The Unexpected Duchess (32 page)

That last comment caused Derek to raise his brows.

Cass pushed up her chin. “I do not hold out false hope, Mama. Believe me. But that does not mean I should ruin another man’s life by dragging him into a loveless marriage.”

“Who says it’s loveless?” her mother snapped. “You could well learn to have feelings for each other someday.”

Cass smiled and crossed over the thick carpet to lean down and pat her mother’s cheek. “Oh, Mama. I do know you want the best for me. Truly, I do. But the duke is madly in love with Lucy and I cannot blame him.” She turned to her two friends and gave them a warm smile. Lucy smiled back and Derek nodded and shifted on his booted feet, his hands folded behind his back.

“Lucy!” Lady Moreland wailed. “Lucy’s the biggest wallflower in the
ton.
”

Lucy wrinkled her nose and clapped her hand over her mouth. Somehow she didn’t think pointing out to Lady Moreland that Janie was a bigger wallflower than she was a prudent idea at the moment.

Cass’s father slapped his leather gloves against his thigh. He pointed at Cass. “I don’t care who he’s in love with. He’s led you on and if he’s a true
gentleman
, he’ll do the right thing and marry you, by God.”

None of them missed the emphasis the man placed on the word “gentleman.” He was questioning Derek’s honor. Derek’s fist was tightly clenched.

Lady Moreland shot up from the settee. “Tell me, Claringdon, do you still refuse to marry my daughter?”

Derek nodded. “Inasmuch as she refuses to marry me as well, my lady. Yes.”

Cass nodded. “Mama, if I marry someday, I want it to be to a man who loves me as well as the duke loves Lucy.”

Lady Moreland turned a mottled shade of purple. “Lucy? Lucy Upton will never be a duchess!”

Derek clenched his jaw. “I’ve done my best to be civil, Lady Moreland, but now I must ask that you leave my home. I won’t have you disparage my future wife.”

Lucy gasped softly. Derek stood up for her. No one had ever done that before. Cass tugged on her mother’s hand. “Let’s go, Mama, before you say something you’ll regret.”

Cass’s father pulled on his gloves so hard, Lucy wondered if the leather would shred. He stalked to the door and opened it, turning to wait for his wife to follow.

Lady Moreland turned in a swirl of orange silk, savagely clutching her reticule. She faced Derek and Lucy, who stood together near the fireplace.

“You mark my words, Claringdon,” Lady Moreland seethed. “You may refuse to marry Cassandra but it’ll be a cold day in hell before a duke marries the likes of Lucy Upton. I’ll go to the queen herself and inform her of this travesty. I happen to know that the conditions of your investiture require that the Crown approves of your wife. The queen will never allow it.”

Lucy swallowed and glanced away. Derek, the muscle still ticking furiously in his jaw, nodded at Lady Moreland. “You do what you must, my lady, as will I.”

Two minutes later, all three of the Monroes had left Derek’s town house. Cass had given Lucy a hug and said her good-byes to Derek, offering them both her best wishes. Lord and Lady Moreland had resignedly trotted out to their carriage with their daughter. Lady Moreland paused only long enough to give Lucy another simmering narrowed-eyed glare.

As soon as the door closed behind them, Lucy sank to the sofa. Shaking, she dropped her head into her hands. Derek crossed over to her and sat next to her. He pulled her tight against him. “It’s an idle threat. She’s angry, that’s all.”

Lucy tugged herself out of his arms and looked at him. “No, Derek, you don’t understand. The queen, she … She doesn’t approve of me. She won’t approve of me. Why didn’t I think of this before? It will never work.”

A thunderous expression moved across his face. “What do you mean?”

“The queen won’t say yes. I know it.”

“There’s no guarantee Lady Moreland will even bring it to her attention. She was probably only bluffing.”

Lucy shook her head. “You don’t think the queen will notice when one of her dukes marries?”

“I don’t give a damn what the queen thinks. We can get a special license and be married before anyone can object.”

She put a hand on his sleeve. “Is what Lady Moreland said true? Is it a condition of your investiture that the Crown approve of your wife?”

He swore under his breath. “Yes.”

Lucy squeezed her eyes closed. “They won’t accept me.”

“That makes no sense. You’re the daughter of an earl.”

“The unwanted daughter of an earl who disgraced herself at her come-out. There’s more than one reason I’ve remained unmarried all these years, Derek.”

He scrubbed both hands through his hair. “Your debut was five years ago. Not to mention we’ve already—”

She looked away, couldn’t face him. “I trust you won’t tell anyone about that. And you must ask Hughes to be discreet as well.”

“Damn it, Lucy, of course I won’t tell anyone, and Hughes will be out on the street if he dares breathe a word about it, but—”

Her head snapped back to face him. “You don’t understand the ways of the
ton
as I do, Derek.”

“I don’t care about the bloody
ton
,” he growled.

Lucy searched his face. “You say you don’t care, but what if you were forced to give up your title?”

He grabbed her by the upper arms and stared into her eyes, his words coming through clenched teeth. “It won’t come to that. Say yes. Marry me, Lucy.”

Lucy pulled away from him, stood, and crossed over to the door. She placed her hand on the cool brass handle and faced the dark wood. “I cannot say yes to you, Derek. Not knowing it may cost you everything you’ve earned. My answer is no.”

CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE

A summons from Queen Charlotte. No matter how many times Lucy stared at the odious bit of costly vellum, wishing it to perdition, it lurked on the edge of the writing desk, haunting her.

The queen, the prince regent’s mother, had been the bane of Lucy’s young life five years ago. She and her mother had gathered the requisite fripperies and frills: huge old-fashioned hooped skirts, feathered headdresses, and high-heeled boots with too many ribbons to trip over. They had dutifully trotted to the palace to make Lucy’s requisite debut in the queen’s chambers. It was the one time Lucy could remember her mother paying the slightest bit of attention to her since before Ralph died. And Lucy had tried, truly. As hard as she could. But Mother wanted her to pretend to be someone she was not. Someone like … Cass. And Lucy had failed, again. She would never be a son. She was an inadequate daughter.

They’d traveled to the palace that day, only to be escorted out after Lucy’s antics had garnered the censure of the queen and the derision of the princesses. Lucy had never been so glad to leave a place in all her life. The only good thing was that she’d never have to return.

Never, that was, until Her Majesty summoned her.

It seemed Lady Moreland had made good on her threat to bring the nation’s newest duke’s marital plans to the attention of her monarch. Because Derek had been granted his title with stipulations, without Their Majesties’ approval, he could not marry. It was unthinkable but it was true. The royal approval must be had. And Derek had chosen the most unsuitable candidate in Society. Her.

Never in her life had Lucy wished more that she was respectable and proper and knew how to do and say the right things. But the queen already hated her. If she remembered her, that is, and how could she not? A young lady who started a scandal in the chambers? One who essentially had a tantrum and didn’t show her sovereign the proper respect? An abomination. Yes, that was her. Lady Lucy Upton, abomination.

And she’d already made the biggest mistake of them all. When she’d spent the night with Derek, it had never occurred to her that Lady Moreland might try to upend her marriage plans, but it seemed Cass’s mother was so thwarted in her dreams for her daughter, she was set on revenge no matter the cost.

Cass had snuck over to visit Lucy, despite her mother’s insistence that they end their friendship. Cass had cried and told Lucy how utterly ashamed and sorry she was for her mother’s behavior. “I’ve tried to reason with her, Lucy. She refuses to listen.”

In the end, it seemed, there was nothing anyone could do. Lady Moreland was well connected at court and set about making it her business to bend the ear of the queen. She couldn’t force a duke to marry her daughter, but she certainly could set about trying to ruin said duke’s plans to marry an inappropriate duchess. And now the summons from the queen sat on the desk, like an awful little papery recrimination, reminding Lucy of how utterly unladylike and unworthy she was and always would be.

Lucy had just decided to toss the summons into the fireplace when Cass and Jane floated into the drawing room.

“We’ve come to help. A plan is in order,” Jane declared, hands on her hips, already searching about for the tea tray on which she would inevitably find her favorite cakes.

“Plan?” Lucy echoed, turning to face her friends. “Am I to have a plan?”

“Of course you must have a plan,” Jane replied, taking a seat on a rosewood chair next to her friend. “This situation isn’t about to resolve itself, is it?”

Lucy frowned. “What situation?”

Cass crossed over to the writing desk and scooped up the summons. “Just as we suspected, the queen wishes to see you.”

Lucy blinked. “How did you—?”

Cass shrugged. “I did some investigating. Seems when a duke decides to take a bride, the potential bride must be officially summoned by the queen.”

Lucy rolled her eyes. “I suppose I should be honored that she’s bothering to take the time to meet with me.”

Cass stamped her foot. “See, right there. That is the attitude you must change if we’re to help you.”

“Have you told His Grace?” Jane, having found the tea tray, popped a piece of cake into her mouth.

Lucy sighed. “No. What’s the use? She will never approve of me. Oh, Cass, why did I ruin your potential engagement for this? You and Derek might have been happy together.”

Cass slapped at Lucy’s sleeve. “Are you completely daft? We would have made each other miserable and you know it. Not to mention, he happens to be madly in love with you and you with him.”

“Tell her the other part,” Jane prompted.

Cass turned back to face Lucy. “Oh, yes. I also discovered that the duke received a similar summons.”

Lucy frowned. “To see the queen?”

Cass shook her head. “No, the prince regent.”

“Derek detests the prince regent,” Lucy replied.

“It doesn’t matter. If he’s to get his approval, he’ll need to be convincing. Which is why we’re here to help you with your plan.”

Lucy glanced between her two friends. “You keep using that word. What exactly do you expect me to do?”

Jane set her plate aside and wiped her mouth with her napkin. “We expect you to put on a show, of course. It’ll be just like a play.”

Lucy tossed a hand in the air. “A play? What are you talking about?”

Cass took a deep breath. “Lucy, listen to me. You must go to court and be demure and presentable—and most of all, quiet.”

Lucy narrowed her eyes on her friend. “You say that as if it’s something I could actually accomplish.”

“Of course you can, Luce,” Jane added. “Pretend you’re an actress.”

Cass nodded. “We’re serious, Lucy. You must speak only when spoken to, you must keep your eyes downcast, and you must be the picture of a reformed fine lady. You must convince the queen you’ve changed since your—ahem—unfortunate incident five years ago.”

Lucy groaned. “Do you have any idea how difficult that will be for me?”

Jane grinned widely. “Of course we do. That’s why we’re here to help.”

Cass leaned over and squeezed her shoulder. “You must do it, Lucy … for Derek.”

“Does Derek know about this?”

Jane and Cass exchanged uneasy looks. “Not yet. We decided we would see how it goes before—”

“Getting his hopes up?” Lucy provided.

“He has enough to worry about what with impressing the prince,” Cass said.

Lucy glanced between them again. “Fine. What exactly do you suggest?”

Cass’s smile widened. “We’re going to turn you into a lady. Well, a lady of court.”

Lucy shook her head vigorously. “Oh, no. My mother tried that once and I—”

“With all due respect,” Cass replied, clearing her throat, a determined gleam in her eye, “your mother is not
me
.”

Lucy’s gaze swung to Jane, who shrugged. “Don’t look at me. I’m merely here to cheer you on. This ladylike business is entirely Cass’s domain.”

Lucy whimpered. Could she do this? For Derek? She didn’t know but she had to try. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Then she reached out and squeezed her friends’ hands. “By all means, then, let the plan begin.”

CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO

By the time Lucy arrived at the royal palace a sennight later, she’d been schooled in absolutely every single bit of decorum—and for lack of a better term, girlishness—than she had in her prior twenty-three years of life. What Cass knew about being a lady could fill volumes. It was quite extraordinary. For example, who knew there was a proper way to laugh at a gentleman’s jest? A proper way to ensure your gait was not too hurried? A proper way to raise your skirts when walking through mud? And a proper way to address certain members of the queen’s household? Oh, Lucy had probably heard these rules before, naturally, but she hadn’t been paying a whit of attention five years ago. It had bored her to distraction, actually. But now, with her future with Derek in jeopardy, Lucy studied these asinine bits of decorum as if she were the most zealous and ambitious young lady on the verge of making a debut.

The rules had all been repeated ad nauseam, drilled into her head, and practiced over endless rounds of rehearsals attended by Cass as the devoted and strict instructor, Jane as the audience and general jeerer, and Garrett upon occasion when the subject matter called for a male to be present, such as dancing.

But most surprising of all was that Lucy actually enjoyed some of it. She kept Derek in her thoughts. Doing these things with Derek, spending time with him. It all seemed like a small price to pay for a future with him. And by the end of it she’d had the thought more than once that if she hadn’t spent so long vehemently protesting the general concept of participating in ladylike pursuits, she might very well have enjoyed them all along.