Ducal Encounters 02 - With the Duke's Approval Page 2

  “Clarence probably hates London society as much as your sister claims to. He’s just better at hiding his boredom.”

  “Well, he is a diplomat, so he ought to be. But as to Portia, I think she may not dislike society as much as she pretends.”

  Both ladies smiled as they watched Portia laugh at something Mr. Duffield said to her.

  “Portia is very attractive…when not being compared to you.”

  “Frankie!”

  “Don’t sound so shocked, my dear. You know it’s true. Besides, as a widow no longer bound by the dictates of diplomacy, I have earned the right to speak as I find.”

  “You,” Anna replied, fighting a grin as she squeezed Frankie’s arm, “are quite beyond redemption. I think that’s why I enjoy your society so much.”

  They laughed, but before Frankie could voice another of her irreverent comments, Zach and Lord Romsey were before them. Pleasantries were exchanged.

  “Mama is colluding with Lady Markham,” Anne told Zach with a mischievous grin. “Poor Vince! You really ought to do something.”

  “Vince is perfectly capable of looking out for himself,” Zach replied with a negligent and very elegant flip of one wrist. “He would not thank me for interfering.”

  “Frankie was just now telling me she plans to return to Winchester soon for the hunting,” Anna said. “Do you hunt, Lord Romsey?”

  “Unfortunately, I seldom get the time or opportunity.”

  “Surely, your duties cannot be so very arduous you cannot enjoy a day’s sport?”

  “I was unaware you planned to return to the country so soon, Lady St. John,” Zach said at the same time.

  “There is no earthly reason why you should have been privy to that information, your grace,” Frankie replied.

  Anna bit her lip to prevent a smile from escaping. The interest Zach had just taken in Frankie’s affairs was, by his standards, extreme. It could definitely be construed as encouragement, and yet Frankie treated it almost dismissively. She was either being very clever, or she really did have no amatory interest in Zach. Anna would dearly love to know which.

  “Ah, Lady Annalise, there you are.”

  Damnation, Lord Roker had found her. Anna pretended not to hear him. Given there was so much noise in the ballroom, it was an acceptable ploy. At the same time, the musicians struck up a waltz. Anna slid a desperate sideways glance at Lord Roker, and a supplicating one at Lord Romsey.

  “May I have the pleasure of this dance, Lady Annalise?” Lord Romsey asked, living up to his diplomatic reputation by immediately understanding her difficulty.

  “By all means.”

  She placed her hand on his proffered sleeve, and he led her onto the dance floor, straight past the glowering Lord Roker. Anna was pleased to notice Zach leading Frankie into the dance as well. Smiling to herself, she wondered what her mother would make of that.

  Chapter Two

  “Thank you,” Lady Annalise said, as Clarence took her in his arms and they fell into step.

  Clarence arched a brow. “Did I do something?”

  His lovely partner smiled up at him, all sparkling eyes, dimples, and suppressed mischief. “I can understand why you excelled at your profession.”

  Clarence returned her smile. “I had every intention of asking you to dance, even before I saw Roker hovering. The only surprise was that you were not already engaged, and your disinclination to dance with Roker.”

  “That’s two things.”

  Clarence’s lips twitched. “So it is. I can see I shall have to watch myself in your company, Lady Annalise.”

  “Because I can count?”

  “Because you find the attentions of one of the season’s favourites not to your liking. What hope does that leave for the rest of us?”

  “Lord Roker is charming, and…er—”

  “Rich, titled and handsome?”

  “Actually, I was going to say, rather stupid.”

  “Surely, his other attributes make up for that unfortunate happenstance.”

  “Not for me.”

  “Because you do not need his money, don’t care about his title, and…” Clarence canted his head, taking considerable pleasure from her lovely upturned face, eyes brimming with mirth as she bit her lower lip, presumably to hold in a smile. “Help me out, if you please, Lady Annalise. What possible objection could you have to his good looks?”

  “Oh, I am perfectly prepared to admit he is handsome, and all the other things you imply. Unfortunately he has taken to writing odes…dedicated to me.”

  Clarence elevated a brow. “And his efforts are not appreciated? I thought young ladies enjoyed that sort of thing.”

  “They would be better appreciated if he could think of a word that rhymes with blue.”

  “Oh dear.”

  “Quite. He compared by eyes of blue to radiant sunshine.”

  “There are not blue,” Clarence said softly.

  “I beg your pardon?”

  “Your eyes are silver, with blue flecks.” He held her gaze for a protracted moment, drowning in the depths of the mesmerising eyes in question. “If the oaf cannot discern that much, then I must agree he doesn’t deserve you.”

  She laughed. “I might like Lord Roker better if he stopped following me around so much. I feel stifled by him.”

  “He is not the only gentleman to be captivated by you.”

  She arched a brow.” You have been watching me, Lord Romsey?”

  “I am a diplomat, Lady Annalise. I notice things. It’s what I am trained to do. I can’t seem to help myself.”

  “Then I shall forgive you.”

  Clarence led her into a turn and resisted the urge to hold her a little closer. He was already on shaky ground with Winchester following the unfortunate business with Miss Brooke, now Lady Amos Sheridan, for which Winchester rightly held him responsible. He also had good reason to know Winchester was obsessively possessive of his sisters, as were all her brothers. She was a diamond of the first water: beautiful, lively, witty, and intelligent. If Clarence had been on the market for a wife, her name would have featured high on his list of possibilities. But he was not. He couldn’t spare the time for courtship. He still had so much to do for the government, and so Lady Annalise was off limits. He and the duke needed to work closely in an effort to restore law and order to their adjoining districts. With the political unrest following the war that had swept the country, and fuelled by the Prince Regent’s ostentatious extravagance at a time when half the returning heroes were unable to find gainful employment, there was a growing need for the upper classes to pull together and lead by example.

  “What a generous nature you possess.”

  Her trilling laughter filled him with the kind of longing that had no place in his life.

  “Hardly generous, Lord Romsey. It is very easy to be generous when it costs one little.”

  “I cannot imagine you being anything other than kind and thoughtful. I saw how you were with Miss Brooke when she was first brought to your notice. You treated her quite as an equal, which she very evidently was not.”

  “Oh bah, I deserve no credit for that. Crista is a delight. I realised it at once and saw no reason to stand on ceremony. Besides, it did not take a genius to observe Amos was madly in love with her, and that it could only a matter of time before she became a part of our family.”

  “Perhaps I should recruit you for the diplomatic service. It seems I am not the only one with a keen sense of observation.”

  “Certainly you should.” She sent him a playful smile. “If women ruled the world, there would be no occasion for wars. We are far too sensible for to resort to violence.”

  Clarence laughed as he carefully negotiated them past an especially crowded part of the floor. The suggestive rustle of her silk skirts as they brushed against his legs sent his mind on an inappropriate detour. Perdition, this would not do but, devil take it, he was only human and Lady Annalise was temptation incarnate.

  “In the s
pirit of neighbourly harmony,” he said, when they had left the clustered part of the floor in their wake, “I shall refrain from mentioning Queen Boudica or Lucrezia Borgia.”

  “So I should hope.” She tilted her chin and sent him an adorably mischievous smile. “There are exceptions to every rule. Please don’t ask me to name all the men who have created wars for their own selfish reasons, Lord Romsey, because it would take me the rest of the evening.”

  “Indeed, I would not dare.”

  Count von Hessel sailed past them with Miss Outwood in his arms. Miss Outwood looked radiantly happy. The count look bored. He inclined his head in Clarence’s direction, his eyes lingering with speculative interest upon Lady Annalise. Clarence returned the greeting with the barest inclination of his head.

  “I suppose you know the count from the peace negotiations.”

  “Yes,” Clarence replied, able to hide his dislike of the man by dint of stringent diplomatic training. “He was involved.”

  “It’s the first time I’ve seen him, “Lady Annalise said. “Miss Outwood seems very pleased with him, but I cannot bring myself to envy her.”

  “You are a very difficult lady to please. Neither Lord Roker nor the count pass muster in your eyes.”

  Lady Annalise nodded. “I must seem selective, I suppose, which doesn’t paint me in a flattering light but, you see, I am in a position to please myself.”

  “But surely all young ladies dream of married bliss.”

  “Precisely.” She sent him a triumphant smile that implied she had no interest in matrimony. Clarence wasn’t deceived. “I fancy the count spends longer over his toilette than Miss Outwood does hers. He seems to like himself very much indeed. It’s difficult to imagine him cutting a dashing figure at Waterloo or fearlessly leading his troops against Napoleon. What if he were to get blood on his uniform?”

  Clarence laughed aloud, attracting curious glances from other dancers. “What a delightful imagination you have.”

  “I happen to be a very good judge of human nature,” she replied loftily.

  And in this instance, she most likely was. There was something about von Hessel that didn’t sit comfortably with Clarence, although he knew nothing to his detriment. The hand holding Lady Annalise’s waist tightened without his permission. Damnation, a man would need to be a monk not to respond to the enticing minx’s lively wit.

  “If Miss Outwood were to hear you, she would probably think you were jealous.”

  Lady Annalise tossed her head, setting her curls dancing. “Miss Outwood is not blessed with the ability to think deeply about anything. If she were, she would not have accepted the count.”

  “Hmm, perhaps not the diplomatic service for you, after all.”

  “If diplomats spoke the truth instead of playing clever word games, then we would all know where we stood.”

  Clarence could not recall a time when he had enjoyed a conversation more. “Ah, but who decides what is and is not true. It is perfectly true the walls of this room are painted blue. No one can dispute that.” She nodded. “But what shade of blue, Lady Annalise? I wager every person you ask would give you a different answer, absolutely convinced they spoke the truth, since they would have no reason to lie about something so unimportant.”

  “Whereas, were you to ask each gentleman where he spent the previous night—”

  “Lady Annalise!” Clarence tried to appear shocked, but spoiled his reaction by laughing. “I shall pretend you didn’t say that.”

  “Don’t look so scandalised, my lord. I have four brothers, so am qualified to make such remarks.”

  “They discuss their…er, exploits with you?”

  “No, of course not. But if Portia and I are to learn anything about the ways of the world, we must piece together what scraps they accidently let slip and piece together the evidence for ourselves. They think they are being discrete, but there is little we don’t actually know about their activities.”

  Clarence doubted that but thought it better not to take issue with his engaging partner.

  “So you contest my assertion that Miss Outwood lacks sense?” Lady Annalise asked after a brief pause.

  “Even if I were to be so bold, I believe you are about to convince me otherwise.”

  “We came out together last year. I recall an especially tedious occasion upon which a lady from the royal household spent an inordinate amount of time impressing upon us all just how fortunate we were. The cream of the crop is the way she described us, rather as though we were prize-winning vegetables.”

  Clarence laughed. “No one could describe you as a vegetable, Lady Annalise. That is one truth upon which I think we can safely agree.”

  “I am so glad you don’t look upon me and visualise a turnip, Lord Romsey.”

  His laughter intensified. “Hardly that.”

  “The royal emissary asked each of us what we planned to do for the disadvantaged when we had households of our own and were in a position to be charitable. We all talked about visiting our tenants, helping them with their difficulties, the usual things. I spoke of enforcing the Act of Parliament that already exists to help climbing boys, but which is quite shockingly ignored.” Clarence flexed a brow, surprised a lady as well protected as the minx in his arms knew anything about the plight of chimney boys. More surprised still was the fact that she knew of the law that was regularly flouted. “Miss Outwood, on the other hand…well, she said she did not think she would like set foot inside any of her papa’s tenants’ cottages because they were dirty and she feared catching a disease.” She sent him a triumphant smile. “There, I rest my case.”

  “Miss Outwood ought not to have said such a thing, it’s true,” Clarence replied. “But just think for a moment about how that notion came into her head? Who made the rest of you think you ought to care for your tenants?” He lowered his voice to a seductive purr. “Who made you think about the chimney boys?”

  “Ah, I see what you mean. We learn from our mothers.”

  “Precisely. And Mrs. Outwood is obsessed with ill-health because several members of her family have died from fevers.”

  “How can you possibly…” She looked up at him and laughed. “You don’t know any such thing. You just said that to make me feel bad. Shame on you, Lord Romsey.”

  “The point I’m trying to make, rather ineptly it seems, is that Miss Outwood wasn’t being selfish. She said what she honestly believed to be the truth.”

  Lady Annalise wrinkled her pert little nose. “Perhaps being a diplomat is not as easy as it appears.”

  “It is not a career I would recommend to a free-thinker such as yourself.”

  “Then what am I to do with myself?”

  Clarence’s throaty chuckle rumbled in his throat. “What indeed?”

  “What of you, Lord Romsey? What did you learn at your father’s knee?” She shook her head. “No, don’t tell me. He taught you to be diplomatic.”

  “Yes, I suppose he did. I can’t remember ever imagining I would do anything else.”

  “And you have spent your life living up to his expectations, at the expense of your own pleasures.”

  “Good heavens, what a very peculiar thing to say.”

  “You must forgive me if I am indiscreet.” She lifted one slender shoulder. “It’s a family failing.”

  Clarence laughed. “Hardly that.”

  “No, I suppose Zach isn’t indiscrete, but the rest of us have always been encouraged to speak our minds. Unfortunately, in my case, I sometimes forget myself when I am with a person who makes me feel I can be myself.”

  “I am very glad you feel that way with me,” Clarence replied, smiling into her eyes.

  “Do you ever put the pursuit of your own pleasures ahead of your duty, Lord Romsey?”

  “I beg your pardon.”

  “Oh dear, there I go again. Excuse me, but what I meant to say was you appear to spend all your time fixing things. Your diplomatic career, starting the Southampton Police Office, maintaining
your estate.” She shook her curls. “It can’t leave you with much time to enjoy yourself.”

  “I am enjoying dancing with you, Lady Annalise.” Far too much.

  “Well then, I am very glad to have been of service.”

  Clarence choked on a laugh, wondering if the chit had any idea what she had just said or appreciated the effect just holding her in his arms had on him. He was perfectly sure she did not. That was all to the good. Beautiful, lively, well-dowered, the sister to a duke, with all the advantages the connection to such a prominent family would bestow upon her husband, he was astonished she had not married during her first season. He was perfectly sure she would do so before the end of this one, in spite of her protestations to the contrary. The sharp pang of regret that realisation caused Clarence took him by surprise. He must be more tired than he thought.

  “I was pleased to observe that you and Zach are on congenial terms again,” Lady Annalise said after a short pause.

  “I’m unsure if I am forgiven, but we have business interests in common which kept us engaged in conversation before—”

  “Before you came to my rescue. Do you and Zach plan to police the entire south coast?”

  Clarence raised a brow. “Why do you ask?”

  “I shall never recover from the shame if this gets out, but I do read the newspapers.”

  Clarence laughed, something he seemed to be doing a very great deal of while in Lady Annalise’s company. “Your secret is safe with me.”

  “Thank you. And so, you see, I know just how troubled the times are. I blame the prince. He has no business spending so lavishly and conducting his war with his wife quite so publicly. What sort of example does that set? He is not the first man to make a bad marriage, and he ought to have the good manners to suffer the consequences behind closed doors.”

  “Quite,” Clarence replied, enjoying himself enormously.

  “And as for all those poor men who fought valiantly for their country only to come home to no jobs and no prospects…” She shook her head. “It’s truly shocking, and I can quite understand why General Ludd has become so popular. Although, of course, I also understand why you and Zach must find a way to maintain order.”