15 MEETING THE DUKE (3)

CHAPTER 15

As Duke Alexander stepped into Lady Featherstonehaugh's grand ballroom, he was immediately struck by the overwhelming presence of debutantes and their mothers all vying for his attention. A sense of dread washed over him as he realized he would be spending the next several hours fending off their advances.

'Why did I even agree to attend this wretched ball?' he thought to himself. 'I knew it would be nothing but a parade of eligible young women and their overbearing mothers, all trying to secure a match with a Duke.'

The attention suffocated him, and he longed to escape the swarm of eager young women vying for his affections. He wished he could disappear into the shadows and avoid the ordeal altogether.

'I should have known better than to subject myself to this kind of torture,' he thought bitterly. 'I have no interest in any of these girls, yet they all seem to assume that just because I am a Duke, I must be desperate for a wife.'

As he surveyed the room, he realized there was no escape from the relentless attention. He resigned himself to endure the evening, knowing that it was his duty to attend such events and maintain appearances. However, deep down, he knew that wasn't the real reason he had come. He had attended in the hopes of finding the girl he had met at the brothel a few weeks ago, the one who had given him a black eye when he made advances toward her.

Colin had assured him she would be at the ball, otherwise, why else would he subject himself to such torture?

Alexander turned his head to see Lady Devereux, an aged yet sophisticated woman, approaching him. "Who could be the cause of all this commotion?""she asked, a glint of humor in her eye. A weak smile appeared on Alexander's lips, grateful for the distraction. Spotting the kind lady at such a time was just the escape he needed.

"Lady Verity Ferrers Devereux," Duke Alexander responded pleasantly, noticing the faint blush on her olive-tanned cheeks.

Lady Devereux extended her hand towards Alexander, a sardonic smile on her lips. "How could I have missed that you would be here? Oh, that's right, you abandoned me last season," she said, her tone biting. Alexander kissed the back of her hand in apology as she continued, "But come, let me show you something."

As they walked hand in hand along the hall, they climbed the stairs to a quieter part of the venue. Reaching the golden-railed balustrade, they looked down at the bustling party below.

Alexander took a deep breath and turned to Lady Devereux, asking, "How have you been?"

"Pained," the older woman chuckled in response.

"But you look as beautiful as ever to me," Alexander replied with sincerity.

"Flattery will get you nowhere," Lady Devereux retorted with a playful smile. "Did you think I would waste away in anticipation of your visit?"

"I never thought that," Alexander corrected, sensing the tension in the air and wanting to dispel it.

Lady Devereux laughed, her eyes cold, refusing to meet his gaze. He could tell that his absence had hurt her deeply and he regretted not visiting her sooner. As he surveyed the crowd below, he couldn't help but notice the vibrant colors and sophistication of the room, but it no longer held his interest. The ladies who had once fawned over him now sulked in a corner, while the others sought the attention of more available gentlemen. Alexander knew he had been wrong to neglect Lady Devereux's feelings. She had been the only mother figure he had ever known and had raised him into the man he was today. His own mother had never been a part of his life, leaving him to be raised by his sadistic father, with whom he had never gotten along.

Lady Devereux broke the painfully long minute of silence with a question. "So, what brings you here?" she asked. "If I recall correctly, you never cared for such frivolities before. Or should I assume that you're finally growing into your new role as Duke?"

"I didn't come here for what you might be thinking," Alexander replied in a blunt tone. He knew he had to pass across his message in a straightforward manner; otherwise, Lady Devereux would resume her matchmaking skills on him. This explained his need to stay away, even after he had returned from London. However, he couldn't ignore the possibility of the emotional damage that his return and staying away had probably caused the older woman.

"I suspected you would say that," Lady Devereux said, reopening the conversation. "But I've known you since I was changing your diaper, and you don't do anything without a reason. It's either that you want to rebel or prove a point about something, both of which I don't see happening in this case. That's what makes it intriguing."

"You're mistaken. My good friend, Viscount Colin, pleaded with me to attend. Aside from that, I came for the views, and I must say Lady Featherstonehaugh did a fantastic job with the hall's lighting," Alexander corrected.

"During the debut last season, my ball stood out, too. If you had attended, you would have seen it. The Queen even graced the occasion and handpicked the Diamond of the First Water herself, the youngest daughter of Earl Huxley. Evelina might have been my first choice as your bride, but I hear she suffers from the same disease as you do,"Lady Devereux said.

Alexander arched a brow. "And what disease is that?"

"High-mindedness. You both think so highly of yourselves and would never work together under one roof. Rumor has it that she has rejected a handful of suitors since last year," Lady Devereux revealed.

"Since when did you start listening to gossip?" Alexander asked.

"Recently. I realized it's a good way to fight off boredom," Lady Devereux replied.

At this point, Alexander contemplated opening up to Lady Devereux about his reason for being there. Perhaps she could use her vast knowledge to gather information about the mystery woman who had ensnared him with just one night's encounter. But he needed to think through his decision carefully because revealing the truth would expose that the ongoing search for his attacker had been a facade. While Lady Devereux could handle the truth, Alexander didn't want to appear foolish in front of her. He held his tongue.

"I hear the search for your assailant has yet to yield any results," Lady Devereux said, as if reading his mind. "Don't you think I could help with that?"

"Are you insinuating that I'm an incapable Duke and that my armed forces are even more incapable?" Alexander retorted defensively.

Lady Devereux let out a sigh and brought her hand up to her forehead, rubbing her temples. "Talking to you can be such a pain at times," she said, before continuing. "Speaking of which, I was just having a conversation with the Viscountess. Her only daughter is making her debut this season, and I had the chance to meet her once."

"I see. Is this what I think it is?" Alexander asked.

"Then what? Colin didn't mention his mother's interest in having her daughter marry you?" Lady Devereux replied.

Alexander took a moment to think about it. If Colin had not mentioned it, it was likely because he knew where Alexander's interests lay, and giving his sister false hope was out of the question.

"Look who's just arrived," Lady Devereux said, her voice suddenly enthusiastic. Alexander's eyes followed her gaze to Prince Laith, who was entering the room with his escorts.

"I thought he was out romping in Scotland for a bit?" Alexander remarked.

Lady Devereux shrugged. "If it isn't to capture Evelina's heart. Otherwise, I fail to see why he returned so early. Not even news of his father's health could keep him close to the throne. I wonder how much this girl has charmed him."

"Not as much charm as his presence here is doing to these debutantes. They were just all over me a moment ago, and now this," replied Alexander, with a hint of annoyance.

"What else would you have them do?"Lady Devereux interjected. "Women out here don't have as many choices as men do, unless they're rich like me. Otherwise, they should hope to catch a man. It's the debuting season, and don't think they didn't see through your facade, as I did, to get into a talk with me and escape from them."

The veteran walked away with her usual grace, leaving Alexander to scan the hall. If Colin had mentioned that he would be alone for the rest of the evening, Alexander might not have come. How certain was he that she would even show up? He may have put himself in danger for nothing.

"Looking for me?" asked a voice, interrupting his thoughts.

Alexander turned to his right and was struck by the sight of a tall, graceful girl walking towards him. Although her captivating eyes drew him in, he couldn't deny that her other features were equally striking. "I am Lady Priscilla, daughter of the late Gilbert Hugh, and my mother, Viscountess Elizabeth," the brunette introduced herself, extending her hand. Alexander took her hand and gallantly kissed the back of it before meeting her gaze. "You must be Colin's sister. He's spoken of you before."

"And are his comments... favorable?" Priscilla asked, her cheeks turning a subtle shade of pink.

"I believe they are," Alexander replied, slightly taken aback by her reaction. He didn't want to inadvertently cause any discomfort.

"Excuse me, have you seen Colin?" Alexander asked, hoping to change the subject.

Priscilla appeared flustered. "Yes, we arrived together and were chatting. I introduced him to my friend, and then he suddenly went quiet and..."

"Could you please get to the point?" Alexander interrupted, eager to know what happened to Colin.

"I thought he was looking for you," Priscilla responded hesitantly.

"So you don't have a definite answer as to where he might be?" Alexander asked, his impatience growing.

"Not really... Wait," Priscilla said, but Alexander had already hurried off. He descended the stairs, leaving Priscilla wondering how to contact him again. Before long, he was trailing Lady Devereux, exchanging silent signals before making his way towards the lawn.

Priscilla watched as Alexander left the ballroom and couldn't help but feel it was a bit foolish. He wouldn't find Colin out there, that was for certain. Unless... what if Evelina was there? Priscilla had noticed her walking towards the back of the house, presumably to view the gardens. What if Alexander had decided to go there as well?

"This is not good. I was supposed to introduce him to Evelina myself," Priscilla muttered to herself before hastily descending the stairs and weaving through the throngs of people in the ballroom. She was determined to catch up to Alexander.

This novel is exclusive to Web Novel, please contact me through the chapter comments if you find that all or any part of this publication is being uploaded elsewhere (on another site). Thank you.