Regency Romances Page 20

  Finally, she was cheered up when her cousin James came to visit. A recent graduate from Cambridge, James was a stout, cheerful young lad who spoke about birds, hound-dogs, and hunting. His pleasant banter took Jane’s mind off her worries.

  Early one morning, the two of them agreed to go on a walk on the cliff-side. It was a pleasant day, with thick fluffy clouds peeking over the horizon, and cattle gently grazing as they walked. Although Jane’s mind was still on the Duke, she forced herself to be kind to her cousin. As they walked along, a chestnut horse and its rather handsome rider appeared in the distance. Jane felt her heart rise with happiness and then sink back into the gloom. It was the Duke! But what good was that? It would only torture her to see him again.

  To her surprise, he rode right up to them. She had rather thought that ever since that day at the ball when Susan snubbed him; he had been avoiding the entire Skeyton family. Clearly, she was mistaken.

  Getting off his horse, he approached them and began to chat. Apparently, he and James had studied under the same masters at Cambridge, which created an instant friendship between them. As they got to talking, the topic of the ball came up.

  With a smile, the Duke said, “That night has not left my mind, my Lady. I spent some time after wondering what you meant.”

  “I?” Jane asked, surprised and flattered. “I would not have thought any words I said could lead you to be bewildered.”

  “And yet that’s exactly what happened.” The Duke said. “I told you that day that most men and women have readily apparent wants and needs. Yet you said that you have very few. You even called yourself uncaring.”

  “Well, that is a gross lie!” James laughed. “I have never met a woman as full of love as my cousin here.”

  “I believe, neither have I.” The Duke smiled. “So I am curious, my Lady. What does motivate you? What would make you happy if it were not riches?”

  Jane laughed. “Now, my lord, I cannot comment on your analysis of other people’s wants. As for me, mine are very simple. I only wish to live my life simply and be surrounded by good people. I wish to do the best by other people and to have a happy, comfortable home that is full of love and laughter. If possible, I would rather lead my life in the country, but even if my husband were to settle in a town, I would find contentment in growing flowers no matter where I was.”

  “True,” James said. “Why, before they had moved into their current home, the yard was a mess. It is Jane’s efforts that have now made it one of the best gardens in the neighborhood.”

  “Well.” The Duke said. “It seems that I cannot find any fault in your desires, my lady. Nor is there anything anybody could chastise you about. But tell me truly, is there no wish in your heart for jewels, and dresses, and the admiration of handsome men? For I always believed that these were what many a lady would live and die for!”

  “As to that, Jane could die very happily even if she were to go right now.” James laughed. “For she already has all that she wishes. She has a family that loves her, a comfortable home and good friends.”

  “But I do not have a husband yet,” Jane said gently, as he teased her. “Eventually, I must find one, or be a burden on my parents.”

  The Duke was about to respond to this when he froze. His eyes seemed locked onto a carriage that passed by in the distance. Jane and James both turned their heads toward it.

  “Well, my eyesight is not too strong.” James declared. “Did you see anyone we know, Duke Seymour?”

  The Duke’s lips were pressed together, and a vein ticked in his forehead. Jane, who had seen the same thing he had, knew not what to say. Embracing each other in the carriage, were her own sister Susan, and the Duke’s best friend, Colonel Riley!

  She turned to the Duke, wondering if she should say anything. But she sensed that he did not wish to have the moment acknowledged nor did she wish to speak ill of her sister. Miserably, she watched him walk away, wondering if this would be the last time she would ever see him.

  Chapter 8

  Confronting

  Colonel Riley

  Colonel Riley held up the crystal decanter and observed it in the candlelight. The mahogany paneled room of the gentlemen’s club was fairly empty at the hour, with most men preferring to head home, or to have a bite. The colonel measured out a portion of brandy and swirled it in the goblet before taking a sip. His eyes were closed in evident enjoyment. The door swung open, and the Duke walked in.

  “George old boy.” Riley raised his glass. “Can I pour you some of this fine brandy? I haven’t seen you in a while.”

  “Oh, but I’ve seen you.” the Duke replied. “Just this morning, as a matter of fact.”

  “Ah.” Riley stood a little straighter. “So that’s what this is about. Perhaps we should go somewhere a little more private?”

  “No need.” said the one other gentleman who occupied the room. “I’ll show myself out. I was about to leave for dinner, anyway.”

  They watched him go, and the Duke slowly, but very firmly, shut the door behind him. Riley set his glass down with a sigh, then reconsidered, raised it, and swallowed the contents in one gulp.

  “Well?” He asked the Duke. “What does my oldest friend have to say to me?”

  “Only that you are a cad.” the Duke said. “You knew perfectly well that I had intentions to court Susan Skeyton, yet this morning I see you with her. She is from a fine family and you ought not to ride in an open carriage so shamelessly. You will have me to answer to if there is any mud flung on their honor.”

  A curious smile played on Riley’s lips. He blinked his eyes lazily and headed over to a sofa. “George, let’s discuss this at length. That seems to be what you want. But I can’t possibly keep standing my man, I have to strain my neck up to see your face!”

  “Riley, I’m warning you. Don’t play the fool with me. What do you intend to do with Susan Skeyton?”

  “Why do you ask?” Riley smiled. “Do you fancy her?”

  “Certainly not.” The Duke said. “Even if I had once, seeing her with you today shook me out of it. I have come to realize that Susan has all the characteristics that would make her a most unpleasing wife. She is far too quick to temper, far too demanding, and far too ready to judge others.”

  “Careful,” Riley said, his voice suddenly growing firm. “I won’t have you talking that way about my Susan.”

  “Oh?” The Duke raised an eyebrow. “So that’s how it is, is it?”

  “I’m in love with her,” Riley said. “I intend to elope with her as soon as possible.”

  “I won’t allow it!” The Duke thundered.

  “Why?” Riley asked. “Are you in love with her too?”

  “No, it’s just that if you eloped, her family would pay the price!”

  “Ah.” Riley laughed. “So that’s what it is. You do not care that I stole Susan from under your nose?”

  “It smarts a bit.” the Duke said. “But you are my oldest friend. If she makes you happy...”

  “She does,” Riley said. “She is quick to temper, and she has a tongue that can cause you wounds. But underneath all that, she is loyal and will make me a fine wife. As for me why by some stroke of luck she seems to think that I am handsome and charming. Eloping was her idea. She said that she always wanted the thrill of an adventure, and this will be a fine way to get it, even though she knows her family would rather have her married at home.”

  The Duke laughed. “Women! I cannot understand them!”

  “Not all women,” Riley said. “But my friend, I’m rather curious. Since you profess no attachment to Susan herself why do you care about whether we elope? Why do you care about her family?”

  The Duke was at a loss for words. “I suppose I shouldn’t. I just don’t want them to be hurt. They’re good people. As for Susan, I don’t mind telling you that the easy way she cast me off has caused some wounds to my pride.”

  “A mere scratch,” Riley said. “But it is very unfair of you to say that it was Susan w
ho cast you off. From where I stand, it is you who were most ungentlemanly.”

  “What?”

  “Since that day at Lyme Regis, when you defended Susan’s sister for wanting a different carriage, you have always been partial to Jane, and not Susan. At the ball, it was readily apparent how much you were enjoying your dance with her. When you talk to Jane, it’s like the world outside of her doesn’t exist; you’re so focussed on her every single word. Even now, you did not care about Susan eloping, you cared about how hurt Jane would be.”

  “Well…” the Duke did not have much to say.

  “It boggles the mind,” Riley said. “Jane is a simple person, and she is a good woman, for sure. But no match for a duke. She will marry a country squire, or a barrister, and spend the rest of her life...”

  “Not a word more, Riley!” the Duke thundered. His face was stormy with rage.

  Riley simply gave him a mischievous grin, and continued, “It’s true, though. Susan was saying that Jane will probably be wed to a neighbor’s son next year since she is too plain to attract any man on her own.”

  “Susan speaks nonsense!” The Duke cried. “Jane could have any man she wants! Why at the ball, I observed many an eye on her. Susan might attract an initial look because of her beauty, but Jane’s character makes her the favorite of every man she meets. Jane is far superior in every respect. She has more talent, a more positive view of life, she has love and kindness for all that she meets and more than anything, she has humility! Unlike vain women who care only about their appearance, Jane cares about deeper, more spiritual things.”

  “My my.” Riley laughed. “What a passionate defense. George, you old fool, have you not yet realized what you must do?”

  The Duke blinked at him, and said, “You know what Riley, I think I just have.”

  “Just as Susan and I predicted,” Riley said. “We were plotting about you two in the carriage, you know.”

  “What!”

  “I am your oldest friend, and she is Jane’s sister,” Riley said. “We saw what was in your hearts even before the two of you did.”

  “Riley, I should trash you.” The Duke declared. “But given that I have been a fool, and that I am about to go meet the woman I now know I love, I believe that a handshake would be more in order!”

  It was not a handshake he received, but a delighted hug.

  Chapter 9

  Happiness Defined

  Every tree in Sydney Gardens shivered from the storm that hit them that night. The storm had barely passed when the skies cleared and the sun shone through. Jane walked alone in the gardens, occasionally waving her hand as an acquaintance walked by. Her mind was full of troubled thoughts.

  Susan had confessed to Jane that she was in love with Colonel Riley, and the two of them were planning to elope together. It was only with the greatest of skill that Jane had managed to dissuade her from eloping. She painted a picture to Susan, telling her about all the fun she’d have at a real wedding; how she would be the center of attraction and the prettiest of all brides. Susan enthusiastically agreed. The day after, Colonel Riley would come to talk to their father about his intentions.

  Jane was well satisfied with her sister’s choice. Colonel Riley seemed like a good man, with a streak of mischief. But part of her felt very lonely at the thought that with Susan gone, Jane would not have a companion at home anymore.

  She was drawn out of these thoughts as a figure blocked her path. She looked up to see the Duke and gave a little gasp.

  “You!” She managed. Then, recovering herself, she curtsied. “Good afternoon, sir! I did not expect to see you here.”

  “Yes, I know.” The Duke said. “As a matter of fact, I went to your house first, and was told that you would be out here.”

  “You deliberately sought me out?” Jane’s heart fluttered at the thought. She bade it keep still. Surely, the Duke had only come here to give her an invitation or discuss Susan’s marriage to Colonel Riley. Was he very heartbroken? Was he feeling the kind of pain she had felt when she first realized her love for him was useless and would never be reciprocated? She looked into his eyes, searching for something but all she found was a secret glimmer that looked a little too much like joy.

  “What is it?” Jane asked, suddenly unable to bear it anymore. No man had a right to look so handsome! How could Susan ever have called him dull? She had no ability to see beyond the surface, to see the enigma wrapped around his soul.

  “I came to talk to you.” The Duke said. “I came to ask you about… about the meaning of happiness.”

  “What?” Jane was very confused.

  “That day, when I left, I left rather abruptly.” The Duke said. “We never finished our conversation. You were telling me what you thought a happy life should look like.”

  “Oh. Yes.” Jane shrugged, wondering where this was going, telling herself it couldn’t possibly be leading where she dreamed it would. “Happiness starts with oneself, and is increased by other people,” she said. “Happiness is about appreciating all the things you do have in your life, while always striving to improve the lives of others. It’s simple enough.”

  “Yet there are so few people in this world who are truly happy.” The Duke said. “Why do you think that is so?”

  “I suppose greed is a reason,” Jane said. “But another reason is that people often do not know what they want, and so they go chasing things they believe will bring them happiness, when all the while, happiness was theirs to grab.”

  “Yes.” The Duke said. “Foolish men search for beauty, and when it stands in front of them, they are blinded by cheap glitter instead. I was such a man.”

  “I don’t understand,” Jane said.

  “I thought that it was your sister I wanted.” The Duke said. “But like cheap glitter, there was nothing but a temporary blindness in my eyes. Yet the first moment I locked eyes with you, Jane, some part of my soul called out to yours. I know it did. The more time I spent with your family, the more time I wanted to spend with you. Our conversations lingered in my mind as did your laugh. Riley pointed out to me that I was most ungentlemanly to Susan, because I constantly preferred your company to hers, even at Lyme Regis. Yet I was such a fool, I did not realize this.”

  “Your Grace…” Jane looked away, her cheeks flushing. This could not be. This must be a dream, or, or maybe he simply did not know what he was saying. “Your Grace, you may think that you fancy me, but a Duke has many expectations of his wife, and neither will I be able to provide you great beauty, nor will I be able to give you any wealth.”

  “I have all the wealth I need.” The Duke said. “What I lack is happiness. What I lack is a house that feels like home, and a garden where I can sit with the woman I love. What I lack is happiness and happiness cannot come from wealth, can it?”

  Jane had nothing she could say. Her heart was bursting with happiness, and yet some part of her feared it could be taken away any instance.

  “As for beauty.” The Duke said. “You and I must disagree. For you see, unlike your simpler demands in a husband, I have a long list of what I want in a wife. A spectacular pair of eyes, a smile beyond measure, and a laugh like the trill of a songbird; all of which you possess, and far more.”

  Jane looked up, her eyes full, unable to speak.

  “Jane, from the moment we have met, I have felt connected to you.” The Duke said. “Please honor me and bring me happiness for the rest of my life by agreeing to be my bride!”

  “Oh!” She said, finally finding her words, “Yes! Yes! A thousand times yes!”

  The clouds above seemed to clear as they came together in an embrace, and the very heavens seemed to smile back as the young couple laughed and whispered their love to each other.

  *** The End ***

  Deceiving the Duke

  Regency Romance

  Grace Fletcher

  Chapter 1

  Gossiping Gladys

  C aroline Weston wasn’t conventionally beautiful, yet she
’d always managed to win hearts wherever she went.

  Adam Watts, who was now escorting her home from a neighbor’s ball, paused to consider the girl he had known all his life. Adam was quite the rake himself, but for a few days now, he’d been finding himself more unsatisfied with his conquests. As he looked at Caroline sideways, he thought that he had discovered the cause.

  She sat with her hands folded, talking to her plump but pleasant Aunt Gladys about her cousin Jeremy.

  Adam Watts, who grew rather bored of a conversation if it did not center around him, interrupted with, “I daresay that a ball such as this should be mandatory each week.”

  Gladys raised her eyebrow, looking up and down Adam with a shrewd eye. She had known him since he and her son were both crawling babies. Her opinion of him had not improved over time. Adam saw himself as a fit and wealthy bachelor, ready to take on the world. Gladys saw him as little more than a rake with questionable character. Still, she was sure he would never harm Caroline. He seemed to have an almost brotherly affection for her.

  “A mandatory ball. Interesting.” Caroline said. “Would it also have mandatory dancing? Perhaps with military precision?”

  “Do you mock me, Lady Caroline?” Adam asked. “I’ll warn you that I don’t take kindly to being mocked.”

  “It’s plain to see,” Caroline said. “Yet it surprises me to see a man with two older brothers who has not yet been so mercilessly mocked that he developed a sense of humor about it.”

  “Oh, I was mocked aplenty by my brothers,” Adam said. “Well, Richard, being the oldest, knew that I hero-worshiped him. But Robert was a different story. He was downright cruel to me. I’d do something harmless like spill ink over his books, and instead of beating me up like a typical brother, he’d say things... things that, I’m ashamed to say, would drive me to tears. Robert has a tongue sharper than the blade of a Spanish knife.”