Page 10 of The Duke’s Matchmaker

CHAPTER 5

“Dorothy,” Honora said, staring out the window that overlooked the road. “The Duke of Henshaw is here.”

“What?” Abigail dropped her book and jumped to her feet. “He’s here again? Do you think he’s here to see Dorothy?”

“Well, he must be, mustn’t he?” Honora said. She turned to face Dorothy. “You told us that he had only come to return your glove,” she accused.

It had been a weak lie, Dorothy knew, but it had been all she was able to come up with in the moment when her sisters had questioned her about Nathaniel’s visit to their house. She could feel her face growing hot. “I’m sure he’s here for some other reason,” she murmured.

“Well, I can’t imagine what it would be!” Abigail said. “And, you know, I never believed that story about the glove. I always thought that sounded like something you had made up. Now I think so even more strongly. That’s not why he sent us out of the room when he came to visit last time. You two discussed something secret. Something you didn’t want anyone else to hear. But you might as well tell us, if he’s going to keep coming around.”

“Is he courting you?” Honora asked eagerly?”

“No.” Dorothy placed her book firmly on the table beside her and got to her feet. “Nothing like that is happening. I’ll go and talk to him.”

“Dorothy, maybe he does want to pursue a courtship,” Abigail said. “You should be open to the possibility. It would explain why he keeps coming around here.”

“This is only the second time he’s been here,” Dorothy countered. “And I don’t want either of you to start thinking that there’s going to be a courtship. You shouldn’t get your hopes up for that, because I can assure you it isn’t going to happen.”

Her sisters looked at one another.

Dorothy knew what they were thinking. They saw her as a problem to be solved. They were probably already trying to come up with ways to convince her that she should consider a courtship with Nathaniel. But Dorothy knew perfectly well that it wasn’t going to happen, and that she was only going to disappoint them if they allowed themselves to believe a match was going to be made here.

“I’m going out to see what he wants,” she said.

“No, don’t do that,” Abigail protested. “He should come in to collect you, not wait for you to run out to him.”

“Abigail is right,” Honora said firmly. “You don’t run down to a gentleman, Dorothy. Sit down. He can come up if he wishes to see you. That’s the way a real gentleman ought to behave, and I won’t have you going out of the house with him if he can’t show you that much respect.”

Dorothy sighed and sat down. “There’s no reason to think he wants me to leave the house with him at all,” she said. “He might just be here to talk about something.”

“About what?” Abigail asked, lifting an eyebrow. “If he wants a conversation, he ought to come inside, and if he can’t do that I don’t know how he can expect that you would rush out to him.”

“Well, I’m sure he doesn’t expect it,” Dorothy said, beginning to feel exasperated. “After all, we don’t even know if it’s me he’s here to see. He might well be here to talk to someone else who lives in this part of the city.”

“No, he’s approaching our door now,” Honora said, peering out the window. “Remain in your seat, Dorothy. I’ll go to the door and show him in. Abigail, wait with Dorothy, will you?” She turned and disappeared into the hall.

Dorothy sighed. “She’s left you here to keep watch over me,” she told Abigail. “I think she believes I’ll run off.”

“She doesn’t know what to make of your behavior, and nor do I,” Abigail told Dorothy severely. “I would have thought you’d be excited by this, Dorothy. A duke is interested in you. You ought to be thrilled. I know you never thought this would happen. You might end up married, for goodness’ sake.”

Dorothy sighed. She wanted nothing more than to get up and run from the room, to ensure that she wouldn’t have to speak to Nathaniel in front of her sisters. She didn’t want to inflate these ideas the two of them seemed to be forming about her being involved in a courtship. They would be heartbroken when they learned they had it wrong.

Honora opened the door and led Nathaniel into the room. He inclined his head to Abigail in greeting before turning to face Dorothy. “Lady Dorothy,” he said.

So they were back to formalities. Well, two could play at that game. “Your Grace,” she returned, and saw his eyes widen slightly. She smiled with satisfaction. “What brings you here today?”

“I thought you and I might have a discussion,” he said. “About the…matter we spoke of the last time we saw one another.”

“Perhaps it’s time you let us all in on the secret,” Honora spoke up, a weightiness to her voice. “I am Lady Dorothy’s eldest sister, Your Grace, and as such I am responsible for her and for her well-being. If you wish to engage in any sort of relationship with my sister, you’ll need my approval.”

“Not that she won’t give it,” Abigail spoke up. “Dorothy has been nothing but delighted by your visits to us, Your Grace, and we want nothing more than to see Dorothy happy. But we would like to know what your intentions are.”

“Of course,” Nathaniel agreed as Dorothy burned with embarrassment. “It’s a very reasonable thing to ask, if I’m going to be spending time with your sister.”

“You are going to be spending time with her, then?” Honora asked quickly.

“I suppose it’s entirely up to Lady Dorothy,” Nathaniel said. “I came here today to invite her to join me for a promenade.”