Taming Jane

Chapter 6

Chapter Six

At breakfast the following morning Mr Carter had presented Sebastian and Emilia with an invitation to a military salute evening at the Duke of Chatsworth’s residence.

“What is a military salute?” Jane asked curiously as she cracked open her boiled egg.

“It is basically a large party where all the officers in the regiment nearby are invited to drink to their heart’s content in their red coats and then have their way with the willing women,” Sebastian rolled his eyes. Jane knew her brother had never approved of the officer’s antics. When they were children and officers had passed through Yorkshire they left a string of broken hearts behind them belonging to ruined women.

“Sebastian has decided firmly that the girls shall be locked in their bedchambers should there be a regiment in town during their first seasons,” Emilia giggled as she looked at her three daughters who each had a clueless expression on their faces.

“Too bloody right,” Sebastian swore. The girls gasped and James laughed at the sudden use of profanity at the dining room table. “Don’t repeat that,” Sebastian instructed to his children. “I commend the officers for all their work military wise but ruining young girls is one step too far.”

“Don’t worry, papa, I won’t marry an officer and Little J said she won’t ever get married so we won’t go near officers,” Kitty assured her father innocently as she mashed her boiled egg with a fork.

Sebastian smiled at his young daughter. “How about you three make papa very happy and never marry?” he suggested seriously.

Jane and Emilia burst into a fit of giggles at Sebastian’s blunt request. Emilia leant over to Sebastian and kissed his cheek. “Relax, darling, we have a few years yet before we need to worry about fending the officers off our girls.”

“They dare look at them when the girls are out in society they will answer directly to me,” Sebastian growled.

Jane tried to stop herself from laughing again by disguising her giggles with a cough. Jane quickly finished her egg and rose from the table. “Excuse me, everyone, I’m going to go for a walk.”

Emilia looked like she didn’t want Jane to go. “You’ll be back for the ball tonight, won’t you?” she asked in a concerned manner.

“Yes, I’ll return by then,” she promised. “Why are you so worried?”

“There’s an acquaintance that Em so desperately wants you to make,” Sebastian explained.

Emilia’s brown eyes sparkled. “He’s the handsome young nephew of the Duke of Chatsworth, and as the Duke has only daughters, he will inherit. Her Grace, Jane, Duchess of Chatsworth, can you imagine it?” she asked excitedly.

Jane snorted without thinking. “Me, a duchess?” she said in disbelief. “I should sooner be an officer than a nobleman’s wife.”