Regency Hearts Boxed Set

by Jennifer Monroe

  He grinned at her. “I am surprised you did that,” he said with a light chuckle.

  “You are the one who taught me to break the rules. Of course, perhaps I should not do such things again?”

  He threw his head back and belted out a loud laugh. “It would bring me great sorrow if you did not.”

  “I must return to the house before my mother comes searching for me,” Marianne said. “We would not want me to be the root of further gossip, now would we?”

  “You have done nothing wrong,” he assured her once again. “I cannot wait to see you on Saturday.”

  “And I you,” she said over her shoulder as she hurried up the path to the house.

  Although she was sad before, Marianne now felt renewed. William was struggling in a strange new world, and she promised herself to remain steadfast in her commitment to be by his side.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Not only was there a tightness in his shoulders, but William’s jaw and head ached as well. It had been three nights since the dinner party, a great success as far as he was concerned, and according to Sofia. However, his frustration grew with each passing breath. Not only the strain of the upcoming party that he was to host in two weeks’ time brought on this stress, but the business he conducted at this moment was just as pressing.

  William stared through the window where Jake worked in a nearby flowerbed. How he wished he could be here beside the man. Then Thomas came to mind. He had written to the old gardener two weeks prior, and he hoped the man was doing well.

  “William?” Sofia said as she came to stand beside him at the window. In her hand was a glass of brandy, his second in less than an hour. “Please, have a drink. It will help ease the stress.” At the conclusion of the dinner party, she had offered to come to call, which turned into her calling every day since.

  “I have no stress, and I want no more drink,” he snapped and then regretted his tone. “I do not mean…”

  She cut him off by placing a hand on his arm. “A Duke is prone to anger, for his responsibilities are great. It is why his friends are near, to help comfort him when things get to be too difficult to handle.” She offered him the glass again, and he took it from her with reluctance and took a large gulp. What she said was true; he immediately felt calmer as the fiery liquid burned his throat.

  However, he knew he had been drinking far too much as of late, and he did not want to develop a habit. He had seen too often the effects of too much alcohol, and the results had never been positive.

  “You are a true friend,” he said as he returned the now surprisingly empty glass to her. “I grow tired of this work.” He motioned to the desk behind them. He turned to Mr. Ludlow, who sat in one of the armchairs in front of the desk flipping through a journal. “How many more must I meet with today?”

  “Just one more, Your Grace,” the man replied. “Lord Isaac Hatcher, a man who would like to request a lease on some of your lands for his sheep.”

  “So, what will you do, Your Grace?” Sofia asked with a small smile. “Will you lease to him?”

  William sighed. He looked down at the open ledger filled with numbers, which he was sick of studying. And he was sick of people, at this point, all people. How he missed the simplicity of a rose bush or the pruning of a stoic hedge. “I do not know,” he said in frustration.

  “If I may suggest something,” Sofia said in a soft voice.

  “Yes, of course,” William said. At least someone was willing to give him some sort of guidance; Mr. Ludlow certainly made no comment or suggestion that would help him make decisions, and he was tired of thinking so much.

  “Lord Hatcher is a man who is nearly bankrupt. To allow such a man to be associated with you will only hurt how others view you.”

  What she said did not make sense. “But would not doing business with me help him to avoid such a travesty?” he asked. He glanced at Mr. Ludlow, wishing the man would contribute to the conversation.

  “It is how others view you that concerns me,” Sofia said. “If you were to help such a man, you would appear weak, for he is weak.”

  Mr. Ludlow cleared his throat. “Your Grace, it is true the man has had certain…financial troubles. However, I believe he is a sound businessman and one with whom you should conduct business.”

  Sofia gave a snort. “His Grace is quite capable of making his own decisions, Mr. Ludlow. I advise against it, but if you want a man to bankrupt a business dealing in which you have involved yourself, I cannot stop you.”

  Mr. Ludlow rose to defend his advice and the two went back and forth for several moments.

  William took the glass of brandy, which Sofia had refilled as soon as he had emptied the last, and downed it in one gulp. Then he slammed his fist on the desk, and Sofia and Mr. Ludlow fell silent.

  “Enough!” he shouted. “Sofia, I will see the man and you will say nothing more. Mr. Ludlow, send him in and leave us.”

  “Yes, Your Grace,” Mr. Ludlow said with a deep bow before leaving the room.

  Sofia grabbed her wine glass and turned to him. “Forgive me, William. I only meant to help as I helped your grandfather,” she whispered and turned to leave.

  William grabbed her wrist. “Let me decide is all I ask,” he said. “But do not leave me.”

  A smile played on her lips, and then she looked down at her wrist. He released it and wondered if he had hurt her. He did not think he had, but he could not temper the guilt that rose in him.

  “Then I will stay and guide you,” she replied. “You are a strong man, William, much like your grandfather. I can help mold you into him, but you must heed my advice. Is this something you would like?”

  He thought about her words for a moment and then glanced out the window at Jake. Although a part of him still wished to join the gardener, he realized that that part of his life was over. He had sworn to be the greatest Duke his family, or anyone, had ever seen, but he could not do it alone. The Dowager Duchess, who knew his grandfather, would guild him, but only if he allowed her to do so.”

  “It is,” he replied finally. “I want to be as great as he was.”

  “I know you do,” she said as she placed a hand on his cheek. “I can see it in your eyes, and I will advise you to the best of my ability. I can help you decide with whom to conduct business and who to keep away from.”

  His mind raced. She knew more about the men in the world of business than he had believed. Then his brows scrunched when she gave out a small laugh.

  “Can you believe that when my former husband conducted business, it was I who advised him? I kept his books and advised him on who to keep close and who to keep at an arm’s length.”

  “I thought…well, the truth is, I did not think of that,” he said and then laughed. “I do have Mr. Ludlow, but you are welcome to advise me, as well.”

  “Very well, then,” she said as she walked over and pulled a chair beside the desk. She said nothing more and he wondered why she had become quiet.

  However, he had no time to ask because the door opened, and Mr. Ludlow entered with a thin man in an ill-fitting coat that had gone out of fashion years earlier. Not that William knew much about past fashions, for he had only owned one coat for so long, it probably had never been in fashion. The man’s head was almost completely bald and his face was pinched, making him appear to be part mouse.

  “Your Grace,” the man said with a bow. Then his eyes fell on the Dowager Duchess, a confused look on his face. “Your Grace,” he said, “I am surprised to see you here.”

  William felt his temper flare and he stood. “What do you mean by that?” he demanded. “You are surprised?”

  “I…I just did not expect her to be here is all, Your Grace,” the man stammered. “Forgive me. I meant no offense.”

  William glanced over at Sofia, who raised a single eyebrow, although her look told him that he had failed by allowing the man to speak to her in such a way. He should be defending her honor; was that not what Dukes did?

  �
��You have offended me greatly, as well as my guest. Leave my home at once and do not dare speak my name, let alone darken my step, again.”

  The man apologized, the hat he held in his hand now a wadded up mess, and then ran out of the room.

  William picked up the brandy—he did not even take a moment to consider how it was full once again—and downed it. Guilt rushed through him for taking out his anger on the man, but he wished only to scream.

  “Lord Hatcher showed no respect for you, William,” Sofia said as she came to stand beside him. “Do not feel guilty for what you had to do.”

  He turned his gaze to the window once more. “If it was the right thing to do, then why do I feel so horrible?” he asked without turning.

  She was by his side in a matter of moments, another glass of brandy in her hand. Not wishing to argue, he took it and sipped at it. He truly was drinking too much.

  “Because you are a good man,” she said, placing a hand on his arm. “A strong man. It is normal to feel this way at first. However, I am proud of you.”

  He turned to her. “Proud?” he asked, incredulous. “You must think me weak compared to my grandfather.”

  She smiled up at him. “No,” she said with a small laugh. “Again I tell you, you are far better than he was. Now, shall I tell you what I saw that made me proud?”

  He nodded. He needed to hear it.

  “Today you took the first step of many, steps that you must take to assure that all people, rich or poor, know of your power.”

  “And what step is that? What step did I actually take?”

  “Casting aside those who seek to use you,” she said with a purposeful nod.

  ***

  The ballroom was empty and William stood looking at the paintings of his father and grandfather. Beside his father’s hung a new painting, one of William, and the man looked like him, and yet somehow did not. He could not explain what it was, but the figure in the portrait had a stoicism that William felt he lacked.

  He studied the other two portraits. Although William loved his father and still missed him, it was not he who William wanted to aspire to be like but rather the old man with gray hair in the painting that hung beside that of his father. It was not that his father did not have traits William admired, for the man had many. He remembered a kind, caring man who had done his best in raising William alone. When he had died, the grief that overtook William was short-lived, for he had no time for grief during his short stint in the orphanage before having to fend for himself in a world that cared not that he was alone.

  However, he was alone no longer, for he had his Marianne. He could not wait to see her the following day. How he wished he could call on her more often, but with his pressing business matters, he had not been able to do so. A host of reasons came to mind as to why he wished to see her, but it was the peace she provided that he craved the most. They had made a vow to be friends in the beginning, and when he asked to court her, she did not hesitate in her response. His feelings for her were great, so great, in fact, that he dared to call it love.

  Love was an emotion he had never experienced before, not that beyond a son would have for his mother or father. However, each time he was in her presence, the feeling grew. One day, he was certain he would ask for her hand, for there was no other woman he wished to spend his life with. He regretted the way he had spoken to her at the dinner party, and she was kind to forgive him. Yet, it still did not sit well with him how he had treated her.

  Then there was Lord Hatcher. The man had left full of sorrow as well as a measure of fear, both overshadowed by something else William had not recognized until later. Shame. Shame to have been ordered out of William’s house in such a hostile and degrading way.

  “Your portrait was well done, Your Grace,” Mr. Ludlow said from behind him. “Are you happy with it?”

  “It does look like me,” William replied without further comment. Mr. Ludlow would never understand his thoughts concerning what was missing from the painting. “However, I will never sit that long again. The sessions tried my patience.”

  “As have many things as of late,” Mr. Ludlow said cautiously.

  William felt the tension in his jaw return. Mr. Ludlow had been his friend, but for some reason, the man had been gnawing on William’s nerves. “What does that mean?” he asked, trying to keep his temper from flaring and not doing a very good job of it.

  “You are tired, Sir, and rightly so. Your nights are late, and if I may say so, the drink has become your new companion.”

  William looked down at the empty glass in his hand. What the old adviser said was true, but he had no right to speak to a Duke in that manner. “It is my right to have a drink when I want it,” he said defensively.

  “That is correct, Your Grace,” Mr. Ludlow replied. He turned his attention back to the trio of portraits. “Three Dukes, each one as different than the other.”

  “That much is obvious,” William snapped.

  “Oh, forgive me, Your Grace,” Mr. Ludlow said with a smile. “What I meant was I have seen all three of you at your best and worst times. Each one difference in his approach to matters.”

  William was sick of the riddles. “Speak plainly, man.”

  Mr. Ludlow shrugged. “I just mean to say that you should be the Duke you are and nothing more.”

  William took a sip of his drink and then asked, “You do not like her, do you?”

  “The Dowager Duchess?” When William nodded, he said, “It does not matter who I like or dislike, Your Grace. What matters is what you want.”

  The anger that William had attempted to temper rose. “Do you think I should not seek her counsel?”

  “I can only advise you in what you ask.”

  William sighed. “Advise me now, Mr. Ludlow. Should I continue allowing the Dowager Duchess to help guide me? She sleeps in the guest quarters tonight. Shall I throw her out?”

  The man sighed heavily. “The Dowager Duchess seeks only to grow her own wealth,” he said with great reluctance. “Do not throw her out into the streets but take her advice with caution.”

  William went to ask another question, but a voice had them both turn to the door of the ballroom.

  “Oh, have I interrupted?” Sofia asked, her voice echoing in the great room.

  “No,” William replied as he stared at Mr. Ludlow. “He was just leaving.”

  The man bowed and then walked away as Sofia joined William.

  “You look worried,” she said. “Tell me, my friend, how might I help to take away your suffering?”

  “I am fine,” he said with a sigh. “It is the pressure of the week bothering me, is all.” That pressure weighed down on him heavier than a suit of armor.

  “I feel as if I know you all too well,” she said with a small smile playing on her lips. “I can see you are not telling the truth. However, alas, you are a man, and I would expect nothing more.”

  He chuckled at her words, making her smile grow, and she slipped her arm in his. At first, he tensed at her closeness.

  She laughed. “I was going to ask you to walk with me outside to get fresh air, but you pull away from me as if my touch makes you ill.”

  “No,” he said with a laugh. “It is because I care for Marianne, and the thought of a woman…it is a silly notion, forget I mentioned it. Let us go outside as you suggested.”

  “I must say it has made me happy,” she said as they walked toward a side door. “The idea that an old woman such as myself would try to win you over in a romantic way.”

  “You must stop calling yourself that,” William said. His legs grew heavy under him and he swayed when the stopped beside the railing. He really needed to hold off on the drink. “You are not old. In fact, you look quite young.”

  “Oh, William,” she sighed as she laid her head on his arm. “You are much too kind to me. How will I ever repay you?”

  “No payment is needed,” he said as he stared across the gardens.

  “Oh, my dear, payment is
always required.”

  ***

  William had made plans with Sofia to ride into the village and discuss the types of businesses they would bring in once the new buildings were erected. Sofia, however, insisted that they take separate carriages so she could return to her home once they had finished discussing business.

  As they strolled down the main street, William could not help but walk with his head held high as the people smiled around him. He would never tire of their response to him simply being in their presence. However, as they passed more people, he realized that, although many nods came his way, many more glanced at the Dowager Duchess, a fact that bothered him no matter how hard he tried to fight it.

  “You seem to be gaining the favor of the people with each step you take,” William said. “All eyes are upon you.”

  The Dowager Duchess laughed. “You do not see what they see,” she said. What she said troubled him, for he did not understand the meaning of her words. It was as though the woman could hear his thoughts when she added, “You are a Duke.”

  “Yes, I know that,” he said with irritation.

  “And I am a Duchess,” she replied, and he stopped walking. “What is wrong?”

  “I do not have time for games, Sofia,” he said in a harsh whisper. “What are you trying to tell me?” What he had expected was a quick apology, for that was what he typically received when he became angry these days.

  However, she did not apologize. “Do you not see? They are amazed that a Duke and a Duchess walk the street together. It has not been seen here in many years. They are in awe of me, but more especially now that I walk beside a Duke. It is their wish to see such things in their life once again, and you, my friend, have granted them that wish.”

  William thought on her words and then smiled. Perhaps it was his imagination, but the people did seem to be smiling wider than usual. They seemed happier, laughed more, and most nodded their way with approval. “You are right,” he said finally. “I have been so caught up in my own anger that I did not notice.” He shook his head and then turned to Sofia. “You have been a true friend to me, and I repay you with harsh words. How am I to repay you?”