She pushed the chair back further and walked around it, gathering the fabric of her skirt in her hands and twisting it in her fingers to relieve her anxiety. It was a soft material that comforted her. She left the room, hearing her son tell her father, “Grandfather, I like Duke Watson. You should give him a chance.”
CHAPTER TWELVE
FORCED LIAISON
FORCED LIAISON
Anna hadn’t been so annoyed in many months. She picked up the book she was reading and held it in front her face, trying desperately to concentrate on the words. It wasn’t doing her any good. She slammed the book closed and dropped it loudly on the table next to her. There was no one else in the room, so she didn’t care if she was “being hysterical” as her father always put it when she became angry.
She pushed herself to her feet and stomped to the tall window overlooking the back lands where the field met the line of trees in the distance.
At any moment, David would come in and introduce Duke Doughtery. No amount of arguing could convince her father that a liaison was not needed with the Duke. Anna would not agree to marry him. Her father would have to force her to do it, especially now that Bryan had taken her heart.
How was Anna supposed to treat Duke Doughtery with the respect his title was due when all she wanted to do was sneer at him? She didn’t want to give him false hope. Since the death of her husband – and all through her life – the Duke had pursued her, watched her, kept up with all her comings and goings as if he had the authority to do so. At first, she had thought of him as a protective older brother. That had ended when he expressed his true intent, just before she married Drake’s father.
Since then she had been wary of him. She had attempted to keep her distance whenever possible and avoided personal, close conversation with him. And now her father had sent for the Duke and requested a brunch meeting with him. The meeting wasn’t going to be about business. She knew that. If it was, she and Drake would not need to be there. Her father had told her to be at the table, to eat with them, and to be cordial.
She didn’t want to be cordial.
She crossed her arms over her chest and scowled, narrowing her eyes as she passed them over the field beyond the glass of the window. She wanted to run down there and escape. She wondered how long it would take her to get to the line of trees and disappear in the forest.
“Mother?” She turned to see Drake had come in the room. He’d stopped just inside the door and was staring at her with concern on his handsome young face.
“Yes, son? Come in, give your mother a hug.”
The two met in the middle of the room and hugged tightly.
“Mother, I hate to see you torn up. I think I know how you feel.”
Anna raised her eyebrows and gestured that the two of them should sit by the fireplace and stay warm. They sat on opposite sides so that they were facing each other. “How is that, son? You are only 17 years old.”
“At the academy, there’s…there’s a girl, that I have been speaking with for a few months.”
Anna leaned forward, excited. “Oh? Tell me about her.”
Drake blushed. “She works with some of the students who have trouble comprehending certain subjects.”
Anna was a little surprised. She didn’t know Drake was having trouble with any of his subjects.
“What subject does she assist you with?”
Drake shook his head and gave his mother a look she had become accustomed to. She was proud of Drake. She believed him to be one of the most handsome young men in Fairbanks, if not the world. Her opinion, as his mother, would have been thought to be biased but Drake was, in fact, an extremely handsome young man. He had high cheek bones, soft brown hair, and blue eyes that looked pensively out from behind long dark lashes. His facial features worked perfectly together. He was not a tall boy, but his shoulders were broad and his muscles distinct. He would spend a few years with the Queen’s Army before he went into business with his father or did carpentry work, whatever was his whim. She was sure when he came back from the Army, he would be a fine, strong young man, ready to take on the world.
The look he’d given Anna reminded her of her late husband. Both knew their worth and had a “you already know the answer” look that made them devastatingly handsome.
“Mother, you know I do not need help with my subjects.”
“That is what I was thinking, son. So how did you meet her?”
“She works with one of my friends. I went to see him after session was over and found them talking on the steps up to the building. That’s how we met. We’ve spent some time talking since then. She is a very wise girl and I think…I hope that someday I will court her and we will marry.”
“Oh my, you’ve already become close to her.”
“Yes.”
“And what is the problem?”
“She’s supposed to marry someone else. Her parents already arranged it. He goes to the academy too and he likes her very much.”
“What have you garnered from this that makes you compare it to my situation?”
Drake shrugged. “I…it’s just that, well, mother, I understand how you can feel connected to someone without trying. I enjoy speaking with Lily every day that I have the opportunity. I think about her all the time when she is not around me. I wait to see her and when I don’t see her, I am disappointed. Sometimes a little angry.” He chuckled. “But that always passes. I certainly cannot blame her or hold her accountable because I did not see her as I wanted to.”
Anna smiled.
“I see that you have that kind of connection with Duke Watson. If I could, mother, I would not recommend a courtship between my mother and a man who is only a few years older than me. But I’ve seen how he makes you smile. Also, how well the two of you communicate together. Also, I do like him very much. He is very relatable to me. It might be the age…” he smiled in a teasing way. “But it is also because he is a very smart and well-traveled man. Also, who has friends and loved ones of all ages.”
“I don’t see the years between us. It’s a confusing and difficult thing to comprehend.”
“It would be frowned upon in society, mother. Are you prepared for that?”
Anna thought about how close she had gotten to Bryan. The words Drake had used for the girl in his life reminded her of her own feelings for the Duke.
“I just want you to know that I’m going to support you, mother. I don’t want to offend grandfather or Duke Doughtery. However, I do want my mother to be happy. You have not been happy for a long time. I’ve seen a change in you since you began talking with Duke Watson. He brings a smile to your face and makes you glow. I like to see that. I don’t want that to stop.”
“You are a sweet boy and I love you, Drake.”
“Thanks, mother. I love you, too.”
The two of them looked at the door at the same time when it opened and David entered.
“The Esteemed Duke Benjamin Doughtery of Windingmire, my lady.”
“Thank you, David.” Anna stood up. She and Drake shared a knowing glance. “Please inform my father, if he does not already know that the Duke is here.”
“Yes, my lady, right away.” He backed out, allowing Ben to move around him. The smile on Ben’s face was large and he lumbered over to Anna, holding out one hand. She placed hers in it when he was close enough and tried not to grimace when he bent over to kiss the top of it. She pressed her lips together in a frozen smile.
“How are you on this fine day, my lord?” She asked, trying not to let her disdain show through her tone.
“I am well, my lady,” He responded. “And you?”
“We are all well in the Duprey estate.” She held out one hand to indicate he should sit on the side where Drake was still seated. Drake gave him a smile that would have looked genuine to Anna, if she didn’t know her son as well as she did.
“That is good to hear. Your father, as you know, requested that I come today for brunch. There seems to be controversy surrou
nding you and a young Duke. I believe he intends for us to put those rumors to rest.”
Anna was immediately incensed. She turned away, gritting her teeth. She looked at Drake as he stood up. “Perhaps you should get ready for dinner, Drake?”
She could tell by the look on his face that he wasn’t going to leave her with Duke Doughtery.
“I am ready for dinner, mother.” He looked ready to say something to the Duke, but Anna silently willed him to remain quiet. His input would do no good in this matter.
Before she could say anything, however, he was already speaking. “It is good that you are here, Duke Doughtery. I have been wanting to speak with you.”
The Duke looked at the young man in surprise. “Oh?” He sounded somewhat suspicious. He stood up straight, stretching his spine to its maximum length. The motion made him seem almost seven feet tall. “And what have you been wanting to speak about, might I ask?”
“I know that in your youth, you were involved in the theater. I was hoping to speak to you about that while you were here today.”
Anna knew for a fact that Drake had not known the Duke would be visiting until only a short time ago. He had never mentioned his interest in the theater, though she was aware that Ben had acted on stage before. The smile that Drake’s words brought to his face expressed his longing for the days when he played a role other than his reality.
“I would be delighted to speak with you about that, young master. Perhaps we could go for a walk after we eat?”
“Perhaps around the house, if you would like. I don’t go outside when it is this cold, nor do I play in the snow, as they say.” Drake grinned wide.
“He has never enjoyed the snow,” she remarked, folding her hands together in front of her wide skirt. “I am known for rolling up a ball or two, though.”
“Delightful!” Ben exclaimed, rubbing his hands together in an excited way. “You and I will be in many snowball fights then, I am sure. I, too, enjoy the snow. I am quite looking forward to it.”
Drake shook his head, maintaining his grin. “I don’t understand either of you. You can catch your death of cold. At the very least, I might lose a finger. I’m not taking a chance on that.”
“Oh, Drake! You are funny!” Anna laughed.
Drake gave her an innocent look. “What do you mean? I am not trying to be funny. Snow is dangerous, not to mention very cold to the touch.”
Both Anna and Ben were laughing at that point. The door opened and Frank came in, stopping to stare at them. “It is nice to hear laughter in my house.” He said with a smile.
“Grandfather, we are always laughing about one thing or another. And,” he looked at his mother and Ben in turn. “he feels about snow the same way I do. So, I cannot be faulted.”
The laughter continued as the four of them left the room and headed toward the dining room. Anna was less angry than she had been, but still resolute that whatever happened on that day, it would not change her feelings for either Duke Doughtery or Duke Watson.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
SUSPICIOUS BEHAVIOR
SUSPICIOUS BEHAVIOR
After brunch was served and the four had eaten, they went to the library for after dinner tea. Drake, in his usual odd fashion, opted for plain water. He sat at the piano and played a tune for his elders while they conversed. Anna, felt she was outside the conversation between her father and Duke Doughtery, which was often about the various business dealings they had brokered and how they dealt with certain other businessmen. The Lords and Ladies they dealt with seemed to all have irritating quirks, some of which sounded quite humorous to Anna.
Ben didn’t think any of them were humorous. He complained loudly about each person, expressing his firm opinion as to why they should not be in the industry, they were in or with the company they were with.
“It would seem that the least knowledgeable people are those in charge with Burlingham Accounts.” He said with a sneer. “I have been repeatedly done over by them and would not recommend them.”
“Hmm.” Frank’s reply was short.
“Have you had dealings with them, my lord?” Ben asked.
“I have.”
“And your experience?”
“I must say, it was not the same as yours. I have not had any troubles when our business coincides. Do you have specific examples?”
“My lord, if I could think of one right now, I would surely tell you. But I have not worked with them for some time and the memories have been stolen from me by old age.”
“You are not that old, my friend.” Frank chuckled. “You are but ten years younger than me. If you are old, that does not reflect well for me.”
The men laughed. Anna suppressed a sigh. She longed to be near Duke Watson. She wondered what he was doing at that very moment. Was he thinking of her, the way she was thinking of him?
She looked over, sensing she was being watched. It was Drake who had his eyes on her. She smiled at him and he smiled back. He couldn’t hide the sympathetic look on his face. She wondered if Drake was the only one who understood what was on her mind. Her father probably suspected. Nevertheless, he would never bring it out in the open, especially with Duke Doughtery present.
She felt Ben’s remark about not remembering any incidences of wrongdoing by the Burlingham company probably mean he was not telling the truth. It seemed to her like the more he talked, the less she believed.
Her mind moved into a memory of the last time she’d had the privilege of seeing Duke Watson and spending a little time alone with him. She remembered their first encounter, picturing the entire meeting in her mind. It made her feel warm inside to think of him.
“Is that not right, Anna?” Her father was asking her something. She blinked and looked at him innocently.
“Pardon me?”
“Pardon me for interrupting your thoughts. I was not aware you weren’t listening.” His smile was gentle and knowing. He knew what she’d been thinking about. He didn’t approve, but would not call her out in front of the Duke.
“I do apologize. I did not know I was so deep in thought.”
“That’s what happens when you are deep in thought.” Duke Doughtery gave her his best smile. She gave him a small smile in return. “It can be overwhelming. At times, I will be so deep in thought, I fear someone could come up and shoot me dead and I would never be aware of it.”
“That sounds frightening, my lord.” Anna said. “I would not want to be that caught up in my thoughts. I would not want to be caught up in anything that would give someone the opportunity to take advantage of me. I like to stay as awake, alert and aware as I possibly can.”
“I do understand, my lady. However, you were very far from alert a few moments ago.”
Anna was annoyed by him. She knew her face had to show it. She was typically unable to hide how she was feeling. He didn’t seem to notice her frown and continued.
“I hope that whatever enraptured your mind was pleasant to think about. You should never need to worry about anything. A beautiful lady such as yourself with passion, convictions and intelligence. You should be taken care of by a man who knows what he’s doing with a fine lady such as yourself.”
The repetition in his words made it sound like he had rehearsed what he wanted to say and was fumbling with the words. Anna did her best not to sneer at him. She looked at her son.
“You are playing beautifully, Drake. Please do not stop. This is a beautiful song.”
“Thank you, mother.” Drake responded with a smile. He moved his eyes to Ben. “She was taken care of by my father. I’m sure she will find the right man to care for her in the future.”
“Yes, I believe she already has.”
“I agree with you.” Drake’s smile matched his mother’s and they shared a look.
Anna could see that Ben knew what they were talking about. The pleasant look on his face soured and he turned to her father.
“My lord, I must use a chamber pot, if you have one nearby.”
“Many thanks.” He stood up and followed David, who had been standing near the door, ready and waiting to be called upon.
He followed the young butler out of the room. Once on the other side of the door, he rested one hand on the man’s arm and was given a look of surprise.
“I know where to go, David, if you would like to resume your duties.”
“I am in attendance to the master, Your Grace. He has asked me to show you where to go.”
“You may lead the way, David, but I will not need you to stand guard over me while I am relieving myself.”
“Yes, my lord.” The young butler walked several doors down from the library and opened a door that led to what looked like a small closet. He lit the lantern on the inside of the door. “Here you are, my lord. I do not need to return for you?”
“No, of course not. We are only a few doors down from the library. I know how to find the room again, wouldn’t you say?”
Again, David gave him a confused look. “Yes, my lord, I would say that.”
“Do you think I am not intelligent enough to find my way back down this hallway a few doors?”
David struggled to keep a neutral look on his face. “I do not think that, my lord. I assure you.”
“You are dismissed, David.”
The butler walked away from him without another word. Normally, Ben would have called him back to exit with the proper respect. But he let the young man walk away. As soon as he reentered the library, Ben moved quickly back down the hallway to the door across from the room where the family was sitting.
He slipped into the study, moving directly to the large desk Frank used in his business. He opened drawers in the desk and rifled through the papers there and on the surface. It didn’t take him long to find what he was looking for.
Regency Romance: Duke’s Forbidden Love (The Fairbanks Series - Love & Hearts) (Historical Romance Fiction) Page 8