Page 9 of The Duke's Reluctant Muse
Jonathan looked toward the lovely young lady and saw the light flush coming to her cheeks. One side of her mouth lifted, however, a gleam coming into her eyes.
“As appreciative of your compliments as I am, brother, I am certain that you are doing so, simply to placate me, no? You do not want me to state the truth of your malady, despite the fact that you have promised I am to be the one to guide you.”
Lord Dennington chuckled, a rueful smile on his face. “You are quite right, my dear sister, though there is truth in everything I have said.” He put one hand to his heart and then looked to Jonathan. “My sister has done a great deal for me and I am hopeful that this Season will bring us both a sense of recovery.”
Jonathan nodded slowly. “You say that you are here in London to recover. I presume that means you are not yet back to your full strength?”
Lord Dennington’s lips pulled into a grim smile as his eyes flashed with frustration. “As much as I should like to see that I am well on my way to recovery, that I have not had another megrim, the truth is that I am still struggling with some fatigue and a lingering ache in my temples on occasion. No doubt I will have to rest tomorrow given my presence here this evening.”
“I think I shall insist upon it,” Miss Jeffries replied, her eyes filled with obvious concern as she looked at her brother, making Jonathan’s eyebrows lift at the clear worry she had for him. Perhaps Lord Dennington’s megrims were very severe indeed.
“I am sorry to hear that though I am very glad to see you again this evening It has been too long since I have been in good company.” He looked to Miss Jeffries. “And if there is anything that I am able to do in order to encourage your brother to do as you ask, then I shall do all that I can.” He let his lips quirk just as Miss Jeffries smiled, her eyes dancing with mirth.
“That is very good of you, Your Grace. I hope that I will not have to take you up on your offer but my brother has now heard your warning also, have you not, Dennington?”
Lord Dennington grinned. “I have. Thus, Nottingham, I am afraid that you will have a little less of my company this Season though, as I have said, I shall be very glad to write.” He gestured to his sister. “Given our last few letters, might I suggest that you ask my sister to converse with you whenever you wish to do so? She can pretend to be just as frustrating or as irritating as you might wish!”
Heat burst in Jonathan’s stomach, sending flames up his neck and into his face. How much had Lord Dennington told his sister? Was she already assessing him, thinking how much of a fool he was?
“The truth is, Your Grace, I should be very glad to practise conversation also.” The pink in her cheeks spread, darkening as Miss Jeffries’ eyes caught his and then looked away. “As you might be aware, this is my very first Season despite the fact I ought to have made my debut some years ago. Therefore, I am a little less polished when it comes to conversing with gentlemen in London.” She smiled briefly. “My brother says that you have been absent from society for a time also.”
Jonathan considered her. Her voice did not to speak of mockery though the warning from Lord Dalton began to ring through his mind. Did not all young ladies say and do what they did not truly mean? Indeed, Miss Jeffries did appear to be kind and considerate and he had no doubt that she was so to her brother, but could he truly believe that this was what she desired? That she would be willing to converse with a gentleman she did not know?
“I have, yes, but I do not think that I require practice.” He cleared his throat, finding Lord Dennington frowning though he did not say anything to Jonathan. “I am sure you will dovery well, Miss Jeffries, and that you have nothing to concern yourself about. Lord Dalton has already told me of just how impressed he was with you and I must agree with him.”
“But of course.” The smile from Miss Jeffries was momentary and she did appear a little embarrassed, given the way her gaze dropped to the ground. “I am sure you are quite right, Your Grace.”
Turning his head, Jonathan saw anther gentleman and lady standing just behind him, clearly eager to speak to Lord Dennington. With a nod, he inclined his head. “I shall take my leave of you now, however. I can see that there are others eager to greet you, Dennington.” Hesitating, he kept his friend’s gaze. “Might I write to you again, if you are to be absent from society for a time?”
“But of course.” Lord Dennington’s gaze spoke of understanding and Jonathan turned away, relieved. He was glad that his friend had not said anything more to his sister though he did feel as though he had misstepped a little. Mayhap he ought to have taken Miss Jeffries’ offer of conversing with her for practice, though his brow furrowed at the thought. No doubt she might now think him a little rude and perhaps had even become a little embarrassed at his refusal – but Jonathan silently reminded himself that he could not help that. Whilst he was appreciative of all that Miss Jeffries had offered, he had to be a good deal more careful when it came to the young ladies of society for, he could never know what it was they truly felt in their heart.
Chapter Five
“I think the Duke of Nottingham likes you.”
Lifting her head from her writing, Elizabeth let her gaze swing across the room towards her brother, a little uncertain as to whether or not he was jesting with her.
“I think you made an excellent impression, despite the fact that you had to remind me to introduce you!”
Still uncertain, Elizabeth pouted, catching the gleam in her brother’s eye. “Indeed, I did have to remind you and whilst the introduction and the conversation went well, you should not be teasing me so. I know that you were aware of my interest in being introduced to the Duke, but do not make up suggestions about his interest in me thereafter. There is no need for it.”
Her brother’s eyebrows lifted. “I am not jesting with you, my dear sister. I think that the Duke of Nottingham must think quite highly of you.”
“Well, that is a foolish consideration.” With a slight toss of her head, Elizabeth returned to her letters. “For we were only introduced last evening and, in that time, we had only one single conversation.”
“In which you guided the Duke – and myself – through the difficulties that my own foolishness caused.” With a slight scowl, her brother shook his head. “I should not have spoken as I did. Some of the things I said were a little less than considerate.”
Elizabeth smiled at this, recalling how she had been forced to engage the Duke in conversation about travel to and from his estate rather than permit him to answer the question his brother had put to him, all about his ‘past difficulties’, if she recalled correctly. “It was a little thoughtless.”
“But recall,” her brother said quickly, pushing himself up in his seat a little more, “that I knew that you were already fullyaware of everything that the Duke has been struggling with. I quite forgot thatheis unaware of that fact!”
“And we are not going to tell him,” Elizabeth reminded him, firmly.
“Of course, of course.” Her brother waved a hand, vaguely. “Now tell me, what did you think of him?”
Considering the question, Elizabeth let her thoughts return to the moment she had realized this tall, broad shouldered, handsome gentleman was none other than the Duke of Nottingham. Her eyes had flared, surprise squeezing her heart as she had taken him in, seeing the vivid blue of his eyes, the strong jaw and the dark hair which fell carelessly across his forehead. His demeanor had occasionally been somewhat devoid of warmth, yet she attributed this to his evident concern over her attentive presence. It seemed he found it rather challenging to converse freely with her brother in her company, as if he deemed it more fitting to maintain a certain decorum in her presence. “I found him amiable,” she answered, choosingnotto tell her brother that she had also thought the Duke remarkably handsome. “He was clearly very glad to see you again. Your friendship must have been very strong indeed.”
“It was. And I hope, still is.” Lord Dennington smiled though it was a little absent, his gaze turning away from her as he looked out across the room. “The Duke and I have been friends since we were boys and thus, I know almost everything there is to know about him and he about me!”
