Dusky Duke and the Gypsy Pirate Princess (10 page)

“So you do not think I am capable?”

Lord Goodman looked up from the board in time to see the indignant look on his daughter’s face. “I did not say that,”

“Yes, you did, sir,” returned Mrs. Percy.

Honesty took his last rook.

“I believe Sarah to be smart for a girl that is why I paid to send her to Chalson’s Academy for young ladies.”

“For a girl?” exclaimed Teresa, “Are you saying that you think that females can not learn the same as men?”

Lord Goodman moved his queen’s bishop, and Honesty quickly captured it. Lord Goodman scowled at his mistake. “I did not say any such thing.”

“But it is true,” the Earl of Suxess offered, “We do not have school with girls and boys together because the females could not keep up.”

“The reason we do not have schools with both is because the males have a hard enough time competing against each other. Can you imagine if they were to lose in that competition for everything against females? Their egos would be crushed,” Mrs. Percy stated.

“What a silly thing to say,” interjected several young men.

Mrs. Percy bristled at the word silly. A word only used by men to imply that women’s ideas and actions were stupid. Honesty cleared Lord Goodman’s guarding pawn off the board.

“Am I to understand that if two intelligent persons - one female and one male - were set to a task that neither had seen before that the male would always win?”

“No,” defended the boys, “some tasks are just better done by females.”

“Such as?” demanded Teresa.

“Well, women things. You know, cooking and cleaning. . .sewing and raising children.”

Teresa was flushed with color. Her eyes sparkled in anger. Honesty blocked Lord Goodman’s retreat with her queen.

“So you are declaring that females do not have the brains to compete on an even level with males in a male activity.”

“Females are just not designed for a task involving muscle.” The young man answered back.

“But in a task that depends entirely on thinking females cannot compete?” Teresa demanded of the audience, just as Honesty toppled Lord Goodman’s king. “A game such as chess that the lovely Miss Honesty has repeatedly won at - against all of you.”

“That is only because she has been practicing and remembers all the moves. Besides she did not win against the duke.”

Greyson who had been observing this situation and the resulting discussion had moved to the edge of the group.

“So,” he drawled, “the lovely Miss Honesty and I should play a game to determine the truth of the argument.”

Honesty’s eyes jumped to his. Her gaze stated her refusal and her panic, but the group around them shouted their acceptance of the challenge.

Greyson sat in the seat across from Honesty as the chess board was once again set up. “Have you ever played to lose, Miss Honesty?”

“No, Your Grace.”

“Then we shall play a game as equals that neither of us has played before. In this game, we will lose our pieces. If the kill is possible the other must take it. The king will be the last to die. The pieces move the same as regular chess. Agreed?”

Honesty frowned at the board in concentration and nodded. Greyson could see her thinking through strategies already. Greyson sacrificed his first pawn. The crowd cheered with each move and kill, but after thirty minutes of watching the two opponents stare intently at the board many of the onlookers wandered away.

“It is harder than it looks to lose,” Honesty sighed.

“Every game is hard to learn, but many times it is worth the effort to learn the new rules to even an old game. Take, for instance, the proposition I made to you in the library.”

Honesty frowned at the board, he was referring to his declaration that they should marry.

“We would not have to play the game by the rules of convention.”

Honesty jerked her head up and looked questioningly at her mother, The Duchess of Winston, and Lord Goodman, who still watched the match. The three did not seem to realize that the black-headed duke was no longer speaking of chess.

“The expected outcomes of such a game need not include the list of objections you listed in the garden.”

Honesty met his eyes. She knew he was talking about what she had said about babies being raised by governess, and boarding school, and mistresses. Color seeped into her cheeks was she moved to sacrifice her knight.

“I fear that is one game I could not play well, Your Grace.”

Teresa had noted the young Miss Honesty’s reaction to her brother’s comment about games with new rules. She watched closely.  She didn’t understand the undercurrents, but she was delighted by them. Teresa had been stunned when Robert had revealed what the duke had said in confidence about the young Miss Williams, and then his strange request that she provides the William sisters outfits for the ball. She had been excited at the situation and had been watching for days for evidence that the claim was true. Greyson never sought the girl out and only talked to her barely in passing. One would think that the two did not know each other, but here over this game they would talking about something that went much deep than the game they had before them.

Greyson moved his rook in the path of a pawn. “We would not be held to the rules of society in that particular game.”

Honesty tipped her head forward, “but the king and queen can still only move in the expected manner.”

“True to some extent. But I am sure between the two of us we could refine the game to ensure that both of us win.”

Honesty cut her eyes to her mother who was busy watching Pretty play cards across the room. “I am not allowed to play the kind of games you suggest, Your Grace.”

Teresa’s eyes shifted to her brother. From Honesty’s cryptic comment, it sounded as if her brother had suggested an improper relationship. Teresa frowned, hadn’t Robert said his intentions toward the young lady were honorable?

Greyson ignored his sister’s questioning gaze, and surrendered his last power piece.

“You don’t play because you don’t wish to? You find the game undesirable or is it just the fear of the unknown or what others,” Greyson glanced toward Mrs. Williams, “would say that keeps you from playing.”

“I have already told you that I know there are some games I would be no good at, and in some games the price is just too high.”

Honesty took his last pawn leaving only the two kings on the board. Greyson moved his king toward hers. Honesty backed hers up. Greyson advanced. “Why are you retreating, dar……Dear Miss Williams?”

“I have counted the steps… can we not end in a tie?”

“But a tie is not a win. You must take the chance to win. You will not find what you seek by running. Sometimes, life is worth the risk. I am asking you to take the risk,”

Honesty knew he was asking for more than her involvement in this game. Honesty’s hand froze on her piece. He was asking her to step toward him in this relationship that he kept stating he wanted. That she would step toward him instead of running. “I cannot win at a game with you.” Her eyes begged him to understand.

“All I am asking is that you stop retreating from the possibilities. “ Greyson’s voice was smooth and coaxing.

Teresa was intrigued. She didn’t understand what they were talking about, but she could see from the tension in Honesty’s body language that the conversation was important.

“Choose to step into the game.”

Honesty bit her lip and stared at the board in indecision. “No.” her answer was low and stressed, but she moved her piece toward Greyson’s and took her hand off. Their eyes met. Things were communicated before Honesty dropped her eyes back to the board. Teresa could tell that the conversation had not ended well. Whatever had been said had not made either one of them happy. Greyson slowly reached out and moved his king to stand next to hers. Honesty had no choice but to topple his and end the game. The audience clapped as the duke was declared the winner. Greyson frowned he knew that he had lost more than just the game.

As Honesty stepped into the darkened hallway and closed the nursery door. She wondered how she could go on. She was so tired. She had not slept well in what seemed to years. Maggie was having so many problems sleeping with only Abby. Honesty sighed and for that matter so was she. Maybe she should just give up and take the child to bed with her. Maybe then they could both get some much needed rest.

She didn’t know what she was going to do about Grey or the situation with her mother. How could she get him to understand that she was not what he was looking for? He acted like he owned her. He never listened to reason. He was hard headed and arrogant. He needed to just leave her alone.

Against her will, her eyes scanned the darkened corridor for his presence, but the hall was empty. Honesty wiped a hand across her face. Why didn’t his absence make her happy instead of sad? She had told him not to come and he had honored her request. Why was she filled with a longing for him to break the rules again?

Honesty spent the next day, playing with the children on the lawn. Abby and Maggie wanted to play lawn bowling all day. They carried the ball in both hands and launched it from their short, pudgy arms into the air in the general direction of the lawn pins. The ball usually only rolled several feet before stopping short of its target. The girls would then kick it around until it rolled into the pins and knocked them down. The kicking was hard to do around their skirts and usually it was the skirts themselves that toppled the pins and not the bowling ball. The children had a fun time and even Blue enjoyed the activity. Honesty only saw Greyson for a short awkward minute as a group returned to the house after horseback riding to the shore. Thankfully, Greyson had for the most part ignored Honesty and had focused his attention on the obviously smitten Miss Abby. She clung to his leg and batted her big blue eyes up at him.

“I’m really good at lawn bowling. You want to play with us?”

“There is nothing, I would like better, poppet. But I find myself in the middle of another game I must play through first.”

Abby looked at him puzzled. “Who you playin’ with?”

“A young lady. I am waiting for her to stop retreating.” Greyson gave Honesty a meaningful look.

Abby looked between Greyson and Honesty. “Do you like that game you are playing?”

Greyson met Honesty’s eyes again, “Oh, yes. . . and I always play to win.”

Honesty glared at his back as he strolled away after his group. The man was so infuriating.

After dinner that night, the Duchess of Devonshire asked Honesty to escort her to her suites.

“You are enjoying your visit with us?”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

“I am glad. We have enjoyed having you and your family.

At the duchess’ door, Honesty bid her goodnight and turned to leave, but Greyson’s grandmother stopped her. “I almost forgot, Greyson asked me to deliver a message to you. He asked me to tell you that he is looking forward to collecting on the wager the two of you made on the token game. Tomorrow if the men win they will have over half and the game will end. I had so hoped it would play out until the end, but it looks as if it will not be so.” SarahBeth watched the color flood across the young girl’s face. She kept talking like she had no idea that the message she had relayed contained hidden meanings. Honesty thanked her and hurried away. Sarah Beth chuckled. She did so love a good intrigue.

♣♣♣

The next evening, Greyson wandered to the place on the property where many of the young bucks were playing lawn bowling. It didn’t take long for the conversation to turn to the subject of the token game. The young men bragged about the tricks and strategies they had used to win the game over the young ladies.

Greyson had shrugged in a nonchalant way and remarked that if was just as well that the game was ending early as many of the parents would be glad to see it over. At the guys questioning looks, he explained that now the girls would not have a reason why they had to talk to the men, and it could go back to the way it had been. Greyson patiently explained that the girl’s forward behavior had only been tolerated for the sake of the game, and after it was over the girls were be expected to resume a much more proper attitude, for which several parents had wished for as soon as possible. At the bucks crushed looks, Greyson reminded them ‘that winning was surely more important than everything else’ before he congratulated them and strolled away, whistling.

That night much to the surprise of the parents, the girls were in possession of the token for the first time in a week. With the score now two to seven, the game was still alive for at least one more day.

♣♣♣

Greyson spent the next afternoon taking True and Just out in his phaeton. The more time he spent with them, the more impressed he was with the Williams bunch. He certainly needed to talk to their father about their education.

He was surprised that their father had not arrived today. He had been expecting the coach to arrive at any moment and had a rider positioned at the Long Tavern to ride out ahead of the coach to warning him of their father’s arrival before he got here. But the rider had not come yet.

Greyson wondered about this man. Everyone had called him a scholar. Greyson imagined someone old and frail, stooped with age, someone who would agree to take money for his silence of his daughter’s ruin. Someone who allowed his wife to wear the pants in the family. Greyson was prepared to feel the same way about the father that his felt about the pushy mother. Honesty would be better off with him especially since they only used her as the help to raise their brood of children. Greyson reminded himself to reserve his temper; this man was the one Greyson needed to agree to his request. The flame of anger flickered again.

He had sent the man his offer for Honesty’s hand over a month ago. Her father had not even had the courtesy to reply. Greyson had it personally delivered by private messenger and placed in the man’s hand. The servant had personally assured him of such. Four days ago, he had sent a repeat offer and a coach. Where was the man?

♣♣♣

That night, mysteriously, the girls won again, and the token game continued for another day.

In the darkened corridor, Greyson stopped and listened before looking around the corner and down the next hall. He was getting good at this sneaking around. He was surprised at how many people were up running around his house in the dark at midnight. He had passed two footmen sitting in the drawing room drinking nightcaps, and had heard some girl tittering laughter on the stairs outside the ballroom, followed by the quiet whisper of a male voice. He had even seen who he believed to be the housekeeper holding hands with the big, burly gardener in the rose garden outside of the windows in the hall. Greyson checked the next hallway and headed down it. He paused as he heard rapid steps coming his way, and ducked into an inset doorway. He was startled as Honesty marched past him without stopping and turning left disappeared down the hall he had just come from. Where was she going? He quickly followed her. His steps muffled by the thick carpet runner. Honesty hesitated at the next hall intersection as if undecided which way to go. She jumped with he strolled up next to her. “Grey,” she squawked in fright.

He smiled at the use of his name. He hadn’t heard it in a while. “Good evening, Darling.”

“Shush,” she hissed, “someone will hear you.” She peered into the darkness surrounding them.

“Where are you going?”

She jerked her head up and tried to look at him. “Uh, nowhere, just back to my room.” She turned on her heels and started back down the corridor. She walked rapidly as he followed at an easy pace. Once at her door she paused. “Good night.” She stood and waited.

As expected he moved close. His eyes twinkled with mischief. He slid a hand against her cheek and tilted her head up to his. He leaned closer and paused right before their lips would have touched. He heard the catch in her breath and felt her sway slightly toward him. “Good night, Darling.” And then he was gone, striding away from her.

Honesty sighed. That man was so arrogant.

She opened the bedroom door and checked. Still empty. Where was her silly sister at this time of night? Honesty had already checked in their mother’s room. She wasn’t there. Didn’t she know how much trouble she could get into wandering about the dark house, especially if she were with who Honesty thought she was with? Oh, please let her be wrong, Oh, please let her find them fast. Honesty sped along the dark corridors until she came to the crossing where she had run into Grey before. She walked through the darkness and moved toward the stairs to the main hall. They could be anywhere. This was a huge house. Undecided Honesty stood and chewed her thumbnail.

A scream escaped her throat as a hand touched her shoulder. She spun around in terror.

“Darling.” He pulled her into his arms, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to frighten you so terribly.”

She gasped for breath, her hand to her throat. She sagged into him in relief. “Grey?”

“Well, who did you think it was?” he chuckled into her hair; his hand rubbing comforting circles against her back. “Now are you going to tell me where you are going?”

He could feel her glaring daggers at him in the dark.

“You may as well tell me, or we could just stand here all night.” His hands on her back were moving the circles lower. She jerked out of his arms. He let her go easily.

“Uhh,” he could hear her trying to think up a reason for her second nightly stroll. Then she shrugged, “Pretty is missing, and I think she may have snuck off with Lord Byron. I need to find her before she gets caught.” Greyson smiled. Leave it to Honesty to tell the truth. “So if you will excuse me.” She dismissed him, and started forward. When she saw that he was following her, she stopped again. “Don’t make this difficult. I have to go find my sister, and you cannot come with me.”

“You expect me to just let you go?”

“Look, we cannot be seen together. In this case, it is more dangerous for me to be with you than without you.”

Greyson’s voice showed his amusement. “But, darling, I think I know where they are.”

“Tell me.”

“I will show you.” He grabbed her hand and pulled her along.

“But if I get caught with you. .  .”

“So we will just make sure we don’t get caught.”

“I still think that you should just tell me,” Honesty whispered loudly as he pulled her down another corridor and up two flights of stairs.

“Darling, how can we be sneaking, if you are going to insist on talking the whole way,” he had stopped and pulled her into his arms, he placed his warm hand over her mouth, “Shush, do you want to alert everyone to our nightly visits,” he said in a low voice that carried down the corridors in all directions. He chuckled as he felt Honesty’s eyes glare at him in the dark.

When she was silent, Greyson pulled one side of a large, double wooden doors open, and pulled her inside. Honesty gasped at what lay before her. They were standing in the orchestra balcony looking down on the ballroom. The large room was steeped in shadows except for the light from a lamp set in the middle of the dance floor. The small light filtered out from its source to illuminate the area around it. Honesty stood entranced as Lord Bryon held her sister close in his arms and waltzed her around in slow circles. Lord Bryon’s voice, low and melodic, was singing, his notes sure and strong, with no stuttering, no hesitation. Pretty’s head rested on his shoulder as they slowly danced around the light in the middle of the floor. Honesty thought it was the most romantic thing she had ever seen.

Then the two on the dance floor stopped moving, and Honesty caught her breath as her sister and Lord Byron shared a kiss, and then another, and then Pretty’s hands went to Lord Bryon’s hair and Lord Bryon’s hands went to the front of Pretty’s dressing gown.

Honesty stiffened and opened her mouth to stop this inappropriate behavior. Greyson, who had been watching the whole scene, had seen this logical next step coming. As soon as Honesty drew in a breath to separate the two, he wrapped his arm around Honesty’s waist and the other over her mouth and pulled her back through the doorway and into the hall. He closed the door softly before sitting Honesty on her feet.

“Why did you do that?” she hissed in the darkness.

“Because your sister does not want to be saved.”

“I don’t care what you think, I need to stop that.” She tried to move past him to the door.

“Leave her alone, they will be married soon.” He put his hand on the door knob, effectively stopping her.

“You don’t know that for sure, and what if they don’t and then what. Nothing is a sure thing until the vows are said.”

“But if you intrude, your sister will not be happy with you.”

Honesty shook her head and moved in determination toward the door, pulling at his hand.

“Do you really want to disturb them?”

He could see the stubborn tilt of her head as she continued to pull on his arm. “Yes,” she hissed.

Greyson smiled at her annoyance and pushed her away from the doorway with his body. “Very well, darling, if you insist.” He opened the door several inches and then slammed it hard. The clap echoed across the ballroom and down all the hallways. It sounded as loud in the stillness as a gunshot. And then silence descended again. Greyson held his hand to Honesty’s lips to keep her quiet. Honesty and Greyson stood in the darkness for several minutes before they heard the downstairs door open and close. And they watched as a couple hurried away holding a muted lantern.

Honesty watched them go until the faint light faded completely. Greyson’s hand had shifted from her mouth to the curve of her neck where it lay warm against her skin. “I believe you will find her sister safely tucked into bed when you return from the nursery.” He chuckled into her hair, his breath on her ear sent shivers through her limbs. “Let’s get you back and tucked in yourself.”

♣♣♣

The duchess settled back in her chair after lunch and eyed her grandson. “Your game has taken on the most unusual twist.”

“How so,” Greyson said, never taking his eyes off the view of Honesty, Prudence, and Lord Bryon playing lawn bowling on the grass beyond the veranda where they sat.