Page 34 of Disguised Desires of a Scarred Duke
“We are in this together, madam, whether you like it or not. Decidingtogether. So I will accompany the ladies to the Charter house party, where I understand Mr Phillips will also be in attendance. If he and Eleanor behave amiably, and my own talks with the man prove him to be worthy, then I will grant my permission for his proposal. Until then, Miss Whitfield remains an eligible lady in my care.”
Cousin Harrison then hollered, “Good evening!” and exited the house as Margaret followed him to the door, sputtering angry protests against the earl’s demands.
Lady Whitfield became nearly impossible to live with in the following days until Cousin Harrison came to collect Eleanor and her sister this morning. Margaret complained and whined, and she made it clear that she was not happy that Eleanor had forced her into this situation.
This morning, her stepmother stepped behind Eleanor as she was looking into her birth mother’s mirror in the upstairs hallway. She’d quickly added a ribbon to her hair before taking the long carriage drive to Essex for the house party.
To see Lady Whitfield’s angry face in the mirror next to hers was unsettling.
“If you don’t convince the Earl of St Coeur that Cecil is the perfect match for you, the consequences will be swift and harsh when you return. Your cousin cannot protect you inside these walls.”
Eleanor set her brush on a small wooden table and stared back at her in the gold-framed mirror.
“Stepmother, what has made you so cold and uncaring? I know our relationship has never been as close as a true mother and daughter, but I don’t understand why you would force me to marry a man I don’t like and who doesn’t seem to like me either.”
Lady Whitfield straightened the bow in Eleanor’s hair as if she wanted to prove she had something close to a caring heart inside her chest. Then she turned to descend the stairs again.
“It’s not your place to question my motives or decisions, child. What I care about is ensuring our family’s future in the manner of my choosing. Make me proud over this next week in the country. Or we will all regret it.”
…
As Eleanor unpacked alongside Regina in their room at the Charter country home, her nerves were making it hard to focus. She was impatient to learn if Mr Black and Mr Montrose had arrived yet.
When he’d shown up at her home after the opera to enquire after her health, she hoped Anthony would know from her note that she couldn’t say more yet.
And that she couldn’t trust certain staff members loyal to Margaret to respect her privacy by not reading her correspondence.
Now, she was desperate to speak to him. To benearAnthony again and tell him everything she was going through.
As she and Regina changed from their sturdy travel clothes to light and airy pastel dresses suitable for the summer heat, Eleanor began to realize what a good friend Anthony had become. He was more than a man she desired. He was among the most trusted people in her life now, including Regina and Cousin Harrison.
As was her dear friend, Lucy Charter, waiting in the grand entrance hall to escort Eleanor and Regina out to the garden for the first round of games and refreshments.
“You are a welcome sight, my friend! This home is magnificent! I hope you are proud of the renovations because I can’t imagine a more stunning estate,” Eleanor beamed at Lucy and gave her a warm hug.
“Oh, I am proud! It was a challenging year of painstaking improvements, but it was worth every minute. We feel very at home here and hope the baby will, too.”
Lucy grinned as Eleanor’s eyebrows shot upward in surprise. “You’re with child? Oh, Lucy! Congratulations!”
The friends hugged again, and Regina wrapped her arms around them both. “I thought you were glowing with extra happiness today, but I assumed it was the wine your footmen are offering at the door!”
All three ladies fell into giggles as Lucy shook her head. “No more wine for me! Now, let’s join the party outside. Many people are here already, but not the gentlemen you seek, I’m afraid. Thankfully, Mr Phillips hasn’t arrived yet, either. With any luck, he’ll get lost and end up in Wales instead.”
The gardens behind the main house were in full bloom, with a long rectangular pond stretching out beyond it and a tall maze of well-groomed shrubs beyond that. The garden also featured three splashing sculpture fountains with naked Greek goddesses in various poses.
The whole garden design spoke of sensuous pleasures, from the voluptuous sculptures to the hundreds of lilies with their erect and golden stamens pushing up from the centres of their opening blooms.
Or maybe Eleanor was simply projecting her strong ache to be near Anthony again. Her carnal dreams had become even more blush-worthy since he became the face of the daring pirate in her dreams.
When Cecil proposed outside the opera house, Eleanor’s first emotion was sheer panic that Mr Phillips was about to prevent her from sharing more intimate moments with Mr Black.
But Cecil would not be allowed to try and replace the man she wanted again. Eleanor was raised to be a lady, but she was also a woman with a desire she had no interest in denying.
Margaret might force her to marry Cecil, but she would not give him the gift of her passion. That gift belonged to the dark and handsome former sea captain who had stolen her heart.
This thought made Eleanor’s stomach flutter with more nerves. Hadn’t she recently scolded Regina for talking about love and not protecting her heart? Eleanor realized that denial had been her own form of protection against her growing desire for Anthony. She began to admit to herself that denial was no longer enough or even possible now.
Lucy led the ladies first to a set of tables under a large white canopy where people were playing cards. Cousin Harrison was seated at a table of men gambling on their Faro card game. Eleanor loved seeing her cousin relaxing and having a good time. It also meant he wasn’t going to be keeping a close eye on her as he’d told Margaret he would do.
