Chapter 11

CHAPTER11

The Leonbridge Estate was a marvel of architectural genius, artistry, and immense wealth—or so Amy surmised from what she saw of it.

As is befitting of a nobleman of the Duke of Leonbridge’s stature, she thought to herself. No wonder those ninnies are falling over themselves trying to make his acquaintance like pretty birds vying for a golden cage…

As much as the estate was an awesome sight to behold, she quickly reminded herself that should she allow the Duke to progress to the next level of courtship, she might not end up as just another pariah of society, she could very well be married.

The horror.

Amy shuddered inwardly at the thought. However, as she cast a furtive glance to the tall man by her side, she had the faintest thought that maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad idea, after all.

His Grace was not only tall, exceedingly handsome, and possessed of an immense wealth that could last for generations, he was also rather smart and well-mannered. From the way he treated her, it also seemed that he also possessed a nigh unlimited amount of patience.

It was either that or there was something else to this whole debacle. After all, why else would a gentleman with the whole of London at his feet persevere with a rather contrary creature like herself? Any other man would have been driven mad.

But the Duke of Leonbridge was not any other man to both her chagrin and delight.

"I have taken the liberty of selecting the most docile mares for you and Lady Esther today," he told her softly as they made their way into the stables.

Amy took a deep breath, for even the damned stables of Leonbridge Estate seemed like a comfortable country manor... albeit one for the equine variety.

She heard a masculine chuckle from behind her, and she turned to see the Viscount with a twinkle in his eye.

"His Grace has the most impressive collection of steeds," he explained to her, "but I never thought that he would be in possession of anything remotely docile."

Amy saw her best friend’s eyes grow wide in alarm as she looked towards her best friend. "Surely... surely they will... behave themselves?"

Esther possessed the necessary skills for riding as was expected of a young lady. However, after she had been thrown off of one of her father’s horses when she was a young girl, she had always regarded the creatures with a certain degree of wariness.

"You can rest assured that they are gentle creatures, My Lady," Evan told her reassuringly. "In any case, the Viscount of Drew will be riding close by to be of assistance to you."

Esther let out a sigh of relief while Lord Drew looked at his friend in surprise.

"In that case, I shall count on Lord Drew to look after me," she told him shyly.

Although Amy had the distinct feeling that the hapless viscount wanted to refuse at first, he was no match against Esther’s pleading blue eyes. He took one look at them, and all complaints died in his throat to be buried in his heart.

"Lady Esther, it will be my honor to assist you in any way," he smiled gently at her.

Throughout this exchange, the Marquess of Repington remained remarkably quiet although Amy caught his icy blue eyes flashing towards them once in a while. For some reason, there was something about his gaze that sent a chill running down her spine.

As if she had the distinct feeling that this was a man who could not be trusted.

But was any man truly trustworthy, anyway? It seemed that they were all selfish creatures—an irredeemable lot, save, perhaps, for a scant few.

"This is Starlight," Evan told her, interrupting her thoughts as he led a beautiful silvery mare to her. "She will be yours for today."

Amy forced a brilliant smile up to the Duke. "Oh... our first ride together, and you are already so thoughtful! You are truly the most wonderful man on God’s earth, Your Grace! And," she added as if with a touch of shyness, "I am so lucky to be with you!"

She even batted her eyelashes for good measure and was rewarded when the Duke of Leonbridge visibly swallowed at her actions. She heard Lord Drew smother his laughter, and the Marquess of Repington looked vaguely amused at the spectacle she had put up.

Inwardly, Amy breathed a sigh of relief, for she had almost let her guard down the moment His Grace led Starlight to her. The mare truly was a beautiful creature, and Amy had no doubt that there were very few that the Duke would allow to ride her.

"Err... I’m glad you like her. And this one is Moonbeam," he quickly turned to the other horse, smiling uncomfortably at the other young lady. "She shall be Lady Esther’s for the day."

"Moonbeam and Starlight?" Amy mused. "His Grace must have a penchant for naming horses after the dark." She turned to the Duke, who was leading a truly splendid, jet-black beast, out of the stable and beamed up at him. "And what might your steed’s name be? Thunder? Comet?"

"Neither."

Amy raised her eyebrow at him as if to prompt him further.

"His name," the Duke of Leonbridge said with a proud smile, "is Lucifer."

"Lucifer?" Amy echoed.

She thought it was rather appropriate, for the steed was beautiful in a rather dangerous way—very much like its master. She had no doubt that he must have an unruly temper himself, bending to no one else but His Grace…

"Why Lucifer?" she whined instead. "That is so... so... evil."

And the Duke of Leonbridge, who probably thought to name his fine steed so as to strike fear into the hearts of those who dared to challenge it, grimaced at her complaint.

"Why... yes, you might say that," he muttered.

"Why not Gabriel? Or Michael?" she demanded. "Those angels have far better reputations than Lucifer!"

"In fact, Lucifer might not be considered an angel," Lord Drew added.

She saw His Grace glare briefly at his good friend. "As he already answers to the name quite well, it would be a moot point to change it."

"Oh, you poor thing," Amy clucked her tongue as she reached out to touch the steed.

Everybody looked on in horror, and His Grace even tried to stop her, but Lucifer merely gave out a gruff snort and obligingly accepted her gentle caress.

"Between you and I, you are better suited to be a Buttercup," she told the horse in a dramatic whisper. "Or if His Grace so wishes for the night, you could be Nightingale."

The Viscount of Drew choked on his laughter as His Grace paled at the thought of naming his fearsome steed Buttercup. Like that would strike fear into the hearts of his opponents. No, they would most likely laugh at him!

"I think the steed’s name is fine just as it is," the Duke said firmly. "Besides, he is already quite used to his name. To change it would only confuse him and cause him to be unsettled."

"Oh, fine!" Amy huffed. "But when it comes time for him to sire his own little foals, I will be naming them!"

It was such a preposterous declaration from a woman who was yet to become his wife. How could she think of naming his horses? Even Esther gasped audibly at the sheer impertinence of it all. However, Amy was set on making herself as intolerable as possible, and if she had to go about shocking everyone to do it, she had to!

"Lady Amy makes a fine point," Lord Repington commended with a subtle smile. "But it is getting late, and soon, it might be too hot to ride. We had best get on our way."

Amy shot him a grateful look but found herself met with an icy smile that made her shudder deep inside. The Marquess of Repington might look pleasant enough on the surface, but she knew better than to trust a man—any man.

Even if he was as nice, patient, and persistent as His Grace himself.

After this day’s frivolities, one wonders if he can still be as nice and patient with me, Amy sighed to herself as His Grace gently helped her onto Starlight.

"I will be beside you all the way on Lucifer," he told her. "You need not fear at all, My Lady."

Amy, who had learned to ride since she was a child, could have told him that she might be more prone to racing him. Instead, she shot him a saccharine smile and sweetly said, "Then I shall leave myself in Your Grace’s most capable hands."

She caught the strange look Esther gave her but subtly motioned for her friend to be quiet. The gentlemen must not be alerted to her plans, or her freedom would slip from her hands!

* * *

The Marquess of Irington looked out of the large windows and frowned. It had been hardly more than an hour since the carriage bearing the crest of the Duke of Leonbridge departed from their gates, but he could not shake off a feeling of unease.

"Do you truly think it was for the best that we let them go unaccompanied?" he asked his cousin for the fourth time that very same hour.

Dorothy looked up from her needlepoint and frowned at him. "Both young ladies are in the company of the most eligible gentlemen in London. They also brought along Edith. What could possibly go wrong?"

"I don’t know!" Matthew sighed in frustration. "Should you not have also chaperoned them to whatever... frivolities they intend to do?"

His cousin, bless her soul, might be the spinster his own daughter was aspiring to be, but she was no less as shrewd as Amy herself.

"What harm is there, dear cousin?" she beamed innocently. "All of those three gentlemen would make fine husbands..."

"But think of the scandal—" The Marquess of Irington stopped short when he caught the gleam in his cousin’s eye. "You mean to say that a scandal—"

"Would most likely end in marriage," she finished simply. "If not, it could certainly make our dear young ladies more desirable to the other gentlemen of the ton. You just wait and see, dear cousin."

"But nobody will believe that the Duke of Leonbridge and his friends would ever do something so dishonorable to them!"

"Then if you find it so incredulous, no doubt the gossips will, too." She smiled and turned back to her needlepoint. "Either way, I think this is a good opportunity for dear Amy and Esther to get to know some young gentlemen outside of the ballroom. That they are prime husband material does not hurt either."

The Marquess of Irington could only shake his head at his cousin’s logic. It was not that she was wrong—it was that she was right on point!

If word got out that two of the least desirable young ladies spent most of the day at the Leonbridge Estate in the company of three of the most eligible bachelors in London, nobody would believe it.

However, if it indeed blew up into a scandal, then all the other gentlemen will be chomping at the bit, rearing to find out just what these two young ladies possessed that had enchanted the Duke of Leonbridge and his friends.

In the most extreme scenario, Amy or Esther or both of them might be forced to wed those same gentlemen they were currently out with.

Not that Matthew ever wanted his daughter to be forced into a marriage she did not want, but if Lady Farthingon herself had not sent a chaperone for her own daughter, that spoke volumes of what she thought of it all.

Perhaps she had even come to these conclusions herself, as drastic as they might be.

In any case, all they had to do was sit back, let the young ones enjoy themselves, and watch everything else unfold.

But heaven help him, he could not sit still!