Page 23 of A Virgin for the Cruel Duke

Was it possible for such a simple thing to mean so much? Elizabeth barely dared reply, carefully slipping her fan into her reticule so she would not say anything else without meaning to. She was bound to dosomethingterrible here, Stephen would see what a failure she was and be furious with her. And yet his hand was still warm on hers and his presence steady by her side, leaving her heart fluttering in her chest to know that he was looking out for her.

“Lord Stapleton,” Stephen stopped in front of the small group. “I believe you did not have the pleasure of formally meeting my wife the last time you saw her, may I present the Duchess of Westall.”

Elizabeth started a curtsy but Stephen’s grip became so on her arm that she could not perform it and was forced to instead simply nod her head, her cheeks coloring as the Marquess bowed. “It is a pleasure, Lord Stapleton. I know you are a friend of my husband’s and I am glad to finally meet you properly.”

“It is a terrible time to meet people when you are getting married,” the Marquess agreed. He was a man of height, but not as tall as Stephen was and he had a face that was creased lightly by laugh lines as though he spent his time smiling. “It is my absolute pleasure to be properly introduced to you, Your Grace.”

The fact that a man of such rank and title called her ‘Your Grace’ was enough to make Elizabeth feel like sitting down. Had Stephen not said she was the highest ranked lady at the gathering? How was that possible!

The conversation flowed around her as Stephen introduced her to the other two gentlemen, two Lords who were pleased to meet her and eager to impress. He then guided her to a seat and fetched her a crystal glass filled with lemon flavored ice and another of lemonade.

“Are you - hovering, Your Grace?” she asked softly.

“Nonsense, it is my job as your husband to make sure you meet my friends,” Stephen retorted, a frown on his face.

The ice melted in her mouth as a small flush crept up her cheeks. She was almost certain that he was cossetting her and it made her heart skip a little in her chest. It was a dangerous luxury. “I do not need to be coddled, Your Grace,” she said softly, with no heat in her voice.

The frown on his face deepened. “I do not need you to tell me how to treat you.” As soon as the sentence was out of his mouth he seemed to be taken aback by what he had said, but he did not retract it.

“Your Grace, I didn’t mean to-” Elizabeth started, carefully. She did not want them to fight, not now, not here. She was liking this side of him, the protectiveness he was showing. It made her feel delicate and cared for, safe in a way she hadn’t known she longed to feel.

She was cut off however by a voice hailing them. “Ah, I’m glad to have found you again.” It was Celia walking up to them, her gazefixed on Elizabeth’s and an expression of understanding across her face.

CHAPTER 11

Lady Stapleton took the seat next to Elizabeth with a little sigh of relief. “I cannot express how much I have been needing to sit down, Your Grace,” she said. “Westall, would you mind checking on my beloved Stapleton? He has gotten distracted by some of the young men trying to start a competition of some foolish sort in our parlor.”

Stephen frowned a little and Elizabeth got the feeling that he was not used to getting such requests at any social occasion, particularly not such a fancy event with such a prestigious array of guests. “Of course, my lady,” he said, however, nodding to her. “I shall return, Your Grace.” This seemed to be directed at Elizabeth and she just nodded back, feeling a wave of relief wash over her as he stalked away through the crowd.

“Sometimes these events are overwhelming things, are they not?” Celia asked in a soft voice. “Especially if one’s husband dotes on one so much that one can barely move without tripping over him.”

Elizabeth laughed a little, covering her mouth with a hand. “Did it look very like that?”

“Only because the Marquess is very similar,” Celia said. Their eyes met and Elizabeth was surprised and pleased to see that the other lady’s face was sympathetic and kind. “I do love him dearly, but if he had his way he would spend most events so close to my side that I would struggle to breathe, I assure you.”

“And do you - like it? The attention?” The words slipped out before Elizabeth knew what she was saying and she glanced around the ballroom quickly to see if they were being observed. Many heads did in fact turn their way from the little groups around the room, but none for long and she suspected that the hostess and the new Duchess being involved in a tete-a-tete was the topic of conversation but not perhaps because she had done something socially reprehensible.

“A lot of the time I find it very pleasant,” Celia said. “He is a kind man, you know. A brave one and a good one. His charms are numerous. Sometimes, however, I find I have a heart for independence and at those times he is amicable enough to do such small favors for me that allow me a little space for myself.”

Elizabeth nodded, wondering what it must be like to have a marriage where both partners were fond of each other. “How do you - tell him what you want without making him cross with you?”

Celia looked at her, a quick sort of look that had a wealth of sympathy behind it. “Come, Your Grace. Will you favor me with a turn around the room?”

It was a sudden statement and jarring, but Elizabeth glanced around and saw several groups of ladies beginning to make their way across the room towards them and thought that she understood. “I should be very pleased. Must you call me ‘Your Grace’ at all times?”

“I certainly should while we are in so public a setting,” Celia said, laughing as they rose and set off in the opposite direction to the ladies trying to reach them as naturally as possible. “If you want me to call you something else in private then you need only ask.”

“I would like you to call me by my name,” Elizabeth said. She felt that she was sounding a little petulant in her own ears, but she couldn’t help it. She was always Your Grace this or Duchess that now. So few people called her by her given name that she was beginning to worry it would never be heard again outside of talking to Diana.

Celia smiled quickly and looked pleased. “I should be very delighted to, if you still feel that way next time we meet.”

“Very well then,” Elizabeth nodded firmly. “Now, I suspect you were walking me in this direction so we should not be interrupted. Was it so that you might answer my question?”

“Indeed it was. Are you familiar with the story of how the Marquess and I became engaged?”

She shook her head. It was something that she was almost certainly meant to know and once again she cursed that she had no idea how to even start educating herself for the position that she had found herself in.

“I was quite young, just turned eighteen and my father, the Earl of Carmody, had business near the Stapleton lands. It was an arranged marriage by both families to create business ties. The Marquess had not inherited the title at that time and the two of us had only met once before the wedding.”

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