“Hello, my dear.” Joseph smiled. “I hope you are well.”
“Of course, Uncle.” Matilda offered her arm to her grandmother. “Let’s go inside. Mama and Papa are waiting for us.”
Crawley Mansion looked as charming as always, with the beautiful large windows to let the sun come in, the beautiful details on their pillars and ceiling that always fascinated Selina.
Mrs. Jane Crawley, Selina’s aunt and Matilda’s mother, was waiting for them at the small library and she smiled brightly to the family who just arrived.
“Oh, Mama, I have missed you! I hope the journey was pleasant.”
“As pleasant as it can be for a woman my age, my dear.” Mrs. Clifford replied and accepted the kiss on the cheek when her daughter was close enough.
“It is nice to see you too, Joseph.” Mrs. Crawley told her older brother. While her Papa’s hair was almost all white, her Aunt Jane’s blonde hair just started to get a few streaks of silver, which she wore very elegantly, Selina noticed.
“And you, dear sister.” He replied and bent over to kiss her cheek. “Where’s Mr. Crawley?” He wondered. “I hoped I could speak to him.”
“He is in town but will be home for dinner, he promised.” Mrs. Crawley told him and then her attention turned to Selina. “You, my darling, remind me so much of your mother, God rest her soul,” she put a hand under Selina’s chin “I am glad you are as much as a good friend to my Matilda as your mother was to me. Just as pretty, too. There will be a ball in a week, you are more than welcome to come with us. It’s time your Papa let you out of the house and let you choose a husband.” Mrs. Crawley winked and Selina giggled while nodding.
“Jane, please.” Mr. Clifford scolded his younger sister. “Selina may go to the ball, but let’s not talk about husbands just yet.”
Selina frowned in her father’s direction – while he had been very protective of his daughter throughout the years after her Mama had died, he was never so harsh about it. Was something wrong?
He always said when she would have a say in who courted her and would let her choose a husband she liked.
Something passed her Aunt’s expression and Selina was about to ask what was wrong, when she cleared her throat and smiled at her guests.
“Well, then. Mary, our maid, will show you your rooms, even though I am sure Selina will sneak off to share with Matilda.” Mrs. Crawley pretended to give them a stern look and the girls just smiled, knowing it to be true; there was gossip to be passed, after all. “I will show Mama her rooms, though. I have missed her so.”
“You only say that because I do not live with you, my dear.” Mrs. Clifford told her daughter, who smiled.
“And I shall forever be grateful for that, Mama.”
“You…” Mrs. Clifford tried to sound angry, but the love she clearly felt for her youngest child – and the other way around as well – made it pointless.
The maid led the way and while the adults were up ahead, Matilda and Selina started to whisper to each other.
“Go get ready for dinner and afterwards, you must tell me all about London.” Matilda said.
“Of course. Have you heard about Millicent Stewart?” Selina asked – Millicent had been a friend of theirs when Matilda still lived in London.
Matilda gasped. “No! What happened?”
“She got engaged last week to Mr. Garrett Stanford.” Selina said and Matilda gasped.
“Oh, no! Millie hated him.”
Selina sighed. “Her father arranged it and the poor thing can’t get out of it otherwise Mr. Stewart will leave her without a pension. Not one pound.”
“Poor Millie.” Matilda shook her head in disappointment. “I will write to her before my maid comes up to help me get dressed.”
“I am sure she will appreciate it.” Selina sighed and saw the maid trying to get her attention. “We will see each other at dinner.”
“Of course.”
The light blue dress she wore for dinner blended perfectly with her eyes, Selina thought mindlessly as she made her way to the small library to meet her family before being called for dinner.
She stopped for a second in front of a mirror to arrange one of the curls that seemed to have gotten away from her hairdo – she had to often do that, her hair was almost untamable – when Selina heard her father’s voice coming from a slightly opened door.
“…I do not know how Selina will react.” Hearing her name, she frowned and stepped closer, curiosity winning over her very strict education. “I told her she could choose whom she wants to marry.”
“We always tell our daughters that, Joseph.” Her uncle’s voice answered. “I heard, though, that Lord Ainsworth isn’t as much of a gentleman as he seems to be. He passes as a good man, but he is actually very repulsive and-”
“I know what I am doing, Philip. I am her father; I would never put her in any kind of peril. A title will secure her a happy life and so will money. That is all I want for her.” Her father said. “She has met Lord Ainsworth and he was very charmed with her. I believe they will have a good marriage and she’ll be a Duchess someday, if it all goes according to plan.”
It felt as if someone had drenched Selina with cold water. Her whole body froze with his words. Had her own father arranged her marriage without even talking to her?
Before her mind realized what her body was doing, she entered the room, blue eyes wide in disbelief. Both men turned and her father paled for a second.
“Papa?” She asked in a whisper. “Please, tell me what I heard isn’t right.”
“Selina.” He cleared his throat while her uncle stepped closer to the fireplace, a glass in hand. “What have I told you about-”
“No, Papa.” She stopped him. “What did you mean by I will be a Duchess if it goes according to plan? I have not chosen a husband yet.”
Mr. Clifford took a deep breath. “As you know, the Duke of Bellford has no living children and his title will be passed to his nephew, Reginald Ainsworth. You have met him before.” Yes, Selina had met him and she couldn’t stand the man; something about him didn’t sit right with her. “He came by the house while you were out with Mama and he asked me if he could court you when we return to London, as this trip was already set.”
“What?” Selina whispered to herself in disbelief that her father would have done something like that to her. “You… You never even asked me if I wanted him to court me. Papa… Lord Ainsworth is not a good man.”
“Nonsense, Selina.” Her father said. “You have only spent a few minutes with him at a ball.”
“And so did you, I suppose, when he came to visit.” Her eyes started to burn with unshed tears. “How could you have not seen it, Papa? He is a mean man. He smiles, but his eyes are cold and unloving.”
“I need more proof than his eyes, Selina.” Mr. Clifford said harshly.
“How about my wishes?” She started to cry, then. “How about how you had always told me I could choose whom I wished to marry?”
Mr. Clifford scoffed. “Selina, you were sixteen and knew nothing of the world, what else was I supposed to say? You need someone with a title, my dear. Who else would be worthy of you?”
It was as if she had been slapped. Her father had lied to her all these years.
She thought she was free, but she was just another caged woman waiting for her father to find someone he thought was good enough,for his daughter.
“Anyone else but him, Papa.”Selina dried her face. “I will not marry him.”
“You will do as I say, Selina Clifford.” Her father’s face was red with anger. “You are my daughter.”
“Something you appear to have forgotten.” She said. “What would Mama say if she could see you right now?”
Her father took a step back in shock when Selina turned around and left the room.
Matilda was coming down the stairs when she saw her distressed cousin and even though Selina knew she could confide on her, all she wanted was fresh air and to be as far away from h
er father as possible.
Failing to answer Matilda’s calls, Selina ran towards the door and into the night.
If you want to find out how the story continues stay tuned for my next release!
An Unforgettable Night with the Duke A Preview
Chapter 1
London, June 1809
The Havenswood Estates
Rays of light brightened up the sparse foliage of the garden. There in the secluded area of the garden was a silhouette of a young boy shifting uncontrollably where he knelt. He was fiddling with a trap he had made to catch fish. He heard a movement behind him and turned around in fear, but he relaxed when he realized it was just his eight year old sister.
“What is it, Emma?” he asked.
“Let’s play,” she said, rubbing her sleepy eyes. She looked like she had just woken up.
“No, Emma. You remember mother’s warning. No more hide and seek once the sun goes down.”
She frowned. “But you promised this morning before your friends came and then you forgot.”
He sighed and left the trap to attend to her. “I am sorry about that sister, but it is dangerous to play in the night. Mother tells us that all the time.”
“But you told me that mother cannot be right all time,” she said, playing with the crescent-shaped pendant of her necklace. He had a similar one around his neck. It was a gift from their father.
Julian sighed. He hated seeing his sister look sad. “Alright, just one round.”
All of a sudden, she jumped for joy. “Thank you, thank you.”
“I hope you arranged your pillows in the way we used to do it?”
The girl laughed and nodded. “Mother would not know. She is busy with Uncle Thompson. Besides, if she enters the room, she would think that I am the one under the blanket.”
Julian was relieved. “Good.” It was one of their protective strategies but he also knew that one day, their mother would find out.
However, he knew it would take a while since they had been doing this for quite some time and she never found out.
“I get to hide and you get to chase. Now close your eyes.”
“Alright,” he said as he closed his eyes but then he remembered his mother’s warning. “Stay somewhere I can easily find you, and do not go outside the property. It is not safe.”
There was no response and then he opened his eyes and realized she was gone.
“Emma!” he called out to her but got no response. He assumed that the game had started and began searching for her. He searched for her for close to twenty minutes but he couldn’t find her. He went to her room, their parents’ rooms, the kitchen and other places he could think of, she wasn’t there. He decided to go outside but it was already darker by then.
He stood at the front door, beginning to get worried and then fear gripped him as he realized that the little gate that led to the other side was opened. His sister must have gone outside. Quickly, he ran towards the gate…
“Where are you going young man!” shouted his mother, the Duchess of Winthitorpe as she came out of the house. “What did I tell you about leaving the house at night? Go to your room, your sister is already asleep. You should too.”
He desperately wanted to tell his mother that he thought his sister was out there.
However, he could imagine himself getting blamed for this. So he changed his mind and rushed back into his room. He hoped that if Emma realized he didn’t find her, she would come back inside.
“Are you certain that she is in the room, mother?” he asked.
“Oh, yes,” replied his mother. “She has been sleeping for three hours now. I will check on her in the morning or before I sleep,” she said, kissing him on the head before they went back in together.
Julian knew his sister was not sleeping; she had left the room to ask him for a game of hide and seek. Before he went to his room that night, he had gone to her room again, praying in his mind that she would miraculously appear on her bed but her bed was empty.
When he got to his room, he tried to reassure himself that everything would be okay before drifting off to sleep. He had only closed his eyes for two minutes when the door suddenly burst open and his mother rushed in, with fear in her eyes…
“Julian! Where is your sister?”
“I, I , don’t know,” he stammered.
“I’ve looked everywhere for her. The servants are looking for her. Did she leave the house? Have you too been playing hide and seek this evening,” she demanded.
“No, no, mother!” he replied, bursting into tears. His mother couldn’t bear it and she came to embrace him. Then the door opened and his uncle came in.
“I am sorry, Harriet. I think Emma has been kidnapped,” said Uncle Thompson in an urgent tone.
Julian watched in agony as his mother burst into tears and shouted her disbelief. “No! Who kidnapped her? Why would anyone do this?” Uncle Thompson tried to console the Duchess and reassure her that they would do everything in their power to get Emma back and find the ones responsible. He then turned to Julian.
“Julian! Did you see your sister last?”
Julian could feel his heart beating fast. His palms became sweaty as his stomach turned to jelly. He couldn’t look at his mother’s or uncle’s face when he shook his head. “No, I didn’t see her last.”
* * *
London, June 1819
Julian Winthitorpe, the Duke of Havenswood
The ballroom shimMered and sparkled with cheers of excitement. Colorful lights of red and gold were strewed across the walls. The many couples dressed in their finest attires were either, drinking, mingling around or dancing to the beautiful waltz coming from the violin players.
Julian stood at the far corner of the room, holding a cup of wine and looking at the dancers with languid interest. There were several ladies standing inches away from him, occasionally looking at him with pleasant smiles, perhaps, thinking he would ask them to be his dance partner. But he was in no mood for that. This night would make it exactly ten years since Emma had vanished.
“Look who I found hiding in a corner,” his best-friend William joked as he approached him. He was dressed in a red-velvet shirt with a linen undershirt which was noticeable from the collar. “Why are you not dancing?”
“I am in no mood for that,” Julian grumbled, sipping from his cup.
“Your mother has been looking for you,” said Williams, running a hand through his blonde hair. “She actually found me and asked me to find you.”
“I never had the intention of coming here. She compelled me into coming. If I had my way, I would go home,” Julia replied.
“Why would you rather do something like that when there are lots of beautiful ladies around?”
Julian pushed his shoulder length chestnut brown hair out of his hazel eyes with a huge sigh. “Please make no attempt to push me any further William. I am in no mood to make Merry.”
“Your mother planned this ball to mark your birthday, Julian. Why are you in such a foul mood?”
“My birthday was yesterday and in case mother has forgotten, today makes it exactly….”
“Ten years that Emma vanished…” his friend completed it for him.
Julian looked surprised but immediately covered it up by draining the cup in his hand.
“I am glad that you at least remember,” Julian said.
“Of course, Emma was…is like a sister to me,” he replied.
Julian knew his friend was being careful with his choice of words. He had never believed that his sister was dead and he would appreciate it if they could talk about her like she was still alive.
“Have you tried telling your mother what actually happened that night?” asked William.
Julian shook his head as his mind drifted to the event of ten years ago. He was twelve and Emma was just eight. They had been playing a game of hide and seek that night when she must have exited the property.
He remembered the several warnings his mother gav
e him prior to that night about playing in the night but his weakness was saying ‘no’ to his sister. She loved playing the game, especially since he had shown her some new hiding places outside the manor.
But that night, they had played it at the wrong time. He shouldn’t have allowed that. “There you are,” his mother exclaimed from behind him, interrupting his thoughts. Beside her was Lady Charlotte, the daughter of Baron and Baroness Eastwood, a close ally of the family. His mother had always had this plan of getting them married but he had always detested it.
“Mother,” he said, kissing her on the cheek before acknowledging Lady Charlotte. “My lady,” he bowed slightly. Lady Charlotte was two years younger than he was. Blonde and very pretty but not his type. As a matter of fact, he had never seen any woman as his type.
A Lady To Redeem A Rakish Lord (Historical Regency Romance) Page 31