Amanda StoNeS
Historical Regency Romance Author
A Loveless Marriage
Proposal to a Spinster
First Chapters
Chapter 1
London, three weeks ago.
Madeline marveled at the beauty of the ballroom swirling around her. The candles flickering, dancing in time to the orchestral music lingering in the air. The chandelier, dangling down over the dance floor, highlighting the most beautiful gowns that Madeline had ever seen in her life. The gorgeous looking portraits hanging on the walls, smiling down at the happy couples enjoying conversation as they glided together in harmony…
Even if she was always on the outskirts, looking in, a famous wallflower at this type of event, Madeline enjoyed every moment of it. It gave her a moment of respite from all the hardships she faced at home. Not that her mind was ever far from home, especially with her father’s current illness. It was not like him to miss an event like this, he loved socializing and mixing with the ton. He certainly did not like to make his daughter miss out on anything. Luckily, Lord Marcus Penny had agreed to chaperone Madeline tonight, along with his daughter and Madeline’s best friend. Catherine.
Catherine was currently on the dance floor, being spun around by a very handsome duke who put a smile on her face every time he spoke. Madeline missed having her friend by her side so they could talk and gossip about everyone else in attendance, but she was also happy to see her having some fun.
She would also like to be asked to dance by one of the fine gentlemen in attendance because she was sure that it was a lot of fun. But then being a spectator made her smile as well.
“Oh my, what do you think about Lady Black’s gown?”
“The duke never attends events like this. I wonder what is happening…”
“That is not what I have heard.”
Madeline allowed the gossip to swirl around her. It was impossible for her not to pick up snippets of conversation, but she did not allow any of it to sink in. She was too busy admiring the flowing expensive looking material some of the ladies were wearing. Material she would love to be able to wear herself…
But all that changed the moment she heard her own name being whispered.
“I am surprised that no one has asked Lady Moore to dance.”
Madeline’s blood ran cold as her shoulders stiffened. She hated being talked about, it caused anxiety to bubble in the pit of her stomach. Her mind raced with terror.
“You would think that her newfound wealth would make her far more appealing, ignoring her plain appearance.”
A thick ball of bile lodged itself at the base of her throat as her looks were commented on. Madeline herself knew that she did not have striking beauty. She had dull brown hair that was more frizzy than curly, a body that was considered far too slender with no bosom to fill any of her dresses properly, and a smile that was often labeled as ‘too wide’.
But having someone else pick up on her insecurities was like a dagger to her chest.
However, it was not that which troubled her the most.
It was the talk of her newfound wealth.
Instantly her mind traveled back in time, to three weeks ago. To a cold, spring day when she and her father Frederick were at a church in London attending the funeral of her father’s closest friend, Oliver Weston. An adventurer with a heart of gold, who had been a rock for her father to rely on when he lost his wife.
Madeline did not have many memories of her mother. She was very young when she passed away, but she did know that her father carried a storm cloud on his shoulders for far too long. Aside from when Oliver was there to make him laugh and to remind him that there was still a life for him to live.
Losing Oliver was a huge blow. The funeral service, beautiful as it was, had been a somber affair. It was hard for everyone to understand why a strong and capable sailor like Oliver had been lost at sea. But with his boat being found and him not, the chance of that man having not drowned was far too slim.
But leaving the church had offered Madeline and her father the biggest surprise of all.
“My name is Henry Dixon,” the finely dressed gentleman had declared as he approached them. “I am the lawyer of Mr. Oliver Weston. I would like to offer you my condolences.”
Madeline had not listened much. She assumed the conversation had very little to do with her. Thankfully, her father was happy to engage with the man because of what came next.
“Miss Madeline Moore, I actually have some news for you.” That was the moment Madeline started to pay attention. “As Mr. Oliver Weston was your godfather, with no children of his own, you are the one to inherit his fortune.”
She had blinked a few times, assuming this was some kind of ill timed joke. But the lawyer did not laugh. He actually continued to talk about this.
“The will contests that the money shall be held in trust as a dowry for your marriage.”
That was the moment Madeline realized that this did not mean a thing.
She might have been inheriting a lot of money, because Oliver was known to be wealthy, but it would never come to her. The chances of her getting married were incredibly slim, and not just because she would never be the most beautiful woman in London. But because she had already reached the grand old age of six and twenty years old. Soon, she would have another birthday and would be a year older.
She had long ago resigned herself to the spinster lifestyle.
Madeline no longer minded that she would never get married because it meant she could be there for her father. Especially now that a lonely black cloud had come for him again. Tonight was a little break from her life, but she was keen to get back as soon as she could, to care for him once more.
“Madeline, oh my goodness, Madeline, you will not believe it…”
Catherine’s cheeks shone red, and her eyes almost bulged with excitement as she raced to her friend. Madeline snapped out of her memories and back in to the present moment to find out what had her friend quite so thrilled.
“What is happening?” she gushed as Catherine got closer to her.
“Duke Thompson, the man who I was just dancing with has asked me to introduce you to him. He wants to ask you to dance.”
“W… why?”
Madeline was stunned. This never happened. She was so unused to hearing these words that she was not quite sure how to handle this.
But she was also not naive.
A part of Madeline already knew why this was happening. If the ton was gossiping about her newfound fortune, that meant everyone knew. Madeline was shocked at herself that she had not considered this as a possibility. Of course gentlemen would start to notice her now.
“Lady Madeline Moore,” Catherine started in a strong, dramatic tone of voice, ignoring Madeline’s question. “His Grace, the Duke of Devonshire.”
Madeline’s heart thundered in her throat.
Nerves got the better of her.
As the duke bowed to Madeline, she curtsied back politely, recalling her manners even if she was a little confused.
“Lady Moore, would you like to dance with me?”
There was a tremor in his voice. He sounded a little nervous, which immediately flamed Madeline’s heart. Her instincts were to do whatever she could to make this man feel comfortable, so refusing the dance, whatever his intentions were, was simply not an option.
“Thank you very much, that sounds wonderful, your Grace.”
Madeline caught Catherine’s delighted look as the duke led her on to the dance floor. At least her friend was excited for her. Madeline was not quite sure how she was supposed to feel in the midst of all of this. Mostly, she was just confused.
“It really is lovely to meet you, Lady Moore,” the duke continued, still sounding a little anxious. “Thank you for accepting the dance.”
“Your Grace, I would love to hear more about you.”
As the music began, the duke started to open up a little. He seemed to find talking about himself and his business more comfortable than anything else, so Madeline happily nodded along and gave him the willing ear he needed. By the time the music had come to an end, he seemed much more personable and pleasant to be around.
“Thank you, Lady Moore,” he declared with a warm and inviting smile. “That was the most enjoyable dance that I have been lucky enough to have all evening.”
Did he mean that or were the words just there to charm her because of her wealth?
She supposed it did not matter too much. She was not going to be charmed quite so easily.
Madeline did not even make it back to Catherine before she was approached again.
This time, it was a lord who often found himself on the tip of everyone’s tongues as well. A gentleman whose rumored nights in the gambling hall had gotten him the reputation as a bit of a rake. There was no way that Madeline was going to be fooled by anything he had to say.
But she did not refuse his offer to dance, because she was finding it a lot of fun.
“You look rather ravishing, Lady Moore,” he said as soon as they were on the dance floor. “Sage green is a colour that very much suits you.”
Madeline narrowed her eyes at him, deciding to tease him a little, to take advantage of the attention she was getting for a change. “I have never heard such a compliment in my life. No one ever calls me ravishing. Pray tell, what about my dress do you like so much?”
The panic flashed across his face for a moment, but the lord did everything that he could to regain himself rapidly. “I think it brings out your hazel coloured eyes. You have a lot of kindness in your eyes, and I like that a lot.”
Madeline was not expecting such a nice response, so she said nothing back. The way that he spoke those words felt much more genuine, so any wit fell of her lips. She simply smiled back and nodded instead.
“So, tell me about yourself,” she said instead, choosing manners over wit once more. “I would love to hear all about you.”
When he talked about work, Madeline did not have much to say. She was happy to just listen to him, but when he started talking about the books that he loved, she found a light igniting within herself once more. That was a subject that she could talk about for hours. Madeline absolutely loved reading. Whether it be romance or adventure novels, or it be a non fiction book that she could learn a lot from. Whenever she was not busy with household chores, she had her head in a book.
“My, I have never met anyone else who has read as many similar books as me,” the lord declared the moment the song came to an end. She might not have meant to charm him, but it seemed like she had managed to do it anyway. “You are quite the intellectual, Lady Moore.”
Now that was a compliment which Madeline enjoyed. It showed that the lord had actually listened to her as they danced. These gentlemen might have started to show interest in her because of her new money, but it seemed like she was going to be able to change their mind about her once she talked.
That was interesting. Something she might never have learned if tonight had never happened. It was something that she was going to take with her moving forward. It did not all need to be about beauty.
“Oh my, you are having quite the night!” Catherine laughed as soon as Madeline was able to join her for a moment at the refreshment table. “You have been asked to dance so many times. Are you enjoying it? I do not think you have ever danced quite as much as that.”
“I am,” Madeline admitted with a small smile. But she needed to be honest with Catherine about her true feelings here. “Although it is a little distasteful, do you not think?”
“What is that?” Catherine looked worried, like she did not want her friend to be hurt which was very sweet of her.
But Madeline was not hurt. She could simply see through them all. “Well, these gentlemen might be pretending to like me now, but they have never shown any interest before. It is all because of my finances. I am not fooled. The ton is gossiping about the death of my godfather and what that has meant for me. I am sure that is why I am suddenly the center of attention.”
Catherine pulled a face. She clearly did not like this idea at all. “Well, it does not matter why they are asking you to dance, they are all coming away from the dances with big smiles on their faces. I am sure they are charmed by you.”
“Hmm, perhaps.”
Madeline offered her friend a one shouldered shrug. She could not deny that the gentlemen had left her side looking at lot happier and calmer around her. She supposed it was a good chance for her to show that she was more than just a plain looking wallflower. She did actually have something to offer more than a dowry. Not that any of these men were going to see any of the money because she was not going to give them her hand.
But as another man approached her with a smile on his face, she knew that she was most certainly going to enjoy the attention and dance with anyone that asked her too. She was smart enough not to get all caught up in her emotions when it came to these men because she could see what was going on.
“Well, it looks like I am about to be asked to dance again,” Madeline said with a giggle. “Let us see if I can charm this gentleman as well. What is his name?”
“That is Lord William Jones. He is very well connected in the ton.”
“Yes, I can tell. Hopefully my dancing skills will be up to par for a man like that.”
Catherine smiled and nodded at her friend, but Madeline could not help but notice that she still looked a little worried. How could she reassure her that she was going to be just fine? Perhaps on the carriage ride home she would be able to truly make her see that she was going to be fine.
Chapter 2
I do not like any of this.
Damian was trying, he really was. He had taken on board the advice of his accountant, Mr. Marcus Penny, and made an appearance at the ball being held in the Assembly Rooms in Cornwall Town, but now that he was here, he remembered why he typically preferred to avoid this sort of thing. It left him feeling decidedly uncomfortable. Of the three events that he had attended as a duke, he could not help but notice all the same things.
The finery, the fake smiles, the pretend civility.
It was a mere distraction for the ton. A way for them to show off their wealth and status, simply ignoring all the true horrors that went on in the world. Horrors that they would never have to face, simply because they were born into money.
What a waste of effort.
Damian could not even find a way to blend into the background, so he could simply watch what was unfolding in front of him in peace. Silently mocking the pretenses that surrounded him. Not when so many women were curiously looking his way.
Damian hated it when women looked his way.
Throughout his life, he had only ever experienced two types of women. The upper class ladies who were drawn in by his appearance, but turned off the moment they learned he did not have any money, and the lower class ladies. They always used to shy away from his aloof temperament, avoiding him as if he had some kind of disease or something… until he was awarded a dukedom. All of a sudden, they became far more interested in him.
He could not help but wonder if all women were so fickle. If he would only ever be seen as worthless aside from his money and his title. If anyone would ever really see him for who he really was. Because Damian really did have a lot to offer people, if they ever took the time to get to know him.
It truly disgusted him. It made him feel like he was not even a real person when treated like that.
Should I leave? He wondered to himself. Is there any point in remaining here when I am having such a terrible time?
But he did not immediately move. He remained where he was in the midst of the ballroom, watching the throngs of crowds around him. Scoffing internally at the silliness he saw.
How would these people cope if they ever had to deal with real life? With the life of the working classes? The poor who could not afford to feed their children, the fathers who spent too many hours in the mines to spend much time with their families, the children who were sent to live in the workhouses…
They did not have time to worry about fancy dresses and expensive drinks. They were not gossiping about one another because they were too worried about their own lives to think of others. The divide in England was truly sickening, Damian knew that better than anyone else.
As his eyes scanned over the crowd, Damian found himself drawn to a specific woman in the middle of the dance floor. A woman he had never noticed before, but perhaps that was because she did not naturally stand out. Not among the beautiful women who were decorated with the finest most ridiculous jewels known to man.
But there was something special about her, something that kept Damian drawn to her, looking at her even when he thought it best to pull away.
He liked that she had a simple, almost plain look about her. She was not flashy like the others in the room. Her hair was pulled back into a chignon, but not a complicated style like some of the other ladies were wearing. Her sage green dress was not full of lace and charms, but it hung nicely off her slender body. Yet her sweet, friendly looking hazel colored eyes were the most sparkling part about her. Faint laughter lines surrounded her eyes, which showed Damian that she was not afraid to smile and laugh. When she did smile widely and he spotted her lovely dimples, all he wanted to do was get to know her.
Yet even though she did not demand attention, she seemed to be getting a lot of it nonetheless.
All the gentlemen in the room also seemed to be drawn to this lady. She had a lot of dance partners making her the center of attention. There were many ladies who Damian was sure would usually spend the whole night on the dance floor, standing on the side lines looking in.
What was going on?
“I would also like to dance with Lady Moore tonight,” someone near him commented. “But I have not had the chance to speak with her yet.”
Since the gentleman attached to the voice was staring at the lady in the sage green dress, Damian felt compelled to edge a little closer to the group, to see if he could find out more about this woman. It seemed like there was a lot to know.
“You will be lucky to get a moment alone with her,” the man beside him laughed. “Since she inherited that fortune, everyone wants to know her now.”
Ah, that made sense to Damian. The ton were a group of people who were terribly obsessed with money. It seemed to be the only thing they talked about and cared about. So of course they were drawn to Lady Moore because of her new finances.
It took all the strength that he had not to roll his eyes in derision.
It was probably not the best idea, but Damian could not pull himself away from the gossip. It had already become an addiction to him.
“Who do you think Lady Madeline will be drawn to?”
“She seems to have her choice, but I am sure she will pick someone quickly while she has this attention. After all, she has never had it before.”
They seemed a little cruel to Damian, but he could not resist listening in regardless. He actually moved a little closer, to see what else he could figure out.
But a sharp, shrill voice interrupted his eavesdropping.
“What are you doing here, Damian? This is a very civil party. I do not think you are welcome.”
Damian’s heart sunk. It was Alicia, his aunt on his father’s side, who did not ever hide her disdain for him. Although usually, she did not act this way in public. Perhaps she had drunk a few too many, that would explain why her cheeks were flushed.
“I was invited,” he replied coolly. “I do not understand your disdain.”
He jutted his chin out confidently, but that did not stop people turning to look at him, including the group of gentlemen that he had been eavesdropping on. Unfortunately, if they were all looking at him, the ton might realize that Damian did not have the social game play that the upper classes were taught from a very young age. Having grown up in completely different circumstances, without even knowing that he was related to nobility, he knew that he lacked a good way to confront his aunt.
“You know what I am talking about, Damian,” she seethed. “I do not see any reason to cause a scene.”
Now that was an utterly ridiculous statement, since she was the one who had come up to him. But she seemed to be holding herself up well, lording above him without even trying. It was like she simply had this air about her, that allowed her to fit in without even trying.
“I am here quietly enjoying myself, Aunt Alicia…” He was sure to show off his family connection because he knew Alicia would not like that. “You are the one who came up to me and started to make an unnecessary scene.”
Her cheeks flamed red and her hands curled up into fists by her side. She looked like she was about to explode at any given moment. The more that she behaved this way, the more eyes Damian could feel upon them. More attention from the ton was the last thing he wanted.
Damian worried that they would start to look at him like he was some kind of buffoon and that they would notice how little he fitted in. He might not have wanted to be like the rest of them, but he also did not want that to be picked up on.
It was a very challenging position that Damian wanted to escape from as soon as he could. He was unwilling to play his aunt’s game, and to give her what she so clearly wanted, but he also did not wish to be near Alicia and everyone who might agree with her any longer.
Without saying a word, Damian turned to leave the assembly, to get himself some fresh air while he attempted to work out his next move.
Once outside the assembly hall, Damian took some time to let the cool evening air wash over him. Almost immediately he felt much calmer, the thoughts in his brain stopped racing at the ridiculous pace they had been while he was inside. There had been a tight knot in his chest that started to loosen because he was no longer surrounded by the people who made him feel incredibly uncomfortable.
This was the last time he was ever going to allow his accountant to talk him into anything!
Marcus was at the event, Damian had spotted him across the hall a couple of times, but he had never been able to get close enough to actually talk to him, which made the whole evening even more of a waste of time. Not that any visit with Marcus was a waste of time. Especially this time around.
Coming to town, Damian knew that he was not in for good news. He had been trying to prepare himself for a nightmare, which was exactly what he had gotten. While Marcus had managed to stabilize the estate funds, there was no capital to keep the copper mines running throughout the summer.
Damian could not stand the idea of leaving those men with no work, it was not right. They were good men, hard workers, and had families to care for. He knew that all too well because he had spent many years working with them, before he found out who he really was.
It had been a shock to him, to inherit the dukedom. It was not a life he ever thought he’d have to navigate.
Born to a maid in Samuel Fairhurst’s estate, Damian was always simple Damien Myers and that was not something he’d ever thought to question. It was not something he had even thought of until his mother passed away a few years ago. But even then, it was not something that he could chase up because his life was busy in the mines. He had to spend every day doing his best to simply make a living. He had not even thought to dream of much more. Survival was his main aim.
That was until a few months ago when his employer, and his mother’s employer before him, passed away. Upon Samuel Fairhurst’s death, he had left a will which stunned everyone. A will which confirmed that Damian was in fact, his son, and the one who would inherit everything.
That trust led Damian into a life he never expected to have, which was why he even found himself attending such a ball.
But it was not all smooth sailing. Damian had faced nothing but troubles since inheriting the estate. Not only was the whole place run down and a little shabby, but also the finances were in disarray, which unfortunately affected all the people who lived around him. All the people who relied on the work in the mines had been facing troubles for years.
When the cousins that Damian did not even know he had started to crawl out of the wood work, trying to contest the will and take the estate for themselves, all Damian really wanted to do was tell them the truth of what was going on. That there was not much to inherit.
But Damian was not a quitter.
He had never been known as someone who was likely to give up, and this was not about to change. Little by little, he had been trying to make changes to the estate to make everything better in the end.
Firing the house staff had been his first port of call.
That was not something he took lightly because he did not want anyone to be out of work, but the staff had been around Samuel for years, and had become complacent in their work. The more his father drank himself to death, the less they worked. They had become lazy and incompetent. Even with Damian taking over and trying to change things, they were frustratingly resistant.
Damian would rather get his hands dirty and do the work himself rather than allow lackluster behavior in his home.
Now, he only had Leonard Scott, an elderly steward who perhaps should have retired by now because his physical health was not the best, but he was a great resource of information. He knew the house, area and network of merchants and traders like the back of his hand. Plus, he had always cared for Damian and his mother, so Damian felt very close to him.
He also had Annie Benson, a maid who was diligent and hard working and cared deeply for the quality of her work. Damian respected that, so was happy to have her on the staff.
But if the finances continued to plummet and he lost the mines, Damian might end up losing those two as well, which was not what he wanted.
He really wanted to bring wealth and work to Cornwall, especially to his town. Damian wanted to take his new dukedom and to do something positive with it. To make a difference to the people who lived around him. He did not care for all these fancy balls and silly upper class events. He simply wanted to make the world a better place around him. As much as he could anyway with the small power that he now had.
But he was still going to have to learn to play the game properly if he wanted to make this difference. He was going to have to find a way to fit into this world, even if he did not want to. He was going to have to find a way to make himself wealthy enough to support everyone. It was not the easiest dream to make come true, but Damian was determined, and he had never been a quitter.
Chapter 3
“I know you have had a lot of fun tonight,” Catherine chuckled as she laced her arm through Madeline’s with a sweet smile playing on her face. “But it is time for us to leave. Father has arranged for the carriage to pick us up.”
Wearily, Madeline nodded in agreement. She truly had been enjoying dancing all night long. She had felt like the belle of the ball for most of the evening, even if that was only in her imagination. Rationally, she had been all too aware of what was really happening, but it was nice to play the role for a while. To pretend that she was desired, just like the other ladies, the ones with obvious captivating beauty.
However, she was ready to leave, to get back to real life.
“There is Father. Let us follow him and you can tell me who was your favourite dance partner this evening. It seemed like you were enjoying talking to Lord Brown for a while.”
Madeline laughed. “Yes, he was a rather interesting gentleman, although I am not too sure if I could fully follow what he was talking about a lot of the time. He was speaking about crocheting, assuming that is my hobby because it is that of so many ladies, but he did not know the first thing about a hook or stitch.”
The women burst into peals of laughter. The sort of giggles that they simply could not seem to halt, even as everyone looked their way.
It was not until the coldness of the outside air hit them that they managed to calm down a little. Mostly because they had something new and exciting to intrigue them.
“Who is Father talking to?” Catherine whispered quietly. “I do not recognise him.”
But Madeline had seen him before. She spotted him inside the assembly halls which he was being publicly shamed by his aunt. She would recognize that tall, imposing figure anywhere because he did not look like any of the other dukes in the hall. He looked strong and weathered, like he understood how to work hard with his hands. His skin had a shine of tan crossing it, which was very unusual, as were his icy, intelligent gray eyes.
The gentleman ran his fingers through his golden blond hair, before he seemed to notice the women looking his way. The moment his eyes met Madeline’s she felt her heart skip a strange beat. It was almost as if her stomach was flip flopping like crazy just at the mere sight of him.
“Ah, Damian, here they are. I knew they would not be too long,” Marcus declared with a bright smile. “You remember my daughter, of course, Lady Catherine Penny.”
Madeline astutely noticed that Marcus seemed very keen to bring his daughter closer to the duke. It almost seemed like he was clearly eager to reaffirm their connection in the mild hope that a romantic connection might blossom. But Madeline already knew that this would never happen. Madeline knew the gentlemen that her best friend was attracted to, and he was the complete opposite. There was no way that she would like his stoic disposition.
“Good evening, your Grace,” Catherine said coolly as she curtsied to him. “It is lovely to see you again.”
As Madeline was brought forward to meet the man, she did not have the same reservations as her friend. She was more intrigued by him than terrified. She cocked her head to one side and smiled at him, wondering what was going on inside his mind. He seemed to Madeline to have a very interesting mind.
“And this is my daughter’s friend, Lady Madeline Moore.”
“Nice to meet you, your Grace,” she declared with a smile. “I do hope that you are alright. I hope you managed to enjoy your evening despite what happened inside.”
As soon as those words left her mouth, Madeline worried if she should have said that. It might have been a big mistake. Perhaps she had offended him. But Damian did not look offended. He merely seemed surprised that she had asked such a compassionate question.
“Oh yes, I have had quite the fine evening.”
“It can be quite two faced at these kinds of events.”
Madeline was not aiming this comment at anyone in particular. She did not think that there was anyone to blame in particular for the upper classes could lend barb to their words while not being careful. Since she herself had been on the end of gossip tonight, she could only imagine how Damian had to feel. He smiled at her thinly, nodding like he agreed with her remarks, but could not bring himself to say too much.
“Well, ladies, the carriage is waiting,” Marcus interjected hurriedly as the area outside the building started to become crowded. “I think it is time for us to say goodnight.”
“Goodnight, your Grace,” Catherine said rapidly, clearly eager to make her escape before her father coerced her into talking with him more.
Madeline found herself less eager to leave. She did not want to take her eyes off Damian, there was something about him that really intrigued her. He did not seem like everyone else who had been inside the ball. There was an intrigue in his eyes, an intellect that she wanted to know more about.
But she had to pull away. She had to head to the carriage with her friend otherwise it would seem strange. Yet she found herself less able to take her eyes off him than perhaps she should be. As soon as she took her seat in the carriage beside Catherine, Madeline realized that her heart was absolutely pounding against her rib cage.
“My goodness, my father really likes that man,” Catherine declared as she rolled her eyes. “He is an accounting client of his who I am sure he would like me to marry. Unfortunately, I find him very cold. He does not give me anything. He is very closed off. I am surprised he was even at the ball tonight. He is not one for spending a lot of time with the ton. He is one of those mysterious dukes who prefers to keep to himself. Something that I have always found very strange. Why would he not want to socialise? It can be so much fun.”
“Mhmm, I see.” Madeline swallowed hard and nodded. She found herself completely unable to agree with her friend, she got very warm, intense vibes from Damian.
“Father is still talking with him now. We are never going to be able to get home quickly at this rate.”
But Madeline understood. If she had been given more chance to talk to this man, then she would have wanted to do the same.
What happened inside the assembly rooms? Why had his aunt argued with him like that, insisting that he was not welcome? She would not be rude and ask him what was going on, it was not good manners to pry openly into someone’s business, but she was intrigued.
“So anyway, we were talking about your favourite dance tonight…” Catherine suddenly realized that they were having a conversation that she found far more interesting than Damian. “What about the Duke of Kensington? I think he had a little twinkle in his eyes for you.”
Madeline tried to smile. She tried to throw herself back into the mind-set she was in before she spotted Damian, but she could not seem to shake him from her mind. Why did he not ask her to dance tonight? Before his aunt embarrassed him, he could have been on the dance floor with her, spinning her around in time to the music. Now that was a dance she would not have been able to forget.
“Perhaps,” she finally declared. “But I am not sure he was really interested in me. Again, I think it was only about the money.”
“Maybe so,” Catherine agreed. “But even if that is the way to get these gentlemen talking to you, they will soon see you for who you are.”
Madeline agreed, but she honestly was not sure if she wanted anyone else to see her. Not in the way that she ached for Damian to see her, which was strange because they had only just shared one very brief conversation. What was it about him? Why was she so intrigued? Why did she still want to lean out the window to look at him just in case she would never get the chance to lay eyes on him again? But she could not be too obvious as she did so. She did not want Catherine to see what she was doing, or she would never live it down.
***
Marcus lingered to talk to Damian for a few moments after his daughter and her friend vanished into the carriage, leaving a trail behind them that it felt like only Damian could see.
Damian did not mind, because he liked talking to Marcus. But it was hard for him to focus on his friend when he had just been within talking distance to the very intriguing Lady Madeline Moore. There was something breathtaking about seeing her up close, and learning that she had a disdain for the upper classes as well, really interested him. He did not think anyone had the same distaste for the wealthy as he did, but it seemed like she did.
“Well, it was very nice to see you tonight,” Marcus declared as he held out his hand to shake Damian’s. “I hope the incident with your aunt did not ruin the whole night.”
“Oh, of course. It was fine,” Damian said which was only half true. He certainly felt a lot better than he had done before he met Madeline. “I am glad I came.”
“Yes, I am grateful that you came as well. It was a good night.” Marcus nodded as he spoke. “And of course I shall see you again soon enough.”
“When would you like to see me again?” Reality rushed back to Damian as he thought about the money issues once more. The troubles he did not want to deal with.
“We shall meet again in a month to see if finances are better.”
Damian shook his hand, but he was not quite ready to let Marcus go yet. There were a lot of questions floating through his mind and he needed to ask some of them. He just needed a moment to gather himself up to work out what question was the most important.
“Who is Lady Moore?”
That was probably not the question he should have landed on, but he just panicked. Madeline intrigued him, and he could not help reaching out for more. Any nugget of information he could get his hands on was more important than anything else.
“Oh, she is Catherine’s very good friend. She is a lovely young woman who has just come into a vast fortune. Luckily for her, because she has been through a lot.” Marcus had sympathy in his eyes as he talked about this woman. “I am sure this fortune will help her move forwards.”
Damian’s heart raced. He asked, half joking, half serious, for more details. “Is her husband looking for investment opportunities by any chance?”
If there was a gentleman who could help him with the mines, then Damian would take that chance. He owed it to the people who worked for the Fairhurst mines. He was always on the look out for some way to bring his plans to life and to help those around him.
“Oh, no there is no husband.” Marcus shook his head sadly. “It is a real shame because she is such a lovely woman, but at her age it is unlikely that anyone will ever marry her.” He paused thoughtfully for a moment. “Although now that she has such a grand dowry maybe everything will be different.”
“Well, she did have a lot of dance partners tonight,” Damian mused. “So, I am sure you are right. I am sure that someone will want to take her hand.”
But how would she feel? How would Madeline like to be married to one of the nobles that she had already called ‘two faced’? She clearly did not have any respect for those men if she could say something like that. Damian could not imagine her attaching herself to one of those gentlemen in there. None of them looked like they would be able to make her smile every single day.
Yet she was likely going to want to marry someone, one day. Especially if she was already worried that she was already considered a spinster by society standards. If there was a chance to change that, surely, she would.
Hmm, that was something that Damian found very interesting, although he was not totally sure why.
“Anyway, I think Catherine and Madeline are keen to leave so I should join them,” Marcus declared as he took a couple of steps backwards from Damian. “Goodnight, Damian. It is good to see you as always and I look forward to seeing you next month.”
“Yes, I will see you then, thank you, Marcus. Goodbye.”
Damian nodded and waved goodbye to Marcus, but his eyes remained on the carriage because he could not think about anything else other than the woman inside. How had Madeline gotten under his skin in such a short time? What was it about her that was so intriguing?
He waved to them all as they drove off, but his eyes only sought out Madeline. The unwed woman with a vast fortune. Now that was an option he had not thought about. He had been trying endlessly to think of solutions that would help the mines stay open for as long as possible, but a woman had never been a part of his plan. He had never thought about marrying someone. Whether it be for love or anything else, having a wife was never in the plan.
He had never found a woman he liked or trusted at all. But perhaps he did not need to have those sorts of feelings for anyone. Perhaps he could come up with an arrangement instead, one that was mutually beneficial. He might not have known what he could offer a woman like Madeline, but that was alright. He could figure it out.
As Damian climbed into his own carriage, Lady Moore’s face continued to fill his mind. Her sly smile as she talked about the ton, the kindness in her eyes as she asked him compassionately about the argument with his aunt, and the intelligence that he could see within her. He was going to have to find a way to speak with her again, somehow. Now that he had been officially introduced to Lady Moore, he was sure that a conversation could work in both of their favors. Or so he hoped…
This Post Has 3 Comments
Interesting. When and where may your book be purchased?
Definitely hooked me! Hope this book will be out very soon.
Look forward to reading the rest of the story!!