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Thirteen
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2024-10-29 19:42:56
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The Duke And I Fourteen
Life at Eastland hall had never been better. Cassy found it a shocking turnaround that she could actually smile now, and she was actually beginning to grow fond of the place. Even more shocking, perhaps, was the sudden improvement in everything the Duke laid out for her. The activities which she’d failed at earlier, now seemed like mere chores That’s she could expertly breeze through. It was almost as if the Levington that had gone to London with the duke was replaced by another one, more apt and skilled than the other one. Cassy slowly began to understand the intricacies of fending which her tutor desperately wanted her to understand. "Yes, yes, my lord," monsieur Fournier would exclaim excitedly whenever she successfully parried his thrusts or when her blade would skim right under his arm and straight at his rib. "Zat is exactly what I was saying."Tutoring went well enough, and she soon began to catch up on the many subjects which she was supposed to learn. Her tutors noticed this
The Duke And I Fifteen
Everything started to fall apart from the moment Colin kissed her. It was on a Saturday evening, right after he’d finished teaching her how a man was supposed to shake. Cassy’s grip hadn’t been firm enough, and he’d taught her how to position her fingers, even slightly squeezing the person’s fingers. And then he’d pulled her in and kissed her on the cheek. It wasn’t supposed to mean anything, but it was dangerously close to her mouth and Cassy had bristled at the sudden invasion. "What do you think you’re doing?" she asked, shoving him away. Colin regarded her coolly. "I didn’t mean to offend you," he said quietly. "I was just...""Don’t ever do that again," she said. "Just don’t."He stepped back, stung by her anger. "Cassandra, I..."Cassy ran from the spot, leaving him staring after her with a confused expression. She ran all the way back to the house, willing herself not to cry. She’d known Colin was attracted to her; had suspected it from the first day he found out her secr
The Duke And I Sixteen
For a long moment, Eastland didn’t speak. Cassy stood frozen before him, desperately trying to cover all that he’d already seen. There was no hiding no; no secrets that hadn’t been exposed already. His formidable gaze swept over her once. Twice. "Get dressed," he said in a clipped tone. "I shall wait for you in the carriage."He turned around and left, leaving her shaking in the wake of his inaction. What on earth just happened? Why, oh why did she have to leave Colin’s letters lying around in her bedchamber? It was over now. Eastland would surely finish her off for good. Cassy dressed slowly, methodically. Her heart was pulsing as she wondered what he had in mind. But even when she met him afterwards, sitting in the carriage with a vacant expression, he didn’t let anything slip. The carriage lurched forward with a jerk. Eastland said nothing, and when the carriage stopped a while later, she flashed him a worried look. From they lamplights standing on each side of a doorway, she kne
The Duke And I Seventeen
When Cassy woke the next morning, she was slow to realize that she was in a different bed. It looked much the same, yet something was different. She blinked, then it all came back to her, the unpleasant bath from yesterday, arriving at London, and the unpleasant events afterwards.Eastland had gone out the day before, and he never returned, leaving her roaming about the town house and retiring earlier to her room than usual.She groaned as she slid from the bed, and found sore muscles where she hadn't known she had any. It had been a perfectly horrible day yesterday, to end a perfectly horrible month.At least, she thought with a sigh, she didn't have to hide her sex anymore. What would Eastland do?The answer came quickly enough, as there was a discreet knock on the door and a pert ladies maid announced that she was there to help Lady Cassandra dress.Glancing down at her rumpled clothes, Cassy opened her mouth to say that she was already dressed, but the maid had beckoned to someone
The Duke And I Eighteen
"I knew it will get to this!" The duchess said as soon as she arrived at the house. "And I knew there was something about you I liked at that party. You're indeed the feisty little thing I thought you were!"Cassy’s smile was indulgent as she curtsied before the duchess. The townhouse suddenly came alive with the arrival of several visitors. Two days after Cassy’s arrival at the house, the duchess’s personal dressmaker arrived. She was a pompous old woman, who regarded Cassy over the edge of her nose, as though sizing her up on sight. The woman was accompanied by two young, bright eyed girls who smiled openly and warmly at her. They kept her busy, talking about fabrics, the latest styles, what would look good and what wouldn’t, their ramblings seeming to be endless until Cassy’s head began to spin. Their madame stopped them then, asking them to take Cassy’s measurement and be done with it. That was the purpose of their visit after all. Barely an hour after they left, Cassy was force
The Duke And I Nineteen
March 1819Jonathan Trenton slammed from the oak paneled study, smarting from the abrasive scrape of the duke's wrath. His blue eyes glittered with suppressed fury and humiliation, and he certainly didn't appreciate his twin sister's gurgle of laughter as she waited for him in the hallway."How do you like the Duke, Jonathan?" She asked in an innocent tone that didn't fool him for a moment."He's a bloody bastard!"Cassy grasped her brother's arm with a sudden flare of anxiety. "He didn't... didn't hurt you, did he?"Some of the rage faded from his gaze as Jonathan saw his sister's fret in her smoky blue eyes, and he shook his dark head. "Just my pride," he murmured. "And my ears."Cassy smiled with relief. "I was afraid you would provoke him into doing something terrible."Jonathan gave a wry shake of his head. "I've learned to curb my temper a little better since the last time we met," he said. "And I have gained a great deal of humility."Looking at him with new eyes, Cassy recogniz
The Duke And I Twenty
When the Duke had left them alone in the drawing room, Jonathan slid his sister a wrathful glance. "It's amazing that I can still turn my head without having it fall into my lap, isn't it?"Cassy couldn't help a small, nervous giggle. "He terrifies me, too."Jonathan lifted a dark brow. "I saw a lot more than just terror in your eyes when you looked at him," he said bluntly. "Is that what you were trying to tell me earlier?"A hot flush stained her cheeks, but she couldn't deny it. "I suppose. Oh Jonathan! What shall I do?""For God's sake, don't let him know it! Don't you know his reputation, Cass?" He asked irritably. When she shook her head, he shrugged with exasperation. "I always thought the female of the species had access to juicy gossip. Look, my innocent sister, your precious Duke is known as 'Devil' Eastland in most circles.""Because he's so hateful?""Partly. No one dares to cross him, he's deadly with a sword and a pistol, and has been known to duel three men in one week a
The Duke And I Twenty-One
Jonathan was right. They were both thrown into a whirl of activity that left them little time to speak to one another. Jonathan had his studies, and Cassy continued the rigorous training from Miss Abigail, the petite, cheerful woman with a mind like a steel trap when it came to social functions and the peerage.As Cassy's chaperone, Miss Abigail rarely left her charge's side. She had been employed by the dowager duchess to fend off gossips before it became known that the infamous 'Devil' Eastland had acquired a young and very pretty girl as his ward. The woman's reputation was impeccable, her knowledge of manners unrivalled. She would mould Lady Trenton into the soul of propriety and fully intended that the American girl take the ton by storm. And best of all, as the duchess had foreseen, she knew how to use connections.Connections, Cassy was informed, were especially important. Her chaperone had been married to a charming man of consequence and wealth at one time and, upon his demise
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The Duke And I 60.
April 25, 1822"Twins, your grace," the physician said, smiling wearily at the man sprawled in a chair in his study. "Boys. And healthy they are, bawling their lungs out."Henry stood up slowly, running a hand over the half grown stubble on his jaw. Twins? Boys?"How is my wife?" he asked after an instant of stunned silence."Very tired, as she's so small and it was a hard birth for her, but she's well. There seem to be no problems.""There better not be," Henry growled, fixing the doctor with an intent gaze. "You are to remain here until she has completely recovered. I've heard too many times about women who have died within a few days after a normal birth, and I won't have that happen to Cassandra.""But your grace, I have other patients who need me," the doctor protested. "Lady Auberly is nearly..."Henry wasn't listening. He strode across the room and out the door of his study, taking the stairs two at a time. He eased into Cassy's room, his eyes trying to adjust to the dim light.
The Duke And I 59.
"I love you so much. . . ."His kisses seared her flesh like glowing brands as his mouth moved around her lips. "You're the best thing to had ever happen to me," he murmured against her lips, before capturing them yet again in a searing kiss.It had never occurred to Cassy that he would want her to touch him as he touched her, and the knowledge was thrilling. She put her hands against his tanned chest, slowly spreading her fingers, amazed when her simple touch made his breath catch.Feeling as if her heart would break with the love bursting in it, Cassy answered him with a melting kiss. It was answer enough.Still holding her, he moved onto his side, then he combed his fingers through her rumpled, satiny hair and brushed a tender kiss against her temple. Cassy’s lashes fluttered up and he felt as if he would drown in the deep blue pools of her eyes."How do you feel?" she teased, smiling as she asked him the same question he had once asked her. With tender solemnity, he replied, "I f
The Duke And I 58.
Henry took her home that evening. Cassy smiled all the way back home, looking at him as though he would disappear from her sight. "What is it?" he asked, smiling at her. "Nothing," she replied. "I just want to look at you."His aunt was much too happy to see them returned, and she held Cassy for a bit longer than expected. Jonathan had a long talk with his sister the next day when he arrived, and for the first time since her marriage to Henry, he actually smiled at her husband. "Isn't she amazing?" Adeline asked as she stood beside him by the large hall, both of them gazing at Cassy adoringly as she spoke with the servants; Sheldon and Gabriel included. Ever since they came back, the atmosphere of the estate had changed to a cheerful chatter."She is," Henry agreed without a second thought, and he missed the smile that spread across Adeline's face. "I had no idea she would be this forgiving.""You think she has forgiven you?" Adeline asked swiftly, gazing up at his jade eyes filled
The Duke And I 57.
For a long while, Cassy simply stared at him. She could hardly believe that he was actually here, standing before her with his darkened eyes and his tousled hair. "May I come in?" he asked. Cassy stepped aside, knowing there was nothing she could do to stop him. The ruse was over; Zack must have told him where she was. The bastard! How could he betray her like this?Henry walked behind her slowly, unable to take his eyes of her. So she had been at Zack’s this entire time. Zack, who should have had the decency to inform him at once that his wife was hiding here. Zack, who had taken Catherine from him, had also succeeded in taking his wife this time. Fury lashed at his thoughts, but his murderous thoughts were halted immediately whenever he blinked and she came into his view. Cassy lead them into the drawing room she had just vacated with Colin. This time however, she didn’t sit. Neither did Henry. He stood at the doorway, watching her hungrily. He couldn’t soak in the sight of her en
The Duke And I 56.
"Colin?"His name was a whisper on her lips, too light and feathery to be real. It had been too long since she last said the name; too long since she last saw the rugged smile and those beautiful eyes staring down at her. "Colin." She said the name again, as if repeating it would make his presence more real. He looked different, and yet somehow the same. The familiarity hit her like a train, sending her world spinning off its axis. "May I come in?" he asked, a nonchalant smirk perched on the edge of his lips. "I hardly think this is the right spot for old friends to entertain each other.""Of course," she said breathlessly, stepping aside. "Forgive my manners. I’m just so surprised to see you here of all places.""I’m surprised to see you here as well," he said, passing the threshold and stepping into the hallway. "Hardwick never told me about you.""Well I only just came to stay with him a few months ago," she replied, leading him to the drawing room. She could feel his eyes on her
The Duke And I 55.
Jonathan growled as though he would punch Henry without hearing from him. He had a defensive stance, waiting for the best moment to strike."I have no idea," Henry began, his voice cold. "Perhaps you might know where I can find her, Levington?"Jonathan was seething with rage. "Now you see why I was so against the wedding!" he snapped angrily before punching Henry on the face.If Henry heard him, he gave no sign. His attention was on the door. He didn't bother to reply Jonathan, he didn't care how angry he was. He wanted to fight. It had been a long time since he'd felt this fierce urge to battle another man, but he did now. Few of the duels he'd engaged had been of his choosing and fewer still had he anticipated. Most of the time, he had simply refused to back down when pushed and had given his challenger every opportunity to gracefully extract himself from a fight.But now, Henry wanted a fight desperately. He wanted the satisfaction of clashing blades, not the more detached aiming o
The Duke And I 54
Cassy mounted one of the sedate.The raw pain had eased slightly and was duller now, more easily dealt with now that she wasn't expecting anything, now that she wasn't expecting him to follow her. She had given up already on their love.At first, nothing had helped, then for the past week, she had begun taking her life one day at a time, making it through the day and then congratulating herself for it, spending as much time with Zack as possible. Finally, she had begun taking pains with her appearance again and had begun wearing the new clothes that fit her fuller figure. Her breasts were larger, and her waist, though still small, was not as small as it had been. Her hips were fuller, too, swelling in a curve that would hardly be mistaken as boyish now. She had definitely matured, and pregnancy surely did agree with her.But what good did it do to her if Henry was so far away? And why did she miss him so much when it was obvious he did not miss her? He was with his mistresses, and she
The Duke And I 53
"Why wasn't I told?" Adeline seethed angrily. "Why do I have to find out when things are worse? Henry, do you any idea how helpful I might have been in looking for her?""I don't care to discuss it, Madam," he said coldly, causing her to shiver. "And I'll find my wife myself.""You don't feel it necessary now when she has left already? With a baby? Your baby?" Adeline injected a note of scorn in her voice that made Henry's eyes blaze with fury as she said, "You're a coward, Henry Blake, and I never thought that of you before.""You have no idea what you're talking about!""I most certainly do. You're afraid to admit that you love Cassandra, and you're afraid she doesn't love you back as much as you do. I can tell you that she does."Clasping his hands behind his back, Henry said in a biting tone, "I can tell you, madam, that you are quite mistaken in the matter. Not only does she not care for me; she hates me. If you don't believe me, ask her. I'm certain she will be as free with that
The Duke And I 52
As he held Rebecca in his hands and watched his wife leave, Henry quickly pushed Rebecca away from him. He had no idea why he had done it, no idea why he had felt the compelling urge to hug Rebecca and kiss her as soon as he saw her standing in his study.Maybe he was confused at the words she had said, maybe their argument last night had done that. Point is, he had only caught her in the hands of his cousin, and she was drunk, which meant he might have possibly only helped her like they both said. But now, she had caught him kissing another woman, right in their home.He had wanted to hurt her as much as he was hurting, but definitely not the type of hurt he had seen in her eyes when she saw him kissing Rebecca."Leave," he growled angrily at Rebecca, and Sheldon wasted no time in dragging her out, despite her pleading. He had been pained to have seen Cassy seeing the sinful act, but he couldn't move, nor did he have the slightest idea that she had left. Only Ellen did, and it happene
