Scandal - Pt. 01

I like to walk around a party noticing that all eyes are on me, whispers following me as I cut through the crowd.

The Duke of Grafton.

He is back from abroad.

He looks so handsome.

He is quite a catch.

They try to be discreet, but I hear them all.

"Your Grace" she bows in front of me and I greet her back "May I introduce you to my daughter, the Lady Lenora"

"Yes, a honour to meet you" I take her hand and wow. That is one incredibly beautiful woman.

And I've seen quite my share of beauty, but this Lady Lenora would win it all.

"The honour is all mine, Your Grace".

If I was marrying for pleasure, I'd marry her. That's for damn sure.

But if this was about pleasure, I probably wouldn't marry at all.

"Perhaps the Duke would like to request a dance?" the mother shakes the girl's dance card under my nose for me to write my name, but I have a clear mission ahead of me.

"You'll have to forgive me, my ladies, but tonight I am looking for Mr. Spencer. Would you happen to know where I can find him?"

They don't seem pleased.

They know and they help me, but they do not seem pleased. No one knows I'm broke.

The Grafton property and fortunes have always been grand. Not anything Crown worthy, like the Lancasters, but still impressive. The fact that my father and me managed to run through everything in two generations is a testament to how much we both lived.

Now he is gone. And I am left to deal with the remains.

Or rather the lack of remains.

"Mr. Spencer, I am Gabriel Argyll, the Duke of Grafton"

"Your Grace" he chokes, trying to bow and... I don't know what he is doing, but that is no bow. The man should use some of his money for etiquette lessons if he plans to run around with society "What an absolute honour it is to meet you, milord"

"I have to say the honour is all mine, sir"

"You... you've heard of me? I heard of you!" he adds with no grace "I heard you have been traveling all over the world. That you are very educated and..."

"Yes, I'm happy you heard good things of me, for I heard good things of you. Or rather... of your beautiful daughter"

"Ah!" the man does look pleased. So very extremely pleased "Have you met Adelina?"

"I did not yet have the pleasure" I say as he taps me on the shoulder. Being this close to a duke is something that makes most people feel uneasy. To a commoner it must be like speaking to a king.

"Then we must change that immediately!"

"I was hoping you would say that, sir, for I am not a man who likes to waste time. I would very much like your permission to call on your daughter"

That gives him pause.

"You are very determined. But you are yet to meet her... maybe you will not like her" he scratches his head.

"I assure you that I will. I've heard tales of your daughter all over Europe. Her beauty, her brains, her passionate discussions. And I have to say... I've fallen in love"

"Oh" he holds his hands together like he could pray for nothing better "The heart wants what the heart wants"

"It does. I came back to England for I heard it was her first season, and I wanted to be sure no other man would take my beloved"

"Your Grace, I...." I think this man could hug me.

This is going wonderfully well.

At this rate, I should be married by the end of the week.

"Adelina" he finds his daughter somewhere behind me and waves at her to come closer "You must meet His Grace" he says the words carefully, like he can barely believe them himself "Lord Argyll, of Grafton".

I smile and turn, just like I rehearsed:

"It is such a great honor to meet you. Please, call me Gabr..."

Ada.

The woman in front of me is Ada and she is even prettier in the light than in the dark. She has huge green eyes, beautiful dark hair, one of the most appetising breasts I have ever seen and an expression of... confusion.

"This is my daughter, Adelina" Spencer brings her to me.

No.

No, no, no.

Please, God.

"Lord Grafton" she bows, much more gracefully than her father.

I need to control this situation before the damage is far too much.

"Lord Grafton was very interested in meeting you, Ada" her father says. It's her petname. She gave me her petname. That's why she said no one would care if we got caught: cause her father is filthy rich and she had no idea I was a duke myself. That's why she said getting married was complicated, she must have a hundred lords calling on her. I misunderstood everything.

And why in the hell did Peter say she was plain looking?

She is no Lady Lenora, but she is quite fair herself.

"Was he?" she asks her father while still keeping an eye on me.

"He heard of your beauty and brains all over Europe. He fell in love with you from afar and came all the way back to England to call on you. He has been taken by true love"

Her father is blinded by the duke in front of him.

Ada, for my everlasting regret, doesn't seem to be as easily impressed.

She stares me down, understanding exactly what is happening.

"True love, really?"

"Y-yes" I try to save it.

"How sudden" she snaps the words, utterly unimpressed.

"The heart wants what the heart wants" her father really does love those words "He came straight here, Ada! For you!"

"For me? Oh my. I am honoured" she doesn't sound honoured. She sounds like a woman who understand she is being played by an entitled libertine who was just out in the gardens kissing someone else "What did you say your name was, milord?" her eyes look cold. Like she is just about ready to marry a dirty kettle if that means she can stay away from me.

How do I save this?

"It's a... I'm... " what did she ask? "I mean... you said..."

"Did you forget your own name, milord? Maybe you should rehearse it" Yes, she made me. There is no saving it now "One should really remember one's name"

"Gabriel, milady. Please call me Gabriel."

"I think I'll stick with milord for now. If you'll excuse me"

Gabriel! Do something!

"Could I have a dance?" I nearly shout, drawing far too much attention.

"Of course!" her father answers in her stead, grabbing the tiny dance book tied to her wrist, but she stops him.

"You'll have to forgive me, Your Grace, but all my dances are taken for the evening. Perhaps if you didn't arrive so late" she smiles before walking away.

Her father smiles at me before going after his daughter but I don't think I'll get a second chance tonight.

Peter said he adores her.

He will marry her to someone with a title, but he wouldn't marry her to someone she heavily opposes of and my guess is, after tonight, she'll heavily oppose me.

"What happened?" Peter joins me.

"You said she was plain looking"

"Miss Spencer? She is. Compared to the women you usually court, she is quite..."

"Oh, Heavens save me" I growl "Peter, I'm gonna need your help"

"To pursue Miss Spencer? I don't think you should anymore, Gabriel. I just heard that. She didn't seem too impressed, maybe she heard about you? I think that's over"

"Who are her friends? Her closest friends... the ones she confides in?"

"I... I think Lady Astrid"

"Do you know her?"

Peter gulps, pulling on his shirt, visibly uncomfortable.

He knows her.

He likes her.

"You'll introduce us" I decide.

"Why?"

"Because I'm going to learn everything about Miss Ada".

Everything.

This isn't over yet.

Not even close.