Unlike him, Lady Frances enjoyed them, she loved talking about them. As did his mother. Watching them both as they sat side by side, politely sipping tea from fine china, and eating coffee cakes while taking care not to spill anything, gave him a vision of his future.
Is this what my life will be? Living with a woman who is polite, defers to me, and is interested in nothing but entertaining and having polite conversation? Whose role in life is to plan the next ball or dinner party? Oh, how miserable. No, I want passion. I want conversation, I want to have my opinions challenged with lively debate. Lady Frances will never be able to give me this.
It wasn’t Lady Frances’s fault of course; she was the quintessential lady of the ton. She was the kind of woman many of his colleagues and friends hoped to wed. For certain, if the Marquess of Chatterley hadn’t wed Lady Isabella, he could have seen Lady Frances make a wonderful Marchioness of Chatterley. He could even see her with Lord Hendley. He had an insufferable tolerance, even admiration, for music and the arts, same as Lady Frances.
It was curious, really, how he had such a sudden certainty about what he desired in a woman. Until meeting Miss Evans, he hadn’t known that he enjoyed an opinionated woman, that he wanted a woman like her in his life. No. Not a woman like her. Her.
“Your Grace? Are you with us?” His mother’s shrill voice interrupted his thoughts.
“Excuse me, Mother. I drifted off. Important parliament business,” he said by way of apology.
“Of course, Your Grace. I understand,” Lady Frances replied politely. “I understand. You do important work in the House of Lords.”
“Ah yes, the House of Lords. I’m certain you have pressing business there, but we have matters to attend to here as well. Anyhow it is Sunday and Parliament can wait another day. Maybe we could have your undivided attention for a moment?”
“You have it, Mother,” Maxwell shifted his position so he faced his mother.
“Lady Frances and I were just discussing spending a weekend at Hawthorne Hall. Her family could come as well. Given that we will hopefully all soon be related, it would be a wonderful get-together for us all. A glimpse into the very near future, if you will.”
A future he dreaded, to be sure. Maxwell knew he had no choice but to agree.
“Certainly, if the lady would like to join us at Hawthorne Hall, she is welcome to do so. I’m certain Lord Cladborough would enjoy the Estate. I shall take him out hunting.”
Lady Frances smiled with such delight, her lovely white teeth were visible. “That is wonderful. I so look forward to it.”
“It is set then. I trust the Lady is still looking forward to our outing this upcoming Wednesday?”
Lady Frances nodded with enthusiasm.
“I am quite excited to visit the menagerie at the Tower. I have heard the most glorious reports about it. I only hope Miss Evans will not find it tedious, given how it will be her second visit this week.” She turned to the Duchess. “Miss Evans is taking Lord Somerset and his intended there today. It may be a bore to go again on Wednesday with us.”
The Duchess set her cup down as she chimed into their conversation.
“I should think not. She is paid rather well to attend these outings after all.”
“Still, I imagine it rather boring, going to the same places over and over,” Maxwell replied. “There are days I wish I did not have to go to the House of Lords day after day.”
“You do not have to. You choose to. I do not know where you and your father got the notion that you must attend each session of Parliament.”
“Well, Mother, Father had a rather strong work ethic. Which he passed along to me, as you well know. In any event, I was simply stating that routine can get boring, so I agree with Lady Frances, I hope Miss Evans does not bore of the ever-same outings.”
I have to be careful not to defend her too much in front of Mother. She did not look pleased when she saw us dancing at the ball the other night. She’s not said a word about it to me, but I saw the way she stared at us.
“Faith! I should imagine Miss Evans does not have an opinion about which places to visit as a chaperone and how often. I trust any matchmaker worth their salt will know which places are suitable for courting and will visit them time and again. It would not benefit her to grow tired of certain places. Even if she did, it is not up to her. We do not pay her for her personal enjoyment, after all.”
It was obvious his mother did not care for Miss Evans, nor did she care about any commoner, come to think of it. The Duchess had always been one of those aristocrats who believed they were superior to other people in every way just by the happenstance of their noble birth. Maxwell had never felt that way; neither had his father. It was one of the many reasons he was never close to his mother and never would be.
“Be that as it may, I shall have to depart shortly. I have to attend to business.”
The Duchess eyebrows rose “Depart? Whatever for? It is Sunday; the House of Lords is not in session, unless there has been a sudden change in proceedings.”
“There has not. I am expected at the Club, however. Business is not conducted only in Parliament, as you well know. I must meet with Lord Chatterley. I am looking to make an investment in a venture he has planned.” The Duchess was about to protest but he quickly shut her down. “But the details would only bore you, Mother.”
“If you simply must…” the Duchess pouted while Lady Frances looked as though she’d received terrible news. Did his departure really wound her so?
“I must.” He did not give his mother a chance to protest further and got up. He’d spent about as much time at this luncheon as could be expected, given that it was not even part of their official courtship. He got the distinct feeling that it did not matter what he wanted when it came to this arrangement. Clearly, his mother had already decided that he would wed Lady Frances, if Maxwell was happy or not.
* * *
After departing from his mother’s drawing room, Maxwell stood in the grand entry hall and pondered his next move. He needed to leave the house, that much he knew. He did not really need to see Lord Chatterley. In fact, he recalled that the Chatterley’s were not presently in London. They had departed the day prior for their Estate in Coventry. Once again, his hand wandered into his pocket. He retrieved the locket from the handkerchief he’d wrapped it in and ran his finger gently over it.
He’d planned to hold on to it until Wednesday and give it to her when they met at the menagerie, but could he wait? Certainly. Did he want to? No. The desire to see her was overwhelming. And he knew just where she would be. Surely, he could simply go to the Tower. The menagerie was only open for certain hours and he was sure to see her there if only he waited long enough. And they would be in public, thus there was no danger to her reputation. He would simply be a client, seeing his employee by chance. Yes. That is what he would do. She had no reason to be upset at him.
“John!” He called out to the butler who appeared at once.
“Yes, Your Grace?”
“Fetch the driver, tell him we are going to the Tower.”
Chapter 21
Alexandra strolled a few steps behind the young couple. The Earl of Somerset and Lady Eliza Rockford were engaged in conversation, leaving Alexandra with nothing to do but follow them at a discrete distance.
She stopped in front of a cage containing Miss Fanny, a fine lioness that she enjoyed watching whenever she was at the menagerie. In the cage next to her were a pair of lions, Hector and Miss Jenny, who had been a gift to the King by the Marquees Cornwallis, several years ago, back when the King was still himself and did not require a Regent.
She glanced up toward the young couple. They were just a few cages ahead of her. This one, she knew from her many visits, contained a panther from Algeria, the name of which presently escaped her. Alexandra reckoned she could be giving a tour of the place; she knew all the animals and their origins so well.
She did not mind visiting here, no matter how many times she
came. Especially not today. This outing had been a true pleasure. The young couple were a delight to accompany. She rather enjoyed watching the two. They had a natural flow between them, and they appeared to quite like one another.
It made a nice change from the vexing situation between the Duke of Gatterlen and Lady Frances. Unlike the Duke, the Earl of Somerset was keen to make the courtship with Lady Eliza a success. It had been moving along rather hastily; this was their third meeting in just one week.
She was certain that within a couple of weeks, they would no longer require her services. The Earl appeared ready to make an offer to the Lady’s father. While not a high-profile match, this would still be yet another success she could add to her ever-growing list of accomplishments. Furthermore, the Earl of Somerset had two younger brothers with titles that would make great matches for some of the ladies on her roster.
If only the Duke would be as keen on making a match as the Earl of Somerset is. It would make my life so much easier. He is rather a bothersome fellow. I would like to see him wed to Lady Frances sooner rather than later, if only so I would not need to be in his presence any longer.
Alexandra had been telling herself this for the past few days. Ever since their awkward dance at Almack’s. The Duke would simply not leave her thoughts. At the most inopportune moments, she’d think of him. She’d even been dreaming about him. Every now and again she found herself wistfully glancing at her own hand and remembering how it had felt when their hands touched during the dance.
She’d thought back to the way his face had looked when he bit into the cake at Almack’s supper room. Such delight, such joy he had gotten out of something as simple as a piece of cake. His eyes had sparkled with … No! Alexandra Evans, you are making a cake of yourself. Stop.
She had to stop thinking of him. She had to make him realize that his only true option was to wed Lady Frances and do so quickly. Her hand traveled to where her locket usually sat but found the space empty. She dropped her hand with a heavy sigh.
Up ahead, the young couple was engaged in conversation. She left them to it and continued strolling past the cages, taking in the sight of the various animals. Once upon a time there had been a polar bear here, but those days were long gone. What a sight that would have been.
A flock of birds circled up above, no doubt in search of left-over food from the feeding earlier in the day. She glanced up to see what kind of birds they were when—
The Duke.
She had no time to even finish her thought, for she’d spotted him up one floor above her. He’d been glancing down at her from a safe distance. The moment their eyes locked, he ducked from view.
What was the matter with him?
Suddenly she felt enraged. She knew his being here was no accident. He was here to see her.
Why is he here? Does he not care about my reputation at all? What will his mother say if she hears that he came here, seeking me out? No. This entanglement between us has to end, and it has to end now.
Gathering her dress up, she rushed toward the Earl of Somerset and informed him that she had to step away and indicated toward the upstairs. While it was not proper to leave her charges, she’d still be able to keep an eye on them, thus still fulfilling the need a chaperone. Not that it was much of a concern. She was certain a wedding would be announced within the fortnight.
Having attended to her clients, Alexandra rushed to the stairs and ascended, running up as though she was charging in the battle of Trafalgar.
What in the world is he thinking? Is it not enough that he is rude and dismissive of the Lady that he is supposed to be courting? Is it not enough that he’s putting me in impossible positions such as making me dance with him when I cannot refuse? Now he is here when I am working? Why can he not simply move forward with Lady Frances?
So much depended on a successful outcome of their union. She reached the top of the steps and while slightly out of breath, was fueled mostly by adrenaline at this moment in time. He stood at looked at her rather sheepishly.
“Miss Evans, what a surprise to see you here.”
Surprise? Surprise? How dare this man mock me in such a manner.
“Your Grace knew fully well I was here. Are you spying on me?” He shifted from one foot to the other, his right hand in his trouser pocket.
“I apologize. I did come here seeking you out but when I finally spotted you, I lost my nerve. I understand it is not proper.”
“Not proper? If anyone sees us, or heaven forbid reports back to your mother, I will be ruined. Utterly ruined! Do you hate me so that you wish me a fate worse than that of your friend, Lord Hendley?”
She crossed her arms in front of her chest. At last, he looked at her. There was something in his eyes that instantly let her hard demeanor fall away. There was something about him that was vulnerable. He was unsure of himself. Unsure of what the right way to proceed would be.
At last, he spoke. “Miss Evans, I do not hate you. Quite the opposite. You know this. I know you do. I did not mean to endanger you, which is why I chose to come to a public place where we can be seen. Should anyone ask, I will simply say I came to ensure the menagerie is suitable for Lady Frances. I should not wish for her to be frightened by the wild animals, after all.”
It was true, she felt what he felt. Still, he must know how impossible it was for him to even consider sharing his innermost thoughts. How reckless it was of him to come here, and how terrible a position it placed her in. No. His boldness would ruin both their lives.
“Your Grace, please, do not put me in such a quandary. My only goal is to see you wed to Lady Frances and move along with my business. I do not wish for any other complications or entanglements. My business is my life, and you are placing me in danger of losing it all.”
“It is not my intention. Nobody will think twice about seeing us here, for it is known that I am your client.”
Alexandra sighed. “I do not know what your intentions are. And I do not have the time to debate with you. My clients need me. They are waiting for me.”
She pointed toward where the Earl of Somerset and Lady Eliza were standing and watching an African hyena.
“I wanted to see you. It is that simple. Also, I have something I wanted to give you.” He reached into his pocket and again and retrieved an item carefully wrapped in a silk cloth. She took it from his hand with hesitation.
“I cannot accept a gift from Your Grace.” She held it in her hand, still wrapped, as if it were hot to the touch.
“It is not a gift if it belongs to you already.” He indicated for her to open it. Curious, she did. Her heart almost stopped when she recognized her mother’s locket.
“Oh, by Jove! I have been searching for this for days. I thought it lost forever! Where did Your Grace find it?”
She ran her fingers over the surface and opened it, smiling when she saw her mother’s face.
“It must have fallen when we were dancing. It was on the dancefloor at Almack’s. I came after you, but you had already left. I called out but you didn’t hear me.”
She recalled the moment. She’d heard him well enough but chose to run away rather than turn around and risk another conversation with him. She chose not to acknowledge this now. She attempted to put the locket back on her neck but to no avail.
“May I?” The Duke held his hand out. She turned around and lifted her hair so he would be able to fasten the chain. Alexandra felt exposed and knew it would not be good to be seen with him doing this, but they had already drawn attention.
He struggled to close the snap and after a few attempts, gave up. She turned and saw he was studying the chain.
“It is broken. That must be why it fell.”
He handed it back to her and she inspected the damage herself. He was right, the clasp at the back was bent, allowing the necklace to fall.
“I am sorry about the locket, Miss Evans.”
Alexandra shook her head, unconcerned. “It is alright. I have a friend of the family
who is a jeweler. He will be able to fix it.”
“Oh, is it Holmes’s Fine Jeweler? I saw it is right next to your office.”
When was he at my office?
Before she could even ask, he clarified “I went to your office to return the locket, but you were not there. I also wanted to give you these, as a token of my…”
He was about to hand her the licorice when she raised her hand to stop him.
“I cannot accept a token of any kind from you, Your Grace. You must know that this is highly inappropriate. I am ever so grateful for your kindness in returning my locket, which I cherish so much, but we must remain professional. We both know these types of meetings, or the way we behaved at the ball, are not appropriate. And you know how such actions can cause a person’s downfall. If word spread that we are meeting alone, I would be done for!”
Perfectly Mismatched With The Duke (Historical Regency Romance) Page 13