Page 8 of The Truth about the Duke
“Your Grace – and Lord Kendall also, of course – might I present my daughter? This is Lydia, myonlydaughter who has only just made her come out!” She gestured to Henry as slowly, the young lady turned her gaze towards him. “Lydia, this is the Duke of Melrose and his close friend, the Marquess of Kendall.”
To her credit, the young lady curtsied beautifully, speaking just she ought though there was no hint of happiness in her voice. “Good evening, Your Grace. Good evening, Lord Kendall. It is a delight to be introduced to you both.”
Henry inclined his head, though Lord Kendall swept into a proper bow, shaming him just a little given that he had not done such a thing. Catching the slight lift of the lady’s eyebrows, Henry cleared his throat and looked away from her, a little embarrassed and then, thereafter, frustrated at his embarrassment. “I hope that you find the soiree a pleasant one, Lady Lydia.” There was not any sort of desire within him to begin any sort of conversation, disliking that she showed no eagerness to be in his company. He turned his head to the left, wondering if he would be able to see someone else eager to catch his attention by which he might be able to make an excuse for stepping away.
“Might I ask if you are the only child?” Lord Kendall asked, making Henry scowl at him in irritation. “Your father is the Earl of Hampshire, is that not correct? I am sure that I am acquainted with your brother, though I might be mistaken?”
“You are quite correct, Lord Kendall.” The warmth in Lady Lydia’s voice made Henry’s scowl darken, noting how Lady Hampshire had stepped back just a little, now engaging herself in further conversation with another acquaintance, though her gaze glanced back towards her daughter now and again.Clearly, she was determined to permit her daughter as much conversation with Lord Kendall and Henry as she could.
“Then your brother is Lord Gillingham?”
The smile that spread across Lady Lydia’s face as she nodded in answer to Lord Kendall’s question made Henry’s heart lurch for just a moment. There was something about that smile – evidently genuine – that sent a flush of color into her cheeks, making her green eyes sparkle as her red curls danced. At that moment, Henry was struck by the beauty of the young lady in front of him, seeing now that there was a pleasantness to her though it was not, at this juncture, being directed towards him.
“I am well acquainted with Lord Gillingham!” Lord Kendall exclaimed, beaming back at Lady Lydia. “We were at Eton together! He is wed and settled now, is he not?”
“Yes, he is. Though I do miss him a great deal.” Lady Lydia’s smile softened. “He and I were very close as children, and he was always encouraging of my pursuits and desires.”
“How very pleasant for you,” Lord Kendall remarked, throwing a glance towards Henry; a glance which suggested that he try to involve himself in the conversation in some way. “And what sort of pursuits do you enjoy?”
Lady Lydia’s smile returned with a new strength. “Oh, I am afraid that it is not in the least bit anything that a young ladyoughtto do, Lord Kendall. In fact, my mother has forbade me to speak of my hobbies for fear that it shall startle and upset many a gentleman.”
Henry snorted at this, rolling his eyes at her. “My dear lady, I am sure that unless your pursuits involve hunting, shooting and other interests kept only for gentlemen, we shall not be in the least bit astonished.” He chuckled, imagining that her interests were something akin to pursuing an instrument other than the pianoforte or the harp, or mayhap enjoying taking a hold of thereins when she and her brother took a drive together. It could surely be nothing horrifying!
“Is that so?” Lady Lydia’s smile had crumpled, her eyes sharp as she turned her attention towards him. “Might I ask what it is that you would consider to begentlemen’spursuits, Your Grace? Things that young ladies ought not to do?”
For whatever reason, Henry felt as though he was about to walk into a trap – a trap set by his own words – but he certainly could not let himself refuse to answer. He had to defend his thoughts, had to state quite clearly what he believed for to refuse to do so would give her the impression that he had no answer and he could not permit that! He shrugged, aware of the warning look that Lord Kendall sent him but choosing to ignore it.
“Well, Lady Lydia, I do not think that a young lady ought to ride astride, for example.”
“Though you think they should still be able to ride, I presume?” Her eyebrow arched. “So that in itself is not a pursuit saved only for gentlemen.”
Henry hesitated, aware that his dislike of this particular young lady was returning in even greater strength than before. “Indeed.”
“Then what pursuits, might I ask, do you consider only to be for a gentleman?”
A burst of heat in his chest sent fire up into his neck and face. She was asking him pertinent questions, yes, but that in itself was a frustration for him. Should not a young lady seek only to listen to his thoughts and accept them instead of questioning them in this manner?
“Aha, I think you might have befuddled him, Lady Lydia!”
His irritation growing fiercely, Henry threw an angry look toward Lord Kendall, but his friend only grinned at him, clearly not in the least bit interested in Henry’s upset.
“Not in the least,” he answered, smartly. “Lady Lydia, I think that young ladies ought not to drink port, for there is plenty of other things that they might partake of, should they wish it.”
Much to his surprise, she giggled, her eyes twinkling, just as Lord Kendall let out a guffaw.
“But, Your Grace, I should hardly call drinking the occasional glass of port to be a pursuit or a hobby. You specifically spoke of pursuits and it is that which I have questioned.”
Henry drew himself up, the fire in his chest now engulfing him. “They should not do anything that a gentleman does, such as hunting or shooting. They should not play cards – ” He stopped short, rubbing one hand over his face, realizing that he had misspoken again. “That is to say, they should notgambleat cards, in my opinion, though I am aware that some do. Only in very small amounts, I am sure.” Seeing the smile beginning to curve up Lady Lydia’s face, he looked away from her, feeling as though every part of him was burning. “They ought not to drive a carriage, a curricle, a phaeton, or any other such thing. As I have said, Lady Lydia, ladies such as yourself ought not to pursue anything that is reserved for gentlemen, they should only consider those hobbies which have already been considered suitable for them.”
Her eyebrows fell a little heavier over her eyes. “Reading, then? Is that to be suitable?”
“Reading, of course. Though not to a great extent and exclusively to novels and the like.”
“So you do not think ladies of thetonshould pursue any sort of learning?” She threw up her hands, her eyes a trifle narrowed now. “A governess must be considered a great waste of time and money, then!”
Seeing that she had bested him again, Henry ran one hand over his face, aware that he ought to step away from her but feeling as though, if he did, he would be seen as a fool in her eyesand mayhap even in the eyes of Lord Kendall. “A governess is not a waste of time, though a young lady need not be educated in any way beyond what a governess teaches.”
Lady Lydia sniffed, turning her gaze away. “You hold, then, that any further learning beyond what a lady is given during her upbringing is considered improper?”
