Page 11 of The Duke's Concealed Vow
Chapter Five
The following morning, as her lady’s maid, Christine, helped Serena dress in a lavender silk gown embroidered with cream-colored pearls and lace with matching slippers and shawl, her thoughts were solely on the strange and uncomfortable dance she had shared with the Duke the previous evening. She had managed to enjoy the rest of her debut ball, and her guests had seemed to be utterly delighted and satisfied as they had departed. And yet, her first thoughts had been of the enigmatic duke and his odd, removed behavior.
Although admittedly she knew very little about the duke, she knew that his actions were not those of a refined nobleman. Rather, he had seemed like a man who was going through the motions, engaging and reacting only out of a sense of burdensome duty, rather than of his own free will. In the silence of the time she had spent with him, Serena had tried to read him. But she might as well have been trying to read the works of Shakespeare after losing her sight. It surely would have been an easier task.
When she was dressed, she made her way downstairs to the breakfast room. Her family was already seated, just helping themselves to fresh biscuits and eggs, ham, porridge, and coffee. Her aunt was the first to notice her entrance, grinning brightly at her and patting the seat next to her on the sofa where she sat. In her lap, she held a copy of the newspaper, and as Serena sat down beside her, Imogen held up the paper so that Serena could see.
“Darling, I have been beside myself to read the scandal sheets,” she said. “Let us read them together. I am sure there will be plenty of gossip about your ball last night.”
Serena nodded, returning her aunt’s smile as she read along with her aunt. It didn’t take them long to find the headline for which they were searching:
Lady Serena Yardley Unequivocally Named Diamond of the Season.
Imogen gasped softly, putting her fingertips gently to her lips. Serena’s smile widened as her cheeks grew warm, and all thoughts of the petulant duke swiftly left her mind. She read on to learn that there was nothing but positive things said about her and her debut ball, down to the raving review of the gown she wore and the notable, pleasant suitors with whom she had danced.
“Sweet little sister,” Julian said, gushing as he rose from his seat across from her and enveloped her in a warm, brotherly embrace. “I had no doubt that your ball would be a resounding success, and I was correct in guessing that you would be named diamond. Now that you have, though, it fills me with a bittersweet pride. You deserve such an esteemed honour, to be sure. But I will be fighting off suitors with a cane, I fear.”
Serena giggled, buzzing with the delight of such praise and the thrill of being named the season’s diamond. She had entered her debut ball with no expectation or hopes of being appointed the title, which was coveted by all young noble ladies. Even after Julian’s confidence that it would be hers, she never expected such an unmitigated honor. But she could not deny the excitement and gratitude she felt at learning she had it.
“I am sure that will not be the case, Brother,” she said. Her humility was unfounded, as she well knew. She had heard rumors of past season diamonds. She knew that no young lady with the prestigious title ever received fewer than twenty suitors throughout the whole season. Some of them even received potential marriage matches from villages hours away from London, once news reached them. And more than once,diamonds had captured the attention of visiting nobles from France and been whisked away to reign with them in their homeland.
She retrieved her fan from her reticule, trying to cool her burning cheeks before she swooned. She was delighted by all the excitement, but she could not deny that the unexpected honors and accolades were quickly becoming overwhelming. She continued fanning herself as she took a sip of cool orange juice with her free hand. And yet, despite the reeling of her mind, the smile on her face only grew wider. She was sure that the rest of the season would be just as wonderful and enchanting. How could it not?
But in the chatter of her family’s excited, proud chattering, one voice was missing. She looked over at her father, whose expression was almost identical to the one he had worn the previous morning. Now growing concerned, Serena scooted closer to her father, placing a gentle hand on his knee.
“Father, are you all right?” she asked softly.
Despite the gentleness with which she spoke and touched him, the earl jumped. He whipped his head up to look at his family, all of which was now looking at him after his abrupt jerking in his seat. Unlike the previous morning, however, Peter Yardley gave his daughter a smile that was just a little too wide and a little more like a wince than a grin. A cold ball of something that Serena couldn’t identify began slowly forming in the pit of her stomach as her father shook his head.
“Yes,” he said, despite his head alluding to the contrary. “I am perfectly well.”
Serena nodded as Julian and her aunt went back to their conversation about plans for a party that Imogen wished to throw to celebrate Serena’s debut success. Serena couldn’t be bothered to pay attention to the cheerful talk, however. She couldn’t tear her gaze away from her father. Even though hiswords should have been reassuring, his tone was mechanical and tense. She furrowed her brow, wanting to assure her father that she would listen if something was troubling him. But the earl quickly rose, bumping into his chair as he did so and nearly knocking it to the ground.
“Do forgive me, darling, but I just remembered an urgent business matter to which I must attend,” he said. Now, he sounded nervous and shady, and Serena’s heart thudded in her chest. That was the second time in as many days that her father had made the same, unconvincing excuse for leaving breakfast early. She had never seen the earl in such a state. To her knowledge, no one ever saw Peter Yardley so much frustrated with a bad business deal or an unreliable partner. A shared glance with her aunt told her that Imogen had never seen her brother-in-law like that, either. What was going on with her father?
As breakfast concluded, the butler bustled into the room wearing a wide smile.
“Lady Serena,” he said, bowing deeply. “Your suitors have begun arriving.”
Serena was still so distracted by her father’s recent strange behavior that she almost forgot what the butler was talking about. But then, it occurred to her that as the season’s diamond, she would begin receiving streams of suitors immediately after her debut. She looked nervously at her aunt, who offered her hand and rose with Serena from her seat.
“Come, sweetheart,” she said with a knowing wink. “We mustn’t keep your suitors waiting.”
Serena giggled despite herself, pushing her worry to the back of her mind. She looked back at the butler, giving him a warm smile.
“Thank you, Nathaniel,” she said. “Who is the first suitor?”
The butler’s grin widened.
“There are two waiting in the parlor,” he said. “But the first is Lord Brower, Marquess of Browmund. He is waiting in the foyer for my command as to where you are awaiting him.”
Serena took a deep breath, suddenly feeling a different kind of nervous. She was giddy at the idea that there were already three potential marriage matches vying for her attention, and it wasn’t even yet noon. It felt surreal that even three men would be interested in her. But it was even more ethereal that there would be even more suitors by day’s end. Her heart fluttered in her chest, and she curtseyed to the butler.
“Thank you, Nathaniel,” she said. “Tell him that I shall receive him in the music room,” she said.
The butler bowed, giving her another warm, proud smile.
“Right away, milady,” he said.
