Duke of Shadows (Duchess in Distress #1)
Chapter 1
CHAPTER ONE
“What is better than a ball if one needs an audience?” Rachel Montrose muttered to herself.
She had made a great effort to dress herself tonight. The dress she wore was one that she had bought after months of saving each penny that she managed to earn. The intent was simple: she wished to make an impression amongst the finely dressed ladies of the ton who were in attendance at the ball.
It was the perfect opportunity to make her announcement, and Rachel would not squander a single moment tonight. She had planned this for months now.
“Ah, Miss Montrose,” one of the ladies approached her. Rachel recalled that it was Lady Haversham—married to an earl—who had enough of a social standing for Rachel to put on her best act.
“So very lovely to see you,” Rachel responded with a smile.
“I thought I saw you from the corner of the room,” she continued. “I thought not to waste another moment and to come to you directly. Congratulations on your engagement.”
The lady was looking at Rachel as though she were an object inside a museum. And in a way, Rachel knew that was true. Tonight, she was an object of fascination for Lady Haversham and the like.
Lovely, Rachel thought to herself. That meant her plan was going exactly as expected. Rachel exhaled softly, her fingers tightening around the fan she held. This was it—the night for which she had spent weeks preparing. A single evening to set her plan in motion.
“Thank you, my lady.” Rachel could hardly keep the smile off her face.
“The Duke of Everly is quite the catch,” she continued. “I do not wish to pry, but one wonders how you managed to secure a match with him?”
It was funny, Rachel thought, how these ladies operated. They would say that they hated to pry, but then proceed to ask the most personal of questions.
Of course you’d like to know. She did not mind the curiosity tonight. Rachel had expected to be questioned like this, and she had come well prepared with answers.
Her lips curved into a practiced smile. “It was a matter of fate, my lady. He is a man of deep thought and rare appearances, but I suppose forces greater than the two of us were at play in bringing us together.”
A ripple of murmurs followed, some impressed, others skeptical.
“Well,” Lady Haversham pressed her lips together in a thin line, “that is really quite romantic—and I have to say—unexpected.”
“Is it really?” Rachel replied in a coy manner. “I would think there are stranger things in the world. This is only a chance encounter turned into love.”
“Is the marriage set to happen soon?” another lady asked. “I cannot imagine a duke rushing into these things. Surely, you will need months to prepare.”
Rachel wanted to roll her eyes. The ladies of the ton spoke of dukes as though they were another entity on earth. Everything about them had to be planned well in advance and gossiped about at length.
“I am afraid that we have not yet announced a date,” Rachel replied, “You know already how much the duke values his own privacy.”
“But surely the date must not be kept private?” the woman continued, unnerved.
“Ah, yes,” Rachel nodded. “Once we do decide, I will make sure that you are the first to know.”
She made sure to emphasize the last part. She had learned that one way to win favor amongst the ladies of the ton was to make them feel important.
The women exchanged glances. Lady Haversham leaned in slightly, her fan hiding her smirk.
“A secretive engagement to a recluse—this story just keeps on getting more romantic the more I hear of it. Tell me, does he often write you poetry?”
Rachel took a moment to think about her response. “Well, as you know, he is not one to ramble, but I believe that makes it even more special. When a man chooses his words with care, they carry greater weight. Besides, anything he utters sounds like poetry to me—so you may say that he does.”
“Oh, you must be quite besotted with him if that is what you believe,” the lady replied.
“I am,” Rachel smirked. “And I would think it’s fair to say that it is the same for him.”
The murmurs grew again, this time tinged with admiration. They were impressed, and why would they not be?
Rachel had managed to do something that not a lot of people were capable of doing. She had caught the attention of a known recluse, and that meant that she was someone who was worth knowing.
On any other day, they would never waste so much time speaking to her. Even though she was a Montrose in name, it was known in the community that she did not have the same noble upbringing. To them, she was beneath them in society at best.
Their changed behavior proved only one thing.
It was working.
She hoped that this would be the end of the questioning, but then another lady spoke up.
“Strange that no one has seen the duke in months now,” Lady Penrose said. “How convenient that he chooses now to emerge. Isn’t that just so strange?”
All eyes turned to Rachel, burning with curiosity. Rachel’s pulse quickened, but she was not going to let this ruin the impression she had spent so much effort in making.
“The duke indeed appears rather elusive to those who do not know him,” she replied, “but does his preference for privacy mean that he should not find love?”
Lady Penrose’s thin lips pressed into a line, but she let the matter go. There were a few murmurs of agreement. Rachel felt relieved.
But just as she was about to gloat further, she felt herself being pulled backward.
“Excuse us, ladies,” Marina said quickly, pulling at her sister’s hand. “I have to discuss something quite urgent with my sister.”
Rachel smiled politely at the ladies before being dragged away.
“I was in the middle of something,” she tried to say, but Marina did not let her go until she was brought out to the terrace, a place where they finally had the privacy to speak without the fear of being heard by gossip-seeking guests.
“Rachel, what exactly are you doing tonight?” Marina hissed, rounding on her. Rachel had never seen her sister so angry before.
“My darling sister, you need to relax. Frowning like this will give you wrinkles around your face,” Rachel grinned, amused. “Maybe I can fetch you a drink of water, or perhaps you should sit down.”
Marina glared at her sister.
“What?” Rachel asked. “Why are you so angry with me?”
“Don’t act as if you are oblivious. You know exactly what I am talking about.”
Rachel shrugged her shoulders. “I am not sure if I do. Is it something I said?”
No matter how old she got, it was always just so fun to tease her little sister like this, for it was so easy to rile her up.
“I just heard Lady Haversham and half the room whispering that you’re engaged to the Duke of Everly! What on earth is this about? Surely, this is not true.”
“It has to be true,” Rachel joked. “Why else would they be talking about it?”
Rachel had never been impressed by the ladies of society and their gossip. To her, it appeared that it was almost too easy to get their attention. They loved to discuss the lives of others, and Rachel had learnt that fact alone could be beneficial to her favor.
One must play the game, or be played by it. It was something that Rachel had learnt the hard way.
“Because you told them!” Marina’s voice rose despite her attempt to keep it quiet.
She glanced nervously over her shoulder before stepping closer to Rachel.
“So either you have been meeting the duke in secret, which I doubt, as I know about your whereabouts at any given moment, or you’ve been lying to everyone. ”
To that, Rachel gave her sister a wink as if to say, ‘Oh, you caught me.’
“Why would you do something so reckless?” came the reply, bursting with frustration.
“Why don’t you try and answer that for me, love?” Rachel replied, smirking.
“Rachel, please,” Marina snapped. “I have no time for your games at the moment. You must tell me the truth this instant.”
“You’re no fun,” Rachel sighed, finally surrendering. “And if you really must demand an answer from me, well then, it is quite obvious. Dear sister, it works.”
Marina stared at her, mouth slightly agape. “It works? What could be worth risking the wrath of the ton, the wrath of our father, the embarrassment of it all, and—heaven forbid—the duke himself hearing about this? You do realise the sheer magnitude of your lie, right?”
Rachel folded her arms, her expression firm.
“The wrath of the ton? I think it’s quite the opposite. They looked quite impressed just now,” Rachel shrugged.
“Yes, because they do not know the truth. What will you do if they find out?” Marina pressed.
Rachel had not thought about that particular consequence yet. It had not sounded so serious in her head. But her reasoning was clear as day. There would be no arguing about it.
“It’s worth it for you, Marina. Do you know how many gentlemen you’ve danced with tonight? Three. That’s more than you’ve had in an entire Season. Do you wish to know the reason behind it? They think your sister is engaged to a duke,” Rachel explained.
Marina was rendered speechless for the moment. She opened her mouth to speak and then shut it back again. Anger flashed on her face, then concern replaced it.
Finally, she sputtered, “You…you can’t be serious. You are orchestrating this entire farce for me?”
Who else? She despised her biological father, and their mother had passed years ago. Marina was the only person left in the world that Rachel actually cared for.
“No need to sound so ungrateful,” Rachel said, masking her concern with nonchalance. “It is in your best interest. I would at least appreciate a thank you if not a well-thought-out present from you.”
Marina blinked, clearly in disbelief. “Forgive me, sister, for I am seriously failing to understand your reasoning.”
Very well then. It seemed Rachel was going to have to spell it out for her.