Page 10 of Always the Bridesmaid, Never the Duchess
Kate sipped her sherry. Her grandmother had taken great pains when she was a child to ensure that Kate had all the graces of a woman of her station. She could sew, dance, sing, and play as any other eligible girl. Unfortunately, Kate hadn’t enjoyed most of these pastimes except for music. She placed her glass on the sideboard and walked over to the instrument.
“What shall I play?” Her fingers eased over the keys sounding out a small scale.
“Something light and playful.” Andrew stood next to her. Kate rested her hands on the keys as she thought. When her fingers moved across the ivory, she began to sing. Andrew’s baritone joined her soprano for the next line.
In harmony, their voices joined together as they sang “Black-eyed Susan.” When the final note rang out, Grandmama clapped her hands.
“Beautiful, children. Simply beautiful.” She stood up, her hand resting on her cane. “Kate, can you accompany me upstairs? I believe it is time for us to retire.”
“Have a good evening, ladies,” Andrew’s voice was low, and his gaze smoldered as Kate stood.
“Good night, Your Grace,” Kate said and nodded.
As the Dowager Viscountess and Kate left the drawing room, Andrew watched them. Kate was full of surprises today.Stubborn and forthright, but he had seen the quickness of her mind as they discussed the wedding. She was a force to be reckoned with, and he felt at a loss on how to handle such a woman. Kate Avery was unlike any woman he had encountered, and it vexed him that she was able to disconcert him so easily. It was a good thing the wedding would not be too far in the future. He did not think he could tolerate her company longer than a fortnight
In her bedchamber, Kate stared at her reflection in the mirror. Even to her own eyes, her face looked troubled. The Duke had behaved well during their dinner this evening; however, singing with him had seemed too intimate. Their voices joining together, twirling around each note in perfect harmony. A vision of how his lips upon hers felt filled her thoughts before she quickly pushed them away. He was not someone she could admire. Still, for a brief moment, it had felt pleasant to spend the evening in his company.
“No matter. He has brought scandal upon my family with his lies,” Kate told herself.
“Miss?” Sally asked as she pulled her mistress’s tortoiseshell combs from her hair and allowed the brown curls to tumble across her shoulders. In the candlelight, it took on the hue of autumn leaves with a touch of gold.
Kate waved her hand dismissively. “I was talking about the Duke. He is as obstinate as a mule, and I am simply frustratedwith his crossing me at every suggestion for the wedding. I fear that we will never agree, and the wedding will be a disaster.”
Sally picked up the brush from her vanity and gave it vigorous strokes until it shone. “He is rather dashing though, isn’t he?”
Kate took the brush from Sally’s hand and set it on the vanity. “I suppose, although his sour disposition makes him an unappealing prospect for any young lady I am acquainted with.”
Sally did not respond but instead assisted Kate into bed. She blew out the bedside candle and bade her mistress a good evening before slipping out of the room.
Kate sat in the darkness brooding over the day. She found herself revisiting each sparring match and wishing that after she told Julia she couldn’t possibly work with the duke that a message informing him he needn’t assist her had been sent. Now, she was forced to accommodate his wishes lest she be seen as a disagreeable shrew. Her mind shifted once more to the night of the masquerade ball, and she felt the heat rise in her cheeks at the thought of his touch. How could he vex her so? She groaned in frustration. If only his eyes weren’t so intense, and his black hair did not curl just so. If she were honest, his outside was sheer perfection. Too bad his inside did not match.
Outside on the landing, Kate heard a sound. Her grandmother would ring if she required assistance from one of the maids, but perhaps they failed to attend to her. Kate rose and opened the door only to step back. She peered around the door.
“Your Grace, I thought you were my grandmother. Do you require assistance? My maid can fetch your valet if you require him.” Kate looked around to see if Sally were nearby, but the hallway was empty.
Andrew moved across the hallway to stand before her door. “I require many things.” He reached his hand out and wrapped one of her curls around his finger. “Your hair is quite beautiful once released from its restraints.”
Kate’s breath caught in her throat. “Your Grace. This is most improper. If someone saw you standing outside my bedchamber, my reputation would be in tatters.”
“Perhaps it is a risk worth taking,” he said.
Andrew’s voice was low and sent shivers of delight through Kate. Her heart raced at the thought of his touch. Her earlier displeasure evaporated as his sapphire blue eyes lowered to her mouth. A stirring in her womanhood made her bold. She leaned forward, her lips open ready to receive his own when he stepped back, releasing her hair from his grasp.
“I don’t wish to compromise you. Have a good evening, Miss Avery.” He bowed slightly and walked toward his own bedchamber.
Kate longed to slam the door, but she dared not risk waking her grandmother.The sheer audacity of the man! He truly was insufferable.The wedding could not happen soon enough and then she would see the back of the Duke of Devonport. It was along time before she was finally able to sleep, and when she did, her dreams were filled with thoughts of dangerous blue eyes and hair as dark as a raven’s wing.
“Good morning, Kate. I trust you slept well.” The Dowager Viscountess sat at the table with her usual cup of tea and slice of toast with fig marmalade. She was a creature of habit, much to the delight of staff, and the dismay of her grandchildren who enjoyed a bit of spontaneity in their daily lives.
“Yes, Grandmama. And you? How was your night?” Kate let the lie slip easily from her lips. In truth, she was exhausted and in an ill temper from her restless sleep filled with dreams of sapphire blue eyes and broad shoulders.
She picked up her cup of tea and sipped. The Duke of Devonport hadn’t made an appearance as of yet. Kate hoped that he wouldn’t languish the day away in his room. They had a great deal of work to do and little time to accomplish it.
“I thought I heard a noise in the hallway last night, but then I dismissed it as a fanciful notion. My hearing is not as sharp as it once was.” The Dowager Viscountess peered over her teacup at Kate. “Did you hear anything?”
Kate kept her eyes firmly downcast. She concentrated on smearing her toast with butter lest her grandmother glean something from her expression. “No. I fell fast asleep as soon as my head touched the bed.”
Kate held her tongue regarding her grandmother’s hearing. The older woman had ears sharp as a barn cat listening for mice. On many occasions, she and Nicholas would be discovered sneaking from their bedchambers down to the kitchen to steal a bit of sweets from the larder only to be discovered by their grandmother.
