Last Night with the Duke

by Amelia Grey

  Then there were other young ladies the duke danced with whose names she didn’t know. And probably still more dances, quiet conversations, and interested glances she hadn’t seen because she and the duke spent little time together once they entered the ballroom, party, or whatever event they were attending that night. Esmeralda would find other people to talk with and so would Griffin.

  She couldn’t count the times she’d thought about Griffin’s kisses or how she’d felt the few heavenly moments she’d been wrapped in his strong embrace. She remembered his touch, his sighs, and his deep excited breaths. Recalling that night with the duke was especially lovely when she went to bed and let thoughts of him ease her into sleep. That one night in the duke’s arms sustained her.

  The afternoon passed, the sky grew darker and the air heavy with moisture. Esmeralda looked around the garden and saw that Lady Sara was sitting at a table with Miss Waldegrave and Miss Froste, and Lady Vera was talking to Mr. Lambert. Knowing the twins, that situation could have a bad ending. Esmeralda decided to suggest to the sisters they leave before a downpour started.

  She excused herself from the group of ladies she was with and walked over to the table where Lady Sara sat and was about to lean down and speak to her when she heard Miss Waldegrave say, “Lady Sara, are you at all concerned about your Season being ruined?”

  Esmeralda’s first impulse was to step in quickly and stop this conversation before it went further, but she heard Lady Sara say “Worried?” in such a carefree tone that she wanted to wait and see how Griffin’s sister handled herself.

  “Why should I be worried about such a ridiculous thing?” Lady Sara asked. “The Season has been enchanting.”

  “That’s good to hear,” Miss Waldegrave said, fingering the pink bow under her chin. “There was that horrid gossip about you and your sister. I thought perhaps it might have upset you.”

  “Horrid? I’ve heard there’s been talk about us since coming to London. We are twins after all. That makes for a roomful of idle talk. And then our aunt fell ill and we are now being chaperoned by the young and lovely Miss Swift. I’ve heard there is much discussion recently about who she is and why she has taken on a paid position in our home. There are so many things that people find to talk about concerning us that I’m simply not sure which gossip you’re referring to.”

  “None of that,” Miss Waldegrave exclaimed, as if she couldn’t believe Lady Sara was not comprehending what she was alluding to. “Surely, you’ve heard the tittle-tattle I’m referring to. It has nothing to do with you being a twin, your aunt, or the chaperone.”

  Staying calm, Lady Sara said, “Then I’m afraid I don’t know what’s in your mind. You’ll have to tell me if you want me to know.”

  “I know what you are talking about,” Miss Froste said, coming to Lady Sara’s defense while giving a harsh look toward Miss Waldegrave. “I really don’t think this is a subject you should be bringing up. Let’s talk about something else.”

  “No, it’s quite all right,” Lady Sara told Miss Froste, patting her hand. “Let her tell me. I want to know what she’s heard. It might be something new that I don’t know yet.”

  “Of course, I’ll tell you if I must. Everyone knows that you and your sister are being pursued by an unknown and unscrupulous man or men out to ruin your Season or possibly even your reputation. All because of your brother’s misdeeds a few years ago.”

  Esmeralda listened intently and remained poised to step in at any moment if she felt needed, but so far her charge was handling herself with perfect aplomb.

  Lady Sara gently pushed her teacup aside. “What nonsense. Where did you hear such ridiculous blather?”

  “It’s not blather. I actually read it in one of the scandal sheets myself. More than one of them I might add, so it must be true.”

  “Oh my, I find it quite surprising that your mother allows you to read those things, Miss Waldegrave. We’re forbidden to look at them.”

  “She doesn’t know, of course,” Miss Waldegrave said, leaning forward. “I do it in secret,” she whispered.

  “Then you shouldn’t have told us,” Lady Sara offered. “She’ll probably find out about it now. I mean you just told two of us at this table. How can you expect it to be kept a secret if others know about it?”

  Esmeralda relaxed and smiled. She was impressed with how Lady Sara had turned the conversation from herself to Miss Waldegrave. She would have expected it of the outspoken Lady Vera but she really had no idea that Lady Sara was that clever or capable.

  “Well, I do insist on silence about this from both of you,” Miss Waldegrave said firmly. “And if my secret leaves this table I’ll never speak to either of you again.”

  This seemed a good time for Esmeralda to step in.

  “Lady Sara, pardon me for interrupting your lovely afternoon, but I’m afraid we must be going.”

  Lady Sara looked up at her and smiled. “I was just thinking the same thing, Miss Swift. It looks as if a storm is on the way and I do hate to get my feet wet.” She rose and turned to Miss Froste. “So lovely of you to invite us over. We’ll return the favor soon.”

  Miss Froste stood too. “I’ll look forward to another invitation at your home. Perhaps I can visit at a time when the duke will be there.”

  A stab of envy struck Esmeralda and she stiffened. That was rather brash of the young lady to be so bold about her intentions.

  “I don’t know if that can be arranged,” Lady Sara said innocently. “My brother doesn’t make us privy to his schedule, and he doesn’t visit often during the day.”

  “Oh, well, yes, of course,” Miss Froste answered, clearly not knowing what to say to Lady Sara’s simple decline to arrange a rendezvous between her brother and Miss Froste. “He would be very busy, I’m sure.”

  “I’ll see you tonight at Grand Hall,” Lady Sara said to her hostess. Turning to Miss Waldegrave, she said, “I do hope no one finds out that you read the gossip sheets. That would be dreadful. If you couldn’t read them, then you couldn’t tell we who are less fortunate than you what’s in them.”

  After saying their good-byes to everyone, Esmeralda and the twins walked the short distance to their carriage and climbed inside. As soon as they were seated, Lady Sara turned to Lady Vera and asked, “What were you and Mr. Lambert talking about?”

  “Don’t be a silly goose. I’m not going to tell you about my conversations with him. I don’t ask you about discussions with him.”

  Lady Sara’s face turned red. “You don’t have to ask because I always tell you.”

  “Since I won’t tell you what was said,” Lady Vera said, smiling, “you don’t have to tell me anymore.”

  “You are a horrible sister,” Lady Sara said and threw her reticule at Lady Vera.

  She caught the velvet purse and laughed. “I was only teasing you, Sara. Don’t be such a ninny. He only wanted to talk about you. And I was really quite bored telling him what a wonderful sister you are.”

  “Oh, you are horrible.”

  “Only sometimes.” She handed the reticule back to Lady Sara. “I was excruciatingly miserable after Lord Henry left the party and couldn’t wait for Miss Swift to tell us it was time to leave.”

  “I don’t understand that,” Esmeralda said. “You declined when he asked you to go for a ride in the park with him.”

  “I had to. If I seem too interested in him, he’ll treat me like he treats all the other ladies—I want to be different.”

  “You certainly know how to do that,” her sister said.

  Lady Vera sighed. “But I don’t know if it will work and I don’t want to talk about him anymore. I do hope you heard some luscious gossip at the party, dear sister.”

  “Not much,” Lady Sara answered. “There was that old news about someone wanting to disrupt our Season because of Griffin’s secret admirer letter a few years ago.”

  Esmeralda’s heart jumped. “You know about that?”

  “Of course,” Lady Vera said. “We
know all the gossip about our brother and most of it about us.”

  “Then I am going to ask Lady Sara what Miss Waldegrave was trying to ask her but couldn’t get the question out: How do you know this?”

  “How could we not know? It’s been in all the gossip and scandal sheets,” Lady Sara said.

  Astonished, Esmeralda was speechless for a moment. “I was told you’re not allowed to read them.”

  “We’re not.”

  “But you just indicated to Miss Waldegrave that you didn’t read them and yet…” Esmeralda’s voice trailed off as Lady Sara smiled.

  “It was shameful of me to do it, I suppose, but I wasn’t going to confess to such outrageous behavior just because she was foolish enough to do so. I mean, I shouldn’t have, right?”

  “Of course, you were right, Sara,” Lady Vera said. “We’ve been reading them for years, Miss Swift. Our maid hides them for us in our wardrobe so we can read them when we’re alone.”

  “Vera, you shouldn’t have told her how we get them.”

  “Don’t be silly. Miss Swift will not tell Auntie Eve, Griffin, or anyone else. We’ve never been caught with them.” Lady Vera’s gaze looked pointedly at Esmeralda. “You won’t tell, right?”

  “It is not my place to get involved in what you read, my ladies. However, I am pleased that you are aware there is such disturbing talk concerning you out there.” She paused. “And I’m even more pleased that you’re not upset about it. I have to admit I thought you would be.”

  “We have been the topic of discussion as long as we can remember.”

  “Don’t you think you should tell your brother you know about this? He thought knowing someone might want to ruin your Season would upset you.”

  “You can tell him we know, if you like. He might take it easier coming from you. He still thinks we’re children.”

  Because you sometimes quarrel like children, she wanted to say out loud, but knew better.

  “But you mustn’t tell him how we know or we’ll be in trouble from Auntie Eve as well,” Lady Sara added.

  “You heard about it at the tea party this afternoon,” Esmeralda said, “and that’s the truth, is it not?”

  “Yes, thank you, it is,” Lady Sara said with a satisfied smile.

  “Tell me truthfully,” Esmeralda continued, “has any of the gossip ever bothered you at all?”

  The twins smiled at each other, and then Lady Vera said, “Not at all. We rather like being the center of attention.”

  That was easy to believe.

  “It’s been that way all our lives.”

  Esmeralda could understand why. It was rare that both twins lived to be adults. “Tell me, have either of you had any misgivings from any of the gentlemen who have shown you attention? Have you sensed any of them being disingenuous?”

  “Not in the least. We’ve never thought they would.”

  “I know Griffin doesn’t like Mr. Lambert,” Lady Sara said wistfully, “but he’s such a dear man.”

  “And handsome and kind,” Lady Vera added.

  “You are only saying that because you want me more interested in him than in Lord Henry because you know Lord Henry favors me.”

  “I know no such thing because it isn’t true,” Lady Vera exclaimed

  “Wait, my ladies,” Esmeralda said, holding up her hand to silence them. “May we please get back to what we were talking about in the first place?”

  They looked at her and then each other before nodding.

  “Good. So neither of you have felt any kind of threat from any of the gentlemen who have shown interest in you?”

  “No, and we never expected any,” Lady Vera said. “We’ve always thought the gossip was started to ruin Griffin’s Season, not ours. In fact, I think one of the scandal sheets said it would be a good punishment for the duke to have to worry about his sisters. So we think this was to worry him, not to harm us.”

  Lady Vera’s words whirled through Esmeralda’s mind. “Yes, I do remember something about that.”

  Esmeralda leaned heavily into the back of the cushion. She needed to talk to Griffin.

  Tonight.

  Chapter 23

  Don’t start something you don’t intend to finish.

  MISS MAMIE FORTESCUE’S DO’S AND DON’TS FOR CHAPERONES, GOVERNESSES, TUTORS, AND NURSES

  Esmeralda’s hurried footfalls were silent as she came down the stairs. The hour was growing late. She wanted to be below stairs and in the book room waiting when Griffin arrived. After she and the twins had returned from the garden party, she’d sent a note to Griffin asking that he come over early to pick them up for the evening so she could discuss a matter with him.

  Josephine wasn’t happy to be hurried into her nightclothes and put to bed with a book, but Esmeralda wanted to get her sister settled before she dressed for the evening. And then as Esmeralda started out the door, Josephine surprised her by asking for a book of poetry. Her sister hadn’t wanted to read or write poems since her father died. Seeing this as a good sign, a sign of healing, Esmeralda couldn’t deny her the request. But it put Esmeralda even further behind because she had to make a dash to the book room to pick out an appropriate poetry book for a twelve-year-old girl. Thankfully, the duke’s library was in perfect order and all the books of poems were lined up together.

  At last, when Esmeralda made it to her room to dress, she saw that Madame Donceaux had delivered yet another new gown. It was breathtaking. Esmeralda couldn’t resist the temptation to wear the alabaster-colored shift with a sheer biscuit-colored gown flowing over it. It was simple but beautifully elegant. The scooped neckline plunged low as was the fashion and, having no jewelry, Esmeralda tied an inch-wide band of gold velvet ribbon around the base of her neck to draw attention away from the expanse of her chest.

  For once, she was happy that it took the twins a ridiculously long amount of time to dress, have their hair swept up and entwined with ribbons, pearls or combs, and don their jewelry in the evenings. After all that, they would make a stop by Lady Evelyn’s room so that she could give a final inspection and approval.

  When Esmeralda finally entered the book room she stopped suddenly. Her heart felt as if it swelled in her chest. Griffin stood in front of the window, looking magnificent in his black evening wear. All her senses were instantly on alert to everything about him. She wanted to run and throw herself into his arms and shower him with kisses.

  Instead, she said, “You’re already here.”

  His gaze swept her up and down. Oh, she was so smitten with him. For a moment she would have sworn to anyone that he was looking at her as if she was the most beautiful woman on earth.

  “When I get word you need to see me, Esmeralda, I will come to you.”

  I will come to you. The words were a soothing balm to her soul, beautiful music to her ears. She gloried in them and savored how they made her feel that she was special to him whether or not he intended them that way.

  She walked farther into the room. “An idea came to me today, and I thought it might be worth discussing.”

  He met her in the center of the room and stopped close to her. Close enough she caught the clean, enticing scent of shaving soap. Close enough she felt warmth from his body. Close enough that if she were bold enough and had the courage, she could raise up on her toes and press her lips to his without having to take a step.

  “What were you thinking about?” he asked so softly it almost sounded like an endearment.

  She willed her heart to stop beating so fast and forced herself to stop thinking about kisses. This was the first time they’d been alone since their passionate embrace. She was finding out quickly that it was much easier to control her desire for the duke when others were around.

  “I don’t know anything about Sir Welby, of course, but do you think it’s possible he made up the entire story about some gentlemen’s reckless talk because he wanted to cause you undue worry about your sisters?”

  His eyes searched hers. “I recen
tly had reason to consider that. I’ve talked with him twice and I have no evidence to back up that line of thinking.”

  “Is it possible he’s in some way related to any of the young ladies who were wronged in your prank?”

  Griffin grimaced. “Wronged?”

  “It may seem harsh for me to put it that way, but you must accept they were. You made them all think they had a secret admirer when they didn’t. That was wrong.”

  He studied her intently. “I thought I’d already admitted that.”

  She gave him a skeptical look. “Did you?”

  “Maybe not in those exact words but yes, I think I did admit it.”

  How could she have forgotten? He was a peer. That was the best she was going to get out of him.

  “What happened today that brought you to this conclusion about Sir Welby?”

  “I am only trying to look at this objectively,” she said. “I have now met most, if not all, of the young bachelors attending the Season. I’m not sensing that any of them want to do harm to the twins. I wondered if you had considered that Sir Welby or whomever it was he heard make these unscrupulous claims simply wanted to see you disturbed and fretting over the twins’ Season and never had any intentions of harming them at all.”

  A wry grin lifted one corner of his masculine mouth. He reached up and cupped her cheek. An intake of breath caught in her lungs. His hand was warm, gentle, and it too had the scent of shaving soap. Why did he have to touch her? Surely he knew she had longed for his touch and had no willpower to resist him.

  “I don’t fret, Esmeralda.”

  She knew. He was much too strong for that. It just happened to be the first word that came to her mind. “I suppose I could have chosen a better word.”

  His blue gaze stayed on hers. “How about ‘concerned’?”

  “Yes, concerned,” she agreed, fighting with herself. Part of her wanted to step away from his caress but her stronger side wanted to remain still and enjoy the comfort his touch brought. “But what if you were the target all along and not the twins at all?”