Seeing the lovely ladies who would be keeping his company made that even more so.
He watched as they descended the stairs, feeling a tremor of excitement that he hadn’t felt in a long time. He’d known of them before, the daughters of the Duke of Warington. At first glance, they appeared to be twins, but as they drew closer, he could see that one of them looked a bit older than the other. Though, he couldn’t help but wonder if it had anything to do with that odd look in her eyes.
She was studying him. He was quite used to the eyes of other ladies and so he wasn’t surprised to find that he’d already fallen subject to their infatuation. He concentrated instead on the Duke, who didn’t notice his daughters’ approach until they were standing right next to him.
“Ah, here they are!” the Duke exclaimed. “Please, Girls, allow me to introduce you to the guests that will be staying with us.”
William finally let himself look at the Warington ladies. The younger one slid her arm from her sister’s, clasping her hands before her as she tried to hide her smile. And the older one…she stared at William as if she couldn’t believe what was before her.
Another victim to my devastating looks, it seems. I would find it quite a burden, but perhaps she will prove to be quite the entertainment while I am here.
William bowed deeply, smiling at the sisters. “Greetings, Lady Alice, Lady Emma. My name is William Millington, the Marquess of Erlington.” He straightened, looking over at the man who stood by his side. “And this is my brother, Christopher.”
“It is a pleasure, My Ladies,” Christopher greeted. Unlike William, he was far more willing to be on his best behavior and only offered the Duke and his daughters a reserved, yet polite smile.
“The pleasure is mine.” William looked back at the younger sister. She dipped into a graceful curtsy, looking at both William and Christopher. Her eyes lingered on the latter for a second longer than it should have. “My name is Lady Emma Softcreek and I am pleased to have you here with us.”
At the same time, both Emma and the Duke looked at the remaining sister. William turned his attention to her, expecting to see her as dumbstruck by his handsomeness as she’d been before. But there was none of that. Her eyes remained on him, but they were as cold as blocks of ice. She lowered into a curtsy, saying, “Pleased to meet you, My Lords. I am Lady Alice Softcreek, my Father’s eldest daughter. I pray your stay here is a good one.”
Her words were polite, but distant. When she straightened, her eyes slid away from William, to Christopher, then off to the side as if she didn’t care for them any longer. William didn’t know whether to be surprised or amused.
The Duke stepped into the silence that followed his daughter’s greeting. “Please,” he said, “let us move to the drawing room so you two may get settled. I shall have a maid bring us tea, though it is a bit early for it.”
The Duke led the way and they all fell in step behind him. William didn’t miss the reluctance with which Lady Alice moved, and a smile itched at his lips.How interesting.
The main drawing room was not very far from the foyer and they arrived in no time. As he promised, tea had been prepared and the Duke gestured for them to sit.
William and Christopher chose arm chairs near each other. The ladies opted to sit opposite of them, on a plush sofa. As soon as he was settled, William watched as Lady Alice reached for her cup of tea, turning her body slightly away as if she didn’t plan on joining in on the conversation that would ensue.
“Tell me, My Lords,” the Duke began conversationally. “How did you fare on the trip to London?”
“It was as long and as uneventful as we’d expected, Your Grace,” Christopher responded. “Even so, considering it had taken half a day’s ride for us to arrive, I am afraid I find myself quite drained.”
“As do I,” William interjected. “Well, as drained as you can be sitting in a carriage with nothing but your brother as company.”
“You say that as if you do not long for such company,” Christopher responded with ease.
William gave him a grin. “I cannot seem to get enough of it.”
As he’d expected, Christopher grimaced at William’s sappy response for a brief moment before he seemed to remember where he was and wiped the expression from his face. Teasing Christopher was one of William’s happiest pastimes, even despite the seven-year age difference between them. That, and courting ladies who caught his fancy.
Right now, Lady Alice seemed quite interesting.
She was quite the beauty, one that seem bolstered by the coldness radiating from her. She sipped her tea silently, gazing out the window to the left of the room. Tendrils of black hair framed her heart-shaped face, the same black hair that both her sister and her father shared. In fact, the similarities within the family were so striking, it was almost uncanny. But Lady Alice did not possess the affable air the rest of her family did.
William reclined in the armchair, resisting the urge to stare. Her complete disregard of him was…interesting, to say the least.
“I take it, My Lords, that you are looking forward to Lord Brownley’s upcoming ball?” Lady Emma asked. Unlike her sister, she seemed quite eager to get to know them a bit better.
“Lord Brownley has been in good relations with our Father,” Christopher responded. “I’ve never had the pleasure of meeting him myself, so in that regard I am looking forward to it.”
“I, on the other hand, am simply hoping the Earl’s ball will help relieve my worries,” William responded, looking away from Lady Alice.
“Worries?” Lady Emma probed, curiosity lighting her eyes. “What, may I ask, worries you so?”
“Pressures from ladies to be married, for one,” he responded honestly, glancing at Lady Alice to see her reaction. To his pleasure, she paused in the act of lifting her teacup to her lips and barely contained her scowl.
“Oh, I see,” Lady Emma responded. “Well, considering it will be a few days before the ball takes place, perhaps your stay here will aid in relieving your stress.”
