Page 4 of Three Nights with the Beastly Duke

“What happened?” he asked.

“Your sister is more gullible than we believed,” his mother explained, clearly exhausted. “She let a group of these young London ladies convince her into a little game of cat and mouse with some of the more…unseemlygentlemen of theton.”

“Are you sure they’re not all like that?” he asked, muttering the words under his breath. Then, he looked back down at his sister with a gentle gaze, and slowly shook his head. “Susan, you know better,” he chastised lightly.

As if furious with him, Susan pushed him away with both hands and let out a sound of irritation.

“You’re both awful!” she exclaimed. “I’m never allowed to have any fun!”

“We will try again in the spring Season,” their mother stated, folding her hands calmly in front of her. “When you’ve had more lessons. In the meantime, you must return home while your brother and I tie up his arrangement. Your cousins Marcy and Walter will be waiting for you back home and have agreed to take over supervision until we return. Youwillbehave for them.”

Susan let out another angry sound and flew toward the stairs of their London home and out of sight.

“Please tell me your day went better than mine,” Marianne pleaded with her son once they were alone.

Arthur took a long look at his mother. She had aged greatly since his father’s death, and every day appeared just lightly more withered and frail. It worried him greatly and was reminded that marrying the right woman would take a great burden off her plate. He made the mental decision right there that whatever thoughts he had about Lavinia, they didn’t matter.

“Swimmingly,” he reported, handing his hat and jacket to a servant. “Lord Donset was most agreeable to my terms, and we shall have a wedding between our families at the end of August.”

“And the girl?” Marianne asked, looking hopeful.

“Our introduction was delayed today, so I have not met her yet,” he replied truthfully. “But have no fear. Her father is most adamant about this union. It will happen one way or another.”

A look of relief came over her mother’s face, and she slowly sank down into a nearby chaise.

“Thank heavens,” she sighed. “Now, if only I could get your sister to act as obediently as you.”

“Give her time, Mama,” he soothed, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. “The burden of nobility isn’t easy on anyone.”

CHAPTERTHREE

“I’m going to be sick,” Rebecca stated, looking pitiful in her carriage seat. She looked beautiful in her pale pink and yellow gown, and the matching ribbons in her hair brought out the brightness of her eyes. But she still looked lonely and abused like a pup rejected by its mother.

“You will do no such thing,” Lavinia replied patiently, smoothing her hands over her forest-green silk gown.

“You said you were going to help me!” Rebecca snapped. “How is this helping?”

“What is Lavinia helping you with?” their father asked, looking up from his book.

“Her manners, Papa,” Lavinia replied quickly, flashing him a large smile. “She must be eloquent for the Duke this evening.”

“Indeed, she must,” he muttered as his eyes returned to the worded pages.

Lavinia waited until she was sure her father was once more enraptured in his book, then she leaned toward her sister and whispered quickly, “Iamgoing to help you! But first, you must help yourself and stop acting like this! Get a hold of yourself.”

Lavinia had indeed promised that she would help her sister out of her engagement with the Duke. And she would keep that promise. But her sister’s behavior was becoming more than annoying. She was still trying to suppress those feelings of annoyance when they walked into the ball, and it only began to dissipate when she saw her old friend coming toward her through the crowd.

“Timothy,” Lavinia sighed in relief, taking his outstretched hands. She leaned toward him, and they gave each other chaste kisses on the cheek. “Thank heavens you are here. I am in need of distraction.”

“Well, have no fear, darling, for I am here to meet all of your distracting needs,” Timothy jested, giving her a fun twirl before letting go. “Dark colors again, Vinnie?” he teased. “When will you join us in the sunlight and colors that this world has to offer?”

Lavinia laughed, used to his teasing of her darker wardrobe. “While I appreciate the bold colors of the day, my dear friend, you and I both know that I am a daughter of the moon.”

“You certainly are,” Timothy replied, his blue eyes glittering brightly as he looked at her. “Is your father here? I should like to say hello.”

Lavinia looked away from Timothy and took a slow look around the ballroom. Finally, she spotted her father and little sister, both of them standing in front of the Duke of Whitekin. A sliver of guilt went through as she realized she’d let her sister down, but she pushed it away. Their meeting was inevitable, anyhow.

“Ah, he’s over there,” she replied, nodding toward them, “introducing Rebecca to her soon-to-be husband.” She then looked back at Timothy and smiled. “And where is your wife? I feel as if I haven’t seen Emily in over a year.”

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