Page 1 of My Dangerous Duke

Chapter 1

“Eleanor Langley, I told younotto wear that corset!” Laura hissed, her long, pointy fingers flying for the waist of her daughter’s green silk dress. “Why, you simply look like a cow! Suck your stomach this instant!”

Her peach-complected cheeks suddenly turning red, Eleanor quickly countered her mother’s touch and swatted her claw-like hands away. There was nothing wrong with her stomach and she knew it well, it was just that her mother had unfortunately caught her slouching in the carriage seat.

“There is nothing wrong with my corset, Mama,” Eleanor quipped back as she smoothed her hands down her ample bosom and small waist. The sunset hue made her honey eyes practically glow with warmth, and she felt radiant in her fashion choices.

“You have gained weight,” her mother fretted, shaking her head hurriedly as she looked over Eleanor. “I told you to start thediet your sister followed! Do not you want to find a handsome husband as she did?”

“Edna and I are not the same people, Mama,” Eleanor replied, feeling her temper spike. Ever since her older sister had gotten married to a baron two years ago, her parents- a self-made successful businessman and a daughter of an Earl, had pressured their daughter to become more like their eldest. Eleanor had disliked being constantly compared to her older sister, and now, after two years of no success in the marriage market, she downrightloathedit. Her ability to ignore her parents' constant jabs was waning, and she felt a type of explosion slowly building inside of her.

“Enough, you two,” Victor Langley commanded, glowering at both his wife and daughter with his beady brown eyes. “I do not need to remind you how important tonight is for all of us. It is the first ball of the Season, Eleanor, and youwillimpress theTonthis evening. Am I understood? Tonight is not just for socializing. There is important work to be done.”

“Yes, Papa,” Eleanor replied, lowering her eyes away from his glare. She knew better than to argue with her father when it came to public expectations.

“Your father is working hard to improve this family’s status, darling,” Laura sneered at Eleanor as she put a consoling hand on her husband’s large chest. “It would do you well to help him this evening by trying your best to impress our peers.”

Eleanor fought the urge to roll her eyes and instead looked out the carriage window. She wanted no part in her father’s social climbing, and unlike him, did not care what a title or fortune would do for their status. She knew people were likely already laughing at them.

As a social climber, Victor Langley had built his business from the ground up and had been infuriated when his money could not buy him the respect of nobility. It was only by marrying her mother that he had somewhat been accepted into the fold ofTon,but even then, they had kept him at the fringes. As the years passed and his social standing remained stagnant, Eleanor watched as her already cold father only grew more calculating.

“Here we are,” Victor announced, fretting with his cravat as the carriage pulled to a stop. Laura tried to help him as she showered him with compliments, but he only snapped at her to stop her chattering and pushed her hands away.

“I mean it, you two,” he growled, taking one more look at his wife and daughter. “Tonight is important. Do not ruin it for me.”

As Victor left the carriage, Laura turned to Eleanor with a glare and looked her up and down one more time.

“I would not dare eat anything this evening if I were you,” her mother hissed, looking disgusted. “So, Lord help me if I catch you…” Laura did not finish her sentence, instead only shaking her head disapprovingly as she gave Eleanor a long stare.

Eleanor let out an exhausted sigh as she was left for a moment in the carriage alone, but before she could muster her strength, she heard her father’s loud, angry voice bellowing from outside.

“What is the meaning of this, boy?”

She instantly felt a clenching in her gut as she heard the footman insist that their family was not invited. It did not take her long to see that her father and mother were garnering quite the looks from the other guests as they argued over their right to attend.

“Do you not know who I am?” Her father bellowed into the footman’s face. “I am the heir of an Earl! My daughter is the new Baroness of Wilten! Howdareyou refuse me entry!”

“If you could just procure your invitation, my lord…” the footman stammered as he took a step back from Victor’s rotund, encroaching figure, “We could clear this up quickly.”

“Whoare you to demand proof from us?” Laura hissed, coming to her husband’s defense.

Oh, not the tale about him being an heir again!

“Mama, please,” Eleanor pled as she caught up to her parents. “Perhaps we should just go.”

“Nonsense, we have every right to be here,” Laura quipped, taking her elbow from her daughter. “The man is just beingcocky for the sake of it. Never you worry, your father will take care of it.”

Eleanor groaned inwardly as she watched the embarrassing scene unfold, wondering how on earth her parents ever blamed her for their exile from society. Around them, the crowd of onlookers was continuing to grow, and to her right, Eleanor spotted her dear friend, Cordelia Farrington, and her mother, coming toward her. Relief flooded through her as she saw her friend’s approaching face, and she hurried toward her.

“Eleanor, darling! What is the excitement?” Cordelia whispered through her smile as she took Eleanor’s hands. The two friends squeezed one another’s palms tightly and they leaned in to touch their cheeks to one another. As usual, Eleanor’s friend looked delicately beautiful in her array of pastel blues and purples. Why the lovely young woman preferred to stand against the wall with Eleanor at parties instead of among the fray of gentlemen was beyond her, but Eleanor appreciated her more for it.

“My parents are at it again,” Eleanor whispered back, flicking a worried look over to them. “I am afraid they have once more invited themselves to an event somehow expecting to just be let in. Oh, Cordelia! It is so terribly embarrassing!”

“Oh, dear,” Cordelia whispered, casting a sympathetic look at her friend before both young women looked up to Cordelia’s mother, Lady Lavinia Farrington, Marchioness of Salisbury. As one of the most fashionable and respected ladies of theTon,a single word from her lips could solve Eleanor’s problems. As usual, the marchioness looked down at her daughter’s friendwith a compassionate, pitying look, and moved away from them to go speak with the footman.

Eleanor knew that, like most members of theTon,Cordelia’s mother did not approve of her parents. Luckily for her though, the lady did not allow Eleanor to suffer for her parents’ shortcomings. In a mere moment after the marchioness approached the angry Mr. Langley, the shouting had ceased, the crowd dispersed, and the five of them were all walking into the poshly decorated foyer of Newbury Hall. The moment they were inside, Eleanor’s parents all but ran toward the ballroom, leaving their daughter behind in order to make their next attempt at social acceptance.

“Thank you for your intervention, Lady Salsbury,” Eleanor whispered to Cordelia’s mother as they passed through the foyer and into the crowded ballroom.