by Elaine Hart
“Who is that with him?” Lady Rebecca asked.
Lady Lucy’s eyes widened as she saw Lord Stanley enter the ballroom with a young woman. She had dark brown curls and wore a rather provocative red gown. Lady Lucy watched in horror as Lord Stanley whispered something in her ear and she chuckled with amusement.
“Lucy?”
Lady Lucy glanced at her sisters, not certain what to say, or what to think, for that matter.
“Perhaps it is his sister?” Lady Rebecca cringed.
“He only has two older brothers,” Lady Lucy answered.
“Or a cousin perhaps?” Lady Caroline said.
“I will ask him,” Lady Lucy answered blankly.
“Do you require us to accompany you?” Lady Caroline asked.
“No need. I am already embarrassed enough. More witnesses will only add to it,” Lady Lucy muttered and left her sisters’ sides.
Lady Lucy walked to where Lord Stanley and the other young woman stood and she almost felt bad to intrude on their conversation. They seemed rather cozy and it upset Lady Lucy tremendously. She approached them, a forced smile on her lips, and said, “My lord.”
Lord Stanley’s face lit up when he saw Lady Lucy and he said, “My lady, you look magnificent.”
“As do you, my lord. The gloves are a nice touch,” she murmured.
“My lady, I would like to introduce to you Lady Adeline, daughter of the Marquess and Marchioness of Wiltshire,” Lord Stanley said and the dark-haired beauty glanced at Lady Lucy.
“Pleased to make your acquaintance,” Lady Adeline said and held out her hand to Lady Lucy. “And you are?”
“Lady Lucy, daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Glastonbury,” Lady Lucy answered, simply glancing at Lady Adeline’s hand, but inwardly she cringed.
She glanced at Lord Stanley and cocked her head. “My lord, could I have a word with you for a moment?”
To her annoyance, Lord Stanley glanced at Lady Adeline to ensure that she would be alright by herself. Lady Adeline fobbed off his concern and Lord Stanley smiled awkwardly at Lady Lucy. Lady Lucy turned on her heel and Lord Stanley followed her out of the ballroom.
Lady Lucy came to a stop in the midst of the great hall and turned to him. He glanced at her expectantly and pursed his lips.
“Who is that?” she asked.
“Lady Adeline,” he answered.
“I know who she is,” she muttered angrily. “How do you even know her?”
“I know her from school. We attended the same preparatory school. She is visiting from Oxford.”
“Oxford?”
“Indeed. She is working towards her degree. She has an exceptional mind,” he answered.
“Is that so?” she asked and crossed her arms.
“Are you upset with me?”
‘What do you think, Stanley?”
“I do not understand why you are upset,” he stated, a perplexed expression on his handsome face, but Lady Lucy was too agitated to truly appreciate it.
“What is she doing here?”
“I invited her,” he answered simply.
“Why?” she asked.
“Her parents arrived at our estate last evening after you left and...”
“And what?” she insisted.
“What would you have me do, Lucy? Leave her alone at the estate while I attend your grandmother’s ball?” he asked and looked at her expectantly.
“And what about me?” she asked. “What about my feelings? Did you ever think that I would be upset by this?”
“I was fairly certain you would not have a problem with it. She is merely a friend, Lucy,” Lord Stanley said and placed his hands on his hips.
“You two looked much too cozy to simply be friends,” she muttered and turned away.
“Lucy, I do not say this very often, or at all, for that matter, but you are being unreasonable,” he said.
His words were barely spoken when Lady Lucy whirled around and glared at him angrily. “I am being unreasonable?”
“Indeed. What is the matter with you? Are you jealous?” he asked.
“You arrive with a beautiful woman on your arm, a woman I know nothing about, and you expect me to fob it off as if it was nothing?” she asked.
His shoulders slumped and he slowly approached her. “Lucy, there is no need to be jealous. Lady Adeline is merely an old friend from school.”
“But she is smart.”
“As are you,” he stated.
“You and I both know that is not true,” Lady Lucy muttered.
“What do you wish me to say to you, Lucy? That you are smart and beautiful and that I would never prefer the company of other women above yours?” he asked.
“That certainly would have been perfect if it was not forced,” she answered. “You should say it because you mean it, and not because you are forced to say it.”
“Good grief, Lucy! There is no pleasing you, is there?” Lord Stanley exclaimed.
“Leave me alone, Stanley. Go back to your bluestocking friend,” Lady Lucy said snidely.
“Lucy, wait!”
Lady Lucy stopped abruptly and whirled around angrily, tears stinging her eyes. “I cannot believe I learnt to play the piano for you!”
“What?” he asked and his eyes widened.
Lady Lucy pursed her lips and crossed her arms, not uttering a word in response.
Lord Stanley slowly approached her and smiled slightly. “You learnt how to play piano, for me?”
“I did,” she answered simply.
“Why?” he asked with a slight smile lingering on his lips.
Lady Lucy sighed and ran her hands over her hair. A lock of golden hair fell into her face and she swept it away.
“Lucy?” Lord Stanley said as he stepped closer.
“I wanted to show you that I could also do something well, and I was not simply a wayward young woman who would not accomplish nearly as much as you have,” she exclaimed.
“That is not true. You are an intelligent, beautiful woman who can achieve anything. You have proven to me more than once that you can do anything you put your mind to. You taught me to climb a tree and throw a punch and how to enjoy my life without jeopardising my future.”
She pursed her lips and glanced wordlessly at Lord Stanley. “It does not even matter, because you have clearly found another beautiful and intelligent woman to replace me.”
“Lady Adeline?”
“Is there more than one?” Lady Lucy scoffed.
“This is why you are upset,” Lord Stanley sighed.
“You are the academic, figure it out,” Lady Lucy whirled around again and made her way down the hallway.
Lord Stanley rushed after her and grabbed her arm. “Lucy, please wait.”
“Why? I am not nearly as smart as Lady Adeline. You should be with her.”
“I do not wish to be. I should be with you.”
Lady Lucy glanced at him and pursed her lips briefly. “Please let go of my arm.”
“I will, on one condition.”
“Which is?” she asked.
“Please play something for me,” he answered.
Lady Lucy’s brow furrowed and she shook her head. “No, it does not matter.”
“It matters to me,” he said in a calm voice and glanced at her.
Lady Lucy gazed into his emerald eyes and nodded slowly. She opened the door of the music room and together they stepped inside. The piano was drenched in the moonlight cascading through the open drapes and she sat down on the piano stool. She briefly glanced at Lord Stanley and inhaled deeply. She placed her fingers on the keys and started to play, allowing the music to sweep her away to a place where she felt safe. A place where there was no such thing as rejection, and where Lady Adeline did not exist. Lady Lucy fully immersed herself in the melody, and for a short while she forgot that Lord Stanley watched her. As the piece ended, she opened her eyes and found Lord Stanley staring at her in awe. She placed her hands on her lap and sighed.
&
nbsp; “That was magnificent,” he answered breathlessly.
“I heard you play it on more than once occasion, and I asked my grandmother to teach it to me. She said it was your favoured piece,” Lady Lucy said quietly.
“It was, but now after I heard you play it, I can never play it again,” he said.
“And why is that?” she asked with a furrowed brow.
“Because not even I can play it any better than you just did,” he answered confidently. “How did you manage to learn that piece as quickly as you did?”
“I practised it every night with my grandmother. She is a wonderful teacher,” Lady Lucy explained.
“Indeed she is,” Lord Stanley answered. “You are an exceptional student. Did you really try to prove yourself to me?”
“At first, yes. I wanted to do something wonderful for you, and this was the only thing I could think of,” Lady Lucy answered.
“Out of all the things in the world, you chose to learn how to play the piano?” he asked.
“I knew you loved it,” Lady Lucy shrugged. “I wished to do something meaningful. I did not wish to give you a gift, as there is nothing that I could possibly give you that you do not already possess.”
“There are many things I do not possess, Lucy. Of that I can assure you,” he said with a frown.
“Name one,” she insisted.
“I do not have the ability to balance myself in a tree as well as you do, or to climb trees as well as you do, for that matter,” Lord Stanley said and Lady Lucy smiled modestly. “I cannot run as freely as you do along the meadow.”
“It is simply running, Stanley,” Lady Lucy whispered.
“It is so much more than that, Lucy. You are comfortable with who you are, and you do not care what people think of you,” Lord Stanley answered. “That is one of the many reasons why I adore you as much as I do.”
“You do?” she asked.
“You are astounding, Lucy.”
She lowered her gaze and asked, “Would you play something for me?”
Lord Stanley nodded wordlessly and sat beside her on the stool. “You may join in if you would like to.”
“I would not dream of it,” she answered and shifted closer to him.
He took off his gloves, one after the other, and Lady Lucy glanced down at his right hand. The skin of his knuckles was bruised and slightly abraded and Lady Lucy frowned.
“Your hand,” she gasped and placed her hand on his wrist. “What happened to it?”
Lord Stanley glanced at Lady Lucy and answered calmly, “I finally stood up to my father.”
“You did?”
“I never saw him go down that quickly,” he admitted. “I was shocked.”
“You punched him?” Lady Lucy gasped once again.
“I drew his cork, just like you showed me,” Lord Stanley answered rather proudly.
Lady Lucy’s jaw dropped and she covered her mouth with both her hands.
“Do not fret. I did not hurt him any further,” Lord Stanley reassured her.
“He is still alive, right?”
Lord Stanley chuckled with a nod. “Very much so.”
“He was most certainly shocked when you stood up to him,” Lady Lucy said.
“He was. My mother as well,” Lord Stanley answered. “I reassured them both that I do not wish to fight, and I will most certainly not punch him the way he did my mother, but there are things that were required to change in our home. I told him that I was merely defending my mother. Rather late than never, I suppose.”
Lady Lucy simply nodded and glanced at Lord Stanley.
“He vowed to never strike my mother again, or I could deal with him as I saw fit. He now gives me the respect I deserve, and my mother the respect she deserves.”
“That is wonderful,” she whispered. “You did the right thing, Stanley. Even though violence does not solve violence, you did what you needed to do to protect your mother and I am certain it means the world to her.”
“She is my mother, and I would do anything to protect her,” Lord Stanley said and looked over at Lady Lucy. “As I would do anything to protect you, Lucy.”
“Thank you, my lord,” Lady Lucy whispered and Lord Stanley handed his gloves to her.
“Would you hold onto these for me?”
“Of course,” Lady Lucy whispered to him, tightly holding onto the gloves.
Lord Stanley started to play the soft and soothing tones of another piece she had heard and she sighed in sheer satisfaction. There was something different in the way he played it tonight and Lady Lucy watched him in the same manner as he had when she played. His hands glided elegantly and skillfully across the keys, creating exquisite melodies which sent shivers of delight down her spine. She smiled dreamily and pursed her lips. She had to compose herself or she would have grabbed his hands away from the keys and kissed him passionately on the lips.
Somehow, she managed to sit perfectly still, mesmerised by his hands, until he finished playing. As she was about to say something, a light applause came from the door and both Lady Lucy and Lord Stanley glanced over their shoulders.
Lady Hudson stood in the doorway and said, “Bravo.”
“My lady,” Lord Stanley stood from the stool and approached her while Lady Lucy remained on the piano stool. “My sincerest apologies.”
“What on earth are you apologising for?” Lady Hudson asked.
“You went to much trouble to arrange a ball for us, and we are not even present,” Lord Stanley answered.
“Nonsense,” Lady Hudson said and cocked her head at him. “That was wonderful.”
“Thank you, my lady.”
“Do you remember I told you something was missing when you played this piece, my lord?” she asked.
“I do.”
“You clearly found it,” Lady Hudson said and glanced at Lady Lucy, who was still seated at the piano.
“Indeed,” Lord Stanley said with a smile.
“I should be getting back to the ballroom,” Lady Hudson said, smiling as she left the room.
Lord Stanley turned on his heel and approached the piano. “I cannot believe you learnt to play the piano for me.”
“At first it was for you, but after a while I truly did fall in love with it. The music, the melody...”
“The peace.”
Lady Lucy nodded and glanced at the keys. “Precisely. You helped me find it. You helped me find myself, and for that I will be forever grateful.”
“I should be the one who is grateful to you,” he said.
“Why is that?”
“You believed in me, despite the distrust with Lady Adeline,” he answered with a smirk.
“I must admit it was not my finest moment,” Lady Lucy cringed.
“We all make mistakes,” he said with a smile and brushed a lock of hair off her face. “What matters is how we react to the consequences.”
“Careful, I can punch back,” she smirked with a wink.
“I love you, Lucy.”
Lord Stanley’s declaration took her slightly by surprise, but it was music to her ears. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and whispered, “Not as much as I love you, my lord.”
Lord Stanley leaned in and kissed her on the lips and as she closed her eyes, she fell even more in love with him than she had ever imagined.
The symphony of their love had merely started, but Lady Lucy knew that it would last an entire lifetime.
Worthy of a Lady
The Daughters of Devonshire
Chapter One
June 1815
Powderham Hall
Exeter
Devonshire
England
Birds chirped happily, filling the air with the sweet sounds of summer, and Lady Diana opened her big blue eyes with much enthusiasm. Today was her ten-and-ninth birthday and she could barely contain herself. Her father, the Duke of Glastonbury, had promised her for several years that he would allow her to choose her own mare as her very own, and the da
y had finally arrived. He had, in true regal fashion, had a letter sealed with red wax delivered to her bedchambers stating that he would grant her her wish and allow her to choose her mare.
As the youngest of four daughters of the Duke and Duchess, Lady Diana often felt overlooked by her parents, as well as her sisters. She was certainly not considered the quiet, timid, intelligent one, like Lady Caroline, or the wild and out-of-control rebel, as Lady Lucy had been, or the beautiful romantic that Lady Rebecca still was. Lady Diana was merely the youngest daughter. She spoke only when she was meant to, listened when others spoke, and did as she was told. Lady Diana was also the sickly one. She had regular episodes of allergic reactions, especially to bee stings and pollen. Her mother and father tried desperately to keep her away from the garden during the warmer months, but much to their dismay, Lady Diana preferred the out-of-doors, and was more often than not outside.
She had fallen in love with her father’s horses when she was ten years old, but due to her allergies her mother forbade her to set foot anywhere near the stables. As time passed, and much to Lady Diana’s relief, her allergies seemed to have subsided significantly and her father had promised if her health had stayed at a constant positive apex, then he would consider giving her her own mare.
Lady Diana sat up in her bed and smiled happily as she stretched her arms above her head. She climbed out of bed and as she approached her dressing table to brush her long, light brown hair, she heard the neighing of horses. She ran to the window, once again unable to contain her excitement, and drew back the drapes. The sunlight was rather overwhelming at first, but her eyes quickly adjusted just in time to see four lovely horses being led to the stables. She giggled enthusiastically and clasped her hands together for a moment before she rushed to her dressing table and brushed her long hair. She dressed quickly before leaving her chambers, and went down the stairwell towards the parlour, where breakfast was already served.
Her father and mother, the Duke and Duchess of Glastonbury, sat at the heads of the table, and to Lady Diana’s surprise, her older sister, Lady Lucy, and her betrothed, Lord Stanley, also sat at the table.
“Diana, dearest. Good morning,” the Duchess greeted her with a smile.