Chapter 12
Hope watched as Pierce alighted from the carriage then turned to offer her his hand. She looked at it momentarily, entertaining the idea of ignoring his assistance and getting out herself but with her foot still hurting her she was afraid she’d just stumble and make a fool of herself in front of him and all the servants who were lined up along the drive in their maroon and gold livery. Reluctantly she took his hand and stiffened when she felt his other hand go to her waist, pulling her close to his side. She wasn’t sure what kind of game he was playing but she suspected he was doing it for the servants sake, not hers.
He led her over to the line of servants saying, “I’d like to introduce you to lady Noelle, my fiancée. I trust that you all will make her feel welcome, seeing as this will soon be her home.”
The mention of Ridgecrest Manor being her home made her look at it with new eyes. She looked up at the grey stone house boasting gabled windows and six chimneys. Everything was built symmetrically, with identical wings on either side of the main house and an even number of windows incased in white trim dotting the front of the house. Thick green ivy crawled up the front of the brick. It had a welcoming aura about it and Hope couldn’t wait to see if the inside was just as inviting.
After greeting the servants, Pierce ushered her into the large marbled foyer with high beamed ceilings. Everywhere she looked there was intricately carved woodwork that gave the home character. Pierce led her into the drawing room where a middle aged lady rose from her seat and flung herself into his arms, giving Hope a chance to take in her surroundings.
The room was decorated predominantly in shades of blue and ivory with gold accents throughout. It was by far the most elegant room Hope had ever been in and she felt at once out of place in such fancy surroundings. There was an oversized white marble fireplace on the far wall flanked by statues dipped in gold. White hothouse roses were stuffed into vases and scattered throughout the room, giving it a light and airy feel. After surveying the room, Hope’s gaze went to the woman at the duke’s side. She had dark hair like her son’s but hers was streaked liberally with grey, but instead of making her appear older it just added to her sophistication. She had a flawless complexion, the only thing giving away her age were the tiny lines around her mouth and in the corners of her eyes, indicating that she smiled often.
Soon the lady turned from Pierce and wrapped her arms around Hope, surprising her by the familiar contact. “It’s so nice to finally meet the lady who will become my daughter.”
Hope pulled back and said, “It’s nice to meet you as well, your grace.”
“First let’s dispense with the formality, call me mother or Caroline if you must, but never your grace. You’re practically family and that just won’t do.”
Hope smiled at the lady, liking her immediately, if only she could say the same for her son.
“That goes for me as well,” Pierce interjected, “from now on you may refer to me by Christian name.” Hope nodded apprehensively, feeling discomfited by the prospect of referring to her betters in such a casual, personal manner. She had never before referred to a member of the aristocracy as anything other than their proper title and she wasn’t sure she was ready to start now.
“Let me ring for tea and we can talk about the upcoming party, I have some fascinating news.” Caroline gestured for Hope and Pierce to sit before giving instructions for tea and cakes to be brought to the room.
Pierce took Hope’s arm in his and walked her politely to a blue damask settee and waited patiently while she sat. Hope wanted to roll her eyes, having much preferred to sit in one of the ivory and gold striped chairs instead, for she knew that Pierce had planned to sit next to her on the settee and she felt her hands grow clammy at the thought of his nearness. Sure enough, as soon as she had arranged her skirts and made herself comfortable, he sat down next to her, suffocating her with his presence but he didn’t seem to notice.
Caroline went and sat regally in the chair Hope had been longing to occupy, “I have to tell you that I’m grateful for the opportunity your betrothal has given me to throw this party. It’s been far too long since we have had anything to celebrate around here.” Her eyes momentarily clouded with sadness before clearing once more. “I don’t want either of you to worry about anything other than enjoying yourselves and worrying about your own blossoming romance.” Hope choked on her tea and began coughing. Pierce reached over and swatted her on the back causing her to inhale sharply before she stopped coughing. She glared at him under thick sooty lashes but his eyes just seemed to dance with amusement.
“Oh Pierce, I almost forgot, I had a lovely visit the other day from the Tolliver’s. You remember their oldest daughter Eliza, don’t you?” Pierce visibly stiffened next to Hope but Caroline didn’t seem to notice, “Anyhow, she’s recently been widowed and has come back to stay with her family in London for a time. She’s barely been in mourning for half a year but I persuaded her to attend our party.” It was Pierce’s turn to choke on his tea. He tried to hide his coughing behind a white linen napkin as his mother continued her prattle, “She’s much too beautiful and young to remain unmarried forever. I do hope this will be just the thing to help pull her out of her despair, for she did seem so very sad.”
When Pierce couldn’t seem to get his coughing under control, Hope reached over and gave his broad back a hearty thwack. The shock on his face made her smile, feeling avenged for his uncomely behavior earlier.
Pierce didn’t know what had shocked him more, the very unwelcome announcement by his mother, or the very unladylike behavior of his fiancée. He figured it was just her way of paying him back for his earlier treatment of her but he was still surprised that she’d dare act so rashly. Who was this girl he was marrying? She wasn’t like any lady he’d ever encountered.
He was hoping his musings about Noelle would distract him from the irritation he felt at the mention of Eliza’s name. He hadn’t allowed himself to think about the girl for years and had honestly thought he would never have to face her once more. He tried to reign in the anger he felt towards his mother for extending such a ludicrous invitation, trying to remind himself that she had no knowledge of his previous relationship with Eliza Tolliver.
Seeing the odd look on her son’s face, Caroline interjected, “Surely you don’t mind that I invited the girl? Is there a problem with that?”
Pierce rose, “Of course not mother, you know that you have free reign to invite whomever you wish. Now, if you don’t mind I’m feeling fatigued from the trip here and wish to lie down for awhile before dinner. I’m sure Noelle feels the same so I’ll show her to her room.”
Hope didn’t want to contradict the duke, but she had spent the last few hours of the trip in deep slumber and had no desire for further rest. But seeing the tense set of his shoulders and the firmness of his jaw, she didn’t know if she dared say a word. Instead she set her teacup back in its saucer and rose to stand next to Pierce.
“Some rest would be lovely. It was an honor to meet you Caroline,” the name rolled awkwardly off her tongue. “I look forward to furthering our acquaintance during my stay at Ridgecrest Manor.” Hope absentmindedly dipped into a low curtsey before turning towards Pierce. She didn’t bother looking at his face, missing the strange look he gave her at her subservient behavior. She allowed him to take her arm and place it in the crook of his elbow before guiding her swiftly out of the room.
As soon as they had moved further down the long hall leading to the staircase, Hope pulled Pierce to a halt which was no easy feat seeing as how he was much larger than her. “What has come over you? Surely you’re not offended by my assistance while you were choking?”
“Nothing has come over me, I simply find I’m all of a sudden weary from today’s journey. Might I inquire what came over you, curtseying before my mother—what was that all about?”
Hope’s face paled, she hadn’t even been aware of her actions, so ingrained into her as they were. She desperately grasped for something
to say to change the subject and place the attention back on him instead of her wayward actions. “Seems to me it was more than weariness that was suddenly bothering you. If I didn’t know better, I would guess that the unexpected knowledge that your mother has invited Eliza to the party is what has you all worked up.”
Her statement sufficiently worked to distract Pierce, causing him to bristle. “Don’t be preposterous, I hardly know the girl, it’s been ages since I’ve even seen her.”
“Let me guess, yours is a tale of unrequited love?” Hope said snidely.
Pierce grabbed her arms painfully and pulled her further down the hall and into a small wooden alcove. He didn’t release his furious grip on her arms but leaned down so that his face was level with hers as he growled lowly, “Don’t speak of things you have no idea about, do you understand?”
It was clear to Hope by the level of emotion roused in Pierce that something about the lady was indeed bothering him and she suspected she had hit the nail right on the head. She stared at his hard mouth as he spoke, unable to look away.
Pierce was overcome with frustration and he knew it wasn’t fair to take it out on Noelle. He had thought that his dealings with Eliza were completely in the past and the thought of seeing someone he had once thought he loved and who had broken his trust completely in the emotion had him acting irrationally. He wasn’t prepared to see her again, especially now that she was widowed. He let go of one of Noelle’s arms long enough to reach up and rake a hand through his hair before placing it back on her arm. She had gone silent and was staring intently at his lips. Her clean lavender smell wafted up to him and he suddenly became aware that they were standing so closely.
Pierce watched as Noelle licked her lips and it almost undid him. His eyes flicked up to hers and they stared at each other for one long moment. Suddenly Pierce’s senses were filled with Noelle, of her soft arms under his hands, of her wide amber eyes looking into his and he couldn’t seem to remember what he was doing, all thoughts of Eliza fleeing. The only thing he could think about was the kiss they had shared in her drawing room days earlier.
Hope watched as Pierce’s face softened, the anger seeming to drain from his features being replaced with the same look he had given her before he had kissed her before. She whispered shakily, “Are you going to kiss me?”
The sound of her voice seemed to snap him back to reality and he dropped his arms and took a step back from her, “Of course not, it’s the furthest thing from my mind,” he lied. Though in that moment he had desperately wanted to do just that, he had promised himself after her cool indifference to their last kiss that he wouldn’t kiss her again until she wanted it as badly as him.
Turning from her abruptly, he missed the flicker of pain and confusion that passed through her eyes. She wasn’t sure what this game was he was playing but she knew in that moment that she ached for his kiss, for the feel of his hard mouth on hers and it scared her to death.
“Let me show you to your room,” he said as he exited the cozy alcove.
“I’m not tired and if you don’t mind I think I’ll explore the gardens for awhile.” And without meeting his eyes she turned and fled down the hall, leaving Pierce to gape after her retreating form.