CRYSTAL

Chapter 3

The Duke watched his son pace his study. William had always been one to listen to reason. The Duke had explained in detail the events leading to a betrothal and asked his opinion. His son's response was a walk in his study. The Duchess watched her son and husband. The two men were so alike. She wondered how a French woman and a British man could sire such a serious person as William. Camille was more of their child than William. She had the carefree nature of her mother and the humor of her father.

The Duchess always teased her husband by saying William had gotten his seriousness from his side of the family, for as long as she lived she had never seen any one of her relatives this serious. He finally stopped and looked at them both.

'Mother, father, I have understood the terms of the betrothal but I cannot accept it.'

'Why not my son?'

'Because Jasper is a friend and I would never subject him to such a fate,' apart from that your daughter is hopelessly in love with the man he thought to himself. Camille would never speak to him again if he allowed it to happen.

'We understand that William but I am not letting any son of mine marry a lady such as Maria,' his mother spoke ever so softly. It reminded him of Jane. She had the same softness in her voice. It was almost a whisper.

'Mother, surely there is a cousin somewhere in want of a beautiful wife. Teddy has always spoken of the joy of organized marriages. And his family is well off. Not of title but well off enough to support an Italian woman's fashion sense.'

'Your cousin Teddy does not favor the women for his relationships William and we both know that,' his father said.

'And he does not want anyone to know, all the better for Maria,' William countered his argument.

The discussed it back and forth until William's father tired of the conversation. He accepted defeat and agreed to speak to his cousin Roswald's and offer Lady Maria to his son. Roswald would be overjoyed. His son was nearing one and thirty and had no woman in his sights. Lady Maria would do well with him.

William left his father's study and wandered about their London home. He found it rather cramped. He was a man of the fields. He lived for the open air and horse riding. When they came to London for the season he only stayed two weeks that was enough time to sample all the women and be done with it.

Jane entered the carriage after her brother. He was a whole foot taller than he had been before he left for school. They had been overjoyed when he returned a month earlier than he had stated. Their mother had thrown a fit scolding him over his choice of travelling with regular people. She had reminded him he was to be a Duke and a Duke behaved in no such way. Sarah and Jane had laughed at the scolding.

They had missed their dear brother so much. 'Tell me Derek where is the beautiful woman you wrote of in your letters?' Jane asked once the carriage began to move.

They were on their way to town to have him fitted for Duke worthy clothes. Their mother had thrown another fit when she looked through his clothes. She swore none of her children were ever leaving her home unless it was to marry.

'She will be arriving in a month.'

Jane's eyes widened, 'You gave her your travel...'

'Ssssh,' he said putting his hand over her mouth. She fought to take it off wondering why he was trying to keep her quiet and it was just the both of them in the carriage. 'Do not speak to anyone about this Jane or I will throw you in the middle of the streets of London and make you talk to every human who walks by you.'

Jane stopped fighting. Her brother knew her well. He knew she feared conversations and people. She kept her mouth shut.

'Mama must never know is that understood,' he looked her straight in the eye to make sure she got his message. Andrew had never had to worry about Jane repeating anything she heard she was far too shy and was far too scared of getting in trouble with anyone. 'Now tell me how was the ball?'