A Lady's Prerogative Read online

  Goaded by her cool demeanor, Garrett reached out and snagged her fingers in his. Unwilling to release her, he pried opened her palm to reveal the gold watch. She held herself rigid. Did he frighten her, or was she merely too proud to tug against his grip? With an irresistible urge to shock her sensibilities, he raised her hand to his lips. Turning it over, he pressed his open mouth upon the silk of her glove and then slowly slid his tongue along the sleek fabric.

  The silk was scented with something floral, but the material itself tasted sweet. Cruel satisfaction infused his cold heart when he felt her tremble. “A lady such as yourself should never be hurried. Won’t you allow me to escort you to your destination?”

  She glanced up with a shudder. Her expression nearly crushed him.

  She was horrified!

  Shaking her head from side to side, she practically cringed. “Oh, no! You mustn’t, my lord. My father…I cannot possibly…No one must see me speaking to you!” and then pulling her hand from his, she grasped her maid from behind and pushed her way past. As she did so, the tight space of the path forced her to brush her entire person against him.

  “I’m so very sorry, my lord,” she mumbled into his coat as she passed. For such a feminine creature, she’d shown surprising strength. As his hands instinctively grasped her hips, he was momentarily, and most inconveniently, tempted by the womanly curves pressed against him. But Lady Natalie Spencer’s response was chilling. He would detain her no longer. For but a moment he wished she weren’t one of them.

  But only for a moment.

  And then, she disappeared as quickly as she’d come.

  More than even before, he burned to depart London and all it represented. Even if that meant returning to Maple Hall.

  He had one last appointment today, and then he would leave and perhaps never return. He only wished he could dispense with his father’s dubious legacy so easily.

  ****

  Sharing a pint of ale with one of his oldest friends, Garrett suppressed a twinge of guilt. Stone Spencer, ironically enough, was an elder brother to the lady he’d practically accosted not an hour ago, in the park.

  Having just returned to London, Stone had suggested sharing a quick drink at this place, an anonymous pub, just outside Mayfair. He would have known that Garrett wasn’t welcome at White’s. Even Brooks’ would balk if Garrett were to present himself.

  Shame prodded Garrett as his old schoolmate ordered another round of drinks. Along with everyone else, Stone could have easily severed ties with Garrett. But he did not. In fact, he admonished some of those who had. And he worried for Garrett, God save him. The last thing Garrett wanted was pity.

  “When you retrieve your mother’s trunks, you must stay at Raven’s Park for at least a fortnight,” Stone insisted. “My mother will expect nothing less.” The season was wrapping up, and much of London society was preparing to remove themselves to various country estates for the warmer months. Raven’s Park was one of the finest.

  Although tempted, Garrett had misgivings. In spite of his and Stone’s lengthy friendship, and a few business transactions with the earl, Garrett had always done his best to keep himself separate from the Spencer clan. He was an outsider.

  As he’d come to realize how perverse his own father was, he’d increasingly avoided invitations which would put him close to “normal” families such as Stone’s. Hearing Stone’s stories and adolescent complaints had taunted him enough.

  To accept their hospitality now might feel something like…charity.

  He’d also belatedly recalled the daughter had recently broken her engagement to a duke. The last thing the family would wish for at this time would be to associate with one such as himself.

  Ravensdale, perhaps, as they’d done business together in the past. But the mother was a high stickler, and Lady Natalie—although she looked like an angel—had proven again today that she considered herself superior.

  Even before the scandal with his father, she’d given Garrett the cut direct on several occasions. And now she’d jilted a duke—the Duke of Cortland, no less!

  The thought of Ravensdale’s ire directed at the spoiled miss gave Garrett a small measure of gratification. He must have been livid, for the union between Cortland and Lady Natalie would have been a dynastic one. Garrett couldn’t help shaking his head in wonder at the chit’s impudence. Ravensdale might lock her away for years, under the circumstances. He wondered that she’d appeared in public at all.

  But none of that concerned him.

  “Maple Hall’s reduced to a pile of rubble, Stone. I can’t take a holiday now.”

  His friend persisted. “Maple Hall isn’t going anywhere. Stop in there first, if you must, but then come to Raven’s Park and stay for a spell. I refuse to take no for an answer. You must collect your belongings regardless. Might as well take a holiday, allow yourself some time to rest—to grieve. I’m certain Mother won’t be entertaining, what with Natalie’s little scandal. We’ll get in some fishing, perhaps some hunting, and in the village, other amusements.” Stone waggled his eyebrows, mocking Garrett’s serious countenance.

  “I will not mourn him,” Garrett said.

  At which point Stone became serious again. “Nonetheless, you will come?”

  Garrett felt his resolve weakening. Stone was relentless when he chose to be. “Very well. I do need to address the conditions at Maple Hall first, so it will be close to a fortnight before I arrive. I have your word you’ll notify me if your parents object to the idea?”

  “Absolutely.”

  Garrett shook his head again, exasperated. He hoped this visit wasn’t a mistake.

  Chapter Two

  The morning of Joseph’s wedding, Tinsdale chose for Natalie a pale-yellow dress embellished with an abundance of frothy tulle and delicate lace. It was an abomination!

  Glancing away from her image in the looking glass, Natalie glared at her maid and insisted the dress be removed from her person at once. This would not do. She wanted to look…sophisticated. The dress Tinsdale had selected made her look naïve and pretentious. What was Tinny thinking?

  “But you look so pretty, dearie.” Tinsdale frowned as she brushed at the gown and fluffed the skirts.

  “Tinny, I look like a wedding cake. You of all people know I wish to draw as little attention to myself as possible.” Even without the abominable dress, she would be subject to unkind scrutiny and vicious gossip. This was to have been her wedding, for goodness’ sake! In that instant, Natalie knew which dress she would wear. She had purchased a particular gown as part of her trousseau. It was made for a married woman.

  She located it herself and presented it to Tinny. “I shall not be an object of pity,” she asserted. “But we must hurry. Papa doesn’t like to wait, and I’ve no wish to anger him more than I already have.”

  Not an inch of lace adorned the new ensemble. Made up of autumn browns and reds, the French gown was sophisticated and sleek. It did not flounce. Rather, it swirled. The tones were muted, and Natalie was satisfied with the effect in the mirror as Tinsdale buttoned long gloves just past her elbows. Looking from side to side, she examined her hair in the mirror and then dismissed Tinsdale. After the maid departed, Natalie added a touch of paint to her lips and then dabbed at them with a handkerchief.

  She felt like a different woman. It had been an entire week since she’d appeared in society, and she’d spoken to no one outside her family except for that dreadful man! She shivered at the memory of his nearness, his heat when she’d swept past him. There had been an anger burning behind his eyes, and despite his feigned kindness, he’d seemed dangerous indeed! For the remainder of that day, she’d thought of little else but the encounter. And he’d had the temerity to offer her his escort! Papa would have had an apoplexy!

  Shaking her head, Natalie pushed the memory aside.

  Today, she needed all the confidence she could muster. With one final glance, she took a deep breath and went to join her family.

  And then
a thought hit her.

  What a very different morning this would have been if she had not jilted the duke. The mere idea was enough to make her shudder.

  ****

  As sister to the groom, Natalie sat behind her parents in the second pew on the right side of the church. She was not alone. Her three other brothers, Darlington, Stone, and Peter, sat protectively beside her.

  The Earl and Countess of Ravensdale had been blessed with four sons and one daughter. Natalie was the youngest, and Joseph the brother closest to her in age. And today he would marry. He would leave his family and cleave unto his wife. Natalie swallowed the lump which had formed in her throat and felt her eyes well with unshed tears.

  Watching the bride walk down the aisle, Natalie had the oddest feeling, as though she were attending her own wedding in another person’s body.

  The bride carried Natalie’s flowers, Natalie’s ribbons decorated the pews, and the music vibrating from the large organ at the back of the church played the hymns Natalie had chosen. Not one detail of her meticulous planning was discarded.

  But Natalie had even more cause for discomfort. Her ex-fiancé and his new wife sat in the pew just across the aisle. In an ironic twist of fate spun by the universe specifically to embarrass Natalie, the bride, Glenda Beauchamp, was niece to the Duchess of Cortland. Although recently married, the duke and duchess had not yet left for their own honeymoon. Of course, they would not. Lilly, the duchess, was like a mother to Glenda. She would not miss the girl’s wedding.

  Natalie watched as Lilly raised her hand to her eye to capture a stray tear. The duke noticed as well and with a tender look, discreetly placed a handkerchief in his wife’s hand. The smile she bestowed upon him was full of love.

  And then the duchess glanced toward Natalie. She was one of the only guests to not look away when Natalie met her eyes. Her watery smile, instead, held an abundance of gratitude. Natalie felt her own expression soften and tipped her head ever so slightly in acknowledgement. She’d done the right thing. Of course, she had!

  Her former betrothed, Michael Redmond, the Duke of Cortland, was not unattractive or unkind in any way. She esteemed him. She even respected him.

  But there had been no passion, no romance between them whatsoever. And as their wedding date neared, this deficiency grew to matter more than everything else.

  Not to mention he was in love with another woman, Lilly Beauchamp.

  And thank heaven for Lilly! Although Natalie’s mother said she ought to be angry with the woman her former fiancé loved, Natalie was not. In fact, she would forever be grateful to her. For seeing the duke and Lilly, so very much in love, had infused Natalie with the courage to cry off. Cortland might never have ended their engagement, left to do so on his own. She had done him a great favor. She’d done them both a great favor!

  No doubt other women would not have released the duke. They would have seen the chance to become a duchess as the opportunity of a lifetime. But Natalie did not.

  She would never regret it; of that, she was certain.

  She turned to watch the proceedings at the altar.

  She would not cry. She could not cry. Too many people watched her. They would think she regretted her decision. It took all her self-control to keep her chin up and a polite smile on her lips. She was Lady Natalie Spencer. She needed no one’s pity.

  “By the power invested in me, I now pronounce Mr. Joseph Spencer and Miss Glenda Beauchamp, by the joining of hands and the giving and receiving of rings as witnessed by God, to be man and wife…” The bishop raised his hands in prayer over the couple as he ended the ceremony, and Joseph, bending forward, placed a chaste kiss on his bride’s lips.

  Natalie’s mother sniffed and pressed a handkerchief to her mouth. Natalie’s father, of course, was stoic and controlled. Or so he seemed. He loved all his children and was likely filled with both sadness and joy seeing Joseph marry. In the moment before Joseph and Glenda turned to face the congregation, Natalie watched as her father’s jaw clenched. He was not unaffected.

  And then the bride and groom were leaving the church, and it was all over. Not allowing Natalie to mingle with the rest of the congregation following the newly married couple outside, Peter—ever the protective brother—took her by the arm and escorted her through a side door and into a waiting carriage.

  She would not attend the breakfast.

  Tinsdale was dressed for travel and readied to depart without delay for Raven’s Park. Settling into the cushioned seat, Natalie was grateful her mother had not allowed her to attend the breakfast. As the travelling coach pulled into traffic, she allowed her tears to fall.

  She felt both happy and sad for Joseph. She was happy for Lilly and the duke. And she was frightened for herself. Would she ever find love? Natalie collapsed into Tinsdale’s familiar warmth and allowed her old nanny to comfort her.

  “There, there, luv,” Tinsdale cooed. “Let’s get you home. Everything will work out. You trust your old nurse now. You’ll feel much better when we get home.”

  ****

  After two days of travel, being at home had, in fact, brought Natalie some small comfort. At least here, she could go outside whenever she wished. She could spend hours at a time taking nature walks outdoors—alone—without a maid trailing her.

  But even that was not enough to shake her doldrums.

  So, upon sensing a lowering of her father’s watch, on this particular morning, Natalie took it upon herself to venture off the estate and go into the village alone.

  Rising earlier than all but the servants, Natalie set out on foot, determined to enjoy the beautiful day. She’d known these people as far back as she could remember and welcomed the familiarity of the village as she greeted the milliner, the baker, and the dressmaker. But ultimately, she still just felt…flat. Everything, everyone else, it seemed, was exactly the same as always.

  It was she who had changed.

  Despondent, Natalie headed home. Perhaps tomorrow she would take some baskets around to the poor. Her mother swore helping others was the best way to lift one’s own spirits. She wished she’d had the foresight to think of this today. For already, restlessness nipped at her heels once again.

  Natalie’s agitation increased even further when she stepped into the foyer of the large country manor. Mr. Winston, the ever-present butler, stood at the door to assist her, the same as he’d done a million times before. He waited patiently as she removed her bonnet and then unbuttoned and peeled off her gloves.

  Looking up to thank him, Natalie noticed a small nick along the butler’s jaw. “Still letting Marcus practice on you, Winston?” she asked. Winston did not deserve her ire. He’d done nothing to cause it.

  Mr. Winston nodded. “Indeed, my lady. He is improving, though.” Pointing to the cut, he added, “This one is from two days ago. I’m hoping it’s the last.”

  Marcus was a favorite amongst the servants. At seventeen, the illegitimate son of her father’s valet hoped to become a gentleman’s gentleman himself someday. He’d yet to master the fine art of shaving though.

  Natalie unconsciously touched her own face. A cut with a razor must be painful indeed! Her smile brightened momentarily. “You are too kind, Winston, far too kind.”

  The sound of rapid footsteps descending the large curving staircase interrupted her musing. Neither her mother, her father, nor any servant clipped down the stairs in such a carefree fashion. She gawked upwards and let out a happy squeal. Stone!

  He and Darlington had been traveling throughout all of England this spring, and they’d barely arrived back in London in time to attend Joseph’s wedding. She, of course, had not been able to stay to visit with them. They must have arrived home while she was out.

  She was so happy to see him! His dear, sardonic smile told her he understood exactly what she was going through. In possession of considerably more charm than her other brothers, Stone had the uncanny ability to turn her mood without uttering a single word. His easy-going personality made hi
m an excellent counterbalance for Roman, the eldest and their father’s heir.

  She ran up the steps and threw herself into his arms. “Oh, Stone! I am so happy to see you!” Her brother grasped the balustrade so the exuberance of her welcome didn’t send them both tumbling. Laughing, he returned her embrace affectionately with his free arm.

  Natalie spoke into his shirt front. “You certainly took your time in London. You are staying for a while, aren’t you? I’ve been so miserable!” She hadn’t spoken with him in ages, so she had no difficulty summoning a few tears to garner sympathy. What a pitiful creature she was turning into! “With Joseph gone, I have been so bored. Papa is being a tyrant.”

  Stone tilted her chin up and frowned.

  “Ah, Nat, it can’t be all that bad.” He stepped back and looked her over in mock judgment. “You are still in one piece. All of your parts appear to be in working order.”

  She summoned a tremulous smile, and his blue eyes sparkled back at her. He could be merciless in his teasing.

  “But, Stone, Mama’s guests are ancient! I’m stuck here all summer with none of my friends, and I have absolutely no one to talk to! You cannot imagine how utterly wretched Father has been.”

  Stone dropped his arm around her shoulders and led her down the majestic staircase. “I thought Monfort was here,” he said with a quick glance in her direction. “I was surprised to hear they were hosting a party at all. Nobody tells me anything.”

  Natalie would hardly consider it a “party.” Her mother’s guests were all at least twice her age, if not three times! The Duke of Monfort was somewhere near his late thirties, but might as well have been seventy, for all his irritability and lack of humor. “Monfort doesn’t count.”

  Stone emitted a low chuckle. “So you are not heartbroken then, over the loss of Cortland? Just suffering from the consequences, eh?” Pulling her toward the back of the house, he stopped for a moment to regard her affectionately. “And feeling sorry for yourself, too, I’ll bet.” At Natalie’s rueful nod, he guided them down another stairway to the kitchen. “I must locate some trunks a friend left here for safekeeping a few years ago. Tell me everything while we track them to ground.”