A Duke of Her Own (6 page)

Standing with his arm pressed to the mantel, staring into the fire, he downed the remainder of his brandy, hoping it would wash away the memories. Lady Louisa was not the one who should still be haunting his thoughts. It was Jenny Rose who should be traveling through his mind, and yet the reality was that he could barely remember what she looked like.

He heard the door click open, fought back a grimace—because he sought solitude, not company—and peered over his shoulder. Following the ball, he’d returned to his estate, a two-hour ride from the city, rather than his London residence because he’d needed the reminder of his obligations. They were as easy to forget as Jenny Rose’s features when he was away from them.

As weary as he was, he still managed a smile. “Hello, Moppet. It’s a bit late for you to be up and about, isn’t it?”

Dressed in her nightclothes, holding her wrapper close at her throat, his sister smiled shyly as she walked toward him. Her hair, as black as midnight, was braided and draped over her
shoulder. She’d always seemed so frail, so fragile. From the moment she’d been born, he’d felt a fierce need to protect her.

“I could say the same of you,” she said softly. “I heard you arrive. I didn’t know you were going to return home so soon. Won’t Mother be surprised?”

“I expect she will be.”

She snuggled into the corner of the couch, brought her bare feet up to the cushion, and wound her arms around her drawn-up legs. “Did you attend the first ball of the Season, then?”

“Indeed, I did.”

“Was it fun and exciting?”

He gave her an exaggerated scowl that caused her to laugh lightly. She had the most innocent of laughs. He despised that a time would come when the world and its intolerance would strip her of it.

“It is only fun and exciting for the ladies,” he explained drolly. “For the gentlemen, it is a great deal of work.”

“Oh, bosh, I don’t believe that for one second. I’d wager you had a jolly good time. Did you dance every dance?”

“Nearly every dance,” he said, to appease her, resenting the ease with which the lie rolled off his tongue.

He walked to the table, where an assortment of crystal decanters awaited him. He refilled his glass before taking a chair, angled in such a way that he could view the fire and Caroline with little more than the slight turning of his head. She had
been his mother’s secret for seventeen years now, a secret bustled off to various estates whenever company came to call, a secret that would soon be revealed to London. She was of age, and Hawk had every intention of placing himself in a position to protect her and ensure that she married well.

His own marriage to Jenny Rose—he had decided a woman who required passion was a much better suit than one who required love—and the funds the arrangement should provide and make available to him would give him an advantage that if not for Caroline he would care little about obtaining. Not entirely true. After her, he would have his heir to consider. He wanted his son’s worries to be fewer, his responsibilities less burdensome. If Hawk had other children, he wanted to provide adequately for them. Yes, the time had come to marry and marry money—the more the better.

“Who was the most beautiful lady there?” Caroline asked.

An image of Lady Louisa darted before him. Beautiful, no. Lovely perhaps. She did not stand out in a crowd, but she did manage to stand up to him, and he found that more intriguing than any physical characteristics she might possess.

“I suppose it would have to be Jenny Rose,” he said, before sipping his brandy and gazing into the fire, praying both would burn away his lingering memories of Louisa.

“Describe her to me,” Caroline said.

He stared at the writhing flames, conjuring up images of bared bodies tangled beneath red satin sheets, flesh glistening with dew—

He downed the brandy. Cleared his throat. “Honestly, Caroline, I don’t remember her features clearly enough to give a description justice.”

“Then how could she be beautiful, if you cannot remember her?”

He shifted his attention to his sister. So naïve, so unaware of the trials that awaited her.

“I suppose it is merely that the details escape me, and without details there is little to distinguish her from every other lady in the room.”

“Oh.”

She seemed genuinely disappointed, studying the sash of her wrapper, which she’d wound around her index finger. “Do you think any gentleman will ever take notice of me?”

“Without a doubt.”

His marriage to Jenny Rose would ensure it.

She lifted her gaze to his. “I know I come with a great deal of baggage, Hawk.”

“We all do, Moppet. We all do.”

“M
en set little store by what is carelessly guarded,” the dragon announced at breakfast.

Louisa felt the weight of the woman’s gaze on her long before she looked up from her porridge. Mrs. Rose had one brow so highly arched it might have been farcical if not for the heat in the green eye beneath the brow.

“I do hope it is not your plan to make a habit of leaving my girls untended while you see to your own amusements,” Mrs. Rose said tersely.

“Mama, it was only one dance,” Jenny said. “Quite honestly, I believe the duke was taking advantage of Lady Louisa. He timed their arrival from the dance floor such that she had no choice
except to make introductions. Rather clever on his part, I thought, since the lady determines which introductions are appropriate and approaches the man.”

Louisa felt her stomach knot at Jenny’s words. Last night, for one brief moment, she had dared believe that perhaps it was her he had wanted to dance with. No, not believed. Pretended. Pretended she was the belle of the ball, the one around whom the gentlemen fluttered, like bees to pollen. She did not know who truly deserved more pity: the one overlooked or the one who gained attention because of the coins jingling in her father’s pockets.

Mrs. Rose’s lips were pressed so tightly together as to be invisible. Louisa did not need anyone taking up for her, but then she wasn’t accustomed to being chastised. She had been her father’s angel, her mother’s darling, her brother’s precious sister.

“I assure you, Mrs. Rose, that Jenny has the right of it. The dance was merely a ruse on the duke’s part to garner information regarding your daughters and the likelihood that they might favor him,” Louisa said.

“There, you see, Mama? No harm done,” Jenny said.

“No harm done? If he was a duke, why did he have to engage in a ruse to be introduced? You should have been led to his side as soon as he entered the room.” Mrs. Rose gave Louisa a pointed glare. “Why were my daughters not introduced
immediately? Is that not what I’m paying you for?”

“Not a ruse to gain an introduction, rather a ruse to gather information, discreetly. We are a very discreet people,” she said, surprised by how quickly she was learning to dance around uncomfortable questions.

“Are you saying that your plan all along was to introduce my daughters to him?”

“Yes, madam.” How disappointing that the lie came with such ease.

Mrs. Rose harrumphed. “I suppose you spoke favorably on my daughters’ behalf while you were dancing?”

“Of course.”

“Is this particular duke a relation to the queen?”

“No, ma’am,” Louisa said.

Mrs. Rose pinched her mouth. “A pity. Still, he is at the top of the hierarchy. I shall simply have to satisfy myself with that.” She held up a finger. “I’m well aware of the order of the ranks, so do not try to deceive me in that regard.”

“Mama, I fear you are being too presumptuous,” Jenny said. “We only danced. I cannot say for certain whether or not I favor him.”

“Whether or not
you
favor him is not the issue. The issue is whether or not he favors you. What was your impression, Lady Louisa? Did he favor my girls?”

“I fear he danced only with Miss Jenny.”

“Why not Kate?”

“Because I was occupying the attention of a marquess,” Kate said.

“A marquess? That title is second only to a duke, is it not?”

“Yes, madam,” Louisa said, wondering why she was asking when she’d earlier declared that she was familiar with the ranking of peers.

“Not bad, but still, I’d rather both my daughters be duchesses.”

Jenny rolled her eyes and huffed out a puff of air.

“I saw that look, young lady. There shall come a day when you will thank me for all I’ve done to get you where you need to be.” Mrs. Rose turned her hard look on Louisa. “What did the duke say about Jenny after their dance?”

“I did not speak with him afterward,” Louisa said.

“Why ever not? How can you determine how the girls should adjust their behavior in order to impress him favorably if you don’t know what his impression was?”

Louisa felt her stomach tighten. She wasn’t accustomed to having her every action questioned. “I don’t believe your daughters should alter their behavior simply to catch a duke.”

“We seem to be at odds regarding our opinions. While I believe my daughters will be the toast of London, I’m not so pompous as not to realize there is always room for improvement. I expect you to advise them regarding how they may make themselves more attractive to these English lords.”

“I assure you, madam, they cannot be any more attractive than they already are.”

Mrs. Rose jerked her head back slightly. “Are you contradicting me?”

“I believe she’s saying that they are perfect as they are,” Mr. Rose said laconically from his end of the table. He lowered the newspaper he was reading. “They take after their mother in that regard, my dear.”

Mrs. Rose blinked, then smiled at her husband. “I suppose you’re right.” She looked at Louisa, her smile fading to reveal once again the woman with a definite goal. “I suppose, gentlemen will be calling this afternoon?”

“Undoubtedly,” Louisa said.

“I should like to meet the duke or any of his equals. Any rank below would simply be a waste of a pleasant afternoon. Kate, do not encourage a marquess when you can have a duke.”

Now it was Kate who rolled her eyes and tightened her mouth.

Mrs. Rose shoved back her chair and stood. “I shall be in my chambers. Send someone to fetch me if a gentleman worthy of my time should come to call. And Lady Louisa, should the duke call, you are to ask him his opinion of my daughters. And if he does not call, you are to call on him and make inquiries as to his opinion.”

“Oh, no, madam, I cannot do that.”

“Do you wish to remain in my employ?”

Louisa swallowed. “Yes, ma’am.”

“Then you will do as I wish or risk my displeasure. And if I am not pleased—”

“No one is pleased,” Jenny, Kate, and Mr. Rose said in unison.

Then they all laughed and the tension in the room seemed to ease as even Mrs. Rose’s mouth relaxed into what could almost be described as a smile.

“I will not be ridiculed, Mr. Rose,” Mrs. Rose said.

“My dear, teasing is but one way to show affection.”

She turned her attention back to her daughters. “I will see you both wed before this Season is over. Do you understand me?”

“I will see to your wishes, my dear,” Mr. Rose said. “There is no reason to worry yourself over it.”

“I’m going to rest for a bit. I shall be ever so grateful when you girls are finally settled into marriage, and your father and I can begin to enjoy the years left to us.”

With that parting sentiment, she swept from the room. Louisa breathed a sigh of relief. At least now, she was faced with the possibility that her digestion wouldn’t be completely ruined.

“I’m so sorry,” Jenny said, when her mother was no longer visible. “I had no idea she would take the news that the duke had danced with you so poorly.”

“I can’t believe you told her,” Kate said. “Where
Mama is concerned, you know as well as I the best plan of action is to say nothing at all.”

“Your mother was quite right,” Louisa said, not certain why she felt a need to defend the unpleasant woman. “It was poor judgment on my part to accept his invitation for a dance.”

“Nonsense. If Kate and I are both otherwise occupied, I see no harm in you having a bit of fun. Don’t you agree, Kate?”

“Of course. As a matter of fact, why don’t the two of you dance, and I’ll simply watch?”

“But what of your marquess?” Jenny asked. “I found him exceedingly attractive.”

“Attractive is as attractive does,” Kate said.

“What in the world does that mean?”

“I need more than handsome features.” Kate looked toward the end of the table, where her father was again partially hidden behind his newspaper. “Papa, may I be excused?”

“Of course,” he mumbled, never shifting his gaze from the article he was reading.

Louisa waited until Kate had quit the room, before turning her attention to Jenny and saying, “She does not seem at all interested in finding a husband.”

Jenny slid her gaze to her father, before leaning forward and whispering, “She has not yet recovered from having her heart broken.”

The newspaper crackled, and Mr. Rose was suddenly glaring over the crumpled paper. “Jenny Rose, you know better than to discuss family secrets.”

“I didn’t reveal the secret. Only the end result. Honestly, Papa, I don’t think you should be forcing her to go out.”

“The matter has been discussed and decided.” He came to his feet. “You will not discuss it further.” He gave Louisa an unexpected hard stare. “With anyone.”

And she realized the admonishment applied to her as well.

“I’m not one to gossip, Mr. Rose,” she felt obliged to state.

“I love my daughters, Lady Louisa. I will protect them with my fortune, if need be with my life.”

“That is quite admirable, sir.”

The sternness in his face eased. “I’m certain your father would have done the same for you had he possessed the means.”

He walked from the room before Louisa could decide whether or not he had just insulted her father.

“Do secrets abide in your family?” Jenny asked.

Louisa decided there was no hope for it. Her stomach would not tolerate her porridge. She set her bowl aside. “All families have secrets.”

“I suppose. You told Mother you knew everything about all the lords. Does that include their secrets?”

“If there are secrets to be known.”

“The duke. Hawkhurst. What do you know of his secrets?”

“He is prone to late nights that lead into the morning.”

“What gentleman isn’t?”

Louisa stared at her. “A respectable gentleman.”

“Respectable sounds so boring. Can a respectable man know of passion?”

Louisa could not help but wonder if Hawkhurst had carried on the same conversation with Jenny that he had with her. “Did he speak to you of passion?”

“No, actually, we spoke not at all, which I found most curious. He seemed somewhat distracted. I found both your brother and Falconridge to be much more interesting when it came to conversation.” Jenny sipped her tea, and it seemed to Louisa that
she
was now distracted, and she wondered if she was thinking of her dances with both men. If she’d found one more interesting than the other.

And if she had, what then? None of the three was suitable. She had to steer her toward the proper gentlemen.

“If you’ll excuse me, I need to look through the invitations in order to determine which ball you should attend next.” Louisa pushed back her chair and stood.

“By the by, Kate and I will be having our art lesson in the conservatory later in the morning. You will join us, won’t you?” Jenny asked.

“I don’t want to impose.”

“Nonsense. It will be fun, and it’ll give you an opportunity to know us better. And that’s essential if you’re going to find us the perfect husband.”

“I said nothing about finding you the
perfect
husband,” Louisa said.

“That’s good. Perfection is no doubt overrated. I think I’d like a man with a bit of naughtiness in him. Would that describe your brother?”

“I’m fairly certain your mother would not approve of you spending time with an earl,” Louisa said, deftly avoiding answering the question about Alex.

Jenny smiled slyly. “Which makes him all the more enticing.”

“I thought you wanted to please your mother.”

“Only as long as it pleases me.”

Louisa sighed. She now understood why Mr. Rose had offered her such a generous salary. He no doubt understood that the women in this household were impossible to comprehend.

As she walked from the room she remembered Mrs. Rose’s earlier demand that she go to Hawkhurst’s residence if he did not call on the Roses. Lord help her, she thought she’d never find herself praying for a visit from Hawkhurst.

Hawk found his mother in the garden, a straw basket burgeoning with cut flowers dangling from her arm, while the gardener dutifully cut more for her. For as long as he could remember, it had been their morning ritual. Hawk had been grateful the man’s dedication to his gardens had prevented him from leaving when finances began to tighten. His mother so loved her gardens; she spent a good deal of her time simply enjoying them. Hawk
knew this latest batch of blossoms would go into a vase in her bedchamber, some in Caroline’s. His mother was very particular about the fragrances that surrounded them.

And she had conveniently avoided joining him for breakfast that morning. No doubt because they’d been at odds of late, their opinions differing on what was best for Caroline.

“Good morning, Mother.”

With a wave of her hand, she dismissed their longtime gardener before facing her son. She was tall with a willowy grace, her dark hair only just beginning to turn silver. She’d married young, at sixteen, a man many years her senior. Hawk did not deceive himself into believing it had been a love match. No, the love of her life had given her a daughter. His identity remained a secret. So damned many secrets in this family of his.

She smiled warmly, her dark eyes reflecting all the love she held for him. Strange how affection could add to a man’s burden.

“I heard you’d arrived home,” his mother said. “Bored with the Season already?”

“Hardly. I simply needed…” He let his voice trail away. It was one thing for him to be burdened. Another entirely to burden her.

“The reminder?” she asked. “Caroline is not your obligation.”

“She is my sister. The daughter of my mother, if not my father. It is enough.”

He watched as tears welled in her eyes, and she blinked them back.

“It was never my intent to burden you.”

“You did not. Father did. On his deathbed. ‘Do not let your mother be unhappy.’ I daresay if happiness does not visit your daughter, it will not visit you.”

Reaching out, she touched his cheek. “If you are not happy, it will not visit me either.”

“What man is happy in marriage?”