CHAPTERONE
The grand ballroom of Charleston Manor was aglow with the warm light of the chandeliers as the guests gathered together. The atmosphere was buzzing with conversation and the sound of delicate music played by a violin quartet.
Adorned in a delicate silk gown, Lady Deborah looked resplendent as she marched into the room. Always one to make an entrance, she was flanked by her two older brothers, Peter and Nicholas, both dashing figures in their own right.
“Good heavens, Nicholas, we have only just arrived, and you are already eyeing the ladies present here,” Deborah said, amused by her brother’s penchant for women. “Have you no patience at all?”
“I believe that time is a scarce resource, dear sister,” Nicholas replied in his usual charming manner, “and I certainly do not intend on wasting a single moment.”
Deborah exchanged a knowing look with her elder brother, Peter, and they both chuckled at Nicholas’s antics. Nicholas, the eldest of the three, possessed a certain naturally rakish charm and a disarming smile that made hearts flutter with the mere sweep of his gaze. He never had any trouble finding a lady to dance with.
His eyes continued to scan the crowds of well-dressed young women until they finally landed on a brunette.
“Ah, delightful.” A warm smile spread across his features.
“Have you found her already?” Peter chuckled. “I must say, that is quick, even for someone with your skill.”
“You underestimate me.” Nicholas shrugged, not taking his eyes off the woman who had caught his attention. “However, I cannot waste any more time idly chatting with the two of you. If you can excuse me, I have something a lot more important to attend to.”
Peter and Deborah chuckled amongst themselves.
“I suppose if all goes well, then he will have a potential candidate for his future wife by the night’s end,” Deborah commented with an amused smile as she watched her brother confidently walk up to the lady to ask for a dance.
“I have my doubts about that,” Peter remarked. “The day Nicholas decides to settle down will be one when the sun rises from the west. He is a free spirit, unwilling to be tied down by marriage.”
“I suppose we have that in common.” Deborah nodded in agreement. “I fully intend on spending the night dodging any courtship attempts by potential suitors.”
At nineteen years of age, Deborah was unlike other women. Whereas most of her peers dreamed of being swept off their feet by a knight in shining armor, she had goals to become a successful writer. Balls bored her to death, and she felt that she would much rather be at home with her nose buried between the pages of a book.
“Well, then, consider this your lucky day,” Peter said. “I can help you avoid any gentlemen that may come your way if you help me out with something that I desperately require your assistance with.”
“What might that be?” Deborah’s eyes sparkled with curiosity as she observed her brother. A sudden shyness had taken over his features, and she could already tell that whatever he was going to ask of her meant a lot to him.
“Do you remember Lady Emma?” Peter asked carefully.
Deborah raked her brain for a moment, and then realization dawned on her. “Of course. We have spoken to each other a few times. Besides, how could I forget? You could not stop praising her beauty and effortless charm after the first night you danced with her.”
A faint blush spread across her brother’s cheeks. “Yes, well, I am quite serious about courting her, and she has shown indication that she feels the same way.”
“That’s lovely,” Deborah gushed, immediately excited.
“Not quite.” The smile fell from Peter’s face. “There is a large thorn in the way of me pursuing her. Her older brother is the Duke of Hopestyn.”
Deborah’s mouth turned into the shape of an O. “Has he said anything to you?”
“No, I do not think he knows that I am interested in Emma yet. But I have been made aware of his plans of marrying her off to another man.” Peter’s tone soured with a tint of jealousy.
Deborah nodded. She did not know much about the Duke, only that he had a reputation for being quite strict and protective of his sister.
But at the same time, she knew how important it seemed for her brother. She did not have the heart to let him down, so she decided to help him out.
“It is quite clear that your feelings for Emma are serious,” she noted firmly. “It would be a shame if she were to be married off to another man.”
“I just need to speak with her in private,” Peter explained. “I am confident that if I propose to her before anything happens with the other suitor, she will say yes to me.”
“You wish to speak to her in private?” Deborah’s voice dropped to a whisper, and she looked around to see if anyone had heard them. “What if someone finds out? You are well aware that if a lady is caught meeting a man alone, the scandal would be huge.”
Peter nodded stubbornly, seeming adamant to see his plans through. “That is where I need your assistance. I have already written to Emma in advance, informing her of my plans. I shall meet her in the garden, where no one can see us. However, I need you to act as a guard while the two of us have our meeting.”
