Chapter Five
The moon was full and the evening cool, the brisk wind off the sea ruffling the feathers on Aunt Elizabeth’s headdress as they stepped from the hackney.
Music and laughter flowed over them and Alicia caught the sense of excitement wondering what the evening held for her.
As she and her aunt made their way to the entrance, the braziers and lanterns lit the paths through the gardens, while the moon outlined the onion domes and minarets of the extraordinary building against the darkening sky.
At the door, a liveried footman took their wraps.
They were to wait in line to be announced.
The Prince Regent welcomed them, dressed in a high-collared tailcoat and knee breeches, a heavily embroidered maroon waistcoat and the Star of the Garter on his breast. He held both Alicia’s hands and murmured, “Charming.”
His inspection of her made her uncomfortable.
She was relieved when they were able to make their way through the crowd, marveling at the Chinese fantasy-style decorations, with dragons, serpents, and gilded lily chandeliers.
Music flowed from music room. Alicia recognized the popular song I’ll Gang Nae Mair to Yon Town.
A little later, Schubert was played beautifully on the pianoforte.
As she and her aunt passed slowly through the crowd, pausing to talk to those they knew, Alicia searched among them for the duke but didn’t see him.
Might he not have come? Disappointed, she swallowed the lump in her throat.
Perhaps the gesture of returning her glove meant less to him than it did to her.
They were to dine in the massive and elaborate banquet room, and a lady told them about the wooden floor in the music room, which had been chalked with elegant patterns to create a suitable dance floor.
The meal was sumptuous, but Alicia could only pick at it, for there was still no sign of the duke.
“Do eat a little, Alicia. This whipt syllabub is delicious!”
It certainly looked luscious, with oodles of whipped cream.
She was about to taste it when a hush filled the room.
She looked up and saw the tall, elegant Duke of Exeter smiling at her from across the room.
Beside him was the Prince Regent. Guests crowded around, the men bowing and the women sinking into deep curtsies.
The Prince Regent and his set bore the duke away.
She did not see His Grace again during the meal and began to fidget until her aunt begged her to stop.
*
Robert nursed a fine cognac and listened to Prinny and his cohorts discussing the success of the final battle, which had seen Boneparte confined to the island of St. Helena. The Duke of Wellington who was not present tonight, spoken of in glowing, well-earned terms.
But his thoughts were elsewhere. Tonight, the beautiful Miss Bolton in her diamonds looked fit to be a duchess, and he was as restless as a youth to see her again, to talk to her, to hold her, to kiss her.
To discover if she was not already spoken for.
Her birthright was unassailable. His mother could hardly object to the daughter of a viscount—at least she ought not to.
That didn’t concern him. Despite everything to which she’d been subjected, she was not a milk-and-water miss.
She’d given him glimpses of a determined nature. Enough for him to want more. Much more.
*
The quadrille was announced from the dais. Alicia held her breath as the duke strolled toward her with intention in his blue eyes. She bit her lip when Lady Forrester hurried to meet him. What more could the woman possibly say against her?
A murmur spread through the crowd as His Grace sidestepped Lady Forrester without a word and continued toward Alicia.
Lady Forrester, agape, shoulders drooping, disappeared into the crowd of guests.
“He’s given her to cut direct,” Aunt Elizabeth whispered. “She is now the subject of gossip. Serves the woman right.”
The Duke of Exeter stood before them. He greeted her aunt and spoke of the evening’s entertainments and asked if she enjoyed them.
Aunt Elizabeth assured him she did. That the night had been a complete delight.
Then he turned to Alicia and held out his arm. Without a word, she rose, to clasp his broad hand in hers as he led her to the dance floor.
“It was kind of you to return my glove, Your Grace,” Alicia said, smiling up at him.
He looked down at her. “It’s a pleasure to see you again.” His blue gaze drifted over her. “You look very beautiful tonight.”
Alicia blushed with pleasure. She thought the low, scoop-necked white lace evening gown suited her, and her aunt’s diamond pendant, nestling in her cleavage, added a perfect touch.
“I would like to waltz with you again,” he said, “but I’m afraid I am beholden to another. But will you save me the next dance, Miss Bolton?”
She nodded, disappointed and confused by his meaning. Was it Sir Laurence Hardwick’s daughter? She couldn’t believe he would toy with her emotions while betrothed to another.
Once she and the duke were joined by the other two dancers who formed part of the set, the conversation became less personal.
Then the music began, and she was immersed in the moment.
She formed the steps of the Le Pantalon with the duke, who moved through the dance with grace, and made her feel graceful too.
She forgot the guests watching them from the chairs and the edge of the dance floor.
She didn’t care. The duke’s action had spurned Lady Forrester’s scandalous lies in one brilliant fell swoop.
After the dance and His Grace saw her back to her chair, he bent and spoke quietly in her ear. “I have duties to perform. When I give you the signal, can you slip away? Meet me at the fountain?”
She smiled and nodded, while her heart leaped. “Yes, Your Grace.”
“What did he say?” Aunt Elizabeth asked, watching the tall man’s loose stride as he wended his way through the crowd.
“He wishes me to meet him later. To talk.”
“Meet him alone? As thrilling as that sounds, you must be careful, my dear. Don’t be seen with him while unchaperoned. You don’t want to escape one scandal, only to face another.”
Alicia gazed at her. “Aunt Elizabeth! Surely, you cannot think the duke is an unscrupulous rake!”
“Even if he is perfectly kind, the fact that you’ve been seen together alone—and sharing more than one dance—is enough to cause a scandal.
” Aunt Elizabeth patted her hand. “Now don’t sulk.
I merely warn you to try to think clearly.
Listen to your feminine instincts rather than letting your heart rule.
Please don’t throw caution to the winds.
Your parents would never forgive me for allowing you this freedom.
Especially if something untoward happened.
Remember, he still might be committed to marrying Sir Laurence Hardwick’s daughter. ”
She had considered this. But she must take a chance and see where this led her.
She doubted her aunt, who had been married to a much older man and widowed at thirty, would understand the strong emotions she felt.
And had felt from that first day, despite everything against it. She could never believe ill of him.
When she danced again with another gentleman, she saw the duke across the floor, dancing with Sir Laurence Hardwick’s daughter. She should not let that unsettle her, but her aunt’s warning still lingered.
His Grace came to invite her to dance the gavotte, but it gave them little opportunity to converse. They did not dance again. As the evening drew to a close, she sat out the waltz while watching him dance with an older lady.
When she met his eyes across the room and he nodded, she didn’t hesitate.
Her aunt had gone to the withdrawing room, and she sat alone.
She admitted she was ruled by her heart and had thrown her good sense to the winds as she slipped out into the darkness and walked along the path to the fountain.
The sound of gushing water drew her and there in the pale light of flickering braziers he stood waiting. He turned to her and held out his arms.
Without thought, she ran into them.
He sighed and drew her close and his lips found hers. “Sweetheart,” he murmured, drawing away to cup her face in his hands and gaze into her eyes. “We must not stay long. I don’t wish to stir up any more gossip. I want us to be free of it. To begin afresh.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
“No more of that, Alicia. Call me ‘Robert.’”
“Robert,” she whispered, overcome with the need to throw her arms around him and draw his hard body against her.
He lowered his head to hers. The touch of his lips on hers was so wonderful, she feared her knees would buckle. Breathing deeply of his clean male smell and bergamot cologne, she reached up and stroked the soft, thick dark hair at his nape.
When he drew away, he led her to a seat where they sat close together, his arm around her.
“I thought it impossible to fall in love the very moment I saw you. But I believe I did.” He smiled.
“Your big, brown eyes appearing so distraught. I wanted to stay with you, after I returned your dog to you.” He laughed. “To hug you right then and there.”
“I felt such a fool,” she confessed. “I wished to watch my brother, Anthony, win the race.”
“And they won head of the river.”
“I’m so pleased for him. But I’m sorry too, of course, to have deprived you…”
He laughed and held her close and kissed her again. “I know it’s too soon, but could you love me a little, Alicia?”
She sighed. “Oh, yes.”
His murmured an endearment and kissed her deeply. She clung to his lapel as heat and longing flooded through her. When he drew away, she rested her head against his broad chest, while he gently stroked her back. “May I ask your father for permission to court you, Miss Alicia Bolton?”
Her pulse raced. She lifted her head and ran a finger over his slightly bristly jaw. “Yes. I want that with all my heart.”
“Alicia, my sweet. My mother would be jubilant if I am the fortunate fellow to have you as my bride. By the way, do you ride?”
She giggled. “Of course. We all learned almost as soon as we could walk, at my father’s estate.”
He stood drawing her up with him. “Come. We must go in before you’re missed. I shall call on your aunt tomorrow. And address your father as soon as possible. Will I find him in London?”
“Yes, he arrived in Mayfair yesterday. My goodness, won’t they all be surprised?”
He laughed and kissed her once more, before they went back through the door. He stood back as she entered first, into the bright lights, music and loud chatter.
This time, Alicia held her head high without fear of censure.
She smiled thinking of her aunt’s and her parents’ faces when they heard the duke wished to court her.
She could barely believe it herself. Alicia was quite certain her father would agree to the duke’s request. She hoped it would not be a long courtship before they could be together forever.
The End