Dancing With A Duke – A Regency Romance
The Dukedom of Tregony was the one of the largest in England. The home of the Duke of Tregony, it was a vast estate, including ten villages, eighteen farms and hundreds of acres of grouse moor. Sleningford Castle, the Duke's home, was proportionately large. The original castle had been built in 1310 by one of the Duke's forefathers. Over the years it had been expanded and now it was a vast home, in which it was easy to lose oneself. There were two main entrances to the castle grounds. Each was guarded by a splendid lodge house and an iron gate. The driveway to the castle was simply magnificent. Only at the very last minute did the castle come into view. It was a breath taking moment of discovery for any visitor, as they rounded the final corner.
Isabella's day of work had finished, and she had retired to her room. The Governess to the Duke's three children, she had been afforded a room of higher status than any of the servants. Unusually, it was located at the front of the castle, and Isabella was able to enjoy the views of the magnificent garden, and the shooting moor in the distance.
She glanced into the full length chevalier mirror. Isabella never liked what she saw. Today was an especially bad day. Her confidence had been dented when she'd over heard the butler and the cook talking about her. She knew she wore larger dresses than was the norm, but she hated her figure and saw no reason to highlight it. Today she'd worn a green Empire dress, so typical of the period. It had a high waist line, puff sleeves and a square décolleté. Isabella had closed the décolleté with a finely decorated chemisette. She hated modern fashion. Soft muslin dresses clung to the body, leaving little to the imagination. She always wore two dress sizes bigger than she needed. She was grateful for undergarments, like pantaloons, which stopped her dresses clinging to the body she found so loathsome.
She took off her clothes and closed her eyes to prevent herself from looking at her naked flesh in the mirror. As a blind person, she searched for her nightdress, and gratefully pulled it over her head.
Isabella's routine was always the same. When she handed the children over to their nanny at five pm, she would retire to her room, read and got to sleep. This evening was no exception. She had read five chapters of 'Sense and Sensibility,' a new novel by Jane Austen. She'd marveled at the brave Mr. Willoughby. In fact, Isabella had already fallen in love with him. A hopeless romantic, she lived her life lost in the painful thought that she would never be the subject of any man's attention. She took comfort, therefore, in fictional characters.
Isabella's last activity of the day was prayer, and this day was no exception. She knelt at the side of her bed, closed her eyes and placed her hands together.
''Dear Lord, please forgive my shortcomings and anything I have done today which may have displeased you. Please also look over Edith, James and Mark. They have all done their best today and deserve your thoughts. If I may Lord, I would like to make mention of the Duke. He is a special man who has been dealt a savage blow in his life. Please release him from his suffering, and grant him a life free of grief and pain. Lord, please look upon my dear father with mercy. He has been foolish, but I know he is a good man in his heart. I ask you to protect him in that vile place. Finally Lord, I ask you to bless my late mother. Thank you for relieving her of her pain in the gentle manner you did. Amen.''
****
''Isabella, please put down your books for once and come and sit with me. I have something to tell you.'' Harriet said.
''Harriet, I would like nothing more than to sit with you and pass the time, but the children will be back from their lunch soon. I must prepare their lessons. It is no easy task. Edith is three years older than the two twins and she is, of course, far more advanced. She is especially good at French. I am sure one day she will be the wife of a French Noblesse d'epee.''
''Most of them were beheaded twenty years ago. Really Isabella you are quite out of date. I only need ten minutes of your time. Please come and sit here.''
Isabella looked at Harriet and was quite jealous. Harriet looked so noble. She was tall and her features were aristocratically fine. She had beautiful oval eyes, like Cleopatra. Isabella wondered how on earth Harriet kept her blonde hair in such superbly formed ringlets. They never seemed to be out of place or poorly formed. The thing Isabella was most jealous of, however, was Harriet's figure. She had an ample bust with which she could woo any man, and she was able to wear dresses than clung to her stomach and bottom without caring what anyone thought. Harriet was the Duke's sister, and no servant would ever dare to speak ill of her.