“I have a favor to ask you.”
“Anything for you, Your Grace,” Albert replied.
“The bride’s mother loves to dance, but her husband seems to have injured himself and cannot partner with her. It would be an injustice for the mother of the bride not to dance at her daughter’s wedding, and I have always admired your dancing.”
“Ah, say no more,” Albert replied, tapping his nose. “Point me in her direction, and I will dazzle her on the dance floor.”
“Thank you, Uncle Albert. Come with me, and I shall take you to her.”
Albert got up from his table and followed the Duke to the head table.
“Lady Lincoln, it is wonderful to see you again,” the Duke greeted.
“And you, Your Grace,” Penelope replied.
“I thought you might like to dance. My uncle does not have a partner, and since Lord Lincoln is injured, the two of you might like to dance together.”
Penelope looked at her husband and then at Albert. “Yes, I would enjoy that very much,” she said seriously. “Thank you for thinking of me.”
“I would dance if I could,” Ralph muttered.
“Another time,” the Duke said.
He offered his hand to help Penelope up and then handed her to his uncle. Both he and Ralph watched them make their way to the dance floor.
“Oscar. William,” the Duke called. “You have done a stellar job, so far. You both deserve to reward yourselves with some food and glasses of champagne. Return to your posts in fifteen minutes.”
“Thank you, Your Grace,” Oscar said, his eyes wide.
The Duke sat down at the head table with Ralph, pushing away the glass of wine that Penelope had been drinking.
“You do not have to have them watch me like a child,” Ralph complained.
“But I do,” the Duke asserted. “We both know that you can’t be trusted, and I don’t say that to insult you, Sir. It is the truth. Still, I know the man you used to be, and he was a very different man from the one who sits before me today. If he were still around, he would not be a man I pity but a man I respect.”
“You taunt me with your words, Your Grace. Please, leave me be and go and enjoy the festivities. One of us should.”
“No, not yet,” the Duke insisted. “You were not able to witness your youngest daughter being wed, but I hope you will be around to witness your oldest on her wedding day.”
“What are you saying, Your Grace? This is good news.”
The Duke studied the man before him, and he could see the gears turning in his mind. The Earl was dreaming about how he could use the situation to his advantage and how much money he could gain from having a duke as a son-in-law.
“Sir, I wish to do things properly. I want to ask for your daughter’s hand in marriage.”
“And you have it,” Ralph said quickly. “You have my blessing.”
“I don’t want your blessing,” the Duke stated.
“Then what do you want?”
“Let me rephrase what I meant to say. I wish to ask for your daughter’s hand in marriage, but from the man you used to be—from the man you can become again. It is important to me, and I know it is important to Lady Bridget that we do things right. If you can become half the man you once were, I will come to you for your daughter’s hand, and I will also give you a generous token of my appreciation, Sir. I shall pay off all your gambling debts, and the slate shall be wiped clean.”
“I… I don’t know if it is possible,” Ralph admitted.
“There are things I thought impossible once, but not anymore. I have turned my life around, and I believe any man with conviction will do the same. I will wed your daughter, but I wish to ask for her hand first. If that happens, it will depend on you. You can still help your family.”
“No.” Ralph shook his head. “What sort of man have I become? I cannot help my family. You will be the one who helps my family because you pity me.”
