Courteously Seduced By An Enigmatic Duke (Steamy Historical Regency Romance)

by Scarlett Osborne

  “Good morning, Lily,” Hannah called out.

  Lily whirled at the sound of her voice, her long braid whipping around. She hurried over to Hannah’s side like a mother hen. “M’Lady? Are you all right?”

  “I am quite fine, Lily,” Hannah said, trying to give her a smile. She was more successful this time. “You don’t have to worry about me anymore.”

  “Oh, M’Lady, you gave me quite a scare yesterday! I don’t think I’ve ever seen you cry so much. Oh goodness, just look at how swollen your eyes are.”

  “They do look bad, don’t they?” Hannah said with a nervous laugh, touching the bags resting on her cheeks. “Could you fetch me some ice? I’d hate to attend breakfast looking such a mess.”

  “Of course, M’Lady,” Lily said. “As you wish.”

  Hannah watched Lily as she hurried out of the room. Once the girl was gone, she crept out of bed and made her way over to the window. She stared down at the open land beneath her window, watching as servants scurried to and fro to perform their duties.

  The world was continuing to move around her. Though she suspected that rumors were already spreading throughout the manor, it didn’t stop them from doing what they knew they needed to do. And neither should it stop Hannah.

  She didn’t want to wallow in misery any longer. She’d given herself a day. A day of sadness, of anger, of heartbreak. She gave herself a day to think about all the things that were going wrong in her life and all the ways she could have avoided it if she had stayed away from Rowland. If she had only taken his initial aloofness as a sign and ignored how drawn to him she was, then perhaps none of this would have happened.

  Now that it was a new day, it was time to move on. Even with Miss Flynn’s presence here, the wedding was still on. The Duke wasn’t going to let others know the chaos going on in Gresham Manor and Hannah hoped the servants had enough discretion not to let it get out either. As far as everyone else knew, the wedding was still on, which meant she simply had to act like nothing had changed.

  Even though, shortly, she would have to face the object of all their confusion and anger.

  Lily slipped back into the room and rushed over to Hannah as if the ice would melt before she got there. Hannah couldn’t help smiling at Lily’s anxiousness and she took the cloth filled with ice from her, resting it on one eye.

  “Allow me, M’Lady—” Lily started.

  “It’s all right, Lily,” Hannah said, making her way over to the vanity table. “I can do it myself. Why don’t you pick something nice for me to wear to breakfast?”

  “Nice?”

  “Yes, I’d like to make an impression on our new guest.”

  Lily was obviously confused but she got into action nonetheless. Of course, Lily had heard about Miss Flynn, but Hannah knew she wasn’t aware of the real reason she was here.

  “I know you’ve been terribly worried about me, Lily,” Hannah said as she switched the cloth to the next eye. “And yes, it has something to do with Miss Flynn.”

  “Does she bring bad news, M’Lady?” Lily asked tenderly. Hannah could tell she was trying not to set her off again.

  But Hannah had no more tears left to cry. “She claims to be Rowland’s betrothed.”

  “What?” Lily gasped. Within a second, she was by Hannah’s side, eyes as wide as saucers. “But…but that’s…”

  “I know,” Hannah said. She couldn’t smile anymore. Talking about it, as helpful as it was, was also bringing up a few of the bad emotions she had hoped to suppress. “I was as surprised as you are. Yesterday, she arrived claiming that she was here for Rowland, since they are set to be married. She even had a letter that he wrote her before he left.”’

  “So, is Mr. Albertson…?”

  “No, he claims that she is lying, although it’s hard to see it with the way she was speaking. I believe him, however.”

  “M’Lady, I’m so sorry.” Lily placed a hand on Hannah’s shoulder in comfort. Hannah couldn’t express in words just how reassuring that touch was. Though she could have sworn she had run out of tears, the moment Lily touched her, her throat closed up.

  “It’s all right, Lily. I’m sure everything will work out.”

  Hannah kept telling herself that as she got ready for breakfast. She kept icing her eyes, hoping that the swelling would go down before it was time to eat. She wouldn’t allow herself to look weak in front of her new adversary—because adversary Miss Flynn was. She was here to steal the man she was in love with and Hannah wasn’t going to let that happen.

  As requested, Lily picked out a very fine gown. She piled Hannah’s hair to the top of her head, leaving a curling fringe down the front. She was the picture of graceful innocence with eyes that saw everything. She was perfect.

  Lily walked by her side as she made her way to the dining room. Before she went through the doors, Lily stopped her with a hand to her wrist and gave her a comforting smile that filled Hannah with all the strength that she needed. Then, she entered the room.

  She was happy to see that she was the last to arrive and everyone looked up when she came in. She gave them all a soft smile as she made her way to her seat, next to Rowland. Miss Flynn was sitting across from him, next to the Duchess, watching Hannah.

  “Good morning, everyone,” Hannah greeted.

  The Duke looked very unnerved and it was clear he was trying to hide it. The tension surrounding the table deepened when Hannah arrived, but she ignored it, looking at everyone before she looked down at her plate. The Duchess watched her daughter for a short moment before she began eating. On the outside, she seemed unbothered by what was happening around her. Hannah had no doubt that on the inside, she was warily paying attention to the lady by her side.

  Rowland wasn’t quite as agitated as he had been yesterday. He seemed more at ease and Hannah wondered if it had anything to do with their talk last night. He stared at her and Hannah knew he was noting how significantly less puffy her eyes were.

  “Good morning, Lady Hannah,” said Miss Flynn. Her tone was chipper. She apparently didn’t care how on edge she was making everyone. “Did you sleep well last night?”

  “Quite well, Miss Flynn, thank you.” Hannah couldn’t find it within herself to be overly content with her presence so she kept it short.

  “We were just talking about how similar it is being in England as it was being in the colony, weren’t we, Mr. Albertson?”

  Rowland stiffened next to her. With her peripheral vision, she saw him glance at her, but Hannah’s eyes were on Miss Flynn. “You were saying something to that effect, yes,” Rowland said.

  “Why don’t you tell us a little bit about yourself, Miss Flynn?” the Duke spoke up.

  Miss Flynn looked eager. Hannah hated the way her eyes lit with excitement.

  “Well, there isn’t much to say, in all honesty,” she started off. “I was raised in the colony all my life. In fact, this is my first time outside of New South Wales. My parents were of the first colonists to arrive, just like Mr. Albertson’s.”

  Every time she called his name, Rowland went more and more rigid. Miss Flynn glanced at him, looking shy almost, before she looked back at the Duke.

  “And how did you and Mr. Albertson meet?” asked the Duchess, though she didn’t bother to look at Miss Flynn when she did.

  “At a ball, I believe. I was standing with my friends when he approached me for a dance and, well, I thought he was so handsome that I couldn’t possibly say no. And ever since then, he would call on me. Sometimes, we went riding or we went to the park. Over time, I grew to understand him even more.”

  Hannah could hardly eat. She thought she was strong enough to do this but now that she was here, hearing her speak about such things, she wanted to run back into her room.

  Miss Flynn sighed delicately. Her freckles seemed to stand out even more under the shaft of sunlight coming in from the high windows. She was basking in that light, those green eyes of hers coming alive with…remorse.

  “I know wha
t you are all thinking,” she went on and her voice sounded so sad that Hannah felt sick. “And I know how hard it is to believe me right now. Mr. Albertson says I rejected his proposal and I neglected to say this because I feared the misunderstanding would only make Mr. Albertson look bad, which is the last thing I want.”

  “That’s all right,” said the Duke. “We’d love to hear anything you have to say to make this situation clearer.”

  “I was betrothed to a young gentleman in the colony before Mr. Albertson extended his marriage proposal. But I didn’t love him, I loved Mr. Albertson, and so I pleaded to my father to allow me to marry him and he said yes. The only way he would have accepted such a thing was if Mr. Albertson and I were married and bore a child within a year. So when he left so suddenly, I feared the worst. Hence the reason I am here.”

  Hannah thought the floor gave away beneath her. She gripped her gown under the table, trying not to collapse from Miss Flynn’s words. She figured that customs were not as stringent in the colony as here, but to have broken off an engagement for another man was something she couldn’t even fathom. It was the true testament of love, of her willingness to do whatever she had to do to be with him. And the mere fact that she was here only made it more so.

  Hannah looked at Rowland. He was staring at Miss Flynn, looking very confused. She returned her gaze to her plate.

  The Duke clearly didn’t know what to say and so silence descended around them. After a moment, Miss Flynn lets loose a nervous giggle and said, “I hope this helps you all to better understand me.”

  Hannah understood well enough. Whatever reassurances Rowland had given her, were now too far in the back of her mind.

  Chapter 32

  Hannah kept her head on her shoulders for the remainder of the tense breakfast. No one said much after Miss Flynn’s revelation, not even Rowland. She had hoped that he would defend himself but she knew there wasn’t much he could say other than the fact that she was lying. And at this point, it would be hard to believe him.

  Miss Flynn seemed too genuine. She looked like a gentle soul, who was only chasing after the love of her life. Hannah hated how easy it was for her to understand that, because she could easily picture herself doing the exact same thing. Crossing the seas to find the man she was slated to marry—it was romantic and it was breaking Hannah’s heart.

  She avoided Rowland after breakfast was over. She already knew what he would say and that wasn’t what she wanted to hear right now. She needed to do her own investigation. She needed to see for herself if Miss Flynn was really lying, and not rely on the words of the man who claimed he was being lied to.

  She cornered Miss Flynn in one of the hallways. “Miss Flynn, would you like to have tea with me?”

  Miss Flynn looked at her in surprise. She was shorter than Hannah, she realized. “Oh, Lady Hannah, I…I would love to.”

  Hannah’s smile was falser than she wanted it to be so she let it drop, turned, and began making her way to the drawing room. Lily went off to tell one of the servants to fetch them some tea before returning to Hannah’s side. Hannah said nothing to Miss Flynn, though she was very much aware of her presence and she could tell that Miss Flynn was overly aware of her, as well.

  In truth, Hannah didn’t know what she wanted to say to her and she didn’t realize that until they had arrived at the drawing room. The Duchess occupied the main drawing room but Hannah wanted to be alone with the other lady so she went to a much smaller one. Miss Peggy chose her seat and Hannah sat across from her. Miss Peggy offered her a smile which fell easily when the tea came in.

  Hannah thanked the servant who brought it in before returning her attention to Miss Peggy. She found her staring at her with curiosity.

  “Is something the matter?” Hannah asked her.

  “You are much different than I expected you to be, Lady Hannah,” Miss Peggy said. She looked away, suddenly growing timid now that Hannah was looking at her.

  “What did you expect me to be like?”

  “I don’t know. Less kind, perhaps? You don’t seem to hate me quite as much as I thought you would.”

  Hannah didn’t know how much truth there was in that. She did hate…someone. She just wasn’t sure if it was Miss Peggy, Rowland, or herself. “From what you’ve told us, Miss Peggy, then I have no reason to hate you.”

  “Well, I’m here claiming that your betrothed should really be married to me. I would hate the lady who did that to me.”

  “Do you want me to dislike you, Miss Peggy?” Hannah asked idly as she sipped her tea.

  Miss Peggy started at that, but then she laughed. “Oh, heavens, no, My Lady. I would love if this could all be resolved without any animosity from either of us.”

  “And what about Mr. Albertson?” She looked at Miss Peggy from over the rim of her teacup.

  A range of emotions went across Miss Peggy’s face at the question. She sipped her tea, sighing softly to herself as she thought. Hannah didn’t rush her, though she was taut with apprehension.

  “I…I would like to think that Mr. Albertson was acting under a misinterpretation,” she said finally. “That’s the only thing I’m allowing myself to think.”

  “A misinterpretation?”

  “Perhaps he was of the impression that I was still betrothed when he left. That would explain his actions here.”

  Hannah stiffened at the mention of his actions. She didn’t think Miss Peggy noticed. “How could he think that? Did you make it clear to him in the letter you sent him after his proposal?”

  “Ah, he told you about that letter, did he? I did make it clear. As clear as I could. When we were courting, I was untethered. My father had mentioned a few times that I would be marrying someone else but I thought that when he saw me with Mr. Albertson, he had decided against that. I was wrong and when I learned of my betrothal, it came the same time as the letter from Mr. Albertson. So, I told him everything, how I was to be married and that I had spoken to my father and what we agreed on. In the end, I accepted his proposal.”

  Miss Peggy’s eyes filled with tears. Hannah watched, frozen. “He must have been so heartbroken at what I said before that he didn’t bother to finish the letter. That’s the only explanation I can think of.”

  “But he made no mention of it in the letter he sent you before coming to England?”

  “He didn’t,” she said with a shake of his head. “Which I didn’t think much about before. But when I heard no word from him after that, I feared the worst. So I decided to come here.”

  “And you’ve learned that he’s betrothed to someone else.” Hannah nearly asked her how she felt about that, but it was obvious. Miss Peggy wasn’t bothering to hold back the tears this time, and despite that, her voice was steady and strong.

  “He was simply confused, My Lady.” She set her cup down and faced Hannah fully. “I pray you forgive me for imposing on you like this but I truly hope you understand me.”

  I don’t just understand. I’m beginning to believe her. Those tears, her explanation…it can’t all be lies.

  But she said nothing. She didn’t want to give Miss Peggy the impression that she was starting to believe her, or that she was on her side. But she didn’t want to be rude to her, either, because it wasn’t in her to do that. So she only nodded and sipped her tea. After a moment, Miss Peggy went back to that as well.

  They finished in silence. Now and again, Miss Peggy would glance at her and open her mouth, as if she wanted to strike up conversation again, but Hannah didn’t pay her any mind and she ended up not saying anything at all. Hannah didn’t care to keep talking to her. If she did, she feared she might vomit at any minute.

  Once their tea was done, Hannah finally looked at her and said, “It was lovely speaking with you, Miss Peggy.”

  “I think so, as well,” Miss Peggy said with a hopeful smile. Again she looked as if she was about to say something else but when she faltered, Hannah took that as her opportunity to leave. She bid Miss Peggy goodbye with a c
urt nod and made her way to the door, shutting her inside.

  * * *

  Hannah didn’t know how she made it to the study. She didn’t see where her legs were taking her, blurred as her vision was by tears and, when she knew she could no longer hold it in, she rushed into the nearest room.

  She sagged against the bookshelf to her left, throwing an arm over her eyes.

  She hated this. How weak she’d become, how easily she now cried, how fragile her heart was now that it was filled with love. She didn’t want to cry anymore. This morning, she had vowed to herself that she would think optimistically from now on, but after hearing what Miss Peggy had to say, there was no longer any hope of that.