Eventually Yours

27 Not The Chocolates

The drawing room was different nowadays. Madison and I were forced to play cards bent at odd angles on the couches with the end table between us as the only other table in the room was dedicated entirely to plans for Emily's wedding. Fabric swatches, floral patterns, and potential menus were scattered all across it. Crumpled up first drafts of the guest list lay strewn around and under it. My mother was always at that table, scratching down one note or another, holding up fabric for comparison in the morning light.

Though there was no light now. The day had darkened earlier than usual with the thunderstorms outside. Perhaps that accounted for my mother's frazzled mood and the way she was working on the seating chart like a madwoman, her hair having almost entirely escaped its normally neat bun.

I'd just won a hand when I thought I heard a sound coming from outside. Brow furrowed, I looked up to see if Madison had heard it too. The way she was looking back at me told me she did. But that wasn't likely. Hoof beats? Who would be out riding in this weather?

"Tell me Elijah hasn't been to town again," Madison said as I stood and went to the window. Emily and my mother joined as well, just as intrigued by the guest as I.

When I saw who it was, galloping furiously down our drive with the wind and rain beating at his back, my heart stopped.

"The Duke!" My mother screamed. "Oh dear, hurry girls. Grab some towels from the linen closet. Emily, go get your father. Ella, have the servants start a fire."

I didn't do any of that. My feet were pounding against the carpet as I made my way out of the drawing room and down the stone steps into the foyer where Benthem and Elijah were already wrenching open the front doors to admit the soaking Duke.

He strode in, eyes darting wildly about the room. They stopped when they found me. My breath hitched, my heart raced, every nerve in my body fired at once. His gaze was more intense than I even remembered, as if he could devour me with one single look and wanted nothing more than to do so.

"Goodness me, come in dear, come in," my mother was hovering, dabbing at him with some old faded towel. "You're dripping all over the stone. Please, Your Grace, come in. We'll have a fire made and perhaps you can join us for dinner."

He blinked then, pulling his gaze away from me as if realizing for the first time that we weren't alone.

"I came to say congratulations," he said dully, glancing once at Emily and giving her a polite nod. Benthem and Elijah looked over at one another as if they didn't believe for a second that was the true reason for this visit. I couldn't possibly see why. Didn't everyone ride for miles through a thunderstorm to congratulate a mere acquaintance when they became engaged?

"That's so kind of you, Your Grace," my mother cooed. "We are flattered and honored by your attention. Please, do come in though and get out of these wet clothes. You'll be far more comfortable for dinner that way."

He looked back at me once more as Benthem led him away to see him changed into dry clothes before my mother had a conniption.

Once he had gone, everyone heaved a collective sigh.

"What on earth was that about?" Madison spoke through her exhale.

Emily met my gaze and I felt heat creeping into my cheeks.

"He wanted to wish you well, Emily," my mother answered. "I'm sure he must have thought that, since the two of you courted for a time, you would want to know that he approved of the match."

No one but her seemed to believe that excuse. But she took it in stride and left us all in the foyer to go off and shout at some poor servant that dinner had to be remarkable.

Madison and Elijah continued their guesses as to what must have brought him here in such a fashion. Emily watched me knowingly. But I hardly realized any of it was happening at all as I could hardly hear over the blood rushing in my ears.

We were all ushered to dinner soon enough, my mother ensuring the place setting was immaculate by putting the finishing touches on it just moments before Benthem entered with the Duke. We all stared openly at the new guest who had made such a dramatic entrance. He looked out at us all before taking a seat at the table.

"It was just so kind of you to come all this way to wish Emily well," my mother gushed, hand to her heart and sparkle in her eyes. The Duke seemed uncomfortable but he managed a nod. "It's so very appreciated and I hope you know we all think the world of you."

His eyes snapped to me.

"I do hope you'll come to the wedding," Emily piped up. My mother was surprised, not by what she had said, but that she had said anything at all.

"I would be honored," the Duke replied, smiling at Emily who grinned back before glancing over at me. "When is it?"

"At the end of the season," my mother said proudly.

"So soon," the Duke responded but Benthem coughed pointedly so he corrected himself. "I mean, of course, fall weddings are so lovely and you'd want to do it before it got too cold. Especially if you have it outside."

"Oh, well, we aren't certain of that as of yet," my mother answered him, tapping her fork nervously against her plate. I closed my eyes. The issue of the venue had been ratcheted my mother's nerves to new levels over the past few days. We'd all been subjected to speeches of how it was the most important aspect of planning and had to be done before anything else could truly get underway. But Lady Pennbrook had decided not to host any more events in her beautiful ancient mansion after the season and all of the local social halls were already booked for some event or another. My mother was reaching the end of her rope on the subject of the venue.

The Duke seemed to notice her anxiousness and furrowed his brow in confusion.

"We don't have a venue," Emily explained casually. Her tone alone made my mother grip the table until her knuckles turned white even though she simply smiled up at the rest of us.

"It's fine," she wheezed, more to herself than to any of us. "We can find a place and still have time for everything else. I've got a meeting later this week. Of course, if we wait until then we may have to forgo some of the flower arrangements. And the imported chocolates."

The Duke looked up at me and we met eyes in that moment, both of us smiling at a shared joke that only we knew. It was the first time I'd seen him smile in what seemed like ages and, I was sure given how cross I'd been with him for so long before he left, it was the first time he had seen me smile in some time as well.

"Have it at Northumberland," he said suddenly, his eyes still on mine. My smile faltered as surprise took over my expression.

The table fell silent, forks clattered to plates, as my mother whimpered out a quiet, "Excuse me?"

"Sure," he continued with a shrug. "Have it at Northumberland. We've got plenty of land. Plenty of room to accompany your guests. You can have it indoor or outdoor as you wish. You can invite everyone from town to make the journey. I can invite some in the city for you to meet. Emily gets her flowers... and her chocolates."

He shot another grin in my direction.

I wanted to be angry with him. After all, he had just left with no explanation, breaking my heart in two from the words left unsaid between us. But the words he spoke next threw me into a tailspin, fighting to understand what he could possibly mean by such a suggestion.

"You can all come to visit. Plan the wedding in the place you're having it and stay with us until the event."