Christmas with the Marquess Read online

  Not only was he very handsome, he had thick black hair which curled uncontrollably and deep brown eyes which reminded her of chestnuts, but he was intelligent, well-spoken, well-read, and kind.

  Usually when Lady Ellen found herself in the presence of such handsome men, she would make a fool of herself, but not this man. In fact, she could speak to him for even more hours on end.

  Much to her dismay, however, the handsome man stood from the chair, and she felt obligated to do so as well. Partly, she did not wish for him to leave and partly, she wished he would ask her to accompany him for a stroll through the manor until the guests returned. Of course, she wished for both.

  “My lady, it has been an absolute pleasure to converse with you, but I must be going. I will leave you to your reading. I suspect I have distracted you long enough, my lady.”

  “It was a welcomed distraction, my lord,” she said with a smile. “I assure you.”

  The handsome Lord nodded and reached for Lady Ellen’s hand. She allowed him to take it, and he brought it up to his lips. “It has been a delightful hour. Perhaps we can do it again.”

  “Certainly, my lord.”

  Lady Ellen’s cheeks colored as he lightly kissed her knuckles before quietly leaving the library. She found herself disappointed as the doors closed behind the young gentleman and only at that moment, did Lady Ellen realize she had not learned his name. It would be rather crucial to be made aware of whom he was, but she could hardly ask her mother about him without admitting she had not joined the other guests on their afternoon excursion. She would certainly have to keep her questions to herself until she saw him again.

  She sincerely hoped she did.

  Cheerful laughter erupted from outside, and Lady Ellen glanced out the window. The guests had returned from their sleigh ride, much to Lady Ellen’s relief. She could now visit her and her mother’s bedchambers without raising suspicions from her mother.

  Lady Ellen quietly left the library and made her way to her bedchambers. She opened the door slowly and peered inside. Her dear mother lay on her bed, a shawl loosely draped over her face to soften the harsh light which shone in. Even though the drapes were closed, the room was still very light and bright.

  “Mother,” Lady Ellen whispered and approached the bed. “How are you feeling?”

  The Countess groaned softly and her hand reached up, slipping the shawl from her face. Her skin was still pale, but not as much as it was before.

  “Better, my dear,” she croaked. “How was the sleigh ride?”

  Lady Ellen lowered her gaze and pursed her lips briefly. “It was cold.”

  “Was it not enjoyable?” her mother asked.

  “It was fine,” Lady Ellen attempted to sound positive.

  “Did you enjoy Lord Ferren’s company?” she asked hopefully.

  “He was otherwise engaged, Mother.”

  The Countess narrowed her eyes slightly and sighed. “You did not speak to him at all, as you said you would.”

  “I did not, Mother,” Lady Ellen admitted, “but I…”

  Before Lady Ellen was given the opportunity to utter another word, Lady Blanchard held her hand up, silencing her. “My dearest Ellen. How do you expect to catch Lord Ferren’s eye if you do not converse with him, or at least attempt to?”

  “Mother, I truly did try, but he was surrounded by other young ladies who are more beautiful and much more interesting than I am. Not to mention much more confident,” Lady Ellen explained.

  This was not a lie. Despite her mother’s efforts to introduce Lady Ellen to Lord Ferren, Lady Ellen had felt inadequate as soon as she was anyway near eligible and handsome bachelors.

  Apart from the handsome stranger whom she had conversed with for more than an hour. He was truly the first gentleman she had ever spoken with without the feeling of inadequacy or making an absolute fool of herself.

  Her thoughts drifted to the library, their conversation, the manner in which he smiled, and his mere presence, distracting her from the present moment.

  “Ellen,” her mother’s firm and impatient tone whirled her back to the present, and Lady Ellen raised her brows expectantly at her mother, who did not seem too impressed at her lack of focus.

  “Ellen, need I remind you how important it is to find the right husband?” Lady Blanchard inquired wearily.

  Lady Ellen pursed her lips and her shoulders slumped at the too familiar subject which she despised more than anything. Although Lady Ellen had dreamt of marrying a charming and wonderful man one day and having a family, she did not particularly feel comfortable with such a forced manner of doing so. She dreamt of meeting a charming and handsome man who she felt safe and comfortable with, whose presence did not make her feel as though she had a fever and would cause her to faint, and who she could speak to without stammering or stuttering. She dreamt of falling in love with this man in her own time, or as quickly as her heart allowed it. She had dreamt of the love she had only experienced between the pages of the books she had read.

  Arranged marriages, as the one her father and mother had, seemed too impersonal to her, but she would most certainly never speak her mind to her mother. During her first season, Lady Ellen had become very withdrawn, and her mother did everything in her power to ensure she would find a husband. Lady Ellen’s first two seasons had passed, and there was no sign of her finding an eligible bachelor and quite honestly, Lady Ellen dreaded her upcoming third season, as she was well aware there was no possible way to avoid it. Perhaps, she should show no more resistance towards her mother’s plans to marry her off to the Duke’s son, which would mean she did not require to attend another season as an unmarried young woman seeking a husband.

  Without warning, the handsome stranger’s face once again filled Lady Ellen’s mind, and she sighed dreamily. “There is no need to remind me, Mother. I am well aware of the importance of finding a husband, and to what lengths Mother has already gone to ensure it. I am greatly appreciative of Mother’s doings.”

  “I am pleased to hear this, my dearest Ellen. I only wish for you to be happy.”

  “Yes, Mother.”

  “Then we must double all efforts. Her Grace informed me this morning there will be dancing in the ballroom after dinner, which is the perfect opportunity to introduce yourself to Lord Ferren. Perhaps he will even ask for a dance with you.”

  “That would be lovely,” Lady Ellen forced a smile.

  While Lady Ellen and Lady Blanchard dressed for dinner, Lady Ellen’s thoughts returned to the handsome stranger in the library, and she truly hoped she would see him again.

  ***

  After a delicious dinner, the overzealous guests entered the ballroom, which was decorated beautifully, dimly lit by candles and chandeliers. The magnificence of the ballroom was rather overwhelming to Lady Ellen, as were the guests, who were dressed in their formal dinner attire. They were rather rambunctious, which made Lady Ellen remain on the side of the ballroom, partially shielded by a large marble column, which was quite the norm for those types of situations. Occasionally, she scanned the ballroom in hopes of seeing the handsome stranger, but to no avail. Lady Ellen wondered where he could be, and a thought occurred to her. Perhaps, he was in the library, waiting for her to arrive.

  A smile briefly formed on her lips as the thought appealed to her very much, but her delight ended swiftly as it had occurred to her. Her mother was very much insistent in pairing her with Lord Ferren, whom she still had to be introduced to officially, but she was well aware that there was little hope of catching the eye of the man her mother preferred.

  Sadly, no other suitable men had shown any particular interest in her, either. No one except the man she had met in the library, whom she could not see anywhere. Perhaps he was hiding again, as he had done earlier.

  Perhaps, he was purposely avoiding her. Just because he had spent much of the afternoon speaking with her, did not mean he would wish her to be his wife. It seemed highly unlikely to Lady Ellen that she would ever expe
ct to receive a proposal of marriage before the end of the fortnight, and she feared her mother would be doomed with disappointment, never allowing her to forget how she had embarrassed her mother by not finding a husband.

  Of course, this did nothing positive to Lady Ellen’s self-esteem, and it made her feel like an even bigger failure.

  A small group of young women passed by her, and she hoped they would approach her and ask her to join them, even though they were much more beautiful and graceful, possessing much more confidence than she had. Perhaps, she should approach them. She had a much better chance of being noticed while in the company of such highly classed young women.

  Lady Ellen inhaled deeply and slowly began to approach the young women. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed her mother, who stood beside her own group of older ladies, smile approvingly at her. Lady Ellen knew it made her mother happy, which was one of the reasons she had decided to approach them. Also, she hoped someone would be able to shed some light about the stranger she had met in the library.

  Lady Ellen’s heart pounded in her chest as she approached the young women, and she smiled warmly.

  “Good evening, ladies. May I join you?” Lady Ellen asked in her most confident voice.

  The young woman closest to her, with golden hair and an emerald green gown, turned to her with a friendly and welcoming smile. “Of course.”

  Lady Ellen breathed a sigh of relief, as she had not expected to be welcomed into their group.

  “I am Lady Catherine, daughter of the Earl of Bishop. This is Lady Josephine, daughter of the Marquess of Warwick,” Lady Catherine said, as she introduced Lady Ellen to each of the young women who stood beside them.

  “Lady Naomi, daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Dunne,” a tall red-haired young woman with a Scottish accent introduced herself.

  “It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance,” Lady Ellen said with a smile. “I am Lady Ellen, daughter of the Earl and Countess of Blanchard.”

  “Lady Blanchard is your mother?” Lady Josephine asked.

  “Indeed,” Lady Ellen answered.

  “I have heard she can be quite trying,” Lady Josephine pointed out gently. “Or perhaps, the rumor mill churns untruths at a rapid rate.”

  “For once the rumor mill is not to blame,” Lady Ellen sighed, but much to her surprise, the young ladies giggled.

  “She does seem rather focused on mingling with the right crowd.”

  “She most certainly wishes to find you a suitable husband,” Lady Catherine said, “My mother does the same thing to me.”

  Lady Ellen smiled knowingly at Lady Catherine, feeling grateful she was not the only young woman who felt that way.

  “Luckily, I do not need to worry about any of that any longer,” Lady Naomi pouted and cocked her head.

  Lady Catherine rolled her eyes and turned to Lady Ellen. “Lady Naomi is betrothed to Lord Sheffield, the son of the Duke of Wentworth. They are to be wed in the summer.”

  “That is wonderful,” Lady Ellen beamed.

  “Indeed it is,” Lady Naomi sighed dreamily.

  “And she constantly reminds us of it as well,” Lady Josephine said with amusement.

  Lady Naomi snarled playfully, and the young women chuckled happily.

  “I heard earlier this morning that Her Grace’s nephew has been sighted here at the estate.”

  “Oh my heavens,” Lady Catherine muttered.

  “It is his first appearance after his travels in Europe,” Lady Naomi added.

  “Such a scandal,” Lady Josephine sighed. “And such a pity, as well. If he did not have such a tainted past, I would certainly…”

  “Josephine,” Lady Catherine muttered. “That is quite enough.”

  “Why is it scandalous?” Lady Ellen inquired, not fully understanding without knowing the details the ladies spoke of. She glanced at each of the ladies individually, and her brow furrowed.

  “I do not wish to gossip, but…” Lady Josephine lowered her voice.

  “It is not gossip if there is truth in it,” Lady Naomi pointed out.

  Lady Josephine shrugged her shoulders and continued, “Lord Kingston is a notorious rake. He has a rather scandalous reputation due to things he had done in the past, not only with women, but he once owned a notorious gaming hall.”

  “He may be incredibly wealthy, charming and handsome, and has his connection to Her Grace, but he is not well thought of. Mothers keep their daughters at a distance, as they wish not for his reputation to ruin those of their daughters,” Lady Naomi added.

  “He left a year ago to travel Europe, but most believe it was because he owed money to all the wrong people,” Lady Catherine said.

  “He is wealthy,” Lady Ellen pointed out. “He could surely settle those debts if he had the means to still travel for an entire year.”

  The other young ladies glanced at Lady Ellen wordlessly, which made her feel rather self-conscious once more.

  “Perhaps, you are right. No one truly knows the truth about anyone these days,” Lady Catherine shrugged nonchalantly.

  “This would be his first official appearance since his return to Dorchester,” Lady Naomi added, “but it seems as though he is fitting in perfectly, even after his absence.”

  Lady Naomi motioned inconspicuously towards the other side of the ballroom, and Lady Ellen glanced in its direction.

  She noticed him immediately, and her heart sank. It was the handsome stranger she had met in the library.

  Lord Kingston, the scoundrel which everyone thought was the devil himself, hiding their daughters away at the mere mention of his name. There must have been some mistake, Lady Ellen pondered as she turned her attention to Lady Catherine. “That is him? The one wearing the red waistcoat?”

  “Indeed, as if the color had been chosen by the devil himself,” Lady Catherine confirmed.

  Lady Ellen’s eyes widened, and she glanced back at Lord Kingston with a furrowed brow. It was completely surreal to Lady Ellen seeing the handsome stranger across the room being spoken of by these young women in such a manner. She could somehow not reconcile the scoundrel the young ladies described with the gentleman who had spent so much time in conversation with her. He had been nothing but kind to her and even though they had been alone together, there had been nothing untoward in his manner toward her. It was difficult for Lady Ellen to fathom that this was indeed the same man the young women spoke of. Did most people consider him such a terrible man? Were the rumors true?

  Worst of all, Lady Ellen feared her mother would die of sheer embarrassment if she was aware of Lady Ellen’s thoughts of this man.

  As she glanced at Lord Kingston from across the ballroom, she was mesmerized by how utterly handsome he looked. He was dressed in dark grey, his formal suit making him look even more distinguished than the previous time she had seen him. His dark curls still seemed untamable, but it added only to Lady Ellen’s affection and attraction towards him. He spoke to a young man standing beside him and Lady Ellen realized, much to her horror, it was Lord Ferren.

  At that particular moment, Lord Kingston glanced up, and their gazes met. His face lit up like a thousand suns, and Lady Ellen’s heart pounded in her chest. She did not wish to create the impression that she knew the scandalous Lord Kingston, although she had only met him once, and she turned away after an elongated moment. She hastily scanned the ballroom in search of her mother, as the guilt suddenly left a bitter taste on her tongue. She was not certain why she searched for her mother, but the old woman was nowhere to be seen.

  “Is everything all right, Lady Ellen?” Lady Catherine inquired. “You seem rather pale.”

  “Lord Blanchard was of Irish heritage,” Lady Naomi uttered, “their skin has that hue naturally.”

  Lady Catherine pursed her lips to suppress an ill expression towards Lady Naomi, continuing to focus her attention on Lady Ellen.

  “I am perfectly fine. I simply saw Lord Ferren, whom my mother wishes me to introduce myself to,” Lady El
len answered. “I possess neither the confidence, nor the outward beauty to approach a man of such stature and importance.”

  “That is the most absurd thing I have ever heard, my lady,” Lady Catherine scoffed and shook her head. “You are as beautiful as can be. Lord Ferren would be lucky to be approached by a young lady such as yourself.”

  “Your words are kind, thank you, my lady,” Lady Ellen said gratefully.

  “My words are also true,” Lady Catherine smiled at her.

  “Lady Ellen, it seems you have caught the attention of the wrong lord,” Lady Naomi whispered and nudged Lady Ellen.

  “I do not understand,” Lady Ellen whispered with a furrowed brow.

  “Lord Kingston,” Lady Catherine gasped. “He is walking this way.”

  Lady Ellen’s chest tightened as she slowly turned around, surprised by how fast he had approached her, and she gazed up into his dark brown eyes, her heart pounding even faster than before.

  Chapter Three

  Lord Kingston was pleasantly surprised to see Lady Ellen in the ballroom, albeit surrounded by a group of young Ladies whom he had never thought she would have anything in common with. The young woman looked exquisite in a dark green gown with velvet sleeves and golden ribbons along the bodice. Her hair was pinned loosely on the crown of her head, with loose tendrils framing her beautiful face.

  The other young women glanced at him furtively as he approached Lady Ellen, and it was clear to Lord Kingston that they were all aware of his past, and his now tainted reputation. Their eyes avoided his as soon as he reached their group and Lady Ellen turned around, as if she had been prompted to do as told by one of the ladies who had notified her of his arrival.

  “My lady,” he greeted her formally and placed his hand on his chest. “I could not help but notice you from across the ballroom.”