Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

DREAMS, DESIRES, AND DEVELOPMENTS

" I am sorry that it has been so long since I last visited, Mother." Dominic brushed a few strands of grass from the tombstone.

It was overgrown. Like much of his estate, it was in need of tending. Not quite dire need, but not far from it. Dominic sighed as he looked down at the writing before him.

"Here lies Her Grace, Amelia Dorson, Dowager Duchess of Verimore. Beloved Mother and wife. Born 20 October 1768 – Died 1 January 1811," Dominic read and shook his head. "Six years ago, and yet still, I feel it as though it were yesterday."

He sighed. "I wonder what you would make of everything that has happened? Would you even notice that I have a fiancée? Would it have alleviated your pain or made it worse?"

"And what would you have thought, father?" Dominic glanced down at grave beside his mother's—Arthur Dorson, Duke of Verimore, Beloved Father and Husband. "I hope you are both at peace," Dominic murmured, getting to his knees and turning away from the headstones.

He had not been here in many months, and though he felt guilty, he could not bring himself to visit more frequently. Not with the memory of his mother, all of those years ago, her eyes glassy, face purpled, and skin mottled.

The sickly-sweet smell of laudanum filled his nose, and he felt a rising panic threaten him. Stop it. It was many years ago.

"There you are! Honestly, a rather maudlin thing to be doing so early in the day, Dorson," a voice called, bringing him back to the present.

Dominic smiled and stood up, catching sight of two young men striding towards him. "What are you doing here, cousins?"

"We came to find you!" his cousin, Frederick Felton, Duke of Caverton replied.

Beside Frederick, Thomas grinned, bounding up to him. "Caverton has just told me you managed to wangle an invitation to grandmother's games."

"She is calling them her Dowager Dabbles now," Frederick reminded him.

"Yes, the Dowager Dabbles." Thomas sighed.

"I gave her that name." Dominic let a note of pride enter his voice.

"Did you indeed? I hate it," Thomas said.

"Do you hate the name or the fact that you did not think of it?" Dominic teased his cousin, knowing that he liked to think of himself as something of a wordsmith.

"Why not both?" Thomas replied good naturedly without missing a beat. "Besides, I hate the whole concept of the games. It feels very much like grandmother is up to something nefarious."

"Then you do not plan on attending?" Dominic canted his head towards his cousin.

"If I had the choice, I would not. But grandmother insisted that I come to Caverton. And I know of few people, living or dead, who can refuse her requests." Thomas shuddered as both Dominic and Frederick nodded in agreement.

Few people in the family had not been on the receiving end of his grandmother's driving personality, and no one had refused her in living memory.

"That is true. What of you Caverton?" Dominic asked, looking at Frederick.

"I can hardly refuse; it is my estate after all." Frederick laughed and then ran a hand through his hair. "Although, in truth, it still feels very much like grandmama's in reality. She insists that it is mine to do with as I like, yet she does have a talent for seeming to make my decisions her own."

"She is probably preparing you for married life. After all, I am told that is what a wife does." Thomas laughed.

"Well, it is a good thing that I have no intention of getting married just yet. One woman interfering in my life is more than enough." Frederick shook his head, but Dominic caught sight of a smile playing across his lips.

Something dawned on Dominic just then, and he realised that his grandmother had indeed invited plenty of single people to her Dowager Dabbles. Then he recalled what she had said about him being a rake.

He slapped a hand to his forehead in understanding. "That is why she did not want me there. Not because I am single, but because she thinks I am a rake. And she hates it. It is not some worry about her money going to the crown."

"Very few people want their duchies to go to the crown. Or their fortunes. It's impossible to get either back," Frederick pointed out. "It is probably the one thing that will inspire me to get married… at some point anyway."

"Besides, you are not actually single," Thomas pointed out.

"Yes, good point, I expect if your fiancée heard you say that, you might be in for an earful." Frederick gave him a sidelong look.

"Which reminds me, why on Earth did you not tell us you were courting? I thought you had sworn off marriage entirely." Thomas sounded hurt.

"Because I am not courting. I am not actually engaged," Dominic admitted.

"You lied to grandmama?" Frederick sounded shocked.

"Yes." Dominic shrugged, his face colouring slightly.

"You are either very brave or very stupid." Thomas shook his head.

"I like to think he is both." Frederick laughed softly.

"What exactly are you going to do? She is already telling everyone you will be there with a fiancée." Thomas folded his arms across his chest, concern clear on his face.

"I will be." Dominic said.

"But you just told us you were not engaged." Frederick frowned.

"I am not," Dominic answered.

"But —" Frederick began but Dominic cut him off.

He glanced around them before saying, "I am telling you both this as neither of you seems to be particularly invested in the outcome of the Dabbles."

"I do not need Grandmama's money. I am not even Marquess yet, but I know the estate is doing well." Thomas shrugged.

"As is Caverton. We have not had the same problems that yo— others in the family have faced." Frederick coloured slightly, and Dominic knew he had been about to say, ‘yours'.

It was well known that Verimore's two previous Dukes had been unwell, each spending most of their money on medicines and other healing arts. And while they had been caring for their health, the estate had been mismanaged to near bankruptcy.

"No indeed, few of the family have shared in my line's fate," Dominic said, stiffly. Though I have managed to pull us back from the brink, Verimore is by no means flourishing.

"And there is nothing to say that you will share in it either, Cousin." Thomas gently squeezed his shoulder.

"That is as may be, but the one person whom we know is dying is grandmother." Dominic shrugged out of Thomas' grip.

"Allegedly," Frederick said.

"Yes. But as I was saying, I have a plan for these games, and I mean to win them." Dominic took a deep breath and told his cousins all about Charlotte.

As he spoke, they listened in rapt silence, occasionally interjecting with comments and questions.

"Is that Lady Charlotte Nettle?" Frederick asked curiously.

"Yes, do you know her?" Dominic was surprised.

Frederick shook his head and explained, "By reputation alone. I have seen her a few times at balls though she never really seems to draw much attention to herself."

"I believe her first season she drew quite some attention, not quite the season's diamond but not far from it." Thomas was nodding, as though recalling the season in question.

"Yes, though she has fallen rather out of favour." Frederick frowned thoughtfully. "While she has done nothing too scandalous, it is said she has a rather rebellious spirit."

"She certainly is spirited," Dominic agreed, remembering the way she had told him off the night before.

"Is it true she does things like archery?" Thomas asked.

"I have no idea though it would not be hard to imagine her doing such a thing." Dominic could picture her loosing an arrow into a target. I wonder if she is any good?

"Just be careful she doesn't aim an arrow at you, Cousin," laughed Frederick.

"Why would she do that?" Dominic frowned.

"She is notorious for having particularly high standards and a rather strong dislike of rakes," Thomas pointed out. "She seems to think actually being married would be a fate worse than death."

"Well, no, but that does not mean she dislikes me . At least not enough to put an arrow in me." He recalled her sister's warning him about Charlotte's temper and made a mental note not to aggravate her around any sharp objects.

More to calm his imaginings and reassure himself than anything else, Dominic said, "Besides, if I die, there is no chance that she'll win the Dabbles."

"That is true." Frederick conceded.

"It is a shame she dresses so plainly now. And that she has such a temper." Thomas sighed.

Dominic was surprised to find himself feeling somewhat defensive of Charlotte as he said, "Well, she is the person I have chosen."

She hardly needs me to defend her . What did it matter to him if his cousins thought that his ‘fiancée' had a temper? He would not see her again once the outcome of the games was announced.

"And you are sure she will play her part convincingly?" Thomas narrowed his eyes.

"She has just as much, if not more, to gain than I do. She has two sisters, both younger than her, and the fortune would give each a sizeable dowry." Dominic shrugged. "And I doubt it will be overly long that we must be in each other's company. I am sure we can keep up appearances for the rest of the season. More if it is absolutely required. Especially if the two of you are willing to help us."

"I will do what I can," Frederick promised, and a moment later, Thomas nodded his head in agreement.

"The one thing I am concerned about is grandmother's feelings about my reputation." Dominic ran a hand through his hair in frustration.

"What do you mean?" Thomas asked.

"I am seen as something of a rake, and she seems to loathe that fact." Dominic gestured vaguely. "I fear her dislike of it will mean that she will not allow me to win the Dabbles. Or that it will present a rather significant hurdle."

"Something of a rake? You are seen as practically the embodiment of rakish behaviour." Thomas laughed.

"Which is ridiculous given I have never actually engaged in such behaviour." Dominic shook his head in frustration, clenching his fists as he did so. "It is nothing more than silly rumours based on my charm and being kind to women. I have scarcely done more than kiss someone's hand."

"Could you not tell this to grandmother? That there is no basis to these rumours?" Frederick asked. "After all, she has always been rather fond of you."

"She would not believe me. She would think it some ploy to get her fortune. And at this point the rumours are so pervasive that she is sure to have heard the very lewdest of them." Dominic let out a frustrated growl, momentarily regretting his cultivated reputation. Of course, the very thing I have created to make myself safe is now coming back to cause problems. The irony.

"She does seem to know every intricate detail of the ton. And she delights in rumour," Frederick said.

Thomas added, his voice a mix of amusement, exasperation, and admiration, "Especially when she is the cause of such things."

"But never directly involved," Frederick pointed out, his voice full of affection.

"Oh no, of course not. Grandmama is the mastermind behind the games but never herself a player." Dominic imagined his grandmother as an enormous spider, spinning a web that stretched out from her to all the various corners of the ton. And we are all caught in it.

"Indeed." Thomas laughed though there was a tinge of nervousness to it.

The three of them looked at each other, and Dominic had a feeling they were all wondering the same thing. Are we pawns in another of her games? Did it even matter when such a fortune was at stake?

"Well, if you are determined to win, and your word will not convince her of the truth of your character, you must show her," Thomas said after a while, clapping his hands together.

"Show her?" Dominic frowned. "What?"

Thomas sighed and looked at Dominic as though he were explaining something obvious to a toddler. "Use these two weeks to show her that you are the furthest thing from a rake. That you are charming, kind, and courteous, yes, but that you are not wanton with your affections."

"You sound like an old woman when you say things like that," Dominic teased his cousin.

"You must do everything in your power to prove through your actions that you are not who the ton thinks you are," Frederick added excitedly. "Perhaps your ‘fiancée' could assist you in this?"

"I suppose, she will have to. Though it may be hard as she too thinks I am a rake." Dominic swallowed. And she clearly has no love of rakes.

"And you have not sought to correct her notion of you?"

"No."

"Then it would seem your work is cut out for you." Thomas sighed.

Dominic frowned a moment and thought of Charlotte and the way she had looked embarrassed when her stepmother had brought up her dress the night before. He thought of all that his cousins had said, and an idea began to form in his mind.

He smiled. "I know what I need to do."

"And are you going to tell us?" Thomas asked.

"That would spoil the surprise. But fret not, dear cousins, you will see it soon enough." Dominic embraced each of his cousins as he said this and then clapped them both on the back simultaneously.

He strode away from them. They called after him, but he ignored them and simply picked up speed. By his estimation, it was three o'clock. He only had a few hours to get to his destination. He slipped one of the rings from his finger and looked at it.

He felt a mix of emotions as he thought of his plan. It is only a ring; I will not miss it overly. He felt a tug in his chest, and he told himself that it was a perfect way to not only sell his fake relationship to his grandmother but to earn him Charlotte's trust.

This will be a purely practical investment. Nothing more, nothing less. Besides, it was self-motivated. It would help him far more than it would help her. He needed her to look her best. That was all.

So why was he picturing Charlotte's smile?