Chapter 7
“I wonder what your father would say if he knew you were here right now,” Lord Vaughn said.
Arabella bit back a groan. She didn’t want to be talking to him, his presence at the garden party making her nervous, but she couldn’t bring herself to tell him to go away. It felt rude, even if she was uncomfortable. She absently sipped at her drink.
“I think he would wonder if he’d gone mad,” she said.
“How so? Didn’t he want you to be a part of the ton?” Vaughn tilted his head to one side. “I find it hard to believe that he wouldn’t want a lovely young woman, such as yourself, to not be a part of all this.”
Arabella grimaced. He’d been flattering her since she arrived, much like he had at the family dinner a few days before, and appeared to be overly attentive toward her. She couldn’t seem to get rid of him.
The duke had greeted her at the start of the garden party, but now he’d wandered off to deal with something regarding the household. Now Arabella could see him talking to Miss Linton. She seemed eager to keep his attention, but from the look on Hartwood’s face, he would rather be anywhere else.
Arabella felt a little petty thinking that it served him right. He promised that he wouldn’t leave her side, and yet she was alone and he was nowhere near. But she wasn’t about to hover nearby and look like she was clinging onto him.
She didn’t like relying on others, but she really hoped that he would come to her rescue. Even though she was sure she’d made it clear to Vaughn that she would rather be left alone, he was still there.
“Why don’t we go and get something to eat?” he suggested, laying a hand on her arm. “You must be hungry, and the cook has outdone herself today.”
“I think I’ll be fine on my own, thank you,” Arabella mumbled, removing her arm. “I’m quite happy standing here watching the scenery.”
Vaughn chuckled.
“You don’t need to hide the fact you’re nervous. I’m just trying to make you feel more comfortable.”
“And I appreciate the help, but it’s best just to leave me be.” She attempted a smile and faded. “You don’t need to worry about me, my lord.”
Vaughn regarded her thoughtfully as if he was still trying to understand her reasoning. He was a clever man, Arabella knew that much, so why wouldn’t he leave her alone?
Just then, in a move that made Arabella want to swoon with relief, the duke appeared at her side. He fixed Vaughn with a hard stare.
“Are you bothering Lady Arabella, Sebastian?” he asked.
“Me?” Vaughn held up a hand. “I would never do such a thing.”
“Well, maybe you should go and find someone else to bother.” Hartwood surprised Arabella by putting a hand on her waist. “I haven’t had much of a chance to spend time with Arabella.”
The two cousins stared at each other, and Arabella was sure she could feel the tension tightening in the air. Finally, Vaughn conceded, and he walked away. Arabella let out a sigh of relief.
“Thank you,” she whispered. “I was beginning to think he would never leave me alone.”
“I thought I’d better come and help you out,” he muttered, looking across the rest of the crowd. “At this rate, people are going to think the two of you are courting instead.”
Arabella fought back a laugh, stepping away from him so he dropped his hand. She could still feel the warm imprint of his hand on her back, and it made her shiver as a tingling sensation went up her back.
“I was going to say the same about you and Miss Linton,” she said. “You two look like you’re very…close.”
He snorted at that.
“I don’t know how you could assume that. We’re anything but close.”
“On your side. She certainly wants to be closer.” She pursed her lips. “And she’s determined to get your attention by any means necessary. You were talking to her for quite a while, no sign of wanting to leave.”
He stared at her as if trying to figure her out. Arabella turned away and stood at the edge of the terrace, looking across the garden. At the dinner the night before last, Helena had asked her to join them for a garden party.
The weather was still beautiful, and it was ideal for having a social event outdoors.
Arabella had agreed, not wanting to be rude, and now she was beginning to wish that she hadn’t accepted.
It was a grand affair, far bigger than she expected, and the party seemed to spread right across the garden. It was making her nervous.
Especially with people openly staring at her. They weren’t even trying to hide it. Everyone was wondering why she was there, and Arabella couldn’t blame them. She felt very much out of place, and it made her want to run away.
“If I didn’t know any better,” the duke said as he moved to her side, sipping his lemonade. “I’d think you were jealous.”
“Me?” She turned. “Jealous? What would I have to be jealous about?”
“Well, Miss Linton is vying for my attention, even if it’s unwanted. And she’s made it clear that she believes you’re going to lose me to her.” He shrugged. “I don’t know. I’m just throwing things out there.”
Arabella rolled her eyes, trying to ignore the fact there was something bubbling in her chest that she didn’t like.
Was she actually jealous? That couldn’t be possible.
She didn’t even like the duke. Yes, he was handsome, and he was surprisingly good company, but that didn’t mean she wanted anything from him.
Just the truth, something he said he could help her with. If he really had a fancy for someone else, she wouldn’t stand in the way once she found what she was looking for. Although she doubted it would be for Miss Rosamund Linton, considering he had suggested the courtship to keep the woman away.
“I have a feeling that Miss Linton isn’t going to go away,” she murmured, casting an eye over the crowd, trying to see where Helena was. “She’s determined to become the only woman in your life. I wouldn’t be surprised if she had designs on your title.”
“I’m sure she has. Mother thinks she would make the ideal wife for me.”
“She’s still upset about us, isn’t she?”
He smiled at her.
“She’s going to have to get used to it. She might have standards and opinions, but I’m not going to let them browbeat me into submission.”
“Because you don’t think love exists?”
The duke raised his glass, not looking away as he sipped his drink. Arabella had been fascinated by his eyes from the start, a beautiful jade green that just sucked her in. They were stunning, and she had to stop herself from getting hypnotized whenever they talked.
She really needed to be careful, otherwise she was going to get drawn into something she couldn’t control and didn’t want.
“I don’t really believe that it does,” he said. “You should’ve seen my parents’ marriage for that point to be proven.”
“How do you mean?”
Arabella hadn’t been too interested in how the relationship between the duke’s parents had been, but with the way he said it, curiosity was getting the better of her. He sighed, rubbing a hand over the back of his neck.
“I know I shouldn’t speak out of turn about them, but…
Father wasn’t a loving man. He was present, sort of, but he wasn’t loving.
And he preferred women who weren’t his wife.
Mother knew about them, but she couldn’t do anything.
It built up a lot of frustration for her.
You see, she’d married for love, but she never got any in return. ”
“So she’s become very bitter about it?”
“Yes. Even though Father’s been dead for over ten years, she’s still holding that inside her. She just wanted to be loved, and that didn’t happen.”
“And she takes it out on you and Helena?” Arabella asked. Her eyes scanned the crowd, and she picked out Helena, who seemed to be engaged in a lively conversation with Edmund Hale, Hartwood’s friend. “You’re not responsible for what she lacked.”
“I think she’s become jaded with the idea of love. And after what I’ve witnessed, so have I.” He shrugged. “If I end up becoming a bachelor for the rest of my life, I’ll accept it. Love isn’t something that I believe in.”
Arabella didn’t know how to answer that. It sounded like the duke had grown up in a cold environment. He’d not witnessed any proper love and attention from his parents. If they didn’t like each other, the atmosphere would’ve been obvious. That was not something for a child to grow up in.
She thought about her own family, how her father had made sure she and Philip weren’t devoid of love. Pa had been reckless with his money, and they often had their previous wealth diverted to his gambling, but he never failed to spend time with his son and daughter to show he loved them.
Although Clara had pointed out once that if Pa loved them, he would’ve stopped gambling and made sure they had the money for what they needed.
Sometimes, Arabella agreed with her, but she knew that Clara wouldn’t truly understand.
Her friend had loving parents who didn’t play cards every evening and care only about where the next win was coming from.
Their upbringings had been vastly different.
“So you won’t marry for love,” she said finally, turning his words over. “And you won’t marry for convenience and financial gain.”
“I’m not about to be used as a personal bank for my wife.
Especially if she already has a history of extravagant spending.
” The duke scowled. “I don’t think it’s a good idea to marry someone who’s like that.
People’s fortunes can change in an instant, and I’m not about to find myself suddenly broke because my wife chose to spend money as fast as it was coming in. ”
“You sound like a miser, Your Grace.”
His mouth twitched.
“Not a miser. Just careful. Within reason is fine, but when there’s no need for it that’s when it gets ridiculous. I want to be sure I’m not going to be broke and unhappy at the end.”
“What about broke and happy?” Arabella ventured.
“That’s preferable. That’s why love makes marriage better.”
There was a bit of logic in that, but at the same time it didn’t make sense.
Arabella wasn’t entirely sure why. Before she could mention that, though, she saw the Dowager Duchess of Hartwood approaching them, Miss Rosamund Linton at her side.
Arabella’s heart sank. She’d been able to avoid the dowager duchess for now, but she knew her luck couldn’t last.
The older woman didn’t like her at all, and she’d made it clear during their dinner that night.
She’d questioned Arabella until she thought it was an interrogation, and she didn’t miss the message between the lines.
To his credit, Hartwood did call her out and tell her to stop, but it was like his mother didn’t care and she wasn’t going to listen.
If she was worried about her son marrying well, Arabella could understand her concerns, but she hadn’t done anything to warrant such an attack. It wasn’t her fault she was in the position that she was.
She wondered what the dowager duchess would say if she knew her son was involved in Pa’s death.
“Lady Arabella,” Lady Hartwood said primly, looking her up and down. “That’s an…interesting dress.”
Arabella looked down at her gown. She was aware that it was the previous Season’s fashion, but she had hoped nobody would notice. Evidently, that wasn’t going to happen around the dowager duchess.
“It’s still usable,” she mumbled. “I thought it was a bit of a change.”
“Usable?” Miss Linton laughed. “It’s fraying at the edges. I’m surprised it hasn’t fallen apart already.”
“Are you that poor that you can’t afford the most up-to-date gowns?” Lady Hartwood asked sharply, her expression saying that she knew Arabella couldn’t afford it. “You shouldn’t show your face if you’re going to look like a peasant.”
“Mother!” the duke snapped. “That’s enough. You don’t talk to Lady Arabella like that.”
“Why not? She needs to know that she’s not welcome here.” The dowager duchess sniffed and gave Arabella a scathing look. “I don’t know why Helena said she should be invited. She’s bringing the tone down.”
Arabella felt tears prickling at her eyes, and she tried to blink them back. She didn’t want to show that she was affected by the older woman’s words, but she couldn’t help it. The duke, however, looked outraged.
“Why do you think it’s appropriate to talk to a guest as you are?” he demanded. “If you can’t be polite to her, you should go and talk to someone else.”
“Don’t tell me what to do, Your Grace. I am your mother.”
“And you’re behaving very rudely,” Hartwood shot back. “So I’ll talk to you as I want. Keep your thoughts about Lady Arabella to yourself. Nobody wants to hear it.”
Miss Linton scoffed at that.
“I think everyone would be interested. They might believe you’ve taken a leave of your senses, inviting her here.”
The duke gave her a look that made Arabella tremble. She saw Miss Linton take half a step back, her smile faltering a little.
“If you cannot be polite to my other guests, Miss Linton, you’re welcome to leave,” the duke said icily. “As I recall, Helena and I didn’t invite you in the first place. Now, please, Mother, would you leave Lady Arabella alone? I don’t want to hear you being rude about my choice of guests.”
Lady Hartwood drew herself up to her full height.
“I’m just concerned…” she began, but he cut her off.
“I know what you’re planning, and you can do it elsewhere. Come on, Arabella.” Hartwood took her arm. “Let’s go and find some more suitable people to talk to.”
Arabella didn’t answer as she was led away, but she could feel herself shaking. She couldn’t believe that she’d been put in such a position. The dowager duchess had been unbelievably rude, and she didn’t seem to show remorse about it. She had made her position clear: Arabella didn’t belong.
She blinked hard, and the duke slowed to a stop.
“Are you all right?”
“I…I’m fine,” she lied. “Would you mind if I have a moment alone? I feel a little…overwhelmed.”
He looked as if he wanted to argue, but instead he let go of her arm and stepped back, giving her a stiff bow. Grateful, Arabella rushed away, ducking behind a bush. There was a bench there, nestled out of sight, and she sank down onto it, her heart pounding and her throat hurting.
This was going to be really hard to handle.
She might get her debts sorted, and the family reputation might be restored, but being around the man who might’ve had a hand in Pa’s death was making her want to scream.
She felt trapped, and it was too much. The Duke of Hartwood was stiff and formal with her, but there were moments when he seemed to lower his guard, and she saw what he was really like.
And that made her feel even more guilty. She hated the man. She really despised him. And yet there were conflicting emotions inside her.
It was too late to pull out. And that made Arabella feel even worse.