The Duke She Wished For

by Ellie St. Clair

  Tabitha gave Alexander a smile as he led them back toward the house.

  “What is my name?” She asked, stopping suddenly.

  “Tabitha?” Alexander said, slowly, raising an eyebrow at her.

  “No,” she shook her head. “I cannot very well be Tabitha Blackmore. What is my new family name?”

  “Oh,” he laughed. “For the next day and however long after that, you are The Honorable Miss Tabitha Kenmore, daughter of the late Baron Charles Kenmore. And remember, your mother, Caroline, is the erstwhile world traveler, Lady Kenmore.”

  Tabitha nodded as they pressed forward.

  “Follow my lead tonight, dear Tabitha,” Alexander said. “And you shall be fine.”

  “Are you going to let Lord Nicholas in on the game?” She asked, hoping very much that she was not going to be expected to lie to a duke.

  “No,” he said quickly. “Nick has too much honor to agree to such an outlandish scheme. We will send you back to Italy before long and you’ll never have to worry about seeing much of him. He is planning to return to France after the holidays for a time, anyway. I believe he is going to convince his mother to use more of their country residence there, too. He does not have much of a taste for London society.”

  “I cannot imagine why not,” Tabitha remarked dryly.

  “Yes, Miss Blackmore, you and I shall become fast friends,” he said as they entered the house and he left her to find Lord Nicholas. “I can tell already.”

  6

  As Tabitha left Alexander, her anxiety for the evening returned. True, she had been to Paris, and she had studied many books on the countries of the continent, but it had been years ago. If she were questioned, would her cover story hold? She decided she needed to brush up on a few key facts about the city where she had apparently spent years studying, and searched the main hall for the library.

  She finally found the correct room, and pushing the heavy door open was greeted by rows upon rows of bookshelves. Glorious, she thought to herself as she stepped inside. She hoped it was well organized so she could find what she was looking for.

  It took some time before she found a volume on the city of Paris, and another on Italy. Florence, she thought to herself, that’s where she would say she had summered. She sat at the desk and began perusing through, storing a few key facts in her memory she could turn to if questioned.

  Her focus was broken by the sounds of male voices floating through the first floor. She heard heavy footsteps outside the door, and she panicked at the thought of being caught studying up on European countries in the library in the middle of a house party.

  She raced back to the bookshelf and returned the books as she listened for the passing voices to disappear.

  Unfortunately for her, a muffled conversation started in earnest right outside the door, essentially trapping her inside. Realizing it must be near time for Lady Gemma to prepare for dinner, Tabitha knew she had to send her attire at once. Impatient to return to her work before she was missed, she wandered through the library, hoping for a second exit of one sort or another. She explored between the shelves and in the corners and came up short—she was well and truly trapped for the moment.

  After leaving his mother, Nicholas continued downstairs to find Bernard to ensure all of his items were unloaded from the carriage and properly returned to his rooms. He began to follow him when a hand clapped him on the shoulder.

  “Nick! I was beginning to fret you would not make it in time for your own party.”

  “Alex! Am I happy to see you.”

  Nicholas turned to shake the hand of Alexander, who brushed off his hand and gripped him in a brotherly embrace.

  “How have you been, old boy?” Alexander asked. “The ladies of France must have been sad to see you leave. I hope you will stay for a time on this visit home?”

  “We shall see, Alex. As for the ladies, I have learned my lesson in the past and take much more care now.”

  “Oh come, Nick, what fun is that?”

  “I am a duke now, Alex, as you soon will be as well. It brings with it a sense of responsibility. At some point you know I must marry — as will you — but the prospect is a rather chilling one, I am afraid.”

  “Well Nick, you never know when you might find something more to your tastes. We have some time before dinner begins, what say you on having a drink to catch up before we go in to greet the bloodsuckers?”

  “I think that sounds splendid,” Nicholas replied as Alexander pushed open the library doors.

  Swallowing panic, her heart nearly beat through her chest when the library door burst open and Alexander plowed inside, red faced and laughing. Their eyes met and his shock at seeing her in the library briefly showed on his face before he quickly recovered. Hot on his heels was another man, close in age, and just as handsome, perhaps even more so, if Tabitha was being completely honest.

  The second man also stopped short when he saw Tabitha and she took the seconds of shock to get a better view of who she assumed must be Lord Nicholas. He was similar in height to Alexander but where Alexander was sunshine and freckles, Lord Nicholas was ebony hair, golden skin, and mahogany eyes.

  Tabitha was not one for fanciful pastimes much anymore, but she imagined if a Greek god wandered into a library in London, he would look very much like Lord Nicholas Fairchild.

  “Who are you?” Nicholas said bluntly, his eyes narrowed on Tabitha. “And what are you doing here?”

  Her throat constricted and her eyes darted to Alexander for help.

  Alexander’s easy manners swept in and he swung his hand toward her.

  “My distant cousin, of course,” he said to Nicholas. “The Honorable Miss Tabitha Kenmore. Don’t tell me you have already forgotten I mentioned bringing her along with me.”

  There was no way he could have known in advance that she’d be there. She knew Alexander was bluffing, and it took a moment for Nicholas to look convinced, but he seemed to drop it.

  “Of course,” he said slowly.

  “Lord Nicholas Fairchild,” Alexander said with flourish. “My cousin, Miss Kenmore.”

  “A pleasure,” Nicholas said as Tabitha dipped into a curtsey. “It still does not explain what you’re doing in my library.”

  She quickly clasped her hands behind her back and wracked her brain for an explanation—remembering Alexander’s advice to her earlier. Be ready to think on your feet.

  “I was looking for the housekeeper, actually,” she said with a little laugh. “I thought I saw her come this way but it appears I was wrong. I need a maid to help me dress for dinner today as mine seems to have wandered off.”

  It sounded reasonable, she hoped.

  Nicholas kept his dark gaze on her longer than was comfortable a second time, as though he was seeing straight through her babbling and could discern the truth without much effort.

  She would not make it through the end of the day at this point.

  “If you please, I would like to be pointed in the right direction of Mrs. McEwan’s office so that I may find a maid,” she said as she moved toward the doorway that Nicholas was currently blocking with his large body. He paused a moment longer before stepping aside, his eyes never leaving hers.

  “I shall see you at dinner, cousin,” Alexander called behind her and she didn’t miss the note of laughter in his voice. At least one of them was enjoying themselves.

  Nicholas could still feel the girl’s presence long after she’d left. He tried to focus on what Alexander was saying to him, but all he could think of were her hauntingly beautiful violet eyes, so intent on his.

  He was somewhat perturbed at Alex for bringing a stranger to his mother’s party, but he found himself easily forgiving him for the girl who reminded him of a fresh breeze over a spring meadow.

  “Why have you not mentioned her to me before?”

  “Her? Oh you mean Tabitha?”

  “Yes, the girl.”

  “We are only newly acquainted,” said Alexander, looking at
his cousin with curiosity. “I wanted her to meet my mother’s side of the family while she is here in London. And I believe she and Lady Gemma should get along famously. They share a love of fashion, flowers, and hats of all things.”

  Nicholas nodded as he thought of her the long straight locks that had fallen out of her hair arrangement and onto her shoulders, and the way the emerald dress she was wearing had clung to her small frame. She had seem quite surprised to see them but recovered quickly. Yet there was something about her, something he couldn’t quite put his finger on. She said the right things but in different manner than the usual young English ladies. She was… unpracticed.

  Suddenly his mood lifted, and, for the first time since his imminent return to London, he was looking forward to the next social engagement.

  7

  Tabitha finally returned to her room after sending the dowager duchess’s dinner ensemble upstairs with her maid. It was an unassuming yet quietly attention-grabbing arrangement for the woman—a deep burgundy gown with a matching ostrich plume and a few strings of pearls. Lorna had been beside herself in approval and had quickly shooed Tabitha away to prepare herself for dinner.

  Now, as Tabitha stood in the full-length mirror in her room and studied the woman in the reflection, she was suddenly unsure she would be able to manage what was tasked to her. She hardly recognized herself. The gown was exquisite and fit her perfectly. It was a sapphire blue with lace detail on the neckline and bodice. Lorna, a bit of a master hairdresser herself, had swept Tabitha’s honey brown locks up into a beautiful knot at the back of her head and had quickly curled a few tendrils around her face.

  “Lovely,” she had murmured on her way out as Tabitha blushed. She was not exactly used to compliments and she certainly was not used to preening like a bird in the mirror.

  The matching gloves felt foreign to her as they stretched up to her elbows. She never wore gloves to dinner. What a fancy affair this “non-formal” dinner must really be.

  Giving herself one more glance, Tabitha giggled at the costume and reminded herself that it was all for a good cause.

  “One foot in front of the other,” she said gently to herself as a knock sounded at the door and she opened it.

  It was Anita.

  The maid smiled as she took in Tabitha’s transformation.

  “Lord Alexander is waiting for you, Miss,” she said, leading her down the hall to the small sitting room where Alexander stood.

  “Tabitha!” he exclaimed. “You are a vision.”

  “Thank you,” she said blushing.

  When they reached the dining room, they were announced and Alexander led Tabitha straight to the beautiful older woman currently wearing the very outfit Tabitha had painstakingly arranged earlier in the afternoon. Tabitha marveled at her work as Alexander spoke.

  “…may I present to you, The Honorable Miss Tabitha Kenmore, daughter of my father’s second cousin, Baron Charles Kenmore?”

  Tabitha curtseyed and held Lady Gemma’s gaze as the older woman smiled politely.

  “It is wonderful to meet you,” the woman said kindly. “Any family to Alex is family to us. Are you settled in comfortably?”

  Tabitha nodded.

  “Yes, Your Grace, thank you for your hospitality,” she said as she stood. “Your home is lovely and I appreciate you having me.”

  “And you have met my cousin, Lord Nicholas,” said Alexander as the dark-haired Adonis bent over her hand.

  “Yes, it is a pleasure, Your Grace,” said Tabitha. “Thank you for inviting me into your home.”

  “I did not exactly invite you, Miss Kenmore,” he said, his eyes boring into hers. “But I thank you for joining us.”

  “Shall we settle in for dinner?” Alexander prodded, pulling Tabitha away from Lady Gemma and Lord Nicholas and settling her in a seat beside the dowager duchess. He placed himself on the other side of her as more guests were arriving to be seated.

  Everyone else was already an acquaintance of Lord Nicholas and the duchess and no more introductions were necessary.

  “I’ll introduce you to all of the key players tomorrow as necessary,” Alex whispered beside her. “Fortunately Lady Banon and her daughter Sabine will not arrive until later this evening, after dinner is over. For now, keep your eyes open and listen.”

  Tabitha nodded and did just that.

  Nicholas climbed the stairs to his familiar bedchamber. His mother still occupied the rooms of the duchess, and Nicholas had not the heart or the desire to ask her to move so he could take up his father’s former residence. Before he could feel at peace in there, he would have it completely redone, shedding it of the pretentious decor his father had preferred and replacing it with the deep, rich colors he had his home in France redecorated with.

  He was beginning to undress when the door creaked open.

  “I do not need your services tonight, Smith,” he said, assuming his manservant had come in to attend to him. “I shall be fine on my own.”

  It was not, Smith, however.

  He spied a lady’s slipper teasing the door open, as long narrow fingers curled around the door jamb.

  “Surprise,” came the coy whisper.

  “Sabine!” Nicholas exclaimed as she let herself into his bedchamber. “Whatever are you doing here?”

  “I’m here for the party, Your Grace,” she said, her eyes lowered as she looked up at him. “My mother and I arrived not long ago, and I thought perhaps we could have a private party of our own this evening.”

  “Sabine, please leave at once before you are discovered and your reputation ruined.”

  “Would that really be so bad?” she asked as she stepped up to him and began to run her fingers up his chest. “What could be the worst that could happen? You would have to marry me? We came close to that once, you know.”

  Nicholas caught her fingers in a firm grasp before they could progress any further.

  “That would be the worst that could happen, Sabine,” he said. “I had my reasons for breaking it off with you before leaving for France, and my reasons are unchanged. Now please go before you embarrass yourself any further.”

  With a pout, she turned at the door, pausing before opening it.

  “I shall see in the morning, Your Grace,” she said, her flirtatious grin back. “Sleep well.”

  Nicholas sighed once she left. That woman would be the end of him - his reputation, his life should he have to marry her and spend it with her. Thankful he had gotten rid of her tonight, and he vowed to stay as far away from her as possible come the morning.

  As he finally drifted off to sleep, it wasn’t Sabine he thought of, but a woman with violet eyes, honey brown hair, a waist he ached to wrap his hands around, and a face he pictured opening up to his with longing and curiosity.

  Tabitha was reviewing the selection of Lady Gemma’s dresses before she went to bed, so she could determine the best accessories for the morning. With a sigh, she decided she was too exhausted from the day and the lack of sleep leading up to her stay at the Fairchild home, and began the walk back to her chamber.

  She was passing through the hallway when she heard the deep, rich voice of Lord Nicholas. This must be his bedchamber, she thought. But whoever would he be talking to? She shrank back into the shadows as a door creaked open. Out came a young woman, her frosty blonde hair highlighted by the candles on the wall. She had a sure grin on her beautiful face as she slinked down the hallway, like a feline cat.

  So, Tabitha thought to herself, the duke hadn’t reformed his carefree ways after all. She was surprised at the prick of disappointment she felt as she continued down the hall. He had barely spoken a word to her, or anyone but his mother throughout the dinner, sitting there stoically observing the guests. Determined to push thoughts of rakish dukes out of her mind, she found her chamber and looked forward to sleeping well in her plush surroundings tonight.

  8

  Anita knocked on the door and had Tabitha up early the next morning to sort Lady Gemma�
��s wardrobes.

  Today was the big day.

  There was a brunch garden party at noon and a tea later in the afternoon. Tabitha had to survive two fancy parties and then she would likely be home back in her workshop, her stepmother hopefully none the wiser, by dinnertime.

  It could work. It would work. It had to.

  Running through the hallways that led to Lorna’s office, Tabitha guessed she and Anita were two of the only people awake in the house. The dresses in Lorna’s office were on the hooks as usual and Tabitha set to work arranging and rearranging the perfect look for Lady Gemma. It had come to her as she drifted off to sleep.

  Brunch required less fuss and more simplicity, while still screaming status and class. Tabitha chose a sage green dress with daffodil yellow accents along the short sleeves. For Lady Gemma’s hair, Tabitha decided at the last minute to come up with a comb that would hold sprays of lace and small blossoms she had seen in the garden yesterday. Glad she’d had the forethought to bring a few of her supplies along with her, Tabitha snuck through the still-sleeping house toward the doors that led to the gardens. The sun was peeking through the horizon as Tabitha moved quietly through the plants in search of the very same delicate blossoms she’d spied the afternoon before.

  It took a few twists and turns before she arrived at the bench that Alexander had sat upon and next to it, the small bush of flowers with the yellow petals she was looking for. Careful not to prick her fingers with the plant’s thorns, she got the flowers she was searching for and dashed back toward the house.

  She was coming in through the garden doors when she collided with a solid figure. Arms came up to keep her from falling over and her head snapped up, her eyes catching those of Lord Nicholas.