His body tensed. Had Marianne been right? Was she trying to seduce him?
“Sofia,” he started to say, but she interrupted.
“I will make a promise to you. Since you do not know the ways of the ton, I will help you, guide you, and make sure no one seeks to take advantage of you.”
“That is kind,” he said, inching away from her on the settee, “but as I have said, I have already received instruction, from Miss Blithe.”
She patted his hand. “A fine woman indeed,” she said. “Although—and it is through no fault of her own, mind you—but there is much she does not know.”
“How do you mean?” he asked, taken aback by her words. “Do you not like what you see before you? Have I not acted appropriately?”
“Please, my friend,” she said as she shifted over closer to him. “I did not mean to offend you. What I meant was, she does not know the ways of a Duke. But I do. It was I, in the shadow of my husband’s greatness, who watched, nurtured, and taught. There is a wide chasm between her upbringing and one of a Duke, which is greatness. You do wish to achieve greatness, do you not?”
William nodded. What she said was true. “Yes, I do.”
“As I said before, there are many around you, and more to come, who will seek to ruin you through rumor or who will attempt to take advantage of your kindness. I will not allow my friends to be hurt.” She squeezed his hand and smiled at him. “Will you grant me one request?” she asked.
William nodded. “Of course.” Marianne’s warming came to mind again but he pushed it back to the far corner of his mind. Marianne had been mistaken; this woman could never be what she was accused of. The woman needed a friend, and he could use her expertise. Who better to guide and teach him but a woman who came from humble beginnings and had to learn how to live amongst the aristocracy?
“Allow me to instruct you further, in the ways of a Duke, guiding you through the difficult times ahead. It is the very least I can do, and I know your grandfather would have wanted me to do so.”
She had known his grandfather, and his grandfather had trusted her. Her words encouraged him, and he thought of the man he never knew. The man who had counted Sofia as a friend. A woman, who he could see now was simply trying to help. He had misjudged her, and for that he felt sorry.
“Your request shall be granted,” he replied.
She smiled and released his hand. “Here, let me refill your glass.”
As he waited for her to pour him a new drink, he said, “You will be receiving an invitation soon, to a party I am to host. You will come, will you not?”
“Of course,” she said as he placed the fresh drink in his hand. “I would be honored, Your Grace…that is, William.” Her smile widened. “Perhaps you can host a dinner beforehand, to celebrate our expansion of the village and to let the few close to you know of your greatness and how our plans stopped me from putting a butcher out of work.”
He laughed as he set the untouched brandy on the table and stood. He had had plenty to drink; he did not need to stumble away from the house as if it was a pub. “That is an excellent idea! Though, we will celebrate our working together and the new business dealings to come.”
Sofia walked over and placed a hand on his cheek. “Truly, you are a great Duke. Your grandfather would be proud. I know I am.”
He smiled, his heart warming at her words. Everyone around him had expected him to be great, and like Marianne and her mother, Sofia saw that he had indeed accomplished that. And with Sofia’s guidance, he would become even greater.”
“Now, tell me more of this Miss Blithe,” Sofia said as she sat back down on the settee and patted the space beside her.
William glanced at the door. He should be on his way, but he was enjoying himself all too much to leave. So, he returned to his seat and said, “There is much to tell, but I do not know where to start.”
Sofia laughed. “The night is early, and there is plenty of brandy left. Tell me everything.”
Why not? he thought as he picked up the glass once again and took a healthy swallow. And soon, he was sharing all he knew of the woman he cared for with his new friend.
Chapter Fourteen
Marianne smiled at William, who was bidding her father farewell. After a week of waiting, this was to be their first official outing, and Marianne could scarcely hold in her impatience.
A footman opened the door and handed her into the carriage, followed by Julia, who was in attendance as Marianne’s chaperone. The woman had been beside herself with excitement for Marianne and had arrived the previous night to be certain she was not late.
“Anything could happen while on the way over,” she had argued as she and Marianne sat in Marianne’s room in their nightdresses with the only light coming from the fire in the hearth.
“You seem to be looking forward to this outing more than I,” Marianne had laughed, although she doubted rather highly that that was the case. No one could have been more excited than she.
Now, Julia smoothed her skirts where no wrinkles lay, and Marianne glanced out the window to check on William’s progress.
“Will he never come?” she said with a click of her tongue.
Julia placed a hand on her arm. “There is nothing to fret over,” she said in a quiet voice.
“I know this to be true, but I cannot help myself,” Marianne said as she leaned her head against the back cushion. Then she looked down at her dress, a dark green muslin with white lace and daisies embroidered on the bodice. “Are you certain this dress was a good choice? Perhaps I should have worn the blue dress with the darker blue flowers. That one is much more beautiful. Do you think I should go and change before we leave? With the amount of time William is taking, I should have more than enough time.”
Julia looked her up and down. “I have seen street urchins in burlap who look better,” she said with a shake of her head. Then she laughed when Marianne gaped at her. “Do not give me that look. You know you look beautiful, so stop your silly fussing and wait as a lady should.”
“It is not what I believe,” Marianne said pointedly. She looked out the window once more. “It is only what he thinks.” However, if he knew what she thought at this moment about the amount of time he was taking to leave, he would most certainly get an earful!
She broke out in laughter.
“And now what do you find so humorous?” Julia asked.
“We are at the beginning of our courtship and I am already acting the grumbling wife,” she said, laughing all the harder.
Julia joined in the laughter. “Well, if you do marry him, you will have plenty of years to upbraid him. At least give him the illusion that you do not think that way before the truth sets in.”
Marianne gasped. “Julia! I am not one to complain in such a way!”
“Then stop conducting yourself as if you do, and I will not name you as such.” She punctuated her words with a stern nod and settled back into the seat.
Marianne sighed. “You are right.”
“Of course I am. You have never been the type to caterwaul, so do not start now.” Her features softened, and she took Marianne’s hand in her own. “He thinks highly of you; it is why he is here. You must stop worrying and be the person you truly are.”
With a heavy sigh, Marianne could do nothing more than agree with her friend. “Yes, I will do that.”
“Here he comes,” Julia said, and she released Marianne’s hand.
“Finally,” Marianne said under her breath, and Julia shot her a stern look that made them both giggle.
William climbed into the carriage and the footman closed the door behind him. With a tap on the side to inform the driver they were all ready, William sat back into the seat and smoothed his breeches. “I believe your father speaks of nothing but business,” he said with a laugh. “Has he always been that way?”
Marianne’s cheeks burned with embarrassment. Her father was happier with the fact that he had found a potential business partner than that she had
found a man who made her happy. “For as long as I can remember, he has spoken only of business,” she said with a sigh. “I am sorry.” The carriage lurched forward, and she grasped the handle above the window.
“Ignore me,” William said. “I am just tired is all. This week has been filled with conducting meetings and scheduling more meetings for next week. That and entertaining people I do not know,” he added. Then he gave a hearty laugh. “And now, I am speaking of business. Forgive me.” His eyes met hers, and Marianne felt her heart catch in her throat. “That color looks nice on you.”
Marianne glanced down at her dress and smiled. “I bought it not a month ago,” she explained; although, she doubted he cared when she had purchased it. The carriage, though quite large—much larger than her father’s in fact—felt compacted, and if it were not for the dust that would cover them before they arrive in the village, she would have opened the windows to help her feel less confined. It was silly, of course, for her to act as she was; she had spent two months with the man, sharing stories and heartfelt moments without so much as a second thought for who he was. However, for some reason, she was behaving as if they had met for the first time.
“Julia, have you spoken to Mr. Ambrose?” William asked, referring to the man who was courting her.
The conversation that followed between William and Julia was polite, and as the carriage moved along, for some reason, Marianne found her mind turning to his dinner with the Dowager Duchess. She wanted to ask him about it but knew that to do such a thing in front of Julia would be embarrassing to them all, for what she truly wished to know was whether the woman had maintained a business environment. Or had she conducted herself in the ways Marianne had heard said she did—as a woman who wanted much more than simple business.
There is no need to be a jealous ninny, she admonished herself. With a new resolve to keep her thoughts under control, she rejoined the conversation, and just in time, for William was now addressing her.
“There is so much I want to show you today,” he said with a wide grin. “I believe you will be impressed with what I have planned for the future of the village.”
Marianne smiled knowing that whatever he planned to do, whether it be great or small, she indeed would be impressed.
***
Marianne was unsure whether it was the sun or her eyes, but she had never noticed how William shone as they walked down the footpath of the main street of Chertsey. In her heart, she was proud of the gentleman he had become; his posture was now perfect, his obvious confidence as a Duke strong, and it radiated from him in great waves.
She was not the only one to notice. Many people of means, people of both the aristocracy and the Gentry, looked his way, smiles on their faces as they dipped their heads in diffidence, even if those nods were followed by a certain curiosity.
“Do you notice how they look at you?” she asked as they strolled at a leisurely pace. “I have never seen such public admiration for a man who is not of the Royal Family.”
He chuckled. “It is not me they hold in admiration,” he said in a low voice. “It is the woman beside me whose beauty calls to them.”
Marianne tightened her grip on his arm to keep herself from falling. At times the man could say things that made her insides seem to lack a skeleton. “Hush, you,” she said.
“You do not wish me to speak in such a way?” he asked. “Very well, I will remain silent from this moment forward.”
She giggled and slapped at his arm playfully. “No, you do not need to do that.”
He gave her a wide smile and patted her hand. “Good. I would hate to keep such thoughts to myself.” He stopped before a jeweler’s. “Let us go inside.”
Before she could protest, he pulled her into the shop, Julia following behind them with a grin to match that of any young child. A man stood behind a counter, hunched over as his fingers moved across a ledger. He glanced up at the sound of the small bell that jingled above the door and immediately set to smoothing his fine brown coat.
“Your Grace,” he said with a formal bow.
Marianne gaped at the man. How did he know William and that he was a Duke?
“It is an honor to have you inside my shop,” the man continued. “If I can assist you with anything, anything at all, please do not hesitate to ask.”
“Indeed, there is something you can help me with,” William replied as he smiled down at Marianne. “This is Miss Marianne Blithe and she seeks the finest jewelry for finger and neck.”
“That I can do,” the man said. “If you can spare me one moment…” He hurried to a curtained doorway and slipped past it.
“William,” Marianne whispered in shock. “I cannot buy jewelry. Where would I come up with that kind of money?”
“I am buying it for you.” He held such a look of innocence that she could not help but be reminded of the first time they had met, when he wore the same look as he bowed to her on the stoop of his own house. She cherished such memories, for that was the man she had come to admire, the man who shared stories of his humble beginnings and his life as a gardener.
“Your kindness is great, and I am honored you would like to do this for me,” she said. “However, I cannot accept such a gift, for it is beyond what I deserve.”
He laughed as he shook his head. “So, you would defy a Duke?”
“No, of course not,” she gasped. “I would never…”
He interrupted. “Then allow me this, Marianne. All week I have thought of nothing but you and doing this to make you happy.”
She found herself nodding. If this was what he wished, then she could do nothing to make him reconsider. Furthermore, that look of wondrous innocence settled on his features, and she relented. “Very well,” she said with a sigh. She shot Julia a warning glance when the woman appeared ready to burst out laughing.
The shopkeeper returned and set a box made of fine, polished wood on the counter. “Your Grace, I believe this will be a piece in which you will be interested,” he said as he opened the lid.
Marianne gasped. Inside was a necklace lined with emeralds, the smallest the size of a dried berry and the largest the size of a chestnut, all set in silver. Beside it, nestled in the velvet cloth, rested a matching ring.
“For two years I have crafted this set,” the man said as he stared down at his creation, “never revealing it to a soul. In my thirty years of crafting jewelry, I have never crafted such a unique item.”
Marianne swallowed hard as she shot Julia a glance. The woman stared in utter amazement, seeming as shocked as Marianne.
“Truly this is a unique piece,” William said as he removed the necklace and held it up to the light. Then he turned to Marianne. “I believe it belongs on a unique woman, does it not?”
Julia held Marianne’s hair as William clasped the necklace around her neck. The metal was cool against her skin, the stones a great weight on her bosom. She did not know what to say, and then he was slipping the ring on her finger. Without warning, she gazed at the ring as if were a wedding ring, their vows having been completed before the words were sealed with a kiss.
“Do you like it?” William asked, a concerned look on his face.
“Yes,” she whispered. “It is beautiful.”
Smiling, William turned back to the shopkeeper. “If Miss Blithe calls in here again, she may put any purchase on my account. For now, send me a bill for these pieces and I will see you compensated.”
“Yes, Your Grace,” the man said with great enthusiasm. Marianne could not blame him; she was certain he had made a fortune with this single sale. “Shall I have the box delivered or will you take it with you?”
“I believe you can have it delivered to her residence,” William replied. “Do you know her house?”
The man gave a wide grin. “I do. My cousin lives nearby. I will send it out immediately.”
“Thank you,” William said. “Come, we have more places to visit.”
Once outside, Marianne glanced down at the ring o
n her finger. “William, this is too much,” she said. “I know you wish me to have them, but these are not the type of gifts one gives a woman he is courting.”
He snorted. “No, it is exactly what I wanted for you. Please, accept it without complaint, for otherwise I will be highly offended.” He wore a mischievous grin, and she could not deny that arguing with him over the matter would be fruitless.
“Very well, I am happy and thankful.”
“Good,” he said with finality. “You deserve it for all you have done for me.” They stopped in front of the butcher’s shop and he looked through the window. “Now, do not forget, do not call me William.” He did not look at her as he said this.
His words struck her as odd, but she pushed it aside as the door opened and a rotund man in a bloody apron came out the door.
“Your Grace,” he said with an awkward bow, “I’m honored to have you look upon your shop once more. Are ye well?”
“I am,” William replied. “Now, Lawrence, do you recall what I said your Duke would do for you?”
Marianne frowned. William’s tone had taken on a sense of superiority she had never heard before from him.
“I do, sir,” the butcher replied. “You said that we could sleep well at night, that you wouldn’t allow another butcher top open a shop in the village.”
“You are right,” William said as he clapped the man on the back. The man stared at him with bulging eyes but made no comment. “I have kept my word. The Dowager Duchess, after words from me, has decided it is not in her best interest to open a second butcher’s shop. You may continue to sleep well.” Somehow, his chin rose with each word until he could have been looking up at the sky, or so it seemed to Marianne. “Your Duke looks after everyone he cares for. Make sure all know of your good fortune, and my good graces.”
“Sir,” Lawrence said in a reverence that was well beyond what was necessary, “my grandchildren will sing praises of yer kindness and consideration.” He glanced inside his shop. “I must return to my work, for there’s money to be made for you.”
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