Page 10 of The Scarlet Lady's Duke of Desire
Certain that she would most definitely dehydrate herself during her tirade, James ignored her a moment and turned to Travers to say, “Perhaps some tea is in order?”
“Of course, Your Grace,” Travers said, bowing his head before hurrying from the room as though he couldn't wait to be gone.
James turned back to his aunt then and seeing how red faced she was, he suggested, “Perhaps you might be more comfortable taking a seat, Aunt?”
Lady Fyling looked for a moment as though steam might begin to explode from her ears. Her cheeks puffed out like she was going to rant at him all over again. Then suddenly, she dropped down onto the nearest couch looking a little deflated.
It lasted only a moment before she turned her similar brown gaze up to his and snapped, “My brother would have been appalled at your behaviour last night!”
James cringed. He hated it when she mentioned his father. Though she had every right to mention the late duke as he had been her twin brother, James felt as though even now, long after his death, he could never quite get out from beneath his father's shadow.
There was always someone willing to compare the two of them and James had long since given up trying to live up to his father's magnificent reputation. It was one of the very reasons he had done what he had the night before.
“I am unsure what you mean, aunt?” James said, feigning innocence as he took a safer seat on an armchair some distance away from her. “I attended a ball, I danced, I made merry, and I returned home.”
The way his aunt's face twisted told James he had already overstepped the mark. It was quite clear to him how upset Lady Fyling was and he couldn't help but think back to the night before when upsetting her and ruining her plans had seemed like such a brilliant idea.
Though he still stood by his decision to cause a little trouble, he did feel slightly guilty at seeing the renewed fury upon her face.
“It is not what you did butwhomyou did it with!” she snapped back at him and the way her hands gripped tightly to her reticule told James he was lucky not to have been sitting any closer or it might well have been his neck instead that she was squeezing.
“Aunt, I…” James began but he did not get the chance to offer any kind of protest. His aunt looked at him with such anger that he immediately clamped his jaws shut again.
“Do not think that I do not know exactly what it was that you were trying to do,” Lady Fyling said with disgust. Shaking her head, she looked as though her skull might roll right off her shoulders if she shook any harder. But when she looked at him again, the anger appeared to fade from her eyes, and she appeared sympathetic.
“Do not think I don't know how hard this is for you. Rarely do we nobles actually want to marry when we are told to, but it is the way of our society, and it is more important than ever for you to do so.”
“Aunt, I am a young and healthy man,” James pointed out, feeling slightly embarrassed at having had to point out the fact. “I am in no hurry to marry. Were I ten years older, then perhaps I might have a better sense of your urgency.”
“What if you were to ride out tomorrow and fall from your horse?” Lady Fyling insisted and the way the colour drained from her olive-skinned face suggested to James she might be imagining just that situation.
“Aunt, it would not be possible for me to be married before tomorrow even if I was so inclined,” James pointed out and the anger was renewed within his aunt's expression. She glowered at him as though she was not pleased at all to have to put up with him and his smart mouth.
“You know very well what I mean, James Joshua Hastings!” his aunt bellowed at him, and he knew that he was well on his way to a proper scolding.
For just a few moments he felt like a child again, about to be lashed and sent up to his room without any supper for something he and Edward had done. Something James would most likely have taken the blame for.
He almost smiled at the memories though he just barely managed to stop himself, biting the inside of his lip to do so. It felt oddly good to feel like a child again, especially after the last few years of his newfound responsibility as Duke of Haston.
“James,” his aunt said then, sighing deeply to the point that it made even his lungs ache for her. “You are the head of this family now and as such you cannot afford to be seen fraternising with the likes of Miss Melody Thornton. The scandal surrounding her and her family is not the kind that anyone should invite willingly.”
James' stomach clenched at the mention of Miss Thornton, not only because of the scorn his aunt put into her name when he said it but also because it drew up many thoughts from the night before.
When he closed his eyes, he could still see her. Her vibrant red hair had been pulled back in a curled fashion and pinned atop her head before the lengths had spiralled down over one shoulder in a cascade of beautiful curls that James had felt the odd desire to run his fingers through.
When the candlelight caught her hair just so it had looked like strands of fire as though the very candle flame had jumped from its wick to decorate her head. And her eyes, they had been a stormy grey that flickered and changed with emotion.
Though she had seemingly remained relatively expressionless, only offering a half-smile here and there, James felt as though he had seen a wealth of emotion behind those eyes and oddly, he longed to see it again.
“Miss Thornton seemed lovely enough last night,” James insisted. The look in his aunt's face, the fire that lit in her eyes, suggested he was in for another scolding.
But at that very moment Travers appeared in the doorway carrying a pot of tea and two cups upon a silver tray.
James held his breath, waiting for his aunt to begin once Travers had placed the tray on the table between them and poured them a cup each.
She looked as though she was barely able to contain herself as Travers asked whether she would like any honey in her tea. Though to her credit, she did smile back at the man and shake her head.
“Thank you, Travers,” James said as soon as the butler was finished, “You may leave us now.”
