Page 6 of The Scarlet Lady's Duke of Desire
“What exactly am I trying to do?” James asked, feigning innocence, though his expression only appeared to anger his cousin further.
“If you think associating yourself withthatwoman will put a cog in my mother's plans then you have greatly underestimated her,” Edward assured him, and James scoffed at the words.
He had rarely underestimated anyone in his life and in fact he knew his aunt well enough to know that she was a formidable woman, especially when it came to matchmaking. Over the years she had gotten a list of successful matches longer than her arm. And yet James had no desire to find himself upon that list.
“If dancing with one woman could put a cog in your mother's plans I would dance with her a thousand times more,” James told his cousin and as he did so, he couldn't help but think of the dance he had shared with Miss Melody Thornton.
Though it had started out as a dance entirely for his own benefit, to do exactly what Edward accused him of and cause a general load of trouble, James had honestly enjoyed the dance far more than he cared to admit.
“My mother shall never give up, you know,” Edward insisted, his expression becoming almost pleading as though he wished James would simply give up and accept his fate.
“And that is why I have never envied you your mother,” James chuckled. “Were she my own I am not sure I could cope.”
Even as he said the words, his stomach clenched slightly for they were only half true. He did envy the fact that his cousin had a mother at all. Having never had the chance to get to know his own, who had been Edward's mother's sister, he did sometimes feel a jealousy only a motherless boy could feel. Even as a man grown, he still felt its sting at times. And this moment was one of them.
“James, I fear you are at great risk of making yourself unmarriageable.”
At that, James cocked his head to the side and asked, “Is that you speaking or your mother?”
“Me,” Edward hissed, scowling back at him. “As your cousin and your friend, I must say, people are already talking after your little charade this evening.”
“Let them talk,” James scoffed. “It is of little consequence to me. If dancing with a beautiful woman can make me entirely unmarriageable to any other woman that I am not certain I would wish to marry them anyway.”
Though James would never admit it, he liked the thought of having only a single dance partner for the rest of his life. He would happily sacrifice the hand of all other women, if only he could find therightwoman.
Yet with all his aunt's fussing and all her throwing women at him, he feared he might well pick the wrong one. It was better not to pick one at all than to end up with a woman he would come to loathe simply because he was being forced into such things.
He had believed he was being forcefully pushed towards marriage while his father had still been duke but now things were even worse. Lady Hastings, the dowager viscountess seemed to have doubled her efforts of late, leaving James to have to get creative to keep the mamas and their desperate daughters at bay.
Edward looked as though he was going to offer another protest, but James beat him to it. “I do not see what the problem is. How long can a scandal survive when a lady's only mistake was being born?”
Edward looked only half amused and shook his head quickly, removing the half-smile from his face just as fast as it had appeared. “The daughter of a second born nobleman and a maid could never be scandal free.”
James cringed at that. To remember the beautiful woman and how wonderfully she had danced in his arms, to still be able to feel the warmth of her touch in his hand, he felt sorry for her. To have been afforded such scorn just by matter of her birth, he couldn't help but sympathise.
His own birth had left him feeling quite alone indeed. Being born the only son of a duke was isolating enough, he couldn't even begin to imagine how he might have been treated if his mother had been a commoner.
Though he couldn't see the real problem in it himself, he had seen enough of how wildly infuriated it made the rest of theton,almost as though Miss Thornton's very existence was a stain upon their entire way of life, as though one decision made by one man so many years ago had changed the very fabric of existence, causing chaos wherever Miss Thornton went.
To James it was ridiculous. To everyone else it appeared to be second nature.
“And yet, Miss Thornton was quite an exceptional dance partner,” James said and seeing the colour draining from his cousin's face, he couldn't help but add, “I rather think I would like to dance with her again were I to get the chance.”
At that, Edward looked absolutely horrified.
Before he could offer a protest, James added, “I think perhaps she is a most intriguing gentlewoman, far less self-centred and air-headed than her peers.”
He saw the way his cousin's gaze darkened. “Some would say she is not a gentlewoman at all.”
“And they can continue to say whatever they would like but I shall not judge anyone on the basis of what others say,” James said firmly. He met his cousin's gaze steadily as he added, “I would much prefer to form an opinion myself, especially on a poor woman whose only reputation has been built upon her birth so many years beyond counting.”
Even in the moonlight, Edward appeared to be growing redder and redder. Clearly exasperated by James' words and knowing that he would never hear the end of it if he did not do something, James sighed, “Do not fret, cousin. I have no real designs upon the woman.”
“Then why must you always cause trouble?” Edward demanded. James couldn't exactly blame him for how upset he was. His mother would likely blame him for not being commanding enough to try and prevent such things in the first place. James did feel sorry for his cousin when it came to his mother's wrath.
“I meant only to slow your mother's plans,” James assured his cousin. His stomach clenched at the words because deep down he knew he could only do so for so long.
“You would do well to give up,” Edward said, shaking his head. “You will only stall her for so long.”
