How to Marry a Duke

by Vicky Dreiling

  Richard limped into the box, and Tessa could not suppress the shudder rolling along her spine.

  He caught Anne’s gaze and made his way over to them. “Anne, I might have known I would find you with Miss Mansfield.”

  “Richard, apologize to Tessa,” Anne said. “You kept her from her duties much too long.”

  “I was so taken with her I quite forgot the time.”

  Tessa thought better of refuting him in the crowded box.

  Lord Broughton joined them, his expression guarded. “Anne, Richard. We must return to our box,” Lord Broughton said. “The performance will resume momentarily.”

  “Miss Mansfield, my sister and I will call on you soon,” Richard said. “I look forward to reminiscing with you.”

  He knew she could not refuse if Anne accompanied him. If he thought to intimidate her, he was mistaken. “Uncanny, is it not?” she said. “I anticipated you would say those very words.”

  “Because we are old friends.” He smiled.

  She stared daggers at him. No, we are enemies, and you will never corner me again.

  Chapter Eleven

  The next day, Tristan and Hawk entered the crimson drawing room for the appointed meeting to discuss the bridal candidates. Tessa sat with Julianne on the sofa across from his mother.

  “You are late,” the duchess said.

  “My apologies.” Tristan wished he’d not agreed to this meeting. If he’d given any thought to the courtship, he could tell them he’d already made his choices. Instead, he’d continued to worry about Tessa. He’d lain awake for hours, recollecting her reactions to the lieutenant. Afterward, he’d concluded she did not welcome Mortland’s advances, but he could not be certain until he spoke to her. Regardless of how she felt about the lieutenant, Tristan meant to warn her. After what he’d witnessed and heard last night, he felt certain the man was a blackguard.

  After they took seats, he glanced at Hawk. His friend’s lazy grin hid the serious conversation they’d held before this meeting. At Tristan’s request, Hawk planned to ask his cousin, Colonel Henry Bentham, to investigate Mortland’s military career. Earlier today, Tristan had hired a Bow Street runner to follow Mortland in town and expose the lieutenant’s every move.

  Julianne turned to Tessa. “Everyone is agog over you and Lieutenant Mortland. You must tell us everything.”

  “There is nothing to tell. He is my friend’s brother.”

  Julianne tipped her head. “I think the lieutenant is falling in love with you.”

  Tristan gripped the arms of his chair.

  “Daughter, you are impertinent,” the duchess said.

  “It is of no significance, Your Grace,” Tessa said. “I discourage all gentlemen because I’ve no intention of marrying.”

  Julianne’s eyes popped wide open. “But why?”

  “Because I do not wish to give up my independence or my matchmaking career,” Tessa said with a saucy little shake of her head.

  Tristan frowned. She’d indicated once before she didn’t intend to marry. Every other woman he’d known thought of marriage as if it were the Holy Grail. But then, Tessa wasn’t like any other woman he’d ever met.

  The duchess fingered the ribbon holding her quizzing glass. “A lady of limited means may take up a respectable position as a companion, but you have no monetary need for a career, let alone a notorious one as a matchmaker.”

  “I perform a useful service for needy girls who wish to marry,” Tessa said. “Last year, I made six successful matches. My career is unconventional, but it is a respectable one. With all due respect, I am performing a similar service for your son.”

  Hawk jabbed his elbow into Tristan’s arm. Tristan jabbed him back.

  The duchess glared at them. “Will the pair of you stop acting like schoolboys?”

  “We should return to the subject of the courtship,” Tristan said.

  The duchess waved her hand in dismissal and turned narrowed eyes on Tessa. “Why are you so bent on remaining unwed? It is most unusual.”

  Tessa shrugged. “My uncle’s wealth gave me the gift of freedom. I may do as I please. No man tells me where I may go, what I may purchase, or whom I may befriend.”

  Julianne clasped her hands and sighed. “Oh, it sounds wonderful.”

  Tristan glared at his sister. Naturally she ignored him.

  Tessa turned toward Julianne. “Gentlemen assume they are superior in intelligence. They believe we are incapable of making sound decisions and insist upon ruling us as if we were little more than children.”

  Tristan scoffed. “No man of sense wants a senseless wife.”

  “Then why are girls taught to hide their intelligence in order to attract a husband? Hmmm? I think it is because men are so fragile they cannot bear to admit our sex is every bit as clever as theirs, if not more so,” Tessa said.

  Hawk pressed his hand to his forehead. “I feel faint. Where are my smelling salts?”

  The duchess glared at him. “Will you behave?”

  Hawk grinned. “Must I?”

  “Enough,” Tristan said. “Let us dispense with the courtship business.”

  Tessa nodded. “I know you are anxious to hear everyone’s opinions.”

  He did not care what anyone thought, but he’d promised to listen.

  Tessa turned her attention to Hawk. “Will you share your thoughts about the girls, my lord?”

  He released an exaggerated sigh. “Despite my best efforts to charm the ladies, not a single one fell in love with me. I am heartbroken.”

  Tristan rolled his eyes.

  Tessa smiled. “Perhaps Julianne has opinions to share.”

  “Oh, yes.” She sat up straighter. “I like Georgette best. She takes interest in others and is kind to everyone.”

  “Can you cite an example?” Tessa asked.

  Julie nodded. “Georgette wanted to help Amy Hardwick. She is so timid, others ignore her, but Georgette was determined and enlisted my aid. We helped Amy choose flattering gowns and encouraged her to cut her hair. Amy wishes to overcome her shyness.”

  “You have become bosom friends with Lady Georgette,” Tristan said.

  “And Miss Hardwick.” Julianne’s tone sounded defensive.

  He tapped his thumb on the arm of his chair. “While you are helping Miss Hardwick, do you speak of me?”

  “If you think they are taking advantage of me because of the courtship, you are wrong. They both worried you would think that, but I told them you are fair-minded.”

  “What I think,” he said, “is that you cannot be objective because of your friendship.”

  “That is not true,” Julianne said.

  “Have you spent as much time with the other candidates as you have with them?” he asked.

  “No, but I know Georgette and Amy are the nicest of all the girls.”

  “That is illogical. You admitted you do not know the others as well.”

  Julianne pouted. “I know they are jealous of Georgette because she is prettier than they are.”

  He lifted his brows. “Perhaps they are jealous of her friendship with you.”

  “Jealousy is to be expected,” the duchess said. “The gels are competing against one another. Any hastily formed friendships among them won’t last long.”

  Julianne shook her head. “Amy and Georgette will never turn on each other.”

  The duchess sniffed. “You are probably correct. No doubt Lady Georgette feels she has little competition from Miss Hardwick.”

  “Mama, that is unkind. Miss Hardwick suffers because others call her plain. I know her to be sweet and unselfish.”

  The duchess shook her fan. “Before you accuse me of being unkind you might look into your own heart. You chose Lady Georgette for your brother and completely disregarded Miss Hardwick, even though you think her sweet and unselfish. Can you deny it is because Miss Hardwick is plain?”

  Julianne sniffed. “I meant to add I would be equally pleased if Tristan chose Amy.”

 
; “Your brother is a handsome man,” the duchess said. “Naturally he will wish to wed a beauty.”

  Hawk snorted. Tristan shot him a warning glance.

  “Duchess, what are your thoughts?” Tessa asked.

  She lifted her nose. “The gels were all polite, and a bit frightened of me, as well they should be. Lady Georgette is a great beauty like her mother. But Miss Shepherd has inherited her mother’s unfortunate tendency to punctuate every sentence with a twitter. As for Lady Elizabeth, I cannot recommend her.”

  “Why is that?” Tessa asked.

  “I cannot abide her mother, Lady Durmont. She is a spiteful gossip.”

  Tristan made an exasperated sound. “I will not dismiss a young lady because you dislike her mother.”

  “Mark my words. Lady Durmont would make you a miserable mother-in-law,” the duchess said.

  “Duchess, is there something else about Lady Elizabeth you find objectionable?” Tessa asked.

  “We hardly exchanged more than a few words. It was the same with the other gels. I need to spend more time with them in order to form better ideas of their characters.”

  “Thank you, Your Grace,” Tessa said. “That was very helpful.”

  Tristan had heard enough. “Thank you all for your observations.”

  “But what have you decided?” the duchess asked.

  Absolutely nothing, but he wasn’t about to admit it. “Miss Mansfield, may I escort you?” When she nodded, they both rose. He meant to ask if he could call on her in an hour to discuss his decisions or the lack thereof. And then he would discreetly probe into what she knew about Mortland.

  The duchess shook her fan. “Sit down, both of you, so that we may discuss which girls you should retain.”

  Tristan bowed. “Thank you, but I will make the decisions. You will excuse us, Mama.”

  “I will not.”

  He walked over to Tessa. When she took his arm, he started toward the door.

  “Tristan, come back here at once,” the duchess demanded.

  And tell her he had no idea which girls he meant to keep? Before he knew it, his mother would have chosen his bride, and then they’d engage in a row. Better to ignore her.

  “Mama,” Julianne cried, “it is unfair. Make him tell us.”

  “I say, old boy,” Hawk drawled. “It is rather unsporting of you.”

  “This is an outrage, Tristan,” the duchess said. “After all we have done, you cannot deprive us of your decision.”

  He halted and turned toward her. “Have no fear. When I make my final decision, I will invite all of you to the wedding.”

  When they stepped outside the drawing room, Tristan drew Tessa away from the door and clasped her hands. She felt possessed, utterly engulfed by the warmth of his palms and the long fingers closed round her own. She inhaled and his male scent rushed into her head. Exhilarating sensations swept through her veins. His thick lashes lowered imperceptibly as he snared her with his intense blue gaze. Her brain turned to mush.

  “May I call on you in one hour?” he murmured.

  Breathe. Speak. Say something. “Yes,” she finally whispered.

  She did not hear the swish of skirts until it was too late. Tristan looked past her and released her hands. Tessa turned to find the duchess watching them with an arrested expression. Oh, dear God, had his mother seen them holding hands? The thought made Tessa’s stomach churn.

  The duchess frowned at her son. “I thought to find you in your study, but it seems you’ve not gotten far.”

  “I was on the point of escorting Miss Mansfield to her carriage,” he said. “Afterward I have an appointment. I will speak to you when I return.”

  As Tessa took Tristan’s arm, she darted a sideways glance at his mother, expecting to see her lips pinched with disapproval. Instead, an ironic half-smile curved her lips.

  One hour later, Tristan entered Tessa’s drawing room and claimed the chair across from her, noting the absence of her companion. “Did you decide to save Miss Powell the bother of attending only to be dismissed?”

  “No, she went for a drive with Mr. Hodges. He is the young man who visited her at the opera last night. If you prefer, I will call for my maid.”

  “I’ll try to recover my tender sensibilities.” He saw no reason to belabor the issue of harming her reputation. Thus far, they’d encountered no problems, and he did not expect them now.

  She regarded her clasped hands. “I hope your mother did not form the wrong impression earlier.”

  “She would have made it clear if she had.” But he wondered how much she’d witnessed outside the drawing room. He’d better prepare a reasonable explanation just in case.

  Tessa sighed. “I fear we set the wrong expectation with your family and Lord Hawkfield today. They obviously thought you would tell them your decision for the next round of the courtship.”

  “They made an incorrect assumption. I agreed to involve them, but as you saw, it proved useless.”

  “Not entirely. You did learn about your sister’s friendships with Georgette and Amy.”

  “I knew about it. They called on my sister last week.”

  She stilled. “Did you speak to them?”

  “Yes, briefly. I heard giggling in the hall and saw them scurrying toward the stairs.”

  “Did Georgette mention her friendship with your sister at the opera?”

  “No.” Why did Tessa’s nose wrinkle whenever she mentioned Georgette’s name? From the first, he’d sensed she disliked her, but Tessa had never actually said anything negative.

  “Does their friendship trouble you?” Tessa asked.

  “What am I to do about it? Prevent Julianne from seeing them again?”

  “Do you think it is unfair to the other candidates?”

  “My sister’s friendships will not sway my decision,” he said.

  “It is causing strife among the other girls.” Then she proceeded to relate the convoluted story involving the secret meeting at Lady Elizabeth’s house. “Apparently Elizabeth and Henrietta instigated the meeting. I believe they are trying to malign Georgette.”

  “But you did not witness it.”

  “After I thought about it, I realized the two tattlers had no reason to fabricate the story. They clearly agreed with Elizabeth and Henrietta that someone should report to me.”

  “If you’re so convinced, why did you not confront Elizabeth and Henrietta? You had ample opportunity to do so last night.”

  She leaned forward. “If I confront them directly, they will twist the incident to make themselves appear innocent.”

  “I have no wish to be embroiled in the girls’ squabbles. Let them work it out for themselves.”

  Her green eyes flashed. “You won’t be so cavalier if you marry someone who is constantly involved in intrigues.”

  His jaw hardened. “Do you think Elizabeth and Henrietta capable of betrayal?”

  “You spoke to them last night. What do you think?”

  He couldn’t recall much about those conversations. In truth, he’d been far too preoccupied with Mortland, a subject he meant to broach with Tessa. “They seemed pleasant enough.” He paused and added, “To my face.”

  She blinked.

  “May I make use of paper, pen, and ink at your desk?”

  “Yes, of course.”

  He crossed the room, sat, and located paper. Afterward, he dipped a quill into the inkwell. “What are the names of the two tattlers?”

  She joined him, standing behind his shoulder. “They were only the messengers.”

  The light scent of roses curled through his senses, momentarily distracting him. “And childish, do you not agree?”

  She sighed. “Charlotte Longham and Catherine Cresswell.”

  He frowned, unable to recall much about them, but it did not signify. Best to go forward with those he meant to invite. He scrawled the names: Lady Georgette Danforth, Miss Sally Shepherd, and Miss Priscilla Prescott. He started writing Lady Suzanne, but his brain seized.
The devil, she was the Earl of Lockstone’s daughter, but he couldn’t recall the family surname.

  “Thurgood,” Tessa supplied.

  He dipped his pen. “I knew that.” He wrote her last name and sat back.

  “You’re eliminating Elizabeth and Henrietta?” Her voice registered surprise.

  “I trust your judgment.” Perhaps if he placed his trust in her, she would speak frankly about Mortland.

  Tessa rested her hand on the top of the chair, inadvertently brushing the back of his coat. His flesh tingled all over.

  “There are only four left,” she said.

  He heard disappointment in her voice and added one more name, one he’d debated over week after week.

  She moved to his side. “You decided to keep Amy Hardwick.”

  “For now.”

  Her brows lifted in a silent question.

  “I had every intention of eliminating her, but I saw her with my sister and Georgette.” He frowned. “She was laughing.” The devil, he knew it was a stupid reason to keep her.

  Tessa’s smile could light the night. “You pretend to be gruff, but underneath, you are a very kind man.”

  He huffed. “I hope I’m not raising false hopes.”

  “She is one of five, and there are no certainties for any of them,” Tessa said.

  “I’ve got to release her after the next round,” he said. “I cannot deny she is a thoughtful young lady and improving under my sister’s influence, but her timidity is a problem.” He shook his head. “I’ve already kept her too long. Her chances of marrying are nonexistent this late in the season.”

  “That is true of all the girls,” Tessa said, “but they all knew the risks from the outset.”

  “I need to make a decision soon. It’s wrong to keep them dangling.”

  Tessa said nothing for a long moment. “Is there any one candidate you fancy?”

  He set the quill aside, considering how best to respond. Of course, he’d have to be blind not to notice Georgette’s beauty, but he wondered about the sincerity of her friendship with Julianne. Ultimately, there was something lacking, something intangible, that he couldn’t quite put his finger on. “Now that their numbers have dwindled, it will be easier to choose.” But even as he said the words, doubts plagued him.