Chapter 5

Chapter Five

“ G ood afternoon, ladies.”

Samuel tipped his top hat at the small group of young women who strolled past him, and their cheeks immediately colored.

“Good afternoon, Your Grace.”

The young women reciprocated his greeting, but before they could utter another word, their concerned mamas immediately rushed towards them. Judging by the expressions on their faces, it was clear that they were well aware of the rumors floating around Town about him.

“I never thought I would see the day when you would be considered undesirable, Yarmouth,” Lord Perkins pointed out.

As well as Lord Timothy, Lord Perkins was a close friend of Samuel’s. Their parents were old friends, and they had grown up together. It had been a long while since Samuel and Lord Perkins had seen one another, and it was enjoyable to spend time together again, even it if were only on an afternoon stroll through Mayfair. On this day, Lord Timothy was otherwise engaged with his family, which was why he had not joined the two gentlemen in their stroll.

Out of the corner of Samuel’s eye, he noticed people staring at him. Some more subtly than others, some shamelessly staring with angry and disgusted scowls, while others made no attempt to speak in hushed tones as they passed.

Of course, the mamas rushed to their daughters to keep them as far away from Samuel as possible. The mere thought of having them within speaking distance of the Duke might taint their reputations and render them ruined.

“Only undesirable to those who know of the rumors,” Samuel pointed out.

Unaffected by the mamas’ scowls, Samuel tipped his hat at them as they scurried away. He found it quite amusing that a rumor had the power to change people’s behavior to such a degree. Never in his life had he experienced something like this before, and it amused him to no end. Of course, it angered him as well, as the person responsible was still at large, and Samuel had yet to speak with Lord Timothy about their strategy to catch the author of that damaging article.

But for now, Samuel relished the attention, regardless of if it was good or bad.

“That may be all the people in London at this point in time, Your Grace,” Lord Perkins chuckled.

“Yet you still remain by my side.”

“That is entirely different. You are my friend, and it is not as though I wish to marry you,” Lord Perkins stated.

“That is true. How is the lovely Lady Perkins?”

“She is well. She apologized for not joining us on our stroll. She had to accompany her mother to visit an elderly friend who had taken ill.”

“I see.”

“It has nothing to do with you and your supposed antics, Yarmouth.”

“Are you certain?”

Lord Perkins nodded.

“Indeed I am. It strikes me as odd that it affects you the way it does. Was it not you who said that you did not care what others thought of you.”

“That was before my name was slandered by an anonymous writer who attempted to pass off fiction as facts.”

“He certainly succeeded.”

“I wish to unmask him,” Samuel said, smiling politely at passersby.

“And then what?” Lord Perkins inquired.

“Then my reputation can be restored. I do not appreciate the scowls and stares I am receiving, although the mamas’ reactions do amuse me.”

“And it will ensure that you can secure a match without being rejected,” Lord Perkins uttered, but there was a questioning tone in his voice.

Samuel’s brow furrowed, and he was silent for a moment.

“That is not why I came to London. Finding a wife is not a priority to me, at least not now.”

“If you wish, I could introduce you to a few of my wife’s friends.”

Samuel scoffed.

“You will do no such thing.”

Lord Perkins chuckled.

“Or perhaps I should wait for your reputation to be restored.”

“Perhaps that is a wise choice.”

Samuel’s jaw tightened, as his mind became cloudy with thoughts. He had not considered finding a wife or entertained the idea of marrying. Although, it would not be as lonely at his estate in Cornwall if he were to take a wife. The longer the rumors were being spread by the ton and taken as the truth, the smaller the chances of him finding a young woman whose mama would allow her daughter to marry him.

He was not even certain what type of young lady he would be interested in.

“It is not something I have thought of, Perkins,” Samuel uttered as he stared at the path in front of him. “I am aware that I am six-and-twenty, but surely that does not mean that I must marry as soon as possible.”

“With all due respect, Your Grace, it is not as though you are being pressured to marry by your parents. You are a man who is allowed to decide your own fate.”

“Indeed. I recall my mother telling me that I could search as hard as I wished for the right person, but I would not find her. Fate will bring her to me, and she will fall in my lap when the time is right.”

“I do hope she did not mean that in a literal sense.”

Samuel and Lord Perkins chuckled at his comment and Samuel cleared his throat.

“Until that happens, I will focus my attention on finding the gabster who insists on ruining my reputation.”

“You are a resourceful man, after all. It will be easy for you.”

“Thank you, my friend.”

The two men found their way to Mayfair’s busiest street, filled with young women and their mothers, young couples who lovingly batted their lashes at each other, and carriages that awaited their passengers returning from the tearooms, the modistes, and the bakery. Footmen loaded trunks of new gowns onto the carriages, and maids followed young ladies as they made their way about.

The street was lively, but attention shifted towards Samuel as he and Lord Perkins crossed the street. People stepped back, as though he carried a disease which they were afraid he would pass on to them. Luckily, Samuel was not affected by that and politely nodded at them. He and Lord Perkins came to a stop on the side of the street, and he turned to his friend.

“Since you are in Town, how are you spending Christmas? You are welcome to join Catherine and I but, be warned, her mother does tend to be a trifle disguised during this festive time of the year.”

“As entertaining as that sounds, Perkins, I must decline. Lord Timothy invited me to spend Christmas with his family,” Samuel explained with a cringing expression.

“And Lady Welsford agreed to this?”

Lord Perkins was obviously surprised at the news.

Samuel shrugged and shifted his weight from side to side.

“He assured me that there would not be any issues. He would simply explain that the tales of my antics were not true.”

“And that would be enough to persuade his mother? You ought to know how Lady Welsford is.”

“I also know that Lord Timothy is his mother’s favorite, and he can practically get away with anything,” Samuel answered.

“Let us hope that is true. The Colbornes are a lovely family, although Lady Welsford can be rather protective of her daughter.”

“Yes, of course. Lord Timothy’s younger sister. I have yet to meet her, even though Lord Timothy has already urged me to stay away from her.”

“From what I have heard, she is a very intelligent and witty young lady, and she will see right through your charming facade,” Lord Perkins grinned. “I am fairly certain that she will put you in your place before you have the chance to charm her.”

Samuel pressed his hand against his chest and feigned anguish.

“Your words wound me, old friend.”

Lord Perkins laughed heartily and slid his golden pocket watch out of his pocket.

“Good heavens. I must be going.”

“Very well. It was delightful catching up with you. We must do so again. Perhaps you can join me and Lord Timothy at Brooks’ one evening. If Catherine allows it, of course,” Samuel suggested with a playful grin.

“Wait until you are married, Yarmouth. You will want to spend all of your time with your beloved.”

“That remains to be seen. Good day, Perkins,” Samuel nodded and tipped his hat at his friend.

“Good day, Yarmouth. Do not get into too much trouble.”

“I cannot promise anything.”

Samuel winked and watched as Lord Perkins turned on his heel and hastily strutted back the way they had come. He cocked his head and wondered whether he would truly marry one day, but he could not imagine it. It seemed rather out of reach for him at that moment, and not only because he was the most undesirable man in Town.

Samuel continued his stroll along the street, as the people around him either did not notice him anymore, or he was not considered important enough to avoid any longer. The door of a nearby modiste opened, and golden hair sparkling in the little bit of winter sun caught his attention immediately. It belonged to a beautiful young lady who he had never seen before, despite feeling a sense of familiarity when he gazed upon her. She wore a dark blue day dress with long sleeves, lace trim, and a fur muff around her hands. Her cheeks were flushed from the fresh cold air, but her beautiful smile was what caused him to abruptly stop in his tracks. He had never laid eyes upon such a radiant smile in his entire life. The fact that it belonged to such a beauty was a bonus.

He simply had to speak to her, but he was certain that her mama would follow her shortly from the dress shop, as she looked too young to be married already.

Or at least, so Samuel hoped.

The young lady stepped onto the pavement, and their gazes met for a brief moment. Even though it was only for a moment, Samuel felt a stir from within him. The attraction he felt towards this unknown young lady was stronger than he had ever felt in his entire life to any woman, and he carefully approached her. He did not wish to move too quickly, as he did not wish to startle her. Young women of the ton were fragile little things who could shatter like glass, he was once told by a friend. It was not true in all cases but in most.

As he approached her, she seemed distracted and did not see the step in front of her. A sense of urgency filled Samuel, and he rushed towards her. He reached his arms out and caught her as she misjudged the step and lost her balance. Samuel’s arms wrapped around her delicate frame, and he was afraid his grasp would be too tight, but he could not let go.

The young lady gasped as Samuel caught her, preventing her from falling to the ground, and her eyes widened from both shock and relief. An intoxicating scent of wildflowers and lavender filled the air around Samuel, and the sweet scent caused his nose to tingle. Or perhaps it was the warmth of the young woman in his arms. The young lady recovered her balance and pushed away from him until she stood upright. Her cheeks colored a deep red from embarrassment and she stared at Samuel.

“My sincerest apologies.”

“There is no need for an apology, my Lady. Are you well?”

The young woman nodded tightly, smoothing the skirt of her dress. Her fur muff lay on the ground, and Samuel bent to retrieve it. Straightening up, he handed the muff back to the young woman, and her gaze lowered shyly.

“Thank you. You are very kind.”

“Are you certain that you are well?”

“Indeed. It was merely an accident. I did not realize that step was so far from my reach. But I am well, despite a hint of humiliation.”

“You have nothing to be humiliated about. Luckily, I was here to catch you.”

“Indeed. My luck was not entirely terrible.”

A smile formed upon Samuel’s lips as he intently gazed at the young woman, her bright eyes sparkling in the sunlight, her golden hair framing her face like a halo.

Who was this beautiful young woman who had quite literally fallen at his feet?