A Lady’s Choice: A Clean & Sweet Regency Historical Romance Book

by Fimch, Fanny

  With some relief, she noticed there were not as many people there as she had thought. The parlor was a large room, suitable for several hundred people if need be but there was only a handful scattered around the room, talking in polite low tones. Camilla was near the pianoforte but she was not waiting for someone to ask her to play.

  She was seated in a cushioned chair by the instrument, turned to the side, speaking with the Duke of Rabney. Emma felt an adrenaline rush pass through her. It did not seem she would be needed when it came to matchmaking in this situation. The two looked as though their conversation was intense. Emma could not help her curiosity.

  She crossed the room and was about to step up to them when a voice near her said her name. She turned and looked at Lord Archibald. Her heart nearly stopped.

  “Oh! My lord! I did not see you there!”

  He nodded. “That was quite obvious, my lady. I do believe you may have jumped three feet in the air. Allow me to apologize. I did not mean to frighten you.”

  Emma could not help collapsing into a fit of giggles. She did not know why seeing Lord Archibald surprised her. “Oh no, do not apologize. It was a simple error. I feel remiss in not seeing you there in the first place.”

  “Would you care to take a turn about the room?”

  Emma felt a tension slide through her but glancing at the Duke of Rabney and Lady Fielding changed her initial instinct to deny a walk around the room with Lord Archibald. She considered him a friend. She would just be cautious not to give him any false hope.

  “Yes, that would be fine.”

  She turned and walked beside him as they surveyed the paintings on the walls and the fine artwork that decorated the room. He walked with his shoulders back and his hands clasped behind him. She scanned the room, searching for the Duke of Lox. He was on the other side of the room, speaking with two other gentlemen. He was sipping from a glass, which he raised when he caught her eye. She looked away, flushing.

  “You seemed in quite a hurry to reach your friend, Lady Fielding. I do hope there is not some emergency I am keeping you from?”

  Emma shook her head. “No, no,” she said in a low voice. “I… I was happy to see her speaking with the Duke of Rabney. He seems a fine gentleman.”

  “I have not met the man. She is quite taken with him?”

  “Yes, she is.”

  “Then what is there to fear?”

  “I heard something that made me afraid there would be no connection between them and I do believe Lady Fielding is hoping for one,” Emma could not help speaking in a low tone, as if she was telling a secret. She looked around, intensifying the impression and continued in a dramatic stage whisper, much to Lord Archibald’s amusement. “My step-mother, the Duchess of Corning, is attempting to arrange a marriage between the Duke of Rabney and my younger sister, Katherine. This is not a good thing.”

  “Oh my,” Lord Archibald used the same dramatic whisper, playing along with her. It reminded Emma why she thought of him as a friend. “And how does Miss Katherine feel about this arrangement?”

  Emma shook her head, a serious look on her face. “She is not happy. She does not want to marry the Duke of Rabney.”

  “Does Miss Katherine have something against the Duke of Rabney?”

  Emma stopped, smiling up at him. “I suppose she is not in love with him. She barely knows him, is but sixteen, and does not want her mother to arrange a marriage for her when she has time to find a man she does love.”

  He nodded, becoming serious again, turning back to face the front and resuming the walk. “This does make sense to me. I do understand how a young lady would want to be wooed and courted properly before marriage. An arranged marriage is not something I would enjoy myself.”

  Emma was glad to hear that. It meant she did not need to fear him making an arrangement with the Duchess of Corning. Then again, when she turned her eyes up to him, she began to wonder if he was telling the truth or just saying what he believed she wanted to hear.

  “Although if it was necessary, I suppose it would be something I would consider,” Lord Archibald said, taking a turn. They were heading toward the Duke of Lox. With each step, Emma’s heart beat harder. Would he say something to her?

  She almost stopped listening to Lord Archibald but his words made her give him her attention. “An arranged marriage is sometimes necessary, you know. Especially when one party is obliged to marry and has not found a partner of note.”

  Emma stared at him for a moment and then looked away. There was something strange in the way Lord Archibald was speaking. She shook her head. He was just a mysterious man. She was sure he meant no harm.

  They were getting closer to the Duke of Lox. He looked up at them and met her eyes.

  The memory of their time talking in the library flooded through her mind. It was a pleasant feeling. She wanted to talk to him, instead of Lord Archibald.

  She glanced up at her companion and then back to the Duke of Lox.

  As if on cue, the Duke of Lox broke away from his companions and approached them. Emma’s skin tingled and she struggled not to feel nervous. Lord Archibald would surely not appreciate the interruption of their walk and conversation.

  “Lady Wentworth.” The Duke of Lox stopped in front of them and bowed, halting their movement forward. Emma dared to glance at Lord Archibald and was amused by the look of disappointment on his face. The Duke of Lox turned to him. “Lord Archibald, I believe?”

  “Yes. And you are the Duke of Lox, Lord Baldwin. Correct?”

  “That is correct, sir. I would be so obliged if I could take Lady Wentworth off your hands for a few moments to walk with me?”

  Emma tried not to smile too wide.

  Lord Archibald looked down at her. The look on his face said everything. He did not want her to walk with the Duke of Lox instead of him. But could she blame him for that?

  “I am flattered, your grace,” Emma said. “That would be very pleasant, yes.”

  Emma was amused by the satisfied look the Duke of Lox instinctively gave Lord Archibald. Lord Archibald looked like he would rather die a horrible death than let the Duke of Lox take Emma’s attentions away. But he nodded politely, bowed to Emma, turned on his heel and walked away, reminding Emma of a dog with his tail between his legs.

  The Duke of Lox turned his eyes to her, his handsome smile lighting up his face. “Shall we?”

  She had nearly forgotten about Camilla when they turned back and she caught sight of her again. She was laughing about something the Duke of Rabney was saying. His grin watching her smile spoke volumes.

  An instant smile crossed her face.

  Emma pulled in a deep breath and looked around the sunlit room as they began walking. “Is this not the most magnificent castle you have ever seen?”

  The Duke of Lox nodded. “It is. And I have traveled, as you know. I have seen other castles. I have been to Ireland and Scotland and Germany. There are some of the most amazing structures you will ever see in those places, and others. But none like this. Built into a mountain.” He shook his head. “Never have I seen anything like this.”

  “I feel the same way,” Emma agreed. “I feel as though I have stepped into a storybook when I come here. I do not attempt to understand how they made something like this sustainable for human life.”

  “I am sure details have been added over the years to make it so.”

  The two turned and continued walking, making a wide circle around the room.

  “Did the Duke of Rabney accompany you on many of your travels?” Emma asked, her eyes straying once more to her cousin and the Duke of Rabney. She was surprised by the way they were talking, if only because it was so relaxed and constant. There seemed little to no awkwardness between them, which surprised Emma.

  “I met Christian in the academy when we were about fourteen. We became instant friends. When we left the academy, we parted ways for three years. It was during this time that I traveled alone. I was with my father, that is. He introduced me
to some of the most prestigious men in politics and religion, diplomats I never would have had the opportunity to meet if it had not been for him.”

  “Was your father an amiable man?” Emma tried to keep her voice pleasant.

  “He was. Very much so, in fact. He acquired his wealth himself, it was not inherited from his own father. They were destitute when my father was growing up, the title he carried meant nothing. But my father was a smart businessman and a… a humorous character. A man people enjoyed being around.”

  “I am sorry I never had a chance to meet him.”

  The Duke of Lox looked at her and nodded. “Yes. It is a shame. But if you speak to anyone who knew him and knows me, they will tell you I am just like him. So in a way, you are meeting him.” The Duke of Lox gave her a warm smile that covered her like a blanket of sunshine.

  She sighed, making the Duke of Lox grin wider.

  “I am still disappointed that I did not meet your father those few nights ago when I came to Corning Manor,” the duke continued. “I pray that his health is recovered and that I will have that opportunity. Tell me, how is he faring?”

  Emma tilted her head to the side, picturing her father. “He is always very ill. He is in a lot of pain. But he still lives. I fear for him. I do not want him in pain but I do not want him to leave me. So I am caught in the middle.”

  “I imagine it is heartbreaking for you. You have my sympathies.”

  “Thank you, my lord.”

  “I do not wish to darken your mood, Lady Wentworth,” the Duke of Lox said. “Do you have any hobbies other than reading? What do you like to do with your time?”

  Emma was drawn to the conversation, glad to have an excuse to look at his handsome face. “Well, that is a good question, my lord,” she replied. “I am done with my studies, so I do not have any schooling to do unless I choose to learn more. I do have an interest in art and painting. I find working with a clean fresh piece of canvas can be very soothing to the soul.”

  Emma did like to paint but doing so reminded her that Lord Archibald was a painter. She instantly decided to not show any interest in painting, in case he heard about it. He might ask to paint a portrait of her. Sitting for hours with Lord Archibald staring at her sounded like a day in the depths of Hell to Emma.

  “I believe that depends on whether the artist is any good at the task,” the Duke of Lox was saying. “I myself cannot draw a circle, much less a portrait of any kind.”

  Emma smiled. “All people are artists in a way. I am sure there is something creative you can do that I cannot.”

  “Perhaps.” The Duke of Lox seemed to be thinking about it. She found it amusing, considering he had brought up the topic in the first place but yet he had nothing prepared to say when asked the same question.

  “I… I am fond of archery. I am quite good at fencing.”

  Emma nodded. “Two pastimes appropriate for a man of your stature, my lord.”

  He looked at her solemnly. “I have been known to write a bit of prose.”

  Emma’s face lit up. “I knew it! There had to be something, my lord. I would love to read something that you have written.” She was delighted when color rose to his cheeks. He was blushing. He was very handsome when he blushed. She bit her bottom lip gently and looked away from him.

  “My lady, I will have to find something or pen something new, as I have saved only a few things I have written in the past. I cannot guarantee the condition of the scrolls I wrote them on.”

  “If you should find one, I would be glad to read it.”

  He nodded. “Thank you, Lady Wentworth. It was quite an enjoyable time in my life. I enjoy learning. I have been to many places around the world because of that love. I like to add new facts to my brain every day if possible. There is always something new to learn.”

  “I suppose the longer we live, the less there will be that is new and interesting.”

  The Duke of Lox chuckled. “I hope I will find something new to learn every day, my lady. It will be a boring life if there is nothing left to learn. I am willing to bet…” He turned to her. She stopped walking and turned to face him, gazing up into his dark eyes. “I am willing to bet that if I tried hard enough, I could find out something new about you every day. Whether it be a talent you did not know you had or a new curl in your hair.”

  His words were laced with a passion Emma had never heard before. It captured her heart and made it race with anticipation. Had she judged him too soon? She needed to proceed with caution.

  He was an attractive, wealthy man. Perhaps Camilla was right. He may not have meant that he wanted a servant for a wife. He was parroting the Duchess of Corning, most likely. It would not surprise her in the least if her step-mother had used that word to describe her.

  She was only trying to help. Emma tried to keep that in mind.

  She put one hand over her heart and tried to breathe slower. The rapid heartbeat made her feel faint.

  His expression turned to one of concern. “Lady Wentworth? Are you feeling ill?”

  Emma had put one hand on her heart and felt faint. He lifted one arm, crooking it at the elbow and she grabbed his forearm to steady herself. Once her mind was clear again, she released his arm and patted the front of her dress to cool herself. “I… I am fine. I am sorry. I… I do not know what has come over me.”

  She dared to glance up at him and noticed the satisfied smile on his face. He had purposefully said those words to see if he could make her swoon.

  Her mind hardened. He was playing games with her. He had almost made her forget he wanted a woman who would be obedient to him. She was just beginning to like him.

  Sighing, she gave him a weak grin and turned to walk to Camilla and the Duke of Rabney.

  Chapter Nine

  The Duke of Lox walked beside her, glancing at her every few steps, wondering what he’d done wrong. The way she had reacted to his sweet words was perfect. It touched his heart. It meant she did have feelings for him.

  And now she had turned away and appeared cold toward him. He was confused. He did not understand what had gone wrong after they had just shared such a perfect, loving moment. She had quickened her steps and though it was not difficult for him to keep up with her, as his legs were much longer, he could tell their promenade around the room was over.

  He pulled in a deep breath and let it out slowly and silently. He did not understand this woman. He had to find a bride before the end of the season in order to keep his inheritance. He had searched and looked for three seasons. It was time to get serious.

  Of all the women he’d met, Emma was the first one who did not leave his mind when he left the ball. He spent a lot of his time wondering what she was doing and how she was feeling.

  Her abrupt mood changes confused him. He had to admit – they intrigued him. One moment she seemed happy to speak to him. The next moment, she was stomping away from him, looking nervous or anxious.

  He wanted to take her by the arm and ask her directly what she was thinking, why she had become cold to him for no apparent reason. But he did not dare. Such a spectacle would hang over both their heads with every member of the ton, even those who were not present to see it.

  “Camilla!” Emma said, stopping directly in front of her friend and gently bowing to them both. “Your grace, it is lovely to see you both.”

  “Lady Wentworth!” The Duke of Rabney stood up and took her hand, bowing. “We have been anxiously awaiting your arrival. Why, the Duke of Lox was nearly in fits.” He exchanged a humorous look with the Duke of Lox, who gave him a rebuking one in return. The Duke of Rabney laughed softly. “My lord, you know I am teasing the lady. But we have been waiting for you, Lady Wentworth, to make our quartet whole.”

  “How lovely of you to say,” Emma responded, looking over her shoulder at the Duke of Lox who switched the rebuking look on his face for a bright smile as soon as he saw her looking. She was amused but rolled her eyes and shook her head. “I did not notice you were in fits while
we were walking, my lord. You hide your emotions well.”

  This made her three companions laugh. She smiled at them and continued.

  “Shall we play a game of cribbage or cards? The sun is shining. We can go outside and play croquet if you are interested.”

  Camilla laughed. “We have the day already planned, Emma. As the Duke of Rabney said, we have been awaiting your arrival with great anticipation. We do expect to best you and the Duke of Lox in all games.” Camilla made her voice haughty but her laughter broke the farce.

  “Oh, do you now?” Emma said in a competitive voice. “Let us see what we can do, my lord.” She said the words to the Duke of Lox, who looked at her soberly, nodding his head.

  “Yes, let us see.”

  Chapter Ten

  As soon as Camilla asked Emma to stay over, she knew there would be questions. She and the Duke of Lox had spent the entire day in each other’s company. After their initial walk around the parlor, Emma did not allow herself to be taken in by his charms. They were compatible. He was knowledgeable in so many things. But how could she be certain of his true intentions?

  She was still sure he was hiding something. She was going to ask Camilla, since she knew Camilla had questions of her own.

  The Duke of Lox remained on her mind whenever she had even a moment’s free time. His face swam in front of her eyes when she blinked. It was rather annoying.

  Even she had to admit, however, his behavior throughout the day had been nothing but stellar. He was a gentleman at every turn, never rude or presumptuous and he treated others with respect, no matter who they were.

  She could tell his years of wandering the world had tethered out a charming diplomacy in his personality, one that he could turn on and off on a whim, if he chose. She rather liked that about him and liked that she was able to see it and understand him better for it.

  Lord Archibald had come for just a short visit along with his patroness, Lady Bonneville, Grand Duchess of Clydesdale Hill. He had not stayed long, as his patroness was elderly and did not get along well with most people.