Jake decided he would personally extend the invitation to Sarah, but he was a little worried, since he was not giving them much notice. Hell, he wasn’t even sure they would attend. He frowned to himself. Did he really want to give Sarah the impression of something more to their relationship yet? He knew he needed to make amends to her, but marriage was a little too much. The last thing he wanted to do was to lead her on again. Only after he spent more time with her would he be able to consider the possibility of betrothal.
“Jake, where are you going?” He hadn’t even noticed that his brother had come up behind him.
“I am going to the Fairchild's residence to request their family attend this blasted party of Mother’s,” he said.
“You are really considering her then?” Jordan asked.
“Yes, I suppose I am. She would make me a fine wife. I just need assurance that we are compatible.” Jake went past him in an effort to leave.
“I can’t believe you would shackle yourself to that bitch,” Jordan said passionately.
“That bitch might someday be my wife, so watch what you say about her. I will not have her dragged through the mud, because you happen not to like her,” Jake bit out.
“You will regret this, Jake. She is cold-hearted, and I am not the only person who thinks so. Is that what you want in your life? In your bed?” Jordan asked.
“It is my life, and my home. You will leave it to me to decide why and to whom I want to live it with,” Jake continued, while tossing things into his bag.
“Bugger off, Jake” With that parting statement. Jordan stalked off, presumably to get ready for the trip.
Jake sighed. He himself was confused about what he wanted. He should have never promised his mother that he would marry and have children. Why would he want to placate her? He already knew why, it was because he loved his father and he was doing it for him. It was what his father would have wanted. Sometimes, he wished he were not born with such responsibilities. So much was always expected of him, and he was exhausted from the weight of it.
Feeling battered after the quarrel with his brother and his own conflicting thoughts, Jake got into his carriage and had the driver take him to the Fairchild’s residence so he could personally offer the invitation.
Sarah was sitting in the library with her mother doing her studies, but not paying the least bit of attention to her work. She was daydreaming about being a Duchess, when the announcement was made.
“My Lady, the Duke is here. Would you like me to direct him to the blue room?” The housekeeper asked. Her mother jumped up.
“The Duke of Ashbury?” Mother asked excitedly.
“Yes, he has just pulled up in the carriage bearing his crest,” she said.
Lady Felicia clapped her hands together like a child, with a triumphant smile on her face as she received the news. “Yes, yes, have him wait in the blue room. We will join him in a moment,” she said breathlessly, trying to straighten up as best she could. “Run along Sarah, get freshened up. Until you are ready to join us, I’ll keep his Grace company.”
Sarah was excited. His Grace was calling on her! Sarah flew up the stairs and dragged her maid along behind her.
“Hurry, he can’t be kept waiting. Get the pink gown out, and style my hair,” she said.
With the maid’s assistance, Sarah struggled to get into the gown as fast as she could. As she looked in the mirror, she thought it might be a little daring. The gown’s neckline was décolleté and showed her ample bosom. It molded to her figure and she thought how perfect. What red-blooded male would be able resist her? She smiled smugly at herself. The maid fixed her hair and she took one last look, before she was satisfied. She returned downstairs and made her way to the blue room. She stopped short and blew out a long breath, preparing herself to see him again.
“I am sorry to keep you waiting, your Grace,” Sarah said as she walked into the room. She curtsied to him, well aware her breasts were in clear view. Jake turned and directed his attention to her.
“It’s fine. The wait was well worth it, I assure you.” Jake leisurely looked her over and he brought a blush to her face, as his eyes made his way down her body and back up. He walked up to her and clasped her hand in his. “You look very beautiful today,” he said, just before he brought her hand up to his lips. Her toes curled inside her slippers.
“You are too kind.” Sarah was very pleased at the reaction she elicited from him.
“His Grace has just invited us to his house party for the weekend,” Lady Felicia told her daughter, making her aware that they were not alone. It was obvious from the look on her mother's face that she was displeased with how her daughter looked and acted.
“That is very nice of you to think about us, your Grace,” Sarah responded while gazing into Jake’s eye.
“Sarah, please call me Jake. I would be more than happy to have you come,” he said gently.
“Yes, of course, Jake. We would love to come, with mother’s consent, of course.” Sarah looked over at her mother and waited for her to answer.
“It is rather short notice and I will have to consult with my husband, but I dare say; he will be pleased. This weekend you say?” She asked reconfirming the date.
“Yes, this weekend. I am certain there will be a crowd there,” Jake said.
“I know it is not my place to ask, but out of concern for my daughter, will your former betrothed be in attendance?” Lady Felicia asked politely, hesitantly.
“I am almost positive she will not. My mother sent out the invitations, and as you know, she was never fond of Lady Carmichael, so I don’t imagine she would be on the guest list,” Jake answered.
“We would love to attend, your Grace,” Lady Felicia replied after appearing to mull it over for a few seconds. Sarah was sure that her father would be as ecstatic as she was about the possibility of her having the chance to marry a Duke. She was glad she had decided on the pink gown. It seemed to have been good luck for her.
“Charming. Since we have that out of the way, would you like to stay for tea?” Sarah asked coyly.
“No, really, I must be going. There are many things for me to do before this weekend. I do apologize for my haste,” he said. Sarah looked defeated, but smiled encouragingly.
“That’s fine. I look forward to this weekend,” Sarah said cheerfully as she started leading him to the door, aware that her mother was following.
“As do I, Sarah,” Jake bowed to her, kissed her hand, and then bowed to her mother.
“I’ll have my butler see you out the rest of the way, your Grace,” Lady Felicia said in the doorway of the blue room.
“Mother, I hope for marriage soon and to a Duke! Can you believe it?” Sarah looked at her mother with glee.
“Be careful, dear. After all, he tossed you aside once before and he hasn’t really indicated that he is considering you as his wife, yet“ Lady Felicia looked over at her daughter, before she thoughtfully replied, "I am afraid you might be getting ahead of yourself,” she added.
Sarah’s face turned crimson at her mother’s lack of encouragement. “You’re wrong, Mother. We will marry, you wait and see,” she said. Sarah hated that her mother was looking at her with such pity. "You’ll see, Mother. I shall be a Duchess." Sarah was not going to have it any other way. She watched several emotions flash through her mother’s face. The sadness and pity was the more obvious emotions that she could read. Sarah wanted to hurl something. She would show her parents, and she would demand respect once she accomplished her goals. They should consider themselves lucky they had a daughter like her. Everyone would learn to respect her.
Chapter Five
The next couple of days flew by in a breeze. Ana ran around getting her errands done before the weekend. She heard a knock on the door, so she went to answer it, thinking it would be Eliza.
“My lord, this is a surprise,” she answered when she found it was Lord Jordan Trent and not Eliza standing before her.
“Did you get the inv
itation?” he asked, dispensing of the formalities. She opened the door wider for him to come in. Nothing would remain private, if they were standing on her doorstep having a conversation, where anyone would hear.
“Yes I did, why? Did Jake send you? That coward!” He was not even man enough to face her himself. She wanted to march right over there and tell him what she thought of him.
“It’s not what you are thinking. Jake doesn’t even know I’m here,” he said as he passed her and walked into the foyer.
“Then, why are you here? My question is not meant as rudeness, but we are not exactly friends,” Ana said, stating the obvious.
“I wanted to make sure you were coming,” Jordan bristled.
Ana wanted to lie and say she was declining the invitation, just to see what he would do, but she did not. “Unfortunately, yes, I will be there. Your wonderful mother made sure of it already.” She could see him visibly relax. “Why is so important to you? Your mother, I can somewhat understand, but not you," Ana asked confused.
“I think you and Jake have some differences that you should work out, since he will be remaining in London. It’s common knowledge that the two of you cannot be in the same room together without causing a stir,” he said. Ana wholeheartedly agreed with him, which was the main reason she was going.
“I promise that I will be attending. Eliza is going with me, so that will help me endure it,” she confessed.
Jordan looked a bit sheepish at her response and muttered, “Then, I guess I’ll see you soon.”
“I suppose you will. Good day, my lord, I shall look forward to seeing you." She watched him as he left. Ana decided after talking with Jordan that maybe it would be better if she had an escort. She sent two notes, one to Lady Katherine informing her of her conditions for attending, and the other to Viscount Langley, asking him to come along as her escort, if he had not already gotten an invitation.
The Duchess left London early to prepare for the weekend. She took about two dozen servants with her. The needed supplies had already been purchased and she had dispatched them in advanced.
No one had lived at the estate since her husband had died. Going back to a place filled with happy memories that she could never have again caused her some anguish. However, she would do anything for her sons. She needed to assign rooms and organize a ball and the weekend entertainment as well. Her sons will arrive in the next day or so. She felt a little guilty about her deception of not telling Jake about Ana being invited. Earlier in her life, she would have been happy with Miss Fairchild for a daughter, but not anymore.
Strict parents had raised Lady Katherine, and to them society and impressions were everything. Then she married into that same society, never knowing a different way of life. She had never thought any differently than her parents did. Even though her marriage was an arranged one, she was fortunate to find love in the years with her husband. When her husband died, she realized how she had lived her life. After living in the confines of rules and pedigrees, she had come to realize that it was not something she wanted for her children. The visit to Ana went better than she had expected.
She purposely put Ana right across the hall from Jake’s room. Normally, she would have never thought about putting a guest in the family wing, but she needed desperate measures. She was certain Jake still loved Ana. Why else would he have been gone for so long? She felt deep down to her bones that it would be a good match. Miss Fairchild and her parents, she assigned to the opposite end of the house. After meeting Lady Felicia and her daughter at a ball a few years ago, she took an instant dislike to them. It was obvious that all they were after was a title and money. Sarah had grown into a beautiful woman, but she appeared quite selfish and much too superficial. Outside beauty would only get the girl so far, but her inside nature seemed as if made of complete venom.
Shaking her unpleasant thoughts away, she went to get other things done. She sent servants to stock the wine cellar and the food pantry. She had the servants airing out rooms, cleaning and dusting. The whole day was chaotic. There were servants scurrying everywhere.
The Ashbury estate was a huge castle. It had two wings, which held thirty rooms each. The servants even had their own luxuries below stairs. The estate was situated on a hundred acres of wooded land. Katherine’s favorite place on the grounds was the spacious garden with stepping stones leading to the pond. It was entailed to her eldest son, and she wanted him to make it his permanent home there, as she and her husband had once done. A dream perhaps, but the dower house was only down the lane and Jordan’s country home was on the neighboring land. It was perfect for the close-knit family they had once been. By the time she had completed the preparations and then was satisfied, it had been a long night, and she was worn out.
Ana knew she could not hold off leaving any longer. They needed to get going if they were to arrive at Ashbury at a decent time. How could she have let Eliza talk her into this? She was nervous and excited at the same time. The prospect of spending time with Jake made her feel like a girl fresh out of the schoolroom. She was thankful Eliza was with her.
“Calm down, you’ll be fine,” Eliza said in a soothing tone.
“Why did I let you talk me into this? I can just foresee disaster waiting for us. I bet he doesn’t even know I’m coming.” Ana had a bad feeling Jake had not been told.
“What is the worst that can happen? You can’t hide from him forever,” Eliza said.
“We need to leave. It’s a long journey to Ashbury,” Ana directed the statement to the maids, sidestepping the statement. It was hectic getting the luggage into the carriage and making sure, they had brought everything they needed. Eliza, Ana and the maids, all climbed into the spacious carriage and with a jerk, the horses started out to take them closer to the place that filled her with trepidation.
“What time are your parents to arrive?” Ana asked her friend.
“Oh, I’m not sure; they should be there before us. We did after all leave late,” Eliza pointed out.
“Of course. The more people there will help put distance between me and the Duke, the better.” Ana said crisply.
Eliza didn’t reply. Ana sat and listened as Eliza and the maids prattled on about a little of everything, from the weather to the latest gossip. She smiled thinking how she and Eliza had always talked openly to the servants She never felt they were below her station in any way. The servants were people with feelings just like her and it also made everyone more relaxed.
Ana had no room to judge, after all. She was lucky that she was independently wealthy. Her solicitor made excellent investments on her behalf. It made up for not being married and having children. She often thought about adopting, but she was a single female, so that was out of the question. She had also thought about marrying someone who already had children, but no one had come close to her expectations.
“What are you thinking about, Ana? You’re frowning,” Eliza’s question brought her out of her thoughts.
“I’m just thinking about how horribly this could turn out,” she answered with a twitch of her mouth. There was no thinking about it; it was going to turn out horribly.
“Don’t worry, it is only for a couple of days, then you will be back home and back to your old life.”
Ana already knew her life would not be the same after this weekend. “I think I am going to move to my house in the country and get a dog to keep me company.” On the other hand, she still had her cat. Jake was not a cat person and they had disagreed at times about what pet they would get for the children they would have together. It was a bittersweet memory the day he surprised her with a kitten and naming the precious thing together. Allie was now three years old.
Ana thought about other memories of Jake and their time together. They had so many plans for the future. Even when she knew she would let Jake down in her ability to produce a child, she honestly thought he would have been happy adopting. That is until he firmly told her that it was not an option he would be willing to explore.
“A dog, huh? That’s the life to have,” Eliza said with a smile.
“What will you name it?” One of the maids asked.
“I think I will name him Jake. It would be fitting, no?” She said smiling.
“At least you could train the dog to do your bidding,” the other maid exclaimed and then they all started giggling.
“I can just see how the Duke of Ashbury would react to a dog being named after him," Ana stated merrily.
“I’d wager he would find it amusing,” Eliza shared with confidence. Ana slouched in her seat in a very unladylike fashion and closed her eyes, hoping to get some sleep, letting the other women continue to contemplate what her imaginary dog’s name should be.
Sarah took one last look at the items her maid had packed. She wanted all the revealing gowns to come with her and anything else that would help get what she wanted. They would be leaving in the morning. Only her mother and herself would be traveling to the estate. Her father had begged off, citing business appointments. In all honesty, he had never really liked social affairs to begin with. That worked out perfectly, since her mother was the one who let her get away with things. Her father was strict and did not tolerate disobedience of his rules. Not for long, she thought smugly to herself. She was looking to get an offer by the end of the weekend. Why else would the Duke extend a personal invitation?
She was ecstatic that Ana would not be around to mess up her plans. How lucky that Ana did not measure up to the Duchess' standards. Sarah was raised with proper training and background to take on such a position as Jake’s wife. Women all over the countryside would envy her and then it would all be worth it.
It was all Ana’s fault. She had put her hands on something that did not belong to her. She was nobody, coming out of nowhere and way too old for having seasons in town. Her chances were up, now it was Sarah’s time to shine. She had heard the whispers behind her back and she was seething with anger and revenge. How dare these people treat the future Duchess with such disdain? She would show them and she would show Ana. The sooner she could get Jake hooked, the happier she would be. After all, she was beautiful, had the finest gowns and a generous dowry. However, now she needed to start plotting and planning. She needed a backup plan just in case her pedigree or her beauty did not work to reel him in.
The Duke's Love Page 5