Regency Romances Page 18

  If he had slapped her, he could not have gotten a more shocked reaction from Susan. She was so convinced he would have taken her side. She stared at him in dismay now and wisely decided to say no more. But she gave Jane a cold stare that let her know she would suffer later on.

  For the rest of the time in the carriage, Susan made sure to snub the Duke for daring to displease her. Instead, she lavished her attention on Colonel Riley, thinking that this would make the Duke jealous, and teach him a lesson.

  To her displeasure, however, the Duke seemed to fall into conversation with Jane, and pass the time quite easily, hardly noticing Susan’s displeasure.

  “I’m genuinely sorry.” The Duke said to Jane. “I had no intention of offending you, my lady.”

  “I’m sorry too,” Jane said. “I was just… I was just protective of Susan. I did not mean to imply that you had dishonorable intentions.”

  “You love your sister quite dearly. It is apparent.” The Duke smiled. “Are you always so protective of her.”

  “That is a sister’s duty, isn’t it?” Jane smiled.

  The Duke wondered if it was not apparent to her that Susan, instead of being protective, had been perfectly rude to Jane. He exchanged a look with Colonel Riley and wondered if his old friend would feel as wounded as he did to see Jane look hurt. To his surprise, the colonel was deep in conversation with Susan.

  As always, Susan looked utterly gorgeous today, having chosen to wear a dress made of deep blue velvet with a white lace trim. Her ears and neck were adorned with fine pearls while a hat with an ostrich feather sat on her head. Still, the Duke observed that despite her finery and her fine features, her face had the crudeness of a fisherwoman. Especially when she made derogatory comments about her sister. He was surprised to find himself more than a little irritated with Susan’s behavior, and certainly very protective of Jane’s hurt feelings. Any other person, he thought, would have snapped back at Susan for being rude. Jane, however, had been perfectly civil. Even now, it was apparent that she didn’t want to punish Susan in any way, she only wanted the party to continue happily on their journey.

  “Have you been to Lyme Regis before?” The Duke asked her. “The beach is particularly beautiful.”

  “We used to visit it regularly when I was a child,” Jane said. “I once found an old mollusc in the sand. My father took me to a professor’s house later and showed me his collection. I loved it. Every time I hear about Lyme Regis, I think about all the strange and wonderful creatures we share this earth with, and how grateful I am that God created it all.”

  The Duke smiled. “If you visit my estate, you will find that we have a fine library with our own collection of shells and ancient molluscs.” He said. “My younger brother is quite an avid collector, though I had no patience with labeling things.”

  “What were you like as a child?” Jane asked.

  “Me? I was a regular rascal.” The Duke grinned. “I would tease the animals, run wild in the countryside and get into scraps with local lads. I’d also swim farther than I should in the ocean. My father often had to take a cane to me when I misbehaved. But I loved him and he was an excellent father. He made sure that I knew I was loved, and he always had time for me.” Finding himself suddenly, unexpectedly emotional, the Duke cut off the conversation. His father had died three years ago, and even with Riley, who was his closest friend, the Duke had never really talked about how much he missed him. No one would understand anyway.

  Jane did, he could see it in her eyes. It was not pity, for pity he would have found unbearable. It was sympathy that he found in her eyes. As if she felt his pain and found it valid. Tearing his eyes off her, he refocused himself on Susan. He had invited her after all, and it would not do to be irritated with her.

  Colonel Riley was watching him with mischief in his eyes. The Duke raised an eyebrow, but the colonel simply shook his head.

  The rest of the trip went quite well. They met up with the Duke’s sister and Jane’s parents and soon wandered around the picturesque town together. The Duke’s two young nephews entertained the group aplenty, as did Colonel Riley with his jokes and stories. Jane stayed far away from the Duke, and each time the Duke wished to talk to her, he instead found himself talking to Susan, who would somehow inject herself into the conversation. When she tried to be, Susan was a very charming woman, and the Duke found himself forgetting his earlier irritation at her. If he had looked at Jane carefully, he would have seen the longing in her eyes as she stared at him. But with Susan blocking the way, the Duke never noticed.

  Chapter 4

  Meeting Again

  at Church

  The Duke had occasion to meet Jane again, however, that following Sunday. While Susan begged off from church on the pretext of being ill, Jane and her parents attended, as they were wont to do twice every week.

  As always, The Duke found himself feeling at a rare peace when he was done with his prayers. His father had often praised the English clergy as educated, refined, generous, God-fearing men. It struck the Duke that despite his wealth, he did not have the simple happiness of these men, who lived lives of piety and plain duty. Despite having so little, the Duke mused, these men were always open to give friendly help, wise counsel and the contents of their purse, to whoever needed them.

  Somehow, his eyes fell on Jane. She was kneeling, her head bowed, as light streamed through the stained glass windows on her. Her lips were pursed slightly and moving as she spoke her prayers. The Duke blinked a little, and moved outside as the service ended, deep in thought.

  In the courtyard, he found Colonel Riley and Michael Skeyton exchanging a laugh.

  “Ah, welcome, Duke Seymour.” Michael Skeyton bowed to him expansively. “The Colonel here was just telling me his many adventures out on the sea.”

  “Riley’s a brave man.” The Duke said. “Personally, I never wish to visit those times again, not even in my memory.”

  “I don’t see why!” Riley exclaimed. “Why, you were one of the bravest men out there. Your father was so proud of you, too. I was telling Mr. Skeyton here how I was once dangling off the mast during a storm when you risked your life to come save me. I looked rather like a monkey swinging from a tree, to be honest.”

  “Then that would make me the monkey’s uncle.” The Duke laughed. “Forget it, Riley.”

  “Can’t.” He said with a laugh. “I owe this man my life, and I’ve pledged to help him when he needs it.”

  “How about helping me out by never talking about it again?” The Duke put a hand around his friend’s shoulders.

  As Jane and her mother joined them, the Duke dropped his hand and stood very stiff.

  “At ease, soldier.” Riley teased.

  The Duke shot him a glare.

  “Why it’s wonderful to see you again, Duke Seymour,” Margaret said. “Susan and I were just saying the other day that it was very generous of you to invite us along on your little excursion.”

  “The pleasure of your company was all I needed, madam.” The Duke bowed to her, and then to Jane. “I see that Susan is not with you today?”

  “Oh.” Margaret looked a little uncomfortable. “No, she wasn’t feeling well.”

  “I hope that she will be better soon.” The Duke replied.

  Margaret had no doubt that by the time they went home, Susan would be perfectly fine. Her mysterious illnesses often coincided with having to wake early. Still, if Susan had known the Duke would be here, she would probably have been very eager to come to church.

  Jane and Colonel Riley were now speaking with his older brother about the brother’s business as owner of a factory producing wrought iron. While Jane had no knowledge of the subject, the Duke noticed that she seemed genuinely curious about the production, and how it helped the economy. It was used to produce ships, pipes and train tracks. Colonel Riley’s brother Gordon seemed more than pleased to tell her all about it. He puffed his chest as he recounted how they had recently installed new furnaces to melt the raw
iron ore, and how tough it was to maintain production on a large scale.

  Colonel Riley seemed to bore of the subject, and noticing this, Jane guided the topic along to politics. Soon Gordon was fervently denouncing Napoleon and his attempts to be crowned Emperor of France while Colonel Riley was telling Jane his views about the French. The Duke remained silent, preferring to watch with amusement as Jane deftly handled the conversation, keeping them from becoming too morose, and interjecting with light little jokes when she could.

  “...Of course, Paris has special memories for us all.” Gordon said. On hearing which, the Duke suddenly was pulled out of his reverie.

  “I’m sure we need not bore the ladies with our tales.” the Duke said.

  “Oh, ridiculous,” Gordon said. “You saved my brother’s life the third time, your Grace. Surely we’re allowed to regale the ladies with the tale. Not to mention the tale of Melanie De Couer.”

  “I find that such tales are best forgotten.” The Duke said, with steel in his voice. Locking eyes with Gordon, he silenced him with a frown.

  The conversation would have ended awkwardly, had Jane not saved it by saying, “But surely, there are other, more exotic places to which you have traveled, sirs. Is it true that on the Caribbean islands, there are parrots who can speak French more fluently than even a Frenchman born and raised in Paris?”

  Immediately, the conversation shifted onto the wonders of the Caribbean islands, with Colonel Riley reminiscing fondly of days spent lying under the stars on the beach, with the music of the wind as his only companion, and the sound of the sea speaking to him.

  “There was the time when our ship met a storm. The Duke and I were lowly soldiers then, and we found ourselves tossed about, clinging to a log for survival. We spent two weeks on that island thinking we were going to be stranded for life. George was rather efficient, and managed to build us a raft, while I spent all my time drinking coconut milk and taking dips in the sea.” Colonel Riley laughed.

  “You must not believe the colonel.” The Duke said with a twinkle in his eye. “He gives himself too little credit, and me entirely too much. The truth of it is, he had spotted a settlement nearby, figured that we would be rescued in two weeks, and decided to spend some time having fun instead of returning immediately.”

  “The Duke is far too dutiful.” Colonel Riley said. “I knew that if I told him, he would insist on us going back to our posts immediately.”

  Jane smiled as the two men laughed and teased each other. One of the reasons she thought the Duke was an exceptionally good man was his choice in friends. Colonel Riley had no wealth, nor any connections that could benefit the Duke. The Duke seemed to love the man simply for his good nature. Colonel Riley, too, seemed to love the Duke for his own character, and not for his inherited wealth. Someday, Jane mused, the Duke might just be her brother-in- law. It would be good to have a man like him in the family. She felt a pang in her heart even as the thought crossed her mind. Immediately, she knew why and worked to suppress it. Her smile did not slip off her face even as her heart ached. She did not know why, but each time the Duke looked at her, she longed to hold his gaze forever. Still, Susan fancied him, and it would be very dishonorable of Jane to even think about the Duke.

  When she looked back up, his eyes were on her face, but as soon as she saw him look, he turned away and pretended to look elsewhere.

  “How are your nephews?” Jane asked him. “Timmy and little Ben?”

  “They’re doing well.” The Duke smiled fondly as he thought of them. “Timmy will go to Eton next fall, and poor Ben is taking it hard. He’s rather fond of his older brother. My sister will be far more heartbroken though.”

  “It is sad.” Margaret Skeyton said. “I cannot imagine ever having to send my girls away.” She blinked. “Of course, with time, I will have to. When the right man comes along.”

  The Duke did not react at this, but Jane felt herself grow hot. Did her mother have to make their desires so obvious? If only she could have some tact!

  “Susan is a beauty.” Michael boasted. “Why we’ve had three offers for her hand already, but each time, we felt that the man didn’t match up. I’m no Baron myself, but my child will be left quite the fortune when she is married. It is the wish of her aunt and uncle. Wherever she goes, Susan will bring both fortune and a beautiful face.”

  “Yes.” Colonel Riley smiled. “It will be a lucky man, who she accepts.”

  “You put it well.” Michael smiled.

  “Yet, for all her beauty and riches, I’m sure that as a wife, Susan’s greatest contribution to the marriage will be the love she brings her husband.” Colonel Riley said. “Is that not so?”

  “Love.” Michael waved it aside. “I was a handsome man in my youth, and I married for love, but if I had to do it all over again, I’d advise myself to be careful about money too. Love fades, but money makes more money.”

  Shocked to hear her father speak so baldly, Jane shot a glance at her mother. Margaret had gone white with humiliation. The Duke swooped to the rescue.

  “As someone who has grown up with wealth and surrounded by people who have it, I know for a fact that all the wealth has brought no happiness with it.” The Duke said. “My parents were always in love with each other, and that is the single greatest inheritance I have received. Since you and Lady Margaret were so lucky as to love each other, I’m sure Susan and Jane will say the same.”

  “It is true, too,” Jane said. “I would not trade their love for us and each other, not for all the jewels in all the land.”

  The Duke smiled down at her fondly. “I’m glad. These days, I am saddened to find that people think riches are synonymous with happiness. Nothing could be farther from the truth.”

  Noticing the awkward silence which fell upon his speaking so bluntly, Jane changed the topic again, rather smoothly, by asking her mother her thoughts about an upcoming ball.

  “Oh yes!” Margaret beamed. “We will see you there, won’t we, Duke Seymour? I know Susan would be very glad.”

  “Of course.” The Duke said with a smile. “Colonel Riley and I will be there. We hope to see you too.”

  Jane knew it was wishful thinking, but she could have sworn that his eyes were fixed on her as he said this. But of course that couldn’t be. He was a Duke and had little to no interest in a plain girl such as herself. Jane spoke harshly to her own racing heart, telling it to stop its nonsensical behavior at once.

  But it would not listen, and the Duke’s blue eyes were responsible.

  Chapter 5

  The Ball

  The week flew by quickly, with Susan most concerned about her dress for the upcoming ball.

  “Everything must be perfect!” She repeated at least a hundred times while trying on dozens of dresses and making several visits to the shop to find a new pattern or lace.

  Jane had opted to wear a hand-me-down that Susan had no interest in. Being quite good with needle and thread, Jane had soon embroidered a pretty gold pattern on the deep green dress. Susan noticed, with a frown, and commented to Jane, “Honestly, Jane, you're rather selfish, aren’t you? After all, this ball is about me. I might be engaged by the end of the night. I’d think you’d be more focussed on making me look good, but here you are, only caring about your own dress.”

  Jane, noticing Susan’s growing irritation, replied, “Sister dearest, you don’t need ornaments or clothes to make your beauty stand out. No matter what you wear, men will notice you. I, on the other hand, must make sure that I am tidy, lest the gentlemen mistake me for a slum dweller. Imagine the embarrassment that would cause you!”

  Mollified by this, Susan nodded. “Yes, I suppose you’re right. Carry on.”

  Later that night, they arrived at the assembly rooms. Jane, who had been there twice before, looked around in appreciation as she always did. A throng of ladies and tail-coated gentlemen blocked their view of the room. Murmurs and laughs of a crowd determined to have a good time greeted the Skeyton family as they e
ntered. As always, Jane admired the fine crystal chandeliers that hung from the ceiling, casting a magical glow over the attending parties. In one corner, musicians played a merry tune, causing couples to rush to the dance floor together.

  “How wonderful!” Michael banged his cane and tapped his foot in time to the music. “Ah to be young again! Margaret, if it weren’t for this infernal cane, I’d ask you to dance with me right now.”

  “Oh, Michael.” Margaret blushed.

  “But instead, we will have to watch, and live it through our daughter. Soon enough, some gentleman will ask Susan.” Michael laughed.

  “But Susan will want to keep her dances aside for the Duke, won’t she?” Jane asked.

  “Why would I?” Susan said, her nose turning up. “Have you not noticed, Jane, that since the moment I walked in, every gentleman here has looked our way from one pretext or another? A few of them have stared at me openly.”

  “Careful, sister, do not let pride misguide you.”

  “Oh, you are far too much, Jane,” Susan said. “Such a stickler for decorum! There is nothing wrong with enjoying some attention.”

  “You’re the most beautiful lass in the room,” Michael said proudly. “You’ll have three more offers for your hand by the end of the night, mark my words, you will!”

  As soon as he had spoken, Colonel Riley appeared, looking dashing in his red uniform, medals dangling off his chest.

  “Well now,” Jane said with a smile. “It seems like whenever we meet, you make it a point to joke about your actions in the Navy, yet here you are with medals proving your honorable conduct.”

  “Ah, these?” He looked down at his medals and waved them away. “All these are honors I could have done without. But the one honor I could not do without is a dance with you, beautiful young ladies. My Lady Susan, if no man here has been courageous enough to ask you yet, may I have the honor of dancing with you?”