Page 1 of Dancing with an Enigmatic Duke
Chapter 1
England, 1813
The road down which the carriage pulled her to London did not inspire her with great confidence. She had hoped that Harcourt would have seen it fit to come and meet her halfway at least, but Emmeline was left to get herself into the city. The carriage driver her brother Harcourt had arranged would not deign to speak to her as she was an unmarried woman and she wagered the man had a grudge against the fact that she was from Scotland, even if she was as English as anyone else by rights.
Emmeline did have a slight accent, she had inherited her father’s noble bearing of height, and could little stand ignorance. She was in no mood to be trifled with and if the driver wanted silence, then he would get it. At least she did not have to listen to any bland rants that the English seemed to engage in, as if it were some sport to tout misery.
She could tell as they neared London. The roads became slightly less tedious and her driver’s mood seemed to improve. She heard him pick up a tune that she could scarcely make out the words to, but that sounded rather jaunty. She felt her own spirits lift as she saw the outline of the buildings against the sky.
It had been a long journey and she was tired. She had not seen her brother in many years, and Emmeline pondered what he would be like. She could only imagine an older version of the tiresome boy he had been when he left for boarding school.
The streets of London were a maze of stone and smells. She did not know where to look. It was certainly different to her estate. She longed to see home suddenly with a keenness.
The people who walked alongside the carriages showed no fear of being trampled as they dashed out in front of horses and wagons alike. Yells echoed off the stone walls at the antics of the people on foot, but things moved on anyway. It frayed Emmeline’s nerves, but the occupants of the other carriages seemed unmoved.
Emmeline was grateful when her carriage turned off the road and entered a gated estate. She held onto the handhold and looked out the carriage window with interest. She had not seen the London estate that her brother occupied. She held her estate and he his own. With their parents gone, it was inevitable that her brother would summon her, but Emmeline had been dreading it. Being summoned by her brother could only mean one thing. He was ready to wed her off. Emmeline took a deep breath as the carriage pulled to a halt.
The driver opened the door and helped her down. He looked thoroughly glad to be rid of her. She ignored him, favouring the tall man who had come out the doors to greet her.
“Emmeline, I hardly recognise you!” Harcourt smiled and grasped the hands she held out to him.
She returned his warm smile. “Well, it has been something of a lifetime. How has England treated you, dear brother?”
He released her hands and guided her towards the front doors of the house. A doorman stood holding the door open for them. Emmeline gave him a grateful dip of her head for his service as she passed through the door ahead of her brother.
Once inside, Harcourt said, “I have fared most excellently. My time at school has afforded me a good mind, and I can’t really complain too much. I should have sent for you sooner. I apologise, but I was getting things sorted.”
“Do not fret over it,” Emmeline said with a gentle pat on her brother’s arm. “What would a month or two change in the course of all this?”
Harcourt dipped his head to her. “I see you have grown much in our time apart, and not just in height. You are nearly as tall as me.”
“I had worried that it might dismay you that I have shot up as a tree overnight. Mother always despaired of it, saying it would cost me a husband, surely.” Emmeline folded her hands in front of her. Her hair was pinned up as well as she could manage it on her own and she worried as Harcourt’s eyes went to the door. “My lady servant was ill, and I thought it better that she not have to endure the journey. After all, I knew you would have someone to help me here, and there were very little in the way of introductions between Scotland and my arrival.”
Harcourt’s expression took on annoyance. “You should have written to me. I would have sent a servant to meet you, or made alternative arrangements.”
“It wasn’t necessary. See, I am here now and quite well. My hair might look a little frightful, but I think it is passing.” Emmeline straightened her back, bringing all her imposing height to the forefront. “Are we to bicker as children, or may I go and get refreshed? It is late in the day and it has been a long ride.”
He frowned. “Hold no ill will against me, Sister. I was thinking of your comfort. I can see that your strong will has remained intact despite the tempering of age.”
“I cannot deny that,” Emmeline said with a laugh, which she hid behind her hand as her mother had taught her to do. “Now, about that room?”
Harcourt tugged on a bell chord, which brought a female maid and a young manservant to the lobby with haste. The maid gave the manservant a disapproving look as he panted from his run to answer the lord’s call. “Yates, will you fetch any bags that Lady Callum may have? Roger should have left them on the steps for you.” The young man was off in a flash to go do as he was told. Harcourt rolled his eyes, to Emmeline’s amusement. “Jasmine, take Lady Callum up to the pink room. I shall wait here and inform Yates of the correct room to deliver the bags.”
The maid curtseyed. “Yes, Sir.” She turned toward Emmeline with a smile. “Right this way, Miss.”
Emmeline did as the maid bid, following her slim form up the stairs. Emmeline admired the French wallpaper and its lovely country scenes. The room she was led to was the second on the right.
Jasmine held the door open for Emmeline to pass through. She stepped inside the room and noticed immediately why her brother had called it the pink room. The wall was painted a soft pink. She had expected more of the elaborate wall coverings, but she rather liked the simplicity of it.
“Do you like it?” Jasmine eyed Emmeline curiously.
She nodded. “It’s quite lovely.”
“You have a beautiful accent, if you don’t mind me saying, Miss.” Jasmine dipped her head as if she had done something to be ashamed of.
Emmeline went over to the bed and sat down with a sigh of relief. “Thank you, and please do not be so bashful around me. I promise you that I am quite easy to get along with.”
Jasmine did not get a chance to respond, as the next moment Yates came into the room with a travelling bag in each hand. “Pardon me, Miss. But I came up as quickly as I could.”
