The Duke Dilemma (8 page)

“At once, my lady.” Partridge stepped away to see to the task.

“I’m quite certain Sarah and Michael will go along quite well with their father.”

“And that wonderful nanny. You should never let her go. Now, come this way, Gusta.” Charlotte clasped her sister’s hand and led the way into a large room. Decorated in an Oriental style, the parlor relied heavily on silks and velvets in red, black, and gold with ornate Asian motifs. “It seems so odd to make myself feel at home in a place I have never stepped foot in before yesterday.”

“Is it any different from Montrose? When you first arrived, that is.” Augusta followed her sister, stepping onto an enormous Oriental rug and rounding a deep red, golden-floral-embroidered brocade settee where they finally both sat.

“My dearest husband never left my side once we arrived at Montrose, and there we are so happy. But here…I am not lonely but must wait for his return. I haven’t occupied this residence for even a whole day, and it is very strange to me. I am so glad you have come.”

“Oh, do stop!” Augusta scolded her sister for her tiresome rant. How quickly they fell into their usual behavior when they came together. “We have more important matters to discuss.” She opened her reticule, pulled out a letter, and handed it to Charlotte. “I have Moo’s latest right here, and you must read for yourself what she says.”

Charlotte took the missive and appeared to be reading it. Augusta drew off her gloves and waited. She could, without trying, recall each word Muriel had written to them:

Dearest siblings,

I had not realized until I had completed my short stay with each of you after my wedding that all of us have abandoned our
dear Papa. We have been constant companions of our dear Papa since the death of our mother. Now that all of us have married, we have left him alone.

I am of a mind that he is far from his dotage, and he is in need of companionship. I expect with a bit of combined effort on our parts we can successfully find him a new wife. Our Papa is not presently of a marriageable mind but I am certain together we could convince him to remarry.

I will remind you of our father’s adage of which we are all too familiar, “There is nothing we cannot do if we put our mind to it.” I urge each one of you to join me in this endeavor.

Please consider my suggestion and try to think of a plan. I will give this topic the utmost priority and contact you when an infallible strategy comes to mind.

Yr. sister,

Muriel

“I received the very same some months ago.” Charlotte confessed rather meekly. “That’s what brought me to Town.”

“Is it? And are you in agreement with Moo?” Augusta wondered exactly what her sister’s views were on the topic of their father marrying again.

“Actually, I have not given the notion a second thought,” Charlotte remarked in an offhanded manner as if it did not matter at all.

Her response was not to be believed!

“Char-Char, you never could tell falsehoods. It might be the only thing you cannot do well.” Augusta regretted her childish scold almost immediately.

“Oh, Gusta! How could you! Do not make me admit you are right and Moo has sent a second—”

“Or even a third missive?” Augusta gazed at her sister with much interest. “You must have some opinion regarding this matter. What are your thoughts about Papa remarrying?”

“Well…yes, I have a notion it might be a good idea, don’t you think?” Charlotte spoke quietly. “Only think of our poor papa, all alone. How will he ever manage to go on year after year without the benefit of our company? Without any companionship whatsoever?” Her voice grew stronger. “Yes, come to think of it, I am fully persuaded Moo has the right of it. Do you not think so?”

“I believe she has some valid points.” Augusta would not have traveled to Town if she had not agreed with her sisters.

“He makes the effort to visit in our various houses, which are spread far and wide across the country, and we, of course, will all return to Faraday Hall on special occasions, but he shall have to face every day on his own. Is that above all too sad?” As Charlotte approached the conclusion of her discourse, her eyes filled with tears. “I do not think he can manage that, and I cannot bear the thought of him in such a circumstance.”

“He’s doing the very thing now. He has been since Moo married last year and left for the Continent. Honestly, Char-Char, why do you upset yourself so? Crying does nothing to aid us. If we are to help him find a wife, do you not think we should make a combined effort?” Augusta noticed her sister’s tears ebb. Her previous expression of sorrow was soon replaced by one of willfulness.

“We are not to speak of it, Gusta—not even to acknowledge we’ve received any of Moo’s letters. That’s what she said, can you not recall?” Charlotte stood and strode from the settee. “And I believe it is an excellent idea that none of us knows what the other has planned. It is as Moo said, ‘You can behave with honest delight when Gusta hosts an evening of music and invites some acquaintances with the distinct purpose of exposing Papa to a few new ladies for whom he may develop a
tendre
. You may recall that our parent holds some distaste for any pretense of duplicity he may detect.’”

“That is nonsense!” Augusta remarked with disgust. “What are we supposed to do, prance around pretending she hasn’t written to us? It’s no secret that she’s thought up some other plan—a script for each of us to follow—in hopes of finding Papa a new wife.”

“That may be so, Gusta, but I, for one, wish to give dear Papa every benefit to discover his new duchess.” Charlotte crossed her arms, which made her appear as determined and stubborn as she sounded.

Augusta drew in a breath and eased back, forcing herself to relax before continuing, “Then I suppose it will not interest you to hear that he is, at this very moment, out for a drive in the Park.”

“Papa?” Charlotte’s arms dropped to her sides.

“With Freddie.”

“Do you mean to tell me Freddie has managed to—” Charlotte ran back to the settee, returning to her sister’s side; she leaned close, eager to hear more. “Who is he with? Papa, that is? Does this mean he already found a lady whom he fancies?”

Augusta stood, removing herself from her sister’s further prying. “I thought you believed it best that we did not know the actions of the other siblings?”

“I did—I do. Of course I—” Charlotte straightened on the settee, finding her composure. “I must confess that I am so very curious. How could I not be? And you are horrible not to tell me.”

“I cannot tell you, Char, because I do not know.” Augusta had to admit that she could not wait to learn the details. She would not allow Freddie to step foot out of Worth House until she knew exactly what had transpired before her arrival. There was no doubt that he had received the very same correspondence she and Charlotte had, and with further instructions, perhaps ones more detailed than ones dispatched to the sisters. “I am sure
we will learn all in due time. We must be patient. If we show any sort of anxiety when Papa exhibits interest in a lady he will find us out for certain.”

“I suppose you are right. We must remain calm and uninterested, but how can we?” Charlotte exhaled and drew in a slow breath. “Very well. But really, Gusta, how are we to maintain such a show of indifference?”

“Perhaps Moo is correct, the less we know of each other’s plans—and activities”—Augusta added, stressing the importance—“the better we are able to behave naturally.”

“You must admit, Gusta. When it comes to chicanery and misdirection, I really do think Moo knows best.”

Augusta had to agree.

CHAPTER FIVE

Edward led the way from the mews into the back entrance of Worth House. “It seemed to me you did not take as much pleasure in Miss Davies-Holmes’s company as she had in yours this afternoon.”

Ralston appeared just as the Duke entered, divesting him of his outer raiment.

“Nonsense,” Frederick replied, stepping in immediately behind his father. He dropped his gloves into his hat, which he’d handed over to the butler, then shrugged out of his coat. “I don’t know what you mean. I had a most enjoyable afternoon with Miss Davies-Holmes. She is quite refreshing compared to the normal overly style-conscious female who thinks only of feathers and frippery.”

A lack of interest in accessories could not be the reason for his son’s attraction to the young lady. Miss Davies-Holmes was as quiet as a church mouse and was known to have fortune, but Frederick need not marry one. She was far from a great beauty, and Edward’s earlier opinion had been generous; truth be told, the girl looked plain to the point of being almost unattractive. If he remembered correctly, beauty meant much more to a young buck in choosing a wife than it would to an older man. There must be some quality that Frederick knew Miss Davies-Holmes
possessed. Might there possibly be an exceptional attribute Edward had failed to see?

No, Edward could not fully understand her appeal to his son.

“Ah—speaking of feathers and frippery…” Frederick stopped, his attention directed toward the front of the house. He straightened and plucked at his cravat, preening. “Look who has arrived.”

“Freddie!” a female cried out. “Is he with you?”

Augusta?
Edward stepped back to gaze in the same direction as Frederick. It was a surprise to see her so soon.

“Dear Papa!” In a blur of movement and fabric, Augusta flung herself into her father’s arms, nearly knocking the breath from him.

“I, too, am very happy to see you, dear daughter.” Edward chuckled, very willingly, and in earnest, hugging his eldest. “Welcome home, Gusta.”

“Oh, Papa, how good it is to see you.” The sweet fragrance of rose water mingled with the warmth of fine woven silk, a female scent nearly forgotten by Edward, rose from her hair and the fabric of her dress.

“And I would be most delighted to
see
you as well, if only I were given an opportunity.” He felt his voice catch with the rush of sentiment, and he pulled at her arms, which were clasped tightly around his neck. “Come now, do allow me to take a proper look at you.”

Although she loosened her grasp, she did not release him altogether, keeping tight hold of his hands, and Edward regarded her at arm’s length. Augusta had blossomed into a beautiful young woman.

She resembled her mother, with the same eyes, auburn-colored hair, and the oval-shaped face. Most of all Augusta looked happy. Again Edward felt an unfamiliar lump of emotion
in his throat. There was nothing more important that a father could ask for his daughter.

“She completely ruined your cravat. It’s crushed beyond all repair,” Frederick commented. “Am I to be totally ignored?” He held out his arms for his welcome.

Augusta finally released Edward to lean into her brother’s embrace. She planted a kiss upon each of his cheeks. “I am very happy to see you too, Freddie.”

“That’s better. I thought you’d abandoned me. And here I thought I was your favorite brother.”

“You’re my only brother, but I’d adore you just the same if I had a dozen,” Augusta stated with sincerity.

“Brave words, my girl.” Frederick tilted his head back, appearing a bit dubious of his sibling. He chucked her under the chin and smiled.

“I was just now heading up to my bedchamber to begin my toilette,” Augusta told them. “Char cannot wait to see the family, and expects us to join her this evening.”

“Char-Char is here?” Frederick’s gaze met Edward’s gaze before darting to Augusta.

“We had planned to dine at White’s, then attend the theater tonight,” the Duke replied, glancing at his son, who did not react either favorably or unfavorably at this possible change in their plans. Edward half expected Frederick might have some surreptitious rendezvous in mind, something akin to their first excursion to the opera.

“Her card arrived after you left, just before I arrived. Ralston—” Augusta called out for the butler.

“My lady?” He appeared at her side.

“Would you bring the note my sister sent this afternoon?” She gestured to her father, indicating Edward would be the recipient.

“At once.” Ralston stepped away to retrieve the item.

“And the invitation from Lady Kimball, if you would,” Augusta called after him. “We cannot possibly refuse Char, Papa. She would be crushed.”

“I have no intention of declining. I merely wonder how we are to meet our social obligations.”

“
Social obligations?
” Augusta huffed. “You sound as if it were a chore!”

The butler returned, holding out the missives to the Duke.

Edward opened one, skimming the message. “Your aunt Mary invites us, the four of us, to join the rest of the family for supper tomorrow night.”

“Why the rush?” Frederick stepped away from them, bringing the heels of his Hessians down more forcefully in a clear but perhaps an immature expression of his displeasure. “You’ve only arrived this afternoon and you’ll be here for weeks to come, I wager.”

“I cannot think why there is any hurry, Freddie.” Augusta sounded more offended than surprised at the behavior of her aunt at such a hasty summons for their presence.