Page 30 of The Curious Life of the Unfortunate Duchess
I likely would have,he thought dryly.But I perhaps would have asked for her blessing in the matter.
It was meant to be a hunting excursion but unbeknownst to Lord Gordon, Leonard planned to abruptly become “plagued with a terrible headache” and remain at the manor while the men continued on their trip. Leonard, in turn, would be free to openly visit with Elizabeth and learn more about her.
“Have they arrived yet?” Uncharacteristically, Herbert burst into the study without knocking, his face gaunt and nervous. Leonard chose to ignore the rude arrival, knowing that the barrister was amass with uncertainty. If anyone was more nervous than the Duke, it was certainly Herbert. The affection he had developed for Frances Follett had been quick and powerful, stunning not only the Duke but the barrister himself.
“They have not arrived,” Leonard replied. “And they likely will not be here in the next five minutes, either, so you need not return with the same frequency you have thus far. I did say I would send for you when they arrived.”
Herbert flushed with embarrassment at the reminder and hung his head.
“Forgive me, Your Grace. I am…”
“Nervous? Excited? Foolish?” Leonard suggested teasingly but he knew he had little right to taunt the barrister. He, too, was a bundle of nerves and expectation. The only difference, of course, was that Leonard did a much better job of hiding his emotions.
“I know she is keen to see me,” Herbert mumbled, his eyes still fixed on the floor. “But I keep wondering if perhaps it was only the magic of the wedding which drew her to me and now she will look at me with the same disdain which all women do.”
Herbert, Leonard knew, was referring to Frances, who had captured his elusive heart at precisely the same rate Elizabeth had managed to steal the Duke’s. A swell of pity touched Leonard’s heart and he studied Herbert through his peripheral vision, one eye still trained on the window. It was true that Herbert was not a handsome man and his luck in love had never been sound. It was possible that Frances Follett was the closest he had ever been to true companionship and it was clear that the barrister feared ruining it.
Perhaps Herbert and I have more in common than I thought,Leonard mused. It was a strange idea, one which had never crossed Leonard’s mind in the past. Who could ever imagine that two more different men might become smitten with two more unalike sisters?
“She will admire you all the same, Herbert,” the Duke assured him, gesturing for him to sit. “Of all the men at the wedding, did she look at another? Has she written another? Come to visit another?”
Leonard feared that the barrister’s legs might not hold if he remained standing much longer. He rang the bell to summon Jacob, who appeared instantly. Leonard assumed he had been waiting for a summons.
“Jacob, would you kindly fetch Mr. Barlough and I a stiff scotch. I daresay we both need it to steady our wits now.”
“Of course, Your Grace.”
He disappeared out of the study and Leonard turned back to Herbert. The man had paled more in the seconds since he had last set eyes on him. He was somewhat of a teetotaller, Herbert and Leonard suspected the idea of putting liquor into his already unsettled stomach was troubling him deeply. Yet Herbert made no comment and Leonard smiled at him reassuringly.
“You are still the same intelligent and kind soul she met some weeks ago. Has Miss Follett indicated that her sentiments toward you have shifted in the least?” He knew that they had exchanged letters, sent to the Gordon estate via messenger. Leonard wished he had thought of such a grand romantic gesture himself. Herbert shook his head but Leonard could sense his deep-rooted insecurity.
“Her letters are filled with promise,” Herbert murmured. “But I fear…”
He stopped speaking and did not continued, his eyes darting about. Leonard wondered if he was wishing for the drink already.
“You fear what, Herbert?” he pressed gently.
The barrister’s head rose and he stared at Leonard, concern overshadowing his face.
“Am I taking advantage of her?”
The question was barely louder than a whisper but it seemed to thunder through the room with a clap. Leonard knew from where the query stemmed for Frances was not a woman like any other that Herbert had known. Leonard was unsure of the magnitude of her handicap but he knew enough to say with some certainty that she did not share the same capacities as her younger sister or even her younger brother. The Duke considered the question for a long moment, holding Herbert’s gaze as he did.
“I imagine that is a matter of perception, is it not?” he replied. It was not the answer which Herbert wanted to hear but the barrister waited, knowing the Duke well enough to know that there was more coming by way of explanation.
“Do you feel that you are taking advantage of her?” Leonard continued. “Have you done anything she does not agree to or permit?”
The Duke already knew the answer inherently but there was a reasoning for his bluntness.
“Of course not!” Herbert huffed defensively. “I would never think to do anything like that! I am a gentleman and proper at all times!”
“I would not think you the kind of man who would do anything to dishonor a woman,” Leonard conceded. “I am shocked that the question entered your own mind.”
“I certainly had no doubts that I was doing anything dishonorable,” Herbert muttered, recanting his earlier question without saying so directly. “I fear what others will say when they look at us.”
Leonard immediately understood the issue at hand. He felt a spark of annoyance at the barrister but he held his emotions in check. Herbert was not the same man as the Duke. The barrister had been dealt a much worse hand in life than Leonard in most aspects. Leonard reminded himself that public opinion might not sway him but Herbert was already bombarded with his own doubts, he hardly needed others adding to his woes.
“I did not realize your feelings could be dictated to you through others’ mouths. In fact, I took you for a man who thought fully for himself.”
