Loving A Lady: A Clean & Sweet Regency Historical Romance Book

by Ayles, Abby

  There was not a great deal of dancing at this ball. Catherine and the duke danced several times whilst everyone else watched. Noelle watched her mother’s face as she watched them and felt that there was no chance this woman would ever care much about what she did with her life now.

  In a way, it felt freeing. But Noelle had spent her whole life trying to do what was right and what was expected of her. She’d lived her whole life expecting to marry a nobleman who would continue her family’s legacy and give her little future lords and ladies.

  Now all of that had gone up in smoke. And her mother never once even glanced at her.

  She was glad that Kitty had secured a man as wealthy and high-ranking as the duke was, but she couldn’t help feeling as though all of this could have happened in a proper way. It was also irrational and absurd, but she felt liberated.

  As soon as she could get away, Noelle went to the refreshments table just outside of the ballroom. She got herself a glass of champagne and sipped it while observing some of the other people at the duke and duchess’s ball. She didn’t really recognize anyone else who was there, which made her believe that they’d invited a lot of people in the duke’s inner circle.

  Surely, she didn’t know everyone in London, Noelle thought, remembering her modesty. She was glad to know that Catherine was going to be introduced to new people. She just wished that they would remember the people in the Salisbury circle as well.

  If I shall be forced to come to balls that she holds and my friends are never there, then I don’t know what I shall do. Noelle thought that the duke would not neglect to invite Mr. Edwards to his parties. And that’s when she wondered if perhaps Mr. Edwards had been invited, he just decided not to come.

  Noelle was sad when she thought about what he and Lord Edwards must still be going through. It was terrible to know that the town was continually talking about them. She knew that the same thing was going on about her and would continue to do so for some time considering that she was still unmarried and therefore a prominent member of the ton.

  She just hoped that Mr. Edwards wasn’t avoiding her.

  Chapter 36

  Rodrick chose not to go to Alphonse and Catherine’s ball on principle. He wanted to support James by not spending further time with that abominable man. Of course, he likely wouldn’t be able to avoid him forever, but he would certainly do his best to avoid Alphonse as long as possible.

  His mother was sad that she was forced to miss out on a good time at Stone Hill Manor, but as soon as they heard that the old duke had passed away, she figured that she might not have had anyone there to talk to. “Surely the Duke and Duchess of Salisbury wouldn’t have gone, and dear Alexander wouldn’t have been there, so I would have been the lone old woman sitting in a chair in the corner.”

  “Oh Mother, it pains me to hear you talk that way. You wouldn’t have been sitting in a corner by yourself. I should have sat there beside you and kept you company.”

  Rodrick wasn’t sad that they hadn’t gone, but he did feel sorry for his mother. She was fond of parties, even if she did act as though she was too old to attend them. James of course had no interest in attending as he was too busy with Miss Tate these days.

  And if he doesn’t go, I don’t exactly feel the need to attend, Rodrick thought.

  He had to admit that it did feel strange to sit out a ball, especially one that was hosted by his friend. But Alphonse hadn’t really thought about his feelings when he spoke so harshly to Rodrick and ran off with his cousin’s intended…

  He should know that there were consequences for his actions.

  On the evening while the ball was taking place, Rodrick chose to spend some time with his Uncle Alexander. They went for a long walk through the trees beyond Westwood. The old man was more interested in trying to find wildlife than in actual conversation, but Rodrick thought that this was perfectly all right because he had a lot on his mind.

  I hope that Jamie won’t neglect his father and spend all of his time with Miss Tate now. He shouldn’t start acting like Alphonse acted towards his father. It was not such a surprise to Rodrick that the old Duke of Cumberland had died.

  He of course couldn’t be sure if it was because of Alphonse not being around to take care of him; it could’ve just been an ailment of being old. But Rodrick did have to wonder if Alfie’s absence contributed.

  He wasn’t going to try to blame his friend for the death of the old man, though. It was a fleeting thought that he quickly cast aside. Alphonse may have had a lot of faults, but he was no murderer.

  Rodrick was quite taken aback when word reached him a few days after the event that the Duke of Salisbury and his entire family had indeed attended the ball. He couldn’t believe it at first that Lady Noelle would go to a ball that was hosted by the man. Rather than simply accepting this rumor as fact, he decided that he really ought to send her a letter.

  Sitting at his desk in his study, much like he had when he received the letter from Alfie, he held a pen to his paper and thought of what to say for some minutes before he actually wrote anything down.

  Dear Lady Noelle Fletcher,

  It grieved me to hear that you attended the ball that was hosted at Stone Hill Manor. I thought that you might sit it out because of all of the trouble that the now-called duke caused you. I know that your sister was there as well and you may have missed her, but I wonder if somehow by doing this you have encouraged them.

  I did not attend this ball because I knew that my cousin James would not wish me to. After everything he did to Jamie and all of the calamity he put him through, I cannot blame Jamie for feeling that way. He has moved on and has thoughts of Miss Tate to entertain him now.

  Please tell me that you shall reconsider attending such parties. I believe you to be one of the smartest, most honorable ladies in the whole of England so I hope that you shall not let me down in this regard.

  Sincerely,

  Mr. Rodrick Edwards

  He hoped that it wasn’t too formal of him to sign his whole name including the mister but he wanted to make sure to remain proper. If he showed her the proper respect that she deserved, she may take his request more seriously, he believed.

  It turned out that this concern was rather presumptuous, though. A few days went by and then he in turn received a letter from the lady herself, written in her beautiful handwriting. He could scarcely believe that the lady had deigned to actually write him back, and in such a short amount of time.

  He had Smyth come with him to the study with the letter in hand, and then Rodrick sent the butler away to find some fresh paper for the response he would surely need to send. He sat at his desk and gently opened the paper to read what Lady Noelle had written.

  Dear Mr. Edwards,

  Please let me assure you that my attending the ball was not something that I did for my own enjoyment. Indeed, it did not turn out to be a very good time for me. I did it for my sister Catherine.

  I wished to support her because my family was firmly prepared to not go. For all of her follies, she is my beloved younger sister and it felt wrong of me to avoid seeing her again when she has been very missed here of late. As you know, I am the eldest child in my parents’ home and now I feel as though I have been forever overshadowed by this little sister.

  When I attended this ball, I was quickly made to feel as though there was something wrong with me. My sister, though glad to see me, was not very grateful to me for forgiving her – or at least trying to. My mother was once more swept up into the duke’s web and I fear that she shall always be enamored with him as her most favorite son-in-law.

  It grieves me indeed to read of your sorrow at my attending. I swear to you that I did not mean any harm to you or your cousin by going. I thought only of my sister’s newfound happiness and I didn’t wish to distance my family from her. Despite her poor judgement, she is still a beloved and dear sister.

  Fondly,

  Noelle Fletcher

  Rodrick appreciated first of a
ll that she had signed her name without ‘Lady’ attached to it. He felt that she’d signed her letter as she would to an intimate friend. Can it be that she thinks of me in that manner even now?

  He didn’t quite know how to respond to her sweet and thoughtful letter. He felt ashamed of himself for assuming that she had gone to the party in order to spite him or James in some way. He should have known that it had all been for her sister.

  And now that he read her account, he saw that she had not had a happy time of things. The poor girl… Rodrick knew that he should never think of a lady like her as ‘poor,’ but he couldn’t help himself in this instance.

  To be somehow demoted by her family and cast aside once her sister married Alphonse… Rodrick never could have predicted something so cruel from the duchess. He knew that she could be quite cold and calculating about certain things, but he’d never known her to completely give up on one of her children.

  He made a note to speak with his mother about this at some point soon, seeking her motherly advice. He knew that his own dear mother would never cast anyone in her family aside like that, especially not because of a title.

  But then, Mrs. Edwards had never worried her head about such things. He was forever appreciative of that.

  Smyth came into his room, tearing him from his rather sad thoughts, and the butler gladly handed Rodrick a fresh stack of papers. Rodrick thanked him and then placed the papers onto his desk, producing one so that he could begin his letter back to Lady Noelle.

  It was helpful that his butler stayed right there on hand because it would make the process of sending this new letter off all the easier.

  Dear Lady Noelle,

  Thank you ever so much for your letter and explanation. I must say first off that I am sorry for ever judging you or your actions prematurely. I see now how wrongly I had assessed things.

  I did not know that your family had been so adamantly against you going in support of your sister, nor did I understand your mother to be so dismissive of you now that the duke has married another. This is not fair to you, nor is it fair to your sister. I daresay that I care more for you than for the duchess’s feelings, but still I can see how it might cause a rift between all involved.

  How unfair as well it is for whatever future husband you shall certainly find for yourself! Not yet married to you but already cast aside as less of a worthy son-in-law than the Duke of Cumberland. I can promise you, as his oldest friend, that he is not worth such high praise, even in his best moments and moods.

  Ever since that fateful night that he stole away with your sister, I must confess that I have been at odds with him in my heart. As dear an old friend as he is to me, I do believe that these actions have forever ruined our chances of ever being as close as we once were.

  I know that my position is nothing compared to yours. For me, quitting the friendship of a man such as him is easy, but for you I know it is quite the opposite. Would that I knew a decent lord so-and-so that I could introduce you to.

  Since I can produce no such lord for you, might I at least invite you to come stay at Wildhill for a few days? My mother shall of course be here to be your companion and friend and keep things decent. You know that I shall remain as decent and gentlemanly as I have always strived to be.

  You needn’t reply but I shall take your arrival this coming Saturday afternoon as your acceptance of this invitation.

  As always, I look forward to seeing you again. I hope that your journey shall be peaceful and easy for you. I shall instruct my servants to have the guest room prepared for your stay.

  Fondest wishes,

  Rodrick Edwards

  He’d signed his letter in this fashion and folded up the paper without even thinking of it. He thought about trying to correct this error as soon as he realized it, but then he decided that if she was being a bit informal then so could he!

  He handed the letter to Smyth and bade him to get it delivered to Lady Noelle as quickly as possible, so she would have plenty of time to prepare for her visit to Wildhill.

  Chapter 37

  The invitation to stay at Wildhill excited Noelle to no end, not least of all because she thought that Rodrick’s home was so beautiful and intriguing. Her heart leapt as soon as she read his letter. “Mother, Mr. Edwards has invited me to visit his manor again,” she informed the duchess.

  She wasn’t sure that her mother was going to approve this visit, especially now that it was more known that the duchess was not fond of Mr. Edwards. But her mother did not think that it was such a bad idea. It was always a good thing when Noelle left the house.

  “You’ll be close to Westwood,” her mother pointed out. “Perhaps you can give our well wishes to Lord Edwards. It was such a shame that he wasn’t present at Catherine’s party.”

  Noelle did her best to prevent herself from rolling her eyes. She did indeed hope that she would see Lord Edwards again, and perhaps his shy but sweet father, the Earl of Montgomery. She really did bear them no ill will. They were victims of the Duke of Cumberland’s deceit as much as she was.

  She hoped that he might still be courting Miss Tate. She seemed like such a pleasant and gay creature. There was something so romantic about how they met.

  She didn’t care what her mother said; meeting someone like Miss Tate seemed far better than being forced into matrimony by one’s parents.

  Edith and Catherine’s old lady’s maid helped Noelle pack up a valise for her stay at Wildhill. For a time, the duke considered going along with her, but then his wife prevailed. “His mother will be there to make sure that they both behave themselves.”

  Noelle appreciated that her mother said both in case Noelle would try anything. She had to smile at the very idea. She’d never so much as hugged the gentleman before, though she certainly had wanted to.

  She got into a hired coach for the journey all the way back to lovely Hertfordshire. For the duration of her ride, Noelle chose to rest her head against the back cushion of her seat and rest. She wanted to have energy in order to explore more of the lovely land that existed there.

  As soon as she arrived at Wildhill, the butler enthusiastically showed her inside. She sat on the couch in the sitting room and waited for her host to greet her there. After a few minutes, his mother appeared instead.

  Mrs. Edwards beamed at Noelle and happily went right to her, sitting beside her and taking her hand. “It is wonderful to see you again, my lady,” she said politely.

  Noelle appreciated the older woman very much. It felt as if she had another mother with her, but a mother who was much less concerned about each person’s rank and place in society. Mrs. Edwards was far more relaxed than the duchess would ever be.

  “It’s so good to see you again, too,” Noelle sincerely said to Mrs. Edwards, smiling at her. “I hoped that I would find myself back here at some point.”

  “Rodrick will be so glad to hear that you said that,” the older woman said enthusiastically. “He always worries that this place isn’t as fine as his uncle’s estate, but I think he is being quite silly. This manor is exactly the home that we Edwardses need.”

  As lovely as Noelle thought Westwood was, she’d always loved the cottage-style manor house even more. She couldn’t quite explain why. She thought it might be the fact that it was situated in such a sweet little forest area.

  She knew that Westwood had forests behind it as well, but it was nothing like the fairy tale, idyllic spot that Mr. Edwards had for himself. Noelle wondered if his father, the late Mr. Edwards, had built the home himself or if it had been passed down for generations like Westwood no doubt had.

  Before Noelle had long to ponder the home, the man of the house appeared in the doorway of the sitting room. He grinned the handsome grin that she knew and was deeply fond of. She smiled brightly back at him and stood up from the couch in an effort to acknowledge his presence.

  He performed his usual polite bowing and then he invited her to go for a walk with him. “I imagine that you’ve had your fi
ll of sitting down in drawing rooms or standing in ballrooms. A walk in nature should help you clear your thoughts of all the unpleasantness.”

  She looked at him appreciatively and nodded. Though she wished that they could go off alone, she didn’t mind that his mother was accompanying them. After all, it wouldn’t exactly do if anyone should come upon her alone with the man, even if they were only going for a walk.

  “I would very much like that,” Noelle said in agreement. They strolled out of the back door of his manor house and into the beautiful green fields beyond.

  “You know what Lady Noelle was just saying to me before you came into the room?” his mother asked with a grin. “She said that she prefers Wildhill to Westwood. She loves the nature that surrounds this place.”

  She looked pointedly at Noelle. “Isn’t that so?”

  Blushing a little, Noelle smiled and nodded her head. “Yes,” she replied, looking from her to Mr. Edwards. “I have been hoping to return here to Wildhill if ever the need arose.”

  He was looking at her with an expression of disbelief on his face. “Well then I am very glad that I invited you here,” he said. “I thought that perhaps Westwood might be more appropriate at first, but I didn’t want to assume that Lord Edwards would be around for that.”

  “Lord Edwards has been spending much of his time with Miss Tate,” Mr. Edwards’s mother informed her.

  Noelle smiled, surprised but ever so happy to hear it. “And indeed, he should,” she said. “I can’t recall the last time I saw a couple so suited to each other.”

  Mr. Edwards nodded his head, seemingly glad that she had made this assessment. “So therefore, you can imagine my surprise and consternation when your mother said what she said about commoners.”

  Looking down at the ground in front of her as they strolled along the expanse of Westwood land, Noelle blushed a little and nodded her head. It pained her to even remember that her mother had said such things. She was embarrassed that the duchess was so closed-minded about such trivial things.