The Duke's Dastardly Mistake (Unlikely Pairs Book 2) Page 5

  “Of course not. I slapped him instead.”

  Alexandra laughed out loud. “Now that's what I'd expect from you.”

  “Apparently that only made him angrier. It was he who sent the anonymous letter to me, summoning me to the woods in the middle of the night when you had come to visit me at Trenton Hall. He said he had a lesson to teach me.”

  Sliding forward in her seat, Alexandra looked at Lydia expectantly. “I cannot believe you've been keeping this all a secret from me. Please, go on.”

  Lydia foolishly did, figuring there was no point keeping it a secret now. “He took me to Dead Man's Tavern dressed as a boy in an attempt to teach me how harebrained I had been. It was the worst night of my life.”

  Lydia went on to divulge every last detail of that night to Alexandra, including their passionate kisses. When she was done, her cheeks were flushed with heat. “Now you know why I did what I did with Lord Whitworth. I wanted to prove to Levi that—”

  “Other men desire you?” Alexandra interjected sadly.

  “No!” Lydia protested. “I wanted to prove to him that he hadn't hurt me.”

  “But he has, Lydia. You wouldn't have acted so irrationally otherwise. Now, your actions have caused a situation that you cannot reverse. Marriage isn't a temporary mistake you can walk away from; it's permanent.”

  Lydia hid her face in her hands. “I know that. Not everyone deserves to be as happy as you and Lord Emberson, though.”

  “Do you honestly believe that?” Alexandra asked in exasperation.

  Lydia breathed a heavy sigh. “I used to think I deserved as much happiness as anyone, but not anymore. I'm impulsive and make mistakes and drag others into the mess with me. Take Lord Whitworth for example; he's forced to marry me against his will simply because he was kind enough to agree to come to my aide.”

  “Don't worry about him, I'm certain he feels honored to gain your hand,” Alexandra said dryly. “When did you start viewing yourself so poorly, Lydia? It makes me sad to hear such thoughts escape your lips.”

  Lydia wasn't certain precisely when she started thinking such things; she only knew the thoughts came with increasing frequency these days. She was just about to say something when a knock on the door startled them both.

  “Lydia?” It was her mother's voice. “Are you ready to go downstairs? Dinner is about to begin.”

  Both girls rose from their seat and moved to the door. Alexandra grabbed Lydia's arm and patted it reassuringly. “It will all work out, I'm sure.”

  “But what if it doesn't? What shall I do?”

  Alexandra leaned in close and whispered, “Run away to America and start a new life with a new identity.”

  Oddly enough, that sounded like a rather great plan to Lydia. “Really?” she asked, hoping Alexandra would encourage her to do just that.

  “No! I wasn't serious. You will make the most of the situation you find yourself in. That's the only way you'll find happiness.”

  By the time they exited the room, both her father and her mother were waiting to escort Lydia downstairs. Lord Emberson soon joined them and took his wife's arm to lead her to the party. Every step Lydia took down the grand staircase caused the ball of dread in her stomach to grow bigger and bigger. She knew precisely who awaited her at the bottom of those stairs and she didn't wish to see him.

  Levi was dressed in his finest evening wear, complete with a new black dinner coat, a wine-colored brocade vest, and a snowy white cravat tied in the mathematical. He knew he cut a fine figure in the clothes, which caused him to stand a bit taller. He waited at the bottom of the staircase of his sister's townhouse to deliver a message to Lydia.

  Aaron and Alexandra descended first and greeted him kindly, followed by Lord and Lady Phelps, with Lydia trailing a few steps behind. His breath caught in his throat when he gazed at her and all rational thought fled. She was easily the most breathtaking woman he'd ever seen. She was short and slender but had curves in all of the right places. His eyes quickly dipped to her shoulders, and he recalled with vivid clarity the night he'd seem them bare. They were the most gorgeous shoulders he'd ever seen.

  “What are you doing here?” she asked, surprise written all over her face.

  “I'm here to escort you to dinner.”

  Lady Phelps gasped. “Where is Lord Whitworth? He's the one who will be escorting her to dinner, not you, Your Grace.”

  Levi lowered his voice as he gestured all of them to come close as he spoke. “I had an encounter with Lord Whitworth at my club. Apparently, a matter of great importance has arisen, and he will be late. He asked me to deliver the news and escort Miss Phelps myself.”

  “Late to a dinner held in his honor?” Lord Phelps asked dryly.

  “It would appear so. You can make his excuses,” he suggested to Alexandra, “and we can proceed to dinner, or we can delay dinner to give him time to arrive. You're the hostess, you decide.”

  Alexandra looked to Lydia to get her opinion, but Lydia wouldn't make eye contact with any of them. “Very well. Let us delay dinner in hopes he will not be kept long.”

  Moving to the drawing room where the rest of the guests were assembled, Alexandra announced that Lord Whitworth would be late due to an unexpected, yet important matter. In the meantime, she directed everyone to the music room where entertainment would be provided.

  Levi noticed Lydia standing away from everyone, looking rather uncomfortable, and quickly went to her side. He offered her his arm, which she reluctantly took and began leading her to the music room.

  He purposefully slowed his pace to give themselves some distance from the others then leaned down and said, “I need to beg your forgiveness. It would appear that I have hurt you when that was never my intent.”

  Lydia glanced up at him, a look of surprise on her face. “Are you being sincere?”

  “Utterly and completely.”

  He watched as her nose scrunched up in distaste and took a moment to admire the light smattering of freckles across the bridge. “It's too late, Levi. Your apology doesn't change anything.”

  Hurt filled his eyes. “Doesn't it at least help to know I never meant to cause you harm?”

  “Whether you meant to or not, you did.”

  Feeling exasperated, Levi pulled her to a halt. Gripping her shoulders in his hands, he forced her to look at him. “I'm beginning to understand that, Lydia. I made a mistake, probably a dozen or more where you're concerned, and I can't change that now, but I can apologize and hope you will not hate me for the rest of your life.”

  “Why would it matter?” she asked. “Whether you have my hate or my admiration, it mattereth not.”

  “It matters a great deal to me.”

  “How am I supposed to believe that? Why didn't it matter to you the night Lord Emberson found us at the tavern? Where was your honor then?”

  Levi dropped his hands from her shoulders and took a step back as if he'd been slapped. He knew from personal experience that this woman's words had the power to hurt him far worse than her physical blows ever did.

  “I did the most honorable thing I could do in the circumstance,” he growled.

  “Honorable?” she squealed. “I think you and I have very different ideas of what honor is. Honorable would have been to ask for my hand.”

  Levi felt like she had just delivered a punch to his stomach. “What? Oh, Lydia, if you had given me any indication that is what you wanted, I would have done it at once. Instead, when I searched your face for an answer, you merely shook your head 'no.'”

  “I only did that because I was trying to release you from your obligation. I wanted you to offer for me because it was what you wanted, not because your hand was being forced.”

  Never in his wildest dreams would Levi have imagined he'd be having this conversation with Lydia this night. He hadn't planned on coming to the dinner, for he'd been in no mood to celebrate Lydia's engagement to another. The only reason he'd come is because of his encounter with Lord Whitworth at Gent
leman Jackson's. He knew if he didn't tell her that her fiancé was seeing to business, she'd be left without explanation, exposed to the embarrassment her fiancé’s unexplained absence would've produced.

  “Oh, Lydia,” he sighed, staring at her longingly. How he wished he could wrap her in his arms. “I had no idea.”

  “And now it's too late,” she breathed sadly, though he was certain he saw longing mirrored in her eyes as well.

  Levi wanted to tell her it wasn't but knew he couldn't lie to her. Instead, he reached for her arm, linking it with his own and led her silently into the music room. There was nothing left to say.

  Alexandra sat next to her husband, her arms across her chest as she silently fumed. Watching Lydia and Levi together, she felt foolish for never seeing what was between them before. Her brother looked at Lydia with such tenderness it surprised her. She hadn't known he was capable of such emotion. And, seeing her best friend looking downright miserable only added to her ire.

  Lady Sophia was currently playing a piece on the pianoforte. She was a lovely girl and played quite delightfully, but Alexandra couldn't seem to focus on the entertainment.

  Using her fan, she prodded her husband in the side until he turned to her and asked quietly, “Did you need something?”

  “As a matter of fact, I do. I need a word with you.”

  “Right this moment?”

  “This very one. The musical number is almost finished then we can politely make our way from the room so we can speak in private.”

  Lady Sophia finished her piece then stood while the rest of the guests applauded her. Alexandra turned to Lydia who was sitting behind her and said, “It's your turn now, my dear. Sing a song while Aaron and I go check on dinner.”

  Lydia looked startled, but her mother placed a hand on her back and gently shoved her towards the front of the room, encouraging her only daughter to show off her splendid singing voice.

  As soon as they'd slipped from the room, Alexandra hissed, “This is all your fault. You could have prevented everything.”

  Aaron looked at his wife, nonplussed, and asked, “Whatever do you mean?”

  “Lydia told me everything. You should have forced Levi to wed her when you found them together at the tavern. Lord Whitworth did not ruin Lydia, Levi did!”

  Aaron's jaw hardened as he ushered Alexandra more fully down the hall, lest anyone intrude upon their conversation. “Darling,” he spoke, urgency filling his gray eyes. “You have no idea how I wanted to do just that.”

  “Then why didn't you?”

  “Because at that moment I remembered very vividly having a conversation with a young girl about how miserable she was because she was being forced to wed someone, not of her choosing. I was not about to bestow the same fate on Miss Phelps and make her miserable as well.”

  Alexandra's shoulders slumped as she realized he was talking about her. She'd spent a lot of time being angry at the fact that her parents had chosen to betroth her to another from the moment she was born. She'd fought desperately for the ability to make her own choices, to decide her own fate, and was ultimately granted the permission to do so, choosing to marry the man she'd fallen head over heels in love with instead.

  She fell into her husband's arms and pressed her face against his chest. “I hate to see how unhappy Lydia is. She doesn't want to marry Lord Whitworth.”

  “And what of your brother? Do you think he's unhappy with the situation as well?”

  Alexandra thought back to her visit to his house the week prior and nodded her head eagerly. “Yes, I do, though I'm not sure he would admit it.”

  Aaron was thoughtful for a long moment before he finally said, “They've both managed to make a rather large mess of things.”

  “But how can we fix it?” she pleaded with such fervent emotion it made him laugh.

  Aaron pulled her more tightly to him. “We can't, only they can. Their inability to effectively communicate with one another has produced a tangled web of consequences. They will have to figure out how to unravel it all.”

  “But what if they don't?” she asked, panic filling her breast at the thought.

  Aaron glanced heavenward before looking down at her face. “I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm beginning to learn that love, the kind that is truly meant to be, will always find a way.”

  “But how can it? She's engaged to Lord Whitworth now.”

  “She can cry off,” he suggested practically.

  “I'm certain that's already crossed her mind, but I know Lord Phelps would never allow it. I think he's quite fed up with her antics.”

  “Understandably so.”

  “Oh, Aaron,” she sighed, “I fear it's a hopeless cause.”

  “Have more faith, my dear. Something will work out.”

  “I wish I felt as confident about matters as you do.”

  “Come,” he urged, pulling from their embrace and linking their arms together. Let us return to the music room before I'm tempted to cart you off to our bedchamber to participate in much more stimulating entertainment.

  Alexandra giggled as she let him guide her back to the music room. The minute they stepped inside, she felt the thick reverence that was permeating the air. Lydia was standing before the crowd; her gloved hands held loosely together in front of her as she sang a haunting melody Alexandra had never heard before. She sang it without the aid of an instrument, her voice sounding rich and untarnished.

  Alexandra found Levi in the crowd and, unsurprisingly, he was staring intently at Lydia, a look of reverent adoration on his face. How had she not seen that her brother had fallen in love with her best friend? She must have been so caught up in the wonder of her own romance that she failed to see what was going on all around her.

  The song ended, and the crowd broke into a hearty applause, causing Lydia to blush profusely. Many people rushed to her side to pay their compliments, including Levi, who leaned down and whispered something in her ear that made Lydia's blush deepen.

  Alexandra looked at Aaron, hoping he was right. Something had to work out for these two, or she'd be filled with sorrow the rest of her life.

  Lydia felt elated as she sat down next to her mother. She loved singing and had been given the opportunity to perform publicly several times since her debut into society, but none of them had been as stimulating as tonight's performance. She'd performed a song she'd written with Levi in mind, though she never thought she'd have the opportunity to sing it to him.

  After her performance, he'd whispered in her ear, “Enchanting, my love,” causing her skin to tingle and her heart to race.

  She forced her eyes to remain on Lady Sophia, who had taken her place at the pianoforte once more, though all she really wanted to do was look back and lock gazes with Levi. She was ever aware of his presence, feeling as if she were a sunflower being drawn to the sun. She wanted to move in his direction and bask in his glow but knew it wouldn't be proper.

  A gentle hand on her shoulder caused her to startle. It was Alexandra, leaning forward to whisper in her ear, “I'm uncertain how much longer we can delay dinner. The cook is afraid the food will grow cold and has worked herself up into quite the frenzy. Shall we proceed without your fiancé?”

  Lydia shook her head vigorously. “Yes.” Truthfully, she wasn't upset at all by Lord Whitworth's absence. How could she be when Levi had come to take his place?

  As soon as Lady Sophia was finished, Levi was by her side, offering her his arm. She gladly took it, liking the way his muscled arms felt entwined with her own. Though Levi was lean, he was well-toned, giving her the impression that he could protect her if ever there was a need.

  The party proceeded to the dining room, with its rich gold damask papered walls. A plethora of candles were strewn about the room, giving it a cheery glow. Levi assisted her into her seat then took Lord Whitworth's place beside her. She watched as he casually slid his chair closer to her so that his thigh was touching her own beneath the table.

  Her hand shoo
k ever-so-slightly as she began sampling the soup that was placed before her. If anyone quizzed her on the meal afterward, she'd never be able to tell them what she ate. She was consumed with thoughts of Levi.

  Between courses, when everyone around them was deep in conversations not involving them, a thought occurred to Lydia and she quickly turned to Levi and asked, “Why would Lord Whitworth ask you to bring me news of his delay this night? Surely you are the last person he'd seek a favor from after the painful blow you delivered to his nose.”

  Levi looked away, wiping his mouth with his linen napkin. Lydia's eyes focused on the light scar that ran from the knuckle of his middle finger down towards his thumb. He once told her he received the wound in a duel. She'd been envious of the woman he cared enough about to put his life at risk.

  “Why aren't you answering me?” she pried when it became apparent that his answer would not be forthcoming.

  Levi cleared his throat and cocked his head, causing a wayward lock of chestnut hair to fall across his brow. Lydia itched to reach up and put it back in its place.

  “Perhaps I was merely in the right place at the right time.”

  “He could have sent a missive.”

  Levi rolled his eyes heavenward before settling his gaze once more upon her. “Are you always so curious about everything?”

  She smiled. “You know that I am. It's part of my restless nature.”

  He was thoughtful a moment before responding, “Yes, restless describes you perfectly. Never satisfied unless you’re involving yourself in some sort of outlandish scheme. Need I remind you it was your foolishness that got you into your current predicament?”

  Lydia gave an exaggerated sigh as she rolled her eyes at him. “I thought you were past chastising me for my mistakes.”

  He gave her a lopsided grin that made him look adorably boyish. Her irritation evaporated at once. “I'd much rather discuss your mistakes than mine.”

  “Why is that?”

  His smile faded. “Because then I don't have to think about what a fool I've been.”

  Lydia glanced down at her hands that were sitting in her lap. “We've both been foolish.”