by Fimch, Fanny
“Yes, I did not intend for it to be a party of that size,” the Duchess of Cooksey smiled at the girls as she spoke. “At first, I invited a few of my closest friends while the duke, Nathan, and Camilla all did the same. As time progressed, I ended up inviting what seemed to be all of London and perhaps all of England.” The Duchess of Cooksey laughed with a gentle tinkling sound. “It is a good thing the duke is a most patient man.”
The duke chuckled. “Yes, my lady, it is a good thing.”
“And you will not guess who else will accompany us on this journey, Emma.”
Emma glanced at her. “You are sure I will not guess? Because I can think of someone I believe will be accompanying us. The formidable Duke of Lox, Nigel Baldwin. Am I correct?”
Camilla grinned wide. “Of course, the Duke of Lox will be there. If you are there, he is sure to follow.”
“What is this?” the Duchess of Cooksey sounded very interested in their topic of conversation. “The Duke of Lox has taken to you, Emma?”
“I believe he has, Auntie,” she replied. “This is what Camilla has said, at least.”
Camilla spoke up quickly. “He has, Mother. He is interested in her. For some reason, she cannot seem to grasp the concept. I do not know what she can have against him. He is an honorable man in all ways, is he not?”
“I have done no business with him,” the Duchess of Cooksey responded. She looked at her husband. “Have you?”
The Duke of Cooksey shook his head. After thinking for a moment, he suddenly held up one finger and nodded. “I do know of the duke. You say the Duke of Lox? Yes, Sir Nigel Baldwin. A fine chap if you ask me, a good lad. He would be only a few years older than you, Emma, and yet he has seen so much. I knew his father, as well. Fine family. God-fearing and highly respected.”
“He has told me stories of his travels around the world,” Emma said.
The Duke of Cooksey looked as though he was remembering a pleasant memory. “Yes, I also have heard many things about his travels. He has made a name for himself among some of the top diplomats and aristocrats in the world. Even at his young age. I do hear he is destined to marry soon.”
Emma looked confused. “He is destined to be married soon? What do you mean, my lord?”
“He must marry in order to receive the entirety of his inheritance money. I believe he will lose nearly three quarters of his income if he is not married by his 25th birthday, which is this year. This is only rumor, mind you, my dear, and may not be true. But how fortunate for you that he is seeking a wife this season.”
Emma turned knowing eyes to Camilla.
Her initial feeling that he was hiding something was proven right. She pushed down the anger that filled her, not wanting it to show on her face.
On top of his desire for a slave-wife, the Duke of Lox was money-hungry. He would not lose his annual income for the sake of love. He would rather find a bride as quickly as possible, since this was the last season he would have an opportunity to do so. And her desperation had driven her right into his arms.
She felt like a fool. She pulled her breath in and finished her food, knowing that Camilla was giving her side-glances. Her cousin knew what she thought of the Duke of Lox and his scheme to get a bride quickly. She didn’t expect Camilla to understand. She was not the one being focused on in order to keep an inheritance.
Once the food was gone and Emma’s belly was full, she pushed back her chair and was excused from the table. Camilla had left only a few minutes before and was standing at the bottom of the stairs waiting for her, a forlorn look on her pretty face.
“I am sorry, Emma,” she said as they began the walk up the curving stairs. “I did not know he was seeking a wife in order to keep an inheritance. I know how you feel about that.”
Emma nodded. “How can I judge him, Camilla?” she asked, holding back the tears that threatened to surface. “I need a husband by the end of the season to satisfy my father’s desire and I need to find one soon so that I can prevent my step-mother from making an arrangement for me with Lord Archibald.”
Camilla frowned. “What is this? What have you not told me?”
Emma stared at her cousin in shock. “What do you mean? I did not tell you?”
“No, my dear, you did not tell me this. Did the duchess speak to you about it? Is she going to make plans with him? When did she say this would happen? Tell me everything.”
Emma thought about it, trying to remember if her step-mother had threatened such a thing or if her imagination had run away with her and she felt it was an imminent disaster about to happen. She blushed furiously and shook her head.
“I suppose it is all my suspicious mind, Camilla. I have seen them speaking in private and I have confirmed that his lordship is interested in courting me. If my father, God bless him, does not last till the end of the season and I have not secured a husband, I am certain my step-mother will marry me off to whomever she chooses.”
“I feel you give the duchess too much power, Emma. She will not be in charge when your father d… passes on. The dukedom will fall to Michael. Your father’s solicitors will take care of the estate and everything having to do with it until your brothers are of age.”
“While that may be true, there is little incentive to keep me around unless I am of viable marrying age. It must be this season, Camilla. It must!”
Camilla nodded. “I know your desperation. Try to keep that feeling in mind when you are dealing with the Duke of Lox. He is a good man but I fear he may be in some ways sensitive. You are stubborn and aggressive. The Duke of Lox does not strike me as the kind of man who is looking for a slave he can marry to keep his money.”
“A case could be made for it,” Emma responded, wanting desperately for the situation to be different.
“Aye, maybe,” Camilla replied. “But I do not believe it is true. I have seen him with you and with others. He is not that type of man. I can feel it.”
“You seem very familiar with the Duke of Lox, Camilla,” Emma teased. Camilla grinned.
“His closest ally is the Duke of Rabney and he is the one I spend my time with. Duke Christian speaks of Duke Baldwin often.”
“Oh?”
Camilla nodded instead of saying something. Then she grinned wide. “A lot. It is quite amazing sometimes. He tells of his friend’s adventures but rarely speaks of his own accomplishments. He is kind and gentle in tone. I believe he and the Duke of Lox are the same in many ways. The Duke of Lox, however, seems worldlier, as he has traveled extensively, while the Duke of Rabney has not.”
“Do you know how long he has been stationary?” Emma asked.
“The men docked in New York Harbor about a year and a half ago in September. According to Duke Christian, they had known each other since they were at academy but Duke Christian did not go on his travels with him. They were separated for several years while the Duke of Lox did most of his traveling. But when he went back to his home nearly five years ago, when his father was dying, they reunited and have been inseparable ever since.”
“I was under the impression the two men were always together and always had been. They were very comfortable with each other.”
“Yes, they are good friends, according to the Duke of Rabney. They are very respectful of each other.”
The two girls had nearly reached the landing that would take them to Camilla’s room.
“I cannot bear the thought that the Duke of Lox is only pursuing you so that he will keep his inheritance.” Camilla shook her head, looking downtrodden. Emma felt just the way Camilla looked.
“It is a sad thing,” Emma said. “But I must say I knew from the beginning that something was odd about him. I have been saying all along that he was hiding something. Do you not remember me telling you that?”
“But, Emma, if you do not marry him, who will you marry? How possible is it that you might find another man by the end of the season?”
“Every season we get a few men we have not seen before,” Emma reaso
ned. Camilla nodded vigorously.
“Yes. And the Duke of Lox and Duke of Rabney are those men. You will need to choose from the men you have at your disposal now. I can only think of the Duke of Lox and Lord Archibald.”
Emma did not bother to mention the Duke of Andryse. She would be surprised if the season did not pass with him being neither betrothed nor on his way to betrothal.
“Think of it, Emma.” They’d reached the landing and Camilla stopped her cousin with a hand on her arm. “Perhaps the Duke of Lox is only pursuing you so that he can keep his money. He is not bad on the eyes, is he? And he shows an attraction for you.”
She tilted her head to the side and continued, “I refuse to believe he wants another servant. He wants a wife.”
“How do you know that?”
Camilla frowned stubbornly. “I just know, Emma. You are being silly. You should try to remember he is a man. They very often do not know what they are doing.”
Both girls giggled softly. Emma nodded. “That is true, Camilla.”
Camilla shook her head again. “Emma, you know I love you and you are like a sister to me. But this is just something I cannot understand. Your refusal to accept what his best friend in the world, the Duke of Rabney, says about his character astounds me.”
She wanted to be respected but also know she had earned that respect. Most of all, she wanted love. It was love that would keep her happy in her darkest moments. She needed to make sure she was with a man who could provide that for her.
She nodded as she moved down the hall to Camilla’s room. “Yes. I suppose if it came down to it, the Duke of Lox is my best option. After all, I am looking for a husband so that I am secure if… when my father goes to Heaven. I suppose in a way the Duke of Lox is doing the same thing.”
Camilla’s voice dropped as they walked down the hallway. “His grace seems to know what he wants, Emma. I do not think he would be pursuing you if he did not want to, no matter how much money is at stake. He has had years to make sure this did not happen. He found no one worthy of his attention before. That makes you very special. Do you not see that?”
The words made Emma feel good. She grinned over her shoulder at Camilla, whose responding smile was instant and bright.
The more she thought about it, the more excited Emma got. She would be the Duchess of Lox. She tried on Duke Baldwin’s last name, calling herself “Emma Baldwin, Duchess of Lox.” It had a nice ring to it.
She danced around the room, trying on different pairs of old boots and dresses that Camilla stored in a box in her closet. Camilla was in a similarly happy mood. Both were about to see the men they would possibly be married to by year’s end. Two handsome dukes for two best friends and cousins. They talked about the irony of it and how blessed they were.
They had a little time before they were to be picked up and decided to stroll through the garden. It was a rare sunny day, not one cloud in the sky. Both girls wanted to take advantage of it.
“It is such a beautiful day to be looking at land to purchase,” Camilla sighed, slipping her hand through the crook of Emma’s elbow and holding on to her as they walked.
“Yes, it is.” Emma’s voice was just as whimsical. Both young women felt as if they were walking on clouds, butterflies fluttering all around them, rainbows piercing the sky in every direction. The fresh feeling of new love filled them both when they thought about the men who were coming to pick them up.
Emma could not help feeling a bit more reserved than her cousin. It seemed to her that there were no warning signs in Camilla’s budding relationship with the Duke of Rabney. He was just suddenly there, perfect for her, making her laugh, fulfilling her every desire in a future husband.
The Duke of Lox was not so picture-perfect. He mentioned he wanted an obedient wife, which translated to servant in Emma’s mind. He appeared to play games with her to get the reactions he wanted, manipulating her feelings. Not to mention the fact that he was in desperate need of a wife in order to keep his income.
But despite knowing these warning signs were there, Emma could not deny her attraction to him. He had many qualities that could not be ignored because of a few trivial flaws. She herself was filled with flaws. Could she stand on a moral ground higher than him? She thought not.
She would take her chances. As long as she was still seeing him on a regular basis, she would give him the opportunity to prove to be the man she needed and the man she wanted.
Chapter Twelve
The Duke of Lox affixed his great coat, flicking his fingers under the fluffy collar that moved down his chest to his waist. He detested the latest fashion of flair and fluff. He wanted to look like a man, not a traveling gypsy.
He sighed and looked up at his face, scanning his trim beard and mustache, his bright blue eyes, and the dark mop he would soon cover up with a hat. The hat was the only thing about his outfit that he liked. He had a fondness for hats, whatever the style.
The thought brought a smile to his face.
“Are you ready, Baldwin?” Duke Christian stuck his head in the room and inquired of him in a quick tone. “I am ready.”
The Duke of Lox laughed. “Yes, I am ready. I see you are ready. You are also in a hurry, are you not?”
“I do not like to waste time when I am on my way to seeing a beautiful woman, Baldwin.”
“I can see that.” The Duke of Lox went to the door and quickly followed his friend to the front doors. The carriage was waiting for them just beyond the steps.
“Do you think she will like the property we are going to see?” The Duke of Rabney was adjusting his shirt, feeling the buttons underneath his outer vest and adjusting the hat on his head several times.
“I think you are a bundle of nerves, Christian,” the Duke of Lox said with a laugh. “You must calm down. She is not the Queen.”
The Duke of Rabney turned his eyes to his friend without smiling. “I have met the Queen, Baldwin. And I did not feel this nervous then. That must mean something.”
The Duke of Lox nodded. “It does. It means you will be asking for her hand in marriage soon. I cannot imagine why you would want to purchase any land. If you marry her, surely you will move into Cooksey Castle.” He and his friend smiled at each other.
“It is a grand place, to be sure,” the Duke of Rabney said, chuckling. “But I cannot live there. It would not be a home that I have provided for my bride. Since I will be receiving my inheritance after I marry, I will be able to afford to provide a home for Lady Fielding and our children. You are fortunate to have a mansion already provided to you by your grand-uncle.”
“I do not know if I will be using it,” the Duke of Lox said forlornly. “I may lose it if I do not marry. I am not sure if it is part of the arrangement or not.”
The Duke of Rabney frowned. “What do you mean? You will be married. You will not lose your inheritance. You will marry Lady Emma Wentworth. Am I mistaken?”
“I do not think she cares much for me,” the Duke of Lox stated in a sad voice. “I seem to… irritate her. I do not know how but… I always seem to.”
“I have seen the way she looks at you when you are not looking, Baldwin,” the Duke of Rabney said in a knowing voice. “It is not a look of disdain that I see. I believe she is enamored with you. Perhaps she is denying it for some reason. Women are sometimes difficult to understand.”
The Duke of Lox cocked his head. “You seem to have no trouble with it.”
The Duke of Rabney laughed and shook his head. “It is not women that I understand. It is this one woman that I understand. She has wit and knowledge and is well-read. She sings like a bird and plays a beautiful pianoforte. She does not raise her voice and is accommodating as well as headstrong. I could not have asked for a better woman in my life than she.”
“I do wish I could say the same about Lady Wentworth.” The Duke of Lox felt a bit jealous of his friend but washed it over with pride. “I am very happy for you. It seems you are well on your way to a fulfilling future.�
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The Duke of Rabney nodded but his eyes looked into the distance as he thought deeply. “I remember a few times Lady Wentworth seemed to take something you said and perhaps was displeased by it in her perception. She is a friendly duck but seems complicated. You are in for a run, Baldwin. I wish you luck.”
“I thank you for your encouragement,” the Duke of Lox replied. “And I ask that you continue to invite me along on these adventures so that I might have more time with…”
The duke’s words were cut off when they both heard the shrieking tone of a female ring through the air in their direction.
“Brucie???”
The Duke of Rabney’s eyes widened and he stared across the carriage at the Duke of Lox. Both turned stunned faces back toward the house behind their carriage. Neither had even heard the other carriage pull into the drive.
A young woman was practically standing up in the carriage, holding on to the side with a tight grip as she swayed back and forth with the movement. Her other hand was waving wildly in the air and she was continuing to shriek, calling the Duke of Rabney “Brucie.”
Both of the men knew who it was. There was only one Lady Daniella Christian, the Duke of Rabney’s only female cousin on his father’s side, who had been raised mostly in New York in America.
The Duke of Lox turned back to face away from the young woman, his wide eyes staring at his friend. “Why did you not tell me you invited her?”
The Duke of Rabney looked stunned and innocent at the same time. He shook his head. “I did not invite her. I have not spoken to her in nearly a year! Not since the last time when…”
Neither man wanted to speak of the last time they had seen the Duke of Rabney’s cousin. She had practically smothered the Duke of Lox to death, threatening several other women who dared to show interest in “her man.”
Both men had skillfully avoided contact with Lady Christian ever since. And now, it appeared she had found them.