Page 5 of An Arranged Betrothal with an Icy Duke
Edith shook her head but her mother only laughed and, squeezing her hands again, she let them go.
“I will not hear a word of protest,” she said, firmly. “In two weeks’ time, my dear. Choose whatever pieces you wish to play and play them, that is all there is to it! There is nothing more than you need to do and that cannot be too difficult, can it?”
Again, Edith tried to protest but the words died on her lips as her mother made her way across the room back towards the door. She stammered and stuttered but the door soon closed behind her mother and all became quiet again. Dropping her head forward, Edith let out a low groan, anxiety alreadybeginning to climb up her throat. She had not played in front of an audience for a long time and even then, that audience had been her family only. Now she was, apparently, to parade herself around her mother’s musical soiree, showing off her skills to those who were willing to listen. And to what end? To make herself seem more desirable?
Will any of the gentlemen be interested in my character? In my desires, in my interests, in my hopes for the future?Her eyes closed tightly.Or will they simply see a young lady, suitable in appearance and skill and ready to stand on the arm of a gentleman?
Chapter Two
“I have no interest in going to any balls, soirees or dinners,” Henry snapped, handing his letters back to his mother. “I have already had the butler attempt to give me these but I told him to put them in the fire.”
“And I prevented him from doing so when I saw them!” his mother exclaimed, waving one hand towards the table where she had placed his letters before rising to hand them to him. “Now listen, you cannot simply ignore the invitations that you are sent. That is very ill mannered of you.”
“And yet, I do not care.”
His mother threw up her hands. “You are the Duke of Fairglen! Youmustcare!”
“I do not.” Henry lifted his chin and looked back at his mother as she stood opposite him though he himself remained seated at his study desk. “I do not want to be here in London, Mother, as you well know. The only reason I have returned is so that I can find a suitable match, marry her and then return to our estate, where she will do all that is required of a Duchess, including producing the heir. Now, does that satisfy you?”
“No,” came the sharp – and quick – reply. “No, it does not. How will you ever find such a young lady if you do not go out in society?”
Henry shrugged. “I will let it be known that the Duke of Fairglen seeks a suitable match and thereafter, I am certain that gentlemen who have sisters or daughters that they are eager to dispose of, will come in search of me.”
His mother closed her eyes. “You will haveallof the society gentlemen coming to speak with you, Fairglen! That is no way to pick a suitable match.”
Another shrug. “I care not for the title of the lady, Mother. So long as she is within society, so long as her father is respectable and so long as she is fair to look at, then I have no qualms about anything else.”
“But she is to be your wife!” his mother exclaimed, throwing up her hands. “You cannot simply pretend that she will mean nothing to you.”
Turning his attention back to her, Henry sighed loudly enough to make it plain that he had very little interest in what was being said.
“I will not leave until I have your explanation,” came the response, with the Duchess then putting both hands to her hips. “What do you intend to do with your wife, Fairglen? Leave her sitting on the mantlepiece somewhere?”
“No, of course not.” Heaving yet another sigh but seeing only the slight lift of his mother’s eyebrow, Henry gave up his explanation. It was easier to tell her everything rather than fight it. “My wife will have her own separate part of the manor house. I do not intend to spend much time with her despite the fact that she will be my wife. Yes, certain duties will have to be fulfilled but once the heir and the spare are produced, there will be no further requirements aside from the occasional social occasion where we must step out together. Now, pray do not ask me any further questions. I am finished with such things.”
His mother clicked her tongue in disapproval and looked away. “You cannot think that treating a young lady in such a fashion is fair, Fairglen. I know that you were broken over Rachel and –”
“Do not speak her name to me!” Henry slammed both hands on the desk, his eyes narrowing. “Do you not understand? I have no desire to speak of herorof my brother.”
The Duchess did not respond in any other way than to frown.
“I have told you, time and again, that I have no lingering feelings for the lady but neither do I want you to speak of her or my brother,” Henry stated, aware that this was not the first time he had said such things to his mother and growing angry that she continually insisted upon speaking of her. In the last few years, he had felt himself emptied of all affection or even interest in Rachel, though he had also become aware of the hardness of his heart as regarded his brother. He had not seen Luke in the last few years. He had not written to him and any letter or even short note Luke had sent him had gone straight into the fire, unopened. It was not that Henry felt himself broken-hearted still, was not that he still felt any affection for Rachel, but more that the betrayal still cut through him, right to his soul.
“Then let me help you.” This time, his mother set one hand flat on the study desk, leaning forward as her gentle voice cut through his anger. “I can assist you in all of this.”
Henry scowled. “I do not need your help, Mother.”
“But I am offering it, nonetheless. After all,” she continued, rising to stand tall again, “you did not make the right choice the first time, did you? I can assist you in preventing that from happening again.”
The sting of her words struck Henry right across the cheek and he turned his head away, putting his gaze to the window. Perhaps she had not meant to injure him in the way she had done but those words struck him hard, nonetheless.
“I mean only to be of aid to you. You are my son and I have seen the pain you have endured these last few years. You may not be aware of this but I have endured my own pain also, given that my son and his wife will not so much as entertain my company. No doubt they feel some disloyalty to me, given what I did though I felt it right at the time – and do, in fact, feel the same now.”
The softness of her voice made Henry’s heart quieten just a little and, with a glance back at her, he shrugged. “If you wish to, Mother, then I will not refuse the help.”
She smiled. “That is good. Of course I will do whatever you want me to do, my dear. But I can assure you that finding a young lady of thehighesttitle will stand you in good stead. After all, such a young lady will be a good deal more inclined towards propriety and the like. Those from the lower titled families are a little too free with such things.”
Henry wanted to disagree, to state that daughters of Earls and of Viscounts knew just as well as the daughters of Dukes and Marquesses on how they ought to behave, but instead, chose to remain silent.
