Page 24 of The Brooding Duke's Fateful Letter
“You look absolutely ravishing, My Lady. Be kind to the other ladies here tonight, I fear your immense beauty has put themin doubt of themselves.” The duke smiled, unable to hide how proud he was.
“That is very kind, Your Grace. I should give you the same advice for you are by far, the most handsome gentleman here,” she replied.
The duke felt the usual anger boil in his stomach, only to realize that she was being earnest.
How can she see me as human, let alone handsome? The duke tried to make sense of it and all he could manage was to hurt his head.
“It is so lovely to see you again,” Lady Miller said. She had taken to Bethany and had hoped she could be her friend. As Cecil’s wife she had many acquaintances yet few friends.
“Lady Miller I am so thrilled to see a familiar face. Have you had a chance to try the quail? They have prepared it the French way, oh you must try it.” She looked to the duke for his approval.
“Of course, My Lady. This is your dinner, go spend time with the guests,” the duke said to Bethany, and to himself.
You must let her meet as many if the guests here as possible. You must find out what her true feelings are. The duke thought as he watched her leave. How can I feel so lost without her so soon?
He spoke with Cecil and the other gentlemen as he waited to see how Bethany would fare tonight. He had caught a glimpse of her a few times. Every time she had been in conversation and was the ideal hostess.
Now when he looked for her, he only saw her when she was beside him.
“Are you having a good evening, My Lady?” The duke asked.
“Absolutely, Your Grace. Thank you so much for this. The people are lovely and the French menu is so thoughtful, Your Grace. She replied.
The duke did not want to examine why her contentment meant so much to him. Instead he decided he would apply one more test.
“Would you care to dance?” The duke asked.
“I would like that,” came the reply.
The duke had expected her to decline. He should have known she would be different. They made their way to the dance floor and all eyes were on the couple. The music started playing. Theduke watched as she accommodated the dance to enable the duke to enjoy dancing for the first time since his accident.
Some guests looked on with a tender smile while others openly displayed their disgust. The duke had forgotten they were even in the room as he watched her dance gracefully at his side. They barely touched yet there was a bond forming between them that grew stronger each day.
Then the blanket that had been on the duke’s lap, slid onto the floor. The duke felt shame overcome him as he stopped moving. But Bethany smiled a reassuring smile as she walked to where it had fallen. She picked his blanket up with one movement and gave it a small shake to remove any dirt. Instead of being annoyed at how clumsy he had been, she placed the blanket back on his lap and tucked the sides in to secure it better.
She had not touched him at all yet he felt like her hands had seared into his flesh. He thanked her and wondered what it would be like to share a kiss. The very thought of sharing this intimate moment with someone in particular made it that much more exciting. It dawns on the duke that he had only kissed one lady and he had been a boy. He was woefully unprepared for what came next and felt too embarrassed to even mention it to Cecil.
Chapter 9
Charlotte felt stifled at dinners. The conversation amused her, but she found the people uninteresting. That particular night, she had found someone who was completely different. She looked across the room to see a woman with flaming red hair and the palest completion. Her animated story had most of the room engaged.
She even managed to change her empty glass with a full one mid sentence, entertaining the crowd. She had a pleasant conversation with Lady Miller and learned they had an actual pirate as a guest.
“Who is that?” Charlotte had asked Lady Miller.
“That would be Bonny. She is sailor of sorts,” Lady Miller replied.
“I think I will go over and greet her.” Charlotte excused herself.
Charlotte became even more enamored when Lady Wells introduced her to the lady.
“My Lady, allow me to introduce Miss Bonny O’ Hare,” Lady Wells said, introducing her while her husband stared atCharlotte. “Miss O’ Hare is the Captain of her own vessel,” Lady Wells continued, unaware of her husband’s lechery.
“My Lady, ‘tis such an honor to be invited here tonight,” Bonny said with a well pronounced Irish accent.
“Miss O'Hare, you are most welcome here. I would love to hear about your travels,” Charlotte replied.
“Where would you like me to start, My Lady?” Bonny asked.
