Romancing an Alluring Lady: A Historical Regency Romance Book Read online

  “So, you actually want to marry her, Your Grace? This isn’t just about the challenge anymore?” Portlock asked softly. Hugh stopped all his rushing around as he looked the butler dead in the eye.

  “Yes, Portlock. I do intent to marry Kitty. I shall show her that she’s the most important thing in my life, and I hope everything else will follow,” Hugh said. “I never thought when I accepted her challenge that I would want something so badly in my life. And this week has been hell itself. First my estate catches fire. And now the Royal Magistrate wants to meet.”

  “Indeed, Your Grace. It seems like this all has been ill-timed,” Portlock agreed.

  “Maybe even deliberate?” Hugh questioned as he started to really think about his week thus far. “I mean, why would the Royal Magistrate summon me so suddenly if he was not first told of something of my doing?”

  “And do you think that someone set fire to the estate, Your Grace?” Portlock murmured, seeming to think deeply on this matter as well.

  “I don’t know for sure, Portlock, but it does all seem very coincidental,” Hugh said. “The moment things seem to be going well for Kitty and I, the next I’m being summoned away for a day and a night.”

  “It seems while you are gone, Your Grace, I will be busy with some errands,” Portlock said.

  “What do you have in mind?” Hugh asked as he followed Portlock from the room. They travelled down the hallway together as the butler was quiet for a moment.

  “I know of some errand boys who could use coins in their pocket. It’s time to put more ears on the streets to see if we can learn of any misdoings against you,” Portlock reasoned. Hugh was surprised to hear Portlock’s plan, but was only more proud of the man.

  “I feel confident then that I can leave this matter with you, Portlock, while I go and see what the Royal Magistrate wants,” Hugh said as they took the stairs down to the main floor.

  “First, you’ll need to eat something, Your Grace. I’ll tell Cook to whip something up fast and then I’ll have the carriage prepared for you,” Portlock said as he walked down the hallway towards the kitchen. Hugh just nodded his head as he went towards the dining room. But first, he needed to write Kitty a letter.

  Settling down at his desk in his study, Hugh withdrew a piece of writing paper from his desk drawer and then prepared his quill in the ink pot sitting on his desk.

  Dear Kitty,

  I hardly slept after our reunion last night. Just the thought of our little adventure fills me with warmth. I had designs to call upon you today if only to be near you once more, but the Royal Magistrate has just summoned me to the Royal Court for official business. It seems my past has finally caught up to me.

  I will be paying for my past sins, Kitty. But if it means I can restore honour to my family’s name, then it will all be worth it. I hope you will see how much you mean to me, that I’d do anything to show you that I’m worthy to one day be your husband. Wait for me till the following night. Then you and your aunt shall join me for dinner, and I shall tell you all about my meeting with the Royal Magistrate.

  Yours always, Hugh

  Satisfied with the letter, Hugh folded it up and took it with him to the dining room. When his simple breakfast was served, he gave the letter to Portlock to have delivered to Kitty that morning. And as soon as he’d finished eating, he left the townhouse in a hurry, hoping to fulfil this summons and get home as soon as possible.

  As Hugh sat in his carriage, feeling the rocking of the vehicle as it rolled over the cobblestones of the street, Hugh tried to keep an optimistic outlook on things. He’d felt a strong connection to Kitty just a few hours ago that he hoped that she’d wait a short time for them to visit again and to really focus on their mutual attraction. Would it be enough to show Kitty that they should be together?

  Hugh’s thoughts started to wander as his eyes focused on the passing houses and people. What would he do if he wasn’t able to secure Kitty’s hand in marriage? Could they actually remain friends if she married someone else? He wasn’t completely sure of Kitty’s feelings for him at the moment even though he could tell that she desired him. Many women had desired him before, but that did not mean that they actually cared about him. Hugh wanted more than just mutual attraction when it came to marriage. He wanted to love his wife and feel that love in return.

  If Kitty did end up marrying someone else, he knew that they would no longer be friends. He wouldn’t be able to look upon her without feeling this way. He didn’t understand why he’d waited this long to pursue Kitty. But as he looked upon his past actions, he knew that he’d done a lot to help him forget about his past. And that past included much of Kitty.

  Hugh had never really considered himself the possessive type, but as he thought more about his future with Kitty, he knew that he needed to ensure that she only ever married him. He didn’t like to play dirty but was willing to almost consider any scheme to ensure that Kitty agreed to his proposal at the end of the week. This line of thinking almost made him wonder if someone was out to get him, to make him appear more disreputable than the rumours already made him out to be.

  Hugh knew that being away from Kitty for even a short time might prove to be an eternity for him since he had such a short timeframe to work within to prove himself to Kitty. No matter what the Royal Magistrate made him do, no matter what he’d have to agree to or any other condition, he was ready to accept his fate and move on with his week. He knew he had more important things to do that would affect him for the rest of his life.

  ~*~

  It was almost midday when Kitty heard a knocking on her door. It was soft and light, and as Kitty called for the person to come forth, she lifted her head up to see Aunt Matilda coming into her room. She smiled at her aunt as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes, trying to figure out what time of day it was. She certainly hadn’t expected to sleep this long and couldn’t help giggling as she remembered what had kept her up all night.

  “Child, are you not well?” Aunt Matilda asked as she looked down at Kitty, thinking something must have been terribly wrong for the young lady to be sleeping in so late and then waking up laughing.

  “Yes, Aunt Matilda, I am well,” Kitty reassured her aunt. “I was simply having the most splendid dream after finally falling asleep. I was up half the night with my mind spinning.” Kitty wasn’t about to admit to her aunt what she’d done last night because she knew the news would be very upsetting to the older woman. So, for now, she’d keep those details to herself.

  “Well, the post has come. There are two letters for you,” Aunt Matilda said as she sat on the edge of Kitty’s bed and handed her the letters. Kitty looked down to see Hugh’s familiar handwriting and then glanced at the other to see that it was new to her. Wanting to know what Hugh had already written to her about, she smiled as she opened up the letter, eager to read the words. But as she took them all in, her heart fell at the idea of him having to speak to the Royal Magistrate.

  “Hugh writes and says that he’ll have to fulfil the summons of the Royal Magistrate and would like to know if we’d join him for dinner tomorrow night when he has returned,” Kitty explained to her aunt.

  “Oh dear. I wonder why he’d be summoned,” Aunt Matilda said. “Do you think he’s in any trouble?”

  “I certainly hope not,” Kitty said as she folded back up the letter. It contained several other admiring sentences that she didn’t want her aunt to see. It would be a letter that she’d keep close to her heart. “Now let’s see what this other letter is about.”

  Kitty set Hugh’s letter aside and picked up the other one and carefully unfolded it. She read over the whole thing silently and had to read it again to gain any belief in it.

  “Come now, what does it say?” Aunt Matilda asked. Kitty smirked, thinking her aunt was like a young schoolgirl who wanted to hear the latest gossip from Town.

  “Believe it or not, the letter is from Miss Beatrice Talbot,” Kitty explained. “She has invited me to attend the opera tonigh
t in hopes of introducing me to her Italian composer friend, Pietro Generali.”

  Aunt Matilda regarded her with a quizzical look as she asked, “How would Miss Talbot know a famous composer such as Pietro Generali?”

  Kitty shook her head, unsure how it could be possible. “I have no idea, Aunt Matilda, but she says that the composer is interested in hearing me sing,” Kitty said with a bright smile. “Could you imagine? Me singing for a man like Pietro Generali? He writes all the music for the opera.” Kitty was so excited that she could hardly contain herself.

  “I must reply immediately,” Kitty said as she moved from the bed and went over to her writing desk without bothering to put on a robe. She quickly took out a sheet of writing paper and constructed her acceptance letter as neatly as she could as the excitement wound its way through her body. Just as she was folding it up, her lady-in-waiting came in carrying a breakfast tray.

  “Perfect timing, Miss Tennant. Please have this letter delivered right away,” Kitty said happily as the maid set the tray down and accepted the letter.

  “Right away, Miss,” Miss Tennant said with a curtsy before she left the room in haste.

  “Oh, can you believe it?” Kitty said to her aunt as she sat down in a wing backed chair next to a small table with the breakfast tray on it. “I am going to meet the famous Italian composer tonight.”

  “I am truly happy for you, my dear,” Aunt Matilda said as she finally stood from the bed. She patted Kitty’s shoulder before moving towards the bedchamber door. “After you eat, I’ll help you pick out your finest gown for the opera.”

  “Will you not join me this evening?” Kitty asked after swallowing a bite of toast.

  “Not tonight, my dear. It seems I am long overdue for a relaxing evening at home,” Aunt Matilda admitted.

  “Of course. Please forgive me if I’ve worn you out,” Kitty said, feeling guilty about all the social outings they’d recently attended together.

  “It is no trouble, my dear. It warms my heart to see you so happy,” Aunt Matilda said. “And I’ll want to save my energy to have dinner with Hugh.” They both chuckled as the older woman left the room. Kitty agreed that it would be nice to have dinner with Hugh, but she was more concerned over why he’d been summoned. After everything he’d recently endured, she prayed that it was not of great importance.

  Chapter 11

  As the carriage came up to the gates of the Royal Court, the door was opened and Hugh produced the letter he’d received that morning. After the guard reviewed his letter, he handed it back and closed the carriage door once more. Hugh listened to the sound of the gate being opened as the guard shouted his orders. Then, the carriage was moving forward again at a slow pace as the driver was no doubt instructed where to go.

  Hugh hadn’t been to the Royal Court since his parents passed away. He’d been granted the dukedom by royal decree and had to attend the ceremony for such things. It had been a fanfare event, and one that didn’t hold pleasant memories in his mind. He’d been still grieving and yet everyone seemed to be celebrating around him. The ceremony had been quite unpleasant, and now that he had to return to the same place, a chill ran through him as he felt a sense of foreboding.

  “Lord Blackmore, Duke of Ormondene!” cried the caller as the carriage came to a stop and the carriage door was opened once more. Hugh promptly stepped out of the carriage, hoping that this business could be conducted as soon as possible. As Hugh looked ahead of him and down the red carpet that had been laid out for all guests to the Royal Court, an attendant quickly approached him and bowed.

  “Welcome to the Royal Court, Lord Blackmore. The Royal Magistrate is expecting you,” the attendant said as he slowly straightened his posture once more. Hugh glanced around the space, finding the towering walls imposing as they had been once before. It wasn’t a place that filled him with comforting thoughts, but instead like a mouse that found itself suddenly in a trap. As Hugh glanced behind him to see the gates closed, he knew that he wasn’t getting out of here any time soon.

  Hugh placed his attention back on the young attendant and nodded his head. The man turned and started forward along the red carpet, and Hugh made sure not to dawdle. His eyes stayed forward as he passed others that often came to the Royal Court simply so they could. They were the young and old of the highest-ranking members of society who stood around for a chance to visit with the Royal Family.

  Even though his rank gave him the same opportunity, he’d never waste his time standing around with the hope of rubbing elbows with the King. He had more important matters to deal with and found this whole situation a waste of his time.

  “The Royal Magistrate is in his private chambers,” the attendant spoke up. Hugh took the information without responding, thinking that if he was having a private meeting with the Royal Magistrate the situation couldn’t be as dire as he first assumed. It would have been much worse if he’d been summoned before the entire court to receive their judgement.

  They stopped before a large wooden door in the side of one of the many towers. The attendant knocked a few times before the door was unlocked and opened from the inside. Then, the attendant stepped aside and bowed once more to Hugh, allowing him to pass by and enter into the room. Hugh didn’t say a word as he went into the room and was greeted by another attendant. Hugh had forgotten how pompous the Royal Court was with all its rules and customs.

  “Please have a seat, Lord Blackmore,” the attendant instructed. The room was rather large with a fireplace and several carpets covering the stone floor. Regarding furniture, there were only two plush chairs near the fireplace. Several chandeliers filled the windowless room with plenty of light. But no matter how it had been designed with the crests of the most prestigious families in England lining the walls, it still felt dark and cold.

  With the attendant standing ready and attentive at the only door leading out of the room, Hugh did his best to calm his nerves as he settled down into one of the chairs. He ran his fingers down his thighs and let out a deep breath, trying to remain calm. He didn’t like how confining the room felt and hoped that this meeting wouldn’t take very long.

  Hugh almost missed it when the Royal Magistrate stepped into the room. He had come in from behind one of the tapestries, telling Hugh that there must be more than one way in and out of the room. And if this meeting was that private, it only made Hugh more nervous.

  “Hugh, my boy. It’s good to see you,” the Royal Magistrate said as he outstretched his arms towards him. Hugh smirked as he rose to his feet and approached the older man, accepting his embrace.

  “Godfather,” Hugh replied as he broke the embrace. “It’s good to see you well.”

  “These fools haven’t run me into the ground quite yet,” the Royal Magistrate said as he gestured towards the two chairs. Hugh returned to his seat as he watched the older man settle down into the one across from him.

  “Forgive me for not coming to visit you more often,” Hugh said as he folded his hands in his lap and sat against the back of the chair.

  “No need, Hugh. The Blackmores have never been frequent visitors of the Royal Court,” his godfather said with a deep sigh. “Though I do miss your father. He was always a voice a reason.” Hugh chuckled as he nodded his head in agreement.

  “I feel the same way, Godfather,” Hugh replied. “But I’m sure you haven’t requested my presence just because you wanted to catch up.”

  The Royal Magistrate narrowed his eyes at Hugh as a smirk came to his face. “Always thinking on your feet, Hugh. Just like all the times your father caught you in one bit of trouble or another,” the Royal Magistrate said as he shook his finger at Hugh. “I remember the time your father told me about the time you slicked up all the farmer’s pigs and then let them loose.” Hugh couldn’t contain his laughter as he remembered the memory, one that had recently been talked about with Lady Winthrop. Thinking of the older woman made him think of Kitty, forcing him to remember that he needed to get back home soon.

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