Chapter 9

CHAPTER 9

A Grand Day Out

L eah and Bridget walked through the impressive grounds with their parasols sitting on their shoulders and shielding them from the midday sun. Leah twirled her parasol slowly as she walked.

"It is quite far to the conservatory, isn't it?" Bridget noted.

"Are your legs becoming tired?" Leah asked. "We have not gone that far yet."

"No, I am not complaining about the walk at all," Bridget replied. "It only serves to show just how large His Grace's grounds are. And to think that all of this will belong to you soon."

Leah twirled her parasol a little faster. "It will not belong to me."

"No, but you know what I mean," Bridget replied. "You will live here, and you will have all of this at your disposal. It feels like the grounds never end." Bridget lifted her parasol a little and looked over her shoulder. "Mother. Father. Aren't these grounds expansive?"

"They are quite something," Augusta replied.

"There is no need to be saying such things," Ernest replied. "His Grace does not have these grounds to show them off. They are merely his." Ernest could not stop himself from looking around and puffing out his chest.

Leah knew what this meant to her father. She was marrying the Duke so her younger sister could wed the man she loved, but her mother and father gained from it, too. Her mother had always wanted her to marry above her station, and she was certainly doing that, and her father might have money, but he had never truly gained power or influence. The union would provide him that.

And what do I get out of it? A man who is an annoying rake and who only wants me for my body!

Leah tried to be more annoyed about it, but there was something satisfying about a man desiring her. And the unladylike thought only annoyed her more.

"Oh, I can see it!" Bridget gushed, skipping ahead.

Leah kept her current walking speed but glanced over her shoulder. Her mother and father walked behind, followed by the Dowager Countess and Christianna, and then a number of servants carrying baskets and trunks. The Duke had organized the outing, but he was nowhere to be seen.

Leah turned back to face the conservatory, and she forgot about the Duke for a brief moment. She had known what to expect from the moment the Duke had informed everyone they would spend the day there, but it was still breathtaking.

The trees opened up to frame the large glass building on the sides, with the azure sky above reflecting in the large oval glass panels. The delicate iron ribs rose around the glass to an apex that pointed in reverence toward the sky.

As she got closer, she saw the black and white marble floor inside. As the angle changed, the glass did not reflect the rich blue above but offered a gateway into the greenery inside.

A footman waited at the door to open it for the guests as they arrived. Bridget hovered by the doors, waiting for Leah before entering. The sisters went in together, and the aroma was the first thing that Leah noticed. She closed her eyes as she walked into the main foyer and inhaled the warm citrus scent that wackily turned floral.

"Oh, can we please explore?" Bridget asked. "You don't think we need to wait for His Grace, do we?"

"No, I don't think we do," Leah replied. Through the greenery, she saw the Duke walking with a man around the same age, presumably his younger brother Gilbert. "Come, we can walk together, Bridget."

Bridget skipped some more through the foyer toward the large palms and fronds that would not grow if it were not for the warmth of the building. A gentle scraping and shuffling were heard as the servants arranged the wrought iron tables and chairs and began to lay out the food and drinks.

Leah guided Bridget closer to Solomon and his brother, so far unseen by anyone else, and watched as they talked. The Duke must have known everyone had arrived, but he was deep in conversation with Gilbert.

A sudden shattering noise from behind caught everyone's attention. Leah spun around in time with Bridget to see her mother take a step back as a container of juice was spilled on the floor, glass shards floating outward.

Leah got a fright when the Duke stormed past Leah and her sister toward the commotion. She felt a presence behind and turned quickly to see a serious Gilbert standing close before turning back to witness how the Duke was to deal with his staff.

"Is anyone hurt?" the Duke boomed.

"I must apologize, Your Grace," the maid said, shrinking back with her head down and hands clasped over her white apron.

"Is anyone hurt?" the Duke repeated.

"I believe everyone is fine," Ernest replied. "The drink is ruined, but no one is hurt."

"Good," the Duke replied. "Miss Benson, please fetch more juice from the house. Miss Jenkins, are you well? You look shaken? Can you perform your duties?"

The meek maid looked up at the Duke and nodded.

"Good. There is no harm done, so please continue with your duties, yes."

"Yes, Your Grace," the maid replied. She looked at the Duke one more time and managed a polite smile before she moved away from the mess.

Solomon strode back over to Leah, Bridget, and Gilbert.

"Ah, my dear," the Duke said. He took Leah's hand and kissed the top of it. "You look exquisite today. Your summer dress brings out your beautiful eyes, and there are some exotic flowers the gardeners planted only this year that will match the pinks and reds of the floral patterns. Have you been to my conservatory before to have matched the colors so well?"

"I… um, my apologies. The noise surprised me, and I am still a little tongue-tied," Leah replied.

She was more tongue-tied because of the way he had treated the maid. When he saw him striding over, he expected him to scold her badly, but he had treated her as a person. Then, there was the way he was acting toward her. It was exactly as she had asked the previous day, but it still caught her off guard.

"Then allow me to do the speaking for now," the Duke told her. "Allow me to introduce my brother, Gilbert."

"A pleasure to meet you, Miss Moore, and you too, Miss Bridget," Gilbert said, nodding to both ladies.

"A pleasure to meet you, Lord Harston," Leah replied.

Bridget followed with the same greeting.

"Would you like to see the aviary?" Solomon asked.

"Aviary?" Leah replied. She smiled, and her eyes widened.

"We have birds from all over the country, and some brought over from the continent. I have been most excited to show you," the Duke told Leah.

Leah looked quickly at her sister. Bridget did not have a smile on her face. She had the same lost look she often had when she was with Frederick as if all sound had been blocked, and she could only stare at what was before her. She looked at Leah with all the hope in the world.

Perhaps this will be easier than I thought. When it comes to Bridget, at least.

"I would love to see the aviary," Leah stated. "I do not believe I have ever seen one before."

"Then step right this way." Solomon held out his arm for Leah to take, and she obliged.

Gilbert and Bridget walked with them, not walking together, but both staying close. Gilbert did not say a word, but he regarded Leah also. Not in the same way as Bridget stared, but with a modicum of curiosity. It caused Leah to wonder if he knew what was really going on.

Leah heard the chirping just as the Duke announced, "Here we are."

Tall wrought iron bars separated the main area of the conservatory from the aviary. The flutter of wings and the occasional birdsong came from within. Leah let go of the Duke's arm and stepped closer to the bars. The birds inside were caged, but there was something beautiful about them.

Is that what I am? Am I a caged bird?

Bridget came close to the bars and began working her way down them to study all of the birds within. Gilbert wandered over to the window and looked out as if he were bored with the interior.

"You have a grand conservatory," Leah noted.

"I must take care of the repairs this year," the Duke noted. "If you don't take care of the small problems, they become much bigger ones. When Christianna begins courting, it will be the perfect place for her to walk with a suitor and chaperone."

Leah watched the Duke instead of the birds. "You care for her a lot, don't you?"

"Very much," the Duke replied. "She is my sister. I care for all my family."

"I believe we are doing a good job so far on what we spoke about," Leah told the Duke. She glanced over at her younger sister and kept her voice down. "Bridget is certainly convinced."

"It is not hard to put on the act," he replied.

Leah smiled. "No, it is not. When you spoke with your staff a moment ago, you were utterly charming. My mother and father will have appreciated that."

The Duke turned to her, and he narrowed his eyes. He took a moment before he spoke. "What are you suggesting?"

Leah almost took a step back. "I am not suggesting anything. I do not want to start an argument, but it seems we are best at that."

The Duke leaned in a little closer. "I don't wish to start an argument either, and there is no need to. Do you believe I was acting differently when the juice was spilled?"

"No, I was not suggesting anything of the kind. I only… well, I know they are your staff, and you are a powerful man who has no need to treat anyone kindly."

"No need to treat anyone kindly?" the Duke questioned.

"No, I didn't mean it like that. I only mean it is not owed to your staff. You can treat them as you like, and that is your choice."

"And it is my choice to treat them well. I did not put on an act when I spoke to the maid earlier. She was shaken, and I needed to ensure she was fine. I don't care about a spilled drink—that can be easily replaced. People are much harder to replace. I know we have not been together for much time, but you must know me a little by now."

"I do! I think I do." Leah looked over the Duke's shoulder to see Bridget staring at them wide-eyed. Leah quickly reached out and placed her hand on the Duke's arm. "I am surprised it all. I do not question your character, but I have known many lords, and it is typical to treat your staff a certain way."

"And I do not like to conform to conventions," the Duke replied.

Leah stepped a little closer to the Duke, keeping Bridget in her periphery. "And you are the better for it."

"Perhaps in some ways." The Duke smiled, and some of the fire in his eyes disappeared. "Yet, it is not entirely agreeable in others. The question is, can you handle all of my breaking of conventions?"

"I don't know," Leah answered honestly. "I apologize if I caused any offense by what I said."

"You need to say a lot worse than that to cause offense," the Duke replied.

"So, which is it to be?" Gilbert asked as he stepped up to them. "Will you fight or kiss?"

"What?" Leah gasped.

"This is much more entertaining to watch than the birds," Gilbert replied.

The Duke chuckled.

"What is happening?" Bridget asked as she scampered over. "Did I hear that someone was fighting?"

"No one is fighting," Leah claimed.

"Not yet," Gilbert added.

Solomon flashed a tight smile at his brother and shook his head. "You must excuse my younger brother; he often forgets he is an adult and acts like a child." Solomon turned to Bridget to reassure her. "There can be no relationship without passion and conflict. I will have disagreements with your sister, but we will face them together. Besides, Miss Moore is far too beautiful and intelligent for me to ever get truly angry at her. I look forward to being challenged by her. That is the true way to grow together."

The Duke quickly leaned toward Leah and kissed her on the cheek. The look Bridget previously had came flooding back, and she was fully reassured once more.

"As for my brother, he might be completely lost until we can find him the right woman," the Duke added.

"You might be right," Gilbert stated. "I am only glad you have found the right woman."

Leah stood in the midst of the conversation and felt like a boat lost at sea in a storm. She let her emotions be thrown around, and the water took her where it would. She had so much she needed to say that no one thing came out.

"We should join the rest of our families," the Duke said. "They will be wanting refreshments after the long walk out here."

"Great idea," Gilbert said.

Solomon held back a little, and Leah remained by his side. He took Leah's arm and only started walking when Gilbert and Bridget were far enough ahead.

"That was acting," the Duke whispered to Leah. "Did you see how your sister looked at us afterward? Still, she is the most idealistic one in your family. Now, all we have to do is convince your parents and my sister."

"Yes," Leah managed. She had thought for a moment that the Duke was being truthful when he gave his short speech.

"And I believe you owe me something for putting your sister's mind at ease," the Duke added as they walked. "After all, she is what this is all for. I look forward to when we can be together and act on our impulses."