Lord Love a Duke (34 page)

“I – of course, I apologize. Pray forgive my
familiarity, my lord, but you must forget about Lady Juliet. She is
betrothed and will be wed in but three days. And as you found her
pretentious and pandered to, you should consider yourself quite
fortunate to have escaped marriage to such a spoiled girl,” she
reasoned quietly.

Melville opened his mouth to comment but
shut it with a snap, his eyes narrowing in consideration. “Perhaps
I should have grabbed Lady Miranda when I had the chance,” he mused
to himself with a chuckle. “Yes, she could do just as well.”

Margaret stiffened in her brother's hold but
he paid her no heed. “You must not do anything rash. Please, Geo -
Melville, I am begging you. These families are nice, caring, and
good. Leave these people be!”

The Viscount's attention focused back on his
sister and he slapped her with a suddenness that sent her reeling
from his grip. She hit her hip hard on the bed stand as she went
down to the floor. Margaret made no sound despite the pain both
blows must have caused. She had learned over the years to keep her
feelings and reactions to herself.

“
Who's the fool
now,
dearest sister
,” he scorned.
“These 'good people' to whom you have attached yourself would
happily cast you to the wolves if it suited their purposes. They
care nothing for you.” He waited the briefest of moments before
continuing his attack. “What have you to recommend yourself to
others? Nothing! You are worthless, useless, ugly, and poor!” She
tucked her head to her chest as his vitriol rained down.

“You are correct in all things save one: I
have found friends here. They will not turn me out for actions not
of my own devising.” She did not speak specifics but her meaning
was still clear: the sins of her brother were not being held
against her. Margaret saw the choler reforming across her brother's
face so she hurried to continue. “But their goodness could extend
to you, my lord, if you would only seek their forgiveness. End this
scheming and apologize,” she begged.

He reached down and offered his hand to help
her. He brought her up to stand before him and drew a finger down
the cheek that blazed angry and red from his earlier assault. His
fingers then dropped to her neck, lightly tracing the faint bruises
forming there are well. His face suddenly hardened and he wrenched
the gold chain and pendant from her throat, breaking the clasp with
a snap.

“I neither want nor seek their favor, but
you have given me a brilliant idea. An apology would not go amiss,
and the Duke and his mother are desperate to see Lady Miranda wed.
My previous plans were sound, but I erred in seeking out the lady
rather than the marriage-minded mama. Perhaps I should focus my
pursuit on the one interested in a wedding in order to obtain the
hand of the one needing to be wed,” he mused. He tossed the broken
chain and tiny jewel into the air, catching it before it fell. “I
thank you for this contribution to my cause, dear sister. I shall
leave you to your rest, and see you when you return to Town, in a
week, say?” He moved to the large french windows that opened onto a
tiny balcony on the opposite side of the chamber.

Lady Margaret blinked once but did not
wonder at his change of topic nor demeanor. She was terribly
accustomed to his swings in mood and they rarely caused her pause.
She fleetingly wondered at this new plan, whom it would involve and
how it would be enacted.

“Seek you now Lady Miranda's hand?”

Melville turned to stare long and hard at
his sister, his gaze fixed firmly on hers until she flushed and
looked away. He smirked in triumph; she always yielded. “Do not
concern yourself with my plans, Margaret. You have shown yourself
to be quite ineffectual as a helpmate.” He opened the doors and
looked out into the darkness. The moon was but a sliver, but it
yielded enough light to aid his escape. A sturdy trellis thick with
vines clung to the brickwork by his sister's room. He turned back
to issue his final statement. “Do not think to speak of my
appearance here nor of our conversation. You have been a hindrance
rather than a help to me of late. I should hate to have to remove
you from Society,” he warned menacingly.

Melville threw his leg over the side of the
balustrade and climbed down effortlessly to the ground below.
Margaret came out onto the balcony and watched him slink off into
the inky blackness of the back garden. She was no slow top; she
heard his threat and acknowledged its sincerity. As much as she
appreciated her new friendships, she could not tell anyone of her
visitor. He erred, however, in making her aware of his plans, no
matter she knew not the specifics. He could not prevent her from
building up plans in her own mind to take back some measure of
control over her life in the future. In the meantime, she would
watch and wait, preparing herself to protect her new friends.

“You made many, many people in this house
quite happy when Jonas repeated your plans to marry. I for one have
been on trembling on tenterhooks for just such an announcement,”
Miranda voiced to the group of ladies gathered in Lady Ashford's
sitting room. The cloister of friends included Ladies Temperance
Warren and Gertrude Lovelace, and the Misses Elinor Gates and
Harriet Shaw. Several gasps of surprise echoed around the cozy
room. Lady Margaret Stansbury was also in attendance, but her
attention was elsewhere as she gazed off toward the other side of
the room.

“As most of you were unaware I shall explain
Miranda's bald statement. My wily niece was quite the holdout for
the hand of the Duke. She flat refused to marry him unless he wooed
her this past week,” explained Lady Ashford, Juliet's aunt.

“Aunt Cathy you know that is not true,”
sputtered Juliet. “In actuality I refused to marry the Duke at all,
but he goaded me into giving him a week to change my mind.” She
paused and glanced away from the fixed stares of the ladies. “And
he convinced me of his sincerity,” she added with a bright
blush.

“There is nothing like the feeling of being
pursued by a man in love,” crowed Lady Ashford. “I encourage you
all to hold out for just such a situation. There are few things in
life as difficult to bear as marriage without regard. At the most,
we need passion. In the very least we need fondness and friendship.
Juliet has managed to secure all three.” She winked audaciously at
her niece. “And I daresay His Grace has as well.”

“I have spent two seasons trying so very
hard to differentiate between true regard from a gentleman and
those who merely pursue my dowry or social connections. Despite the
Duke having no aspirations for either from me, it was hard to trust
he was not being simply honorable in offering for me.”

“So you really would have cried off had you
not been convinced of his sincerity?” asked Lady Temperance. “You
would have suffered the ostracization and ridicule and closeted
yourself in the country?”

“Most certainly!” cried Juliet. “I would
rather suffer solitude than suffer resentment, infidelity, or
loneliness all while under the yoke of marriage. It was fortunate
that my family cared enough for me and had means to make this
possible. I do not fool myself that every lady may have the same
luxury of eschewing marriage, but I saw enough of the bitterness
and foul living that accompanies the arrangements lacking at least
fondness and kind spirits to know it would never suit me. I would
wither under such conditions.”

“It is fortunate, indeed, that you are
wealthy and loved enough to make such decisions,” observed Lady
Ashford. “You all know that Juliet's father is also my brother. Our
parents were the miserable members of just such a union feared by
Juliet. They were married at the direction of their parents and
Society. My mother had no come out, just a formal wedding at St.
George's. My father kept a mistress both before and during their
marriage. I saw my mother behave with shocking immorality, in her
own home, as she sought from others what her husband denied. It
hardened me fiercely but I knew I would be doomed to the same fate
were I not fortunate enough to find a suitable gentleman.” The
Countess paused to drink a sip of wine. “I thought I had found my
'knight errant,' as it were, in my Earl. I was sorely wrong.”

Several ladies gasped and Lady Gertrude
uttered an anguished, “No!” before covering her mouth with her
hand. “But Lord Ashford was kind enough to pass on before you,”
offered Juliet with a wink of her own, her bald statement causing
another round of gasps, these with overtones of disbelief. Lady
Ashford barked out a laugh, yet the fact that Lady Margaret
remained detached from the conversation, absently rubbing her neck,
did not escape her notice.

“Juliet knows, ladies, that she speaks the
truth. The Earl lived but ten years after we married, and while
most times it seemed each day was worth twenty, I managed to
persevere and survive, and now I thrive on the knowledge that I
have his money as well as my own, and I have made many a decision
that I know has him most miserable in his grave.”

Miranda and Lady Temperance laughed out loud
at this while the other ladies, not quite as familiar with Lady
Ashford's candid speech, smiled politely but nervously.

“So what advice do you have for Juliet? As
she is the first to wade in the matrimonial waters, I think it only
fair those remaining benefit from any wisdom you see fit to
impart.” Miranda leaned forward in her seat, her eyes alive with
curiosity. “Especially those things concerning the wedding
night
.”

Miss Gates began to fan herself prodigiously
while Lady Gertrude blushed scarlet. The remaining ladies and Miss
Shaw all leaned forward in effort to hear the news with a quicker
ear. This topic, it seemed, had garnered the attention of the
preoccupied Lady Margaret.

“I fear I can offer only three sound rules
for marriage, my dears,” began the Countess with a broad smile.
“First, you must investigate any gentleman who draws your interest.
Learn all there is to know about him: his likes and dislikes, the
depth of his purse, and most importantly, his vices. How does he
treat his own family, especially his mother or sisters? Is he
respected amongst his peers? Does he keep a mistress? Knowledge of
these areas is most advantageous. Do not trust the man who woos you
while confining his nearest relations to the country. If he
maintains a high-flyer, turn and walk away; he will never give you
his utmost regard and the jealously from his mistress will be
untenable. Cut your losses if he gambles more than he can afford.
Ask after the state of his properties, whether they be in good
repair and if the tenants are content. I cannot stress enough to
learn all you can.”

“What are reliable sources for such
information?” questioned Lady Temperance. “His friends will most
likely spew Banbury Tales.”

“Ask other ladies of his station, those who
are married to or the sisters of his friends. They will tell you
the truth of his character.” Lady Ashford looked to Miranda. “What
warnings would you give Juliet on these matters?”

Miranda looked surprised by the question but
soon grew serious in contemplation. “I would set her mind at ease
that Jonas takes good care of his family, staff, and tenants. The
ducal properties are managed very well and Jonas fosters hard work
for fair wages. He rarely gambles and I have never seen him drunk,
although I have heard some tales from his school days that are
quite entertaining. I would warn that he is very protective of
those he calls his and will likely never let her out of his sight
for long. He also detests entertaining so she will need to find
habits that keep her busy at home.” Miranda's eyes widened at her
last statement. “Ha! That should not prove too difficult.”

Juliet blushed but did not run from the
subject. “Indeed I foresee I shall be quite happy to entertain at
home.”

“Second,” Lady Ashford intoned, drawing the
attention back to their earlier topic. “Observe how he treats his
cattle and his dogs. Mind you, he should not spend all his time at
the hunt or training his hounds, but if proper care and concern are
shown to his animals, even greater care will be taken in future
with his children.”

“
Animal care leads to love
for children?” scoffed Lady Temperance. “My father
adores
his horses, but I doubt he could
tell you my age or eye color if put to the question.”

“I said proper care, not sole care. If the
gentleman goes from bed to table to riding to party to bed,
breaking only for meals, only to begin the same the following
morning, he has his schedule firmly entrenched and focused on his
cares only. If he rides each day but allows his groom to maintain
the proper stable, his priorities are in order, and changes in his
schedule would not cause him distemper.” Lady Ashford paused for
another drink and indicated Juliet should fill all the other
glasses as well. “The third and final rule for marriage falls
solely on the lady's shoulders. You must strive to be a wife on his
arm but a mistress in his bed.”

Those in the midst of swallowing their wine
began to choke. Those who had merely sipped began to spew their
beverage into the air in a most unladylike fashion. Miss Gates, who
had merely raised her filled glass, proceeded to drop it to the
carpeted floor at her feet, her mouth agape. Lady Margaret blinked
several times before bursting out with laughter; she was soon
joined by the rest of the group.

“
Quiet, girls. This is
perhaps the most important yet little-known rule of all. No one
ever imparted this vital information to me. I overheard it at a
ladies tea after I had been married for nigh on three years. My
mother had told me what countless other good English matriarchs had
told their daughters: when your husband is performing his 'duties,'
simply lie back, be calm, and think of England, or some other such
rot. My mother actually suggested I compose my shopping list for
the next day, mentally deciding which ribbons and furbelows I
needed. And so I did, and my marriage bed was miserable. My
participation was neither expected nor required, and I grew to hate
it. My experiences oscillated between painful, boring, and
embarrassing.” Lady Ashford smiled and patted her niece's hand,
noting the shocked and even dismayed expressions of her audience.
“But my advice is to ignore that advice, even should you hear it
from your own mother's mouth. If you are fortunate enough to marry
the right gentleman, he will be kind and considerate your first
time, and will look after your needs, and you will have such a
wonderful experience, you will wonder why you did not marry the
first man who made you feel a swoon.