A Duke and A Damsel

A Duke and A Damsel--Chapter 12

I know, I know. Another terribly short chapter. I'm sorry. But I really really hope the next one will be longer, mainly because it's time something exciting happened.

I am going to assume that since you've made it this far, you have ready my disclaimer.

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A Duke and A Damsel

Chapter 12

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Arjun sauntered in to the sitting room approximately an hour later expecting Emma and Blake to still be working hard at the “lessons,” or even better, arguing. He'd had a couple of ices at Gunther's to kill time and then took a quick stroll through Hyde Park, but had then gotten bored. He had planned to stay out longer, but his curiosity had also gotten the best of him, and he felt the need to return back to the townhouse early. However, he was sorely disappointed to find, upon his return, that Emma was nowhere in sight, and Blake was sitting in his study doodling on his ledgers.

“What's this, mate? You're 'working' on your ledgers? Where's Miss Sheridan?” he asked, taking a seat.

Blake looked up absentmindedly from his drawing.

“Oh, you're back, is it? That was a quick meeting.”

Arjun shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He'd just made up the meeting as an excuse to give Blake and Emma some time alone. He didn't like lying to his friend, but it had to be done.

“Oh, um, see, my professor never showed up, so I decided to come back early.”

“It took you an hour to decide to come back?”

Arjun decided that it wouldn't hurt to tell the truth a little bit. With his luck, someone or the other would find it gossip worthy that he had been wandering around town by himself.

“Um, well, not exactly. See, I decided to wait for him for a little while and then went to Gunther's but I ate too much so I went for a walk and then came back. So where is Miss Sheridan? How did the lessons go?”

“We haven't started yet,” Blake said simply. “We'll start tonight.”

Arjun quirked up his eyebrow, silently indicating that his friend should continue, leaving out no details.

“We will both be attending the opera tonight, so we will commence our lessons there. Well, I don't quite know if we'll start the lessons, but the intent is to find a man for Miss Sheridan and a woman for me. I've been invited to sit in Lady Fordham's box, one of the boxes with the best view.”

Arjun snorted. As if Blake needed help finding a woman.

“What?” Blake asked.

“Nothing. Please, do go on.”

“Anyway, as I was saying, we'll find a target, for lack of a better word, and then we'll make sure to become close acquaintances with that person so we can feed the other information on how to successfully 'capture their heart,' as Miss Sheridan put it.”

This time Arjun snickered.

“You make it sound as if you're going on a mission for the war office or something. Why must you find your so called target tonight at the opera? Wouldn't it be easier to find them somewhere where you could actually properly speak to them?”

Blake shot Arjun an annoyed look.

“In case you've forgotten, I have less than twenty days to find a wife in order to keep my inheritance. The sooner I find someone, the better. I assume the same goes for Miss Sheridan. It doesn't matter where we find them, just that we do.”

Arjun pretended to look shocked at this piece of information.

“You mean to tell me that Miss Sheridan is looking for a wife as well? Bloody hell, I never would have guessed. Good thing she found you to help her, mate.”

Blake glared at him.

“Arjun, would it hurt you to be serious for once in your life? This is no laughing matter.”

Arjun looked tried to look contrite, though there was no mistaking the amusement in his eyes.

“I'm sorry. In all seriousness though, what makes you think that you'll find someone while sitting in Lady Fordham's box when you haven't thus far? Don't all the same people attend these high society things?”

“Yes, but everyone comes by Lady Fordham's box at one point or another in order to pay their respects. Especially the society matrons who hope to find husbands for their daughters. Miss Sheridan will come by during intermission with the others.”

He paused for a moment before continuing.

“Lady Fordham is notorious for inviting young, unmarried men to her box to view the opera. Now that her sons are all married off, she finds great pleasure in matchmaking with the rakehells of society. None of the men enjoy being showed off like that, but they're too afraid to turn her down.”

“I see. You've learned a great deal about the inner working of society in your short time here,” Arjun said thoughtfully. “Well, I wish you luck then. I look forward to hearing how it goes when you return. I don't care how late it is, just come find me.”

Blake's eyes glittered mischievously, and he grinned.

“What do you mean? Are you telling me you're turning down an opportunity to witness all this firsthand?”

Arjun looked at him questioningly, while his grin grew wider.

“I guess I forgot to mention with all the talk of Miss Sheridan and our plan. You're coming with us. See, Lady Fordham considers you to be worthy of being one of her bachelors.”

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Emma stared nervously at her reflection in the mirror. Tonight was the night she would supposedly find the man who she would spend the rest of her life with, though he didn't know it yet. She hoped that Lord Devonshire knew what he was doing. She was putting all her faith in him. It wasn't like her to trust people so easily. But she trusted Arjun, and he trusted the duke, so she supposed she must trust him too.

On top of that, she hated going to the opera. Still, if it meant she could find the means of saving her family, so be it.

It was going to be a long night.