Page 8 of Tempting Harriet
He laughed softly. “You have completed the sentence for yourself,” he said. “For shame, Harriet. Shall I seat you beside Hammond and his partner and fetch you a plate?”
“Yes, please,” she said.
Mr. Hammond smiled at her and introduced her to Miss Grainger. She watched the Duke of Tenby as he made hisway to the food table, settled two plates in the same hand,and began to select dainties to place on them. She remembered seeing him for the first time in Bath at Clara’s wedding and thinking him quite the most gorgeous man she hadever set eyes upon. Clara’s Freddie was incredibly handsome too, of course, but in a darker, more sensuous way.And she had disliked Frederick Sullivan quite intensely atthat time because she had known that he was a meresmooth-tongued fortune hunter. But Lord Archibald Vinney...
She remembered his having Mr. Lesley Sullivan, Freddie’s brother, present him to her after the wedding was over and her sense of surprise that he had even noticed her, amere lady’s companion. She remembered the way those remarkable silver eyes had moved over her appreciativelyand the pleasure she had felt despite the prim indignation.She had been lost from the start. As she was still lost now.He was in search of a wife, a woman of suitably noblerank.
Harriet turned her eyes and her mind determinedly toward the conversation Mr. Hammond and Miss Grainger had begun.
Even after the Duke of Tenby had had his favorite horse saddled and brought around and was riding on it away fromhis mansion on St. James’s Square, he still did not knowquite where he was going. To White’s Club? But he hadbeen there in the morning to read the papers and to exchange news and gossip with various acquaintances. It wastoo fine a day to spend the afternoon cooped up there too.For a ride in the park? It was a little late in the day to do somerely for air and-exercise and yet still too early for thefashionable hour when the place would be crowded withgentlemen to converse with and ladies to ogle. To Bridget’s? But he did not even give the idea serious consideration. The thought of spending the rest of the afternoon in her stuffy and perfumed boudoir was a trifle nauseating. Besides, he had spent all night with her, or what had remained of it after the Avingleigh ball, and had not particularly enjoyed himself. He had found himself wishing thathe had gone home to bed after all to dream of a soft and shapely little body that he had held protectively against hisown for a moment during the supper waltz.
Should he go to call at Barthorpe’s, then? That had been his declared intention when he had called for his horse. Hehad danced with Lady Phyllis after supper the evening before and discovered that in addition to being pretty andamiable, she had some conversation too, even if it was notprofound. One did not expect profundity from prospectivewives, anyway. Her mama and papa had been openly interested too. But that was the trouble, the duke thought with afrown. If he called at Barthorpe’s today, the afternoon following the ball, speculation would be rife. Especially since he had had a posy sent around during the morning. Hemight well find himself backed into a corner before he wasquite sure that he wished to be there.
No, he thought, turning a corner abruptly enough to cause his horse to snort in protest, and taking the oppositedirection from that which would take him to the Earl ofBarthorpe’s house, he would leave that call for another day.Tomorrow, probably. He would not leave it too long or hewould lose his nerve. But today would make him appear altogether too eager. In fact, he was not eager at all. Only resigned.
He knew where he was going. Of course. He had known deep down all along. Just as he had known the incredibletruth the evening before while he had danced with her. He had loved her six years ago, his love for her had prevented him from caring for any other woman in the intervening years, and he loved her now. Quite maddeningly but quite irrevocably. He was bone deep in love with her. He couldnot think of her in terms of marriage, of course. And not interms of dalliance either. She was a virtuous woman whoclaimed to have loved a man more than thirty years her senior who had suffered from a weak heart. And she probablyhadloved him. Harriet would not marry for money, thoughshe had seemed to believe that he would think so.
She was a decent, virtuous woman. It was incredible to know that he could be so deeply in love with a woman likethat. The mere description was enough to make him shudder. And he had probably been right about her reason forcoming to town. She had come to find a second husband. Another reason why he could not dally with her himself. She deserved love and marriage. She would not be happywithout. She would have been desperately unhappy if shehad given in to the temptation he knew she had felt sixyears before to become his paid mistress. He was glad shehad said no.
Liar, he told himself with a wry smile as he approached Sir Clive Forbes’s house and wondered how he would bereceived.
* * *
When Harriet returned from a walk in the park with Susan after luncheon, she discovered from the butler thatshe had missed Mr. Hammond, who had called to pay hisrespects and left again after a half hour had not brought herhome, and that Mr. Kershaw was with Lady Forbes in thedrawing room. Harriet took her daughter upstairs to thenursery and hurried to her room to tidy her hair and washher hands. She had run on the grass, playing ball withSusan, and was looking somewhat disheveled.
He had not come after all, then, she thought, satisfied again with her appearance and going back downstairs. Hehad either not been serious or he had changed his mind. Itwas just as well. There was no future whatsoever in pursuing that acquaintance. She smiled at Mr. Kershaw andthanked him for the nosegay he had sent that morning. Sheaccepted a cup of tea from Amanda and sat down. She hadhad two nosegays that morning and two gentlemen visitorsthat afternoon. Life as a wealthy widow showed every signof being a great deal more exciting than life as impoverished Miss Harriet Pope had ever been, she thought ruefully.
And then the drawing-room doors opened again and Sir Clive’s butler announced the Duke of Tenby. Yes, a greatdeal more exciting indeed.
“How d’ye do, ma’am,” he said, bowing over Lady Forbes’s hand and carrying it to his lips. “Lady Wingham?”He bowed again and let his eyes rest on her face for a moment “Kershaw?”
When they all sat down, they immediately became two couples, the duke conversing with Lady Forbes, Mr. Kershaw with Harriet. Perhaps, after all, he had not come tosee her, Harriet thought after five minutes had passed.Though why he would be calling on Amanda she did notknow. Perhaps it was just a courtesy call since he had mentioned calling last evening. He had danced a set with LadyPhyllis Reeder after supper and made Harriet ridiculouslyjealous, though she had been partnered for every single setherself and had even had to reject the offers of several gentlemen because there simply were not enough sets in theevening.
“It is a beautiful afternoon for spring,” Mr. Kershaw said, looking toward the windows. “Far too lovely to be spent indoors, Lady Wingham.”
“My feeling exactly, Kershaw,” the duke said, raising his voice and entering their conversation for the first time. “Icame to ask if you would drive in the park with me, LadyWingham.”
Mr. Kershaw, she noticed, looked distinctly annoyed. He had been going to ask her himself, she realized. And theduke had realized it too and cut him out very deftly. Onecould do such things when one was a duke and get awaywith them, she supposed. She felt inclined to refuse hisoffer, but then of course she would be unable to accept Mr.Kershaw’s if he made it. And she wanted to drive in HydePark. It was the thing to do in the afternoon during the Season, she knew. And it had been so lovely there earlier whenshe was with Susan. Besides, she wanted to say yes.
He was looking amused when she glanced into his face. He had felt her hesitation. She wondered why he had comecalling and why he was going to take her for a drive whenhe had made it quite clear the evening before that he had amission to accomplish before the Season was out or at thelatest before September. But of course she knew why. Itwas silly of her to pretend that she did not.
“That would be very pleasant, your grace,” she said.
He got to his feet. “I will return home for my curricle, then,” he said, “and be back in half an hour, ma’am.” Hebowed to Lady Forbes and Mr. Kershaw and left the room.And Mr. Kershaw, who had been there longer than he, ofcourse felt obliged to take his leave too, though he might inall courtesy have stayed longer.
“Perhaps you will drive with me another afternoon, Lady Wingham,” he said.
“I would be delighted, sir,” she said, smiling at him. He was a pleasant young man, quiet and amiable, good-lookingrather than handsome, her own age or perhaps even a yearor two younger at a guess. He was the heir to a fortune butnot a title, Lady Forbes had told her the evening before.
And he seemed to have made no secret about town of the fact that he was in search of a wife.
“You could scarcely do better, Harriet, dear,” Lady Forbes had said. “But of course you must make no hastydecisions. I would predict that you will have at least adozen serious suitors before the Season is out. You can afford to wait for that very special gentleman to come along.And he will, you know. You have a gift for inspiring devotion and a gift for giving love too.”
Lady Forbes had been in Harriet’s dressing room after the ball and had dabbed at moist eyes. “How sentimental Ibecome in my old age,” she had said, though she was intruth only in her early fifties. “But I cannot help remembering how Godfrey married you after remaining stubbornlysingle for so long and spent the rest of his life worshippingyou. And dear little Susan, of course. She was the great joyof his old age. Though he was not so very old, was he?Poor Godfrey.”
When Mr. Kershaw had taken his leave, Harriet turned toward the stairs to get ready for her drive. “You do notmind my going?” she asked Lady Forbes. “We might havewalked out together, Amanda. It is indeed a lovely day.One could almost believe it is summer except that the air isfresh.”
“Fresh air and walks were never my idea of pleasure,” Lady Forbes said. “No, my dear, you must go out wheneveryou have the opportunity and not mind me. That is why youare here, is it not? To enjoy yourself and to see and be seen.To find yourself that special gentleman. Though I could nothelp being a little annoyed when Mr. Kershaw was oustedwith such naughty skill by Tenby. And I am a little worriedby his attentions, Harriet, though they are flattering andwill definitely ensure that you are brought into fashion.You could see that last evening, could you not? But whatcan he mean by them?”
