The Duke's Reform (3 page)

      This time his
shout of mirth caused the unfortunate young lady to her left to step on her hem
and tear the flounce clean off. The dagger look Isobel received almost made her
lose her composure.
As he whirled her away in the promenade
she struggled with her giggles, he not assisting her efforts by winking down at
her.

The remainder of the ball whirled
passed far quicker than she’d anticipated. In spite of her reservations she was
not bored, in fact had never felt so invigorated in her life. She had danced
with a variety of gentlemen both young and old, but none had been as charming
or as handsome as Lord Bentley.

       He had
returned to claim her for the supper dance and by the end of the evening she
had quite revised her former opinion and was halfway to liking him a great
deal. She was not so I as to believe he was so afflicted and did not expect to
hear from him again.

However, when she returned from her
early morning ride she was greeted by a frantic Aunt Laura.   
‘My dear girl, such an
honour
, indeed it is quite
worth the aggravation of rising at the crack of dawn.’

      ‘Aunt Laura,
I’ve no idea of what you speak. Indeed, I am astonished to find you abroad so
early.’

      ‘I told you, my
love, The Duke of Rochester has come to call on you. He’s been here half an
hour already. Poor Illingworth has been obliged to talk to him. I could not
remain in the same room, he puts me all in a flutter, he stares at one in such a
way as to make you believe you have a smut upon your nose.’

Isobel was dumbfounded; for such an
illustrious person to make his appearance but a few hours after the end of the
ball was incredible. Had he been as taken with her as she was with him? Had
their encounter in Norfolk made her seem a friend and not a stranger?

 ‘I had better not waste time
by returning to my chamber and changing from my riding habit.’ The look of
horror she received from her aunt made her laugh. ‘He cannot expect us to be in
our finery if he chooses to call so early. This is a very becoming habit, it
exactly matches my eyes, have you not told me so several times before?’

      Not waiting to
hear the reply Isobel walked straight across the
chequered
entrance hall and into the drawing-room. Two heads turned. Her uncle was
patently relieved and the duke showed unmistakable appreciation in his eyes.

      She dipped in a
deep curtsy; the jaunty ostrich feather on the brim of her military style swept
the floor. Straightening, she gazed across the room at the two men, waiting for
one of them to speak.

      ‘Lady Isobel,
forgive me for calling so early, but like you I am in the habit of riding
before anyone else is around. I wished to invite you to drive in the park with
me this afternoon.’

      She was
surprised at his statement. He did not look like a man who relished exercise at
any time. Then she recalled his wild appearance last year and reconsidered. He
had a slightly jaded air about him today, as if he had been spending his days
in idle pursuits not something as invigorating as a gallop around Hyde Park.

      ‘I should be
delighted to accompany you, your grace, if my uncle gives me permission.’

      ‘I am quite
happy for you to do so, my dear, as long as you are accompanied by your
abigail
.’

      A flash of
something passed across the duke’s handsome features. This was quite possibly
annoyance. Had he really believed his title would allow him to ride roughshod
over her good name?

‘Forgive me, gentlemen, but as you
see I have not yet had the opportunity to change from my riding habit …’ She
stopped, appalled that she’d been so gauche as to mention changing her apparel.
This time his eyes glittered with something she did not recognize. Her cheeks
blazed, hastily she curtsied a second time and without further comment turned
to go.

      His deep voice
followed her. ‘I shall arrive to collect you at two o’clock, Lady Isobel.’

      She was sorely
tempted to return to the drawing-room and tell this autocratic gentleman that
two o’clock was not convenient, but common sense prevented her. A man like him
had been born and bred to issue orders in the expectation that they would be
obeyed without question. His dark

visage
had often filled her dreams these past
few weeks, it would be no hardship to drive with the most attractive man in
Town.

      Running
upstairs, her skirt draped over her arm, she smiled at the thought of being
seen in his company. If Petunia was to be believed, she would now be the talk of
the town. Was it really possible one man could influence opinion in this way?

*

Mary stood back, her dear face glowing with
pride. 'My lady, I don't believe there is another as beautiful as you in Town
this season. The leaf green of your promenade gown was a perfect
choice,
I must say I wasn't sure it was quite right for you
when you selected it.'

'It seems a pity to cover the pretty
beading on the bodice with my pelisse, but it's decidedly chilly this
afternoon. I know it's the end of March, but it doesn't feel like spring.'
Isobel lifted the hem of her dress to stare at her new half-kid boots dyed to
exactly match her ensemble. 'These are decidedly uncomfortable, it's fortunate
I shall not have to walk far in them.'

      'You know how it
is, my lady, they will ease with wear. Your bonnet brim is so deep it's going
to prevent you from speaking to the duke. You will have to turn your head in
order to see him.'

      'That's exactly
why I selected it. If I find his company tedious I can stare straight ahead and
he will have no notion that I am pulling faces at him.'

     
'My lady!
You must not jest about such
things,
if you offend such an illustrious person your season could be ruined. One word
from him and your invitations will be withdrawn. Remember how you met last
November?'

      'He is a man
like any
other,
I shall treat him with the respect he
deserves.'

      Picking up her
gloves and reticule she checked in the glass she was looking her best. After
all, her appearance was the only thing she had to offer. Being the daughter of
an impecunious earl would not impress
this
man. He was prodigiously
handsome, fabulously wealthy and a duke - but for all that unless he engaged
her affections she would not consent to

marry
him. Was it possible he had been thinking of
her as she had him since their first encounter?

Good grief! She had been invited to
drive and already she was anticipating an offer. On hearing voices in the
vestibule she paused at the head of the stairs. She had not expected him to
leave his carriage and come in person to collect her. He must not keep his team
waiting a moment longer on her account. They were the same handsome chestnuts
he had driven in Norfolk.

'Lady Isobel, you are
ravisante
.
And equally important, you are not tardy.' He bowed and she paused halfway down
the stairs to dip in a curtsy.

      'Thank you, your
grace, for your compliment. I am famous for my punctuality, am I not, Uncle?'

      He nodded
solemnly. 'Indeed, my dear, you are an example to us all.'

      She hid her
smile beneath her bonnet
brim,
it was a standing joke
that she was always the last to appear having had her nose in a book or become
lost in her music.

      Bentley met her
at the foot of the staircase holding out his arm. She had no option but to
place her hand on it. It was the same as when they had danced together last
night, just touching him made her feel decidedly odd. She daren't glance
sideways,
he would see that her cheeks were flushed and know
he was affecting her in this way.

     
'Oh my!
A high perch phaeton - I had no idea you would drive
such a thing.'

      'I am a noted
whipster
, my lady. Unfortunately, as you can see, I will be
unable to accommodate your maid. However, it's perfectly permissible to drive
in an open carriage in broad daylight without risking your reputation.'

      Mary was rigid
with disapproval. Isobel was tempted to refuse to accompany him, but the
resulting fracas would cause distress to her relatives and she would not
willingly do that. He was perfectly correct, only in a closed carriage did she
need to be chaperoned.

      Smiling
apologetically at her
abigail
she continued down the
marble steps where the alarming vehicle was waiting. A diminutive tiger was all
but swinging from the head of the lead horse as it stamped and pawed the ground
in its eagerness to be away.

      Without a by
your leave two strong hands gripped her waist and she was all but tossed
aboard. The phaeton rocked alarmingly and she clutched the side, it did
so
again as he joined her.

His tiger released his grip and shot
to the rear of the vehicle to scramble, not a moment too soon, on to the step
at the rear. With a flick of his whip the duke released the team and they moved
smoothly away from the path and on to the main thoroughfare. There was no conversation
between them, she kept her eyes firmly on the road ahead fearing that at any
minute the spirited team would spook and deposit her on the road.

      Her worries
receded as they progressed safely through the traffic. He was in control of his
horses,
she was in no danger with him beside her. She
began to relax, to look about her with interest. This was the first time she'd
travelled in such a modern vehicle, its prodigious height gave one such an
advantage over other road users. She saw the park gates ahead several minutes
before they arrived there.

      There were many
like-minded carriages entering the park. Two o'clock was obviously the time to
be seen bowling around the paths. They had not been inside for many minutes
before she became aware that every head turned in their direction as they
trotted past.

      'Lady Isobel,
delightful as your bonnet is, can I ask you not to wear it on our next
excursion?'

      She shifted
sideways in order to reply. 'I know
,
it has more the
appearance of a coal scuttle than a hat. I cannot imagine what possessed me to
buy it.'

      His chuckles
sent shivers up her spine. He was all but irresistible when he smiled in that
particular way. 'Excellent, my lady, we are already on agreement on one
matter.'

      'I have never
ridden in one of these before, it's an exciting experience. However, being so
high from the ground and exposed to the elements is not something I would care
to do unless the weather is clement.'

      'Shall we ride
together tomorrow morning, Lady Isobel? I shall collect you at …' He hesitated
as if not sure what would be a suitable time to suggest.

'I normally go out at seven o'clock,
your grace.' This was pure
fabrication,
she rarely
left the house before half past eight. She doubted if he was aware that such an
hour existed.

      'Seven o'clock?'
He smiled at her and her insides somersaulted. 'I had no notion you were such a
dedicated rider, Lady Isobel. I believe you must have been out for three hours
this morning.'

      Hoist by
her own
petard! Suddenly she felt comfortable in his
company, able to speak naturally to him. Laughing at his perspicacity she
nodded. 'I am
discovered,
I thought to frighten you by
insisting you joined me at dawn. I leave at half past eight and should be
honoured
to have you accompany me tomorrow.'

      She returned
from her drive fizzing with excitement. Unbelievable as it might seem, he
appeared to find her as appealing as she found him. Had she already met the man
she would one

day
marry?

Chapter Three

The next two weeks Isobel hardly had time to
gather her thoughts. Lord Bentley was constantly at her side and she was
whisked to the opera, to the theatre and escorted to all the most prestigious
social events. It could only be a matter of time before he made her a formal
offer. He was to dine with them tonight and had asked for a private audience
with Uncle Benjamin who stood in
loco parentis
.

      She was sitting
in front of the fire in her sitting room drying her hair when Aunt Laura came in.
'My dear, I must speak to you. As your dear mama is not here it falls on me to
do what she would
do.
'

      'Aunt Laura,
there's no need to explain what will be required of me when I become a bride, I
am well aware what my duties will be.'

      'That's a
profound relief, my love, I can now move onto the next matter. Rochester
intends to speak to your uncle this evening. If you have any doubts about
marrying him then you must say so now.'