Page 17 of Healing the Duke's Desires
“You speak with such adoration of art,” he pointed out, his interest piqued.
“One always adores the most what one cannot do him or herself.” She smiled a little cryptically.
Just as he was about to ask for clarification on this, Rose burst into the room, pulling him by the hand.
“Alexander! You must come and see this! It is absolutely breathtaking!” Rose exclaimed, sounding slightly breathless as if she had been running all the way there, which he wouldn’t be surprised at.
He turned to Emily with a slight pang of disappointment. “I apologize, Emily, but as you can see, my young ward can be quite impatient, and an uncle must do what an uncle must do.”
She smiled. “Of course. It was… very nice to see you.”
“You as well.” He returned the compliment, just in time for Rose to pull him out of the room and drag him off. But fate would not allow him to rest because at that very moment, his eyes befell the Duchess of Montpelier, and he knew that this was only the beginning.
Chapter 10
“Alexander! What a lovely surprise!” the Duchess of Montpelier spoke. She elongated the second part of his name unnecessarily, which always irked him, but now, even more so.
The duchess was an undeniably beautiful woman, with striking features that drew attention wherever she went. That was probably the reason why her father wanted to marry her off to the man with the highest title and most riches, which was eventually what he did. Unfortunately for the Duchess of Montpelier, that man was also twice her age and made her miserable even to this day.
Alexander bowed to kiss her hand, although his lips never really touched her gloved hand. They merely lingered above it, as far away from actually making contact as propriety allowed. Her golden curls cascaded gracefully around her face, framing piercing blue eyes that held an alluring charm as she gazed at him. But Alexander had become immune to that charm a long time ago.
“And this must be your ward, Lady Rose!” the duchess exclaimed again, almost as if she wanted everyone around them to know that they were having this conversation, and even more, that they were on such familiar terms.
“Yes.” He nodded awkwardly. “Rose, this is my… friend, Caroline Hastings, the Duchess of Montpelier.”
A long time ago, she was much more than that. And in his foolishness, Alexander had been more than willing to marry her, but her father had found out that they were meeting secretly and he’d cut it off simply, without any further explanation offered, by marrying Caroline to a man twice her age.
“My dear, aren’t you a gem in the making,” the duchess gushed, reaching to pinch Rose on the cheeks. Rose immediately pulled away as if scorched by the touch.
Caroline could sense it, too. Alexander was certain of it. Beneath that polished exterior, there was something troubling about Caroline. Her smile seemed forced, lacking the genuine warmth that one would expect from someone so lovely. There was a coolness in her demeanor that left others feel somehow uneasy in her presence. All of that assured Alexander that she had not gotten over their past, like he had.
Because for him, it had been easy to move on. Fate had arranged it so that shortly after Caroline’s marriage to Howard Hastings, the Duke of Montpelier, Alexander had met Amelia. The sun of her love for him shone so brightly that it threw shade on everything and everyone that preceded her, even Caroline.
Eventually, Alexander had realized that what he’d felt for Caroline was not love. It was mere infatuation, one that would have fizzled out soon enough and would have ended in a marriage very much similar to the one she was stuck in right now, making each other’s existence utterly miserable.
As Alexander stood beside Rose, he felt relieved that things had turned out as they did. His marriage to Amelia had been a blessing in disguise, a chance to find a love that was deep, profound, and enduring. Though he had faced his own share of struggles after her passing, he knew what they had shared was something truly special, and a relationship with Caroline could have never compared.
As he looked at Caroline now, he couldn’t help but feel sympathy for her unhappy marriage. Regardless of the foul manner her father had treated him, he wished no ill upon her. He wanted her to be happy. But their paths were no longer intertwined. Their time together had run its course, and it was best to leave the past where it belonged.
“Well, we’d best leave you to enjoy the exhibit,” Alexander said, taking Rose by the hand, signaling that this was where there conversation would end. “It was… nice to see you.”
It was merely something people said, so he resorted to it. Then he remembered Emily saying that exact thing to him. A flicker of fear ignited inside of him. Did she mean it in the same manner? No. It couldn’t be. That was different. Caroline and he had a past. While Emily and he? Well, he wasn’t sure what they had yet, but he was strangely curious to find out.
“Come, Alexander!” Rose’s exuberance was back, and he was glad to see it, as she pulled him toward another room where there was a painting she wanted him to see. He turned around, completely forgetting all about Caroline and her unhappy existence.
He smiled, lost in the moment, allowing himself to feel all the beauty of art around him, even when he could not take part in it in another way as he had done before. But there was still time. Slowly but surely, he was coming to realize that while there was the time behind him, there was still time ahead of him, which he was yet to discover.
***
Emily couldn’t believe that she had stumbled upon Alexander at the exhibition. Alexander, of all people! But fate worked in mysterious ways. She had come to realize this lately. Even now, as she, her mother, and Sarah sat in the drawing room, with Henry as their guest. He had unexpectedly called this afternoon, and now they were all having tea together. What else could it be but fate?
The room was bathed in warm sunlight that filtered through the lace curtains, creating a cozy and inviting atmosphere. As the tea was served, Henry and Sarah exchanged affectionate glances, their eyes filled with unspoken love and understanding. Sarah’s cheeks blushed slightly, and she shyly looked away.
Emily could only imagine how her sister’s heart fluttered at Henry’s adoring gaze. Although they had known each other for a short time, it was obvious they both cared deeply about each other, and Emily was certain this affection would only grow and deepen with the passage of time.
“So, tell us more about your adventures in Paris, Henry,” Lady Ashfordshire prompted curiously, her eyes sparkling with interest.
Henry chuckled softly, obviously more than pleased to share such stories. He did it in a very modest manner, which appealed to Lady Ashfordshire even more. “Paris was a marvel, Lady Ashfordshire. The art, the culture, and the food were simply exquisite. I must say, the Louvre was a treasure trove of masterpieces.”
