Bryan pulled back a little and looked up at her. “My lady. You are very blunt and forthcoming.”
“I must apologize, if it seems that way. I am only trying to protect my friend.”
“There’s a lot of that going around.”
Elizabeth smiled up at him. “It would appear that you have already been approached about this. That can only mean one thing. People are already aware that there was a connection.”
“I must admit I fear what many will say.”
“I am not going to object to this line of pursuit and possible courting, your grace, but only because I saw the instant effect you had. I have not seen my cousin this happy in many years. She was happy with her husband. But you have brought a glow to her that I have not seen in much longer than her marriage. If that can be done after a single encounter, I cannot imagine what a longer relationship would do for her soul.”
“You are very kind and understanding.”
“I love my cousin.”
“That is apparent.”
“Be gentle with her. Be kind to her. Do not hurt her. There are many who will not hesitate to stand up for her in a moment’s notice.”
“I do understand. I certainly have no intention of hurting or harming anyone in this matter. May I ask something of you now?”
“Certainly.”
“Duke Doughtery…” He couldn’t continue. When he saw the knowing look on Elizabeth’s face, he knew she understood where he was going with the conversation. He swallowed hard and blinked. “He has told me that he plans to marry Lady Anna.”
“He’s been planning to marry her for some years.” Elizabeth snorted. “He has never gotten out of the courting phase, which she left long ago.”
“Surely he wasn’t pursuing her while she was married?”
“No. I misspoke. He was planning to marry her when she was a child and…”
“A child?” Bryan interjected, feeling a jolt of anger and disgust go through him.
Elizabeth waved one hand in his direction. “It was only in a joking manner. He would say he was going to marry her someday. They are ten years apart, him senior, so the difference in age was not too vast.” Elizabeth’s eyes suddenly darted to Bryan’s face. She was amazed the conversation had taken that turn. He grinned at her and she once again understood the attraction Anna felt. “Anyway, they decided to be friends, though I think sometimes Anna can be a bit rude to him while she was married. Last year, well, it’s been almost two years now, Duke Doughtery decided to push the agenda and spoke to Lord Duprey. Lord Duprey thinks it will be a good match because the combination of their family money would mean a big boost to the Duprey estate.”
“So, he is good for business.”
Elizabeth nodded. “Yes, but I wouldn’t say that is what drives him. I know he loves Anna. He just cannot pass up a chance to boost his wealth and social status.”
“She does not seem like that type of woman to me.”
“She is not her father, that is for sure, my lord.”
Bryan hadn’t suspected she was, but reassurance from her loving cousin, a renowned and beloved Duchess, made it impossible to believe she could be. He gazed at the woman. “Would you care to sit and talk, Duchess? My feet are asking me to do so.”
Elizabeth giggled, moving smoothly to a row of chairs that was placed behind them facing the orchestra. “Have you been too active recently?” She took a seat and patted the one next to her to indicate he should sit next to her. Bryan’s relief when he sat was obvious. She tried not to be amused by it.
“Yes, I’ve had many appointments this week and very little sleep.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
Bryan looked out into the crowd, wondering if he would see Lady Anna and whether he should approach her. He wanted to dance with her. He wondered if she really wanted to dance with him as well. They had danced together already, this much was true. But now it felt different.
His eyes settled on a man standing on the other side of the room. He had just entered from the West Wing. Bryan was sure that was the business side of the Worthington estate. He clenched his jaw, attempting not to show his irritation. Before long, he chided himself for being petty. It wasn’t the fact that Duke Doughtery was doing business with the Worthingtons – everyone did business with the Worthingtons – it was just seeing the older man that irritated Bryan. He felt his shoulders stiffen as he clenched his hands into fists.
A gentle hand touched his arm and he looked down. He moved his eyes up to consider Elizabeth’s eyes. She squeezed his arm softly. “Your grace. You must take a moment and think before you act.”
She didn’t continue into a lecture; she just watched him. He left his eyes on hers for a moment longer, consciously relaxing his body. She smiled at him.
“You are a good man, Bryan. If you plan to pursue this line of interest, I suggest you continue to keep your wits about you.”
He nodded at her. “I will, Duchess Worthington.”
She nodded back. “I think you will. Duke Doughtery has a lot of business dealings with many different men. As do you. A feud would not do well – would not serve well for anyone in this situation.”
Bryan knew she was right. At that moment, all he wanted to do was confront the Duke. But he would refrain. If not for his own sake, then for the sake of everyone else who might get caught up in the mix. Anna came to mind immediately. He didn’t want to cause her problems. He stood up and bowed to the Duchess.
“Lady Worthington, if you will excuse me.”
“Certainly.” He could tell from the look in her eyes that she was curious and slightly alarmed. She had no idea what he was about to do. He smiled and stepped away from her, going in the direction of the bar, which would force him to pass by his rival.
As he passed Duke Doughtery, Bryan narrowed his eyes and nodded once. The Duke returned the gesture and continued. Once he reached the bar and told the servant what he wanted, Bryan turned and searched the crowd for Lady Anna. He was waiting anxiously for his turn to dance with her and he wasn’t even on her card yet.
When he spotted her, his heart gave a leap. An instant smile came to his face. She was talking with several other ladies. They were scanning the crowd and laughing. He wondered what they were talking about. Probably nothing he’d be interested in hearing. He rested his eyes on Anna’s face, enjoying her bright smile and the sound of her tinkling laughter that switched alternately with a deeper more guttural laugh when whatever struck her as funny was almost too much. He moved his eyes down over her slender figure. She was wearing a dark green gown with gold trim and a low bodice. The sleeves of the dress were so long they went halfway down her hands, only allowing her fingers to be seen. He admired her fingers, her lips, her eyes, her wavy red hair.
He pulled in a deep breath and readied himself to approach her and ask for a place on her dance card. His heart was hammering in his chest. He took the drink the server offered him and drank it in one swallow. It went down quickly, warming his insides, but not helping his anxiety.
“Go over there before you lose your mind, cousin.” He turned to see Matthew suddenly standing next to him, giving him a humorous look. “What is causing your delay? You should not put it off another moment. You look as though you might faint if you do not act and that would not look good in front of her, would it?”
“I’ll go over there when I am ready.” Bryan countered with a side-grin to his cousin. “Perhaps I am just not ready yet.”
“You are ready.” Matthew replied bluntly.
“Maybe I am not ready.”
Matthew shook his head and rolled his eyes. “You are ready, cousin. Go over there and dance with her. She’s obviously waiting for you. And if you don’t soon, there will be other names on her dance card that you don’t want there.”
“That is bound to happen anyway. I can’t fill up her card completely.”
Matthew smiled. “I know you would like to, though.”
Bryan held in a sigh. “Yes. I
would.”
CHAPTER SIX
A DANCE TO REMEMBER
A DANCE TO REMEMBER
Just before Bryan reached Lady Anna, who had spotted him coming over, Duke Doughtery stepped in front of him and bowed deeply to her. As he had crossed the room, Bryan locked eyes with the lady and was momentarily delighted by the look on her face. Her smile widened, her eyes remained on him and he saw her move slightly in his direction before stopping herself.
When Duke Ben stepped in front of him, rage nearly blinded him. He wanted to reach out, grab the man by his shoulders and sling him through the glass doors to their left. For a moment, he pictured tossing the Duke out on his ear, giving him a good punch in the face and pushing him into the pond that stretched across the landscape outside of the Worthington Manor’s East Wing. It gave him a little satisfaction, but did nothing to calm him down.
Lady Anna’s eyes averted from his gaze when she looked at Duke Doughtery. Bryan was happy to see that she lost the glow she’d had when she was looking at him. Her face turned somewhat cold and the spark left her eyes.
“Greetings, Lady Anna. May I put my name on your dance card for the next song?” Duke Doughtery said, his long face somewhat dark. Lady Anna wasn’t impressed with the way he looked at her. He seemed to her like a wolf, prowling around seeking to devour a victim. She gave him her hand, which incensed Bryan, who had halted completely. He stood behind Duke Ben, looking around the tall man at the Lady.
Duke Doughtery brought her hand to his lips. Bryan had to close his eyes and turn away. It angered him that she had given the Duke her hand, though it was the only polite thing for her to do. He was about to stomp away from them both when he heard her reply. It made him stay and wait for his turn to talk to her.
“I’m afraid I already have a dance partner for the next song, my lord, but I would be happy to put you on the card for later.” She produced the card and gave it to Duke Ben. The man scanned the card and looked up at her curiously.
“There is no one written in for the next dance.” He remarked.
Lady Anna smiled up at him. “I believe Duke Watson was about to put his name in that spot. Please feel free to put your name down for a dance after that.” She wanted to tell him Duke Watson would be taking up the rest of her card but it would not look right. She noticed the irritated look that crossed Duke Doughtery’s face. It satisfied her. He was too self-indulgent. She had a hard time not being unkind to him.
When Duke Doughtery turned to look at Bryan, it was obvious he had stepped in front of him on purpose, that he had known Bryan was there all along and was just waiting for an opportunity to step in between them. Bryan lifted one side of his lips in a grin that made Lady Anna press her lips together to keep from laughing.
Ben begrudgingly wrote his name down for the dance following the next song. He handed the card to Bryan, turning back to bow to the Lady. “I will retrieve you before the dance, my lady. Thank you for the opportunity to dance with you.”
Lady Anna nodded without a word, giving him a quick glance before moving her eyes to Bryan. When she looked at him, he felt like she was speaking to him without words. They stared at each other for a moment before Bryan looked down at the card and scrawled his name on the line.
Ben turned quickly and disappeared into the crowd. Bryan moved closer to Anna and she took a step toward him. Neither said anything but the silence between them was comfortable. Anna looked up at the young Duke, noticing how handsome he was and glad she was given the opportunity to be near him.
“How are you, my lord?” She finally said.
“I am well, my lady. And you?” He lifted the card without taking his eyes from hers. She reached up and took it from his fingers slowly, still gazing up at him.
“I am also well. Thank you for asking.”
He chuckled, delighting in the pleasurable sensations running through him. He was anxious for the song to start. When the current song ended, he glanced at the orchestra and then back to her. “Shall we take a place on the dance floor?”
“Yes, most definitely.” Lady Anna nodded, taking the hand he offered to her.
“You are a beautiful woman, Lady Anna. I hope it is not an imposition for me to say so.” He led her onto the dance floor. He slid one arm around her waist and pulled her close to him. “A very beautiful woman.”
Anna’s body tingled. Her heart was beating so hard, she was sure he would hear it or it would simply pop out of her chest. She noticed his strong looking hands, hands that looked like they were meant for hard labor, though the Duke had probably never had to do such work in his life.
“Thank you, Duke Watson.” She breathed softly, never taking her eyes from his.
The music started. Bryan began to move around the dance floor, taking Anna with him. Their dancing was smooth, as if they had been meant to dance together all along. She felt the pressure of his hand on the small of her back. She could picture it pressing up against her, feel the warmth through her dress.
Her breath came and went shakily. She pressed her lips together, struggling not to rest herself completely against him and let him move her body for her. He held her effortlessly, their steps were completely in sync.
When he lowered his head, and whispered in her ear, her body was engulfed in chills. She closed her eyes and listened to his words.
“My lady, I cannot stop thinking about you. Since the day we met, you have been on my mind. I do not know what to do about this feeling I am having. I desire to be near you, I wish to hold you in my arms and talk to you all day long. Tell me, my lady, do you feel this way too?”
Lady Anna’s heart sped up even faster. Suddenly, she felt very hot and faint. “Duke Watson…” She breathed. She felt him stiffen. He was expecting rejection. She wondered why. He was such a handsome young man. It would not have surprised her if he was fighting off the ladies of the town. “I have been thinking the same thing.”
Bryan relaxed while pulling her even closer at the same time.
“Perhaps we can move out onto the veranda to continue our dance?” Lady Anna said. “I am feeling a bit hot.”
“Anything you desire, my lady,” Bryan immediately pulled her toward the glass doors. When they reached the doors, he opened one and allowed her to pass in front of him. The music was softer but could still be heard. The veranda was long and wide and had been enclosed at some point so that guests could take advantage of it during the wintertime without freezing. A large outdoor stone fireplace had been built to give off some heat.
There were two other couples dancing on the veranda, talking in low voices. Anna sighed when Bryan put his arm around her and made to continue dancing. When she was somewhat resistant, he pulled back and looked down at her, resting his hands on her waist. “Are you all right, my lady?”
“I will be, my lord. I am sorry. I’m still feeling a bit faint.”
“Would you like to sit by the fire?”
“The air out here is quite cool, is it not?” Anna admitted. She looked over at the raging fire and smiled. “Yes, let’s sit for a moment.”
They walked to the fireplace. Three benches were placed around it in a u-shape, for guests to keep themselves warm while they talked.
“Would you care for a drink? I will get you a glass of wine or champagne. Anything you would like, Lady Anna.” He sat sideways on the bench next to her, so that he could face her. He stretched one arm out on the back of the bench behind her so that his fingers could stray to brush against her back. They locked eyes and both were silent for a moment. He resisted the urge to grab her and pull her into a passionate kiss. There was so much he wanted to do to please her.
Anna licked her lips, smiling softly. “I suppose a drink would be nice. It will help me cool off.” She secretly felt like the only thing that would cool her off was if the Duke left her side. And that was the last thing she wanted. “But you do not have to go. I will wait for a servant to come this way.”
“I do not want you to wait for what you want.�
�� Bryan said. “I will go get it for you.”
He moved to stand up, but stopped when she put her hand on his knee. He sat back down abruptly, moving his eyes from her hand on his leg up to her longing, green eyes. There could be no mistake that she wanted to be with him as much as he wanted to be with her.
“Please,” she breathed. “Don’t go yet. Our dance is not over.”
He stood up and held out his hand to her. She took it. He pulled her to her feet. He wrapped his arm around her waist and slid his other hand into hers. Their bodies were so close, nothing could have come between them. She rested her head against his chest and listened to the pounding of his heart as he held her close. He lowered his head, breathing in the sweet scent of her hair.
“Lady Anna…”
The sound of her name whispered in her ear lit Anna’s body on fire. His voice was deep and smooth. She didn’t want to move away from him. She didn’t want him to let her go. Ever.
“Lord Watson…” she responded.
“I think…I am falling in love with you.”
Anna’s eyes were closed. Her ear was pressed against his chest. She absorbed his words, suddenly terrified by their implications. She knew she was about to enter a new, possibly chaotic reality. How would it be handled? How would her father react? How would the entire town react to a relationship between the very young Duke and an older Lady?
Her father would not be pleased. He had his mind set on marrying her off to Duke Doughtery, to complete more business deals and create more income for the family. But she wasn’t interested in more income for the family. She wanted to marry a second time for love.
And how would Drake react? What would he think of a possible step-father who was not even ten years older than himself?
Anna kept her eyes closed. Lord Watson had not reacted to her silence after his revelation. He continued to sway back and forth, as if they were still dancing.
Regency Romance: Duke’s Forbidden Love (The Fairbanks Series - Love & Hearts) (Historical Romance Fiction) Page 4