“Then my mother will need to accept that,” Nathaniel said, his tone matter-of-fact. “It is really no concern of hers, after all.”
“Do you honestly think that she would?” Miss Conolly asked. She sounded skeptical, but Nathaniel saw a glimmer in her eye that he hoped meant that she was considering the possibility herself.
“Yes. She will have to accept it, and I know that in time she will see how happy you make me. Please, come to dinner at my townhouse tomorrow evening. You can meet my mother, and see for yourself.”
“I met your mother once already, at the same party where we met, Your Grace,” Miss Conolly said. “She did not seem to like me much then. I do not see why that should change now.”
“I am sorry for her behavior at that party,” Nathaniel said, silently cursing his mother. “I will speak to her, and make sure that she treats you with you with all due courtesy tomorrow.”
Miss Conolly sighed deeply, and then looked into Nathaniel’s eyes. “All right,” she said. “I will come to dinner tomorrow evening and meet your mother, and if she gives us her blessing, then yes, I will accept your proposal.”
“Well, this calls for a toast,” Mrs. Hughes said from the corner. Both Nathaniel and Miss Conolly jumped slightly at her words. She had been so quiet, and so focused on her knitting, that both Nathaniel and Miss Conolly had forgotten that she was present.
“Oh, I suppose so,” Miss Conolly said, a pretty blush spreading across her cheeks.
“I’ll just go and fetch a bottle,” Mrs. Hughes said, standing up to leave the room. Nathaniel wondered whether she had done this on purpose to leave them alone for a moment. She did not close the parlor door as she left, and he knew that she would return in only a moment. Still the semi-privacy he now shared with Miss Conolly was unbelievably exciting.
Nathaniel leaned forward in his chair and reached his hands out to grasp hers. They were small enough to fit neatly in his own, and her skin felt warm against his. She leaned forward as well, with a smile on her lips, so that their faces were only a few inches apart. Without making a conscious choice to do so, Nathaniel inched closer to her, until his lips touched hers.
He had imagined kissing her so many times, and in his imagination her kisses had been thrilling, but they could not compare to the real thing. Her lips were soft against his, but they soon parted, allowing his tongue to explore her mouth. She moaned with pleasure as he kissed her hungrily, as though he could never kiss her enough.
Too soon, they heard Mrs. Hughes approaching and sprung apart. Nathaniel felt certain that the landlady was making more noise than was entirely necessary, to warn them of her return. He thought that she had a rather knowing smile upon her face when she entered the parlor a moment later.
She was carrying a tray with three glasses of ale, and placed it on the table before handing a glass to each of them.
“To the happy couple,” she said, lifting her own glass high. “May you have many blessings in this life.”
Chapter 31
Anna lay in her bed the following morning, awake, but not yet ready to open her eyes. She was terrified that she would get out of bed and discover that the events of the previous day had been nothing more than a dream. On the other hand, she was equally terrified of having dinner with the Dowager Duchess.
For whatever Nathaniel had said about her the previous day, Anna did not think she would be pleased by the thought of her son marrying a ballerina. Perhaps he was right that she might be convinced to accept the arrangement, but Anna did not believe that she would ever really approve of it.
As she woke up fully, Anna allowed herself to accept the reality of what had happened. The Duke of Yanborough had asked her to marry him, and she had accepted. Her concerns about his mother still weighed heavily on her mind, but they could not overshadow the joy she felt at being in love with him, and knowing that he was in love with her as well.
Now she knew that her priority must be to do everything she could to please his mother at dinner tonight. Perhaps there was nothing that she could do to make the Dowager Duchess accept her, but she was determined to at least try. Anna got out of bed and dressed in her simple gray dress. This would do for the day, but she had no idea what she ought to wear to dinner.
She thought that her two party gowns were too formal for a dinner at home, but in truth she was not sure what one wore to dinner at Duke’s townhouse.
There is so much I do not know about the life of an aristocrat.
After eating her breakfast, and helping Mrs. Hughes in the kitchen for a bit, Anna decided to go and see Bridget. She had not been to Bridget’s new boarding house, but she knew the address and had been hoping to visit soon anyway. Anna was not sure how she did it, but Bridget always seemed to know what to say, and how to dress, when dealing with aristocrats.
The walk to Bridget’s house was a short one, but Anna wrapped her shawl tightly around her shoulders against the cold. When she arrived at the house, she saw that it was well kept, and even had a small front garden. She was surprised to see that it was nicer than any boarding house she had ever visited, but pleased that Bridget had found such fine accommodations.
She knocked on the door and was greeted by a thin woman of about forty, who must have been the landlady.
“Good morning,” she said. “Is Miss Rowley in? I am her friend, Miss Conolly.”
“Good morning, Miss,” the woman said, looking somewhat startled, “I shall see if Miss Rowley is receiving visitors.”
The landlady led Anna into a cozy sitting room, and indicated that she ought to wait there while she fetched Miss Rowley. Anna sat down on a loveseat upholstered in what appeared to be heavy silk, and marveled at the luxury of it. She did not have much time to think about this, as she warmed herself before the fire, before Bridget came in to meet her.
“Anna,” she exclaimed. “I am so pleased to see you. Welcome back to town.”
“Good morning, Bridget, I am very pleased to see you again, too.”
“How are you?” Bridget asked, giving her friend a searching look. “I can see in your eyes that you have something you wish to discuss with me.”
“I am quite well,” Anna said, beginning to feel breathless. “Quite well, indeed.”
“Well, I am certainly glad to hear that,” Bridget said, sounding curious now. “May I ask what is making you so happy?”
Anna took a deep breath, and told Bridget about the Duke’s proposal the previous day. She shared her anxiety about the Dowager Duchess, and her uncertainty of what to wear to dinner that evening.
“Well, that problem is easily solved,” Bridget said, standing up and holding out a hand to lead Anna from the room. “Come with me.”
Anna followed her friend out of the room and up the stairs. They entered Bridget’s bedroom, and Anna was impressed to see that it was quite as lovely as the rest of the house. The bed was large enough for two people and looked soft and inviting, covered in thick, rich blankets.
“Is this your bedroom?” Anna asked.
“Of course it is,” Bridget replied, not looking at Anna, but walking over to her wardrobe. “Do you think I make a habit of bringing my friends to other people’s bedrooms?”
Anna chuckled at this idea, and said, “No, I suppose you do not. It is a lovely room, and a lovely house.”
“Aha, here we are.” Bridget said, turning to face Anna and holding two gowns, one in each arm. “What do you think? Do you prefer the pink, or the blue?”
“Oh,” Anna said. “I don’t know, what do you think?”
“Blue,” Bridget said, after looking at each one for a moment. “The pink will clash with your beautiful hair.”
Bridget helped Anna out of her gray gown and into the blue one, lacing it tightly. Then both women examined her reflection in the full length looking glass. The gown was simply cut, but made from fine silk that felt smooth and delicious against her skin. Seeing her reflection, Anna thought that she looked beautiful without being ostentatious. She suppo
sed that this was exactly the sort of thing that an aristocrat would wear to dinner.
“Oh, Bridget, I think that this is perfect,” she said, opening her arms wide to embrace her best friend.
“I agree, you look lovely,” Bridget said with a smile.
“Thank you,” Anna said, “for everything. I am truly lucky to have a friend such as you to support me when I have no idea what I ought to be doing.”
“I am very happy to be of service,” Bridget said, “and I am very happy for you, as well. I hope that you and the Duke will find great joy in one another.”
“I believe that we will. I only hope that his mother will not object too vehemently,” Anna said, feeling anxious. She knew that she must not let her anxiety get the best of her and resolved to change the subject. “That is quite enough about me, though. How have you been, Bridget?”
Bridget said that she had been enjoying her time off from the ballet, and her new lodgings, but did not share much in the way of details about her life. The two friends passed the rest of the morning trying on some of Bridget’s fine new clothes, styling one another’s hair, and trading gossip about their common acquaintances. It was the perfect way to distract Anna from her concerns about dinner at the Duke’s townhouse.
* * *
Nathaniel realized, the following morning, that he had been overconfident in telling Miss Conolly that his mother would accept her for his sake. He still believed that she would, in the end, but it was becoming clear that this would be a longer, and more difficult process than he had anticipated.
As Nathaniel and his mother shared breakfast, he steeled himself for an argument.
“Mother,” he said, “I have invited Miss Conolly to dinner tonight.”
His mother stared at him for a moment, arching one eyebrow. When she finally spoke, she said, simply, “Miss…who?”
“Miss Conolly,” he said. He was sure that she knew exactly who he meant, but was irritated to see that she was still feigning confusion. So, he spoke more firmly now. “Miss Conolly, the prima ballerina from the London Ballet Company.”
“Really?” his mother asked, sounding surprised.
“Yes, Mother, I should like for you to get to know her.”
“Why ever should I wish to do that?” his mother asked. He was certain that she was being deliberately obtuse, and wished that she would speak her mind.
“Because,” he said, holding his irritation at bay, “she has become my particular friend, and she is very important to me.”
“Well, I cannot see why this should be so important to you, but all right,” his mother said, casually, as though it did not matter to her one way or the other.
“Thank you, Mother,” Nathaniel said. “I shall expect you to show Miss Conolly every courtesy.”
“Nathaniel,” his mother said, sounding frustrated for the first time. “Have you ever known me to be discourteous to a guest in our home? No, of course you have not. I will show Miss Conolly every courtesy.”
“Thank you, Mother,” Nathaniel said.
He supposed that he ought to have been pleased with his mother’s easy acquiescence to his request. However, he had been so certain that she would object, and had spent so much time mentally preparing for a conflict, that he felt strangely uneasy.
Was this conversation merely the calm period before a storm of conflict?
Nathaniel considered what this might mean as he finished his breakfast in silence. He tried to read the newspaper as was his habit, but found that he was unable to focus on the words before him. His anxiety about his mother’s reaction to Miss Conolly still loomed large. However, he supposed it was true that she would never be discourteous to a guest in her home.
After several minutes of silence, the Dowager Duchess spoke again, her tone casual. “I have a meeting of the garden club this afternoon, but will be home in time for dinner.”
“Ah,” Nathaniel said, looking up at her. He was not sure what to make of this change of subject. In the end, he chose to believe that she simply wished to fill the silence without causing more conflict. “Well, I hope that you will enjoy your meeting.”
“Thank you, dear,” she replied. “I am sure that I will enjoy it very much. Did you know that Lady Margaret is a member of the club?”
“Lady Margaret?” Nathaniel asked. He wondered if this was some aristocrat’s daughter that she would like him to marry. He wracked his brain trying to remember if she had introduced him to a Lady Margaret, and found that the name seemed familiar, but he could not place it.
“Lady Margaret,” his mother continued, “is the wife of Mr. Bamber, who runs the ballet company where your…particular friend…is employed.”
“Oh, I see,” Nathaniel said, feeling slightly uneasy about this connection, though he could not really explain why. “Is she a Lady then? Mr. Bamber holds no title of which I know.”
His mother scowled at this, but continued, “She is a Lady by birth. Her father was the Earl of Winstead, and now her brother holds that title. The poor thing married beneath her station, but Mr. Bamber is quite wealthy, and her father had badly mismanaged his estate, so…”
Her voice trailed off as though she did not like to speak of such vulgar matters as money. She was giving Nathaniel a peculiar look, as though she expected him to say something to this pronouncement. When he said nothing, she continued.
“I suppose that she seems happy enough now, but who can really say whether a marriage is a happy one. It was quite a scandal when they married, and I expect that poor Lady Margaret suffered terribly at being the subject of so much gossip.”
Nathaniel scoffed at this, knowing perfectly well that his mother would have delighted in such gossip at the time.
He sighed deeply, and finally spoke. “Yes, well, Ladies can be quite cruel to one another, as I am sure you know. But if Lady Margaret and Mr. Bamber are happy in their marriage, then it seems to me that the whole affair has turned out quite well.”
His mother pursed her lips at this and said nothing more. Nathaniel did not like to antagonize her, but recently it seemed as though they were always at odds. He was tired of her interference in his life, and it was becoming harder and harder to dismiss her meddling as well-intended. He was certain that her concern about potential scandal was at least as much for her own sake as for his.
Chapter 32
The Duke had sent the carriage to pick Anna up at her boarding house. She knew that the walk to his townhouse was not short, and as the evening was cold, she was thankful to be riding there in the enclosed carriage. As she sat inside of it, she was once again flooded with memories of the ride she had shared with him.
She had been nervous about her meeting with the Dowager Duchess all day, and soon found that losing herself in these memories was a good distraction. An even better distraction was the memory of the kiss that she had shared with the Duke the previous day.
She had never even imagined that a single kiss could convey so much passion. The memory of it was like a talisman that she could carry with her, always, and examine when she needed it most. The more she thought about it, the more it seemed a sort of magic to her, though she was not generally prone to superstition.
The gentle movement of the carriage soothed Anna into a sort of trance as she thought about these things while traveling across the city. When they arrived at the Duke’s townhouse, and the coachman opened the door for her, Anna stepped out into the chilly night air, and took in the grandeur of the townhouse. She could hardly believe that she might one day live here herself.
The door was opened within seconds of her knock, and a stiff looking butler greeted her. “Good evening, Miss Conolly, may I take your cloak?”
“Yes, thank you,” she said, removing her cloak and handing it to him. He looked mildly surprised, though she could not understand why.
“Please follow me, Miss.”
Anna followed the butler into the drawing room, where the Duke and the Dowager Duchess were already seated. They seemed to
be sitting in silence, not looking at one another, and Anna could not help but think that this did not bode well for the rest of the evening.
“Your Graces, Miss Conolly is here to see you,” the butler announced.
“Thank you, Williams,” the Duke said, standing up to greet her.
“Welcome, Miss Conolly,” he said, smiling at her. “May I introduce my mother, the Dowager Duchess of Yanborough?”
Anna smiled at him, and then turned to look at the Dowager Duchess. She had remained in her seat, but stood up now to meet her guest. Her manner seemed stiff, and Anna saw that she was not smiling. Her tone was neutral when she spoke.
The Art 0f Pleasuring A Duke (Steamy Historical Regency Romance) Page 23