by Abby Ayles
The three Hendrickson ladies walked in with chins held high, even Miss Mary. Often crowds parted and many greeted Lady Hendrickson. For her part, she mostly nodded in the direction it suited her as she waved her fan casually before her.
* * *
Lady Louisa suspected that up until the appearance of the Duke, the Hendricksons had been the closest members of society to attend this village’s public events. She let her mind sit on the thought of the Duke for just a moment.
* * *
She wondered if he would, in fact, come to the event tonight. It would be understandable if he chose not to, as Lady Hendrickson suspected he would. On the other hand, there was a small piece of Lady Louisa interested to see him again, and to see him in this setting instead of the side of a road.
* * *
“Lady Hendrickson, it is always a pleasure to have you and your beautiful daughters join with us,” a gray-haired man with a decorative cane said coming up to her.
* * *
Lady Hendrickson held out her lace-gloved hand for him to take. Lady Louisa did her best to hid the shock in her face that her aunt seemed to fancy herself ladyship over all present.
* * *
“Well, you know how much my girls love these type of things,” she said rather bored with a wave of her fan in the direction of the three young ladies behind her.
* * *
“I believe you have an added member of your party as well. I don’t believe I have had the pleasure yet,” the man said hoping for an introduction.
* * *
Lady Hendrickson looked back as if she was checking to see if her niece was still there and not halfway down the road towards home.
* * *
“Yes, this is my niece. Lady Louisa Frasier, this is Mr. Drewton. He is the vicar at the church and often hosts many community events.”
* * *
“It’s a pleasure to meet your Mr. Drewton.”
* * *
“Are you Lord and Lady Gilchrist’s daughter by chance then,” he said with a bright smile warming his aged face.
* * *
Lady Louisa had to do her best to keep her eyes on his own and not the large wild white whiskers protruding from either side of his cheeks.
* * *
“I am, sir.”
* * *
“I knew both your mother and father very well. Perhaps you don’t remember, but your father did, in fact, spend some time in his country seat when you and your brother were very young. They too would often join us from time to time, what with your mother having such close connections to this area.”
* * *
“How wonderful. I had no idea,” Lady Louisa replied happy to have the conversation with the man.
* * *
“Why your presence tonight is actually quite providential!”
* * *
“Why is that Mr. Drewton?” Lady Hendrickson interrupted not happy with the vicar's words.
* * *
“Well, as I am sure you are aware the Duke of Rowland has returned from his worldly travels. Upon hearing of our humble festivities, he graciously donated the cornucopia spread over at the far table. You really must go look at it; I have never seen such a wonderful spread of meats and pies and dried fruits pies.”
* * *
“That is very kind of his grace,” Lady Hendrickson interjected again quickly before the man could continue. “I suspect it is a very kind way for his grace to send well wishes since he won’t be attending himself.”
* * *
“Oh no, Lady Hendrickson. He is to attend! I heard the news with my very own ears from his grace, himself. That is what makes your niece’s presence so perfect.”
* * *
“In what way?” Lady Hendrickson said with a snap of her fan and narrowing of her tiny eyes.
* * *
“Well, we, of course, made the Duke the honored guest of the evening. It is only right that he opens the dancing himself. It was a sensitive subject as he would have no lady in mind to open the dance with. I feared to ask one lady over the other here as it might cause contentious feelings,” he said waving his cane to the crowd.
* * *
“But with Lady Louisa in our presence, it would only be right that she too opens the festivities at his side.”
* * *
Lady Louisa was just as startled at the announcement as her aunt no doubt was. Lady Louisa did understand the vicar's natural progression into that train of thought. At the same time, she feared what resulting thought it conjured in her aunt and Miss Elisabeth’s mind.
* * *
“How interesting for you to suggest such a thing,” Lady Hendrickson said after a beat. “I am afraid my niece is very shy, however. I don’t think she would take to being paraded around before all here,” she added with a little chuckle.
* * *
Lady Louisa was quiet by nature, and certainly not confrontational. She would never go against her aunt’s words, though they are untrue, in front of another. In fact, most of her life she was healing problems not the cause of them. She was rather fine giving up the dance to salve any enmity.
* * *
“Nonsense. The matter is settled. I will go and find the Duke and inform him now,” the old man said before turning and leaving the group.
* * *
“That ridiculous old man,” Lady Hendrickson breathed under her breath. “He thinks that just because he is a man he must have the final say in every situation. The impertinence.”
* * *
She then turned to her two daughters. Miss Mary had been waiting quietly at her side. Miss Elisabeth, on the other hand, had found a friend of her own that she was conversing with. That had stopped at the announcement of the Duke’s presence.
* * *
“What shall we do now, Mother?” She asked with a bit of a squeak in her voice.
* * *
Of all the situations she had planned for on their trip into town, the presence of the Duke was not one of them.
* * *
“To start, my dear, you may calm down. Certainly making a scene will not help in the least. Let us take a turn around the room and see who else is present tonight. It may work considerably to our advantage to have the Duke here after all,” Lady Hendrickson said in a calm demanding tone.
* * *
However, before they began their turn around the room, they were overtaken by Colonel Jasper. As soon as the man saw the small gathering of ladies he knew well enough, he made a line straight to them.
* * *
“Good evening, Colonel Jasper,” Miss Elisabeth said with a flutter of her dark eyelashes.
* * *
Lady Louisa wondered if she was perhaps not capable of deterring from the plan she had made for herself. A quick glance over at her younger sister sent disappointment through her frame. Miss Mary looked rather pitiful.
* * *
“All you ladies look magnificent tonight. If one didn’t know better I would think I was standing with the queen herself,” he said with a charming smile.
* * *
“Yes, my daughters do have a very sophisticated air around them,” Lady Hendrickson proceeded. “I am often told that they could easily be mistaken for a Countess or say, Duchess.”
* * *
“I couldn’t agree more,” the Colonel said with a polite smile.
* * *
“I, myself, consider such a thing not just breeding. I believe parentage alone is not sufficient to create a proper lady, but the right education as well,” Lady Hendrickson continued.
* * *
“Well, then it should be no surprise to you why I have come to seek you ladies out,” Colonel Jasper replied trying to hide understanding of her meaning.
* * *
“And what is that Colonel?” Miss Elisabeth asked with a flash of her own sweet smile.
* * *
“Well, Mr. Dewton just came to inform me that Lady Louisa and Rowland will introduce the fi
rst set. I was rather hoping to place my name on some dance cards as well before all the sets were scooped up,” he answered.
* * *
Though Colonel Jasper did not speak of a specific lady from the group, his eyes falling directly on Miss Mary told a different story. Lady Hendrickson’s mouth broke into a gallant smile.
* * *
“Do you mean to fill Lady Louisa’s card. How very thoughtful of you. How very interesting that you felt the need to come here straight away,” Lady Hendrickson announced.
* * *
Clearly, she thought that the Colonel had set his eyes on Lady Louisa. Perhaps she thought it a proper match, and at the very least, a way to keep Lady Louisa from distracting the Duke any more than would already be done by their first dance.
* * *
The Colonel not wanting to seem rude didn’t correct her of the mistake though disappointment could be felt from three of the parties of five.
* * *
“I am not sure if I will have the energy to dance two sets in a row. Perhaps you would allow me to defer your invitation until the third or fourth set? I do hate to disappoint you so, however. Perhaps if my cousin, Mary, would be willing she could take the place of the second set in my stead,” Lady Louisa said smoothly.
* * *
Both the Colonel and Miss Mary exchanged a quick look. Mary was overcome with happiness and embarrassment all at the same time.
* * *
“I would be happy to step in, if it would suit you,” Miss Mary replied barely above a whisper.
* * *
“I would like that very much,” Colonel Jasper said with a bow before excusing himself from the group.
* * *
“Well, it looks like our cousin has an admirer,” Miss Elisabeth said in teasing fashion after the Colonel left. “He was just begging to get his chance to dance with you. A little poetically too if you ask me,” she added with a snuff.
* * *
Lady Louisa was simultaneously confused as to how her elder cousin could change so easily from false flattery to utter despise in the matter of moments, as well as the fact that both she and Lady Hendrickson seemed utterly unaware how much Mary and the Colonel seemed to have eyes for one another.
Chapter 12
“Ladies and Gentleman,” Mr. Drewton called from his raised position on the platform. “I would like to officially welcome out our distinguished guest, his grace the Duke of Rowland, as well as his party including his Uncle, Mr. James Vaughan, and his grace’s very good friend Colonel Huge Jasper. We are so honored to have you in our midst this night as well as your generous donation,” he added with a wave to the food table.
* * *
A loud applaud erupted around the room. Lady Louisa was finding that this type of public event was vastly more energized then she was used to.
* * *
“Now that we have all sufficiently visited and had our fill, I believe it is time to strike up the band,” Mr.
* * *
Drewton said amid more cheers from the crowded room. “Now,” he continued. “Naturally we wish our most esteemed guest, his grace the Duke of Rowland, to open the dance floor for us. I am happy to announce that joining him on the floor will be the lovely Lady Louisa Fraiser.”
* * *
All eyes looked around the room for the lady mentioned. Lady Louis rather felt like hiding underneath the buffet of food. The Duke, ever the efficient man in his duties, stepped out onto the dance floor.
* * *
His eyes scanned the room for just a moment before they fell on Lady Louisa. She couldn’t help but feel the flutter of excitement as his face relaxed into a smile. In just three steps he seemed to cross the whole of the dance floor and stood before her with an outstretched hand.
* * *
Rather reluctantly Lady Louisa took it. It was hard to distinguish the surge of emotions floating in the air right at that moment. For her, it was an embarrassment and a new tingling sensation in her stomach she had never yet experienced. For the ladies next to her, and Lady Louisa dare thought, the rest of the room, it was indignation and jealousy.
* * *
She took his hand despite the silent prayers around the room that she wouldn’t, and allowed him to lead her to the center of the room. It was probably the first time in her life she found herself in such a place, with so many eyes on her.
* * *
“I do apologize for ringing you into this hoop,” the duke said softly for only Lady Louisa’s ears. “Had I considered the reaction my presence caused, I would have been more adamant in my absence.”
* * *
Both parties readied themselves for the first set, and the band struck up the music. For the most part, it wasn’t much different than the sets that Lady Louisa had danced back home. Ordinarily, first dances were lively music, and she was sure the present song playing was of the fastest she had ever heard.
* * *
For the Duke’s part, he held his head up high and smiled graciously to all around him. Lady Louisa was a little shocked by how different his whole countenance seemed to be in this setting. Even his smile didn’t seem to match the few she had seen in their last two meetings. Instead, it seemed to be painted into place and without much feeling.
* * *
Finally, others were invited to join in on the jig dance and happily did so. Lady Louisa did notice that Miss Elisabeth had already secured a partner for this first dance and managed to find a way right next to the Duke and herself.
* * *
“You don’t look as if you are enjoying this much,” Lady Louisa said after the dance settled back into the rhythm of the steps with the now crowded floor.
* * *
“Why would you think such a thing, I am very much enjoying myself,” he responded though he never seemed to look directly at Lady Louisa.
* * *
Instead, his eyes seemed to move over the crowd, and his speech was very diplomatic. She studied the man before her as if she had seen him for the first time.
* * *
He stood the height and dressed the look of a Duke in his elegant black jacket and perfect cream knot. His black hair was slicked back perfectly and tied with a ribbon. Whereas before his eyes could have pierced to the very core of her on the road they seemed now to be milked over with a shade of facade.
* * *
“What swayed you to come tonight?” Lady Louisa asked.
* * *
“My uncle,” the Duke replied honestly. He gave a smile of relief and for the first time since they started the dance let his eyes drift over his partner. “I am afraid he is most insistent that I begin my search for a match
* * *
tonight. Even gave me a long list of dance cards to put my name on.”
* * *
“So you are here to appease your uncle?”
* * *
“In a way yes. In another, I suppose I do need to begin my search for a companion. A dance is a choice place to start.”
* * *
“You have already won so many over with your donation. I suspect no girl will deny you her card this night.”
* * *
He looked away shyly. Lady Louisa was unsure if it was embarrassment or shame though.
* * *
“It was just one of those things expected of me. You know how it is, you must behave in a particular way when in public.”
* * *
“I suppose to an extent that is true,” Lady Louisa agreed.
* * *
“However, is it not also important to be yourself when looking for a life companion. I may have only had short meetings with you in the past, but I fear that the man before me is not the one I chanced to run into before.”
* * *
“Well, of course not,” he rather blurted out. “I can’t be. A Duke has certain expectations put on him. I cannot be myself.”
* * *
“I understand the necessities of polite society,�
� Lady Louisa urged, “but certainly you can’t say that you feel the need to so alter your person. Certainly, that is no way to find a wife. How would she know the man she is intended to marry?”