The Duke of My Heart (Regency Romance)

by Hanna Hamilton

  Of course, that wouldn't happen tonight, there was even less chance than usual. She wasn't going to be Iris Warwick, the sort of woman who might attract the attention of a prince. She was to be Daisy the maid, the serving staff, not to be looked upon.

  At least she could blend into the background.

  Daisy had been surrounded by people all day long. Iris’s uncle had insisted that he hire ladies trained in the area of beauty to come to the house to make her look her best. They brushed gorgeous makeup on her face, they brushed and styled her hair into a very complicated style, they had even tied up her stays and pulled her dress up over her. A beautiful, purple flowing gown that had small embroidered patterns all over it. The material felt too delicate to touch, never mind dance in, but she had been assured that nothing would happen to it.

  In short, Daisy looked better than she ever thought possible.

  As she stared at her reflection in the mirror, there was an uncontrollable excitement coursing through her veins. The last few days as she’d acted like a lady, she really began to feel that way. The more that people did for her, the more she enjoyed being looked after. Of course, it was very strange, considering it was her friends working for her, but it felt nice all the same.

  This was the life she was always meant to have.

  Daisy felt like she shouldn’t have been born into a lower class family, she never should have been made to look after another family. She should have been the one being treated like a princess.

  She jutted out her chin and smiled at herself in the mirror, wondering how far she could take this ploy. Iris seemed happy enough in her new role as a maid, Daisy certainly enjoyed being this version of herself, maybe... just maybe they could switch forever. It had been far too easy to fool Walter, she felt certain that they could confuse everyone else too...

  Her shoulders fell as she realized just how silly this was. Olivia Warwick would be moving into this home soon, so the plan would come to an end. It was only supposed to be some fun anyway, a way to help Iris. She was getting carried away. Daisy needed to keep control of herself.

  “Are you ready?”

  Daisy turned her head to the left as she heard Iris’s soft voice calling out to her. She couldn’t help noticing how comfortable she looked in her maid’s uniform now, it was hard to even see that it didn’t quite fit her properly. It was unfair, they both wanted what the other one had, but they couldn’t have that forever.

  “You look absolutely beautiful in that dress.” Iris moved to join her in the bedroom that felt more like home to Daisy every single day. “It suits you far better than it ever would me.”

  “Oh I do not know about that,” Daisy replied with a very pleased smile on her face. “You do not see what a beauty you truly are.”

  “And thanks to you, nor will Duke Pembroke. Are you prepared to tackle him tonight?”

  Oh, if only he was a lovely Duke. If only Daisy could dance with him, and fall in love with him, and become his wife. She could live in his grand house and be a lady every single day...

  But he was a monster, he did not treat people well. Daisy needed to remember that.

  “I am ready, thank you. I feel much better knowing that your sisters will not be there. That was quick thinking on your behalf about taking over the guest list.”

  "It is just lucky that my uncle wants this dealt with quickly," Iris replied wryly. "If he was a more involved man, Betty and I would never have been able to pull that off. He is disinterested mostly, which has worked very well in our favour."

  “Indeed.” Daisy looked at herself one last time, before turning away from the mirror forever. “May I go down into the hall now, or must I make a grand entrance?” She did not think that her nerves could stand it. Much as she felt more like a lady these days, she just knew that she’d trip if everyone looked at her.

  “Usually it would be customary for you to be presented to everyone, but I have just poured my uncle his fourth glass of whisky. He seems nervous about tonight too, so he will be very drunk. I believe it is alright if we go now.” Iris held out her arm in the way that she had seen men do. “May I escort you, my lady?”

  As they walked towards the hall, just a short time before the guests would arrive, both girls had the sense that something huge and life changing would occur tonight. Of course, that could not possibly be the case because as of tomorrow they would need to start integrating back into their own lives, but tonight... tonight anything felt possible.

  “I am worried that I will forget the dance steps,” Daisy gushed, suddenly overcome by an intense sense of panic. “What if I make a fool out of myself?”

  “Oh, Daisy, I have never known anyone more suited to be a lady as you,” Iris reassured her. “You dance better than anyone I have ever seen, and you look absolutely wonderful. Do not forget that I will be here all night long, in the shadows. If you even need a moment of help, I will be here for you.”

  “Yes, yes of course.” Daisy’s breaths still fell out of her mouth raggedly, despite Iris’s reassurances. “Thank you, Iris. I appreciate it.”

  As they stepped into the hall, Daisy felt that same powerful surge of joy that Iris felt too. Maybe she was nervous – that was understandable considering what she was about to do – but the happiness was there too.

  After all, who would have ever believed that Daisy, the maid girl, would end up dancing with a Duke? It was a once in a lifetime opportunity... it would be better for her to make the most of it!

  It wasn’t long before the hall was filled with music and chatter. Everyone that had been invited attended the event. As Iris stood against the wall looking in, she couldn’t help noticing how well Daisy was doing being her. She had challenging questions fired at her from every angle, people trying to discretely ask why she had spent so long in her room and how she now felt about losing her father as well as her mother, but she was doing her best to handle them with grace.

  It was almost as if she was meant to be Iris, and Iris her.

  “Will you come into the kitchen?” Eloise asked her quietly. “I think Betty wants to see you.”

  Iris did not feel ready to go, it filled her with panic to leave Daisy to defend herself, but she hadn’t asked for her once. Actually, she hadn’t even glanced at her yet, which was the only thing that caused Iris to nod and agree. She knew where to find her if the time came anyway.

  The kitchen was a busy hive of activity as the plates of snacks were arranged for the party. Other staff from the household kept coming in and out of the kitchen to exchange empty trays for full ones. Iris hadn’t ever realized how much went on behind the scenes at events such as this. It was fascinating to see the other side of things. Iris much preferred it on this side.

  “Are you okay, Betty?”

  As Betty turned to face Iris, she mopped sweat from her rounded, bright red cheeks. Despite the stress, Betty had the look on her face of someone who was proud of a job well done.

  “I am, I just wanted to check in on you.” Betty had started to feel like a surrogate mother to Iris, she couldn’t stop worrying about her however hard she tried. “How are you doing? I know this might be difficult for you.”

  “Daisy is doing really well, no one has realized yet...”

  “No, I am not worried about Daisy,” Betty smiled. “I know she will be just fine.” All the serving staff had noticed how easy it was for her to slip into the role of a lady. Maybe it was jealousy speaking, but none of them felt like they could have done it. “I just want to check to see how you are. Emotionally.”

  Iris dug deeply into herself, trying to work that much out for herself. As she did, she realized that she’d pushed all of her feelings deep down because she didn’t want to acknowledge them... just in case. But actually, she was okay. Much better Daisy out there than her.

  “I am fine, Betty, thank you for asking.” She gave her such a warm smile that the tension slipped away from Betty’s face. Iris could see that her genuine declaration had been believed, which was wo
nderful. Iris wouldn’t have known how to explain herself coherently if not. “Is there anything you would like me to carry out there?”

  “Oh no, I do not think so.” She averted her eyes and glanced towards the floor, suddenly feeling incredibly awkward. “You may keep in the background, to be there for Daisy if she needs you.”

  Iris furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. Betty was trying her best not to say something, which meant the part she was avoiding was the most important thing. What could it possibly be? Did she not believe that Iris could handle speaking to anyone?

  "I can do this, Betty," she insisted quietly while resting her hand on her shoulder. "I do not mind speaking to people when they will not look at me. Look how well I have been doing recently. It is almost easier when I am not being myself."

  Betty did not say anything to that, she simply handed Iris a plate and indicated for her to leave. The instinct was there to protect her, she could not help that, but if Iris wanted to spread her wings to fly then she couldn’t stand in her way. All of them wanted Iris to finally come out of her shell. She had been in there for far too long. It was lovely to see her blossoming.

  Iris made her way back into the grand hall with her head held high. She might have tried to play down how far she’d come in front of the others because she did not want a fuss, but she was very proud of herself. It was not such a long time ago that the idea of walking into a room full of people filled her with such an intense, overwhelming sense of dread.

  Now, she felt totally relaxed going in.

  Her steps were purposeful, her posture straight, she had never felt so strong... that was until she made her way into the hall and she saw a sight that made her heart fall into her shoes.

  Daisy was standing by the wall on the left side of the room, and she was not alone. The tall, dark, brooding man who towered over her could only be one person. There was only one man in the world who would be that close to her, talking away, making her giggle girlishly...

  Duke Loftus Pembroke.

  Iris’s blood ran cold, she could feel her knees turning to jelly, she did not know what to do. She instantly wanted to protect her friend from this brute, she wanted to tear her away from the man that her sister had described as ‘an unpleasant man’ with ‘a horrible reputation’ and ‘an angry temper... especially with the women in his life’. She wanted to race up there and put an end to the whole thing, but Daisy did not look like she needed saving.

  As the Duke spoke to her, she angled her body ever so slightly towards him. It was an action that no lady would usually do, it was Daisy’s one downfall, but no one was paying her any attention. She was actually flirting with him.

  Iris’s mind went into a tailspin, she felt vomit rising up from her stomach and into her throat, this was not the plan. Daisy was not supposed to flirt with the man, she was not supposed to like him, to be nice to him, she was supposed to put him off her...

  Unless maybe this was the plan. They hadn’t actually discussed what she was going to do when she met the Duke, they had gotten bogged down in other details. Iris did not like this plan at all, it didn’t sit well with her. She had the horrible feeling that it would ruin her reputation for good. Since Iris knew that people would probably already be speaking about her, another rumour about her would destroy her for good.

  Maybe one day she would change her mind about getting married, and then she would not be able to.

  Iris pushed the plate onto the nearest table to her and she twisted her body to rush from the room. With her mind spinning so violently, there was no chance of her keeping up the pretense. Just for a moment, Iris needed to be alone while she organized her thoughts. The last thing she wanted to do was something rash.

  In her state of panic, Iris raced to the one place she felt safest in the world, even if she had not been there for a few days. She ran up the stairs and headed straight towards her bedroom, needing the comfort from the familiar four walls.

  Daisy, flirting.

  Daisy, liking the Duke.

  Daisy, ruining her reputation... what on Earth would she do?

  But as she rushed through the door, she stopped dead in her tracks. Nothing was the same anymore, the room offered her absolutely no comfort. Daisy hadn’t physically moved anything, but nothing felt like hers anymore.

  It was almost as if Daisy had completely taken over her life, and Iris was terrified of where that might go next. Maybe there was no coming back from this after all...

  Chapter 12

  Daisy was on top of the world. As she moved her feet in time with the music, staring into the dark eyes of this man who could offer her more than she’d ever hoped for in her life, her head felt like electricity was burning her up alive. He was good looking, much better than she had been expecting, and every time Daisy caught his eye she felt a skipping sensation in her heart.

  That was new! No one had ever given her that before.

  This was so terribly exciting, she could barely stop herself from smiling. On more than one occasion, she had been forced to restrain herself from getting carried away, just to keep up the rouse. Every now and again she felt frustrated by the silly rules that the higher classes had for themselves because they made life unnecessarily challenging, but aside from that, it felt like this was the life for her. The switch had affected her in more ways than she ever felt possible, now she actually wanted it for real.

  “Ooh, I love this song, do you not think it is wonderful the way the beat and the melody blends together?” So Daisy had no idea about music, it hardly mattered. She simply could not stop herself from saying wonderfully positive things.

  “Hmm,” the Duke replied noncommittally.

  That was how he answered most of her questions, which was possibly a little annoying. When he spoke about himself he was animated and vibrant, but when she talked, he seemed to shrink in on himself. Daisy could see why he might have received his terrible reputation if he acted this way with everyone, but Daisy would not allow that to ruin her night. This was the best time she had ever had. She loved being a lady!

  "And the Jameson Sisters look lovely, don't they?" Luckily Daisy had overheard someone calling them that, which allowed her to talk about someone as if she knew them. She was grateful really that everyone knew Iris had not spent a lot of time in public. It allowed her to get away with things that she might not have done otherwise. “I wish my dress was bluer, like theirs.”

  “Hmm.”

  Again, Daisy narrowed her eyes in frustration. He should have given her a compliment at that time, he should have told her that her dress was lovely just as it was and it made her look wonderful too, it was the perfect opportunity. For a Duke, he did not have very good manners, which was a little irritating. Not that she wanted to complain too much.

  Still, she would not allow his gruffness to bring her mood down. Even if he was not nice, the music was wonderful, the great hall looked incredible, her dress made her look lovely, and the food at the party was delicious. That was all that mattered.

  Daisy glanced her eyes around the rest of the room trying to locate Iris for a moment rather than continuing the failing conversation, but she was nowhere to be found. At the start of the night she was tucked away in the corner, watching her, supporting her from afar, but now... now even if Daisy needed her she was not there.

  Was it because Daisy had been speaking so nicely to the Duke?

  All of a sudden, the original plan hit her in the face. She was supposed to be using her lower class, course manners to put the Duke off the idea of marrying Iris. She was supposed to be making him feel uncomfortable around her, showing off her terrible behaviour, but somehow, in the magic of the evening, she’d totally forgotten.

  If Daisy was honest with herself, she had become so wrapped up in the idea of being a lady that she had acted in a selfish manner. Instead of doing what she had promised, she had been trying to impress the Duke, she wanted him to like her. She felt like she deserved his like.

  She had messed up;
this was really bad.

  Daisy looked up at the Duke, wishing that she could work on what was going on behind that stare. She felt like he had a depth to him that others could not see. She figured that he was misunderstood, and that gave her an excuse for acting so wrongly...

  Or maybe she was just trying to make herself feel less terrible for practically resigning her friend to wed a man that she did not like.

  Although... that was not possible now, was it? He thought that she was his betrothed. This was messier than ever now. Unless...

  The Duke wanted to marry Iris Warwick. He thought that she was Iris Warwick. It seemed impossible to dream of, and Daisy was not sure if it made her a terrible person, but could she be the one to marry the Duke? It was crazy, but it would give her everything that she’d ever wanted. Maybe Duke Pembroke wouldn’t make a good husband, but that did not trouble Daisy. She would have all the money that she could ever need. It did not matter if the Duke wasn’t pleasant to be around, or even if he had affairs. As far as Daisy was aware, most of the wealthy men did anyway. No, Daisy would not need him to be a good husband, she would just like the lifestyle.

  As she came up with the plan in her mind, she even started to consider the practical arrangements. If she was Iris Warwick, she would have the dowry, she would have the life... but what would Iris do? Would she be comfortable remaining a maid? She would have to do something if they did not want to be found out, she certainly could not continue being Iris Warwick as well.

  She could be Daisy, but not in this house. If Olivia was coming to live here, then she would instantly know. She would have to go and work somewhere else, for another person.

  Daisy had a cousin, Victoria, who worked in another house like this one. Daisy knew that she was happy and that the employers were kind to their staff. Maybe, if Iris wanted to continue being a maid, she would be happy there as well.

  Daisy was not convinced, even in her mind that this could possibly work. Iris was utterly terrified of the outside world. It did not matter that she was doing much better these days, this would be a step too far. Daisy could not imagine Iris agreeing to this madness, it would more than likely send her spiralling back into sadness.