by Emma Brady
"I should be the one apologizing, I'm afraid I don't remember you from when we met before." Thomas was still frustrated by that. "Even if we only met once, it is rude of me to forget."
"A lot has happened in the years between. It's not a surprise."
"You are more forgiving than your cousin about my behavior."
"My cousin and I are very different."
That was the truest statement. This woman was interesting and mysterious, but had a direct manner that most women would be afraid to use. She was unaware of her allure, yet wasn't struggling to draw attention to herself. It was as if she knew her place in the world and was happy to be there. Not even a Duke had that kind of certainty all of the time.
"Are you sure you are her relation?" Thomas said, hoping to make her laugh.
"She is like a sister to me. Even if we didn’t share a bloodline, I would consider her family. Don't you feel that way about your friends?"
"Yes." He knew it was a lie the instant the word left his lips. Thomas had numerous friends and two real brothers, but had never felt a true feeling of family. His title and position had always kept him apart from others.
"Good." She removed her hand form his arm and he had to force himself not to reach for it. Such a sweet gesture was not something he experienced often without the other person wanting something in return. "Enjoy the rest of your evening."
After she was gone, Thomas realized that Miss Noble was being kind because she pitied him, and that made him furious. Nobody had the right to feel pity for a duke. In anger he turned around too quickly, causing someone nearby to stumble forward into someone else. There were mumbles from every direction and his face grew hot with embarrassment. This was not the kind of attention he wanted from society.
Thomas needed a moment to get his bearings and he used his cane to find a hiding place behind a large potted plant. He counted to ten with each deep breath and when he stopped his own name drifted over from a nearby conversation. They were soft feminine tones, barely above a whisper. He suspected these weren't things he was meant to hear, but tonight had already been enlightening, so he might as well hear it all. One woman said something that caused the rest to giggle but Thomas wasn't able to hear it clearly. Throwing away his sense of dignity, he leaned around the potted plant hiding him so he could them hear better.
"Were you talking to the Duke of Ashford in public earlier this evening? In front of everyone." The shrill voice of Lady Westport was easy to identify.
"Yes, I decided to let him know I'm in town for the season," Said Lady Owens. She had been one of his married bed partners before the accident. Tonight she had given him a coy invitation to resume their previous relationship.
"Being seen with him is going to hurt your reputation. Everyone knows he's an invalid now."
"He's still a devilishly handsome man, even if he is blind."
He cringed at the condescending tone in Lady Owens voice. As he remembered, Lord Owens was a nice enough fellow, if a bit too interested in his horses. He had been a short, thin man with a long nose. Everyone knew it was his money and title that had allowed him to marry the current Lady Owens. She had been a petite blonde with big brown eyes and enough bosom for three women.
"I wonder if he will be able to charm his way back into the bedrooms of all the ladies?" said Lady Westport. "If he is still as good looking as he once was you might have to work for this one, darling."
"No, he's lost all his influence with society. It’s only because of his title he’s still invited anywhere."
"That's so unfortunate. He used to be so much fun to follow in the gossip sheets."
"No one is talking about him now. He's practically desperate for a woman's affection."
Both ladies giggled like children. It was amazing how quickly he had gone from leader of the ton to a joke. What was left of his ego suffered the sting of that deeply.
"I might take pity on him and renew our acquaintance. He wasn't an accomplished lover, but he was pleasant to look at without his clothes." Lady Owens added.
"How can that be? Such a handsome man must be a good lover." Lady Westport wasn't even bothering to whisper.
"Practice alone doesn't give someone good skills."
Thomas had never heard such vulgar conversation from a woman, at least not from a lady. It was always his suspicion woman discussed such private matters, but not in such frank terms. The criticism of him was a shock, especially since the women had always praised him while he was in their company. Apparently he wasn't the only one talented at giving out false flattery.
"Was it over too quickly?" asked Lady Westport.
"I wish. It was the opposite problem. He took so long I started to run out of noises to encourage him."
The ladies erupted in giggles again. When they had stopped Lady Owens gave a sigh. "He was sadly a selfish lover, only interested in his own satisfaction. It resulted in an unsatisfying experience."
Her insults stung more because it sounded true. Thomas had been focused on only his own pleasures his accident in every other aspect of life, so it might have also been that way in the bedroom. It never occurred to him to put in effort to please a lady. He assumed his presence was pleasure enough. The glaring signs of his arrogance were becoming even more evident.
"If he was that bad then, imagine how he is now. He will literally be fumbling around in the dark." Lady Owens chuckled at her own joke.
Thomas felt heat rising in his cheeks. His knuckles popped from clenching his fists too tightly. In the darkness of his mind, he pictured Lady Owens’s face as he pushed her off a cliff. That made him smile a little. Having stood through more humiliation than he expected that evening, Thomas needed to leave the ballroom.
Relief rushed over him as he stepped outside the fashionable home. Cool night air filled his lungs and he breathed deeply, ignoring the stench of the city, because at least it was honest. The night had gone terribly wrong, but at least it was finally over and he was thankful. A glass of brandy and a good night's sleep was what he needed now. As his coachman helped him into his carriage, the sound of his name being called stopped him.
Keeping his voice to a low whisper, Thomas addressed his servant, who held the carriage door open. "Who is it?"
"I believe its Lord Fullerton stumbling towards us. He appears to have been drinking a bit this evening." The coachman answered with inflection.
Alexander Fullerton, Viscount Andrews, was usually drunk in the evenings, if he could find someone with the means to supply it. On more than one occasion Thomas had been the one to share with his friend, although it hadn't been anytime recently. The smell of alcohol on his friend burned his nose.
"I thought it was you coming out of that fancy party." Alex said, drunkenly slurring his words. "Although I'm a bit surprised. I didn't think you liked these kinds of public events."
The wood gave a cracking sound as Alex fell against the carriage. His balance was always the first thing to go when he drank.
"I do hate these things but I needed to start my search for a bride somewhere. I'm not going to find the right woman sitting in my parlor," Thomas answered him.
"You're a rich and powerful duke." Alex let out a loud hiccup. "You could just have their mother's parade them through the parlor and take your pick."
"Women never make it that easy."
If that had been a possibility Thomas would have taken it instantly. Unfortunately, he realized now that his title and fortune weren't going to be enough. He needed to learn how to woo a woman.
"I, on the other hand, am going to have to work twice as hard to land a wife." Alex's voice got louder and Thomas was afraid he would attract people's attention.
"What do you want with a wife? You always said you wouldn't marry until you absolutely had to."
"It's become necessary. There is no other way I can keep things going without money."
"Can't you get someone to extend you credit?" Thomas would have offered it himself, but Alex always refused. Even whe
n consumed by debt, a man still had to preserve some dignity among friends.
"I've run out of credit with everyone in London." There was such despair in his voice. "Since everyone knows about that damned bad investment I made no one will risk loaning me money. Marriage to a wealthy woman is all that's left for me."
"What does Daphne think?" Thomas hesitated to mention Alex's younger sister because it was a sensitive subject.
Their parents had died when they were young, leaving them to be raised by an older aunt. Left alone, they had grown incredibly close, with Alex assuming all the responsibility for Daphne’s happiness. Even while he earned his wild reputation in London, that was the one responsibility he took seriously.
"She doesn't know and if I act quickly she won't be able to object."
"No one can find a wife that quickly." Thomas tried to get Alex into the carriage. If they stood out here too long someone would notice.
Alex brushed his hands away and staggered back against the carriage again. It was frustrating not being able to see exactly how badly his friend was foxed.
"I have the entire season." Alex told him briskly. "Due to our circumstances Daphne was forced to accept Aunt Matilda's offer to be her companion in Bath."
From what Thomas remembered of that particular old lady Daphne would need a lot of patience. Some people just have sour dispositions and Aunt Matilda was one of them. He didn't have a single memory of the woman with a smile of any kind. Her wrinkled face had a constant pinched expression.
That couldn't be further from the bright and shimmering personality of young Daphne. She shared her brother's dark coloring and rich green eyes, with a face that always brightened a room. She must be around seventeen now, getting closer to her own season in London. Thomas might have considered her for himself, but she was like a sister to him. That must be why Alex had grown so desperate for funds.
Things hadn't always been so unfortunate for the young gentleman. Before the swindler tricked him, Alex had been wealthy and carefree. Not one to be described as frugal, he was not a spendthrift either. He enjoyed women, drinking, and gambling but in respectable moderation. The gambling was what he was good at, often cleaning out the pockets of his peers. Sometimes he even obtained property this way, such as land deeds or jewelry. Everyone joked that he had the luck of the devil on his side. .
If he had gambled away all the money away no one would feel sympathy for him, because he would have brought it on himself. But that was not the case, at least not literally. Alex had taken a gamble in investing his money with a slick solicitor who sounded good and Alex had been greedy to get rich quick. By the time Alex realized it was a sham, the solicitor had left town and taken everything he had. He instantly became the laughingstock of London, for having been so easily fooled.
"You can't go in there foxed." Thomas grabbed Alex by the arm and pulled him off the side of the carriage. "No good matchmaking momma is going to let their daughter near you like this."
The smell of brandy got stronger as Alex shifted forward and jabbed a finger into Thomas's chest." They used to line up for me, begging for an introduction."
"That was before you became a penniless drunk."
Thomas heard him stumble again and reached out before Alex fell on his face. It took a moment for him to get them both steady again.
"I still have my title," Alex said, allowing both gentlemen to guide him inside the carriage, where he landed with a thump on the seat. "That should be worth something to them."
Something in the melancholy tone of Alex's voice worried Thomas. Perhaps it was not a good idea to leave his friend alone tonight. Instead he decided he would spend the night trying to distract him and hope for a better mood in the morning.
Chapter 3
ELOISA HAD ALWAYS BEEN fond of rising early in the morning, preferably just before dawn. Even if she had just gone to bed a few hours before, she couldn't sleep through the sunrise. As always, she got dressed and sneaked through the hallways. She had gotten into the habit of walking through Hyde Park in these early hours when no one else was there. It gave her some much-needed solitude.
Her mind kept going over what had happened the night before. It was her own behavior that shocked her the most. Never before had she been as bold with a man as she had been with him. Thomas brought out either the best or the worst in her. Then to see him struggle and fail with her cousin was a surprise. He had found nothing but success with women before. She was so absorbed in her thoughts that she almost ran into another woman out for a stroll.
Lady Harris stood on the path, clutching a limp-looking ball of fur in her arms. "Excuse me for bothering to walk on the same path. Clearly there’s not room for two." Her nose was tilted up so high Eloisa could almost see up it.
"Pardon me, Lady Harris." said Eloisa, moving to allow her plenty of room to pass. "I'm afraid I am in such good spirits today that I wasn't paying attention. You remember what that feels like, don't you?"
Apparently she didn't. The lady's black eyes narrowed at Eloisa until her skin crawled. The way Lady Harris’s lips pursed together reminded Eloisa of someone eating a lemon. There was no one around to admire her clothes, but the unpleasant woman was dressed in high fashion. Eloisa felt uncomfortable in the simple blue walking dress she wore that was two years out of fashion. Even her hat was an old one that had belonged to Sarah. She forced her chin up while Lady Harris scrutinized her.
"Such displays of joy are indecent." The woman's voice pitched upward. "I expected more from a proper young woman, especially one who is supposed to be a chaperon. You have proven to be a bad influence on your charge and that won't recommend you for future positions."
Eloisa's eyebrows arched. "Future positions?"
"Surely you have given some thought to what you will do after Lady Sarah is married." Lady Harris ignored the ball of fur as it wiggled. "You can't hope to live off of her generosity for the rest of your life. If you plan to continue as a chaperone, you must display the proper behavior."
Setting her shoulders straight, Eloisa addressed Lady Harris in a sweet voice. "I have no desire to continue as a chaperone after my cousin is married, nor do I plan on being her dependent. Once she is happily settled I have every intention of returning to my own pursuits."
The absurd little flowers on Lady Harris' hat bounced as she shook her head. "A woman only has one pursuit and that is to marry a man. You have failed miserably at that."
Eloisa gave a little shrug. "I suppose I did, but there is nothing to be done to change it now. I guess I will have to find something else to pursue."
The truth was, Eloisa hadn't given much thought to her future after Sarah was married. Her family didn't have money, which would make it difficult to remain independent once her father was gone. The idea of relying on Sarah and her new husband for a home made her uncomfortable.
"I assume you’re referring to your ridiculous adventures abroad. I've heard rumors about that, but didn't want to think so poorly of you and your father."
Speaking badly of her father was not something Eloisa would tolerate. She marched right up to Lady Harris so that they were standing only inches apart, keeping her hands clenched at her sides for fear of what might happen if she didn't.
Though her voice was calm, she allowed her tone to convey the threat. "My father is not to be judged by you or anyone else." She waited while the lady gasped. "If you find fault with me and my pursuit of freedom, you can address me directly about it. He has nothing to do with it."
Lady Harris tried to look down her nose at Eloisa, but it was impossible when they stood this close and Eloisa was so much taller. For once she was grateful not to be a petite woman.
"He shouldn't have encouraged you by taking you with him. It was disgraceful."
"Leaving a beloved daughter behind would have been worse."
"Not if it might have kept you decent. No man is going to want to marry you now that you are so long in the tooth."
"If anyone knows about old age,
it would be you."
Watching the old woman's lips flutter silently gave Eloisa a deep sense of satisfaction. She began to wonder why she hadn't been so bold before. She didn't need this woman pointing out how uncertain her future was and gloating about it.
"You would be properly behaved if your mother were still alive." Lady Harris let one corner of her lips curl into a distorted smile.
That knocked all the steam out of Eloisa and she felt the sting of tears in her eyes. The last thing she wanted was to cry in front of that spiteful woman. It would only prove that Lady Harris was right about her. Clenching her jaw, Eloisa tried to push past the lady and her maid. When Lady Harris tried to block her path Eloisa stumbled into her. That gave the tiny spaniel she carried the chance to make an escape.
Lady Harris screamed and waved her hands in the air, but made no attempt to chase after the little dog. Her maid looked unable to decide which matter needed tending first. In only a few minutes the dog had gone far enough to disappear out of sight.
Sagging backwards against the unfortunate maid, Lady Harris called out to her pet. "Reginald, don't go!"
It would be only fair for the old lady to lose her only companion, but Eloisa was afraid it would be the dog that suffered. A pampered house pet wouldn’t be able to survive on its own. The maid's hands were full trying to keep Lady Harris from landing in the dirt, so Eloisa could see she was the only one who was able to go after poor Reginald and return him to his owner. Holding up the edges of her skirt, she walked briskly in the direction she had seen the dog disappear. The path turned a corner near a large tree, and what Eloisa saw after that was wildly funny.
Sprawled out on the grass with the tiny ball of fluff on his chest, was the Duke of Ashford. He remained motionless as the dog bounced around, licking his face. As she approached Eloisa could see his irritated expression, which was too much for her to keep from laughing. The sound must have startled Reginald, because the dog bounced away back in the direction of its owner.