Читать книгу Secrets Of A Duchess - Kaitlin O'Riley - Страница 9

The Fairchild townhouse was awash with fresh flowers the morning after the Maxwells’ ball. While Olivia, Emma, and Caroline sat sipping chocolate in the pale yellow morning room and discussing the night’s events, bouquet after bouquet had been arriving for Emma with cards enclosed from suitors announcing their intentions to call upon her.

No flowers had come for Caroline.

“I do wish you had felt better last night,” Emma said with a note of sadness in her voice. At seventeen, Emma had a pretty face, an impish disposition, and laughing hazel eyes. She was proud of the hearts she had won at her very first ball. “Half of these flowers should rightfully be yours, Caroline. You never gave any of the gentlemen a chance really.”

“I just wasn’t feeling well,” Caroline said with forced cheerfulness as she refilled her cup with chocolate. “There will be other balls and I will dazzle all the men there.” She curled up on the comfortable, chintz-covered sofa.

Olivia shook her head with a frown, clearly disappointed by Caroline’s lack of admirers. She had expected her beautiful granddaughter to be a success. “I am afraid the damage may already be done, Caroline. I told you that your first appearance of the Season would be the most important. First impressions are the most lasting, my dear, and you were acting quite old-maidish last night. Gentlemen do not find that very attractive. You won’t get a husband acting that way.”

That was the whole point, Caroline thought to herself.

“Isn’t it astonishing that Madeline Maxwell refused the Duke of Woodborough’s proposal?” Emma changed the subject with ease. “They say the duke was so dejected that he left the ball early.”

Caroline’s head turned sharply in her sister’s direction. “The Duke of Woodborough isn’t going to marry Madeline Maxwell?” she asked, aware that her voice sounded unusually high and that her heart began to beat faster.

“No! The engagement is off! Lady Madeline refused his offer. It was all anyone was talking about,” Emma gushed, her face alive with the excitement of sharing such scandalous information. “How could you not have heard?”

“I’m not sure,” Caroline murmured, realizing she had been too lost in her own thoughts of standing on the balcony in the arms of the duke to notice anything else last night. If Alexander Woodward was not marrying Madeline and he was kissing Caroline, what did that mean? He certainly didn’t seem dejected! Recalling his dark eyes looking at her, teasing her in the moonlight, the duke seemed very self-assured. In fact, he was a little full of himself. No, he was not acting the least bit dejected.

“She’s a very foolish girl if you ask me,” Olivia added pragmatically. “But then she takes after her mother. I was never fond of Ellie Maxwell.”

Fraser, the Fairchild butler, entered the morning room carrying an extravagant arrangement of gardenias in an elegant crystal bowl. The sweet fragrance of the delicate, white blooms filled the air.

Immediately Emma ran to look at the card, giggling. “Oh, they’re simply lovely! I wonder who sent them?”

“You must have made quite an impression on someone, my dear. They are most exquisite. And quite costly,” Olivia observed as Fraser placed the arrangement on the mahogany end table next to a smaller bouquet of pink rose buds.

As Emma took the small white envelope in her hands, a curious expression came over her face. “These flowers are not for me…” She turned to smile at her sister. “They’re for Caroline.”

Caroline’s face registered her astonishment as she glanced quickly between her sister and grandmother. She certainly had not encouraged anyone last night! “Who could have sent me flowers?” she wondered aloud.

“They were delivered by a servant of the Duke of Woodborough,” Fraser stated dramatically, knowing it was not every day that a duke sent flowers. Then he discretely left the room.

“The Duke of Woodborough? Caroline!” Olivia’s voice was filled with wonder as she abruptly rose from her chair. “When did you meet the Duke of Woodborough?”

“I…I didn’t…That is…I didn’t learn who he was until afterward,” Caroline stammered, a warm flush rising on her cheeks. “We only spoke for a moment.”

“Well, give her the card, Emma,” Olivia urged eagerly.

Emma rushed to Caroline, pressing the envelope into her hand. “Hurry and read it! I’m simply dying to know what it says!”

With shaking hands, Caroline opened the crisp white envelope sealed with the duke’s family crest in dark blue wax. Why was Alexander Woodward sending her flowers? What could he possibly have to say to her? Her heart racing, she silently read the brief message written in bold masculine strokes.

My Dear Miss Armstrong,

I felt compelled to thank you for such delightful conversation last evening. The gardenias remind me of you. I hope you will permit me the honor of calling upon you tomorrow afternoon.

Alexander Woodward

Caroline read the note a second time in disbelief. The words seemed to blur before her eyes. Why on earth would he call on me? Her heart filled with a mounting sense of unease. The duke knew that she was discouraging suitors and yet he still sent her flowers. Was he doing this to deliberately put her in an awkward situation? What was he up to?

Then there was that kiss. That kiss! Her cheeks reddened yet again at the memory of his lips on hers. His hands. His eyes.

He was not marrying Madeline Maxwell.

“Well…What does it say?” Emma asked impatiently, standing on tiptoe, trying to peer over Caroline’s shoulder to read the note.

“Read it, Caroline,” Olivia demanded, eager to know what the duke had to say to her granddaughter.

Hesitantly, Caroline read the note aloud. When she was finished, she looked up at her speechless grandmother and sister.

Olivia sat down helplessly in her chair. After a moment, her eyes narrowed suspiciously. “A conversation? He sent you these expensive flowers to thank you for a conversation? What on earth did you say to the man, Caroline?”

“We spoke but for a moment,” she answered vaguely.

Emma squealed in delight. “He’s going to call on you! Here we thought you were ill and not enjoying yourself last night. Then you go and catch the Duke of Woodborough, without telling anyone. And pretending as if you didn’t know! When did you speak with him?”

“Yes, when?” Olivia asked, her sharp eyes watching Caroline.

“Truly…It was nothing,” Caroline stated slowly, for Emma’s enthusiasm was making her nervous. “After dancing, I had a headache so I went outside for some air. He was already on the balcony. We spoke for a moment or two. I wasn’t even aware he was the Duke of Woodborough at the time.”

“‘The gardenias remind me of you,’” Emma mused dreamily, holding the note in her hands. “That sounds very romantic. Whatever did you talk about?”

“Nothing special.” Caroline felt uncomfortable discussing her encounter with the duke. What could she say? That she confessed her secret plan to him? She certainly could not tell them that she had kissed him passionately. And enjoyed it.

“Well, this is a pleasant surprise. I can’t believe you didn’t mention any of this last night, Caroline,” Olivia said, regaining some composure while absently smoothing her silver hair. “Apparently the duke is quite taken with you.”

Emma giggled, her hazel eyes dancing. “Mary Ellen Talbot pointed him out to me once last night, and he’s devastatingly handsome. All the girls were mooning over him. I can’t wait to tell Aunt Jane and Uncle Kit! The Duke of Woodborough and Caroline! It’s too good to be true!”

“That’s exactly it, Emma,” Caroline exclaimed. “It is too good to be true. Why would a duke possibly be interested in me? I’m not the duchess type. He’d be wasting his time.” She could not become involved with the duke, no matter what his intentions. It was impossible for her to become involved with anyone! Yet she had no idea how to explain that to her grandmother. She took a big gulp of air and blurted out, “I refuse to see him when he calls tomorrow.”

“Nonsense!” Olivia said in a tone that brooked no argument. “We will just have to see what the duke has to say for himself. It can’t hurt to speak with the man. Besides, we can hardly refuse to receive him, Caroline. He is a duke, after all.”

That was exactly what Caroline was afraid of.

The next afternoon Alexander Woodward, the seventh Duke of Woodborough, was seated in the drawing room of Olivia Fairchild. Although he was usually put off by society matrons who were only interested in getting him to marry their daughters, Alex found himself liking Olivia right away. He admired her honesty and warmth, as well as her no-nonsense approach to his calling upon her granddaughter. She was not at all intimidated by the fact that he was a duke, as most people were. After all the polite questions about his family, their health, and his health, Olivia finally asked the question to which he knew she really wanted the answer.

“So is it true that the Maxwell girl turned you down?” Olivia watched him carefully, her blue eyes peering at him.

Alex answered with caution, aware that a gentleman must never disparage a lady in any manner. “It seems that way.”

Olivia harrumphed skeptically. “I don’t believe you. There is no way that spoiled little thing would have refused your proposal. You saw right through her plans, because you’re intelligent. You weren’t going to be railroaded into that marriage. And you are only saying that she turned you down to save her face.” She smiled approvingly at him, satisfied with her analysis of the situation.

Maintaining a poker face, Alex stated calmly, “Madame, I don’t know to what you are referring.”

“A gentleman! I like that. You’re much better off without her, young man. Madeline Maxwell, as pretty as she is, is spoiled, selfish, and vain. She would have made your life miserable.” She nodded her head in approval of his actions.

Alex only smiled at her. “You are a very wise woman, Lady Fairchild.”

She grinned at his compliment and smoothed her silvery hair with her hand. “Now to the point,” Olivia said, her tone more serious. “What are your intentions with my Caroline?”

Alex sat quietly for a moment, unsure of what to say. Then he uttered quite clearly, “I want to marry her.”

The words came from his mouth, yet he couldn’t believe that he had said them aloud. He didn’t even know what he was doing there getting grilled by the elderly countess, except that he could not help himself. Unable to stop thinking about Caroline, he didn’t even stay the night at Lily’s as he usually did. Restless and preoccupied with thoughts of their rather passionate encounter, he spent the next day finding out everything he could about her. Gaining knowledge of her unusual background, he laughed to himself as he heard some descriptions of her as being “a bluestocking” or a “trifle odd” and knew that Caroline would be pleased to learn that her little plan was working quite well after just one night. He remembered her on the balcony with the silvery moonlight spilling all around her, making her hair shimmer and her white satin gown glisten. She looked like a pensive little angel. She had been beautiful, witty, and surprisingly intelligent. He called on her today because he simply had to see her again. To see if she was truly as wonderful as he remembered her to be when he held her in his arms.

Marriage had not entered his mind. Well, not quite, anyway.

Now that he had said it aloud, marrying Caroline Armstrong seemed most appealing. Although he had only met her once, he sensed something about her that set her apart from the other women he knew. She was different, special somehow, and he was drawn to her. He had the oddest sensation that she belonged to him. Odder still was the feeling that she knew it as well. There was definitely something between them that night. They conversed easily enough and laughed together. He had also never had such a strong physical reaction to a woman before. However, he could not tell her grandmother that.

“Why do you want to marry her?” Olivia asked, full of curiosity. “You’ve only just met her.”

“Upon meeting her at the ball, I found Caroline to be a very intelligent, charming, and beautiful young lady. I enjoyed her company immensely,” he managed to say after a long silence. “I also have to marry. It is my duty as the Duke of Woodborough.”

“Hmmm…” Olivia pondered this, again watching him with her sharp eyes. “So you want her to be your duchess?”

“Is that so surprising to you?”

“Frankly, yes,” she said with candor. “Caroline and her sister, Emma, were not raised as ladies.” She paused before stating, “I am sure you’ve heard about the terrible scandal concerning my daughter, Katherine.”

Alex could sense that this was a painful subject for her, but he shook his head slightly, encouraging her to explain. Of course, he had heard the rumors but had never really paid much attention to the infamous story of Katherine Fairchild before; now he wanted to learn the truth about Caroline’s family from its most reliable source.

Olivia gave him a look, as if trying to make up her mind about him, and then she began resolutely. “When Katherine was seventeen she was engaged to be married to Lord Montgomery, a handsome young man from a fine family, whom we had chosen for her. We did not know that she had already fallen in love with Richard Armstrong. Richard had been our son Kit’s tutor. Richard was poor but from a decent enough family in Kent. My husband, Edward, and I tried to reason with Katherine, but she was young and foolish. One night the two of them simply ran off together. Their elopement caused such a dreadful scandal that Edward disowned her, cutting her off from the family completely. That was a terrible time for us.” Olivia paused to dab her teary eyes with a lace handkerchief and continued with a slight sniffle. “So Katherine and Richard settled in the country, where he taught at the university in Shrewsbury, and they lived very simply. Katherine died of consumption many years ago, but it was not until Richard himself died last October that I was finally able to meet my granddaughters and bring them to live with me. Richard had been very ill, and Caroline had been supporting the family, working at the university. She was about to take a position as a governess when I arrived on their doorstep. Obviously the girls were not raised to be a part of our society, although I must say they were very well educated. They have only recently learned the finer points of proper etiquette for their coming-out. It could be quite daunting for Caroline to fill the role of duchess.” Olivia glanced at him meaningfully.

“That means nothing to me. Caroline is different from any other lady of my acquaintance, and that is why I find her so attractive. She is bright and witty and versed in many languages. I have no doubt that she is more than capable of learning anything she needs to learn to be a duchess. Her background is irrelevant.” Alex paused to add, “I also think that she is the most beautiful woman I have ever seen.”

Olivia was speechless, yet beaming with pride at his praise of Caroline.

“Do I have your permission to call upon her, Lady Fairchild?” Alex asked.

“Why yes, of course. Now I will have her come down to see you.”

“Would you allow me a moment of privacy with her, Lady Fairchild?” He knew it was improper, but he also knew that she was impressed with him.

She gave him a long look as she summed him up. “Your intentions are quite honorable, and I would not mind having you for a grandson-in-law,” she stated with a grin. “I will allow it this one time.”

A few moments later, Caroline came to the drawing room alone. She stood hesitantly in the doorway, and Alex suppressed the urge to laugh. Despite her attempt to appear otherwise, she was even more beautiful than he remembered. Her pale skin was flawless, her cheeks suffused lightly with color; her golden hair was pulled tightly back from her face and topped with a severe black mobcap; and her deep green eyes were almost hidden behind the thick, dark spectacles that perched absurdly on the tip of her little nose. Dressed in a dull black gown that had to be at least two decades behind the current fashion, with wide sleeves and a loosely fitted bodice that seemed to swallow her petite body completely, she looked ridiculous. Still, desire flickered within him at the mere sight of her, fueled by the memory of her in his arms. He extended his hand to her.

“I’m happy to see you again, Caroline.” As he touched her hand, he was again struck by the powerful attraction between them. It was as if a jolt of some unexplainable force went through him and all he wanted to do was pull her into his arms and kiss her.

Caroline merely nodded her head in answer to his greeting, while he held her hand, unable to pull her gaze away from him. They simply stood there and stared at each other. Alex came to his senses and led Caroline to a chair. He released her hand in the hope that he would be able to speak again.

She, however, managed a fierce whisper. “What on earth are you doing here?”

He laughed and smiled at her. “Not quite the greeting I was hoping for, but to answer your question, I wanted to see you again.” His eyes moved over her.

“And whatever possessed you to send me flowers?” she asked irritably.

“I wanted to apologize to you. We parted so abruptly the other night and I didn’t want you to think that I was taking advantage of you or the—”

“It’s best if we forget what happened that night,” she interrupted him, looking away.

Standing in front of her, Alex lifted her chin with his index finger so she was forced to look up and face him again. Gently removing the hideous spectacles from her face, he felt her tremble. He asked very softly, looking into her eyes, “I don’t think I can forget about it, Caroline. Can you?” He brushed his finger across her lips, as he held her chin. Her sharp intake of breath answered his question more eloquently than words. Tempted to kiss her then and there, but thinking better of it, he stepped back from her and said in a conspiratorial whisper, “It won’t work.”

“What won’t work?” she asked breathlessly.

“Your little spinster disguise.” He tossed the spectacles back to her and was pleased by her quick agility in catching them. “It won’t work.”

“That’s only because you know my plan.” She did not don the spectacles again, however, but fiddled with them in her palm. “I had no idea you were the Duke of Woodborough the other night.”

“I figured as much. But does your knowing who I am change what happened between us?”

She gave him a sharp look and changed the subject. “I thought you were supposed to marry Lady Madeline.”

He sighed heavily and directed his gaze at her. “This is very ungentlemanly of me to say, but I would prefer to be honest with you. I never had any intention of marrying Madeline Maxwell.”

“But everyone said that you—”

“No,” Alex interrupted her, “Madeline led everyone to believe that I was going to propose to her, when I never indicated anything of the sort.”

“Oh,” she murmured, her green eyes wide. “So what are you doing here?”

There was a long pause as his little plan took its final shape in his mind. “I’ve been considering our secrets, and I thought we might be able to help each other.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, I’ve been thinking. Since neither of us wishes to marry at the moment, for whatever reasons…” He glanced at her meaningfully. “And since everyone expects us to get married, I thought that maybe we could let everyone assume we are going to marry each other and then the pressure would be off both of us.”

Caroline stared at him, a puzzled expression on her face. “What are you saying?”

“What I’m saying is that both of us are presently under some pressure from our families to marry someone soon, correct?”

“Yes.”

“And neither of us particularly wishes to marry for the time being, correct?”

“Yes…” Caroline’s green eyes were riveted to him.

“Here comes the part where we can help each other out a bit. We like each other and can be friends, can’t we?” he asked, luring her in.

She nodded at him, her beautiful face looking intent.

“Well, if everyone thought you were engaged to me, you wouldn’t have to attend the rest of the parties and balls pretending to be a dull spinster to ward off unwanted suitors. On the other hand, it would also work to my benefit, for if everyone thought I was engaged to you, I would be free of matchmaking mothers and other female maneuverings, à la Madeline Maxwell. If she could so readily lead the ton into thinking that I was about to propose, why couldn’t I do the same thing to my own advantage? Why not let everyone assume that you and I are going to be engaged, and then we could do what we like and enjoy ourselves instead of hiding on dark balconies? It could work out very nicely for us and buy us both some time. What do you think?”

“I think you are positively mad.”

Alex laughed at her astonished expression. “You’re a smart girl, Caroline. Think about it.” He smiled mischievously. “It could work.”

Her delicate brow furrowed. “We pretend to be courting and then betrothed? Fooling everyone?”

“Yes, more or less.”

“But wouldn’t our families expect us to marry each other eventually?” she asked.

“We wouldn’t have to worry about that for months. We could start slowly, being seen together at parties and balls. The gossip would start and everyone would know I was courting you. Eventually, we could announce an engagement, which we could make as long or as short a time as we wanted. Then we could break off amicably, declaring that we discovered that we do not suit one another well, and part as dear friends. What do you think?” When she didn’t respond, he perceptively added, “I know you are waiting for someone, Caroline…You can end our arrangement whenever you wish.”

Their eyes locked for some minutes. His heart pounded.

“We don’t even know each other,” she said at last.

“I disagree. I think we already know each other better than most people do. We can certainly converse easily enough, and I appreciate your wit and intelligence. I believe we can be good friends and enjoy each other’s company.” He arched one black eyebrow as he stared at her. “And we can get to know each other better in the meantime.” He grinned playfully, and she laughed a little. Feeling he was making a good case, he continued, “We wouldn’t be hurting anyone. It only concerns the two of us, and no one has to know about it. It would be our little secret.”

She glanced uncertainly toward him, her gorgeous eyes wide.

Alex smiled at her. He couldn’t help but smile at her. She was so incredibly beautiful. As he watched the play of emotions across her face, he knew he was slowly winning her over, and it made him irrationally happy to think that she would agree to his little plan. A part of him still wondered what the hell he was doing here and just what he was getting himself into, knowing only that he wanted this woman more than any woman he had met in his life and this was the only way he could think of to get her. He was also supremely confident that he could make her forget this other man, whoever he was, and he could marry her. “Well?” he prompted her suggestively.

She sat still, staring at him, her face serious. “You know that I cannot marry you and that this pretense would be only for our mutual convenience?”

“Of course.”

“I can end this arrangement whenever I wish?”

“Yes,” he agreed, still smiling into her green eyes.

Unable to resist his smile, she grinned back at him. “I cannot believe that I’m saying this, but I will agree to this unusual arrangement with you.”

“I knew you were an intelligent young lady.” He leaned closer to her, inhaling the sweet scent of her, and murmured, “Shall we seal our new secret with another kiss?”

“Oh no.” She shook her head violently. “We will have no more of that. If you want me to agree to this, then you have to agree there will be no more kissing.”

“But you want to kiss me,” he laughed. He knew she did. He just wanted to tempt her.

“No kisses or no deal.” Her sensuous mouth was set in a line of determination.

“Deal.” He agreed, and smiled at the look of surprise on her face.