Page 17 of The Duke Meets His Match

Chapter 5

George awoke later than hewas accustomed to the morning following Lady Bledsoe’s ball, which got his day off to a poor start. Currently, he sat in his study, drumming his fingers on the top of his desk, reflecting on the previous evening and the dance debacle between him and James Jennings’s sister. She had been dripping with punch and had not been inclined to dance—and then on the ballroom floor, she had tripped all over his feet and had looked everywhere but at him. George was glad to be done with the entire business.

He picked up the document before him and attempted to read it before setting it back down with impatience. Concentrating on the task before him was impossible at the moment.

Since Lady Bledsoe had elicited a promise from him to dance twice at her balland because George had initially concluded that he could hardly claim the half of a waltz he’d danced with Miss Susan Jennings in that number, he’d made the effort to dance twice more before taking his leave. Due to Dutton’s concerns overGeorge’s lack of an heir apparent and the disappointing results from Dutton’ssearch for George’s heir presumptive, George had had Henshaw put together a short list of the most eligible young ladies to consider this Season. During the course of the evening, George had met three of them and had danced with two.

The Season was in its early days yet, so there was no reason for alarm. That was what George told himself. But the three young ladies to whom he’d been introduced at the ball after his encounter with Miss Jennings had been, to put it bluntly, unsatisfactory.

He opened one of the side drawers of his desk and took out the list Henshaw had prepared. Miss Sarah Wentworth, daughter of Sir Joshua Wentworth, baron, and Lady Wentworth, was pretty enough but too quiet. She’d not said a word to George after their initial introduction—her animated mama had provided any additional conversation. George had danced a reel with her, then had returned her to Lady Wentworth.

He drew a line through her name on the list.

Lady Mary Morgan had been next. She was the daughter of the Earl and Lady Blackford. She’d been a giggler. He couldn’t see himself married to someone who handled new situations bygiggling. He had excused himself from her and her mama without offering to dance.

He pinched the bridge of his nose, fighting off the headache that currently threatened, and drew a line through her name too.

He’d been tempted to count Miss Susan Jennings’s waltz after all, after his encounter with Lady Mary Morgan, but his blasted honor hadn’t allowed it. So his final dance of the evening had been with the Honorable Jocelyn Wetheral, eldest daughter of Viscount and Lady Severn. Miss Wetheral had been well-mannered, conversation had been relatively easy, and she’d been a competentdancer. She’d also been very pretty. But George was having a difficult timeenvisioning himself married to her, for some unquantifiable reason.

He began to draw a line through her name but stopped. He would not be rash. He would consider the other young ladies on Henshaw’s list and see how Miss Wetheral compared.

He set his pen down and sat back in his chair, then pulled out his pocket watch. Speaking of Henshaw, he should have arrived here before now. They were supposed to review a few essential items before Jennings arrived to meet with George later today.

There was a discreet knock at the door. “Come in, Henshaw,” George said. “You’re late.”

The door opened—but it was Talbot who stepped inside, bearing a salver. “Sorry to disturb you, Your Grace,” he said.

“Never mind that. Where’s Henshaw?” George said.

“That is what I came to tell you,” Talbot said. “Mr. Henshaw received a letter early this morning and informed me that he must leave and that I should inform you of this if he did not return in time for your scheduled meeting.”

“Well, then,you’relate,” George said. His headache was getting worse.

“And for that, I beg your pardon,” Talbot replied, remaining unruffled.“Henshaw was insistent that I allow you to sleep; otherwise, I would have told you earlier, and then, as it happens, I was at the main entrance receiving a letter for you when the appointed hour arrived. I would venture a guess that it’s a rather important letter too.” He came forward, the salver outstretched.

George took the letter from the salver, turned it over to examine it ... andthen stopped cold. It bore the seal of his Royal Highness, the Prince Regent.Obviously, Talbot also knew from whom the letter had been sent; it would have been delivered by a courier in royal livery. That fully explained why Talbot had been tardy in informing him of Henshaw’s absence—a prince took precedence over a duke at all times.

He broke the seal and read the letter. “Are you waiting to find out what the letter says out of curiosity or because you are expecting you will be needed to receive immediate instructions as a result?” George asked Talbot, who was still standing nearby. His question was ill-mannered, he knew, but blastit all, his head was beginning to throb in earnest now. This letter from the Prince Regent was the final straw. Why onearthdid Prinny wish to see him? And by such a formal request, to boot. It didn’t bode well. Not well at all.

“Doyou have instructions for me?” Talbot asked. Thankfully, the man was acquainted with George’s occasional moods.

George sighed. “Maybe a spot of that tincture Mrs. Bradley keeps on hand for headaches.” His cook, Mrs. Bradley, kept willow bark in the pantry that reduced the pain when he had headaches or other ailments. It had been his saving grace when he’d been fevered during his bout with pneumonia.

“I shall go directly to her, Your Grace,” Talbot said. He turned to leave.

“Thank you, Talbot,” George said.

“You’re entirely welcome, Your Grace,” Talbot replied.

When Talbot was gone, George read the letter again.

To the Duke of Aylesham, greetings, it began.

It has recently come to our attention that you have done a great work for the Crown, insisting upon no recognition of your own whilst doing said work, and for this we are most grateful. We wish to honor you for this service and bestow upon you a gift that demonstrates our gratitude. To this end, we will receive you at Carlton House on Friday afternoon, the twenty-second of April, at two o’clock.Yours, George PR.

Friday was the day after tomorrow.

There was another discreet knock at the door.

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