He shook his head.
“Sacrifices must be made,” she said. “’Tis time I made them.”
“But Father gave you this—”
“I regret to say it holds no sentimental value for me. It was a loveless marriage. That is the way of it when one marries for duty.”
My dear Mr. Jeremy Rose:
I hope my letter finds you and your sisters well. You were so incredibly kind during a most difficult time in my life, and I shall always be grateful that you served as my champion. I wish to ask another favor of you, and I have little to offer in exchange except the promise to find you a suitable wife, one deserving of such a fine gentleman as yourself.
As you will see this letter is accompanied by an invitation to an upcoming Cinderella ball to be hosted by the duke and me. During the evening, he will introduce his lovely sister, Caroline, into Society. I ask that you merely dance the second dance with her.
If you will do me the courtesy of honoring this request, you will have my undying gratitude, and at your leisure, I shall help you find a wife.
Yours most gratefully,
The Duchess of Hawkhurst
The plans for the ball were coming along nicely. Louisa had sent the invitations, along with her letter to Jeremy. She was certain he would honor her request for a favor.
She’d finished altering the dress for Caroline. She’d just spent an hour walking through the gardens with the duchess and gardener, discussing the flowers they’d like to have at the ball. When she returned to the manor, she discovered she had a visitor.
“Mrs. Rose! What an unexpected…surprise!”
“Is not every surprise unexpected? That’s what makes it a surprise is it not?”
Louisa forced herself to smile at the unpleasant woman who had come to call. She assumed one of the maids had escorted her into the foyer. Hawk had gone riding to look over his land. Caroline was probably in her room reading. Which left Louisa to face the dragon alone. Probably not a bad situation. “Forgive me for my poor choice of wording. I meant an unexpected pleasure.”
Mrs. Rose glanced around. “So this is where my daughter would be living if you’d not deceived us. You have not done too shabbily for yourself.”
Louisa thought about trying to explain that Alex was the one who had deceived them, deceived them all, but she saw no point. The woman would believe what she would.
“So what brings you to Selwyn Manor?” Louisa asked.
“I would have a word with you. In private.”
It did not get much more private than the two of them, but they were in the entry hallway.
“Let’s go into the parlor,” Louisa said. “Would you like me to fetch us some tea?”
“No, I will be brief. This is not a social call.”
Somehow Louisa was not surprised. She escorted Mrs. Rose into the parlor.
The woman walked to the window and gazed out. “I have never seen such exquisite gardens.”
“We are very fortunate that our gardener gives them the care that he does. Although I’m certain you did not come to discuss our gardens.”
“No, I most certainly did not.” She turned to face Louisa. “Do you know yet if this marriage was necessary?”
“Yes, it was necessary,” Louisa said, refusing to think otherwise.
“Then you know you are with child?”
“I do not see that my knowledge of my condition is your concern.”
“I’m well aware, my dear, that you have no soft spot in your heart for me. That you consider me brash and perhaps vulgar when compared with your refinement, but I promise you that you will never find a mother who loves her daughters more and wishes only the best for them.”
“If I may be so bold, then I suggest you let them find their own husbands.”
“No, that will not do. Correct me if I’m wrong, but only three dukes remain available for marriage: Whitson, Pemburton, and Stonehaven.”
“Surely you are not considering Whitson. He is at least sixty.”
“Are they the only three?”
Louisa sighed. “Yes.”
Mrs. Rose released a large gust of air. “No, I am not considering Whitson, but I may be left with no choice. Stonehaven has refused to consider my daughters. The man is obviously an imbecile, and I will not give James stupid grandchildren. That leaves one duke, and I have two daughters.” She threw back her shoulders. “Unless you are not with child, in which case your duke could become available again.”
Louisa shook her head. “Without even asking him, I know my husband would not go through the scandal of divorce.”
“I’m not talking divorce. I’m talking annulment.”
Louisa felt the heat scald her face. “It is too late for that.”
“Not necessarily. When you have a good deal of money, it is seldom too late for anything.
“Once I knew a young lady who became involved with a gentleman who was undeserving of her. They married, much to her family’s disappointment. We were very close to this young lady, and Jeremy was able to convince her that it was not in her best interest to remain married. With James’s help, we were able to obtain an annulment for her, even though she had been married for several months.
“I do not know your feelings for Hawkhurst, but if you determine that you do not wish to remain married to him, and if you are in fact, not with child, you need but let me know and I will see that your marriage is annulled.”
“An annulment—”
“Is not as scandalous as a divorce. If Hawkhurst is no longer married to you, he will be available to Jenny.”
“Are you implying that Jenny would marry him?”
“I would see to it.”
“And if she doesn’t want to marry him?”
“Leave convincing her to me.”
Louisa could no longer imagine it: Jenny and Hawkhurst.
“Do not pin your hopes on our getting our annulment.”
Mrs. Rose arched a brow. “Even if it meant Jeremy would marry you?”
“You would have him marry me, with all that has happened?”
“He told me of the letter you wrote him, of your offer to find him a wife. I see no reason why that wife cannot be you. The scandal created here would not follow you to America.”
“Does he know you’re proposing this?”
“Of course not. But he is fond of you, and it would be no hardship for him to marry you.”
Louisa thought she’d never met a more socially ambitious woman.
“What of Kate?” Louisa asked.
“My plan will leave Pemburton for her. Do you not see how everyone will benefit?”
“You are manipulating lives.”
“Are you denying that you manipulated Hawkhurst when you allowed him to seduce you?”
Louisa came to her feet. “Mrs. Rose, I believe it is time for you to take your leave.”
“At least think on what I’m proposing.”
“I see no point in wasting my time considering it for even a moment.”
“Well, as my husband always says, there is never any harm in asking. Good day to you, Louisa.”
“Your Grace.”
The woman jerked her head back. “Pardon?”
“You will address me as Your Grace or Duchess. Marriage to my husband has earned me that respect.”
To Louisa’s immense surprise, Mrs. Rose tipped her head slightly. “Of course, Your Grace. Have a pleasant afternoon.”
Louisa was still shaking long after the woman left. The audacity of her to come here and propose such a thing. She wouldn’t dare tell Hawk about the woman’s visit. She could only imagine how angry he would get.
Or perhaps she didn’t want to tell him because she feared that he would welcome the annulment and the opportunity to marry Jenny. Marriage to Jenny would offer financial security. And how many times had he cursed her walking into the library?
Their Cinderella ball would be held in less than a week, a thousand things remained to be done in order for a
ll to be readied, and Louisa suddenly had no energy to see to any of them. Instead she sat curled in the chair in her sitting area, staring at the bed where only last night her husband had made passionate love to her. For a man who claimed to lose interest after the thrill of the hunt had passed, he still displayed an inordinate amount of enthusiasm when he took her in his arms.
But that enthusiasm was certain to wane from that day forward. For their marriage had done little more than preserve her reputation. There was no child to protect.
The evidence of that truth had arrived only an hour earlier and it seemed to have sapped all her strength. The knowledge made her brother’s betrayal somehow seem so much worse. If he’d kept the incident to himself, she’d have known in a little over a fortnight that marriage was not required.
Instead, his betrayal had not only been to her and Hawk, but now she knew it was also a betrayal to Caroline because it left Hawk without the means adequately to protect her. Money was indeed a great equalizer. The small Cinderella ball that Louisa had planned for Caroline’s coming out paled in comparison to the one that Hawk would have been able to give her if he’d been married to Jenny. It could have been so grand, so elaborate it would have been the talk of London, eclipsing any gossip about Caroline herself.
It was not often that Louisa was plagued with doubts regarding her plans, but she was plagued now, and it seemed more important than ever that she ensure Caroline not have a moment’s heartache the night of her first ball.
A brisk knock sounded on the door a second before Hawk opened it and stepped into her room. Her heart tightened. She’d come to care for him so terribly much, wanted nothing more than she wanted him to be happy.
“Your list of things that needed to be accomplished today included arranging the ballroom. I thought you were going to come tell us”—he stepped farther into the room, his brow furrowing deeply—“Louisa, are you all right?”
She forced herself to smile, to nod. “We shall arrange the ballroom tomorrow. I just realized I must go to London to see to some things.”
He came farther into the room and sat in the chair opposite her. Reaching out, he took her hand. “Darling, what’s wrong?”
She was struck by two things. The endearments that he used without seeming to think about them and the fact that he was becoming adept at reading her moods. It was simply the familiarity of their being together so much of the time, not because of any great feelings he held for her.
She sighed, swallowed, squeezed his hand. “I just discovered I’m not…carrying your heir. I’m sorry.”
He gave her a tender smile. “That is a condition that we can easily rectify.”
She released a small laugh. “You are attempting to make me feel better, but do you not see? We had no reason to marry.”
“We had every reason to marry. This does not change the damage I did to your reputation.”
“Still, I’m more aware now of the sacrifice you made in marrying me.” She thought of his mother’s words about marrying for duty. Had they not done exactly that?
“Marriage to you is no great hardship,” he said brusquely.
His words were hardly a declaration of love. The sad reality was that they never would be. He’d told her they’d make the best of it, and the best was viewing it as no great hardship. If they were ever in a position to give each other gifts, would they hold no sentimental value?
“Yes, well.” She cleared her throat. “As I said, I need to take care of some matters in London regarding the ball. I’d like to go today.”
“We can leave as soon as the coach is readied.”
“No,” she said hastily. “I have a lot of small errands to run that will simply test the limits of your patience.”
“I don’t want you going alone.”
“I’ll be fine. I’m a married woman. I don’t require an escort. Don’t argue with me over this, and I’ll bring you back some brandy balls.”
“Why do I have a sense that you’re not being forthright?”
“I’m a bit melancholy. I’d not realized how much I’d hoped to be with child. Now I simply need some time alone, and the journey to London will provide me with that.”
He studied her for a moment, and she wondered if her lie was written across her face.
“I’ll return before nightfall,” she promised.
Releasing her hand, he came to his feet. “If it is your wish to journey alone…” He shook his head. “It does not feel right.”
“Please, Hawk, I so enjoyed being a woman of independent means, able to shop when and where I wished. I don’t wish to feel the shackles of marriage.”
He stiffened, and she could see her words had hurt him. She wanted to take them back, to apologize, but she needed to go to London alone, with no encumbrances to the plan that had begun forming in her mind as soon as she’d realized she wasn’t with child, a plan of which she was certain he wouldn’t approve, but she was determined to set it into motion. Hawk and Caroline would benefit immensely if she were successful.
“Very well. I will see you this evening for dinner.”
With that, he spun on his heel and walked from the room, leaving her bereft and knowing that during the next few days, for her, matters would only worsen.
As she journeyed in the coach to London, she mentally checked off all the things that remained to be done: the arranging of the arrival of the orchestra, the ordering of special meats and pastries.
A little over two hours later, she stood in the Rose drawing room, having given her card to the butler, surprised she was not trembling as she had been that first morning when she’d awaited an audience with Mr. and Mrs. Rose.
Hearing the loud footsteps, she slowly took a deep breath as Mrs. Rose entered the room and did little more than arch a brow.
Louisa swallowed hard. “I’ve come to discuss your proposition.”
Chapter 20
“What if no one comes?” Caroline asked, fidgeting on the chair as Louisa sought to arrange her hair.
“Oh, they’ll come,” Louisa assured her, “for curiosity’s sake if nothing else.”
“Curiosity about me?”
“They don’t know about you, darling,” her mother said, as she stood off to the side watching the preparations. “I suspect they are interested in knowing how the old duchess is faring and the new duchess is weathering her sudden marriage.”
“I’m so glad you decided to attend, Mama,” Caroline said.
Louisa caught the duchess’s gaze in the mirror. She could see the worry in her eyes, knew she was tempted to say she’d not let her daughter walk into the lions’ den alone. Instead, she smiled brightly. “I have not attended a ball in years. I would be a silly woman indeed to miss one held within my own home.” She cleared her throat. “Or my son’s home, as it were.”
“I don’t take offense at you referring to it as your home,” Louisa said. “The flower arrangements in the ballroom are absolutely beautiful.”
“Denby had great success at forcing some of the flowers to bloom early. He is a miracle worker, that one.”
Louisa stepped back. “I think that’s it for the hair.”
Caroline twisted her head one way, then the other. “It’s so lovely.”
“Come, I’ll help you get into your gown.”
Sometime later, Caroline was staring at her reflection, with tears in her eyes. “I think I look like a faerie princess.” She spun around. “What do you think, Mother?”
Louisa was disappointed, watching as the duchess gave her daughter a disapproving look. Please don’t ruin this night for her, she thought. Please don’t.
The duchess shook her head. “I think something is missing. Turn back around. Perhaps I can determine what it is.”
Caroline looked so incredibly worried, Louisa’s heart went out to her.
“I can see nothing amiss,” Caroline said.
“I see the problem,” the duchess said. She slipped her hands around in front of Caroline’s throat and wh
en she drew them back, she clasped a pearl necklace into place. “There. Every lady of quality should have pearls. Those were my mother’s, and now they are yours.”
Louisa did not even bother to hold back her tears as she watched the mother and daughter embrace. All she could do was hope that tonight would be as wonderful as she’d envisioned, because in the end it was going to cost her everything she held dear.
Standing by the window in the library, Hawk downed the brandy in one swallow. It was only a damned ball, and his nervousness was unprecedented. He didn’t know whether to pray no one arrived or to pray everyone came. Why had he agreed to this madness? His sister was still so young, so innocent.
He would dance with her. Falconridge would dance with her. Then who? He did not expect Ravensley to show his treacherous face. He could probably entice someone with a lesser title to dance with her. A second son. A fifth son.
But even the thought of someone dancing with her brought him unease. What if the man sought to seduce her, to get her alone, to take advantage?
Dear God in heaven, what if a man such as he asked her to dance?
He prayed he’d have no daughters of his own to watch over. It was not an easy thing to give a young, innocent girl into another’s keeping. Much better to have sons who could stand up for themselves. Although he suspected Louisa’s daughters would not do too shabbily in that regard. She could stand up to him. If only she’d not come to the library at Pemburton’s to do so.
“Hawk?”
He glanced over his shoulder and felt as though the breath had been knocked out of him.
Caroline took a step toward him. She smiled shyly. “What do you think?”
She was a vision of loveliness, dressed in white, her shoulders bared, her throat exposed.
“The ball is canceled,” he snapped. “You are to return to your room straightaway. Louisa!”
She appeared immediately, from where he knew not, and she, too, was a vision of loveliness, but he had no time to fully appreciate her beauty.
“We are not having a ball,” he said. “You and I shall stand on the steps and inform anyone who arrives there is a contagion in the house, and they must leave immediately.”
Duke of Her Own, A Page 23