Just a Marriage of Convenience with the Duke by Hazel Linwood
Chapter 10
“Lady Bridget! You must come quick!” a boy of about nine years of age said in a rush. “There’s someone here!”
“Ned?” Bridget called after his retreating form. “Who is it?”
She had no choice but to abandon her class and follow. “Students, I expect you to finish reading this chapter quietly. I will return in just a moment.”
Bridget hurried after the young boy, finally catching up to him in the darkened hallway when he stopped to look out the front window. He looked back at Bridget and pointed to the yard in front of the school.
“There! Someone fancy has come,” the boy said, his eyes wide with excitement.
Bridget looked out and her heart skipped a beat. Surely the duke would not have taken it upon himself to come all the way down here after they’d only just dined together the evening before.
Her spirits plummeted when the footman stepped around and opened the door for the Duchess of Lockhart. She peered out and frowned, looking for somewhere to step that wouldn’t soil her slippers but finding none. With a sigh that Bridget swore she could hear inside the building, the duchess disembarked and stepped gingerly towards the door, the footman doing his best to keep her from sinking in the mire.
“Thank you, Ned, you may return to your classroom now,” Bridget said in hopes of preventing the boy from witnessing any unpleasantness that she expected to follow the older woman’s arrival.
“Yes, my lady,” the boy replied with a slight bow before hurrying off.
Bridget closed her eyes for a moment, seeking the strength to remain kind. The duchess had had little to say to her the previous evening—after their stormy dinner conversation, at least—and it would do her no good to further upset the duke’s mother. She might have slightly less influence over him than she had in the past, but she was still his mother, after all.
“Your Grace,” Bridget said brightly, opening the door before the footman could knock. She curtseyed then smiled endearingly. “What brings you all the way down to Bethnal Green? Surely you were not passing this way and decided to stop in.”
“Hardly,” the duchess answered, looking around. “But my son insists there is nothing so amazing in all the Empire as this school of yours, and I felt an obligation to come see it for myself.”
“You are most gracious to come all this way, though. If I had only known, I would have had the children prepare a special performance in your honor,” Bridget explained, stepping back and holding the door wider so that the duchess might enter.
“That would not be necessary,” the older woman said as she walked in, looking all around without even trying to hide her disapproval.
“Still, I’m certain the younger students would be happy to recite some poems for you. Or perhaps some Scripture. And the older students are always eager to sing, they’ve been working on a Tallis piece, ‘If Ye Love Me,’” Bridget told her as she led the way down the hall.
Bridget felt a definite wave of déjà vu as she stopped at both the storeroom and then at the room that held clothing and sundry household goods, explaining the purpose of the rooms as she had done for the duke. Then, they reached the first classroom.
The younger children, upon seeing both their familiar Lady Bridget and another well-dressed guest, leapt from their places where they sat and either bowed or curtseyed as was warranted. After the introduction and with prompting from Miss Fitzroy, the children greeted the duchess with their best manners.
The older woman had no choice but to smile. Bridget thought she detected a tiny crack in the duchess’ hardened veneer, but she did not dare hope.
“Children? Would anyone like to recite something they have been studying for the Duchess of Lockhart?” Bridget asked, unsurprised when a dozen tiny hands went up.
As five chosen students recited pieces they had learned for class, Bridget watched the duchess keenly. The woman’s placid smile never faltered, but the truth was in her eyes. She wore the look of someone who was seeing an impossible sight for the first time, unsure of whether or not to trust her very eyes.
“Thank you, children. And thank you, Miss Fitzroy,” Bridget said before holding the door open. “Your Grace, if you’ll come this way.”
At the door to the girls’ classroom, the duchess stopped short. “Good heavens, that cannot possibly be your sister in there, studying with the rest of them.”
“Why, certainly. She is terrible at maths, and quite a number of the girls have a stronger understanding than she. It’s logical for her to come learn from them and from Miss Fitzroy,” Bridget explained, though she felt slightly ill at the look on the duchess’ face.
“Had she no governess?” the woman demanded, still not entering the room.
“She did, as did I. But at seventeen and already out among the ton, it seemed silly to hire a teacher when we have the most talented one right here,” Bridget explained. “Come, meet the girls and let them tell you about their studies and their ambitions.”
Introductions were once again made, but this time, the duchess made the rounds of the room, aided largely by Harriet at her side. She listened with obvious interest as the students read from their texts or recited something they’d written themselves.
Finally, the students from both classes filed into one room and Miss Fitzroy came forward to lead their singing. The duchess sat in one of the few chairs in the room and listened, nodding with genuine interest as they performed.
“That was quite something to behold,” the duchess told Bridget when she was finally leaving. “I must say that my notions about the futility of such an academy were soundly undone.”
“Thank you, Your Grace. That opinion means a great deal to me,” Bridget replied, taken aback to realize how true her words were.
“You’re very welcome, Lady Bridget. I wonder, have you given any thought to the wedding party yet?” the woman asked.
Bridget blinked in surprise at the sudden shift in the conversation. “I have not, I must confess. This is all so new to me.”
“As I would imagine without a mother to oversee these things,” the duchess said, though she clearly did not mean her words to be unkind. “Should you prefer, I will be happy to host an event in honor of your wedding to my son.”
“That would be wonderful, Your Grace. Truly, I thank you,” Bridget said, nearly astounded at the generosity of the offer.
“Then consider it done. We’ll talk more in the coming days, I’m sure.” The duchess smiled almost warmly then permitted her footman to help her to her waiting carriage.
I have no idea what just transpired, but I have little doubt that I have these children to thank for it!Bridget thought happily as she watched the duchess depart.
* * *
“Are you nervous at all?” Harriet asked as they sat in the carriage on the way to the Viscount of Ferndale’s ball.
“A little, now that you bring it up,” Bridget answered truthfully.
It was to be the first public event for the newly betrothed couple, their first appearance before a ton that could be harsh and judgmental. There would undoubtedly be talk about why they were marrying so soon after being introduced, as well as the usual rumors about why someone of Bridget’s age would finally be marrying.
“I’m sure you will do wonderfully. The duke is certain to remain by your side all evening, lest someone else invite you to dance,” Harriet teased lightly.
“And as for you, remember why you are here,” Bridget chided, making light of Harriet’s attendance. “You are my chaperone as I am yours, but you are to find a husband of your own. Father is counting on you to do your part.”
“I know,” Harriet answered, pouting only slightly. “I’ve gone from wishing this wasn’t true to being jealous of your own fiancé… to just wondering if Father should find a husband for me. There’s simply too much to consider!”
“Only remember this—above all else, seek a man who is kind. Not only kind to you, though that is of the utmost importance, but also kind to others. That’s a good measure of the sort of person he is.” Bridget patted her sister’s hand reassuringly. “You will know what sort of man when you see him.”
“Will I though? You’ve had far more success than most of the girls I know by chancing upon a complete stranger,” Harriet argued weakly. “That almost seems like the better course.”
“I cannot say you’re wrong because clearly, it has happened. But it’s not the normal way of things, as the ton is sure to remind me all evening long,” Bridget said darkly as their carriage came to a stop in front of the Viscount’s house.
The ladies went inside and were at once pounced on by their friends, Agatha and Camille.
“You did not arrive with the duke and his mother? Is something the matter?” Camille asked, already worried.
“Not at all. Father had to see to some business, so we left him at his offices on the way here, that’s all,” Bridget explained plainly. “I’m sure the duke will arrive in his own time.”
No sooner had she spoken than Agatha nodded to someone behind Bridget. She turned to see the duke enter, along with his mother and grandmother.
“See? Nothing to worry about,” Bridget said to her friends.
“Ladies, good evening,” Patrick said as he came near, bowing his head. “Might I steal Lady Bridget away for a while to make some introductions?”
“Certainly, Your Grace,” Agatha said, curtseying. “We were just about to take a turn about the room with Harriet, weren’t we?”
Bridget walked with Patrick through the arched doorway into the ballroom, and at once she felt as though every eye had turned towards them. Yes, their names had appeared already in the gossip sheets that the ton lived for, but this was the first glimpse of them together for many of those who were present. Judging by the sideways glances and raised fans, they did not disappoint.
“Lady Bridget, you look beautiful this evening,” Lady Claire remarked as they began to walk through the room. “Don’t you agree, Patrick?”
“I certainly do,” he replied, though he was speaking to Bridget. “Would you like to dance before someone steals you away for the rest of the evening?”
“I would, though I do hope no one else even thinks to ask,” Bridget answered, and the pair lined up with several other couples.
The music began and Bridget looked up into Patrick’s eyes. For only a moment, there was no one else in the room save for the two of them. They began to dance, ignoring all else as they moved. Bridget delighted in the closeness between them, aware of his hand at her back.
“Lady Bridget, I don’t know that I’ll have a chance to tell you something,” Patrick began, speaking so that only she could hear. “But you made quite an impression on my mother. She has not stopped singing your praises since her visit to your academy.”
“That is such good news,” Bridget replied. “I feared she may never warm to me, but I hope she sees the method in my madness now, at least where the school is concerned.”
“She certainly has… we all have,” he said, an unexpected rush of emotion in his tone. Bridget looked at him warily, but he continued, “I must confess that at first, our agreement was merely convenient for me, for us both I should say. But in getting to know you better, I find that I am very fond of you.”
Fond?Bridget thought with a fleeting pang of disappointment. Is that what every young lady hopes to hear from her betrothed? That he is fond of her?
“I am very glad you feel that way,” Bridget said, keeping her words even. “I feel the same way about you as well.”
Patrick’s smile grew and his eyes shone with an unexpected sort of joy. Bridget was glad to see this change in his demeanor, wondering if there was more to his feelings than he’d felt confident expressing.
“I am very much looking forward to marrying you, to being your husband and building our lives together,” he said somberly. “I can only thank divine providence that our paths crossed as they did.”
Bridget only smiled, too overcome with emotion to answer. She nodded mutely, though, her happiness overflowing at hearing this sentiment.
Too soon, the music ended and the couples around them applauded. New partners were chosen, while some couples went seeking a quiet corner to rest. Bridget looked up at Patrick again, then found her voice once more.
“Thank you for dancing with me, but if you’ll excuse me, I must make sure Harriet is all right. It’s funny… to think that all of this came about because you first asked me to dance, stepping in to rescue me,” she said longingly.
“I will always rescue you, Lady Bridget,” Patrick answered before bowing and leaving her to find her sister.
