Page 3 of The Brooding Duke's Fateful Letter
“If it’s about what I think it is, then no I’m not free,” Henry said with a smirk.
“Henry, it’s time. You would do well to find yourself a proper wife. The lack thereof is evident every time I enter the estate, she replied with a worried look.
“You mean there aren’t six children running around the place?”
“What I mean, dear brother, is that I fear you aren’t properly taken care of, and you never leave the grounds anymore. There isn’t a whisper of a woman’s touch to be seen anywhere,” Louisa said with a caring tone.
Just like the gardens and rooms, I too haven’t felt the touch of a women’s hand in mine for years! The duke was glad his thoughts were not easily revealed in his words.
“That is my own choice. Why does it concern you so?” Henry asked with a bit more care.
“I just want you to be as happy as I am,” she said with a tinge of sorrow that tugged at his conscience.
“I know. Sadly, as you must know, most woman crave a man who can actually walk.” Louisa looked at him with a look of pure pity.
I know she means well but I dislike being pitied, he thought. Especially since it’s completely unwarranted. Not only can I walk… but I can run.
He stared down at his untouched plate. Mercifully the soup was taken away and the first course of roast lamb and vegetables were served. The seared meat was the perfect hue of dark brown. Steam danced away from the plate meaning it had been prepared and plated immediately, still piping hot.
Rosemary and sweet mint assailed his senses as he waited for everyone to be served. He cut a small piece of meat and scooped some of the vegetables and gravy along with it onto his fork. The tartness of the tomatoes went well with the fatty meat. The herbs and spices he had noticed earlier were more pronounced by salt and notes of pepper.
He struggled to keep his eyes open as he appreciated how well the soft, perfectly prepared meat seemed to melt in his mouth and made his stomach sing with relief.
He took another bite as he cast his eyes around the room. All the guests were merrily eating, except for the two couples seated near the head of the table on opposite sides. The four people in question were his newly engaged friends.
They were the reason everyone had gathered that night.
I would have preferred not to get involved. It would unfortunately be very unbecoming if I were to not celebrate my friends and their happy news. I only wish I could ever stand a chance like they do. The duke struggled to swallow his food suddenly.
I have little recollection of how many times their brides-to-be have lifted their left hands to gasps of admiration. I’m so happy for them, though it does look rather cumbersome. Misery clouded his thoughts.
They had not touched the soup and seem similarly uninterested in the next course.
It would appear that love sates all one’s needs, even hunger! I do wish I had a better distraction to have saved me from the soup as well, or do I? What women would want to be troubled by the likes of me? A man who can do nothing but sit and lay down? A man who won’t be able to give a woman the family she craves? The heir I need? My entire bloodline will be erased from history!
The duke, feeling true panic grasp him, tried to clear his mind. The alternative is to show that I’m not those things. No, then I open the doors to fortune hunters. I want a woman who would still love me if it happened again, and the effects were permanent.
He could hardly enjoy the food he had relished just mere moments earlier. The next four courses that followed were the same. It appeared he had as little appetite as the lovebirds, only for a much more unsavory emotion, envy.
He leaned back to look longingly through the open door that led out into the gardens. He would have to make it through the tiresome evening before he could be alone and free.
When the meal was finally over, the men joined the duke for a glass of fine, aged, Port and a cigar while the ladies enjoyed their tea. The looks of sympathy as he was helped into his chair wereplain on the faces of his peers. It enraged him. His invalid chair did not fit under the table. In order to go from room to room, the duke was helped in and out of his dining chair.
He was just about to enter the smoking room when he looked in the direction of the ladies tea room. He watched a man speaking to a much younger lady. He recognized Lord Wells and knew this unfortunate young lady might soon find herself victim to his advances.
Lord Wells reached out to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear. The young lady recoiled from him. She most obviously did not want his attentions. It was more than enough to prompt the duke into action.
Chapter 2
“I say Lord Wells,” the duke said. Lord Wells turns to face the duke, red-faced. “Join us for a drink. would you?” Lord Wells silently nodded.
Lord Wells trained his face into a smile and followed the duke to where the other gentlemen waited. The young lady smiled, and the duke was lost to everything but her. He felt a joy bubble within him as she approached him.
He smiled knowing that this remarkable woman would only want to express her gratitude. To ever attempt to court her would be met with the same disgust as what Lord Wells had just received. Before he could find out, Lady Wells came to fetch the young woman. The duke wondered if she knew what her husband had been up to.
“Your tea is getting cold and if you don’t come now you know Baroness Du Plessis will finish every confectionery.” Lady Wells spoke from behind the vision of a women.
If only you had come to look for her sooner. I may have just saved their marriage by getting Lord Wells away from her. I’m not sure it pleases me. The duke thought as he searched for the words to address this vision before him.
