What A Gentleman Wants (10 page)

And then Hannah realized he was sacrificing his own place in their affections to save David’s.

Her first inclination was just to leave. She ventured out into the hallway, intending to hail a carriage of her own, collect her daughter and her trunks, and go. The duke said he wouldn’t help her leave, but she hardly needed his help. Before she had reached the stairs, though, a man who looked like a royal courtier but who must be a servant appeared out of nowhere, and inquired how he could help her.

Hannah hesitated. Perhaps, if she just said she needed a carriage summoned, he would do it. If he thought she was the duchess, after all, he would obey her, right? But in the end she didn’t have the nerve, and didn’t want to get the man in trouble with the duke—who was probably the sort to give the sack for the smallest thing—and so simply shook her head, and had to retreat. Trapped in the beautiful blue room, Hannah tried to calm her temper and think.

No matter what the duke said, it was better that she leave sooner rather than later. Since he didn’t seem to care what she thought, she decided she didn’t have to worry about what he thought. She would just leave, and he could make up any story he liked to explain things to his stepmother and sister. But how? She pressed her fingers to her forehead. Everything she owned was in the two small but heavy trunks near the door, and she didn’t see how she could get them downstairs and into the street without anyone noticing and stopping her. She racked her brains; if she had a persuasive story, a reason, surely someone would help her. But what should she say? She wished she had some of Sarah’s imagination at the moment.

She was no closer to a solution when the door opened a while later. Hannah spun around, relieved to see it was only Molly. Then Celia Reece stepped into the room behind Molly, and Hannah felt awkward all over again. The girl looked so happy to see her, her pretty face glowing. Uncomfortably Hannah smiled back.

“Mama!” Molly ran to her, and Hannah instinctively scooped her up. “Celia showed me a room full of mirrors, Mama! Huge, tall mirrors that go almost to the ceiling! She said we shall dance in there, and I may have a new dress. May I, Mama? Will it be prettier than the new dress I just got when you were mar—?”

“Oh, Molly!” Hannah burst out, a little too loudly. She wasn’t quite ready to explain this to Molly, not until she had at least decided what she would do. “Be patient. We shall see if you need a new dress before getting all excited about it. And where are your manners?” she added in a whisper.

Molly looked over her shoulder. “Thank you, Aunt Celia.”

Hannah closed her eyes at the tide as Celia answered happily, “You are most welcome, Molly.” She opened them as Celia went on. “Hannah, Mama would like to know if you would care to take tea with us. You must be hungry after your trip.”

Molly bounced in her arms, smiling hopefully, and

Hannah’s shoulders slumped. She lowered Molly to the floor, thinking frantically. Tea with a duchess! Whoever would have guessed such a thing would happen to her? And although the duchess seemed very nice, Hannah didn’t see how she could enjoy it, unless…

Unless she could seize this opportunity, before matters got too far out of hand. The duke didn’t want to hurt his stepmother and sister, and Hannah would respect that, for Rosalind and Celia’s sake if not for his. But he clearly had nothing against lying to them. He’d even encouraged her to do it. A grim smile crossed her face. Well, then, she would lie to them— but not in the way he expected her to do.

Tea would be lovely,“ she said, straightening and taking Molly’s hand. ”Thank you.“

Celia beamed. “Mama has already arranged it on the terrace. Shall we go?” Hannah nodded, and they followed Celia out.

As they walked through the house, Hannah could barely keep her mouth from falling open in amazement again. It was magnificent beyond all her dreams. She had read stories in the newspapers about the grand entertainments and dinners given by the Prince Regent and the opulent furnishings in Carlton House, but surely this was every bit as fine. The floors were marble, the rugs were thick, the windows were tall and crystal clear. Everything was sparkling clean, even the servants who curtsied and bowed as they passed. Hannah felt very plain and poor again, but she kept her head up and tried to gadier her moughts for what she would say.

“There you are.” With a brilliant smile, Rosalind came to greet them as they stepped out onto the terrace. She clasped Hannah’s hands in her own. “I thought we could sit out here, as the day is so fine. Besides, we are family. We needn’t stand on ceremony.”

It was all Hannah could do to murmur a polite reply. It had suddenly occurred to her that if David hadn’t tricked her, and they had been married in truth, she would still have had Rosalind for a mother-in-law and Celia for a sister. Then she could have accepted all their kindness and been delighted to call herself part of their family. But thanks to David and his wretched brother, she couldn’t

“And Molly!” Rosalind leaned down to look Molly in the eye. “Has Celia shown you the secret passage?” she asked in a loud whisper.

Molly’s eyes grew wide. She had put her finger in her mouth when they reached the terrace, a sign she was as cowed as Hannah felt. Silently she shook her head.

“You must ask her after tea. The house is full of all sorts of hidden cupboards as well. Celia delighted in finding them when she was your age.”

Celia laughed. “Yes, and David would always tease me that I’d find myself stuck in one some day.”

Molly pulled her finger from her mouth. “Did you?” she asked in a little voice.

Celia made a face as Rosalind laughed. “Yes. I’d be stuck there still if Marcus hadn’t found me and let me out.”

“Marcus missed her before anyone else did,” said Rosalind, smiling. “He searched the house from top to bottom until he found Celia in a hidden cupboard in the library.”

“Well, enough about that, Mama.” Celia rolled her eyes. “Shall we have tea? I’m starved.”

“Yes, of course.” Rosalind led the way to a delicate table already laid with tea for four. Again Hannah had to conceal her wonder. The lawn spread away from the terrace in a sweep of perfectly trimmed green velvet. She could see a large garden with a fountain in its center, and far across the lawn, the river ran past, glittering in the sunlight. It was every bit as gorgeous as the house. Dazed, she sank into a chair.

“Do you like it?” Rosalind handed her a cup of tea.

“It’s stunning,” said Hannah, still taking in the view. “As is the house. I’d never seen—” Abruptly she fell silent, remembering that it was not her view to admire. She subsided in her chair and stirred her tea.

“Now, Hannah, I must apologize,” Rosalind said once everyone had a cup. Celia and Molly had their heads together already and were giggling about something. “We were so thrilled when we received David’s letter, we simply couldn’t wait to meet you. But of course you ought not to have to entertain the whole family when you’re barely settled in. I’d no idea you were just arriving today. I do hope you can forgive us.”

“Of course,” murmured Hannah into her teacup. They had more right to be here than she did, after all.

“Now…” Rosalind lowered her voice with a glance across the table. “I must tell you the news of your marriage was like the answer to my prayers. Marcus used to tell me he would never marry, which of course he simply must do; he has the dukedom to consider. And while it caught us a bit by surprise, it shouldn’t have.” Hannah looked at her askance. Rosalind leaned closer, her blue eyes twinkling. “Marcus is the sort of man who doesn’t hesitate when he wants something. Isn’t it wonderful, when a man makes you feel so wanted?”

Hannah would have laughed out loud if she hadn’t been absolutely mortified. The duke wanted her to go away, if he wanted anything from her at all. She had to get out of this mess. “I confess, I don’t know the first thing about London.”

That is no trouble. You can learn.“ Rosalind offered a plate of tiny cakes decorated with sugar-encrusted violets. Hannah’s mouth watered just looking at them. She took one, and nearly swooned in delight as it melted on her tongue. Clearly there were at least a few good things about being a duchess. ”We shall look over your wardrobe tomorrow and remedy any deficiencies,“ Rosalind went on. ”I don’t mean to offend,“ she said at Hannah’s startled look. ”David wrote that you grew up in the country, with very little time in town, and I suspect fashions are somewhat different here.“

“Oh, Mama, may I do some shopping, too?” asked Celia eagerly. She turned to Hannah. “May I get Molly a few gifts?” she whispered. “Just a few.”

Only because she was not planning to be there to go on this mythical shopping expedition did Hannah not protest. She tried again to temper their enthisi-asm. “I think perhaps I ought not to go out. I know nothing about being a duchess.”

“It’s a wonderful thing about being a duchess,” confided Rosalind merrily. “No one wants to criticize you, so you can be anything you wish.”

“The duchess of Devonshire gambles worse than any man and she’s received everywhere,” added Celia. “No one would dare cut Marcus’s wife.”

“Celia, that’s gossip,” chided her mother.

“I didn’t even know he was a duke,” said Hannah, a plan forming in her mind at last. If they thought the duke had misled her about himself, surely they would understand her desire to leave. “I had no idea of any of this.” She waved one hand at the manicured landscape, the gleaming house, the fine china dishes. “He told me nothing of his life. It’s very different from what I’m used to.” Rosalind’s eyebrows went up. Celia set down her teacup with a clank, her eyes wide. Hannah bit her lip and tried to look betrayed.

“Goodness,” murmured Rosalind. “Marcus must have completely lost his head. You really had no idea he was a duke?” Hannah shook her head. This seemed to please Rosalind. Her smile grew. “What a lovely surprise it must have been. When did you discover it?”

“Ah, well, he told me… that is, not until I reached London,” Hannah said uncomfortably. It didn’t seem to be working the right way. Flustered, she leaned over to wipe Molly’s chin, although her daughter was working her way through a jam-covered tea cake and seemed perfectly oblivious to her mother’s unease.

Celia giggled, her hands clasped under her chin. “Oh, he must have been so in love,” she cried, turning to her mother. “Imagine, he didn’t tell her until they were married!”

At the thought of the duke being so in love with anyone, let alone with her, Hannah threw down her napkin. “He ought to have told me,” she said firmly. “I’m very unhappy with him for deceiving me. We quarreled.”

“Oh, but you must consider it a compliment. Marcus is usually very aware of his station. If he let you think him an ordinary gentleman, he humbled himself greatly. I do so love a man who does that for a woman.” Celia nodded her agreement, her eyes misty.

“It was a terrible, terrible quarrel,” went on Hannah in desperation. “I don’t know that I can ever forgive him. You must have seen how cold he was this morning. He doesn’t want me to stay! I don’t see how we can go on, after this. It was all a terrible mistake.” There, she had all but said she would leave.

Rosalind dismissed it with a wave of her hand. “Marcus doesn’t show affection in front of others. You mustn’t take it as a personal rebuke. As for the quarrel, it will blow over. Above all, Marcus likes peace. When he sees how much it upset you, he’ll make amends. Now, if we’re to plan a proper wedding for this Season, we must start at once.”

Hannah shot to her feet, unnerved. “No, I—I really don’t think I can discuss that!”

“Of course not,” said Celia. “Mama, we really must take care of the shopping first. How can she go about, if she has no clothes?” Rosalind agreed at once, and they decided between themselves that as soon as Hannah’s wardrobe was complete, they would move on to the wedding, and perhaps even a ball to introduce her to the ton. Hannah ducked her head and let them talk around her, knowing she wouldn’t be there for any of it, even though she still had no idea how she would leave—Just that she would. Aside from the lies the duke wanted her to tell and the sting of David’s betrayal, she suspected that becoming attached to Rosalind and Celia, and then having to leave them, would hurt worst of all.

When Molly put her hands on the table and rested her cheek on them, Hannah seized the reprieve. “Molly, it’s time to rest.”

“I’m not sleepy, Mama.” Molly undermined her words with a wide yawn. Hannah got to her feet as Rosalind smiled and Celia giggled.

“Would you excuse us?” she murmured, lifting her daughter. “You may explore the secret cupboards after you have a little sleep,” she said by way of enticement. Molly brightened then, and waved good-bye to Celia and Rosalind as Hannah made her way back into the house.

“Mama?” Molly snuggled against her chest, her small body a comforting familiar weight in Hannah’s arms.

“Yes, darling?” She tried to remember how tüey had gotten to the terrace. She could see the stairs over there…

“Are we going to live here?”

She didn’t answer Molly’s question as she climbed the stairs. What should she say about tins to Molly? She had to say something, after the way Molly had nearly blurted out that it was David and not the duke Hannah thought she had married, but didn’t want to trouble Molly with more than she could understand. “No,” she settled for saying. “We’re only visiting.”

“Oh.” They reached the room where her trunks were, and Hannah pushed open the door. She pulled back the covers on the bed, surprised to find fresh linens, faindy scented with lavender. The room had been cleaned, in just the short time they’d been having tea It would have taken her a week.

She took off Molly’s shoes and deposited her on the bed. Missy was on a chair near the bed, and Molly wedged the doll under her arm before wiggling into the pillows. The new doll, christened Elizabeth, stood in a place of honor on the dressing table, visible but untouchable. Missy, the rag-tag doll with only one eye and no shoes at all, was in Molly’s arm, and Hannah was somehow reassured by it. “Where is David?” Molly asked then.