Promise Me (22 page)

“
As did your mother, but she also loved painting the bold colors this time of year. Much like your sister.”

As their casual conversation continued, Leah leaned against the cushions and closed her eyes. Nowadays, her every thought began and ended with the duke. His words of praise had snatched her breath with unsurpassed expertise. Had he not skillfully wounded her tender pride one moment and the very next asked...no,
demanded
...two requests?

And almost mindlessly she had agreed.

Well, not quite, for after she’d bathed, she sent a servant to deliver his Bal Masque invitation.

Would the duke be angry? Amused?

Why did she care?

You know why.

No! I refuse to believe that I am in love with that--

The wheels hit a deep rut, causing the carriage to pitch. The sudden jarring snapped her back to the present. She opened her eyes and found her father watching her.

“
You’re too quiet this evening, Leah.”

“
I’m simply tired, Father.”

He cleared his throat. “Did, ah...did Chase..?”

“
Yes.”

“
And you..?”

“
I did.”

“
Has he told..?”

“
I imagine so.”

“
And you believe this is best for..?”

Out of the corner of her eye, Leah caught her sister listening intently. She placed her palms over Kat’s ears and gently turned the girl’s head toward the window before she nodded once to her father.

Katrina wiggled away. “What about the duke?”

“
It doesn’t concern you, my love.”

“
I am not a child, Papa, but even a lad of Edwin’s age would suspect you and Leah are hiding something.”

“
Our discussion has nothing whatsoever to do with you, little sister, so I suggest you stay out of this.”

With a huff, Kat crossed her arms tightly across her chest before settling back against the cushions.

“
Father, are you disappointed?”

“
Now that I understand the circumstances...” He shook his head. “You know, Leah, you’ve been wearing that frown all evening. Are you dreading this dinner so very much?”

Kat giggled.

Her father raised a brow. “Something you wish to say, my girl?”

“
Well...” She smiled, her smug expression resembling a fat cat who’d spied a bowl of thick cream. “Had I been the one to engage in an unladylike mud fight with his Grace, I wouldn’t wish to see him again so soon either.”

Leah stared at her sister, dumbfounded.

“
Good heavens, Leah. What the devil is she talking about?”

“
Pay this little troublemaker no mind, Father. She’s simply trying to amuse herself because I excluded her from our earlier conversation.”

“
I am not amusing myself,” Katrina insisted. “You were rude to the duke. I watched the entire incident from the library.”

“
You were spying on us?”

“
No. I was sitting on the window seat reading my etiquette book when I noticed his Grace walking down to the pier.”

“
And you couldn’t close the drapes?”

“
Why would I?” Kat grinned at her father. “Really, Papa, I never laughed so hard in all my life. They were both covered in mud.”

“
I’m sure there’s a good explanation for such childish behavior.” His attention shifted to Leah. “Is there not?”

She tried to think of something to vindicate her shameful conduct, but nothing came to mind.

His lordship grunted. “Perhaps I should ask Chase.”

“
Goodness, no! It was nothing. Really.”

“
That’s not the way it looked,” Kat insisted.

“
Mind your own business, little sister.”

“
I would’ve had to close my eyes and cover my ears to do that.”

“
And you should have. Admit it, you nosy little snoop.” Leah pinched her sister’s arm. “You were much closer than the library window.”

“
Not at first.” Katrina aimed a kick at Leah’s ankle but missed.

“
Ladies, please,” his lordship commanded. “I’m sure I do not have to remind either of you that this sort of behavior is inappropriate as well.”

“
I’m sorry, Father.”

“
Sorry, Papa.”

“
Now then, as to the disagreement with Chase...”

Leah sighed. “It was a simple misunderstanding and entirely my fault. His Grace merely offered to extract my foot from the mud, but I slipped and fell.”

“
I see. No, actually I do not. How the devil did the altercation start?”

“
It wasn’t--”

“
She threw mud at the duke’s back,” Katrina announced and favored Leah with a smirk. “Which was unfair and most unladylike.”

“
So is spying. As I was trying to explain, Father, with regards to the minor incident my meddlesome little sister witnessed--”

“
Does meddlesome mean curious?”

“
No, it means interfering.” Leah calmed her tone before addressing her father. “The duke and I had a mild disagreement. Nothing more.”

“
It does not escape my attention that each time you’ve spoken of Chase it is with a great deal of emotion. Is it possible you care for him?”

The casual remark caught Leah off guard.

“
I suspect she’s infatuated with the duke,” Kat surmised.

“
Katrina Sheridan!”

“
You certainly act as though you are.”

“
I do not. And how would you know about such matters? You are ten years old. Not twenty.”

“
Being constantly reminded by one’s older and supposedly wiser sister that one is a child is not good etiquette.”

Leah pushed aside her anger. “You are correct.” She placed her arm around Katrina’s shoulders. “I’m sorry, dearest. I promise to treat you more like a young lady instead of a child, but you mustn’t spy on people. Even the servants.”

“
Your sister is correct. Refer to chapter sixteen of your etiquette book.”

Leah stared at her father.

He shrugged. “I read the book years ago, just after your mother and I met.”

“
I had no idea.”

“
I found the chapter on courtship especially interesting,” Kat remarked. “You see, some courtships go as planned. Others do not, and a lady must use her wits. If a gentleman appears uninterested or if he has many female admirers, she might try ignoring him in hopes of piquing his interest.”

“
Sounds rather devious,” Leah concluded.

“
Displaying a certain amount of aloofness isn’t deception. It’s clever strategy. Like playing chess. Isn’t it, Papa?”

“
Well, I’m not so sure romance should be compared to chess. It’s far more complicated. Leah, perhaps you should read the book.”

“
For whatever reason?”

Her father simply smiled.

Katrina scooted to the edge of her seat, mischief burning in her eyes. “Becca’s mother told us something amusing about the Duke of Chase.”

Leah’s pulse sped up, but she pretended a casual interest. “Oh?”

“
Now listen, you two,” his lordship cut in. “I will not be a party to gossip, and you may add that particular offense to your list of unladylike behavior.”

“
Oh, Father, it’s just between the three of us.”

He expressed his disapproval by leaning back against the cushions and closing his eyes.

“
Papa is right,” Kat noted. “We shouldn’t gossip.”

“
And we will change those unacceptable habits starting tomorrow,” Leah promised. She tempered her emotions so she wouldn’t be forced to beg. “But for now I’d like you to tell me what Lady Ashburn said about the duke.”

“
Ask her yourself.”

“
Katrina--”

“
Now that I think about it, it wasn’t really amusing.”

“
Kat!”

“
Oh, all right.” She blew an exaggerated breath. “Her ladyship said his Grace is the perfect example of a man with too many female admirers.”

Leah frowned. “What else did she say?’

“
That nearly half the unattached ladies in England thought to make a husband of him at one time, but he was much too clever.”

“
Yes, the duke is far too shrewd to be caught in such a feminine trap.”

“
To insinuate that Chase is avoiding matrimony seems a bit unrealistic,” her father reasoned. “He’s likely waiting for the right woman.”

Leah fought the urge to smile. “I thought you decided our conversation was beneath you.”

“
I’m offering an opinion. Not gossip. Any man’s heart can be taken when the most beautiful lady he’s ever seen happens to stroll past him. It happened to me when I met your mother. You two would do well to remember that the coin also flips to the other side.”

At that point the conversation lagged, and Leah turned her attention to the darkness outside the carriage window. She doubted the duke would ever fall in love, but one day he would desire an heir.

Fine!

I wish the poor unfortunate woman well in her numerous and unsuccessful attempts at tugging the horns off a devil.

Why, then, did her treacherous heart ache to be that very woman?

###

Just before six o’clock, Nicolas finished dressing and headed downstairs. He found Grandmother Margaret in the drawing room, sipping tea.

“
Good evening, my lady.”

She glanced up. “Nicolas, you look striking in your black coattails.”

“
Thank you, Gran. I’m glad you approve.”

“
Your dark hair and handsome face remind me of my own dear father, but those black eyes came straight from Bartholomew.”

Nicolas did not wish to resemble Grandfather Bart in any way or fashion, but he knew better than to voice this opinion. “Where’s Edwin?”

“
In the nursery with Miss Wharton.”

“
Who?”

“
The new nanny.”

“
You hired a nanny?”

“
This afternoon. Didn’t I tell you?”

“
No, you did not, but that’s excellent news.”

Grandmother Margaret set her cup of tea aside. “The girl is most pleasant, and Edwin took to her immediately. Still, she’s younger than I’d hoped for, but she’ll do for the time being.”

“
Did she provide references?”

“
Yes, she came with a letter of recommendation from a wealthy family in Cambridge Town.”

“
Cambridge Town? How did she hear about this position?”

“
I imagine from the agency, dear. Is it important?”

“
Probably not. You might pen a note to her previous employer to ensure the recommendation is genuine.” Nicolas sat on the sofa beside her. “Would you care to hear about the surprise I have for Edwin?”

“
I’ve already informed him that Miss Sheridan is coming to dinner.”

“
That’s not the surprise I was referring to.” He took her hand. “What’s your opinion of dogs?”

“
Oh, I adore them, but I’m not sure Winston does.”

“
Winston,” he muttered low. “Devil take it. I forgot about that feline.”

“
Nicolas, what have you done?”

“
Do you suppose Winston would mind sharing the manor with a pup?” He sighed. “Or two?”

“
Two?”

He nodded. “Beagles.”

“
Well, dear me…two pups?”

“
They were brothers, Gran. I didn’t have the heart to separate them.”

Grandmother Margaret smiled. “No, of course you didn’t. I’m certain Edwin will be pleased.”

“
I hope so. Say, is that a new gown?”

“
It is. Do you like it?”

“
It’s lovely, and I daresay you know how fetching you look in blue.” Suddenly suspicious, he studied her. “Gran, are we entertaining other guests this evening other than Annie and the Greyson family?”

“
As a matter of fact, we are.”

“
Is that so? Who’s the lucky gent?”

Her cheeks reddened. “Oh, for heaven’s sake, Nicolas. You know very well Bartholomew was the only gentleman who drew my interest.”

“
A pity, for I’m quite certain you would break many a heart if you were in the market for a husband.”

“
Oh, no,” she insisted flatly. “I’ve no wish to visit that particular market ever again.”

“
Well then, my lady, would you care to enlighten me as to the identity of this mysterious guest you’ve invited?”

“
Guests,” she corrected. “I neglected to mention it, but earlier this afternoon I had a visitor.”

A thread of alarm wormed its way inside Nicolas’ gut. Had Maria Santiago returned to cause more trouble?

“
Lady Westwood,” Gran added. “I’ve asked her to join us for dinner and to bring along her grandson.”