After the duke and I did not speak during supper, the others began to whisper among themselves. And when he did not return to the ballroom, even Aunt Maude and Lady Mandeville started to look worried.
Finally, the last dance of the evening arrived, and Alec approached me for his turn.
Those in attendance no longer looked confused, but outright shocked. Not to see Alec and me dancing together, but that the duke was nowhere to be seen. And because he had not reappeared for his own ball, I was the one to take the full brunt of their stares and whispers.
A just punishment for putting him through the ordeal.
When the final dance ended, I had Alec help me get my wraps. We did not wait to thank the duke, who had still not appeared, but simply walked out of the front of his townhome and into the wee hours of the morning.
Carriages were lined up on the street outside and it was easy to find Lady Mandeville’s with her family coat of arms painted on the door.
A footman appeared and opened the door for us as Alec helped me inside.
“Now,” he said, joining me, “we wait for Aunt Maude and the fight of our lives.” He took my hand as he sat next to me, his voice gentle. “It will be a fight I will not give up.”
“Nor I.” I had come so close to being betrothed to a man I did not love. I would do anything to marry Alec, even if that meant standing up to the woman who had dictated my every move for the past seven months.
It did not take long for her to arrive.
As she and Lady Mandeville stepped into the carriage a few minutes later, Alec let go of my hand. Both women were breathless and confused.
“What in the world happened, Clara?” Aunt Maude demanded even before she was fully seated. “What did you say to the duke?”
I took a deep breath, ready to go to battle. “I simply told him I could not accept his marriage proposal.”
Her eyes widened as she stared at me. “Why in heaven’s name did you do that?”
“Because I do not love him.”
“Did he actually propose?” Lady Mandeville asked, her face filled with just as much shock.
“No, because I told him before he had the chance to ask. I wanted to save his dignity.”
“What? Why?” Aunt Maude sputtered. “You knew your role, Clara. You had one job. Why would you throw away all our hard work? You ungrateful—”
“Stop,” Alec said, his voice filled with warning. “Keira is not ungrateful. But she could not throw her life away on a man she did not want to marry.”
“Keira?” Aunt Maude turned a venomous glare on Alec. “Her name isClara.”
“No. Her name is Keira,” he said, “and I hope it will soon become Keira Paxton.” He took my hand in his again and gave me a smile.
“What?” Aunt Maude almost rose out of her seat, and though it was dark in the carriage, I was certain her face had turned a shade of crimson. “You’re both ungrateful! This will be the ruination of us all. How could you do such a thing to me? I’ve given you everything—”
“You’ve given me only that which suited your own desires,” he said, his voice calm and collected. “And the same with Keira. You’ve done nothing out of the kindness of your heart, but only what you knew would give you something in return. And you’ve hurt a lot of people in your wake, Aunt Maude.”
She tried to speak, but she was so upset, no words came out.
For her part, Lady Mandeville lowered her eyes and seemed to retreat into the cushions of the carriage seat, probably wishing she was anywhere but here. Anger brimmed in her eyes, too, but it was probably because she was wondering if she would get paid.
“This will ruin us,” Aunt Maude finally said in a tight voice. “How could you be so selfish? Both of you? And for what?Love?” She said the last word as if it was dirty and undesirable.
“Yes, for love,” Alec said, his hand tightening around mine. “But it will not ruin us.” He glanced at me. “Keira has so charmed the Prince of Wales that he was the one who demanded that we marry.” His smile directed at me was tender. “When he heard that we were in love, and what was at stake, he volunteered to aid us.”
“How did he know what was at stake?” Aunt Maude’s voice had evened out, though she was still stiff with anger. “And what do you mean he wants to aid us?”
Alec turned back to her. “The Prince of Wales wants us to get married in Newport, and he plans to attend and stay in our hotel.From there, he will travel to New York, where he will stay in one of our hotels in the city. Thereby raising our status and elevating our business. He also wants us to rename our Newport hotel ‘The Prince of Wales’ in his honor, so people remember his visit for years.”
Aunt Maude and Lady Mandeville simply stared at Alec.
