“I don’t think the Earl knows much about me, Anne. We didn’t talk enough for him to know my family. And he’s never visited here.”
“I wouldn’t worry about it for another moment, then, Izzie. You should consider The Duke’s proposal. It would be good for you. And you would have what you wanted. You would be marrying a man you can love instead of for social status. The Duke become so popular by being a rake. He is a genuinely good man with few obvious flaws. And he is a good-looking man, which means you would have beautiful children together.”
Isabeau flushed. “My goodness, Anne, you have thought into my future quite a lot.”
They both laughed.
“I am glad to see you are feeling a little better, Izzie. You have been under too much stress since last night.”
“It didn’t start last night,” Isabeau responded. “I knew that Lord Thomas was interested in me, but I never thought he would become so demanding and forceful.”
“This was our first season. I expect he thought you would just refrain from dancing with anyone but him.”
Isabeau shook her head. “That would make him truly delusional, Anne. I have never given him any reason to think such a thing.”
“Yes, I know. The whole thing is very surprising to me. It’s amazing how things can change so quickly. Yesterday, you were still waiting for a suitor, and now you have a Duke and his brother fighting over you.”
“I certainly hope they do not fight over me.”
“It was just a turn of phrase. I don’t think they will need to fight. The Duke is in control.”
“It’s a good thing.”
“Yes, it definitely is.”
Chapter Four
With her parent’s permission, Isabeau decided to skip out on the dance Friday night. She had been looking forward to it, as it was a masquerade ball, her favorite during the entire Season. But she wasn’t up to facing the Lords and Ladies, so she stayed at home and played cards with her mother. She was interested to hear what Anne had to say about the masquerade ball and didn’t feel bad about not going.
She had not mentioned the Duke’s proposal to her parents yet. She had been thinking about it for a few days. She was waiting for her father to come home so that she could speak to them together. Over the past 48 hours, she had reviewed nearly every encounter she could remember with the Duke, every time he had spoken to her and any occasion she could remember where she had heard something about him. She had searched her memory for something negative but had found nothing.
She concluded that Edward would be a good match for her. She was sure that she would be able to love him, if he was truly as genuine as he seemed.
It was late before her father came home. She found that she was unable to speak to him about Edward because when he came in the door, the Duke was with him. The Duke greeted her and her mother amiably.
“Good evening, ladies,” he said, bowing low. They lowered their heads in return and stood up. “No need to stand, please stay comfortable.”
“How are you this evening, your Grace?” Isabeau’s mother tried to keep her surprise at his entrance hidden but was unable to.
He smiled wide. “I see I have surprised you both. I do apologize. I noticed that Lady Isabeau did not come to the party tonight, and I wanted to check on her welfare. How are you feeling, Lady Isabeau?”
“I’m doing quite well, thank you, your Grace,” she responded.
“I do hope you didn’t stay away from the ball because of my brother.”
Isabeau chuckled. “Not entirely,” she replied.
The Duke nodded. “I do understand. Would you care to go for a walk with me? I realize it is somewhat late. We will stay close to the house.” The Duke smiled at Isabeau’s parents, who returned his smile warmly.
“I would be delighted.” She looked at her mother and gestured to their unfinished game. “Mother…”
“Go ahead, Isabeau. Your father can take your place, and I will just beat him instead.”
“I heard a challenge!” They all laughed when Lord Camm stepped over to take his daughter’s seat.
The Duke held out one hand, and Isabeau took it. His grip was warm and inviting, not at all like the forceful clutching of his brother.
Isabeau remembered to pick up a shawl as she went to the front door with the Duke. It was a bit cool in the evenings. She didn’t mind. The crisp air made her feel refreshed and alive. She breathed in deeply when she stepped through the doorway. The Duke held the door and passed through behind her, coming up to walk beside her down the pathway.
“I would like to apologize once again for my brother’s behavior at the last dance,” The Duke began. She was beginning to like the sound of his voice. He had a smooth tone and sounded confident and strong. She had no doubt that as his wife, she would be very protected. She looked up at him. The moonlight as so bright, she could see nearly every one of his features. There were no clouds in the sky. It was dotted with millions of bright stars that seemed to add to the light the moon was providing.