“I will be honored to spend more time getting to know Lady Sarah,” Noah conceded.
Truth be told, Noah’s father, the Duke of Rockford, had insisted that Noah either come home engaged to Lady Sarah or be forced into a marriage with the Marquess of Chichester’s spinster daughter, Theodora. She was the only other eligible lady this season of suitable class for the future Duke.
While Noah was not lacking female companionship, none of the ladies with whom he usually spent time was titled. Not that he was interested in marrying any of them, even if his father would consent, as they frankly bored him. But Theodora? She was two years Noah’s senior, a half foot shorter and nearly a stone heavier than him. She had more hair on her upper lip by the end of each evening than Noah did if she did not tend to it before appearing for supper and dancing. He would avoid a marriage to her at all costs.
Noah knew his bachelor days were numbered and he owed it to himself to make the best possible match. Lady Sarah was arrestingly beautiful and intelligent as well. She seemed a bit of a handful though, he thought with a smile. Perhaps she would not be such a bad wife after all.
Chapter 3
Dawn broke early and the sun promised an unseasonably warm day free from clouds. Sarah awoke with a start, afraid she had missed her chance to sneak to the stables before the men gathered to collect their steeds. She leapt from her bed and washed the sleep from her eyes with the water from the pitcher and basin on her dresser.
She donned her riding breeches and loose shirt, and stuffed her hair into the same cap she had worn the previous day. As she slipped through the kitchen to the back door, she heard the men finishing their breakfast in the dining room, boisterously talking about the day ahead. She had time. She would run to the stable and hide in the hay loft where she could eavesdrop on the men. She’d hoped to learn more about the business plans that were discussed the previous evening. If she was seen, she was certain she could maintain her disguise as a groom.
Sarah did not completely understand what fascinated her about Noah. He certainly seemed to be trying to get her attention the previous day. She found him arrogant and presumptuous, although she was not certain why.
He was handsome though. And those eyes. They seemed to bore right through her.
Maybe she had misjudged him. He did seem interested in her love of books, and the invitation to enjoy his father’s library was actually quite kind. Perhaps she should take a bit more care dressing for dinner this evening. It wouldn’t hurt to try a little flirtatious diversion with a handsome lord to break the boredom of her usual routine.
“She did not give you the time of day!” Duncan laughed at how Lady Sarah had completely dismissed Noah’s attempts at conversation the previous day. He was rather enjoying seeing his friend rebuked.
Noah and Duncan walked along the footpath from the estate toward the stable.
“Nonsense,” said Noah, dismissing his friend’s interpretation of the previous day’s meeting.
Duncan continued, “You have nothing to worry about, Blackmore. Lady Theodora will make a handsome wife. Perhaps your butler can shave her chin each day when he’s finished with you.” Duncan guffawed and snorted while Noah looked on with a sneer.
“I do not lack for female companionship, Duncan, my friend,” said Noah. “Unlike you, I have ladies queuing for my attentions.”
“Ah, that may be true,” said Duncan, “but unless you announce your engagement to the delicious Lady Sarah post-haste, you will be sharing the marriage bed with the beastly Theodora.”
“I will be betrothed to Sarah before the end of the week. You have no need to fret about me.” Noah strode confidently toward the stable where a groom was preparing Excalibur and Lord Duncan’s stallion, Chancer, for the day’s activities.
“But will she accept?” Duncan could not resist continuing to goad his friend. He enjoyed seeing at least one woman who was not throwing herself at Noah. “I do not even think you could seduce a kiss from her, much less acceptance of a marriage proposal.”
The two men entered the stable and were handed the reigns to their horses from the young groom. They were oblivious to Sarah’s presence in the loft where she peered down to eavesdrop.
“I shall seduce the lady, have no fear,” Noah said.
Who is he talking about, Sarah wondered from above, having not heard the beginning of their conversation before they had entered the stable.
“Lady Sarah will be begging me to kiss her . . . and much more . . . before the week is out,” he finished.
Gasp! Sarah pulled back into the loft when the men looked up upon hearing her involuntary inhale of breath. They left the stable and she exhaled.
How dare he be so bold as to think he can seduce me. What kind of woman does he take me for? He is handsome, but I am a lady of honor and not one of his play things.
Sarah chided herself for having been fool enough to consider dressing up and being a gracious hostess that evening. She would be polite, but cold, and would never give in to his pursuit. How dare he!
Right now, she would take Spirit out for a ride to get the wind through her hair and clear her head.
Sarah climbed down the ladder from the loft, her back to the interior of the stable as she descended. As she reached the bottom rung and took a final step backward to the ground, she unexpectedly bumped into a tall, solid figure.
“What the…” Noah whipped around, startled as he collided with the groom that had taken Excalibur from him the previous day. The little urchin was so light he fell onto the dirt, catching himself with his hands that landed dangerously close to the hoof of Noah’s horse.
Where did he come from? Sarah was horrified. She’d been so distracted thinking about what she’d overheard between Noah and Duncan that she did not hear Noah return to the stable for his riding crop.
She clutched at the cap that nearly slipped from her head, threatening to release her long hair.
“Sorry, my lord” Sarah muttered, forgetting to lower her voice. Noah’s eyes narrowed on her, studying her intently. She quickly flipped over to all fours and, from her position on hands and knees, tried to push herself up off the stable ground.
“Whoa,” Noah said as his hand shot out, grabbing her arm and lifting her to her feet in one swift motion. Sarah tried to free herself from his grasp and run out the door.
“Wait a minute, boy,” Noah commanded. “You need to pay more attention to where you are going. You nearly had your hand crushed beneath Excalibur’s hoof. Be more careful when you are working amongst these beasts lest you injure yourself permanently.”
Sarah nodded at him, trying to act submissive like a servant. She backed away slowly, and then took off running through the trees back to the estate. Her heart was pounding in her chest, her arm still feeling the tingle from his grasp. He’d been so strong, and he had lifted her up easily but actually quite gently. Confused by the conflicting energy she got from his touch, she slowed her pace and sat down on a large stone to catch her breath, retreating into deep thought, before continuing her path back to the estate.
“Miss,” a voice hissed at her as she neared the kitchen door.
“Huh?” Sarah started, turning to see the cook’s son signal to her frantically.
“Your father is looking for you. He’s furious you weren’t in your room. Get back to your room quickly before he finds you here, my lady.”
“Alright, thank you, Henry,” she said.
“My lady?” the young man hesitated to share the additional gossip he had overheard.
“Yes?”
“You are to attend a dance tonight and I think it will be of some significance. The Duke of Rockford has arrived,” said Henry.
Sarah pondered this information. Why had Noah’s father arrived to join him? What was so important that it now required the Duke’s involvement?
A chill tickled the hair on Sarah’s neck and descended down her spine. Father is going to sell our land to the Duke!
Sarah had to find a w
ay to stop her father from selling the land she loved so dearly. She must speak to him before he makes the final arrangements and it is too late.
Slipping through the back door, she used the servants entrance to sneak up to her room. As she started pulling her clothes off, she heard a knock on the door.
Chapter 4
A muffled voice through the door spoke to her, “Sarah?”
It was her father.
“Yes, I am here, father. I went for a walk to clear my head. I apologize I wasn’t here earlier.” She quickly stripped off the rest of her riding clothes and hid them, then grabbed her dressing gown and tied the belt before walking over to the door to open it and look at her father.
“We are attending a dance at the Earl of Barton’s estate this evening. Lord Noah’s father, the Duke of Rockford, has joined us in residence and the Earl is hosting a celebration in his honor. The Duke and I will be making an announcement that I wish to discuss with you before the carriage collects us. Get dressed and be in the parlor at 5 o’clock.” Lord Godwin abruptly turned his back on his daughter and retreated from the doorway before Sarah had a moment to raise any objection.
Lord Godwin’s demeanor was very much out of character and it disturbed Sarah. Announcement?
That was it then, she was right. Her father was going to sell some of their beloved land to the Duke, buy a house in London, and force her to go there to find a husband. And after his family had practically stolen her inheritance, Noah was bragging to his friend that he would steal her virtue this week as well, potentially ruining her from ever finding a husband.
She would tell her father about Lord Noah’s immoral intentions and how he planned to shame her. Then her father would not sell their property to the Duke and his unscrupulous son.
Sarah’s maid, Lucy, knocked and entered her room, carefully carrying the emerald green ball gown that she’d pressed for Sarah to wear that evening. The color emphasized Sarah’s eyes and Sarah was also surprised to hear that her father had asked that she wear the diamond tiara that had been her mother’s.
After pinning the sides of her hair up and taming some of Sarah’s natural curls into ringlets around her face, Lucy brushed a bit of powder on Sarah’s face, then added a touch of rouge and rose lip salve. She helped Sarah step into the dress and laced it up, then placed the tiara on her head for the finishing touch.
“You look lovely, my lady,” Lucy said. “Will you dance with Lord Noah tonight? He is so handsome.” Try as she might, Lucy could not hide her own desire for the future Duke, nor her envy of Sarah’s attendance at the dance.
“Not if I can help it, Lucy,” said Sarah, ignoring Lucy’s widened eyes at her response.
Sarah looked at her reflection in the mirror as she reached up and touched the tiara with her fingers. She tried to imagine her mother’s face and how she would have looked as a young woman of 17, the year she came out in London and met the Baron. Sarah’s father was a military man and spent long months out of the country after her parents wed, while her mother raised her near London, living with Sarah’s grandparents until Sarah was five years old.
When the Baron retired from military service and took his young family north to the Carlisle estate, he knew it would be an adjustment for his wife and daughter. He need not have worried about Sarah. She embraced the land from the moment they arrived, running through the gardens as a child, laughing as she rolled down the green hills and venturing further afield in the forest as she grew older.
Her mother missed London terribly, and missed her parents and the life she had led. She was lonely in the countryside and looked forward to the day they would return to London for the introduction of her only daughter into London society. But she became ill that same year, and died after a long, painful battle. Although Sarah was not disappointed to have avoided the dances and parading before society with the sole purpose of finding a husband, she was saddened that her mother never lived to return to the life she so loved and missed.
When Sarah entered the parlor, five minutes past the hour her father had given her, Lord Godwin could not conceal his smile as he gazed admiringly at his beloved daughter. She looked so much like her mother and there was a catch in his throat as he walked forward to her, his hands outstretched. He hoped he was doing right by her. It was so difficult to raise a child alone, particularly a girl without a mother to guide her. His smile faded as he took her hands in his while he pondered the decision he had made this week and prepared to disclose it to his daughter.
Sarah saw her father’s look of consternation and had a feeling she was not going to like what he was about to say. She hoped there was still time for him to rescind any agreement he had made to sell off their property and that she could convince him to do so.
“Sarah, Lord Noah has offered for you,” Lord Godwin said.
Sarah’s eyes widened and lips parted to speak, but he held up a hand and continued, “I have accepted his offer on your behalf. I have waited long enough for you to show interest in any of the suitors who would have gladly courted you. Time is running out, and there is not a better match that could be made in all the land.”
“But father, I hardly know him,” she protested. “I do not love him.” Sarah was so taken aback that the announcement was a betrothal with Lord Noah rather than the sale of property, she was almost at a loss for words.
“How can you know that, Sarah?” her father asked. “You have not even been courteous enough to engage him in conversation. And you have known him since you were a child, even if you have not seen him for many years. The Duke and I have been friends since we were at Eton together and we both feel this would be an excellent match.”
“Why do I have to marry at all? We have plenty of land that does not need to pass to a male heir. I can stay here and manage the property,” Sarah said.
It pained Lord Godwin to see his daughter in distress, unaware that staying on the land if she did not marry would not be an option.
“Sarah, my dearest daughter,” he said. “You shall be a Duchess. Your mother would be so proud and happy for you. Now we must leave for the ball, the carriage awaits.”
“He’s … he’s insufferable.” Sarah’s voice broke as she walked slowly to the door, feeling as if she was walking to her prison sentence.
Chapter 5
The music played as servants moved swiftly through the crowd with trays of savory treats and refreshing drinks while the cacophony of chattering guests was deafening.
“More punch, my lord? Here, let my valet refill your plate!”
The Earl and Countess of Barton were doing their best to impress the Duke and ingratiate themselves to the Baron of Carlisle in the hope that wining and dining the Baron and his old friend would persuade him to sell the land that the Earl so coveted.
“The next dance shall start momentarily,” said the Countess. “Let us gather all the couples for this dance onto the floor.” The portly Countess was giddy with excitement, reveling in the attention she and the Earl were receiving this evening as she flitted around the room encouraging their guests to participate in the dance.
The Earl clapped his hands and shouted for the young couples to step forward and take their places for the reel.
Sarah was in a daze. Food, punch, music, dancing. It was all so grand. Yet, Sarah found herself escaping the noise and merriment, standing out on the terrace by herself, looking up at the night sky. The stars twinkled and all she could think of was what her future was going to be like. She was still reeling from the news her father had given her that evening. It was hard for her to imagine. All she knew was the life she’d led until now.
How could she leave behind the only happiness she had ever known? She did not wish to move to the Rockford estate which would no doubt be the expectation of her future husband. Nor did she wish to spend the seasons in London, a dirty city with noise and parties and silly women with nothing better to do than gossip or get through the boredom of their days with useless pastimes. She was energi
zed by riding her horse in the countryside and visiting the tenants, speaking to them about the crops, maintaining the ledgers, the pleasure of seeing farms thrive and provide a living for their families as well as the Carlisle estate.
“What are you doing out here all alone?” A voice startled her. She turned and saw Noah, two glasses of punch in his hands and a smile on his face. “You wouldn’t happen to be avoiding me, would you?” He handed her one of the glasses.
“No, my lord.” She accepted the proffered glass but did not take a sip. Noah raised an eyebrow but remained silent.
“To be honest, I am not overly fond of parties,” she admitted. He looked dashing tonight. The cut of his jacket showed off his broad shoulders and she blushed slightly when he noticed she was staring at him, taking in his presence.
“Lady Sarah, I hope you did not find my offer to your father too objectionable,” he said. “I hope you will accept my proposal of your own accord. I think our match would benefit both of us.”
Benefit? Why did everyone only think of marriage in terms of how beneficial it would be. What about feelings?
“We don’t even know each other. And what I know about you, I do not like,” she said.
“What do you know of me, my lady?” he asked gently. “The rumors of the ton who live for gossip?”
“I know you are a scoundrel who plans to take my virtue this week,” she blurted out. Seeing the surprise on his face, Sarah remembered that she had only heard this because she was eavesdropping in the stable. She quickly recovered and said, a little more vehemently than intended, “and you broke my doll!”
He threw his head back and laughed. “Your doll?”
Sarah blushed, feeling quite silly to have brought up the memory from more than ten years ago.
The Duke's Deception_Clean Regency Romance Page 2