have been trying for so long. She was terrified that she would never have a child and that she was infertile. What a delight to discover she is with child! How does she fare?”

Phillip pulled a letter from his pocket. “I believe she has written all about her state and more in this letter. She informed me that you would wish to know and that passing it by word to me would hardly be appropriate or sufficient. So, she wrote this letter and bade me give it to you at the first opportunity.”

Eleanor took it from him with a shake of her head. “Leave it to Anne to know precisely what is required.”

“Indeed. Much like another headstrong woman I know.” Phillip took her hands in his. “Have you begun planning for the winter ball you wish to hold here? You have caused quite a stir with your little announcement of the masked ball for the winter holidays. Not many are held outside of the Season.”

Eleanor shrugged. “If one is to hold a ball, it ought to be done with style. Everyone spends their winters out here anyway, and everyone is generally equally bored. I thought it would provide a nice diversion in the evening hours, and it will be the first ball I host, so I am determined to make it a good one.”

He laughed. “A wise plan, since you keep insisting it will also be your last.”

“I never understood the point of balls,” she murmured, glancing over at her daughter. “Now as a mother, I think otherwise. Still, I have no great love for hosting large parties, and this is no exception. When it is time for Diana’s coming out, perhaps we shall rely on others to throw balls.”

“We must organize one in celebration of her turning of age, my dear,” Phillip pointed out with a grin. “I will not miss the chance to present her to society properly. Already, she has shown interest in the goings-on in a ball.”

“She is a three-year-old. A love of sparkling dresses and fancy shoes is common amongst young girls, but it does not mean she will love them when she is older.”

“Did you have an obsession with those two, my dear?” His smile turned to an expression of curiosity. “You rarely speak of your younger years.”

Eleanor sighed and leaned into him. “I suppose I did. What girl does not dream at least a little of becoming a princess, having a charming prince and dancing in beautiful gowns?”

“What changed?”

“I realized that the men were rather more like frogs than princes, and I lost interest in kissing frogs in search of my prince.” She looked up at him with a soft smile. “As it happens, there was no need to kiss frogs at all. You fell into my path with a little spilled wine and no effort on my part at all.”

“Well, what came after was hardly fairytale material.”

“What came after?” Diana piped in, eyeing her parents with curiosity.

Richard burbled as if in agreement and stuck his thumb into his mouth.

“I think you are old enough to hear the whole story, sweet pea. Give Richard back to your mama and come sit on my knee.”

Eleanor raised a brow at her husband.

“What? I think she is old enough to hear it, my love. She must hear it eventually, do you not think? I often begged my parents for tales of their meetings and marriage. Did you not do the same?”

“My father rarely spoke of my mother, so I did not dare.” Eleanor took Richard from his sister. “But I suppose I always wished he had. I always wanted to know, certainly. Come then, Diana. Do as your papa asks.”

Diana slid off the settee and hurried over to Phillip. He picked her up and settled her on his knee.

“Now then, I suppose it all began at a ball as most good romances amongst the nobility do.”

“Was it a very grand ball, Papa?”

“Not particularly.” Phillip shook his head with a mock sad expression on his face. “It was rather dull.”

“Oh. But how did you meet Mama?”

“Patience, sweet girl.” He tugged on one of her braids affectionately. “Well, I was growing tired of the ball and turning down ladies for dances I did not wish to dance, so I went to the refreshments table to find some peace. Next thing I know, I look over and spot the most beautiful lady I had ever seen sitting at a table and staring at a wine spot on the white tablecloth.”

Diana’s eyes widened. “Was the lady Mama?”

“Indeed she was.”

Diana gave her mother a shocked look. “You spilled wine on a white tablecloth, Mama?”

Eleanor laughed at her daughter’s surprised face. “I did. My glass was a little too full, and I jostled it by laughing at the silliness of all the other ladies who were going after men who were hardly worth considering just to procure a marriage. Your father spotted me and had the gall to laugh about it.”

“I was laughing at the absurdity of seeing a proper society lady spilling wine on a white tablecloth,” Phillip corrected. “She caught me laughing and turned to berate me. I think your mother thought that I was an old lord or noble with no social skills or with too little life left to care about societal graces.”

“I did, though I was quite stunned by what I saw instead.”

“Then what? Then what?” Diana bounced on her father’s knee with a smile.

“Well, your mama called me out for laughing. If I recall,” he said, glancing at Eleanor, “your mama’s exact words were ‘it is rude to laugh when someone attempts to bring a little color and variety to the decorations, Sir. These ball decorations are always the same, bland and monotonous. I was doing them a favor, truth be told’.”

Eleanor’s cheeks warmed, and she stared off into the crackling fire. “I can hardly believe you still remember exactly what I said two years ago.”

“Of course I remember. How could I forget when those were the first words you spoke to me?”

“You had even more nerve laughing at me for that remark!” Eleanor shook her head and laughed. “Listen closely, Diana, and pray, never take after your father in social skills. He has none at the worst times.”

Phillip chuckled too. “Your mama is likely right about that, Diana. Now then, where were we? Oh, yes. I laughed at her for that remark, and she turned red and hid behind her fan.”

“Did you know then you would marry her, Papa?”

“I had thought I might, but she ran away when I asked for a dance.” Phillip cast his wife a sidelong smirk. “So I began thinking how I might find her at another ball to make another attempt at garnering her attention. Turns out that God and fate had other ideas because a few days later, your Uncle Edward approached me and told me that your mother’s papa was wondering if I might wish to marry his daughter.”

“Was Mama surprised, Papa?”

Phillip shook his head. “Not particularly. You see, your grandfather made me swear not to tell your mama about any of it. He never even told your Uncle Edward the whole truth. Instead, he told me in private that he was terribly ill. He had not told your mama and wanted us to be married on the condition that I reveal nothing of his illness.”

Diana looked at her mother with wide eyes. “Papa never told you, Mama?”

“No. In fact,” Eleanor replied, eyeing her husband with a bemused smirk, “he was forbidden to court me, to begin with. Your grandfather insisted that your papa pretends he was not there for me. Your father was quite sly about it. He visited under the pretense that he wished to see your grandfather when he was really there to spend time with me. You see, we both liked each other quite a lot more than we were willing to admit, and I was too silly back then to admit it.”

Phillip leaned over to kiss Eleanor’s cheek. “Well, all’s well that ends well, but I am telling the story, my love. Hush now while I tell our Diana the rest.”

Diana turned her attention back to her father, grabbing his wrist. “Oh, do tell me the rest, Papa. Do! Do!”

Richard cooed and grabbed a fistful of Eleanor’s robe, stuffing it in his mouth. Eleanor pulled it gently away from him and gave him one of her fingers to suck on instead while Phillip continued the story.

“So you see, because your mama never told me she wanted me to court her, I kept my silence as required, though I hated every moment of it. You see, I believed that if I did not, your grandfather’s judgment of her would prove true, and she would refuse to marry me out of a misguided notion that marriage would clip her wings. Your mama is a very, very smart woman, sometimes too smart for her own good.” The Duke stared at the flames crackling in the fireplace thoughtfully. “Because I could not tell her that I wished more than anything to court her and marry her, and she would not tell me that she fancied me. Her papa cooked up a grand scheme.”

“What sort of scheme, Papa?” Now Diana sounded confused. “A bad one? Was grandfather the devil?”

Phillip roared with laughter and tousled her hair. “No, no, sweet child. Your grandfather was not the devil, and it was not that sort of scheme! No, your grandfather created a plan to bring your mother to the altar. He did not tell me of the full plan, only that I was to prepare everything for the wedding on this very estate and that he would handle the rest.”

“Did he?” Diana was back to breathless anticipation of the story’s end.

“He did, though I regret to say it created quite a bit of trouble for your mother and me. Your grandfather never told her she was to wed me or that the wedding he had asked her to attend with him was her own. He dressed her up like a princess for her wedding day and told her it was someone else’s.”

“It was the best trick he ever played,” Eleanor added.

“Did you live happily ever after like in the stories, Mama?”

Eleanor laughed gaily. “No, I am afraid not at first. In fact, I rather hated your father! I should hope you’ll never have such a beginning to your love story someday, darling. But look now.” She nodded towards the clock. “It is high past bedtime for you and Richard. Come, we will tell you the rest another night.”

“Indeed. As your mother orders, sweet Diana. Off to bed with you. I shall come up and tuck you in while your mother puts Richard to sleep.”

Diana slid off her father’s knee and put her small hand in his, looking up at him with adoration. “I bet you were the best to Mama, even if she did hate you.”

Eleanor grinned. Indeed, he had been.

“You can have many things you wish for if you only work hard for them and have a great deal of patience, my darling girl.” Phillip scooped her up and strode towards the door, turning briefly to wink at Eleanor over their daughter’s head. “Is that not so, my love?”

Eleanor tilted her head with a smile. “It is, so, see that you mind your father on that account, Diana. Good night, my darling.”

“‘Night, Mama.” Diana yawned and laid her head on her father’s shoulder.

Eleanor watched them leave, still smiling. She really did have everything she could have possibly wanted in this small family of hers. She was certain that many more adventures, happy moments and challenges lay ahead, but she knew now that she could trust in those who loved her to meet them with her and remain at her side no matter what. That was all she had ever dreamed of having in a home.

The End