Love Lessons with the Duke Read online

  “Wonderful!” Miss Jasper replied, clasping her hands together. “I can’t wait.”

  “Indeed,” her mother agreed, rising to her feet. “I’m eager to see if she’ll get gentlemen to come over and ask her to dance this time.”

  “Oh, she will,” Helena assured her. “And I’ll be there to offer guidance along the way. Though,” she looked at Miss Jasper, “I don’t expect to have much to say. You have excellent poise, a soft voice, and a skill for subtle flirting. It seems you were born for this kind of thing.”

  “Then why didn’t any gentlemen ask me to dance before?”

  “Because you doubted yourself. You didn’t believe you could attract anyone, so you didn’t make eye contact or smile. You’d be surprised how those two little things can make you more confident. When you’re confident, others are drawn to you.”

  “Oh, that makes sense.”

  “It does, but a lot of people don’t realize it. Well,” Helena continued, glancing between the two of them, “I can’t think of anything else to tell you, so I’ll meet you both at the ball.”

  “We’re looking forward to it,” Mrs. Jasper said.

  “We are,” Miss Jasper agreed. “I can’t wait to see how things go.”

  “I’m sure they’ll go fine.” Indeed, Helena couldn’t recall a time she’d had a better pupil.

  After she said her good-byes, Helena left the townhouse. The day was a nice one. Very pleasant in fact. A slight breeze, not a cloud in sight, and the wonderful smell of flowers in the air as she passed several trees lining the street. She usually took a carriage when she worked, but today, she thought she’d walk. Miss Jasper’s townhouse wasn’t far from hers, and besides, it did good to walk for a change.

  Before she knew it, she arrived at the park. There weren’t many people here this time of day, but she took a moment to debate whether she was up to possibly running into someone she knew. Most of the time, she was happy to sit and talk to other ladies, some of which had once taken lessons from her. It was a nice way of finding out how things were going for them after they secured their husbands. But she wasn’t always up for a conversation.

  Today, however, she wouldn’t mind it. She proceeded forward, strolling along the pathway, content to offer pleasantries to those who passed by and to stop from time to time to smell the flowers. Everything was going along smoothly until she saw him. The Duke of Ashbourne.

  She stilled as soon as her gaze went to the bench where he sat, looking as if life had forgotten all about him. She blinked. No. It wasn’t like that. Her mind was playing tricks on her, making her believe she was seeing things she really wasn’t.

  He was fine. He was just enjoying the nice summer day under the shade of a tree. That was it. Or perhaps, this was how he looked when he was bored. And who knew? Maybe he was waiting for someone.

  She hesitated to continue her walk because it would require her to go right in front of him. This was silly, of course. She wasn’t one who got skittish around anyone, especially in public where others could see them.

  After a moment, she resumed her walk. She tried not to make eye contact with him as she went by. Since he was sitting to her left, she kept her gaze to the right, taking an unusual interest in the birds. The ploy worked. She made it by him without him saying anything to her.

  One would think that would have been a relief. But it wasn’t. And she couldn’t figure out why.

  Chapter Two

  Camden scanned the ballroom. Everyone looked so at ease, as if they belonged there. They were talking to friends and dancing. Some were sipping their drinks. He caught sight of Edon who was lounging in a chair, talking to Mr. Robinson and a couple other gentlemen. Not too far away, he caught sight of Edon’s wife, the lady people claimed used to be a wallflower, but she didn’t seem that way at all since she was engaged in a good-humored conversation with a couple of ladies.

  His gaze went back to Edon. Maybe he should seek out the gentleman’s help. Edon didn’t seem to have any trouble talking to anyone. Even at White’s, the gentlemen flocked to talk to him. What was his secret?

  “Oh good, you made it,” someone said.

  Taking his eyes off of Edon and the gentlemen who were laughing at whatever joke he’d told, Camden turned to Toplyn, not sure how to respond.

  Toplyn took a sip of his drink and scanned the room. “Are you trying to decide which lady to dance with?”

  “Well,” he followed the direction of Toplyn’s gaze which happened to be on a couple of young ladies, “I’m not sure who’s available and who’s already married.”

  “You aren’t?” Toplyn asked as if he couldn’t believe it.

  Despite his warm cheeks, he nodded. “I don’t make it a habit of attending the balls, remember?”

  “You attended a couple last Season. You were there to witness the agreement between Davenport and Pennella over Miss Giles’ hand. I remember it because I had a lot of money on that wager.”

  “Yes, I was at that ball, but I don’t go to most of them.”

  He glanced away from him, not wanting to give the reason he had been there. Toplyn wasn’t the only one who put money on the wager between Davenport and Pennella. He had, too. But he went to the ball to get an idea of who was more likely to win.

  From the start, he could tell she was more interested in Davenport, so he’d put everything he had into that wager. And if the whole thing hadn’t been exposed in the Tittletattle, he would’ve had enough to pay off the four gentlemen his brother had been in debt to. But since it had, the wager became null and void, leaving him with no choice but to find a wealthy lady. He recalled how upset Toplyn had been, since he’d also bet on Davenport, but there was no way Toplyn was as disappointed as he’d been.

  “Which one catches your fancy?” Toplyn asked, gesturing to the group of four ladies not too far from them.

  Camden shrugged. It didn’t matter which one appealed to him. The only thing that mattered was who came with the most money. “Do you know anything about their fathers?”

  Toplyn chuckled. “You won’t be marrying their fathers.”

  “No, but I’ll have to get the father’s approval if I want to do it right.” Because if he didn’t, then he risked losing the father’s favor, which meant losing the money he hoped to gain.

  “You’re in luck. As it turns out, I have talked to three of their fathers. What are you most interested in? A father-in-law who will be amiable, one who has the most money, or one who has the most connections?”

  “The money.”

  “In that case, your best chance is with Miss Jasper.” He pointed to the brunette. “I hear this is her second Season, and her father is eager she marry a titled gentleman. Being a duke, you should impress him.”

  “Is a title enough?” he asked, more to himself than to Toplyn.

  “It certainly doesn’t hurt.”

  Camden’s gaze swept the room. “Are there any others you’d suggest?”

  “What’s wrong with Miss Jasper?”

  His cheeks warmed. “Nothing. She looks…” What was the right word?

  “She’s attractive and seems friendly.”

  “Yes.”

  “Why the hesitation?”

  He shrugged. “She can have anyone in this room.”

  “Maybe she doesn’t want anyone but a duke. Maybe she’d like to be a duchess.”

  “I don’t know.” He couldn’t think of one attractive quality he had, except for his title. Whereas she seemed so confident. Yes, that was the word to describe her. “She’s confident. She probably knows she could have anyone here in this room.”

  “Confidence is often an illusion,” Toplyn replied. “It’s easy to think someone else is more confident than you are.”

  No, that wasn’t the case. She really was more confident than him, and she had every right to be. With her beauty and money, why would she want him?

  Toplyn took another drink and studied him. “This is her second Season. If she could have anyone she wanted
, she would already be married. The best thing about ladies in their second and third Seasons is that they’re more likely to lower their standards.”

  Camden glanced at him, his frown betraying how the thought stung. She’d have to lower her standards to marry him?

  Toplyn cleared his throat. “I didn’t mean it that way. I just meant she’s not as confident as you think she is. It’s probably a show. Chances are, she’s just as nervous as you are. And besides, no one is asking her to dance.”

  Camden relaxed, but only a little. What he said was true. But… “Maybe she just finished with a dance.”

  “Perhaps but unlikely. She’s not sweaty, nor does she look flushed at all in the cheeks. Why don’t you go over to her? You’ll probably be doing her a favor.”

  Camden hesitated. For anyone else, this might have been a simple matter. Go over to her. All he had to say was, May I have the pleasure of the next dance?

  Opening her fan, Miss Jasper said something to her friends then walked away from them, choosing to stand near the window. She waved the fan and glanced outside.

  “Now’s your chance. She’s alone,” Toplyn said.

  Camden told his feet to move, but they wouldn’t.

  “Want me to go over with you and start up a conversation?” Toplyn asked.

  Did he? Camden quickly weighed the pros and cons of agreeing.

  Toplyn finished his drink then said, “Wait here.” He put the empty glass on a table then returned to him and gave him a pat on the back. “Come over when I wave to you.”

  Before Camden could reply, Toplyn was already on his way to Miss Jasper. Camden hated this. Why couldn’t he just do it? Why couldn’t he be as confident as Toplyn? Toplyn never had trouble going up to people and talking to them.

  Toplyn reached her and said something that made her laugh. She responded, giving him a smile that invited him to ask her to dance. It was the same kind of smile Miss Giles had given Davenport, and she ended up choosing him over Pennella.

  Toplyn gestured in Camden’s direction, and she looked over at him. Camden swallowed, shifting from one foot to another. Maybe this was a bad idea.

  Toplyn waved at him, the signal that let him know he should go over there. He took a deep breath. He could do this.

  Good evening. It’s a pleasure to meet you. May I have the next dance?

  That was all he had to say. As long as he stuck with those lines, he should be all right. He adjusted his jabot then quickly lowered his hand. If he wasn’t careful, he’d likely undo the work he’d carefully done in dressing. He needed to make a good impression, and he didn’t need anyone to tell him it was important to be immaculate in his appearance.

  By the time he reached them, he was having trouble breathing. This was ridiculous. She was just a person like everyone else. Forcing himself to make eye contact with her, he managed what he hoped was a natural smile.

  “This is my friend, the Duke of Ashbourne,” Toplyn told her then faced Camden. “This is Miss Jasper.”

  “A pressure, Miss Jasper,” Camden said then winced. “I meant, a pleasure,” he quickly amended then bowed. Good heavens! Could he have started off with anything worse than that?

  Toplyn laughed and gave his shoulder a firm pat. “What did I tell you, Miss Jasper? Doesn’t he have a good sense of humor?”

  Chuckling, she curtsied. “Yes, he does indeed. It’s a refreshing change. So many people seem so serious at these balls.”

  Camden wanted to thank Toplyn for covering up for his error, but he kept silent in case he messed something else up.

  “His Grace is also a wonderful listener,” Toplyn added. “Some gentlemen only want to talk about themselves, and having listened to them at White’s, I can tell you they would bore you to sleep. But you don’t have to worry about that with His Grace. You can freely discuss whatever is on your mind.”

  Well, Camden supposed that was a good way of putting it. He swallowed the lump in his throat. Here went nothing. “May I have the next dance?” he blurted out.

  “Oh, well,” she glanced at something behind him, so he looked over his shoulder.

  A gentleman passing by smiled at her.

  Turning back to face her, he saw she had smiled at him in return. But then she returned her gaze to Camden and said, “You may.”

  “I may what?” he asked before he had time to think over how stupid he sounded.

  “Have the next dance with me, of course,” she said.

  “Oh, um…” He looked back over his shoulder and saw the gentleman still watching her, though he didn’t make a move toward them, probably being polite enough until Camden was done talking to her. “Are you sure? It seems like you already have someone who’s interested.” And it was likely she was equally interested in him.

  Toplyn cleared his throat and gave a slight shake of his head, a silent warning to keep quiet.

  Camden bit down on his tongue. What a fool he must seem.

  “I’d love to dance with you, Your Grace,” she said, directing his attention back to her.

  Since Toplyn gave him an expectant look, Camden forced aside his unease and escorted her to the dancing area.

  ***

  Oh dear. Helena watched as the Duke of Ashbourne led Miss Jasper to the center of the room. Sadly, she’d witnessed the whole exchange, and while Miss Jasper played her part beautifully, it was apparent this particular approach wasn’t ideal for someone like the duke. The gentleman was clearly at a loss on how to behave around ladies.

  First, he’d had another gentleman get her attention for him. Then he’d stumbled all over himself while talking to her. And then, after securing a dance, he was ready to hand her to another gentleman simply because it appeared to him that she had someone else who’d taken an interest in her.

  The Season was full of games gentlemen and ladies played, and it was glaringly obvious the duke didn’t know the rules. How could someone be twenty-six and not know the rules?

  Helena bypassed several people on her way to Lord Toplyn. She only knew of him. He attended almost every ball, and so far, none of the ladies she taught had the slightest interest in him. Though to be fair, he hadn’t made a move to dance with many of them. He seemed to be more content to talk, sip the drinks, and listen to the music. At least that was her impression from her times of watching him.

  Now, for the first time, she approached him. “My lord,” she greeted and curtsied.

  His eyes widening, he bowed. “Lady Seyton? To what do I owe the honor?”

  “You know who I am?”

  “Doesn’t everyone?”

  “I didn’t think so,” she replied.

  “Your reputation precedes you.”

  “Oh?”

  “Every lady you’ve instructed acquired a betrothal before the end of the Season. You’re so good at what you do, no one at White’s will make a wager on whether or not you will succeed.”

  She wasn’t sure if she should be flattered or not, but she supposed he was paying her a compliment so she smiled. “Gentlemen aren’t that difficult to figure out.”

  “We aren’t?” he asked, eyebrows raised.

  “No. Like right now, you’d like to find some way to prove me wrong. Perhaps you’re trying to think of something to say or do to catch me off guard?”

  “Let me guess. You read minds?”

  Her lips curled up at his joke. “I’m an astute observer.” She gestured to the Duke of Ashbourne, who looked as if he was in pain. “You ought to tell your friend to smile when a lady is talking to him. As it is, she’ll think he has absolutely no interest and will reject another offer to dance.”

  “He’s not my friend.”

  “He isn’t?” The two had been talking as if they’d known each other well, or at least that’s how it appeared from where she was standing.

  “No. I just happen to know him because he goes to White’s.”

  She glanced at the duke and tapped the fan against the palm of her hand. Did the duke have any friends? Surely, h
e did. At least, he must have family. She turned her gaze back to Lord Toplyn. “Well, be that as it may, will you please let him know he shouldn’t give the impression someone is asking him to drink poison when he’s dancing with a lady? Look at him.”

  Again, her gaze went to him, and after he said something, he grimaced. Good heavens. The gentleman definitely wouldn’t be getting another dance with Miss Jasper, not even if his life depended on it.

  “I can’t help it if he’s not graceful at this sort of thing,” Lord Toplyn said. “I did my part to get her to dance with him. If he can’t take it from there, then that’s his fault, not mine. I refuse to hold his hand through everything. If I do that, who can tell if he’ll need help on his wedding night?”

  She shook her head, amused at his humor. “My lord, that’s a most unbecoming thing to say. You know full well gentlemen have no such issues in that particular area.”

  “You’d be surprised.” When she stared expectantly at him, he added, “Not me, of course. But there are a couple who aren’t so confident.” With a shrug, he further added, “And some of those have good reason to be.”

  “I’m shocked by your bold speech,” she admitted, relieved no one was close enough to overhear him.

  “Then you know I’m not the right one to teach that particular duke anything. He can’t even extend an invitation to a dance. I could get him married tonight, but he’d faint on the spot if I told him how.”

  Despite the heat in her cheeks since she could think of several ways a gentleman could ruin a lady and she had no doubt his thoughts involved the removal of clothes, she said, “I pity the lady you marry.”

  “Do you?”

  “Yes. Your mind is rotten.”

  “What you consider rotten is what I consider interesting. There’s nothing worse than a boring love life. Being a widow, I know you catch my meaning.”

  She resisted the urge to give into his ploy. He was baiting her, trying to get a reaction out of her. “Your games won’t work with me, Lord Toplyn. I’m much too smart for that.”