“Don’t you think you are getting up there in age? You’re 21. You should be married by now. If it were me, they would be writing me off as a spinster!”
“That’s the difference between men and women, Cynthia. We can go well into our years before marrying and never suffer a stigmatism. It’s called being a lifelong bachelor. That’s praised in many circles!”
“I wouldn’t know why.” Cynthia huffed. “It certainly takes more effort to be a spinster than it does a bachelor.”
Alex nodded. “I’ll give you that, dear. It is very much a man’s world. Would you like to attend the ball this Friday with me?”
“That would be lovely, Alex. Tell me, though, how will you attract a lady if you always take me everywhere you go?”
Alex laughed loudly. “I do not take you everywhere I go, my dear! You should know better than that.”
Again when Cynthia looked at him, his eyes sparkled back at her, and she felt a warm affection for him.
“I’m so glad you’re here, Alex.” She gushed. She raised her glass into the air. “Here’s to our friendship.”
“To our friendship.” He picked up his glass and clinked it against hers.
Duke Daniel Willingham looked out over the green field, scanning it closely for animals or any changes that may have been made since he last took a ride out this way, which was exactly a week ago. He sighed. There was no change. No one ever trespassed on his land poached or camped out there. No one threatened his family in any way. It was always boring and tedious, these ritualistic tasks his father made him do. Normal people aren’t still held under their parents’ thumbs when they reach the age of 21, much less 30. His thirtieth birthday was only a few months away, and his parents were itching for him to find a bride and create an heir.
“They’re not even that old,” Daniel grumbled as he pressed his heels into the horse’s side to get it to move forward. He leaned forward and patted the horse on his neck. “We got this, Your Majesty,” he said to the horse. “You know nothing’s out here, don’t you, boy?”
Over the years, Daniel’s father had built quite an empire from almost nothing and would defend it for his very life. He had fought a war to protect his land and lived to tell about it. Now, many years later, his father was still fighting that war, but he’d brought it to his own back yard. Grand Duke Isaac Willingham was a tyrant and a bully but only when it came to his suspicions. If he felt taken advantage of, he would light up like a fire in the night. He was loud and could be rude. Daniel couldn’t fathom what kept his mother from running for the hills at some point over the last 30 years. He had ruled his district with an iron fist since he inherited it from his father.
Daniel supposed it was the other side of his father, the one that only a few people were privileged enough to see that kept his mother with him and his family loving him. The strength that his father exuded when angry was matched for his other emotions as well. He was a fierce defender of his wife and three children. He was loyal to the core and honest as the day is long. Daniel couldn’t remember a time when his father had lied to him. He may have been mistaken or confused, but Isaac never lied. Daniel had learned from that. He strived, to be honest in everything he did.
Unfortunately, that meant he was open about his feelings for the women he courted. He had been through many in the last ten years. Many. They had been fun for a time. Each one of them had special qualities that he adored. But there was always some kind of problem. They were too clingy, too naggy, too homely, too tall, too short…there was always something wrong that made him turn away from them. After they had fun, though.
That meant a lot of the ladies in town and that he had to dance with during the Season were already onto him. They already knew what he was about and would only deign to give him a quick Waltz or Polka because he bothered to come to the ball in the first place.
He sighed, seeing the faces of his most recent encounters in his mind and reviewing each of them quickly to see if a second or third date would be possible. His father had given him an ultimatum. Find a bride or be disinherited.
That was the last thing he needed. He had no money of his own and lived off of his father’s allowances. He had few duties when it came to taking care of their dukedom. Any that might have been his fell to his older brother, Mark, who had been successfully in charge since he was about 21. Now, fifteen years later, Mark was well-known and highly regarded all through the lands. He wasn’t going to be able to match up to his brother. He’d stopped trying long ago.