The Heart of a Duke (51 page)

“
As you see, we are enjoying some
coffee,” he explained. “Would you care to join us?”

She shook her head. “I shouldn’t be in here
alone with either of you.”

Here was a great opportunity to make her more
at ease around him. Langley approached her with what he hoped was
an earnestly friendly expression. The light from the window gave
her face a soft glow. Rather angelic, in fact, and the effect made
her quite pretty in an innocent way. “Why did you come?”

“
You said I might avail myself of
your library.” She twisted her hands in front of her, obviously
uncomfortable.

“
Of course.” He extended his arm
toward the walls of books. “Feel free to borrow any of them. What
do you prefer?”

“
I dearly love a romance.” She
stepped hesitantly into the room. “Although I enjoy history and
horticulture, as well.”

He crossed to one bookcase and scanned the
titles. “You might enjoy this one. And this.”

When he reached for a third, Lady Charlotte
spoke. “I’m only here a few more days, sir. Both our mothers would
be rather upset if I stayed in my room the entire time.” Her voice
had gathered strength, and a slight musicality kept it from
harshness.

“
Oh, yes. I imagine you’re right.”
He handed the books to her. “I wouldn’t be able to partake of my
lessons, either.”

Brooky snickered. “And the poor lady would be
forced to marry you. Perhaps there was a method to your overloading
her with books?”

A startling wave of heat washed over Langley
at the accusation, making him tug at his cravat to cool himself.
He’d not even considered that aspect. “I hadn’t planned any such
thing. The lady’s enjoyment was foremost on my mind.”

“
I imagine there is always a first
time for everything.” Brooky leaned back in his chair and crossed
his legs. “What sort of enjoyment did you have in mind?”

Langley ignored him. “Lady Charlotte, are
there any other books you would prefer?” He didn’t know her well
enough to be certain, but she appeared slightly less the timid
mouse now. The notion pleased him more than he would admit,
especially in front of Pembrook.

“
No, these will suit me, thank
you.” She made no move to leave.

“
I believe the duchess has card
games scheduled.” How curious he couldn’t recall the schedule when
Brooky asked, but it came instantly to mind when looking for an
excuse to spend time with Lady Charlotte. “Will you be
playing?”

“
I imagine so.”

He smiled. “Splendid. Perhaps I can partner
with you. Do you play backgammon or chess?”

“
I do, both. I used to beat my
father quite often in chess, though, so you might not want to
challenge me.” There was a slight shift in her jaw as she said
that, thrusting her chin out.

“
I’ll take that challenge. Lord
Pembrook, here, doesn’t come close to beating me.”

“
I haven’t the patience to sit
through those games,” Brooky argued.

Again paying Brooky no mind, Langley guided
Lady Charlotte toward the doorway. “Shall we see if the others have
begun to gather in the drawing room?”

Not waiting to see if his friend followed,
Langley led Lady Charlotte down the hallway. Seeing a footman step
out of the stairwell to the servant’s quarters, he asked, “Where
are Her Grace’s guests?”

“
They are playing whist in the
drawing room, Your Grace.”

Just as he’d suspected. Entering the room, he
found the young men and women sitting at small tables scattered
about the room. Some of their parents also played, while others sat
in small groups conversing. Not wanting to cause a stir, Langley
let Lady Charlotte mingle on her own.

He strolled about the room speaking briefly to
his guests and moving on. As he approached one table, the elder of
the two Martin sisters tipped her head to one side and batted her
lashes at him. “There you are, Your Grace. I feared you’d abandoned
us as too dull.”

“
You may be certain I’ll be in
residence throughout the week.” He smiled at the others seated
there making it clear he spoke to everyone, not singling out Miss
Martin for any favors. While the sisters were granddaughters of a
marquess, making them suitable for consideration, he knew the
elder’s temperament too well to wish to further their
acquaintance.

“
I’m glad to hear it,” she
purred.

She was dangerous, like a falcon waiting to
swoop in, clutch him in her talons and devour him for nuncheon.
Walking away, Langley glanced to see if Brooky had joined them. His
friend would be quite useful in distracting the devious Miss Martin
before she interfered with Langley’s plans.

Brooky was busy with a flirtation of his own,
however. A very voluptuous widow, the mother of one of the young
men present, leaned toward the young lord as if drawing breath from
the words he spoke.

By the time Langley had circled the room
making polite conversation here and there, Lady Charlotte was
sitting at a table with Lady Susanna and the Penn brothers,
completely defeating Langley’s purpose. He greeted each of the
four, ending with the object of his intentions. “What do you
play?”

“
Loo.” Lady Charlotte smiled at
him briefly before turning back to her cards and making her next
move.

“
Delightful.” Although the fact
she was occupied by others was anything but. He should have posted
a schedule for all to see, claiming some time to visit
uninterrupted with Lady Charlotte. How vexing it was to have
everyone know his purpose when he spoke to any of the ladies, and
be unable to chat with them at his own whim.

Somehow he’d imagined this gathering would
evolve differently. He’d pictured it more like a buffet, where he
might see the selection before him, announce his choice, and wait
for someone to bring it to him. Yet he was being required to spend
time getting to know all the ladies the duchess had invited. As if
it were important they got on well.

Well, it was important to one person present
that they got on well.

He began to pace again, and stopped in front
of the massive painting of his father that hung above the marble
fireplace mantel. Had his parents known each other long before they
agreed to marry? He’d never asked, and it was something that was
never discussed in his presence. Had they fallen in love over a
waltz, or simply become increasingly fond of each other in the
twenty years they shared before his father’s death?

Glancing at where the duchess sat with Lady
Pinsley, Lady Charlotte’s mother, he found it hard to imagine his
parents had married for any reason other than love. There was
sadness in his mother’s eyes that never really left, even when she
laughed. She truly missed her husband. He knew by the small sighs
that escaped her now and then when she’d mention the late
duke.

Perhaps Langley had been setting his standards
too low in only requiring his wife be of good family and pleasant
nature. Yet adding love to the qualities implied he was capable of
love. Was he? Of course he loved his family, even when his older
sister did her best to aggravate him. He could honestly promise to
love his wife to some degree over time. But the grand passion he
saw others proclaim they felt had never even hinted at claiming
him.

He was not a man suited to grand
passions.

Langley strolled more casually back to Lady
Charlotte’s table and observed her playing cards and speaking
softly with those at her table. She seemed much more in her element
now than when he’d first noticed her chasing her pall mall ball.
Her cheeks held a healthy pink glow, and the sunlight streaming
through the large windows brightened her blue eyes. Her face seemed
less angular, her hair more…well, mature was the only word that
came to mind. She no longer looked like a lost child.

Their card game eventually ended and Lady
Susanna rose. “I would like to take a turn about the room before
playing another game. Lady Charlotte, will you join me?”

“
That sounds lovely,” she
replied.

The two walked away from where Langley stood.
He watched them go, noticing the lack of any beguiling sway in Lady
Charlotte’s hips. She had no pretense in her manner, no come-hither
flirtatiousness when her gaze landed on him. As refreshing as that
was, he wondered again if he was wrong to pursue her. A kind man
might allow her another Season or two to gain some confidence in
herself and Society. As a duchess, his wife would be expected to be
poised and in command of life. As his wife, she would have to
endure the rumors of illicit relations that would probably not
vanish simply because he married.

While he’d had the companionship of two
demimondes in the last five years, he knew the gossips had linked
him with many more. People loved to talk, and were much more
concerned with the reaction they achieved from the listener than
the truth of the tidbit being served. A kind and gentle woman held
great appeal as a wife, but would she be strong enough to ignore
the lies she’d likely hear?

He perused the room again, his gaze landing on
each of the young ladies his mother had invited there for him to
choose among. He would rather be at a horse auction. All these
ladies had varying degrees of beauty, and his mother proclaimed
them all to be accomplished. Yet only one piqued his interest. Lady
Charlotte had stopped to speak with her mother. Langley moved
casually in her direction.

He got within a few feet when Miss Martin
suddenly appeared in his path. He stopped short of knocking her
over, grabbing her arms to keep her from falling. “Careful there,
Miss Martin.”

She leaned forward as if she wished to have
been caught fully in his embrace, but he held her tightly away. Her
nose wrinkled then she smiled up at him, her lashes fluttering.
“Thank you, Your Grace. I seem to have caught my boot in my
hem.”

Sidestepping her, Langley looked to see where
Lady Charlotte had gone, but Miss Martin was again in his way. She
laid her hand on his arm. “Will you play whist, sir? I am in need
of a partner.”

“
I’m not playing at the moment.”
He spied a young man sitting alone. “Lord Bingham, will you partner
Miss Martin in whist? She’s an apt player.”

Young Bingham sprang to his feet, a flush
coloring the pale skin between his spots. “Delighted, Miss Martin.”
He led her to the table so quickly she didn’t have the chance to
protest.

Having escaped that persistent miss, Langley
again sought Lady Charlotte just in time to see her walk away with
the lady who’d come with the Martins. What was her name? Brooky
would tell him his inability to recall the name was more proof he
didn’t pay attention to those he felt were beneath him, but that
was nonsense. Just because someone failed to make an impression, it
didn’t make Langley a snob. He knew the name…Flowers, Farmer,
no…Fielding, that was it.

Langley followed the young ladies to the
backgammon table. How utterly disagreeable. How did one make
conversation with two people concentrating on a game? One didn’t.
He wasn’t going to let that stop him. “Ladies, are you enjoying
your afternoon?”

“
Yes, thank you,” Miss Fielding
replied without looking up from the game.

“
It’s quite pleasant, isn’t it?”
Lady Charlotte asked.

“
Rather a bit more active than my
usual day, I’ll admit.” He folded his arms across his
chest.

“
I imagine you spend your
afternoons working,” she said.

“
Yes, I suppose so.” Or boxing,
when he was in Town, or…did it really matter? He had no desire to
speak of such banalities. He wanted to know if Lady Charlotte had
read Voltaire or John Locke, or if she’d ever enjoyed
freshly-picked strawberries. Some ridiculous sickness was taking
over his mind, requiring that he learn every last detail that made
up her being.

Lady Marian Whimpole approached him, swaying
from side to side like a ship’s mast as she gazed at him with
calves’ eyes. “We need a fourth for our table, sir. Will you join
us?”

He had no intention of doing so, lessons in
small talk be damned. “I see Mr. Toulson is unoccupied. Toulson,”
he called out. “Will you play cards?”

He settled that matter easily enough. The
young ladies were becoming more rabid for his attention. Why had
Mother felt this was a sound scheme, to parade him about before a
house full of marriage-minded females like a horse on the auction
block? If only Lady Charlotte could be convinced to accept him, he
could put an end to all this nonsense.