A Duchess to Fight For: A Historical Regency Romance Book

by Abigail Agar

  “I'm one of your investors this time. I know it’s unusual. I’ll give it a try.”

  Hobart laughed. “Don’t think you’ll add any pressure to this run because your money is in it?”

  Frederick grinned. “It never even occurred to me.”

  *****

  Louisa noticed increased activity coming and going through her father’s study. The men would stop by the parlour and pay their respects on their way out if they were visiting Frederick during calling hours.

  She would have loved to ask her father about the activity he was experiencing, but that was out of the question for her. She sighed. She didn’t want her head bitten off.

  One afternoon, after introducing a friend of his to everyone in the parlour then showing him out, he came back and sat for tea. Jack was also at tea.

  “I’ve heard mention of you, Lord Duggan. After we talk with the ladies, you can join me in the library.”

  “Yes, Your Grace.” Jack nodded.

  “Father,” Louisa said, “will you be attending the ball at the Prestons’?”

  “When is it?”

  “Thursday evening.” Louisa said.

  Frederick looked at Amelia who gave him a barely discernible nod.

  “Yes, Louisa. I will take your mother and you.”

  Louisa looked over at Jack and smiled.

  Frederick put his palms on his upper thighs with a clap and rose. He nodded, “Duggan.”

  Jack rose and bowed to the ladies before following Frederick to the library.

  “Drink?” Frederick said once the library door was closed behind them.

  “Yes. Thank you,” Jack answered.

  Frederick sat in a chair across from Jack. “So, you and my daughter seem to be getting closer as the season progresses. Am I right?”

  Jack nodded and took a sip of his whisky. He rarely drank whisky, and after just one sip did everything humanly possible to avoid coughing like a 15-year-old boy taking his first drink. He barely succeeded.

  “I enjoy your daughter’s company, and I would like to continue spending time with her.”

  “Tell me a little bit about yourself. Your father is dead, so you have already inherited the title?”

  Jack gave a small smile. “Yes.”

  “You have property in Salisbury and in London?”

  He nodded. “My townhouse is three blocks west of here.”

  Frederick swirled the whisky around in his glass. “In what condition is your estate in Salisbury?”

  “It’s in improving condition. I have taken on one project after another to bring it to excellent condition, and I will continue to do so. The roof, the windows, and the kitchen have all been made new. The oak floors and the stables are next on my list.”

  Frederick put his glass on the end table next to him. He leaned forward, his forearms on his thighs. “So, are you saying you are not under financial pressure?”

  Jack said, “No. My assets are strong and liquid. I am not plagued by drink or gambling or poor judgement. My financial position is strong.”

  Frederick stood, so Jack stood. Frederick slapped him on the back and said, “A pleasure having this talk. I’ll walk you back to the ladies.”

  When they walked into the parlour, they bowed, then Frederick excused himself. Jack sat and took the teacup Louisa offered.

  “Did you have a good talk?” Louisa asked.

  Jack nodded. “I can’t be completely sure, but I think so. I like your father. His style of speech is direct.”

  Louisa’s mother said, “Yes. It cuts through so much unnecessary posturing, don’t you think?”

  Louisa laughed. “Some say it’s an acquired taste.”

  “Well, I find it comforting to know the men at the club who know him like him,” Jack said.

  Louisa smiled, and Amelia grinned.

  *****

  Amelia and Frederick had a rare night alone at the dinner table. It was a welcome opportunity for them to catch up on everything happening around them.

  Frederick mentioned the latest ship run and its success. He told her of the new investor, Barton St John, Duke of Hamilton, and asked if she knew anything about him.

  “I’ve seen him at a few balls. His wife died two years ago, and he is in the market for a new bride. He’s out of practice courting women. At least I hope he’s out of practice and not just clumsy. I think he should look for a bride closer to his age.

  “The young ladies aren’t very attracted to him, no matter the title or the purse. And he’s not kept himself up. Besides his weight, his face and nose are red and blotchy. A sure sign of drink.”

  “Do they find him friendly and kind?” Frederick asked.

  “I don’t know. I’ve only observed him talking with his peers.”

  They talked about Hobart for a while. Frederick told her how happy he was with their new delivery.

  “Does he have a woman in his life?” Amelia asked.

  Frederick shook his head. “No. Nothing new. He is happy with the way his life is arranged. Living on the docks, working on our ventures. He spends every day putting the past behind him and doesn’t require anyone else, man or woman, to live with him under his cloud. That won’t change.”

  “How do you like Jack?” Amelia asked.

  “I like him. I think it’s a good match. Do you think he’ll come to see me?”

  Amelia smiled. “Yes. I’m surprised he hasn’t visited you yet.”

  Frederick laughed. “Young gentlemen seem to think they need to get their affairs in order before becoming betrothed. I think they are dragging their feet, myself. Though, I don’t think she’ll have to wait much longer for him to come to me.”

  “Well, while he’s getting his affairs in order, she’s patiently waiting. I hope it works out. It’s a good match.”

  “He’ll get no argument from me.”

  *****

  The Prestons’ ball was quite spectacular. The Duchess enjoyed decorating her townhouse in shiny silver strips that caused the candlelight to persistently bounce off them. The flickering candlelight turned into lights like those emitted from fireworks.

  Louisa found it novel at first but soon tired of the constant flashes.

  The ballroom was so crowded she looked but couldn’t find any of her friends. Luckily, Emma and Rose found her.

  They chatted in excitement at the buzz in the room caused by the flickering light and the crowd. The girls decided to clump together next to the wall halfway down the ballroom.

  Percy came by and asked Louisa to dance.

  “Not if you step on my toes or squeeze my hands.”

  Percy grinned. “You take all the fun out of dancing.”

  Once they were dancing, having found their rhythm on the overcrowded dance floor, Louisa asked, “Where is Nora? Are you having difficulty finding her?”

  “No difficulty,” he answered. “It seems she is being courted by someone else. I think he’s after her dowry, but she is no longer listening to me. I would tell you I’m terribly upset, but it is better to have this happen now rather than later.”

  “Well,” Louisa was indignant, “she just made the worst decision of her life. Silly girl. You’re too good for her.”

  Percy laughed. “I knew there was a reason I wanted to dance with you.”

  Louisa shook her head. “You don’t ever need a reason to dance with me. Now, whom can we fix you up with? Let’s see.”

  “Stop.” He looked her in the eyes communicating to her that she needed to leave it alone.

  Percy let out a deep breath. “Thank you.”

  After the dance, Percy walked Louisa back to her group, bowed then joined his friends.

  “Girls,” Louisa said, “we need to find someone for Percy. He doesn’t want my help, but how can I stand by at a time like this?”

  “What happened to Nora?” Emma asked.

  “She has chosen to pursue someone else,” Rose said.

  “How did you know? I just found out,” Louisa asked.
<
br />   “I just heard it while you were dancing. It has circulated through the room twice,” Rose said.

  “Where was I?” Emma said.

  “Talking to your brother,” Rose answered.

  “Girls. Any suggestions?”

  “We’ll look and see what we can find,” Emma said, and Rose nodded.

  Louisa watched Percy to see if he danced (no), was alone (yes) or talking with his friends (only when they weren’t dancing).

  She couldn’t think of anyone that would be a good match. Maybe he was right and didn’t need her help. She decided to wait a day or two before interfering. She called off the girls and waited for Jack to come.

  Rose had accepted an invitation to dance from a gentleman she liked, and Emma stepped away to talk with her girlfriend, no doubt about Nora.

  Louisa found herself alone, which didn’t bother her since she saw Jack approach her and then he asked her to dance. They finished dancing and picked their way through the crowd to the side of the room.

  She looked over to the left to see Percy skirting the dancers and walking toward her.

  “Well, hello. It’s nice to see you again. To what do I owe this pleasure?” Louisa said.

  Percy and Jack bowed. He spoke to Louisa, “I saw Jack come in and decided to keep you company.”

  Percy turned to Jack. “Actually I am alone tonight and could use some company.”

  Louisa said, “It seems Nora isn’t quite as intelligent as I gave her credit for. She has set her eyes on someone wealthier than our dear Percy.”

  Jack looked surprised. Louisa rolled her eyes and thought the men in the ballroom weren’t as skilled at gossip as the women.

  “I’m sorry to hear that Percy. She seems like a lovely girl. I have to agree with Louisa. She isn’t as intelligent as I thought.”

  Louisa laughed, changing the subject to give Percy a reprieve, “I hope my father didn’t scare you with his talk in the library. You both came back to the parlour smiling, but I can’t help wondering.”

  “We had a good talk. I love his manner. Right to the point. He and I seem to see eye to eye.”

  Louisa nodded. “That’s a relief.”

  Jack laughed. “Yes, it is.”

  Louisa waited until Jack was talking with someone before she turned to Percy and said, “Want to talk about it?”

  Percy shrugged. “There’s nothing to talk about. I went to visit her, which I have been doing for over a month. She turned me away at the door. After the second time, I thought I would talk to her tonight. Of course, she’s not here.”

  He asked, “Did the gossip include the reason? It’s so sudden.”

  “I agree. I’ll see what I can find out,” Louisa said. “Although going after a wealthier man is all the incentive some women need. You may have done nothing wrong.”

  “Thank you.”

  Louisa suspected Percy’s pride was hurt more than anything else. It stung to be dropped, and Nora did it in such an awkward way, Percy couldn’t help feeling put out.

  Louisa knew the relationship wasn’t very strong, but Nora was a nice person and good company.

  She thanked God Percy wasn’t the type of man who couldn’t see a woman for what she was. He wouldn’t end up with a terrible woman who would make him miserable.

  Someday he would see it was for the best. Another week or two, and he’d be more of a catch than ever.

  Chapter 5

  Frederick and Hobart stood on the dock while they watched the ship carrying crates of Scotch whisky and fabric sail away. Hobart was particularly pleased with the price he negotiated for the whisky. They celebrated by going to the warehouse office and pouring some of the same whisky into glasses.

  “Tastes good. I think it may be a good substitute for crates of English tea. What do you think, brother?”

  Frederick laughed. “Well, Hobart, I think you may be right. Of course, I would need to taste it again.”

  Hobart poured them each a more liberal glass to help them decide.

  Almost as soon as the ship sailed, the weather turned stormy, and pouring rain coupled with a fierce wind kept much of London indoors. It was a rare occurrence to have such angry weather. Leaks sprung from roofs, and water came in through the stone foundations of townhouses.

  The only unseen benefit of the storm was that the waste thrown out of windows into the gutters on the streets below was washed away by the river that was an outgrowth of the rain.

  Of course, no one was sure how clean the water seeping through the stones into the foundations of the townhouses might be.

  It crossed Hobart’s mind that the ship probably hit choppy waters, but he calmed himself by reasoning it was too far from land to experience the storm.

  All social engagements came to a halt. Ladies could not make it to their carriages from the front door of the townhouses without ruining their gowns. No matter the cloak or number of umbrellas the footmen used to shield the rain, the dresses were soaked through.

  Louisa and the Duchess sat in the parlour working on needlepoint in silence, all conversation having been exhausted days ago. They received no visitors leaving Louisa plenty of time to wonder if Jack would visit once the weather improved.

  Having too much time to think, Louisa began to worry about Jack. She went over his return from his meeting in the library in her head.

  Did he act differently? She didn’t think so. Was his conversation unusual? Not that she remembered.

  Maybe she was jumping to conclusions. After what happened with Percy and Nora, she didn’t know. Who would have guessed Percy would be turned away from Nora’s door? But still, she couldn’t help wondering why she felt a little unsure.

  There was a knock on the door, and both Louisa and her mother snapped their heads up from their work. No one ventured out in this weather. Louisa strained to hear Mendon. He was admonishing someone for the puddle he made in the foyer.

  Mendon walked by the parlour and knocked on the office door. Louisa heard her father say ‘enter’ then heard Mendon open the door and shut it behind him.

  Louisa saw Frederick and Mendon walk towards the front door.

  “You have correspondence from Hobart you refused to give my butler?” Frederick said, annoyed.

  “Your Grace,” Louisa assumed he was bowing, “this is from your brother, and I am following his instructions. I am to hand it to you.”

  Frederick sighed. “I’m here. Hand it over. Did my brother instruct you to wait for my reply?”

  “Yes, Your Grace. He requested you respond.”

  “Very well. Wait here. Mendon, get a footman to dry him and his puddle as best he can.”

  *****

  Brother,

  I have just heard the distressing news that the ship carrying our goods to India has sunk. There is nothing left of the ship, the crew or the crates. Another ship in the area saw and tried to reach our ship in time but couldn’t.

  The other ship came back to shore to wait out the storm. The captain is available if you want to talk to him about what he saw.

  H

  Mendon waited a half hour before knocking on the office door.

  “Come.”

  Mendon opened the door and bowed. “Your Grace, is there a missive you would like me to give the footman for Lord Haddington?”

  With his elbow on the desk, Frederick cradled his head in his hand. “Tell him to tell Hobart I will write him tomorrow or visit him if the weather improves.”

  Mendon bowed and left.

  After the footman left, Louisa pulled the bell for Mendon.

  Mendon entered the parlour and bowed. “Your Grace, Lady Haddington.”

  “Mendon is there something wrong?” Louisa asked.

  “I don’t know, Lady Harrington. I believe His Grace received bad news from his brother, but he didn’t say.”

  “Thank you, Mendon,” Louisa said.

  Mendon left, and Louisa turned to her mother. “Uncle Hobart?”

  “Cargo,” Amelia said.
/>   “Do you think it was stolen when all of London was inside their homes?” Louisa asked.

  The Duchess thought. “Could be. But I thought the ship left the dock already. Do you suppose the ship sank in this weather?