Page 6 of A Torn Allegiance
“Whom shall I say is calling?”
“His Highness, Prince Hayes Wilhelm of Oldenburg, and His Grace, the Duke of Sumter,” Bartholomew said.
“Yes, they are expecting you. Please, come in.” The butler bowed and moved aside to allow them entry. A footman arrived, smartly dressed, and took their hats and cloaks.
They followed the butler into an opulent home, decorated in the immediate proximity by a series of portraits. One struck Hayes at first glance as being exceptionally beautiful. A woman with red hair and bright blue eyes. Her full lips held the tiniest hint of a smile, but her eyes were ablaze. Her mother had the same eyes, but her father’s were brown. At least, he assumed they were her parents. On her other side, a man with eyes like his father’s and hair thick and black solemnly stared at him through the portrait. Hayes’s gaze returned to the first woman. The artist must have been exceptionally talented. Never had a pair of eyes struck him like those.
The butler cleared his throat. “If you’ll follow me.”
Hayes stood taller. He must now be an ambassador for his country in all ways, and he would represent them well. A footman opened the double doors leading into a smaller but well-appointed sitting room. The woman from the portrait and what looked to be her mother turned to him with expectant expressions. A man stood with his back to Hayes, looking out the window.
The butler announced them. “His Highness, Hayes Wilhelm, crown prince of Oldenburg, and His Grace, the Duke of Sumter, to see you.”
One of the men from the portrait in the entry hall turned and stared back with momentary questions, perhaps suspicion, in his eyes before his face relaxed in greeting. “Come in. Welcome. I am so pleased you could join us.” He bowed, crisply and smartly. “I’m the Duke of Shelby.”
Hayes and Bartholomew shook hands with him.
“And this is my wife, the Duchess of Shelby and our daughter, Lady Elsie Morrow.”
Two beautiful women curtsied. The blue eyes from the portrait smiled back at him, and now that he’d witnessed the real version, he could only find the portrait lacking. When Hayes rose from his bow, their openly curious faces watched him. “Thank you for having us, Your Grace, and for the escort. I feel more comfortable arriving to the dinner party in such company.”
Bartholomew also bowed, but Hayes hardly noticed or heard what he said. Lady Elsie had captured his full attention. Elsie. Her name fit her well. Honey-red curls lined her face. The portrait hardly did the woman justice. Where the portrait painted a beautiful woman with striking eyes, the lady who stood before him was more like a beacon of light. He found himself as tongue-tied as he had ever felt.
Once the introductions were made, the duchess eased the awkward pause that followed. “Tell us about your homes.”
Lady Elsie gave her full attention as he described Oldenburg. He went into particular detail about his home and the water. “I share an ocean with the Duke of Sumter, although his home sits across the largest expanse.” He chuckled. Their two families enjoyed the quip, though he was unsure anyone else appreciated their inside humor.
While Bartholomew described his home, Hayes watched Lady Elsie. She turned to him, and a small smile tugged at her lips.
Perhaps she would speak. But before she could say anything, her father stood. “Shall we be off? Our host will be waiting for us.”
“Oh yes, certainly.” The duchess joined her husband’s side, but they deferred to Hayes to exit first.
Hayes offered his arm to Lady Elsie. “Might I escort you?”
“Certainly.” Her voice was crisp, like her father’s bow, but friendly. Perhapsproperwas the best word to describe her reaction to him.
“How long have you been in England?” She glanced up into his face and then straight ahead again as they made their way back through the entry hall toward the front door.
“We arrived in London just yesterday, but I have been visiting the Duke of Sumter’s northern estate these few weeks past.” While the servants placed a wrap across her shoulders and returned his hat and cloak to him, he described a bit of the surrounding land where he lived.
“Oh, the Sumter estate boasts excellent countryside, and the ocean is most rugged and beautiful.” Her voice had a mellow timbre to it, which Hayes decided he could listen to at great length and never tire of it.
“Yes, His Grace’s estate reminds me greatly of parts of Oldenburg. And though I have never been, I hear it is quite similar to parts of Scotland.”
Her face lit at the mention of Scotland. Where he thought her full of light before, she beamed with happiness now. “Oh, then it is sure to delight in every way.”
Her father cleared his throat. “As you can see, we have an affinity for the northern parts of England as well as for Scotland particularly.”
Lady Elsie returned to the polite, demure reactions of moments before, much to Hayes’s regret. “And London? What do you think of it?”
“I enjoy Town. I was just noticing as we approached your home that we have similar places of residence outside our palace in Oldenburg.”
“Is your country much like England?”
“In some ways, yes. We have a similar tenant situation, and landowners.” As soon as he said the words, he wished to recall them. They were much on his mind, but he ought not discuss such things with Lady Elsie—or any other woman, for that matter, not unless he wished to bore her to death.
Her frown confirmed his thoughts.
