Duke 0f Chance (Regency Stories Book 2) Read online

  “Ah, Hannah,” Joseph said as he walked up to her. “I have been looking for you.”

  “Is that so?” she asked in a voice so frosty he should have been frozen on the spot.

  “Yes,” he replied, this time with less enthusiasm and smiles than he had when he first walked up, which suited Hannah just fine. His eyes searched her face. “Has someone upset you? Would you like to take in some fresh air?”

  “No, thank you,” Hannah said crisply. “I believe you and Miss Treesing have had plenty.” She hurried past him, his jaw gaping open, just as the first hot tear rolled down her cheek. Now that he was inside, the gardens would once again be a safe place to lose oneself, so that was where she headed.

  She was halfway down the path when she heard Joseph call out to her.

  “Hannah!” His footsteps were loud as he came running to stand before her, blocking her progress down the path. Concern etched his features. “Please, tell me what is wrong!”

  She glared up at him. Did he deserve an explanation? She knew he had not seen her with Miss Treesing, but did it matter? However, her anger won out. “I stood waiting for you,” she said, seething, “expecting you to be engaged in discussions concerning hunting or businesses or whatever else you are prone to speak of. However, I come outside to find your…friend…in your arms and her lips upon your cheek.”

  “It is not…”

  “Do not tell me that I did not see what I did!” she snapped at him. She was even angrier now than before, and she knew it stemmed from how seeing the man in such a position upset her so. Their courtship was not real, and yet seeing him as she had found him made her blood boil. “Lord Whitely told me of the love you once shared. If you mean to reignite it, then at least have the decency to court her properly.”

  She might have not expected the man to outright apologize—he was a duke after all—but some sort of regret or embarrassment would have been appropriate right at the moment.

  However, he did not appear shameful at all. Rather, he shook his head in amazement. “I should have Whitely hanged,” he said in a low voice. “Why would he tell such a lie?”

  A pounding behind Hannah’s ears made her want to grab her head in her hands. “You still lie to me!” She cared not that she was shouting now. “I saw with my own eyes what he said was true!”

  Joseph grabbed her gloved hand. “Will you not allow me just a few words of explanation? I beg of you.”

  She took a deep breath to calm her nerves, though it did little good. Then she nodded. “Very well. Speak.”

  “Your eyes did not deceive you,” he said. “We did embrace, and she did kiss my cheek.”

  “Thank you for your honesty,” she said haughtily, and then added inwardly, finally.

  “However, what you do not seem to understand is that it was a kiss of friendship. You see, when I was a child, I did care for her, I suppose, as much as a boy believes he cares for a girl. That was years ago, I can assure you.”

  “So, you do not care for her now?” Hannah asked.

  “No.” His reply could not have been any firmer. “Not for anything more than as a friend. Not in the way a man is supposed to care for a woman…as I do you.” His words hung in the air before they pierced her heart. Yet, was he being truthful? Or was he attempting to bewitch her as Tabitha had said?

  She wanted to laugh at that. Another silly notion she would have given a tongue-lashing to any other woman if she had uttered it. She found that the words to respond would not come forth, as if they were stuck in her throat.

  “I have learned that your views on life have done wonders for me,” he said, his voice now a whisper. He had not released her as of yet, and she now hoped he never would. “I find myself, for the first time in a very long time, laughing and enjoying our conversations.”

  “I do, as well,” she said.

  “I must admit, in the beginning, I wanted you on my arm so I could parade you around as the beautiful woman you are. Now, however, I ask that you allow me to continue to court you, not as a business arrangement, nor because of a flip of a coin, but because you would want that.”

  Hannah trembled and her legs felt weak. Her heart soared with joy. Yet, a small particle of doubt lingered. “Do you promise that Lord Whitely lied?”

  “I do. Whitely enjoys causing problems, even with his friends. Please believe me, not him.”

  Hannah thought for a moment. She wanted nothing more than to believe Joseph, for that would mean that he cared for her as much as he said he did. The truth was, what reason did the man have for lying? If their arrangement had been purely business, he should not care whether she was a jealous ninny or not.

  “I believe you,” she said finally. “I would like to tell you how I feel, as well.” She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. It was time for her to share what was on her heart, but it would not be easy. She opened her eyes and gazed up at him once more. “When I first met you, I must admit that I believed you were quite handsome.”

  Of course, he smiled at her and his back straightened considerably. She could have laughed at the arrogance this time, but it did not seem to hold the same meaning it once had. “And do you still believe this?” he asked.

  “Yes, I do.”

  He laughed. “I must admit that I’m glad of that.”

  “Since our agreement was set in place, I found a person inside you who is good. A man with whom I enjoy spending time, a man I wish to continue courting me…well past the three months that were agreed upon.”

  “That is my wish, as well,” he said. “Shall we put all this arguing behind us? Let us now search and explore the days ahead…together.”

  Hannah could not help but smile. “Yes, I would like that.”

  He pulled her in for an embrace, and though she wished for a kiss, she knew they could not; not yet. When the embrace broke, she smiled and he returned it.

  “I hope you know you are a good man,” she said as they headed back to the house, her arm in his.

  “I’m beginning to see that perhaps I may be.”

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Chapter Fourteen

  Time has a way of moving slowly when what happened around a person was dull—and quickly when a person experienced something thrilling. Since Hannah and Joseph had spoken at the party, the days passed by quickly, quicker than Hannah could have hoped. Joseph had called over twice in the last three weeks, and each time he came by, their conversations grew deeper. Today, he was to come and collect her to take her away to some surprise. Tabitha would be with them, of course, as Hannah’s chaperone.

  Hannah could barely contain her excitement as she waited for Joseph to arrive. It was not simply the possibilities in the destination that held her anticipation but more the opportunity to spend time with Joseph once again. She let out a sigh of frustration as she glanced up at the large clock on the mantle once more.

  Tabitha giggled at her, and Hannah gave her an annoyed look before breaking out into a peal of laughter herself. Her mother would have been given to fits if she saw her daughter waiting for a man at the front door rather than in the parlor where she belonged.

  Finally, the carriage came rumbling up the drive, and Hannah had to force her face to smooth so she would not appear too overzealous. She might wait outside for a man to arrive, but there was no reason to show too much excitement, even if inside she was bursting with it.

  “It is kind of your parents to allow you to go out with the Duke seeing as they are away,” her cousin said as she pulled on a glove.

  “They do not know,” Hannah said, giving Tabitha a pointed look, “and they shall not learn of it.”

  Tabitha stared at her with wide eyes. “You have agreed to go out without your parents’ permission?”

  “You are with me,” Hannah said as if her decision was of no consequence. “That should cover any concerns they might have…if they were to find out, which they will not.”

  Her parents had left early that morning to attend the party of a Baron, a m
an with whom her father was doing business. The way her father carried on about it brought joy to Hannah’s heart, though it hurt her ears. However, it made her father happy, the end of his misery now within reach, or so he had proclaimed that morning, promising to return the following day at midday with tidings of great joy.

  The carriage stopped in front of the house and the driver jumped down from his seat to place a step beside the door. He opened the door and Joseph exited, resplendent in a close-cut blue coat and tan breeches tucked into black boots that had been polished to a bright sheen.

  “Ladies,” he said as gave them a bow, “there is no need to wait outside.”

  “We do not mind, Your Grace,” Tabitha said as she dropped a perfect curtsy to the man.

  Hannah glanced at her cousin, who once again grinned as widely as a child receiving a sweet.

  Joseph turned to Hannah and gave her a nod. “Miss Newmont, it is a pleasure to see you once again.”

  “The pleasure is all mine, Your Grace,” Hannah replied with a curtsy that outdid that of Tabitha. Her cheeks had to be a bright red, for her face felt significantly heated.

  A breeze picked up and Joseph glanced up at the sky. “Rain may come later,” he said as he turned his gaze back to Hannah. “Shall we leave or did your parents wish to speak with me first?”

  “Oh, no, they went upstairs to rest. They send their regrets for not being present to say hello.”

  “Ah,” Joseph replied. “Well, then we shall leave.”

  Hannah entered the carriage and could not believe the luxury within. The seats were filled with the softest of material covered in white tooling with gold designs. The dark wooden panels gleamed, and gold velvet curtains were pulled back and attached to a hook.

  Tabitha was the next to enter the carriage, taking the seat beside Hannah, and then Joseph sat across from them. Hannah could not help but study the man. Lace peeked out from the sleeves of his coat and at the neck, and his white collared shirt was well-starched and his cravat perfectly tied. The coat he wore did nothing to hide the strong arms and broad chest beneath.

  The jerk of the carriage brought her out of her private scrutiny, or she hoped it was private, anyway.

  “So, Miss Tabitha,” Joseph said, “every time I see you, you are grinning at me.”

  Tabitha gasped. “I’m sorry, Your Grace. I did not realize.”

  Joseph laughed. “No need to apologize, but might I ask why?”

  She turned to Hannah as if to seek help, but Hannah just shrugged. She had made her bed, let her lie in it.

  “Well, the truth is, I have never spent time with a duke before. I find the honor of doing so quite pleasing.”

  “That is kind of you to say,” Joseph replied, though he did little to hide his amusement. “I must admit that being in the presence of two ladies such as yourselves is as much of an honor.”

  Hannah wanted to slap her cousin silly when the foolish girl giggled like a child. Not that Hannah herself did not want to giggle, but at least she had the decency to hide it.

  The conversation changed and Hannah found herself staring at a man for whom she cared deeply and a nagging suspicion had her wondering if something more was growing inside her.

  ***

  Hannah waited patiently beneath a large tree as Joseph set out a blanket and returned to the carriage to collect a basket that had been slid beneath one of the seats. They were beside a large field littered with apple trees, and the sun was partly hidden behind a column of gray clouds. The surprise he had for Hannah was a lunch in the outdoors, and Hannah could not have been more pleased, for she felt as important as any woman of the ton—or in all of England.

  The care he had taken to plan this event—the large blanket, the food, a bottle of wine!—was endearing, and she could not imagine any other man taking such care. He had most definitely expected Tabitha to be with them, for he had included an extra wine glass with what he had brought.

  “And there we are,” he said with a smile as he made a grand gesture toward the blanket. He helped first Hannah and then Tabitha to sit before lowering himself to the ground in the remaining corner of the blanket, for Hannah and Tabitha’s skirts were now splayed around them like large petals on flowers.

  “I brought something other than food,” he said, opening the wicker basket and producing a book.

  Hannah laughed. “My book of poetry. Did you read it?”

  He nodded. “I did, some passages twice.” He set it aside and reached back into the basket to take out the bottle of wine. Then he handed each of the women a glass, and they held it as he poured for them.

  Once they had their wine, he lifted his. “To a beautiful day,” he said.

  “A beautiful day,” Hannah replied with a smile.

  Tabitha seemed unsure whether she should also toast, but she lifted her glass, too, and said, “Yes, to a beautiful day.”

  They each took a drink from their glass and then Joseph said, “I wanted to share something with you before we eat.” He wore a smile that was clearly aimed at Hannah.

  “I would like that,” she said.

  He cleared his throat and sat up straight.

  By the passing of day

  The sun sets

  The moon rises.

  In each turn,

  A new day begins,

  Though I think of her.

  Hannah felt her head pound as he spoke, and she set her glass down to keep herself from spilling its contents. Before she could comment, he continued.

  Her beauty calls from the sun

  Her words like milk to a newborn.

  Yet, I wait for the new day to begin.

  “That was beautiful,” she whispered. “It is one of my favorite passages.” She was stunned that he had taken the time to memorize any part of the book, but to choose the one that touched her heart above all others was wondrous indeed.

  He glanced at Tabitha, who was doing her best to not intrude—not an easy task for the poor girl—and then smiled back at Hannah. “I told you before that I was not one for reading, but I am happy that you convinced me to read this.”

  “I’m glad you enjoyed it,” she said, her face heating.

  They remained quiet, and a wind blew through, rustling Hannah’s skirts. She glanced up at the sky, which contained more graying clouds, clearly a sign of a storming moving in. She closed her eyes and listened to the quiet, the sounds of birds singing and the light movement of the grass the only sounds coming to her ears.

  That is, until Tabitha screeched. “A bee! Get it away from me!”

  Joseph jumped up and swatted at the tiny creature with a cloth until it flew away.

  “I’m sorry,” Tabitha said, the blush of embarrassment reaching her ears. “I am terribly afraid of bees.”

  Joseph waved a hand at her and laughed. “I cannot blame you for that,” he said. “They can produce a nasty sting.”

  Tabitha winced. “I stepped on one when I took off my slippers to run through the grass when I was very young. Mother had told me never to do it, but I did not listen.” She sighed. “Unfortunately, my foot swelled to the size of a melon and was as round. Since then, I’ve been terrified.”

  “As well you should,” Hannah said with a smile. “They are tiny but it amazes me how much they hurt when they sting you.”

  They went quiet once more, an easy silence that relaxed Hannah even further. The day could not have been more perfect.

  “You spoke of your mother coming to visit,” Hannah said as a way to bring back some sort of conversation. “When do you expect her?”

  “In three days’ time,” Joseph replied with a sigh. When he had told her about his mother’s visit the last time he had called, he had displayed the same reluctance as he did today. This, of course, made Hannah wonder if she wanted to meet the woman. Perhaps he would not ask her to. Her hopes were dashed, however, when he added, “You must meet her, though I should warn you, she can be a bit…overbearing…at the best of times.”


  “I will keep my guard up,” she said with a smile, though she wished she could somehow decline. “Is there anything I can do that might impress her? To keep in her good graces?”

  Joseph laughed as he reached for the wine bottle and refilled their glasses. “No one can meet her standards,” he said, returning the bottle to the basket. “Not I or anyone on this earth. But do not worry; I care not what she thinks.”

  “Is that true?” she asked skeptically. “You are a duke; there must be some thought about how one views you? Especially your own mother?”

  He shrugged. “I suppose to some degree you are right, though I find the need to make the ton happy or to meet their approval—my mother included—has passed.” Then he looked into her eyes. “Well, that is, excepting one woman.”

  Tabitha cleared her throat. “I believe I will go pick wildflowers,” she said as she began to pull herself up.

  Joseph jumped up and helped her stand. “You do not have to leave,” he said, though Hannah could hear the hope beneath the words, for she felt it as strongly as he.

  “Of course not,” she said. “However, there is a vase in the parlor at Whitehall Manor that is dreadfully empty, and if there is one thing I cannot allow, it is an empty vase. I will not be gone long.” Her look was pointed and Hannah knew what she meant by it. As if anything inappropriate would happen!

  When Tabitha had walked a considerable distance away, Hannah asked, “May I inquire about this woman you mentioned before my cousin left us?”

  Joseph smiled. “You may,” he said as he lowered himself onto one elbow, his legs stretched out in a leisurely fashion. “She is a woman who, when she walks into a room, all attention is drawn to her. Her beauty, her smile, her heart, everything about her is far greater than anyone I have met. One for whom I have developed an affection.” He said the last as he gazed into her eyes.

  Hannah finished off the last of her wine in one gulp, much more than she would ever have partaken at one time if she had her sensibilities with her. Yet, sensibilities were hard to come by when one was flustered by a handsome man. If it had not been for Tabitha being nearby, she very well might have flung herself into the man’s arms, and where would that have gotten her?