Page 43 of The Undesirable Duke
“That was more of a fascination.”
“And what you feel for Lillian is, what, love?” Lord Timothy inquired, with widened eyes.
“Nothing of the sort. As I mentioned, I enjoy her company, and I find her fascinating. She approached me at the ball without any regard for her reputation. It did not bother her in the least that guests were whispering when they saw us together.”
“I see.”
“But please do not speak of this. Not to anyone.”
“Are you ashamed of your feelings, Yarmouth?”
“Please, do not mock me. I am merely thinking of your sister. If word of this spread through Town, it would cause irreparable damage to her reputation, and not even Lord Bertram would want to marry her.”
“Which works out well for you. You could then marry her, Yarmouth,” Lord Timothy winked with amusement and sipped his drink.
Samuel shook his head in disapproval and turned his gaze elsewhere. It was an intriguing thought, but he would never consider it. Lady Welsford would never allow that to happen, and if anyone jeopardized her family’s good name, she would certainly unleash her wrath.
“I would never do such a thing. I hold her in very high regard, Colborne. And all of your family, for that matter.”
Lord Timothy leaned back in his chair and studied Samuel for a while.
“What will you do regarding the writer of the rumors?”
“I am not certain, but I must do something. Those rumors are affecting my life, and I must put an end to it.”
Samuel was suddenly reminded of the letter he had received upon his return to his townhouse and wondered where it was – he had put it aside, but he had been so annoyed by it at the time that he could not, now, remember where he had placed it. He recalled the very distinctive penmanship of the letter, but he did not have an inkling as to who had written it.
One thing was for certain: Samuel had to find that letter.
Chapter Fourteen
“It is not fair.”
Lillian’s petulant whisper went unnoticed, but that was nothing out of the ordinary. She was used to not being heard, and many times, she felt invisible. She utterly despised that feeling, and she hoped that it would soon come to an end. If she were to marry Lord Bertram, she would finally have the freedom to go where she pleased and spend time with whomever she wished. She was most certainly not a child, although her mother constantly treated her as such.
Despite not wanting to marry Lord Bertram, she would finally be acknowledged and would be left alone as well, without her mother there to hound her every day. Marriage now did not seem that terrible, although Lord Bertram was not the man she would have chosen as husband, if she had been permitted to make that decision herself.
She brushed her hair back from her temple as she sat in front of her chamber’s window, staring at the quiet and dark street below. She had not left her chambers the entire day, as her mother had scolded her at breakfast that morning. Not only had she been humiliated in front of her father and brother, but shewas very upset that she was not to be permitted in the Duke’s presence or anywhere near him. Her mother had claimed to have had enough of her insolent behavior and had sent Lillian to the confines of her room. Lillian had not objected to that part in any manner, as she did not wish to be in her mother’s presence either.
A hint of a smile briefly appeared on her lips as she recalled the lovely dance that she and the Duke had shared at Lady Montague’s ball. Lillian had not enjoyed herself as much as she had that night in a very long while. Balls were no longer her favorite social events, and when she was forced to attend such an event, she would usually hide in a secluded corner until her mother dragged her away to meet another eligible bachelor who would not be impressed by her once she spoke.
It was not that Lillian was not well-spoken – instead, it was that she was too well-spoken at times, and her love for books and reading appeared to intimidate many suitors. It seemed that being a well-read woman was not desirable to men.
In an utterly frustrating turn of events, the only gentleman who was intrigued by her collection of books was the Duke, and Lillian was not allowed anywhere near him, as per her mother’s orders.
Lillian sighed wearily as she gazed at the dark street. Not a carriage passed by, and it felt to her that all of the people in London had disappeared, and she was the only person left. She had never felt more isolated and alone than she did in that moment, and it saddened her immensely.
Certainly, other young ladies did not feel the same way as she did. Most young ladies she noticed at balls and social events were excited by the prospect of marriage and were delighted when any suitor showed interest. Why did she not feel that way? Was there something wrong with her? Or was she destined to be alone? She did not wish to end up being left to look afterher mother in her old age. She had neither the patience nor the stomach for that.
She shuddered at the thought and shook her head. The marriage mart was a terrifying place to her, and her stomach turned at the thought of marrying a man she did not love – yet that was exactly what she was considering, just to escape her current situation.
Love matches were very rare, according to her mother, although she had experienced it. Her mother enjoyed speaking, or rather boasting, of her love match. One would think that Lady Welsford would allow Lillian to find her own love match, but as Lillian approached her third year in the marriage mart, Lady Welsford’s patience had run out. Lady Welsford had found her match when she was eight-and-ten years old, and Lillian had now surpassed that age. Hence her mother’s urgency to have her marry.
Lillian’s thoughts were interrupted by a shadowy figure that crossed the street and walked straight to Welsford House’s front door. Her back straightened, and she squinted to see better. She could not, however, see the person’s face. All she was able to make out was that it was a man. She watched as the man approached the footman outside, and they exchanged words. Of course, there was no way of knowing what they spoke of. The cloaked man handed something to the footman and rushed across the street, disappearing into the shadows he had come from.
Secretly hoping that it was the Duke, Lillian rose from the window seat and quietly left her chambers. Her hand slid on the smooth wooden banister as she descended the stairwell.
She reached the bottom of the stairs, and as she approached the door, the butler came into view. Her heart jumped with fear, for she was convinced that her mother had instructed him not to allow her to move freely around the house, but he did not sayanything to indicate that. He smiled politely at her, his eyes soft as they usually were.
