“My lady,” the duke said to her, and she abruptly turned towards him.
They had walked along the pathway leading to a row of buildings, boutiques, stores and the like, and Lady Mirabell had not even noticed the duke opening a door to one of the stores.
“Your Grace, my apologies. I seem to be allowing my mind to wander without my consent. I did not even pay attention to what I was doing, or what Your Grace was doing for that matter.” Lady Mirabell chuckled, attempting to lighten the awkward situation.
The duke chuckled as well and shook his head. “That is quite alright, my lady. It seems as though we both allowed our minds to wander.”
Lady Mirabell tilted her head and her brow furrowed. “What do you mean?”
The duke smiled and motioned to her to enter through the door of the store.
As she stepped inside, she noticed it was a small boutique, with exquisite pendants, hats, as well as watches and spectacles.
Mirabell followed the duke inside the boutique, which was a small single-floor building. It was filled with several couples; both young and old, as they were currently promoting a sale on their newest selections. Several approving and adorning hums and gasps were heard in a matter of moments after their entrance, and Lady Mirabell was left rather speechless as she gazed upon the exquisite pendants which lay on velvet cushions.
The duke made his way over to the only available jeweler left and started looking at a selection of pendant necklaces. Lady Mirabell followed him quietly.
“No doubt to try to woo me with them I am sure,” Lady Mirabell thought regarding the duke as she noticed a man looking at something in the back of the boutique.
Lord Dunkirk!
Mirabell found herself unable to breathe much less move, as she recognized Lord Dunkirk. She imagined him to be there picking out a piece for his betrothed, which made Lady Mirabell’s blood boil in her veins. Of course, she did not show her disapproval or her anger in the least, as she knew it would not do her, or anyone any good to behave like a hysterical woman.
Lady Mirabell believed that Lord Dunkirk was continuing with his relationship with Lady Amelia as he had told her in his letter; she was also very much aware that Bath was a small town and there was a definite chance that she would bump into him. Lady Mirabell’s only surprise was that she had not expected it to be this soon. She did not know if she was prepared for this.
Lady Mirabell felt dreadful as she turned away from Lord Dunkirk, not wishing to attract any unwanted attention to herself.
“The sapphire makes your eyes pop most. What do you think, my lady?” the duke turned his attention to her, holding the small pendant up to her neck.
Mirabell suddenly found herself able to breathe again and knew that to prove that she was moving on from Lord Dunkirk she would have to show him. Before she could change her mind, she leaned forward and placed her lips softly upon the duke’s. His eyelids widened in both shock and surprise before putting his hands on the side of her face.
Lady Mirabell heard gasps and whispers from everyone in the boutique, but she was not bothered or fazed by it in the least. She wished to make it perfectly clear to Lord Dunkirk that she had moved on with her life and what better way to do this than to show affections towards the duke where Lord Dunkirk would clearly see them.
The duke pulled away and gently stroked the side of her face before he whispered, “I certainly have missed you and all of this time has caused me to think deeply. My life is incomplete without you in it. Would you do me the honor of marrying me, my lady?”
“Your Grace, I…” Lady Mirabell’s voice trailed, as her cheeks flushed. She had certainly not expected the duke to ask for her hand in marriage in a boutique store with more than a handful of shoppers inside, including Lord Dunkirk.
“You have mesmerized me ever since the moment I met you, and nothing would make me happier than to have you as my beloved wife.”
“May we speak of this in private?” Lady Mirabell whispered.
“Perhaps, but I am fairly certain everyone else in the boutique would also care to know the answer to my question,” the duke said rather gallantly.
“That is rather embarrassing,” Lady Mirabell breathed, as her eyes circled the room of watchers to meet Lord Dunkirk’s, only to see he was appalled by what she had just publicly done and another emotion she could not place. Was it anger? What could he be angry about? He has no control over me or what I do. He made it perfectly clear that he would not wait for me and that he would make his arranged marriage work. Lady Mirabell found herself unable to move again as a thoughts ran through her head. What have I done? Am I trapped? Is my entire life mapped out now — determined by one action?
“What would be more embarrassing is if you were to decline my offer,” the duke pointed out, a hint of dismay on his face, and Mirabell turned towards him.
“Of course I will marry you, Your Grace,” Lady Mirabell answered, her tone of voice slightly louder than usual to ensure that everyone inside the boutique could hear her answer.
Her answer generated much excitement, and Mirabell and the duke had even received an enthused applause from the shoppers inside the boutique. Lady Mirabell smiled happily, although her eyes did not light up in the usual manner. Lady Mirabell truly hoped that the earl did not notice it as well, but judging from the angered expression on his face, he clearly did not wish to gaze upon her.
“You have truly made me the happiest man in the entire world, my lady,” the duke answered and took her hand in his.
Mirabell smiled at him, and they quietly left the boutique after the duke had purchased the pendant for Lady Mirabell.
As they climbed into his coach, the duke glanced expectantly at Lady Mirabell. “Is everything alright, my lady?”
“Indeed, Your Grace. Why would you ask that? I have agreed to marry you; everything is quite perfect,” Mirabell answered.
“Indeed, but I noticed a slight reluctance from you to answer,” the duke said.
“Excuse my hesitation, Your Grace,” Lady Mirabell said. “It is only that your offer took me by surprise, that is all.”
“Oh, I was under the impression you were worried whether your parents would not approve, but I can assure you that they would most certainly be delighted with the news. It had been a long time coming,” the duke pointed out.
Lady Mirabell’s brow furrowed, and she tilted her head. “What does that mean, Your Grace?”
Your father and I have been arranging our marriage for a couple of years. Your father approached me on the eve of your coming out party, my lady, but unfortunately, I was unable to attend the event,” the duke answered.
“What?” Lady Mirabell gasped, not quite believing what the duke had told her moments ago.
“Do not worry, love, I will go to your father tomorrow to go over all of the details and make this truly official. We will not really be engaged until some of the clauses in the paperwork are negotiated that he has been a stickler on. Do not worry though, my dear, we will come to an agreement as I have known for several years that you were the one for me.”
“I cannot wait,” Lady Mirabell muttered, forcing a smile and glancing out of the window at the impending sunset, truly angered at her parents for not informing her of how long they had been plotting this. She surely had a bone to pick with them as soon as she stepped inside the townhouse. She felt a bit of a breach of trust from the duke with all of this. The more she thought, she even questioned the duke’s motives in his mode of proposal as he did it in a public place where she would feel pressured to agree.
9
Lord Dunkirk glowered as he stared out into the distance, he sat comfortably on the terrace while having dinner with his attorney. It was a bit of a working dinner as he called his attorney as soon as he returned home from the shop where he had seen Mirabell become engaged. He called him to discuss facts and possibilities. Although it was a lovely evening, it was miserable in Lord Dunkirk’s opinion. Though he thought that the warm evening air
may help him in his clarity of thought. Good to take advantage of the warm weather before the cold nights of winter set in, when he will find himself all alone by the fire.
Although the earl had insisted many times to Victor that nothing bothered him since his arrival back at the estate after visiting a few of the boutique stores in town, it was hard for him to get the detached and angered expression off of his face. He was very distraught and disheartened.
He had worked so hard on dissolving his own betrothal, and it was all for nothing because Mirabell was engaged. However, he had put so much effort into this that now he was like a steam engine pushing ahead on its tracks without any breaks.
“My lord, we are still waiting for the reply from Lady Amelia’s family on whether they will concede that the Marriage Articles are null and void. If they do not concede, we will have to take it before the magistrate,” his attorney explained speaking very quickly.
“And what of the background investigation on Lady Amelia that you suggested? Did that bring to light any reasons that would allow us to break the agreement? I know that it is a standard protocol for you, but it is not normally in my character to request such a thing.”
“I did, in fact, find a spicy piece of evidence. I sent out birds and moles” he pointed up at the air and then down at the ground to reference the attitude in which these creatures usually reside, “and came back with something of interest. Lady Amelia has been receiving expensive gifts from an English duke. Records regarding this date back for quite a while. I received this information from a proprietor of a jewelry store. There are many receipts, and the most recent receipt was only yesterday. He purchased a bracelet and sent it to Scotland. Unfortunately, these pieces of evidence are not enough to break the contract because it does not show a misdeed on Lady Amelia’s part. It only shows the actions of the duke.”
“Do you know the name of the duke?” Lord Dunkirk asked, stood up quickly, and started pacing around. He covered his mouth with his hand as he listened on.
“Yes, I do recall that blank being filled in by my clerk, but I have not had time to look at it. Let me find the page,” the attorney said while licking his thumb to get through the parchment faster. Ah, here we have it. He is a one, Duke of Granger, with one of his residences called Barkotte Black House in Landsdown Grove, Bath. There are additional properties of note.”
“My goodness!” Lord Dunkirk shouted with wide eyes. Lady Mirabell is marrying a cad. A gift-giver who runs around Bath and London buying expensive gifts for women to win their affection. He has sent a gift to another woman the day before his engagement to Lady Mirabell, my word.”
The attorney looked up for a moment in thought and then said, “I do believe I have seen this man. He has quite the reputation.”
“You are acquainted with the duke?” the earl asked incredulously.
“An esquire I see frequently, when we argue before the magistrate, has had the pleasure, but I do not personally know the duke.”
“Aside from the gifts, do you recall anything else?” Lord Dunkirk asked.
“Very wealthy, but his family had lost most of their wealth at some point. It is rumored that his family is closely related to the royal family and takes summers with them.”
Lord Dunkirk lifted his hand to cover his brow in anxiety and spoke to himself but out loud, “The royal family? I do not have a chance. I am outgunned compared to him.” Then he turned his questions back to the attorney, “His credentials, are they all impeccable and credible?”
“Yes, my lord, as can be expected from someone as titled as he. However, plenty of the cases that are brought before the court for him are deeply in the gray. He is a lover of money and devises legal ways to appear more wealthy to his lenders and business associates while cutting deeply those who he can. But he is very protected by the crown.
“Good, God! Never the less, I must warn Mirabell that he has been giving gifts to another woman during their engagement.”
“A thought, my lord,” the attorney slowed down his speech and began to clean his glasses as he proffered a new idea to Lord Dunkirk.
“Yes, go on, man.” Lord Dunkirk’s emotions were surging with every new revelation.
“Let me investigate these rumors. There is nothing we can do now but gain more evidence while we wait for word from Lady Amelia’s parents.”
“So be it,” Lord Dunkirk stated and motioned with his hand.
After dinner, the attorney left in a carriage, and Lord Dunkirk clenched his jaw as he watched the coach disappear from his sight. He still could not believe what he had witnessed this afternoon in the boutique, and he was still very much angered by what Lady Mirabell had done to prove to him that she was indeed following his advice and moving on with her life.
Fredrick knew Mirabell better than anyone in this world, and he could clearly see that she only agreed to marry the duke out of spite. Lady Mirabell had purposely chosen to agree to the duke’s offer in order to get a reaction from Lord Dunkirk, which he refused to give her. He would most certainly not give her the satisfaction of seeing the way he reacted when he noticed their spectacle in the boutique.
Lord Dunkirk did notice the elegant hat she wore in the store, with many details including a single peacock feather. It reminded him of a lovely spring afternoon, which had not started off as a lovely day, especially not for Mirabell. She had been chased by a rather aggressive male peacock, its colorful tail fluttering in the wind as it chased Mirabell around the garden.
Fredrick had found it incredibly amusing at first, but the more strained and panicked Mirabell’s shrieks became, the more Fredrick realized that Mirabell was terrified of the bird. Fredrick managed to swoop in and save Mirabell from the possessed bird, or that was at least how Mirabell described the bird’s state of mind.
That day had been the very first time the manner in which she glanced at him changed, and he would forever remember that day as the day Lady Mirabell had referred to Fredrick as her hero.
Lord Dunkirk exhaled slowly as he attempted once again to make sense of the muddle in his mind, and the only conclusion he could draw from the feelings pulsating through him was that he needed to speak to her immediately. He glanced at the large standing clock in the corner of the parlor and cringed as he noticed that it was already past eleven. It was very much too late to call upon Mirabell. He was also certain her parents would have him incarcerated for troubling their daughter—and cutting up their peace.
Lord Dunkirk's determination once again rose up inside of him, and he was well aware that no matter what the consequences might be, he was required by his own heart to speak with Mirabell, and this might very well be the last opportunity he may have. Her engagement may be solidified the following day, and then all hope of marrying her would be lost. He had to tell her the news about the duke, but he realized that he, himself, was not yet an entirely free man.
Lord Dunkirk ordered a coach to take him to the townhouse Lord and Lady Burkett resided at, and luckily, it was only a short coach ride, giving him no time to reconsider his drastic actions.
Upon arrival at the townhouse, Lord Dunkirk realized that it would not be at all possible to knock on the front door, which made him search his surroundings for ways to get Lady Mirabell to come outside. He managed to find the backyards of the townhouses and walked across the pristine green lawns. Lord Dunkirk noticed the pebbles on the ground, and a small smile ran across his lips. He was also well aware of which window belonged to Lady Mirabell’s chambers. He gathered a handful of pebbles, and as quietly and discreetly as he could, he threw the pebbles at her window, careful not to break the glass.
It was half-past eleven, and Mirabell sat on her bed thinking over what she had done in the boutique earlier that day. Was this what she wanted? It did not matter even if it was not. What was done was done, and there was no going back. She heard a soft noise, but she shook it off as a nothing as she began to play with the edges of her comforter. She heard two more sounds similar to the one prior
. She got up, walked to her window, and opened the curtain slightly. There she saw Fredrick below, holding a handful of pebbles. Her heart pounded violently in her chest, and she froze for a moment. What on Earth could he possibly be doing here? Had he gone mad? Was he cocked in the nob? Did he realize how daft he appeared at that moment?
Somehow, it did not seem to matter all that much to Lady Mirabell as she drew the curtains to the side and glanced down at Lord Dunkirk.
When Fredrick saw Mirabell, he gestured for her to come down.
“What on Earth does he want now?” Lady Mirabell questioned in her mind while moving her lips for the words. She rubbed her eyes and signaled to him to wait a moment as she grabbed her robe.
The thought of speaking to Lord Dunkirk was painful to Mirabell because she did not see any way out of the promises they had both made to other people. They were, in a sense, trapped on the path they had chosen. She had chosen hers with a small word and a small action.
She knew that she had to wake Ms. Nora up because she could not see him alone. So she tiptoed into Ms. Nora’s room, saw her with her nightcap on and shook her awake. Ms. Nora was too tired to complain and accompanied Lady Mirabell as they made their way quietly through the house and down to the backyard to meet Lord Dunkirk.
As she walked back around the house, she had a thousand thoughts running through her mind, trying to figure out what he wanted to talk with her about. And what people would think of her if they knew she was sneaking out to talk to him, with both of them being formally engaged to other people and she being dressed in a robe.
Ms. Nora stood back, but as Lady Mirabell stepped closer to him, she saw that Lord Dunkirk looked angrier than he looked in the store when she had seen him earlier that day.
“Oh dear,” she thought, as she stopped in front of him.
“Alright, I am here,” Mirabell said with annoyance and crossed her arms, attempting to keep the last shred of modesty she still possessed, even in her robe. “What could you possibly want to discuss at this ungodly hour?”
Regency Engagements Box Set Page 81