Page 6 of A Sonata for the Fiery Lady
She liked the sound of his name as she smiled at him in return. “And how long have you been playing the piano professionally?” she asked.
“I’ve been playing for lords and ladies for the last ten years. My father taught me how to play when I was around five years of age,” Mr Quinn explained proudly.
“You must be an astute student to have reached this level of professionalism. I bet your father is proud of you, too,” Melisa said kindly. Mr Quinn nodded his head, and she could easily see the sorrow in his eyes. “I’m sorry if I said something unpleasant,” she quickly added.
“No, My Lady, it is not your fault. My father recently passed away, is all,” Mr Quinn explained meekly. Melisa dipped her head, feeling truly sorry for this man she’d just met.
“Tell me, My Lady, if you could change your fate, how would you do it?” Mr Quinn boldly asked then. Melisa regarded him a moment, being able to tell that the question was asked in all seriousness as not an amount of humour was etched across his face.
“If I could change my fate, I’d marry someone who was a more ideal match for myself,” Melisa said with a sigh, her eyes wandering around the room. She wondered how many couples that were present had actually married for true love.
“And what would your ideal match be like?” Mr Quinn asked.
“Well, he would be handsome, much like yourself. Young, accomplished, full of passion. Someone who actually feels something when a loved one passes away instead of seeing it as a way to gain more in life,” Melisa said. Though she meant to have teased Mr Quinn, she felt like she was being quite honest with the man. As she looked at Mr Quinn, she noticed the blush in his cheeks. She smiled genuinely, pleased with herself for making him blush after realizing that he was so bashful. Melisa thought it rather intriguing when in comparison the Duke seemed to be so sure of himself.
“You are very kind to think me handsome,” Mr Quinn replied, seeming to be unsure of his words as though he didn’t know what to say.
“I’m sure I’m not the only one who has said such a thing, Mr Quinn,” she said with a wink. Melisa saw that the other musicians were returning to their instruments so she bid the man farewell, thoroughly enjoying their short conversation. For a moment, Melisa had almost felt like herself, but as she walked away from Mr Quinn, she was approached by another gentleman.
“May I have this dance?” he asked politely. Melisa nodded her head as she curtsied, knowing it to be rude to deny any gentleman a dance, even if she was now engaged. And so as she allowed this person to lead her onto the dance floor, she put on her mask of pleasant emotions when inwardly she was loathing the experience.
And as Melisa moved across the dance floor, she couldn’t help looking towards the piano. Once in a while, Mr Quinn would look up and their eyes would lock, sending a warm sensation through her body that she pleasantly enjoyed.If only the Duke could make me feel this way, she thought as she followed the steps of the dance, looking forward to the end of the night.
Chapter 5
When the fourth dance ended and the guests readied themselves to head to dinner, Melisa went in search of the Duke since he hadn’t returned to the ballroom. Together they would be expected to lead the guests to dinner as the celebrated couple of the night, and therefore she didn’t want to keep anyone waiting.
Stepping out onto the balcony, Melisa was met with a wave of cool, fresh air. She took a deep breath, the smell of flowers on the wind as she looked out over the garden. Melisa couldn’t see anyone walking through the garden paths, but when she heard giggling from around the corner of the building, she decided to follow the sound with hopes of locating her intended.
“Kiss me again, my love,” a soft feminine voice said as Melisa came slowly around the corner. She didn’t want to interrupt any young lady’s chance at love, but as her eyes beheld the Duke with his arms wrapped around the young lady, Melisa’s heart dropped into her stomach.
Even though she’d heard the rumours, actually seeing the Duke kissing another young lady still hurt, nonetheless. It was the cold truth slapping her in the face as she watched the Duke kiss the young lady passionately, his hands roaming over her body as he squeezed her breasts, causing a moan to escape her lips as she ran one hand through his hair and the other in-between his legs.
Tears came to Melisa’s eyes as she called out, “It’s time to lead the guests to dinner.”
Startled, the young lady broke away from the Duke, her eyes wide with fright. Melisa could see clearly now that this young lady was the same one that the Duke had winked at earlier, confirming her suspicions. Now Melisa watched as the young lady hiked up her dress with both hands and took off through the gardens and back to the dance hall.
As Melisa turned her eyes back to her intended, she watched as he simply smiled as he smoothed down his hair and fixed his dinner coat. He slowly walked over to Melisa as though he’d done nothing wrong.
“I’m glad you saw us, actually,” Lord Smithers said as he reached for Melisa’s hand, but she quickly withdrew it, taking a step away from him.
“And why is that, Your Grace?” Melisa asked.
“Because now you’ll be prepared for what it will be like to be married to me. You see, I have certain urges that must be satisfied, and though I’ll be a loving husband in our bedchamber,” the Duke explained as he lifted his hand and played with one of her curls with his fingers, “there are times when I’ll want fresh meat. I’ll have several mistresses, but I assure you that I’ll never love any of them. You’ll be the only one to bear me children, and I’ll always provide for your every want. You’ll just simply need to turn a blind eye when you hear me sharing my bedchamber with another.”
“Then why don’t you marry one of them instead of me?” Melisa asked, hoping that he would be the one to change his mind about their engagement. “Surely you’ve fallen in love already.”
Lord Smithers smiled down at her as he took her arm and placed it in his, leading them back towards the dance hall. “I’m always a man of my word, Miss Melisa, and had promised to marry you many years ago. I look forward to supping on your innocence and one day receiving your father’s fortunes when he passes away,” the Duke explained, pulling Melisa closer even when she tried to keep her distance.
“And why would a man like you desire a larger fortune?” Melisa asked as they took the stairs back onto the balcony. They could peer through the open doors now and see that everyone was talking happily with one another. No one seemed to have discovered what the Duke had been doing, or at least no one dared to speak of it.
“You see, my sweet Melisa, things are not always what they seem to be. Once we are married, you’ll soon discover many truths,” he replied as he led them inside, catching the eye of every person as they crossed the room together. Melisa did her best to keep a pleasant expression on her face as they met once again with her parents.
“Let us head to the dining hall,” Lord Smithers said as he dipped his head towards Lord and Lady Stanton.
“Indeed, Your Grace,” Lord Stanton replied as he motioned towards his servants to have the dining hall doors opened. As the way was made, Lord Smithers led Melisa to the dining table that was long enough to seat every guest, filling the entire space of the second hall.
As Lord Smithers sat her at the table, he took his own seat at the head of the table as both the honoured guest, and also the highest-ranking member in the whole room. As the dinner commenced, Melisa fell silent. Her mind was filled with what the Duke had told her, explaining what their life together would really look like. Could she ever allow herself to share a bedchamber with a man that she both didn’t love and would often seek the warmth from another? The thought sickened her so badly that she quickly lost her appetite, simply moving her food around on her plate so that she appeared to be eating.
