Chapter Fourteen
July 22, 1817
“My lady, the Duke of Ballantrae is here to see you.” The butler couldn’t quite keep a note of excitement from his somber tone. “I’ve put him in the drawing room.”
Good heavens, the man is persistent.
Jane glanced up from the letters she currently wrote in the morning room. “Thank you. I’ll attend him presently.”
“Shall I have tea brought up?”
“Not just yet.” No need to encourage the duke to linger.
Once the butler left, she sighed, replaced the pen in its holder, put the stopper on the inkwell, and then stood. Her gown of robin’s egg blue stopped her annoyance from growing. Why couldn’t it have been Finn who’d come to call? She hadn’t seen him for two days.
Not since the idyllic afternoon when they’d gone riding in Hyde Park. Finn had been the epitome of joy in those moments. As his confidence had grown the longer they’d wandered, he’d stolen another piece of her heart. If the only thing that came of their relationship was showing him other sorts of freedom he could indulge in, then she’d count herself happy, but oh how she wanted to do so much more with him.
Then reality came crashing through her thoughts, for the Duke of Ballantrae waited for her downstairs. He was the man her father wished her to marry, and duty told her the same, as did her sense of self-preservation. Yet…
No matter what decision she made, someone would feel hurt or disappointed, including her. Why was everything so difficult?
With the air of someone needing to do a difficult task and have it over with, Jane made her way to the drawing room. The various shades of blue immediately soothed her troubled spirit, but the second her gaze fell on the blonde Adonis of a duke, her stomach knotted. Oh, he was handsome to a fault and no doubt had coffers brimming over with wealth, plus he commanded position and power for all his newly-minted status, but nothing about him appealed, and he certainly didn’t make her soul dance.
However, neither had Finn, yet she refused to ignore the connection between them. It was more than she had with the duke.
“Ah, Lady Jane. There you are.” The duke turned as she entered the room from where he’d been contemplating something beyond the windows. A sweet bouquet of flowers was clutched in one hand. “I was beginning to think you were ignoring me.”
“That is impossible, Your Grace.” Impossible due to his habit of calling on her or finding her at any given society event.
“That color suits you.” He smiled and the gesture only added to his gorgeous looks. “In fact, I can’t think of any color you’ve worn that didn’t.”
Her cheeks heated, which stoked her annoyance. She didn’t want to feel anything for this man let alone harbor a reaction to something he said. “Thank you for noticing.” Finn always did as well, but with the major, that admiration was reflected in his eyes or the way he subtly stopped breathing for a few seconds. The duke remained unaffected, his face a mask of polite inquiry. No doubt those sorts of things were ingrained into him from birth. “Uh, is there a particular reason you’ve called today?”
The sooner she could shuttle him out of the house, the sooner she could concoct a reason to either seek Finn out or invent a reason that he should call upon her.
“Of course. How silly of me not to be forthright.” His voice wasn’t as deep as Finn’s, but neither was it unpleasant. The duke came toward her, stopping within two feet of her, and then handed her the floral tribute. “Lady Jane, I wish permission to pay my addresses to you. We’ve known each other throughout society for many months, and I would like to know you better personally.”
Dear Lord.The pressure of what he left unsaid weighed heavy on her shoulders. No doubt he, as well as her father, expected them to make an announcement any day regarding an engagement. The urge to cast up her accounts grew strong. She held it off by swallowing a few times in succession, and when that worked moderately, she brought the flowers to her nose and inhaled their summertime scent. Cold panic welled in her chest as she stared at him over the blooms. What to do? “How interesting.” That was all she would say?
One of the duke’s golden eyebrows rose as confusion crossed his face. “Your father indicated you were receptive to my intentions.”
My father doesn’t know the first thing about me anymore.She’d changed by increments since the advent of Finn, and she rather liked the woman she was growing into. “Would it be acceptable if I gave you my answer at your ball?” It was the biggest societal event this summer. Every notable member of the ton who remained in Town had no doubt been invited. She rushed on before he could respond. “Just now I’m not feeling myself. Too many worries are pressing on my mind. I don’t wish to make such a large decision until I can think it through.” None of it was a lie, per se, but it would give her more time to separate the threads of her life and see clearly.
Duty to her father and her position or follow where her heart would go?
“Ah, understandable.” The confusion cleared from his expression, replaced with masculine indulgence. “That is perfectly acceptable. I look forward to seeing you again.”
“As do I.” Really, Jane, don’t lead this man on. She cast a look about the room, and spying a vase on one of the nearby tables, she rested the bouquet inside it, making a mental note to carry the whole thing upstairs with her later.
“Good.” Ballantrae drifted close once more, took her hand, lifted it to his lips, and then kissed the back. “Four days seems too long, but I’m certain the time will pass in a twinkling.” When he released her hand, Jane gawked at him.
Even she couldn’t deny that was a rather nice gesture, and her romantic heart beat a little faster. “Enjoy the day, Your Grace.”
“I shall try, though doing so is difficult without having the opportunity to see you again soon.” With a smile, he quit the room.
“Goodness.” Jane collapsed into the nearest chair as the strength in her knees gave out. She fanned her face with a hand. Yes, he was everything a duke should be, and he certainly was charming enough, but would he set her afire like Finn did?
“Ah, Jane!” Her father sailed into the room, his gloves and top hat in hand. “I’m on way out to parliament for a vote. Should run late into the wee hours, but I saw Ballantrae leaving. He told me you’d give him a decision at his ball.”