Page 9 of The Truth about the Duke
“And entirely unnecessary,” he added, firmly. “A bluestocking is a shame to society and her family, Lady Lydia, and ought to be spurned. As would be a young lady seeking to go out hunting with the gentlemen of thetonor who chose to ride astride rather than sidesaddle!” He held her gaze, lifting his chin when her eyes grew cold.
“I would have thought that a Duke, with all his fine education, would have recognized the blessing that such a thing brought him.” Lady Lydia took a small step closer to him, her eyes holding his now with such an intensity, he could not seem to look away. “And I would have expected that a Duke would have lacked this sharp, determined judgment that appears to state thathisopinion is the correct one. Does not your education teach you that there are differing viewpoints and different experiences to be considered?”
“I… ” Henry did not know what to say but nor could he pull his gaze away from her. Lady Lydia was pushing him into a conversation he did not want to have, into thoughts and considerations that made him feel very uncomfortable indeed.
“Come, Lydia. I think you have spoken with the Duke and Lord Kendall long enough.”
It was Lady Hampshire who interrupted their conversation, putting one hand on her daughter’s arm and forcing Lady Lydia’s attention to be pulled away from Henry. “Thank you for your time in speaking with my daughter, Your Grace. And to you also, Lord Kendall. I hear that you are already acquainted with my son?”
Lord Kendall nodded and smiled, though Henry continued to glower. “I am. Your son and I still write to each other on occasion and I shall remember to do so again very soon, so I might inform him that I have had the delightful pleasure of being introduced to his sister.” He inclined his head as Lady Hampshire smiled, though Henry was sure there was a tightness in her expression that had not been there before.
“You are very kind, Lord Kendall.”
“Not at all. I do hope that you and I might speak again, Lady Lydia? Mayhap we shall see one another at a ball one evening?”
This took some of the tension from Lady Hampshire’s expression as Lady Lydia nodded and smiled, though she had turned herself bodily away from Henry and instead, set her attention to Lord Kendall. “Yes, I should be glad to continue our conversation at another time, Lord Kendall. Good evening.” She offered Henry a cursory glance, though the corner of her mouth lifted slightly in a moue of distaste. “And to you also, Your Grace.”
“Lady Lydia.” Henry inclined his head, filled with both relief at her departure and a seeming lingering dislike of the young lady as she moved away from him. He saw how Lady Hampshire’s head tilted towards her daughter, clearly saying something though quite what it would be, he did not know.
“Well, you made a very firm impression upon her, I must say!” Lord Kendall chuckled as Henry scowled, his laugh made all the worse by the way he slapped Henry on the shoulder as he did so. “Goodness, are you truly so fervent about what a young lady ought not to pursue?”
“I most certainly am.” Henry drew himself up, his chin forward. “I think that to have a bluestocking in one’s family but be a very great shame indeed.”
Lord Kendall rolled his eyes. “It should not surprise me, I suppose. Given your list of requirements – a list which, I know,has not yet found even one young lady to fulfill it – it should not be as astonishing to me that you have such firm opinions.”
Henry turned to his friend sharply. “You cannot tell me that you would be contented with a wife who went out hunting or the like?”
Lord Kendall hesitated, then shrugged. “I think that if I fall in love with a young lady, I should find such a thing yet another part of her character to love,” he answered, as Henry snorted in ridicule. “A young lady does not need to fit all that I desire to make me a suitable wife, I do not think. Besides, think what fun it would be to go out riding with one’s wife, only to find that she is a better rider than you!”
Henry shook his head. “No. I will not even imagine such a dreadful thing. A young lady, the one who will be mistress of my home, will do all that is expected of her and that shall be the extent of it. I shall not have someone who has stepped outside of the realms of propriety for even amoment! No, whoever I marry will be all that I require her to be and nothing more.” He shivered at the thought of what it might be like to wed a bluestocking, his lip curling as he realized, no doubt, that Lady Lydia herself was one such creature given her defense of the notion.
It does not matter,he told himself, turning around entirely so that he did not have to look in the same direction as Lady Lydia.I do not think that I shall be in company with Lady Lydia again this Season, and that shall suit me very well indeed.
Chapter Four
“Lydia?”
Lydia’s heart slammed hard against her ribs as she quickly rose from her chair, setting the book down on the seat behind her before sitting back down again. Then, with haste in every movement, she reached for her embroidery – a piece that she had been working on for some months now and had made very little progress with. Not that her mother would notice, however.
“Ah, here you are.” Lady Hampshire stepped into the drawing room though her eyes quickly darted all around Lydia rather than looking directly into her face. “What are you doing?”
Lydia held up her embroidery, aware that her mother’s sharp gaze was solely because of her fear that Lydia had been reading again. “This.”
“I see.” There was no sense of trust in Lady Hampshire’s voice, only doubt but Lydia did not care. Yes, her seat was now a little uncomfortable because of the book she now sat on but she had no intention of shifting to her feet, no matter how long she had to sit there!
“I wanted to speak with you about your conversation with Lord Kendall and the Duke of Melrose last evening.” LadyHampshire did not sit down but remained on her feet, a slight frown flickering across her forehead. “Though you seem to have done well with the Marquess of Kendall, it was clear that you had upset the Duke in some way. You refused to tell me what it was you said to him last evening and I must hope that now, you will choose to do so.”
Lydia hid her scowl as best she could. Her mother had spoken a little harshly to her the previous evening, demanding to know what it was she had said that had made the Duke of Melrose scowl at her but Lydia had refused to entertain an answer. Instead, she had simply shrugged lightly and said that the Duke had appeared to be in something of an irritable mood since the very moment she had been introduced. This had not satisfied her mother, though she had appeared to agree with Lydia’s assessment of the Duke’s state of mind.
“Lydia?”
Seeing that her silence would not be a satisfactory answer, Lydia looked down at her embroidery, feigning an interest in it. “As I have said, Mama, the Duke of Melrose did seem to be very unhappy with being present at the soiree. I think he might have been a little jealous at Lord Kendall’s connection to my brother.”
“I beg your pardon?” Lady Hampshire let out a laugh that was both cold and harsh. “You cannot expect me to believe that the Duke of Melrose was jealous of his friend’s conversation with you!”
Lydia looked back at her mother. “That was only a thought, Mama,” she answered, ignoring the small stab of pain that lanced her heart. “Lord Kendall was, as you saw for yourself, very eager indeed to be in conversation with me and has hopes to dance with me! Surely, if I had said something to upset the Duke of Melrose, Lord Kendall would have had the same expression as he! There would have beentwoupset gentlemen, rather than one.”
Lady Hampshire frowned heavily, clearly not fully assured by Lydia’s response. “If I find out that you said something about your desire to further your learning and understanding, then I will begreatlydispleased, Lydia. I am sure that –”
