“Doesn’t she sing beautifully?” Lady Hendrickson whispered to Rowland as they sat in the drawing room.
He was actually surprised to see it dustless and ready for them. He didn’t think he had entered this room at all since arriving at Bassen Park.
“Yes, it is very relaxing,” Rowland said for lack of a better word.
He had been listening to Miss Hendrickson impressing him with her skills on the pianoforte for the last twenty minutes. Though she did play fine and sang well, it was all very slow and boring to him. Plus, being after such a filling meal, he was slightly struggling to keep his eyes open. Rowland looked at the other guests sitting and listening. He caught his uncle yawning and smiled inwardly that at least he wasn’t the only one being bored. His eyes fell on Lady Louisa then who sat next to Jasper in her golden dress. She was smiling at something Jasper had just told her, before she passed it along to Miss Mary.
He wished he knew what they were saying. He felt so detached from the others and really exhausted from trying to please Miss Hendrickson and say the words that she wanted to hear.
“I was so glad that your friend, Colonel Jasper, wrote to Louisa and personally invited her tonight,” Lady Hendrickson whispered to Rowland, noticing his distraction from her daughter.
“He did what?” Rowland asked surprised.
After the rake convinced him that Lady Louisa would not want to come any more than he did, Jasper wrote to her and insisted she came? For what possible reason?
“Yes, I believe he is charmed by her. I am sure he wanted to make sure that she knew she was included in the invitation so that he wouldn’t miss a chance to get to know her better.”
“What? No, forgive me, but I don’t think that is correct,” Rowland began. How was he to tell her that Jasper had already informed Rowland of his desire to get to know Miss Mary better?
“Don’t worry, Your Grace, I made sure to encourage such affection to Lady Louisa,” Lady Hendrickson tried to assure the Duke. She no doubt thought his negative remark was on account of Jasper’s lower status.
“I assured Louisa she would be lucky to have such a man. I know we are all new acquaintances, but I can already see that Your Grace has impeccable taste in friends. And, after all, I am sure it is realistically her only chance. She should take what she can,” Lady Hendrickson added with a sly gossipy tone to her voice.
“And just think,” she continued before he was able to respond, “it will give more opportunity for us all to meet again and again. I know Your Grace can agree that this evening has already been most enjoyable.”
“Yes, of course,” Rowland agreed without any heart behind it.
He wasn’t sure what irritated him more: that Jasper had acted without his knowledge and insisted the one Lady he rather not see be here this night, or the fact that Lady Hendrickson had just systematically insulted that lady? If she spoke like this to him, he could only imagine what she said to her in person.
Again he felt the strong desire to protect Lady Louisa from the harsh conditions of her aunt's house.
Later that night, as things were finally winding down, Rowland thought he might get some relief from the constant pretend interest he had in Miss Hendrickson. His uncle approached him.
“I find her a very promising prospect,” Mr. Vaughan said. “I can also tell she is most willing. I suspect if you proposed here on the spot you would be married in a fortnight,” he said with a jolly smile on his aged face.
“I don’t doubt your theory, but I can assure you that no proposal will be happening tonight or any other night.”
“Why ever not? She is a perfect specimen. She will serve our purpose well.”
“Forgive me, uncle, but I am not yet settled on the fact of a spouse serving a purpose well and nothing more. I would like to also have at least some admiration for the lady.”
“Miss Hendrickson has many admirable qualities,” Mr. Vaughan retorted.
“Yes, I am aware. I have heard of nothing else all night long,” Rowland said half under his breath. The scolding look from his uncle told him it wasn’t quiet enough.
“I know you are insistent on this matter, very insistent in fact.”
“I only said I would withhold your inheritance until you married because I wanted to give you incentive.”
“And because my parents’ will states you ought to do so. I shall either get married or receive my inheritance when I reach the age of thirty.”
“Look, I understand you are a bit reluctant to take on a wife. It is necessary for you, unfortunately. I wouldn’t be doing your parents justice if I didn’t do all that I thought they would want me to do on your behalf.”
“I just think I need more time, Uncle. I want to find someone that I can feel compatible with.”
Though Rowland said this, it wasn’t the truth. In truth, he wanted someone who was willing to accept the marriage and let him go his own way. He had originally thought that Miss Hendrickson would be the one. She seemed so desperate to marry his title at all cost. A night with her, however, drastically changed things. She was so self-centered, he didn’t think he could stand being in a room with her for long, let alone produce an heir with her.
Both men stopped their conversation when they saw Lady Louisa making her way towards them. Its continuation would have to wait for a more private setting.
“Forgive me for interrupting. I wonder if I might have your permission to ask a footman to show me to Mrs. Vance. I hoped to set up a time to perhaps learn from her when she is not otherwise engaged.”
“I will be happy to take you to her myself,” the Duke said, glad to remove himself from the conversation with his uncle.
“Oh, that is not necessary,” Lady Louisa assured him, not wanting to be any more bother to the Duke. After all, had they not agreed that they would not be in each other’s company when it could be helped? Surely this situation qualified.
“I insist,” he said with a smile, offering his arm for Lady Louisa to take.
She hesitated for just a moment before taking it. They walked silently out of the room and down the hall with all eyes on them. Lady Louisa felt scandalized and had a feeling she would pay for this later from her aunt.
“Sorry, but I just needed to get out of there and breathe some fresh air,” the Duke said in a hushed whisper when they were out the still open doors. “Fredrick, Lady Louisa was wondering if she might have an audience with Mrs. Vance if she isn’t terribly busy.”
“I am sure that Mrs. Vance would be more than happy to, Your Grace. Shall I have her meet you in the breakfast room?” Fredrick asked with the astute air of a seasoned butler.
“That sounds perfect, I will escort Lady Louisa there now.”
He walked her silently across the hall and through another door. It was easy to see why this was called the breakfast room. It had large windows with floor length curtains drawn back. Out in the darkness, Lady Louisa could just make out the rose bushes she had seen coming in. She expected it was a beautiful view every morning.
He walked Lady Louisa over to sit on a sofa while a footman came in to light candelabras around the room.
“I feel you are going through too much trouble for me, Your Grace,” Lady Louisa said a little uneasy.
“Nonsense, I would have taken any opportunity to leave that drawing room in truth.”
She looked up at the Duke who had yet to take a seat. He did look very irritated from this angle.
“It didn’t seem like you were not enjoying yourself,” Lady Louisa said in honesty.
“Yes, I suppose it is all that false representation of myself that I apparently am so good at and you detest so vehemently.”
“I don’t detest you,” Lady Louisa said.
He looked down at her with disbelief written on his face.
“If it were so,” Lady Louisa continued, “I simply would not come at all. I believe life is too short to spend it on things that only bring you unhappiness.”
“I believe the reason you are here tonight is that Jasper insisted you should, though I have no idea why he would care to do such a thing.”
Lady Louisa was surprised that the Duke was aware of the letter she got.
“Lady Hendrickson informed me that you received a note from him. She is under the impression that he has an interest in you,” he added with a chuckle. Lady Louisa was a little dismayed by his laugh. Was it really so abhorrent that the Colonel could have an interest in one such as her?
Lady Louisa did her best to control her hurt feelings. Colonel Jasper had asked her to give the Duke a second chance. She had come at his request. It would seem, however, that the man was everything she had thought and perhaps more. It was one thing to politely pretend to enjoy an evening you weren't enjoying; it was quite another for him to suggest that she was unworthy of affection from anyone in his acquaintance.
She cleared her throat before speaking.
“I am terribly sorry for the confusion, Your Grace,” she said rather coolly. “Perhaps I should have corrected my aunt right there, but she would not see things any other way. I was unwilling to explain to her the true reasoning for my hesitation to come tonight. I probably should have. I will be sure to correct my aunt's gross miscalculation that any man might have an interest in a lady such as me at my earliest possibility.”
He looked down at her with narrowed green eyes and opened his mouth to speak. Before words could escape, the door opened and Mrs. Vance walked into the room.
Mrs. Vance’s hair was frizzed around her cap, and her plump cheeks were flushed, no doubt from rushing to the breakfast room as quickly as possible from all the way downstairs in the kitchen.
“Your ladyship,” she said with a curtsy. “I was told you wish to speak to me. I do hope that the meal was to your liking.”
“Yes, Mrs. Vance,” Lady Louisa said, standing and turning all her attention to the cook. “I was actually wondering if we could perhaps discuss another matter that you might help me with?"
“I would be happy to help you in any way I can,” Mrs. Vance said, standing as tall as she could muster for her robust size.
“I shall leave you two ladies to business then,” the Duke announced. He turned to Lady Louisa and bowed politely, “I bid you good evening.”
Before any more words could be uttered, he took three long strides and exited the room. He stopped for just a moment in the hall to tell Fredrick to convey his apologies to the guests.
He couldn’t bear to go back into that room and pretend to enjoy himself after having received yet another hard hit from Lady Louisa. She always seemed to do her best to see nothing but the worst in him.
Having given his message to the butler, he hurried up the stairs and to the privacy of his own quarters. He knew he would be reprimanded by his uncle on the morrow for such rude behavior, but he cared very little for that at the moment. He was ready for this whole ordeal to be over and his life to go back to the way it was. If only he could find a way to make that a reality.