The Duke’s Dark Desire, page 2
“The Mason house is not too far away, actually.” Out of nervousness, Margery found herself telling the Duke the exact directions to the house.
After an awkward round of silence, Avery cleared his throat. “I don’t mean to keep you distracted, I must be off, the road to the Mason’s is just a mile onwards if I am correct in my estimations, let us see who may reach the house first,” he teased.
“You don’t mean to race me home do you, Your Grace?” she quizzed.
“Oh I most certainly do, Miss Fairchild. I happened to notice how quickly you rode on your poor pony before I caught up to you just now but I must say, it was only too easy. What do you say?” he challenged.
“If I say yes, you must promise not to be too disappointed by being beaten by a young woman of such a slight stature as myself,” she smiled at him and nudged Firefly in the sides charging for the Mason estate without any warning.
The Duke was close on her tail within an instant but her slight head start had been too much for his horse to catch up to, not to mention her slight person was much lighter than he was.
“Good night, Your Grace,” she called from her side of the road. “Thank you for the thrilling race, perhaps we shall meet again soon,” she added and led Firefly into the barn. Avery Navarre stared after her, breathless, until he saw her emerge from the barn and enter the house where a small candle flickered to light the room and welcome her home.
With reluctance, Avery urged his horse on, his thoughts wandering back to the beautiful woman he had just said goodbye to.
Margery closed the door gently as she entered the house, her thoughts returning to the attractive man she had just met. She had seen him watching her as she walked to the barn with Firefly. She was surprised to see him still watching as she made her way to the house. She had kept her eyes from him, not wanting him to see her looking at him, but she was well aware of his very masculine presence until the door of the house closed behind her. She hoped she would see him again but she knew it was dangerous to even think that the Duke of Dunshire would be interested in a young woman like her.
Still, it was nice to smile and be happy. Happiness was a feeling Margery had rarely experienced since the death of her father. And even if she never saw the Duke again, she would never forget the handsome man who had shown interest in her, if only for a brief moment in time.
Upon retiring, Margery again recalled her meeting with the Duke and looked forward to her soon to be first encounter in weeks with her bosom friend, Charlotte, and her brother. She realized she was thinking more about the Duke than she was about Hugh, and she tried to dismiss the thoughts of the handsome Duke from her mind. She was looking forward to meeting Hugh as she knew a woman of such small fortune as her own could never hope to keep the attraction of a man of the Duke’s standing in society. Still, it was the Duke’s face she saw as she drifted off to sleep, and he graced her dreams throughout the night.
Chapter 4
Margery awoke early the next morning, not from her own intentions to be at her aunt and uncle’s cottage before Charlotte and her brother arrived, but because Thomas had decided his breakfast was not up to his standards. Her room, although at the opposite end of the hall from the kitchen, had been close enough for her to hear the shattering of plates and bowls shortly after sunrise.
She dressed quickly and prepared for the worst as she headed down the hall for the kitchen.
“Good morning all,” she greeted the family once she was dressed and in view of the mess. So far, the porridge bowl had been dropped from the table to the floor with its contents spilled in a wide circle around the child’s seat. Beyond that, the milk container had been turned upside down onto the table where Thomas was crying audibly.
“Good morning, my dear,” exclaimed Mr. Mason with panic on his face. “Do not let this disaster trouble your visit to your aunt’s. It is, as you know, nothing we cannot handle before midday. I trust you had an enjoyable ride last evening, we didn’t hear you come in,” he continued.
Smiling to herself remembering her run in with the Duke, she replied, “Yes, it was quite lovely in the cool evening air. I will return for tea this evening, I assure you.”
“That’s all right, dear,” he began again, “Only be sure to keep yourself safe on the way home. Take Firefly, she has grown more than accustomed to you.”
“I will,” she thanked him kindly and hurried to the barn to fetch Firefly as Thomas screamed behind her, “Where you going, Missus?” But his mother hushed him as Margery narrowly escaped the next tantrum of the day.
The sun was rising steadily as Margery came upon the cottage where her aunt and uncle Firth were waiting on the lawn. It was a stout little thing but it had always met the needs of her aunt and uncle who rarely kept company and, when they did, it never exceeded two or three of their closest friends.
“Dear Margery, how you’ve begun to show your womanly figure,” her aunt Claire blurted out admiringly as she pulled her niece in for a hug. It was true that although thin and short in height, Margery’s hips had begun a slight curve outwards while her waist remained as narrow as ever.
“It’s good to see you, too, aunt. I trust you have kept uncle from being too active these past few weeks,” Margery inquired.
“You know your uncle, dear, he is just the same way your father had always been, always doing more work than his age ought to permit him,” her aunt went on.
Just then, her uncle William came round the corner of the cottage covered head to toe in dirt.
“Ah, you are here early my dear child,” he greeted her. “I have just been out tending to the garden and the vegetables of the season,” he explained of himself before his wife could accost him for the state of his clothing. “You are always eager to be here on weekends when Charlotte is expected, and I suppose her brother’s accompaniment must be reason for your arrival being even earlier than usual, my dear?” he asked, winking at his niece.
The three went into the house together and into the den where the family cat, George, climbed up onto Margery’s lap and fell instantly asleep as she stroked his head lightly, preventing her from moving very far. Claire prepared tea and biscuits for the arrival of their new guests while William tended to the tidying of the den before he was ushered out and ordered to change into something more suitable to be seen in front of friends. Before long, Margery resorted to looking out of the window for any sign that her dearest friend might be on her way. Finally, with tea pots and dishes in place, a small fire lit to ensure all were to be comfortable, and George safely off the lap of his head scratcher, a small carriage not suitable for any more than two or three people, pulled up in front of the house.
“Oh, Auntie! It is Charlotte! They are here!” exclaimed Margery with the utmost joy and anticipation. She all but bounced off of her seat and out the door to greet her friend.
“Charlotte!” Margery cried as the rickety door on the side of the carriage swung open revealing her blonde companion. Charlotte was in many ways quite opposite to Margery. She had very long blonde hair which fell straight as a pin if her ladies maids did nothing to give it some extra bounce and curl. For a woman, she was rather tall and came at least six inches above where Margery stood with a curvaceous frame that was more than flattering.
Immediately behind her, a man whom Margery had never seen before but without a doubt could tell to be her old governess’s brother, stepped down from the carriage and handed his sister her chapeau. In appearance, he was very similar to Charlotte. He had blond hair as well which had a bit of a wave to it that fell just beyond his temples, and his eyes were the color of glass that had been tossed about at sea.
He stepped down from the carriage gracefully. “You must be Margery,” he said politely, reaching for her hand to kiss. “I have heard so much about you.”
Breathless, Margery replied, “I am; it is very nice to finally be able to make your acquaintance…” she trailed off shyly.
“Hugh,” he concluded. “I must say that my sister’s description of you falls quite short in comparison to the real you,” he added with charm and flattery.
“Yes, right,” stammered a nervous Margery, “You’re Charlotte’s brother who’s come from training in London. I suppose none of us are ever really able to do justice to the real life version of someone. Please come in, my aunt has prepared us tea.”
She turned on her heel to hide her face and led the pair inside, and her uncle tended to the horses and their care for the day. Never had Margery seen a man as handsome and tall as Hugh before, and he had taken her quite by surprise. For the first time in her young adult life, Margery contemplated what it meant to be in love and if it would ever happen to her, perhaps with this gentleman, as her friend had hoped, it would happen. But what about the Duke? She shook the unwanted thought away. The Duke of Dunshire would find a wealthy woman of class to wed, she knew. Margery shifted her attention back to Hugh; she was looking forward to getting to know more about this handsome man.
The afternoon passed in pleasant conversation with Charlotte and in getting to know, in more depth, her handsome brother. Hugh had been training with the militia for several months now and was on leave for the following fortnight. During this leave, he would be staying with Charlotte in her small village near the Shire. This would mean visits and balls and time spent in town with the siblings for Margery, and she could hardly contain her excitement.
“What is it you do, Miss Fairchild? My sister only ever talks about how wonderful you are but never has she told me your means of employment,” Hugh had asked her when her attention was depriving him.
“Oh, um, I’m a governess for the Mason’s just down the road, they have a little boy who just turned seven, and he is quite the handful,” she revealed.
“Boys always are at that age, aren’t they? No doubt with your charming face and soothing voice, the child refrains from his tyranny when you demand it of him,” he complimented back to her, continuing to stare admiringly in her direction. She took notice of this.
“I must say, you do flatter me, sir. The child has taken a liking to me, which has made my daily task of teaching him more enjoyable, but I cannot claim to have that kind of power. For I doubt the hand of the lord would be able to reign in his spirit when he decides he does not wish to do something,” Margery explained.
She blushed as Hugh smiled at her in entertainment from across the room, and she was saved by Charlotte rising and taking her by the arm exclaiming that they must go and help her aunt with the cleaning in the other room.
“Good gracious, Marge!” she chuckled once the two were out of earshot from the den.
“Whatever are you so excited about Charlotte?” she asked in amusement of her friend’s sudden outburst of ecstatic joy. “You are as giddy as a child receiving their first Christmas gift.”
Charlotte rolled her eyes at Margery and continued to babble about how Hugh had been fixed in town for so long and had never found a woman worth his attempt of courting.
“What does that have to do with the insanity that now spreads across your smiling face my dearest?” Margery pushed, trying not to sound as eager about Hugh’s intentions as she really was.
“You, my darling girl! My brother cannot help but to keep his eyes on you all of the time. I have never seen him so focused in all of my life. I am sure he must fancy you but of course why shouldn’t he? You are without a doubt the most beautiful woman he has ever beheld,” she whispered for fear of being overheard. The two paused a moment to ensure they had not ruffled his interest in listening at the door and then continued.
“You flatter me Charlotte, but I really cannot imagine a man such as your brother to have any interest in someone like me,” she added modestly as the two girls left the kitchen giggling together, trying to conceal their true discussion.
“Gracious, you two are quite mischievous, why don’t we three go for a walk in the sunlight, and you can show off your beautifully decorated bonnets,” Hugh suggested as the girls entered the room. “I know Charlotte has been aching to see the yellow one that you described to her in a letter a few weeks back,” he added now, picturing her in this new bonnet.
“What an excellent idea brother of mine! Will you fetch my new white bonnet from the carriage, and I will help Marge with hers,” Charlotte was nearly next to herself with excitement.
Margery had brought along an oversized yellow bonnet which made her fair skin glow excellently in good sunlight. The trio walked for hours down the cottage road and along the side of the lake whose stream ran a mere quarter mile from the back of the Firth household. Talking and laughing as they went, Charlotte kept a close eye and even closer ear on her brother and her friend. How perfect, she thought to herself as she watched them looking at one another and making jokes, commenting on the beauty of the day.
Once they returned to the cottage, the carriage was all prepared for departure, and Hugh escorted Charlotte into the seat once she had sufficiently hugged Margery farewell. The goodbyes between the ladies always took longer than one might expect. If they could glue their hips together, their separation would not be made any more difficult than it already was. He then turned to Margery and put out a hand again which she offered to him. He kissed it once more, lingering on it for a moment longer than he had at his arrival which sent her heart into a fit. When he raised his head to meet her eyes, they were glistening in the setting sun, and her hair had swung from her bun in front of her face. He brushed it away with the back of his hand.
“It has been a remarkable day with you, Miss Fairchild,” he bid. “I hoped I could have a moment to ask you if I could see you again soon.”
“You may, I am allowed my weekends to visit with my aunt and uncle and look forward to seeing you again,” she replied kindly.
Charlotte began to squeal from inside the carriage as Hugh continued.
“I thought perhaps somewhere more formal. There is a ball being held by a gentleman from my regiment and his family in London on Saturday, Colonel Bennett. I hope I may encourage you to come as my guest,” he expressed with the deepest desire in his voice.
“I believe I would like that very much. I shall speak with Mr. and Mrs. Mason this evening.” Margery thanked him as the carriage pulled away, and she hurried to fetch Firefly to ask the Mason’s if she might have the evening to go to the ball.
As she rode Firefly to the Mason’s house, Margery thought of the handsome Hugh. He seemed kind, and he seemed to have a genuine interest in her. She hoped to continue to get to know him. Nights were the worst for Margery, as her despair made her feel lonely, and alone. She longed for a man to love her; a man who she could love in return. She wanted many children and often prayed that she would be blessed to be a mother.
As she emerged from settling Firefly in the barn, her eyes wandered to the place where the Duke had been watching her. She knew he wasn’t there but she had foolish hope that he might be.
Why am I thinking about the Duke of Dunshire? Surely, this is just a silly fantasy of a low society young woman with hopes of a fairy tale happily ever after romance.
As she walked into the house and turned to close the door, her eyes scanned the road once again, secretly hoping that she might see a handsome man looking back at her.
Chapter 5
Mr. and Mrs. Mason listened to Margery’s request with conscious airs of concerned faces. Of course, this would be a wonderful opportunity for their young helper, and she did promise to have Thomas’s lessons for the day completed before setting out for London as her friends would not be picking her up in the carriage until the afternoon. However, they could not help but worry that if the lady was to fall in love on such an occasion as this, they might lose the only governess that Thomas had ever liked. With some persuasion from the maids at breakfast that morning that it would really be quite cruel to keep Margery from such an event, they consented to her to be allowed to attend the ball on Saturday next.
“Your brother is exceedingly handsome, my dearest Charlotte,” Margery remarked to her companion as they attempted various hairstyles on one another the following day. Hugh remained at their home that day to allow the women to speak freely of the upcoming ball, and of course, to discuss their opinions on his actions the day before.
“As is your hair madam,” said one of the maids passing by the two ladies on the sofa. Alice had always been kind to Margery, even as a young girl when she came to visit her aunt and uncle at the cottage. A more kind-hearted person you were not to find anywhere.
“Thank you,” replied Margery graciously and they all giggled, admiring her in the mirror. Charlotte had tied most of her brown curls up into a twisted sort of bun with thin ringlets falling down around her face. She included some pearl pins in the twists and turns of her curls but there was something more that they needed.
“I have known it for many a year dear Marge, but it has been far too long since any other woman besides myself has told him so. It would not be so out of place if you mention it to him this Saturday,” Charlotte said proudly.
“My word, Charlotte! There is no keeping up airs and graces with you are there?” Margery exclaimed, shocked at her companion’s indiscretion.
“My dear, the last woman who told Hugh he was at all attractive was nothing more to him than a tease; she made him believe he was becoming successful in courting her but after six months, she allowed him the information of her recent marriage,” she told Margery.
“Well, poor Hugh had better choose more transparent women in the future,” she added, winking in Charlotte’s direction in the mirror.
The two laughed hysterically. “Well now, I have never known you to be even the slightest bit cloudy in all my years with you, I think Hugh will be just fine,” teased Charlotte. “Remind me, my dear, when we arrive in London, before the ball we must go and get you some ribbon for your hair. Blue, I think would be best, like a sapphire,” she added, toying with a small curl that had sprung loose.
