An Unsuitable Duchess (11 page)

‘Those might be your feelings at the moment, but feelings can alter when attraction comes into play. I have seen it happen before.’

‘There is no attraction here. There is no game to be had.’

‘You fool yourself if you think so. This room witnessed quite a display of mutual attraction this evening. I would not be surprised if you find yourself in the papers tomorrow. I am only saying this to caution you. Guard your heart, my dear.’

‘It was a waltz. Two people have to grant each other their undivided attention. What you witnessed was a dance.’

‘What the entire room witnessed were two people so absorbed with one another they did not notice when the music ended,’ he said, handing her a glass of lemonade.

‘Of course we did. We stopped dancing.’

She could not deny that she was attracted to Lyonsdale, but it wasn’t as if he was irresistible. Ignoring the pull, she refused to scan the crowd to see who was receiving his attention now.

* * *

As Julian reached his grandmother’s side he followed her gaze to the couples who were assembling on the dance floor.

‘You were waltzing,’ she commented, sipping her lemonade.

He lowered his head to keep their conversation private. ‘We are not discussing this.’

‘I am simply making an observation.’

‘Well, please do not.’

‘She is rather a pretty thing.’

‘I said we are not talking about this.’

‘Talking about what?’ his mother interjected as she joined them.

‘We were discussing the headache Julian has suddenly acquired,’ replied his grandmother as she smiled into the rim of her glass.

Julian straightened and pressed his lips together to keep from laughing.

‘But you never get headaches. How long have you had this one?’ his mother asked anxiously.

‘Only a short while, I assure you,’ he replied, locking his fingers behind his back.

‘Is it severe?’

‘Not at the moment, but that could change.’

‘Do you require a physician?’ she asked in a panicked voice, studying his face.

‘A physician is not necessary.’

‘Very well. I know I need not remind you that you must dance with someone else this evening. We cannot have people believing you have designs on your one partner.’

Julian knew his mother was right. He had only danced once this evening, and he was certain people were speculating about his attendance. If he singled out Miss Vandenberg as his only partner, people would assume he was courting her.

Studying the room, he finally spotted Lady Mary, moving elegantly through a quadrille. He would ask her to dance. It was time he put some effort into conversing with her.

Moving his gaze from Lady Mary, Julian momentarily caught the eye of the amusing Miss Vandenberg...

An hour later he collected Lady Mary for their dance. When he took her hand in his there was no consuming need to pull her into his arms. Was this what bedding her would feel like? Putting on his usual bored expression, he began to dance. He studied her small features, her round youthful face and thick auburn hair. Nothing inside him stirred.

‘Is there something wrong, Your Grace?’

‘No. Why do you ask?’

‘You appear perplexed.’

‘Not at all,’ he replied, blinking away his thoughts.

They danced in silence for quite some time, and Julian tried to think of something they could discuss.

‘Your family—are they well?’

‘Yes, thank you. And yours?’

‘Very well.’

The minutes ticked by.

He tried again, ‘I expect your ride here was pleasant?’

‘Yes. The roads were very smooth. We encountered very few delays.’

‘Excellent.’ Julian clenched his jaw.

Again, there was silence.

‘Have you been enjoying your time here this evening?’ Lady Mary finally attempted to keep the conversation moving.

‘Yes, thank you. And you?’

‘Yes, very much. I always enjoy a ball or an assembly. It is agreeable, seeing so many friends in one place.’

How was it possible that she could speak of enjoyment without really smiling? And why did her eyes appear so lifeless?

‘What other things do you find enjoyable?’

‘Well, I enjoy needlework, playing the pianoforte, helping my mother entertain, and riding through Hyde Park.’

Not once did he see a spark of excitement in her. ‘But what is it that makes you truly happy?’

She looked confused. ‘Forgive me. I do not understand.’

‘If there was one thing you could do for enjoyment, what would it be?’

‘It would be difficult to pick only one thing. What would
you
choose?’

Julian fought the urge to close his eyes in exasperation. ‘I do not know. I wanted to know what you would choose.’

Lady Mary gave a false smile. ‘Well, we have that in common. I am not certain what I would choose either.’

Chapter Ten

T
he next morning Katrina was still not fully awake as she sat in the dining room, having breakfast with her father. She took a bite of her toast, and her eyes alighted upon a few sentences in the
Morning Chronicle
.

The crunchy bread got stuck in her throat and she began to cough.

There was an account of an ‘
eligible Duke
’ dancing with a ‘
foreign lady
’ at Almack’s. Speculation was that the ‘
eligible Duke
’ was looking for a bride, and the ‘
foreign lady
’ was attempting to gain a title.

Her father handed her his napkin. ‘I was wondering when you would see it. All the newspapers have something to say about your dance. Apparently London has been eagerly awaiting any indication that Lyonsdale is interested in marriage, and if an eligible man attends Almack’s it’s assumed he is in search of a bride. One newspaper speculates that there might be a romance forming between you.’

‘But he was there to escort his mother and his grandmother.’

‘I doubt he would tell you if he was looking for a bride.’

Katrina pushed the paper away, feeling unsettled by the attention. ‘Then why dance with me? Obviously I cannot be under consideration.’

‘That didn’t stop the rumours that you are searching for a title.’

‘I’ve danced with a number of titled gentlemen while we’ve been here. He is not the first one.’

‘Yes, but you have not danced with an unattached man of his rank. A duke who never dances the waltz and suddenly does so with you will cause people to speculate.’ He narrowed his eyes at her. ‘Why do you think he asked you?’

That very question had kept her up most of the night, and she still had no answer. She would eventually return to New York, and he would remain in England—probably married to some dull daughter of another duke. Glancing at her toast, Katrina dropped it onto her plate. Her appetite was gone.

* * *

The moment Julian entered his breakfast room he knew something was amiss. Apart from the servants his mother was there alone, and there was already a glass of what he assumed was sherry in her hand. Just as he was about to take his first sip of coffee she slid the newspapers closer to him.

‘Have you read them yet?’ she asked.

‘No. Why?’

‘Because you are in all of them. You and that
American
.’

The servants didn’t need to witness this discussion. He signalled for them to leave and searched for the gossip column in the paper closest to him.

‘What do they say?’

‘That you danced with her.’

It was too early to deal with his mother’s irrational ranting. He pushed the paper aside and took a sip of his coffee. ‘It was only a dance.’

‘They are saying you are looking for a bride.’

‘That should make you happy.’

‘Having every Mayfair mother attempt to shove their daughter your way—hardly. They say she is looking for a title.’

‘Miss Vandenberg? They obviously have never spoken to the lady.’

‘Careful, Lyonsdale. She may seek to trap you.’

‘Miss Vandenberg is the last woman in all of London who would trap me.’

‘Then you have no designs on her?’

‘Of course not. As I said, it was just a dance.’

And it was. Wasn’t it?

* * *

Later that morning Katrina was composing a letter to her cousin John when she heard a carriage roll to a stop outside her home. Peering through the linen curtains of the drawing room, she tried to see who it was.

As she shifted her body and tilted her head further Wilkins knocked on the open door to inform her that she had a caller. He seemed to be standing a little taller. When she picked up the card from the silver salver she blinked twice at the Dowager Duchess of Lyonsdale’s name.

It could not be a coincidence that she was calling on Katrina the very day the papers had printed gossip about Katrina and the woman’s grandson. If only she had time for a glass of Madeira.

When the slight old woman slowly entered the room, Katrina dropped into a curtsy and felt the weight of the Dowager’s studied gaze.

Drawing on her diplomatic experience, Katrina smiled politely. ‘Your Grace, I am honoured by your call.’

The Dowager’s eyes were sharp and assessing. With a slight lift of her chin, she held herself with a commanding air. ‘Good day, Miss Vandenberg. I wanted to call on you to thank you for your generous gift.’

At least she hadn’t demanded Katrina leave the country.

‘Would you care for some tea?’ Katrina offered, gesturing towards the settee and chairs near the fireplace.

‘Tea would be lovely.’ The Dowager perched her small, erect frame on the settee. ‘Shall we wait for your mother?’

Katrina sat in one of the bergère chairs and nodded to Wilkins for tea. ‘My mother passed away many years ago.’

The Dowager’s eyes narrowed. ‘My mother died when I was an infant. I have no memory of her.’

‘Nor I. Mine died two days after I was born.’

A look of understanding passed between them.

The Dowager cleared her throat. ‘I assume your father has hired a companion for you, while you are in London?’

Katrina shook her head. Her Great-Aunt Augusta, who had been more a mother to her than anyone, had passed away ten months before. She would have accompanied them to London. Having someone else living with them in her place would have been too painful a reminder of her loss.

‘He offered, but I declined.’

‘That sounds rather lonely. Surely you have someone to chaperon you when you are attending your social engagements?’

‘I do not mind solitude. And the wife of the American Minister has been kind enough to chaperon me on most occasions. Other times I have my maid, who has been with me for many years.’

‘I assume having other Americans around you has eased your adjustment somewhat?’

‘It has.’ Katrina could tell she was being measured by the Duke of Lyonsdale’s grandmother. She just wasn’t sure why.

‘I find it surprising that your father will be involved in negotiating a treaty between our two countries. I doubt anyone here would ask Byron or Scott to do such a thing.’

‘My father is a barrister as well as an author. He has presented cases to our Supreme Court and performed services for President Monroe.’

‘I see.’ The Dowager was silent as she openly took in her surroundings. ‘Will your father remain with the American delegation in London after the negotiations are complete?’

‘As yet he has not been asked to do so.’

How long did it take to make tea?

The Dowager nodded thoughtfully and clasped her hands on her lap. ‘You must convey my appreciation to your father for the book he sent me.’

‘I will let him know when he returns home today. Are you a great reader?’

The Dowager inclined her head. ‘In my youth I read often. I fear that with age my eyes are not what they once were. Most days I have my maid read to me. It is easier on my eyes.’

Finally Wilkins entered with the tea tray. ‘Will there be anything else, miss?’

Katrina had taken note of the Dowager’s slight frame. ‘Yes, Wilkins, I believe a nice log on the fire will do, on such a dreary day.’

The Dowager’s body appeared to relax slightly as the cosy fire warmed the room.

‘How would you care to have your tea?’

‘With some milk and four lumps of sugar, please.’

Before she caught herself, Katrina’s brows rose in surprise. Her Great-Aunt Augusta had enjoyed her tea very sweet, as well. Preparing the cup brought back fond memories of the times when she’d used to sit with the woman who had raised her. She had been her mother’s aunt, and of a similar age to the Dowager. There was something in the Dowager’s eyes that reminded her of her aunt.

‘An extra sweet or two never hurt anyone,’ the Dowager explained, with the faintest hint of a smile.

Katrina grinned and inclined her head. ‘My Great-Aunt Augusta would certainly have agreed.’

‘Then your great-aunt had exceptional taste,’ she said with a sparkle in her eye. She accepted the Wedgwood cup from Katrina. ‘I understand you are acquainted with my grandson?’

Knowing this was the true intention behind the unexpected visit, Katrina focused her attention on pouring herself tea. ‘I am.’

‘I assume you have seen the papers today?’

Katrina placed her cup on the table in case the Dowager’s words left her with shaking hands. ‘Yes, I have.’

‘What are your feelings on the speculation, Miss Vandenberg?’

‘His Grace showed a polite courtesy in asking me to dance. There is nothing more to it. The papers seek to sensationalise the mundane to sell copies. In truth, my only concern is how my actions reflect on my father and his work here.’

The Dowager’s features softened and she took a sip of her tea. ‘You’ll have to acquire a thick skin to live among us. The papers have something to say about everyone. Do not let what they print concern you.’

‘Thank you, but I believe my actions will not warrant comment in the future. I am not an outrageous creature to garner their attention.’ And for that Katrina was grateful.

Her comment seemed to appease the Dowager, and the remainder of her visit was spent discussing their shared love of reading and Katrina’s tour of the Waterloo Battlefield.