“Good.” Karla didn’t look up from what she was doing. “Now, tell me about this fellow you have been going riding with.”
“What?” Hannah squeaked.
Karla looked up at her. “I heard that you two went riding this morning. Alone.”
“Wow, gossip really moves fast around this manor, doesn’t it?” She hadn’t even been back from the stables for an hour yet.
“Anything that concerns you or the two little ladies is my concern, don’t you think? Now, tell me what would possess you to do such a crazy thing?”
“You’ve always said I tend to do things and think about the consequences later.”
“And have you?” she asked. “Thought about the consequences, I mean.”
She had, but not the sort of consequences she should be considering. Hannah was thinking about how much more she liked Mr. Albertson now, and how difficult it would be to turn away from him when he was gone.
Hannah took a deep breath and offered Karla her brightest smile. Karla looked back at her, unamused. “You don’t have to worry about me, Karla,” she said. “I may be rash, but I’m not foolish.”
And I won’t give my heart to one who doesn’t deserve it.
“Nay, M’Lady. That is one thing I know you are not.” Karla knew there was more to the story. Hannah could tell and she prayed she didn’t ask her about it.
After a moment, Karla sighed and returned her attention to her fruits. “When I was your age, M’Lady, I thought I was ready for the world. Being young makes you do all sorts of things, too, being in the prime of your life. Of course, as the daughter of a Duke, you have more restrictions than I did growing up, but I do see a lot of myself in you when I was your age.”
“And what do you think? Will I grow up to be as wise and all-knowing as you are?” Hannah teased.
Karla didn’t bite the bait. “You are smart, M’Lady. You have a good head on your shoulders. I know you’ll know when to be wary and when to be free.”
Hannah didn’t know what to say to that so she didn’t say anything at all. Thankfully, Belinda was done making the hot soup and came over to Hannah with it.
“That’s all right, Belinda,” Hannah said quickly, taking the platter from her. “I’ll bring it to her. I know where her room is.”
“Walk safely now, M’Lady,” Karla called after her as Hannah left the kitchens.
* * *
Lily tried sitting up the moment Hannah walked through the door, so she hurried over to the side of her bed and laid the platter down. She placed a hand on Lily’s shoulder and gently laid her back down.
“Don’t get up,” she ordered softly. “You look tired.”
“I’ve been sleeping since I got back into bed, M’Lady,” Lily murmured, her voice hoarse. Hannah caught a twinge of guilt in her voice. It nearly made her laugh.
Karla was right. The only time Lily was able to stop moving was when her body could no longer go any further. “Here,” she said. “I brought you some soup.”
“M’Lady, is it not almost time for breakfast?” Lily asked. She swallowed and tried coming to a sitting position.
“Just about,” Hannah confirmed. “But I wanted to make sure you were all right first.”
“Thank you, M’Lady.”
Hannah rested the platter in her lap and watched eagerly as Lily took a sip. She winced as she swallowed but she went for another. Once she’d taken a few sips of the soup, she let the spoon rest in the bowl and looked at Hannah, her features solemn.
“Did you go riding like you planned, M’Lady?” she asked.
Hannah knew Lily was hoping she’d say no, but Hannah wasn’t going to lie to her. “Yes, I did. Mr. Albertson and I decided to go on alone.”
“M’Lady…”
Hannah rested a hand on her arm. Lily clearly didn’t have the energy to express her disagreement. “Nothing happened, Lily,” she lied. “Mr. Albertson was a gentleman, as I knew he would be. I wouldn’t have gone with him if I didn’t trust him.”
“You don’t know him well enough to trust him, M’Lady,” Lily murmured. She spun the spoon in the soup.
“I know him better than you think. Now, keep resting. I’ll check on you later today, all right?”
Lily nodded, mute. What little energy she had to speak was gone now and wordless, she continuing sipping on the hot soup. Hannah wasn’t worrying overly much. Lily was strong and would be up in no time, but she did feel a little guilty about leaving.
Chapter 16
Mr. Albertson looked at her twice throughout the entirety of breakfast. And he smiled, as well. Hannah felt lighter than air.
Conversation flowed effortlessly during breakfast. She tried to act as if she was all right and not at all filled with charged emotions just waiting to be unleashed on the man who sat next to her. She didn’t know how it was possible, but now she wanted him even more. The yearning she had for his touch before was nothing compared to the magnitude of the feeling she possessed with him so close.
He didn’t give anything away and neither did she. If the Duke and Duchess noticed that they’d gotten closer, they didn’t make it obvious. Hannah made sure to keep her eyes on them even as she tried her best not to look at Mr. Albertson too much. If she did, she was sure he would see what she wanted in her eyes, and that was something she did not want either of them to deal with in front of company.
But Hannah didn’t want that to be it. She wanted more of his company—alone. She wanted him to hold her again, this time tighter than he had before. He had given her a taste and now she desired nothing more than to have it again.
She wanted to hear his stories, about his childhood and his favorite memories. She wanted to share hers. She wanted to know him.
“Mr. Albertson,” the Duke said, once breakfast was nearly over. “We have a lot to do to today. I was thinking of taking a trip into town.”
“Ah, I see,” Mr. Albertson responded. “I’ve been wanting to see the surrounding sites a bit more, as well.”
“Great! I’ll have them prepare a carriage for us once we are done with breakfast.”
And just like that, Hannah’s hopes were dashed. She hoped Mr. Albertson could see it.
Not being able to do anything about it, Hannah watched as her father and Mr. Albertson left shortly after. She tried to hide her disappointment, but she feared she was wearing it on her sleeve instead. So, she went back to her bedchamber to retrieve the book she had been reading and made her way to the library for some solitude.
The Duchess was there instead. She was reading and when she looked up, she gave Hannah a bright smile. “My lovely daughter has come to visit me,” she cooed. “How did you know I was terribly bored and all alone?”
Hannah drew nearer. She had wanted to be alone, to ponder on how she could get Mr. Albertson alone again, but her mother’s company was second to that. “Is this because Father is gone?”
“How did you know?” the Duchess pouted. “Do you not feel it in the air? The difference when he’s gone? I fear the sunshine outside will not suffice to light my darkening heart.”
Hannah chuckled, taking the seat across from her. “Mother, your dramatic side is showing.”
“Is it?” the Duchess asked innocently. “I’m not being dramatic, though. This is normal.”
“Is it?” Hannah echoed. “Such poetic words simply because he’s gone into town?”
“When you fall in love, Hannah, then you’ll understand.” The Duchess shook her head at Hannah, which made her laugh even more.
“When I fall in love, Mother, it will be my husband who will lament on the distance between us. Not me.”
“There’s no pride when it comes to love, I hope you’re aware.”
Oh, I know.
The thought had her jerking. How could she know anything? She wasn’t in love!
“It isn’t a matter of pride,” she said, hoping her mother hadn’t noticed that something was off. “I just know my husband will be terribly in love. He’ll want me
by his side every second of every minute.”
“And as will you.”
Hannah only shrugged. She had fallen in love with the idea of love a long time ago, but she couldn’t picture herself in turmoil because her husband had gone into town. Then again, she’d never been in love, so what did she know?
“Your Father and I did not have the best start, as you know,” the Duchess said. She ran a thoughtful finger over the fabric of the armchair. “I wonder if that is why I miss him so much when he isn’t with me. And we spent so much time apart that I don’t want to waste any more without him.”
Hannah could understand that well. “If that is the reason, then I suppose I can excuse you.”
The Duchess gave a rather unladylike scoff, proof that her upbringing hadn’t completely disappeared underneath all the petticoats and gowns. “You say that as if I needed your approval in the first place.”
“You know you do, Mother,” Hannah joked, and laughed when her mother did.
They spoke for a while, until Hannah forgot the world outside the library doors. She was reminded yet again how amusing her mother could be, and she constantly found herself in stitches, trying not to laugh too hard. She liked times like these, where it was only her and the Duchess—how it had been before the Duke came into their lives. Though it had been difficult, Hannah had cherished those moments with her mother and cherished it even more because now that they were wealthy and yet their relationship was still the same.
At long last, they decided to separate. The Duchess wanted to go down to the kitchens to speak with Karla on upcoming preparations and Hannah still wanted to do her reading. The book the Duchess had given her hadn’t provided that much information on the colonies yet, but she was hoping to glean something new before Mr. Albertson came back. Perhaps she could impress him with her knowledge.
The thought made her read with wild abandon and by the time Hannah was finished, the day was also drawing to an end. Mr. Albertson joined them again for dinner but it was just as it had been during breakfast. He was amicable and polite, but never forthcoming. She couldn’t tell if the early morning’s happenings had affected him as much as it had affected her.
She hoped to have a word with him afterwards, but again he disappeared with the Duke. Hannah retired to her bed, feeling the disappointment of the day settle on her shoulders despite the incredible start of it.
Tomorrow will be different.
She hoped.
It wasn’t. Lily, to her credit, felt much better the next morning and was up and ready to go riding with them at dawn. She made sure to stick close to Hannah’s side, glaring at Mr. Albertson when she thought he wasn’t looking. Mr. Albertson and Hannah didn’t get the chance to do anything. They couldn’t even talk about what happened the morning before, not with Lily around. Their polite, albeit interesting, conversation never made it that far.
Hannah thought she would go insane, but she reined it in, not knowing what Mr. Albertson was thinking. He seemed to have warmed up to her. That much she could tell. He no longer gave her short responses and he smiled time and again. A few times, he even laughed at her dry jokes. Hannah saw that as progress.
But then that day ended and another started. Then another, then another. The days went on and on and they still hadn’t mentioned the kiss. Hannah didn’t get the chance to get him alone because Lily stuck to her side like glue. Mr. Albertson didn’t seek her out, either. After their morning ride, he disappeared until it was time for breakfast. And then after breakfast, he disappeared with the Duke.
It all made Hannah incredibly frustrated.
The weeks that dragged on only made her frustration mount. At this point, she was angry with Mr. Albertson. What sort of gentleman kissed a lady and then left her all alone? With nary a word or a gesture, as if it didn’t happen at all? Hannah couldn’t believe this. Maybe Lily was right. Maybe he was a rake.
But that didn’t stop her from wanting him even more. Frustrated as she was, she wondered if that spurred on her lust. That intimate spot between her legs tightened whenever he was near. Her heart thumped rapidly whenever he touched her, though it was usually brief. Her eyes sought him wherever he went, and her legs went soft when he looked at her. Those feelings only seemed to grow in magnitude the more her frustration grew.
At this rate, Hannah thought she might combust with need. She needed to get him alone, and soon.
Chapter 17
“Hannah, Hannah!”
Hannah looked up at the high-pitched voice calling her name. Lady Violet came rushing into the drawing room, Lady Rosamund right on her heels. “What is it?” she asked them.
“Do you think we look pretty?” she asked. Lady Violet and Lady Rosamund pinched the sides of their gowns and twirled for Hannah to see.
She smiled. They were dressed alike, though in different colors. Lady Rosamund’s gown was a light purple that brought out the green of her eyes and Lady Violet wore orange. “You both look absolutely lovely,” she told them. “And I love your hairstyles.”
“Really?” Lady Rosamund pushed herself forward in excitement. “Misty did it for us! I told her I wanted something pretty.”
Misty was Lady Rosamund’s lady’s maid and Hannah could see her hovering near the doorway, smiling proudly. The Duke had insisted that they have separate maids though the sisters wanted to share everything. They wanted to share their bedchamber but they made up for that by spending nearly every minute they could spare in Lady Rosamund’s room. Sometimes, they slept together.
“I think he is going to love it. The Prince is going to think you two are the prettiest ladies in the world.”
They both squealed at that, but then the Duchess walked in and they clammed up. They giggled to themselves, then rushed over to the window to wait for his arrival.
The Duchess looked magnificent. Her gold and green eyes twinkled at Hannah, a clear indication that she had caught her younger daughters’ excitement, as she made her way over. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen the manor in such an uproar,” she commented.
“Rosamund and Violet have enough enthusiasm for the rest of us,” Hannah said, looking fondly at her sisters.
“And you?” Her Grace asked.
Hannah answered with a shrug of her shoulder. She wouldn’t say she was looking forward to the visit, but she wouldn’t say she didn’t want him here, either. Hannah hadn’t spared the incoming Prince a single thought with Mr. Albertson around.
As if on cue, Mr. Albertson entered the room with the Duke. They were talking and so they didn’t acknowledge anyone else in the room until they were standing in the very center and their conversation trailed to an end. Hannah stared at him, feeling that familiar spark of heat pool in her stomach.
“Good day, my lovely ladies,” the Duke said by way of greeting.
“Your Grace,” said Mr. Albertson, acknowledging the Duchess first. When his eyes shifted to Hannah, she straightened her spine a little. “My Lady.”
“Good day, Mr. Albertson,” Hannah said, her tone sickly sweet. She couldn’t help herself.
He didn’t say anything else, only sat in his usual chair in the corner of the room. Hannah looked over her shoulder at him. Lady Violet and Lady Rosamund rushed over to him and though she couldn’t hear what they were saying, she saw him smile in response to it.
“The Prince’s carriage should be here soon,” the Duke announced. “I’m glad you are all gathered here on time.”
“Are we ever late, my dear?” asked the Duchess.
The Duke responded but Hannah didn’t hear it. As usual, the Duke and the Duchess began speaking to each other as if they were the only two people in the world and so she brought her attention back to the odd man in the corner of the room.
Odd was the only way she could describe him. It was odd to kiss her, to say such things to her, and then act as if nothing happened. It was odd, Rowland not wanting to be around her as much as she wanted to be around him. And she very much wanted to be around him, ever since h
e kissed her.
Hannah didn’t hide the fact that she was staring. She waited for her sisters to run off together and once they did, she willed him to meet her eyes.
He did. He stared back at her, with no smile, with no emotion. She wished she could read his thoughts. She wished she knew what was going through his mind. Hannah lifted her chin and darted her eyes to the window, hoping he caught the message.
Slowly, unassumingly, she rose and made her way over to it. Her sisters didn’t pay her any mind and neither did her parents. She was acutely aware of Mr. Albertson, however, and her heart jumped when he approached her.
Courteously Seduced By An Enigmatic Duke (Steamy Historical Regency Romance) Page 11