Chapter 5
CHAPTER 5
“ Y ou were caught with Miss Winston?” Leonard Kingsman, the Duke of Pridefield laughed that evening, taking a moment with him alone in his study. “That is foolish, even for you.”
“I couldn’t stop it! I left to take air, and suddenly she was standing behind me.”
“Then why did you not immediately run for the hills? You are fortunate that it was only Miss Kendall that saw the two of you, else you would have been a husband by the end of the week.”
“I know. It was a dreadful situation. I must have taken things too far at dinner that evening.”
“What do you mean?”
In one motion, Levi drank the whiskey that Leonard had poured him, placing the glass down firmly.
“You know how I am, Leonard. I like to keep up my little facade. It keeps the ladies away. It should, at least.”
“What I find interesting,” Leonard chuckled, “is that you do it to keep the ladies away, and yet Miss Kendall wants you to leave her alone and you cannot do it.”
“That is precisely why I am drawn to her. You know as well as I do that we dukes have a target on our backs, especially with ambitious ladies and their even more ambitious mothers. When we meet someone that doesn’t treat us like a cut of steak, we wish to see more of them.”
“There is being treated with respect, and there is vowing to ensure you do not ruin young ladies. That is quite an accusation, you know.”
“And a perfectly reasonable one, if you think about it. I am no paragon of all that is good, after all.”
“As far as she knows.”
Yes, it was all an act, but other than his fellow rakish friends nobody had ever questioned it. His friends had only questioned it because of their own lifestyles, which he chose not to share in. Ladies, less-than-ladies, and their schemes weren’t something that interested him, but he liked the protection a rakish reputation gave him. It led to mothers shielding their daughters from him, fathers refusing matches even though he had a grand estate and was, well, a duke. His wealth meant nothing if it risked a reputation, and it was the perfect excuse for him not to marry.
“So, what do you plan to do now?” Leonard asked.
“What do you mean? She asked me to leave her be, and so I will. I still have honor, unlike some.”
His friend chuckled again.
“It is a shame. She wouldn’t be the worst wife, if you were so inclined.”
“And have her meet my mother? I would rather my staff pulled lit coals from my fireplace for me to walk over in bare feet. It is my preference that she remains hidden away. Besides, it is quite clear that Miss Kendall does not wish to marry.”
“Your mother is harmless, or at least she is now. She hardly even knows where she is at times.”
Levi sighed. His mother’s health had been in decline for a few years, and though he had hoped that her illness would soften her harshness, she was the same as she had always been. She still hated him, and she still regretted ever having him, in spite of the fact that he was the one caring for her.
“One day,” Levi said, “We shall have to marry and continue our family name. I am choosing for that day to come after my mother has passed.”
“Do you suppose Miss Kendall will be unmarried by then? Evil people have a tendency to live a very long time.”
“I do not know, and it is none of my concern. I do not wish to marry her. I do not even know her.”
“Not after the dreadful impression you have given her, no, but you can remedy that. You are a duke, after all.”
“Kingsman, enough. If I wanted to marry a spinster, I am quite certain that I could find one that was more willing.”
“Ah, is that why you had me change my mind about where we are all to sit? Because you know I had planned for people to change their seat each time so that we could all meet one another.”
“You can go back to your original plan, if you wish. I only did it because I– well, it was not to flirt.”
In truth, he did not know why he had asked him to do it, other than the fact that he had made the comment to her and he didn’t want her to see that he was bluffing.
“No, this is how the week shall pass now. You may consider it your punishment, as you shall now have to sit beside her three times a day. That won’t be an issue, will it?”
“No, of course not, but if she is not happy about it I will not force her to remain there. She is here to enjoy herself every bit as much as we are, after all.”
“Of course. She need only come and tell me herself, and it will all change immediately.”
But Levi had a feeling that she would be too stubborn, or perhaps too prideful, to do such a thing. He would be with her, as well as Miss Winston, for the remainder of the event, and he did not know what to say about that.
All he knew was that, as dinner drew close, he found himself becoming almost excited about it. He had left her during the walk because he felt like a nuisance, and he did not wish to pester her more than necessary, but there was still something that drew him to her, and he wanted to know just what it was. Sitting beside her so often would help him piece together the riddle. Wouldn’t it?
And so, that evening, sitting beside her and enjoying the meal that had been prepared for them, he did not even notice Miss Winston across from him. He found himself stealing glances at Miss Kendall, instead, and it pleased him to notice that she did the same to him.
“You may speak to me, if you wish,” she mumbled.
“Are you quite certain? I do not wish for you to be uncomfortable.”
“If you think that your mere presence can do that, then you ought to rethink yourself altogether.”
“Very well, then. How was your day?”
“Pleasant enough. I spent a lot of it with my sister, actually.”
She seemed to soften as she said those words. Levi did not doubt that she cared a great deal for her, and it was quite refreshing. He had no brothers or sisters to care for, and he had always felt as though he was missing something.
“I always wanted a sister,” he sighed. “Or a brother, though I must admit that I preferred the thought of a sister.”
“Oh? Why is that? I would have thought you’d rather have a brother to practice fencing with, or boxing, or some other barbaric sport.”
“I was never one for such activities. It may sound strange, but if I had a sister, I would have been charged with her debut, and it would have given me something to do. I understand that it isn’t easy, and the sister of a duke would certainly make for an interesting time, but it would have been something, at least. Instead, I spend each social season wandering the ballroom, watching the festivities but never truly part of them.”
“Well, you could always find a nice young lady to dance with. That would solve your problem, would it not?”
“It certainly would!” Miss Winston replied, but neither one of them gave her any acknowledgement.
“I have never met a lady I liked well enough for that. Besides, once those vicious mothers decide that I am looking for a wife, I shall not know peace until I marry—when that happens I shall be back where I am now, terribly bored.”
“Until it was time to find a match for your daughter.”
“You make an excellent point. Might you have any suggestions in case that day should ever come?”
She laughed at him, a real, light-hearted laugh with no malice in it at all, and tilted her head in thought. He wondered what had changed her mind since that afternoon, as she was far easier to speak to and he was enjoying it. Perhaps, he thought, she had concluded that he was not truly a rake, and was willing to see him as something other than an enemy. Then again, she had no reason to see him that way. It was his own fault that he was perceived the way he was, after all. He had dug that particular trap for himself, and walked into it with open eyes.
“For a start,” she began, “you must have her gowns made months before the season. I had my sister’s made a month or so after the prior season. It gave the modiste more time, and as long as the young lady’s measurements do not change too much it is worth the effort.”
“I see, I see,” he nodded, gesturing as if he were writing her instructions down. “And when searching for a suitor, what is the best way to find the perfect one?”
“Do not marry her off to a friend. That is the worst possible thing you can do, for no lady wishes to marry a man twice her age. Other than that, you should allow her to make her own choice. We ladies know what we want, and more than anything we want to be respected.”
He refrained from asking her what it was that she wanted. He did not want to ask her too much in case she closed herself off once again. For some reason, she had softened towards him, and he did not want that to change.
A silence settled between them, but it was not uncomfortable. Levi was smiling, and when he turned to Miss Kendall he noticed that she was too. In fact, the only one in the room that seemed unhappy was Miss Winston, who was looking at Miss Kendall with an intense displeasure, her eyes narrowed and her lips pressed into a tight line. He pitied her, though he wondered why she was so insistent on speaking to a rake when she was able to choose any man she wanted. She was a pretty young lady, and if she chose a gentleman that truly did care about her advances then she would soon be married.
He was, however, not that gentleman.
She was too young, too immature, and frankly she was far too interested in him for him to dare speak with her. One small conversation at dinner had led to her accosting him a few mere hours later, and he had learned from that. He had been fortunate that it had only been Miss Kendall that had seen the two of them, for he had meant what he told her. Had his hands been tied, he would not have refused her. He knew what his duty was, and that was yet another reason to avoid Miss Winston completely.
“How are your efforts with your sister’s match?” he asked.
Her eyes searched his for a moment, and he wondered if she thought he might have been mocking her. He was not, of course, but the way she leaned away from him made him think twice about his tone.
“Very well, it would seem, though admittedly I didn’t have a thing to do with it. She is with him now, just over there.”
She pointed to her sister, and when Levi followed to look he saw that there was a gentleman beside her that he recognized.
“Would you care for the opinion of a rakish duke?”
“I would, indeed,” she nodded. “If only to tell my sister what to avoid.”
“Lord Rosendale is a very good man. He has no debts, to my knowledge, and he is from a good family. He is very well respected. If your sister has taken a liking to him, I would recommend that sort of a match.”
She seemed to nod in thought for a moment before thanking him for his input. She did not seem too certain of the Baron, however, and Levi wondered just why that was.
“Have you any other concerns?” he asked.
“Not that I can think of, but it all seems rather convenient. My sister has already been out in society for a year, and she has never taken to someone so quickly. What I must be wary of is whether she simply chooses the first gentleman to show interest so that the matter is done with.”
“Does that sound like something she might do?”
“It would be a first. She has always been more withdrawn than me, but with this gentleman she… she seems positively forthcoming.”
“Then that is a good sign, I would think. Have some faith in her.”
“I do! I have a lot of faith in my sister. Why wouldn’t I?”
“Because you have always been needed, I imagine. I suppose, as you have not had a hand in this, you might be wary that she is making a decision for herself, and that you are afraid that she might make an error.”
She seemed to agree with that, nodding slightly with a thoughtful expression.
When the guests left for a drink, Levi found that he remained at her side. If she asked why, he planned to make another joke about how she had to keep watch over him, but to his surprise she did not say a word, instead following him in that same companionable silence that they had shared before.
He turned to see Miss Winston scowling at the two of them, and in spite of himself he couldn’t help but feel happy that he had the safety of Miss Kendall beside him. Miss Winston could not catch him alone, he realized, if he never was alone to begin with.
And so he remained in Miss Kendall’s proximity for the rest of the night. He did not mention it, nor did she, and they also did not say a word to one another, but she never left his sight and he had to admit that he quite enjoyed it that way. He liked the quiet connection that he swore was beginning to form between the two of them.
Which, he reckoned, could be very dangerous indeed.