Duke in Training, page 3
“Yes, well, it will take some time.” Tessa sighed. “He keeps people at a distance, which he should not, especially since he has a duty. Therefore, I am going to see that he forgets about his silly rules.”
“How do you propose to do that?” Darius asked with humor.
“By seeing that he breaks them, and you are going to help me.”
“Me? Why and how?”
“Already they are enjoying the supper waltz, even though they are not waltzing, but it is a beginning.”
Tessa frowned. The two may be standing side by side, but they would not even look at the other, let alone engage in conversation. However, despite their protestations to the contrary, Claybrook and Bethany belonged together.
“That is but one rule of only…” She frowned. “Is it still only nineteen rules?”
“I believe that is the current number, though he does tend to add to the list.”
Tessa rolled her eyes. “Yes, well, with your help, I intend to see that he breaks them all.” She grinned, confident that the Duke of Ellings would soon be her ally.
Chapter Three
“It is not fair that we occupy the time of the most eligible dukes in Society,” Lady Bethany insisted.
“Nonsense,” Tessa argued as they made their way into supper. “We are exactly who they should sup with as we are proclaimed spinsters and they have no fear of us.”
Darius looked from one to the other. “You both intend to remain unwed?”
“Yes. In fact, we have grand plans to become independent if not wealthy,” Tessa declared as they reached the table Leopold had selected as it had only four seats and Darius assumed that it was so that no one else would sit with them.
“I shall retrieve a plate for you, Lady Bethany,” Leopold informed in an icy tone and then turned on his heel and marched away.
Tessa may insist they were a match, but Darius had his misgivings, especially when she talked of how the two of them would remain spinsters.
Which was the truth?
“I shall return shortly with sustenance,” he offered and followed Leopold.
“This is exactly why we avoid the supper waltz,” Leopold grumbled quietly. “She is up to no good.”
“Who?” Darius feigned ignorance.
“It was bad enough that I was forced to stand through that blasted waltz with Lady Bethany and now I must dine with her. What are Miss Theresa’s exact intentions is what I would like to know.”
Darius could inform him but thought better of revealing the confidence. “So, it is not Miss Theresa you object to, but Lady Bethany.”
“Have I not already made such clear?” Leopold demanded.
Perhaps Tessa was correct. Darius had never seen Leopold react so strongly to any one person. He could understand being angry about being pushed into the water, but to carry such animosity for two years or more was ridiculous.
“Stay away from Miss Theresa,” Leopold warned again. “If only so I do not have to endure Lady Bethany.”
Darius would make no such promise. First, he had enjoyed being in the company of Tessa. Second, he was quite intrigued to see the usually cold and controlled Leopold react so strongly to an innocent lady of five and twenty. And third, if Tessa was near then perhaps Leopold would keep his distance, giving Darius peace.
After filling the plates, Leopold and he returned to Lady Bethany and Tessa.
“Thank you, Your Grace.” Tessa smiled.
“It was my pleasure.” After taking a seat, he decided that he wanted to learn more about her despite Leopold’s silence and brooding disposition.
“May I ask what your grand plans are to become independent if not wealthy?”
Lady Bethany glared at Tessa, which Darius interpreted to be a warning not to discuss such.
“They will not care about what we wish to do,” Tessa insisted. “Though one at this table will not approve.”
“If you refer to me, then you are likely correct,” Leopold responded.
Darius could not imagine what would be frowned upon. It wasn’t as if misses with their connections had many choices.
“I will tell you after we have supped if you would be so kind to stroll with me in the gardens,” Tessa offered.
“He will not,” Leopold bit out.
Darius clenched his jaw. He was not a child on leading strings.
“Rule number eleven,” Tessa answered with a roll of her eyes. “Never go anywhere with a miss or single lady without a chaperone and that includes stroll through the gardens at a ball.”
It was all Darius could do not to laugh. Just to spite Leopold, he most definitely would stroll with Tessa among the fragrant blooms and beneath the moon.
Bloody hell! When had he become poetic?
“How do you know the rules and their numbers?” Leopold demanded.
“You left them on the desk in your library. I visited, happened to see them, and being of a curious nature, read, and thus memorized as it is impossible for me not to retain details.” She turned to Darius. “I remember everything I read and would have no doubt earned high marks had I been allowed to attend such regal institutions as Oxford or Cambridge.”
“Everything?” he questioned.
She shrugged. “Nobody knows why, I just do and have been told that it is a shame that such a memory is wasted on a woman.”
He supposed many gentlemen might feel intimidated, but Darius was fascinated.
“Miss Theresa, you must learn not to intrude on private matters.”
She said nothing though her impish grin spoke volumes before she sampled the white soup.
An awkward silence followed as they each enjoyed the light meal. Leopold brooded, Lady Bethany kept her eyes downcast, and Tessa happily enjoyed her meal not the least bit disturbed.
Tessa had been warned from a young age to guard her tongue and actions, which she ignored. At the age of five and twenty, it was even less necessary to do so. Even if she didn’t wish to be a spinster, few gentlemen would consider someone as old as she. However, she was behaving far more boldly than usual, and she wasn’t certain why.
Yes, she did enjoy goading Claybrook because he was so broody and stuffy, and he was perfect for Bethany. If he would just admit the truth to himself, and Bethany, then the two could be happy and Claybrook may return to the pleasant and interesting duke that he’d been two years ago, before scandal had struck his family.
Was it the presence of Ellings and her need to save him from the negative influence of Claybrook that had her behaving as such?
Then there was Ellings. He could have been just as irritated with her as Claybrook, instead he was humored, and she suspected that he was having difficulty not laughing at times.
Oh, she did like a gentleman who could find enjoyment in situations, though in this case he wasn’t merely a gentleman but a duke.
“The apple puffs are absolutely delicious. Thank you for choosing them, Your Grace.”
Ellings quietly chuckled. “You are welcome.”
Tessa had no idea what he was laughing at, other than she wasn’t exactly an example of a sweet and demure miss who gently nibbled at her food without eating much. She never shied away from enjoying a meal, especially when the cook and kitchen staff had likely been awake before the sun to provide food for the guests.
She glanced at Bethany’s plate and tried to suppress her smile. “How do you find the blancmange? I know that it is your absolute favorite.”
Bethany’s cheeks took on the color of a delicate old rose.
“It is delicious.” Bethany glanced over to Claybrook. “Thank you for including it.”
Claybrook cleared his throat. “Yes…well…I recall that you enjoyed them at one time.”
If he truly did not care for Bethany, then he would not have chosen something that she loved when there were so many other options to add to her plate. He also would have chosen asparagus, which they both knew she detested.
The two were clearly denying their emotions for the other.
“Would you care for the stroll now, Miss Theresa?” Ellings asked as the two of them finished their meal and while Claybrook and Bethany still had food before them.
“Yes, I would. Thank you, Your Grace.”
“Do recall thirteen,” Leopold warned.
“Avoid bold young misses. They will stop at nothing to gain your attention as they lead you to the altar,” Tessa recited. “I promise only to lead His Grace about the garden.”
“You should not be alone with her,” Leopold warned.
Tessa leaned close so that others would not hear. “You have my word that I will not seduce him.”
Ellings choked on his wine and Tessa hoped she hadn’t delivered too much of a shock.
“You need a keeper,” Claybrook ground out.
Yes, her family used to believe the same, except for Vanessa, her older sister. “You should know that this will be the fifth rule that Ellings has broken this evening.”
Claybrook frowned. “What was the other one?”
“Seventeen.”
“Clearly the reason you felt encouraged,” Leopold claimed.
“Perhaps,” she smiled. “I do enjoy breaking the rules and knowing that I could vex you and rescue His Grace at the same time was too much of a temptation to ignore.”
Claybrook glowered but said nothing further.
“If you would like, you and Lady Bethany may follow and chaperone.”
“I…no,” Lady Bethany objected in near horror.
“Well, I cannot have Claybrook following Ellings and me around as it would leave me alone in the garden with two bachelor dukes and I am fairly certain that not even my untarnished reputation would survive such.”
“Very well,” Lady Bethany breathed out. “If I am following then there is no need for the Duke of Claybrook to join us.”
“There is every reason. I do not trust Miss Theresa.” Claybrook tossed his napkin on the table.
This is exactly what she had hoped for and with that, Tessa took the arm offered by Ellings and allowed him to lead her from the supper room and into the gardens quite certain that Claybrook and Bethany would need to rush to catch up to them as they were still seated. She also knew that neither one of them would hurry as they would not wish to draw attention, which gave them time to disappear.
Chapter Four
“What is seventeen?” Darius asked when they stepped out into the garden.
“Do not make eye contact from across a room with an eligible miss or her mother. It encourages them.”
“You have been making eye contact with me since last spring,” he reminded her. “You do say the most audacious things, however.” Had she really promised not to seduce him? If she wished to change her mind, Darius was more than willing to be seduced by Tessa. Nor was this the first time such thoughts had crossed his mind since they’d first met.
Tessa winced. “I apologize. Sometimes I cannot help but vex Claybrook because he is so easy to exasperate.”
Darius had to chuckle. “Yes, he is.”
When Tessa tugged on his arm to turn down a darkened path, Darius wanted to willingly follow and perhaps finally steal a kiss or two but did not wish to bring her reputation into question if they were discovered. Therefore, he kept on the well-lit path.
“I promise that I am not attempting to trap you,” Miss Theresa insisted.
If only she knew how willing he was to be trapped, but Darius said nothing as Tessa had never given any indication that she saw him as anything more than a friend and companion, unfortunately. “I believe you, but if caught, our insistence that nothing untoward happened will fall on deaf ears, your reputation would be tarnished, and suspicion would be cast upon my good character.”
Tessa blew out a sigh. “I suppose.”
“Why did you want to go into the darkness?” Could it be possible that perhaps she had wanted a kiss? Had he just foolishly let opportunity slip through his fingers?
“So Claybrook and Bethany could be alone.”
Darius shoved aside the disappointment of her reasoning being not what he wished. “They are alone, just not together.” He nodded to where they stood by the glass doors leading back into the ballroom—one on each side.
Tessa let out a sigh.
“Perhaps you are wrong,” he offered. There was nothing in their demeanor that suggested the two even liked the other, let alone were in love.
“No, I am not,” Tessa insisted.
“As they are going to stand there and chaperone, we might as well enjoy the garden while you go about your matchmaking.” Leopold deserved no less than Tessa’s interference in his life. Darius had thought the rules ridiculous but now Leopold was watching him with as much attention as a mother supervises her daughter at her first ball. Leopold needed to recognize that Darius was not a child and could make his own choices, nor was he so foolish as to be trapped into marriage. Did Leopold think that women were not the same in America? His father had been wealthy and owned a large plantation, which made Darius come to realize at a young age that innocent misses could be quite conniving as soon as they realized that Darius, being the eldest, was likely to inherit the estate.
“It is a shame they are so blind,” Tessa mumbled. “Why is there a list anyway? A written list, that is. Couldn’t Claybrook have delivered his dictate in a lecture? He seems rather fond of them.”
Darius couldn’t help but laugh. “I believe he came by the idea when he discovered a list his older sister Octavia, Lady Kepple, had authored.”
Tessa frowned. “She is a widow. What type of list did she make? She is also old enough that nobody can force her into a marriage.”
His face heated. He certainly couldn’t tell Tessa that it was a list of rules for when taking a lover. Instead, Darius shrugged. “You never did tell me your grand plans to become independent if not wealthy.”
“A gentlewomen’s club.”
He did not know what he had expected her to answer, but that was not it. “A gentlewomen’s club,” he repeated.
“Yes, like White’s or Boodle’s, but for women.”
“What would you do in such a club?” Did she even know what occurred in White’s or Boodle’s?
“We would enjoy brandy and whiskey out of sight of gentlemen who take great issue when we sip anything stronger than Madeira. We would discuss politics, even though we have no say on such matters, but perhaps some women may hold sway over their husbands.”
“A salon?” he questioned.
“Yes!” Tessa brightened. “We would discuss literature, art, sciences, medicine, and so many other subjects that are rumored to be beyond the female mind to comprehend.”
Darius snorted. “Somehow I doubt that anything is beyond your capabilities.”
Tessa warmed at his compliment. So often gentlemen frowned on her interests and believed them unseemly, which had a lot to do with why she was not married. There wasn’t a gentleman in London who approved of her.
“Thank you for recognizing that I may possess intellect.”
“It would be difficult to miss,” he offered.
Oh, she did like the Duke of Ellings.
“Where would this club be? I assume you live with your family and most women do not possess property.”
“I will purchase a townhouse,” she announced. “The ground floor would have rooms for intellectual discussion and debate, a room for gambling, and a small dining room where meals can be served at certain times of day. Bethany and I will have our sets of rooms above.”
“Gambling?” he asked in surprise. “I do not see how you could become wealthy gambling.”
Had he just insulted her? “I know how to wager and play the games and am quite skilled.”
“Of that I have no doubt, but most women do not possess the funds to wager large amounts, unlike their husbands or fathers, so they would be quite limited on the amount that they could lose.”
That was something that Tessa had not considered. She was counting on winnings from gaming tables, and a monthly subscription to support her and Bethany, though her friend would likely be wed before the salon opened.
“Are you limiting your members to women because the gentlemen’s clubs only allow men?”
“Partially, and a woman should have a place where she can be free to enjoy herself without censure.”
Ellings nodded in contemplation.
“What if there were gentlemen who were of a like mind?”
Her experience with men was they were controlling and would not do well in an establishment run by a female that was not a brothel.
“There are men who would enjoy such a discussion with women as well as men, and who would not object if women were also drinking brandy and playing Faro.”
Tessa did not believe such existed. “Who would such a gentleman be?”
“Me,” he answered. “It would be a far more enjoyable way to spend an evening at your club than at a ball where all are watched and judged.”
If Ellings wished to participate in her salon, she would certainly allow him to do so. “I will allow you to join, but you may be the only man.”
“You could always investigate a gentleman who may wish to join. Question him and learn what you can. You may be surprised.”
“I have been in Society for nearly six years. Little would surprise me.”
He cocked his head and studied her. “You may be braver than most, such as approaching me for a dance, but everyone else is staying within the rules expected of the ton. How many would truly prefer to be at the salon you have described?”
Tessa glanced back to the house as the other guests were returning to the ballroom. Could Ellings be correct?
“It is worth considering. A gentleman will be able to lose much more at a gaming table while enjoying discussions of politics, making it more likely that you might earn your own wealth.”
Tessa turned back to the duke with a warmth spreading through her chest. He had not dismissed her. She’d mentioned her plans to few people and they either humored her or frowned. Only Bethany wished to join in the venture and live with her in the house they purchased. Ellings neither frowned nor humored but offered valuable advice that she would need to consider.
