Chapter 17 #2
“I don’t want to waste my time, either,” he agreed. “What do you need to know before we proceed to the opera on Tuesday?”
What did I need to know?
“Are you always so cool and distant?” I inquired, feeling no hesitation or qualms about asking him straightforward questions. “Even with those who are closest to you?”
Aunt Maude looked like she was going to faint.
The duke regarded me for a moment and then the edge of his mouth came up in a smile. “I am not always cool and distant with those I trust, but it takes a long time for people to gain my trust, and once lost, it’s almost impossible to restore it.”
I nodded, appreciating his candor. “Are you kind?”
“Always.”
“You said you don’t live alone?”
“I live with my younger brothers at Pickering Castle.”
“And how old are they?”
“They are all in their twenties.”
“Are they kind?”
A full smile filled his handsome face, making my heart pound. “Not always to each other, but always to a lady.”
I studied him for a moment and then I slowly smiled. “Is there anything you’d like to know about me?”
His face was serious again. “Are your thoughts and feelings always so unguarded?”
“To my detriment, yes.”
His smile returned. “Then I believe I would like to court you, Miss Hill, if you are agreeable to my pursuit.”
Aunt Maude held her breath as she stared at me.
I did not want to marry the Duke of Severton or live in Ravenscar, but this was the course set before me. I had agreed to it and there was no going back, no matter how much I loved Alec.
“I am agreeable, Your Grace.”
“Good.” He nodded, and I could see the matter was settled in his mind.
I was the one he wanted, for better or worse.
On Tuesday, I was allowed to sleep late and take my time preparing for that evening.
Alec had kept himself scarce since the duke’s visit three days before, making one excuse after the other to leave the house.
George had not returned, nor had he sent a note.
I didn’t know where he was staying or how to send my apologies, but I was certain I would tell him I was sorry for Aunt Maude’s behavior when I saw him next.
Aunt Maude and I had spent the past few days attending social events, riding in Hyde Park, and visiting sites of interest. She and Lady Mandeville felt it necessary to get my name on everyone’s lips.
After I attended the opera with the duke tonight, that was exactly what would happen.
And I would soon have more enemies than just Louise Garfield.
Not only had the American women I’d met been cool with me—all but Annabelle and Lily Parker—many of the unmarried British women had been, as well.
It was evident that they saw the American heiresses as a serious threat, as well they should.
By the time I was pressed and primped for the opera, I was exhausted from my nerves.
Although the duke had been forthright with me on his last visit, there were still a lot of things I didn’t know about him.
Lady Mandeville had hinted that there was a scandal surrounding the duke’s family, but no one really knew what it was.
I wanted to ask someone who might know, but I was always with Aunt Maude when I was in the company of others, and she would not approve of me talking behind the duke’s back.
None of it really mattered. If the duke asked me to be his wife, Aunt Maude would expect my consent. There was little else to do but accept my situation and make the best of it.
And try to forget about Alec, which was almost impossible while living in the same house.
“There,” Gallagher said as she stepped back from pinning my hair. “You look beautiful, miss.”
She paid me so few compliments, my eyebrows came up. “Thank you.”
Without another word, she began to clean up the mess we’d made during my toilette. But I wasn’t quite done. I had a favor to ask her.
“Gallagher, do you think you could do a little investigation for me?”
She paused, a frown on her face. “What kind of an investigation?”
“I know very little about the Duke of Severton, and I have no one to ask, without my aunt hearing me. Could you perhaps ask the servants if they know anything about the duke or his family history? I don’t want to be surprised later, if there is something he is trying to hide.”
Gallagher and I were not close, but she had been a loyal servant and, as far as I knew, wasn’t prone to gossip. At least, with me. Would she help me with this?
“I can see what I can do, miss.”
“Thank you.” I smiled at her and then left my bedchamber to join Aunt Maude in the drawing room as we waited for the duke’s arrival.
Alec was just coming down the steps from the next floor up, where his room was located. He paused on the last step and took in my appearance.
I was wearing one of my Worth gowns. It was cream-colored with swaths of silk draped around the skirt and a garland of pink silk roses trailing down one side and along the hem.
It was short-sleeved with ruffles along the collar, and I was wearing matching cream-colored gloves, which went up to my elbows.
Alec continued toward me, a sad smile on his face. “I will miss these chance encounters with you, Keira.”
I would miss them, too, but I had decided to set my mind against thoughts of Alec. Instead of dwelling on what could not be, I smiled, noticing that he was not dressed to go out. “Are you not joining us at the opera?”
“I was not invited, and even if I had been, I would decline. The duke needs no help from me to win you over.”
I needed to turn my thoughts to something else. “I have no plans in the morning,” I told him. “I will not be expected to join Aunt Maude until luncheon. Could we go to Islington tomorrow morning? It’s all I’ve been thinking about since we visited the register.”
“You have not been thinking about Severton?”
I stared at him for a moment, wondering why he still wanted to talk about the duke.
“I want to find my mother, Alec.” My voice was steady and serious. I did not want to discuss the duke with him. “Will you take me, or must I go back to the register and get her address and go on my own?”
He let out a sigh. “I will take you in the morning. Be ready to leave at eight.”
“Thank you.” A whole different set of nerves assailed me at the thought of finally meeting Nellie O’Day.
I was about to excuse myself when I remembered the other thing I wanted to ask him, though it wouldn’t be easy. He was the only person I knew who might be able to help me.
“What?” he asked. “I can see you want something else.”
“It’s about George,” I said, hesitant. “He called the other morning, but Aunt Maude forced him to leave when the duke appeared. I would like to apologize, but I don’t know how to find him. Could you ask around and see where he is staying?”
“I didn’t know that he was in town.”
“Only just. He called the morning after he arrived in London. I feel horrible about how he was treated, especially after—” I was going to say especially after he had proposed to me, but I paused.
Alec didn’t meet my gaze for a moment, but then he finally nodded. “I will see what I can do.”
I laid my hand on his arm. “Thank you.”
His muscles tensed, but he nodded.
A maid appeared at the top of the steps and paused. “The duke has arrived, miss.”
“I’ll be right down.”
She turned and went back the way she had come.
“I hope you have a good time tonight,” Alec said. “You deserve to be happy.”
Emotion caught in my throat, but I nodded. “Thank you.”
I wasn’t sure if the duke could make me happy, but I would try to enjoy my time with him.
When I arrived in the drawing room, the duke was already there with Aunt Maude.
He turned at my arrival, and for the first time, I saw a spark of interest in his eyes. His gaze traveled over my gown with appreciation, though he tried to hide it.
“Good evening, Your Grace,” I said, offering a slight curtsey.
He was dressed in a handsome evening coat and when he bowed, my pulse sped.
In moments like this, I still couldn’t believe I was Keira O’Day, from Five Points.
What duke in his right mind would want me, if he knew?
It was all a facade, gold gilding covering the unpleasant truth beneath the surface.
But wasn’t the entire aristocracy a sort of gilding?
A thin veneer of people who only represented a small portion of society. Perhaps I fit in perfectly.
The duke straightened, his mask of indifference returning to his face as he offered me his arm. “Are you ready to leave for the opera?”
I nodded, accepting his arm, and soon found myself in his carriage with an opera cape covering my gown, sitting next to Aunt Maude as Severton sat across from us.
It was dark in his carriage, and despite Aunt Maude’s best attempts to make conversation, the duke was silent. As we passed the gaslit lamps, and light entered from time to time, I caught him stealing glances at me, the scar on his face highlighted in the shadows.
A shiver ran up my back at the thought of driving away in this carriage, alone, as his wife. Could I possibly get to know him well enough to be comfortable with that idea? And what about after the wedding, when I was expected to be his wife in every sense of the word? What then?
I didn’t want to think about the intimate details of a marriage. Every time I thought about kissing him, memories of the stolen moment on Christmas Day with Alec filled my mind.
Warmth crept up my neck, and I had to look away from the duke.
Her Majesty’s Theatre was not far from Buckingham Gate, and it didn’t take long to get there. The street was clogged with other expensive carriages, and we had to wait our turn to leave the conveyance and enter the beautiful six-story building.
When the door finally opened, and I stepped out, Severton offered me his elbow as Aunt Maude followed.
It didn’t take long for people to start noticing us, and the whispers began.