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?'
She shrugged, the look from her brother caused her to send a thousand apologies his way. 'It was a ball as all others. The men danced with the women and then the women tried to marry the men,' Derek laughed. Just like his parents he hoped one day his sister would speak to others, not just her family.
She looked out the carriage window and remembered the feeling that filled her whole body when William had kissed her hand. She wished she could see him again but knew it was impossible. He was a man who only talked to beautiful women and they were leaving London on the morrow. Sussex was quite the distance from Devonshire. She had had the best season, her last one.
'Pray tell sister, the smile on your face?' Derek asked
'I am happy to be going back home. I have missed riding. I fear my dear horse has forgotten what it feels like to run in the open.'
He laughed. His sister's love for her horse was the only emotion she ever showed, 'I'm sure he's just fine.' She was the only maiden he knew who rode a stallion.
Her father had bought the horse from one of his many tenants to help him, he had made sure the horse was fed but it was wild. Even their very talented stable hand had had a hard time keeping the horse in line. Jane, however, had worked miracles. It only responded to her. She had talked to it and calmed it down. Since then it had only allowed her and her alone to ride it. She had named it Thunder, because when it ran its hooves shook the ground the way thunder shakes the sky.
They arrived in the town square, mothers and their daughters filled the streets, all of them shopping for the next ball. It was to be held at the Queens palace, her father had been kind enough to exclude his children's names from the list of attendees knowing not one of his three would desire to be in such society.
The carriage came to a stop in front of the shop, Derek helped her out and they walked to the tailors. He tipped his hat at the gentleman that was leaving before giving way to Jane to go in before him. It was rare to see a woman in a man's tailor shop but Jane had the best sense of fashion. Andrew had always turned to her.
'Good day my Lord,' the old man said, 'how may I help?'
'I am here to be fitted for presentable clothing,' he looked at Jane for approval of his words, she nodded. 'I would like three,' he looked at Jane again, she shook her head. He cleared his throat, 'five,' he looked at her again.
'Ten, sir, we would like him to fitted for ten presentable pieces of clothing. You may feel free to add on riding attire as you look around Derek.' She looked from the old man to her brother, both looking at with shock. Jane felt color coming onto her cheeks.
'My Jane, whatever do I need all those clothes for?'
'You have no clothes to wear Derek,' she said in a voice so silent only Derek heard what she said. 'Mama asked me to come with you because you have no clothes. You returned from the America's with rags,' she whispered the last word.
Derek smiled. His sister had courage. She had spoken to him ever so openly in a surrounding that wasn't their home.
'Oh mama please. I approached the foul man at the ball yesterday evening and not even a fraction of his attention was on me. His friend that Lord Jasper was more pleased to have me in their company than that insufferable William,' Maria cried.
Her mother looked out the carriage window. London was bursting with activity during the seasons. It was her favorite time. Her husband had long stopped being the bread winner of the family and Lady Gricella Giovaldi Grant had now taken to lovers to provide her with the finances she needed to run her household. She spotted quite a few gentlemen walking the streets looking bored with their wives.
'You are simply not trying hard enough. If you do not marry wealth Maria, we will have nothing.'
'We have nothing right now mama,' she replied bored with the conversation.
Her mother tapped the top of the carriage and it came to a halt. 'Well you're good for noting father needs presentable clothing for this evenings ball. I shan't be too long,' she said stepping out.
'You will not leave me in this pitiful carriage to be ridiculed mother,' Maria said stepping out after her mother. She had worked herself into a fit. Her mother had put the burden of saving her family on her shoulders. How was she supposed to marry men who wanted nothing to do with her? She was no longer a virgin. Her virtue was ruined. She had thought pleasing a man in bed was a sure way of securing a marriage proposal, how mistaken she was.
The men bedded her and gave her gifts but no proposals came along. She had long since decided she would die a spinster. A poor old spinster.
Maria walked into the shop behind her mother, she looked around and that was when she saw him. The man of her dreams. He was tall, his hair was the right shade of brown it almost looked golden. His beautiful blue eyes were like orbs. Her breath caught in her throat and her heart began to flutter. She looked in the glass window at her reflection.
The man looked past her and smiled at a lady standing by the counter. She turned her head ready to throw snear comments at whoever it was. When she saw the woman, she smiled. She was rather plain. There was nothing memorable about her except those blue crystal eyes. Maria also noticed she looked similar to the man. It must be his sister she thought.
She had not remembered seeing either of them at any balls. She adjusted her dress so her bossom was in clear view of anyone curious to look and walked his way. 'It is quite hot this season is it not?' she asked stopping beside him.
Derek had not noticed the woman come up behind him. He was far too concerned looking through different materials that would fit his mother's approval. Living in the America's had certainly changed him. He smiled at her and nodded in agreement then went back to his task.
Maria pouted and tried again, 'the brown most certainly matches the color of your hair. And if you wear a color so plain, your eyes will very clearly stand out,' she smiled.
'It is hard. My mother insists I have these made. What else does a man need apart from one pair of trousers and a handful of shirts? A special tailcoat for a ball and a pair of agreeable shoes,' he replied with a smile on his face putting in full view a set of perfectly white teeth.
'Well my mother says it is all necessary to catch a wife.'
He drew in a breath and let out a hearty laugh. 'If women choose men for their clothing, they might as well marry our mothers.'
Maria returned his smile. He was quite the agreeable gentleman. She looked about for her mother who was far too busy arguing with old man in the shop. 'I am Lady Maria Giovaldi Grant,' she held out her hand.
Derek looked at her hand wondering why she was holding it out to him. Before he could make a reaction Jane was by his side, nudging him.
'I apologize for my brother. He has lived away for far too long,' she spoke softly.
Maria dropped her hand and smiled, 'It's quite alright. Manners are simply a facade we put on to catch husbands.
Jane smiled and Derek laughed, 'Derek John Weldrake, the next Duke of Devonshire and this is my sister Jane Samantha Weldrake,' he replied.
Maria's eyes opened in shock. Was this the famed future Duke her mother had told her about. All of London was sure he would never return. She smiled her most seductive smile and curtsied, 'My Lord, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.'
'Maria,' her mother called her. She quickly said a polite goodbye before following her mother out of the shop. It surely was a good day she smiled to herself.
'I believe you have just caught yourself a wife Derek,' Jane whispered to him. Derek only smiled in amusement. Yes, the lady was beautiful in every way but his heart had already been filled by another. A woman so warm and kind and different from any of the ones he had ever met. He prayed his father would have no objection when she arrived.
Lady Maria gave him one last smile before she left the shop and he smiled back nervously unsure of the look in her eyes.
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