Chapter 1

Chapter 1

“You will be cordial with the Duke of Creighton, and that is final.”

Lady Jacqueline Winterbourne, daughter of Lord Pemberton, had not told her father about her conversation with the duke all those years prior, but somehow, he seemed to know that she had no interest at all in the man.

Regardless, it did not matter that she was hesitant. What mattered was that she oversaw the packing for the trip; her father would not do it himself, and even if he did it would not be of any use to them.

Besides, Jackie reasoned, it would aid her in her future running of a household, should she ever marry.

“You seem concerned,” Elizabeth smiled kindly. “Might I be of any assistance?”

“If you could find a way for the two of us to escape this visit, that would be wonderful.”

“Sadly, even I could not persuade Father to do that. This could mean big things for his standing, should he be in with a duke. There shall be no changing his mind on the matter, whether you want to avoid the duke or not.”

“He said the duke has invited us all personally,” she sighed, not truly responding to her sister. “Why on Earth would he do that? He was so brutish when he and I met, and if you ask me, I do not think a man of his standing would ever be forced to change his ways.”

“Perhaps you caught him at a bad time?”

“Be that as it may, I do not wish to know him.”

“It is a shame, because with how popular you were when you were out, it would have been quite easy to snare him as a husband.”

Jackie gave her a pointed look.

“Should I ever marry a man like that, you must send for a doctor immediately.”

“You shall never marry at all if you do not reenter society.”

“Liz, I cannot. You know that. For a start, I am much too old. When was the last time you saw a hopeful unmarried woman of four-and-twenty?”

“You would be fine, I assure you. Why, Lady Blackburne was two-and-thirty when she married an earl. There have been stranger things to happen, I assure you.”

“I do not wish to be seen as strange any more than I already am. You know, if you put half as much effort into your own season, you might find some success yourself.”

“Perhaps,” Elizabeth considered. “Though with Father being the way he is, I highly doubt that there would be a gentleman that would not be frightened off.”

Jackie sighed. Her sister had been every bit as beautiful as the ton had viewed herself, yet for some reason Elizabeth had struggled to enter a single courtship. That was what Elizabeth told her, at least, but she had never been one to lie.

The young ladies were not fools, of course; their father had changed immensely since the death of his wife, and now among his gambling debts and brandy bottles it was difficult to see why any self-respecting man would want to enter into such a family.

“Why did you help the duke in the first place?” Elizabeth asked suddenly. “You must have known it was dangerous to be alone in the dark with a man.”

“I did not, in truth, think of that. I simply saw a person with the same problem that Mother used to have, and I knew how to help her, so I wanted to try helping this other person. The fact that he was a duke meant very little to me.”

“I do not suppose that he ever saw it that way, of course.”

“No, he likely saw me as some silly girl trying to trap him, and a part of me does not blame him for that, but even so I cannot see past the way he spoke to me. Accusatorily, as if I had not just helped him.”

“You make an excellent point. Regardless, we could spend the entirety of the visit avoiding him, if you wish. I have little interest in speaking with him.”

“Whyever not? You could have him for yourself if you wish.”

Elizabeth blushed gently.

“No, thank you,” she chuckled. “He is no more the type of man for me than he is for you. I will say, though, that it was wonderful of him to have invited Lord Greene too. Now that is a man of fine standing. Did you know, he is set to inherit his father’s title? He shall be a marquess from then on.”

“Yes, so it is even stranger that the duke has invited our father of all people. Why do you suppose he has done that?”

Again, Elizabeth’s face flushed, this time even more than it had before. Jackie eyed her carefully. It had been more and more common for her sister to avoid her gaze, and she did not know what to do about it. There were only so many times that she could ask about it before she had to leave the matter be. She had enough to do each and every day without trying to decipher something about her sister, who usually shared everything with her.

“Father told me the two of them are friends,” Elizabeth explained. “They frequent the same gentlemen’s club.”

“If that is the case, why is this the first time that we are hearing of it? I cannot help but feel as though there is more to it than a simple friendship.”

“Well, you have always had a tendency to look too deeply into things. I would not pay too much mind to it. It is a visit and nothing more, and who knows? Perhaps you and the duke might find some common ground.”

“Could you take these to my father’s study?” Jackie said quickly to a servant, handing her some papers. “My sincerest apologies, Sister, what did you say?”

“I do not find you amusing.”

“A pity, for I certainly do.”

“Jackie, you have to try and see things differently. I do not believe that the duke even remembers what happened between the two of you. Dukes meet a lot of people, after all, and if he had remembered it and continued to blame you, why would he have invited you in the first place?”

“Because he is a friend of Father’s.”

“You are being deliberately obtuse, aren’t you?”

“Perhaps,” Jackie smirked, taking some gowns from a maid. “Now, are you going to be in my ear all day or are you going to prepare for our trip?”

“If you allowed me to lift a finger here, I might be able to help you rather than follow you around.”

“There is not a single chance that I will be doing that. I am the lady of the household, and it is my responsibility to ensure everything runs smoothly. It is your job to learn how to paint and sew and sing.”

The two girls laughed brightly, Elizabeth taking some gowns from her sister with a grin.

“I cannot stand sewing,” she said firmly. “I—”

“Prick your fingers too much?” Jackie suggested, to which she nodded. “That is all the more reason to practice. We could find you a good husband, you know.”

“I am far happier with you,” Elizabeth promised. “Besides, if you are happy with this life, then perhaps I could be the same?”

Jackie eyed her sister carefully. There was a sadness in the way that she said it, but Jackie was quite sure of why that was. Elizabeth had always talked about her life as a wife and mother, until recently, but Jackie had not paid that part any mind. After all, several years could not be erased from memory after a mere few weeks.

“You would be miserable. You have always longed to find a husband, and you know it.”

“As did you, once upon a time,” Elizabeth pointed out. “What changed?”

“Mother died,” Jackie replied bluntly. “You had another two years before your debut, and so I had to spend that time preparing you for it, rather than swanning off with the first gentleman to express an interest in me. I had no time for the London Season, and in truth I did not miss it too terribly.”

“Yes, you did.”

Jackie gave her sister a smile.

“Not as badly as you might think. I enjoy running the household, and seeing how well you have bloomed in the last five years I cannot truly have any regrets. How could you expect me to?”

“You’ll miss so much, though. Do you not wish to marry at all?”

“Of course I do, but it is not something that I can do as yet. For a start, I must see to it that you are a wife, and then should I find a gentleman willing to marry an old maid I shall accept my fate.”

“You are hardly an old maid. I am twenty, myself, and you would never call me that.”

“Not with that spirit of yours, no. I don’t know, Liz, it is simply not how I see myself.”

“But if the opportunity were to present itself—”

“Do you know something that I do not?”

Elizabeth stiffened. Jackie never snapped at her sister in such a manner, so it was no surprise to her that she seemed so uncomfortable.

“My apologies, Elizabeth,” she sighed, then allowing herself to smirk. “Should I magically be in a position where you are married and the gentleman of my dreams appears, then I suppose that I would not be opposed to it.”

“That is all I ask,” Elizabeth replied excitedly. “But now that you have said that, you simply must keep to it.”

With that, she raced off. Jackie watched her go, envying her only slightly. It would have been easier if their mother were still alive, and they had been able to debut and spend their London Seasons together, but she would never have taken her small sacrifice back, not for anything in the world.

Even so, she had to admit that she missed her life as a young lady out in society. She had only been out for a year before her mother was too unwell for Jackie to see any use in playing a part in it all. Things were needed at home, and she was no use to anyone if all that she did was simper in some gown and tell gentlemen how wonderful she thought them to be.

With the exception of the Duke of Creighton, that was. She shook the thought from her mind. She harbored no ill will toward the man, she never did toward another person, as it was not her nature. Besides, she reminded herself, he had seemingly been through quite enough without receiving any hatred from her.

She was aware that the duke had a scarred face; it was all anyone could talk about the year she debuted, but it had never made her see him any differently other than it made her pity him. It must have been difficult, she reasoned, to have been through whatever it was that caused the disfigurement and still attend events as though nothing were amiss. It was no surprise, then, that he had snapped at her so unkindly.

Which was precisely why she was so wary about meeting him once again. She had not been in society since, and so had heard no more about him. There was no way for her to know whether or not he had changed at all, and had regretted his actions, or if he held steadfast in his beliefs that Jackie had been a problem and was therefore not someone he wished to associate with, or even show any kindness to.

Regardless of whether or not he had changed for the better, however, Jackie had no choice but to continue preparing for their visit. He was, after all, a friend of her father’s. She scoffed at the thought, certain that if he kept company with her father then he could not be of the highest caliber of gentleman.

But it did not matter what she thought, nor what she was frightened of being faced with upon her arrival. She was to see the duke, and spend time with him as any good guest would, and the thought of it made her almost miserable. It was not the norm for a lady to be so upset by the thought of spending time with an unmarried duke, but then it had never been a priority of hers.

“This is to be a wonderful time,” her father said coldly as the three of them boarded their carriage. “You shall be good to the duke if you know what is good for you. Am I quite clear, girls?”

“Yes, Father,” Elizabeth replied, far more enthusiastically than she tended to.

Jackie saw her father eyeing her carefully, a tightening in her throat knowing that she would have to lie to him.

“Yes, Father,” she replied quietly.