Chapter 24
When Alec and I reentered the ballroom, the duke was standing near the wall, scanning the room. The moment he saw me, relief briefly filled his face, and then his mask of indifference appeared again.
Dread filled my heart at the thought of turning down his proposal.
He’d gone to all the trouble and expense to have the ball, and he fully expected my agreement.
My only consolation was that there were several other American heiresses in London, looking for a duke, and he would have no trouble finding one who would be his wife.
The duke approached and I glanced at Alec. He offered me an encouraging smile, and I was certain that if he could be there to help me through the difficult conversation, he would be. Unfortunately, I would need to speak to the duke alone. I owed him that much.
“I believe I have this next dance, Miss Hill,” he said, hardly looking in Alec’s direction.
The Duke of Severton was single-minded. I would give him credit for that. He knew what he wanted, and he was willing to risk everything to get it. Did he really want to marry me, or was he simply set on taking any wife who would give him financial freedom?
I smiled and nodded, though my nerves were making me shake.
When the orchestra ended their current song, the duke offered me his hand. “Shall we?”
Taking the hand he offered, he led me onto the dance floor as we waited for the orchestra to begin.
It felt like an interminable amount of time passed as we waited. Finally, the strains of the next song filled the room, and he took me into his arms.
He was stiff and unyielding, though he was a good dancer. We waltzed around the dance floor, passing others, who watched us with keen interest—Aunt Maude and Lady Mandeville included.
What would they say when they learned I turned down the duke after all their hard work? It was yet another difficult situation Alec and I would have to maneuver through, though we would do it together.
For now, the duke was my problem alone.
“What is bothering you, Miss Hill?” he asked. “Beyond the obvious issue of our impending betrothal.”
He was also straightforward and unafraid to address issues, another quality in his favor.
“Would you like to talk about it here, Your Grace? Or wait until we are alone?”
After a moment, he said, “Let’s discuss it now. I do not like to wait.”
Just as before, the noise from the music and shuffling of feet drowned out the words of the dancers. I could not hear what others were saying, so it was safe to believe they couldn’t hear us, either.
I took a deep breath and plunged ahead, knowing there would be no easy way to start. “About the betrothal. I do not want to presume you are going to ask me—”
“It’s obvious I am. I would not have gone to the trouble of having this ball if I weren’t.” The scar across his cheek tightened as he spoke and his dark eyes focused. “What about the betrothal?”
I swallowed my nerves. “I am so sorry, but I cannot accept.”
His expression did not change, but he was quiet for a moment, and then he finally said, “I will not beg you to become my wife, Miss Hill. And I’m certain you have your reasons, but it is very inconvenient that you waited until now to give me this answer.
Could it not have come sooner, before I was forced to have this ball? ”
“I do apologize,” I said, feeling horrible. “I was given new information just now that has solidified my decision.”
“New information?” He frowned. “About me?”
“No.” I quickly shook my head. “About my . . . options.” How much was I required to tell him? “I—I am in love with someone else, and until now, there was no opportunity for us to move forward. But he has told me a way, and we are going to take it.”
The duke looked toward Alec, still standing by the door. “Mr. Paxton-Hill?”
My heart filled with love, and I said, “Yes.”
Again, the duke was silent as we continued our dance. Finally, he said, “I would not want a wife who was in love with another man, and for that reason, I will not ask you to marry me, Miss Hill.”
He was saving his pride. There had been no proposal offered and none accepted—or rejected. He might be disappointed or even angry, but a gentleman would act with grace.
Even a brooding, secretive duke from the coastal moors.
“I am very sorry for the inconvenience,” I said. “Had we known of this path before, we would have spared you the expense and time, Your Grace.”
“No need to say anything more, Miss Hill.”
“Perhaps—” I paused. “May I suggest you inquire after Miss Lily Parker? She is eager to get away from London, and…” I let the words trail away. Under his gruff exterior and brooding good looks, the duke and Lily were after the same thing. A quiet life in the country.
He did not respond, but I could see that my suggestion was being considered.
We remained quiet for the rest of the dance, and when it was almost over, he said, “I think it best that Mr. Paxton-Hill take my place on your dance card for the final waltz of the evening.”
“Thank you.”
“No need to thank me. And I believe I will go into supper alone, if you please.”
“Yes, of course.”
When the dance ended, he gave me a slight bow and then left me on the dance floor, his head held high.
Almost every eye in the ballroom was on me as he walked away and I could see questioning glances thrown between the guests. Why hadn’t the duke escorted me into supper? What had he been talking to me about? Why did I look so wretched?
Aunt Maude and Lady Mandeville approached, concern etched into their brows.
If I was going to create as little scandal as possible, I would need to remain at the ball until the bitter end. To leave now would only cause tongues to wag all over London. But to stay, I needed to keep Aunt Maude and Lady Mandeville questioning.
“Well?” Aunt Maude asked, her one question summing up a dozen others.
“Nothing,” I told her.
“Perhaps he is waiting until the end of the ball,” Lady Mandeville said, eyeing the duke’s retreating back.
“Alec,” Aunt Maude said with surprise as he joined us, “when did you get here?”
“Not long ago,” he said, his gaze finding mine, a question in his eyes.
I gave him a faint nod, to let him know all was well.
At least, for the moment.
Soon we would have to break our news to Aunt Maude, and she would not be as easy on me as the duke had been.
After the duke and I did not speak during supper, the others began to whisper among themselves. And when he did not return to the ballroom, even Aunt Maude and Lady Mandeville started to look worried.
Finally, the last dance of the evening arrived, and Alec approached me for his turn.
Those in attendance no longer looked confused, but outright shocked. Not to see Alec and me dancing together, but that the duke was nowhere to be seen. And because he had not reappeared for his own ball, I was the one to take the full brunt of their stares and whispers.
A just punishment for putting him through the ordeal.
When the final dance ended, I had Alec help me get my wraps. We did not wait to thank the duke, who had still not appeared, but simply walked out of the front of his townhome and into the wee hours of the morning.
Carriages were lined up on the street outside and it was easy to find Lady Mandeville’s with her family coat of arms painted on the door.
A footman appeared and opened the door for us as Alec helped me inside.
“Now,” he said, joining me, “we wait for Aunt Maude and the fight of our lives.” He took my hand as he sat next to me, his voice gentle. “It will be a fight I will not give up.”
“Nor I.” I had come so close to being betrothed to a man I did not love. I would do anything to marry Alec, even if that meant standing up to the woman who had dictated my every move for the past seven months.
It did not take long for her to arrive.
As she and Lady Mandeville stepped into the carriage a few minutes later, Alec let go of my hand. Both women were breathless and confused.
“What in the world happened, Clara?” Aunt Maude demanded even before she was fully seated. “What did you say to the duke?”
I took a deep breath, ready to go to battle. “I simply told him I could not accept his marriage proposal.”
Her eyes widened as she stared at me. “Why in heaven’s name did you do that?”
“Because I do not love him.”
“Did he actually propose?” Lady Mandeville asked, her face filled with just as much shock.
“No, because I told him before he had the chance to ask. I wanted to save his dignity.”
“What? Why?” Aunt Maude sputtered. “You knew your role, Clara. You had one job. Why would you throw away all our hard work? You ungrateful—”
“Stop,” Alec said, his voice filled with warning. “Keira is not ungrateful. But she could not throw her life away on a man she did not want to marry.”
“Keira?” Aunt Maude turned a venomous glare on Alec. “Her name is Clara.”
“No. Her name is Keira,” he said, “and I hope it will soon become Keira Paxton.” He took my hand in his again and gave me a smile.
“What?” Aunt Maude almost rose out of her seat, and though it was dark in the carriage, I was certain her face had turned a shade of crimson. “You’re both ungrateful! This will be the ruination of us all. How could you do such a thing to me? I’ve given you everything—”
“You’ve given me only that which suited your own desires,” he said, his voice calm and collected. “And the same with Keira. You’ve done nothing out of the kindness of your heart, but only what you knew would give you something in return. And you’ve hurt a lot of people in your wake, Aunt Maude.”
She tried to speak, but she was so upset, no words came out.
For her part, Lady Mandeville lowered her eyes and seemed to retreat into the cushions of the carriage seat, probably wishing she was anywhere but here. Anger brimmed in her eyes, too, but it was probably because she was wondering if she would get paid.
“This will ruin us,” Aunt Maude finally said in a tight voice. “How could you be so selfish? Both of you? And for what? Love?” She said the last word as if it was dirty and undesirable.
“Yes, for love,” Alec said, his hand tightening around mine.
“But it will not ruin us.” He glanced at me.
“Keira has so charmed the Prince of Wales that he was the one who demanded that we marry.” His smile directed at me was tender.
“When he heard that we were in love, and what was at stake, he volunteered to aid us.”
“How did he know what was at stake?” Aunt Maude’s voice had evened out, though she was still stiff with anger. “And what do you mean he wants to aid us?”
Alec turned back to her. “The Prince of Wales wants us to get married in Newport, and he plans to attend and stay in our hotel. From there, he will travel to New York, where he will stay in one of our hotels in the city. Thereby raising our status and elevating our business. He also wants us to rename our Newport hotel ‘The Prince of Wales’ in his honor, so people remember his visit for years.”
Aunt Maude and Lady Mandeville simply stared at Alec.
Finally, Aunt Maude turned to Lady Mandeville and asked, “Is this normal behavior for the prince?”
“I’ve never heard of such a thing,” she confessed. “It’s quite irregular. But—”
“But what?” Aunt Maude demanded.
“The prince loves grand gestures that bring him attention, and he is quite loyal to his friends, so it does not truly surprise me. He often talks of his visit to America and how he’d like to go back one day. It appears he is making plans as we speak.”
Aunt Maude no longer looked outraged, but she still seemed doubtful. “Are you telling me the truth, Alec?”
“I have never lied to you before,” he said, “and I am not lying now.”
“Well”—she gave a pointed look to our hands—“perhaps you haven’t lied, but you’ve clearly kept something a secret from me.”
I looked at Alec, and he smiled at me.
“There are some things that cannot stay hidden forever,” I told her. “And this is one of them.”
He lifted my gloved hand to his lips and placed a kiss there.
“I love Keira,” Alec said, turning back to Aunt Maude. “And I would like to marry her, as soon as the prince is able to join us.” He took a deep breath. “Do we have your blessing?”
I wasn’t sure what we would do if she didn’t give it, but there was little that could keep me from marrying Alec.
She looked from me to him, and then back to me.
“I don’t know what you did to convince the prince to help you,” she said to me, “but it’s quite evident that he’s fallen under your spell.
I am disappointed that you betrayed me this way—however, having the Prince of Wales as a guest at my niece’s wedding will make Mrs. Astor squirm to get invited and will do more for my social status than having you marry the Duke of Severton. So, I will give you my blessing.”
Though I was relieved we would not need to fight her any longer, I had determined then and there that I was done bowing to her dictates.
Being adopted was supposed to be an unconditional gift, and I now knew I was worthy of that gift. Not because the Prince of Wales was my father, but because I was the daughter of the King of Kings.
Alec moved a little closer to me on the seat, and I knew that from this day forward, nothing could drive us from one another’s side.