Dearest Duke Of Her Fascination

The day was finally Wednesday and Ambrosia was mostly relieved at that fact. She was due to have tea with her friend Jane and was accompanied by her lady's maid, Sibon to the Renforth's Estate. They had slowly begun to pick back up with their old traditional habit of meeting for tea last month in which they had only met one time, but ever since becoming a married lady of the beau monde Jane was always busier than ever and her schedule was mostly pressed for time.

Ambrosia would not put any further strain on her friend with their promised engagements even though she did not have the courage to confide in Jane about everything she had felt the first time she visited. However, instead she was most grateful that Jane had found what little time she did have to sit and talk with her and listened intently to the tales about Jane's married life and honeymoon, which were a welcome distraction from her confusing thoughts.

Ambrosia and her lady's maid were both standing in Lord Renforth's foyer while the butler collected her bonnet and silk pelisse. Sibon was ushered down to the servant's quarters to wait there for her mistress while they were to visit, then Ambrosia was ushered down a hall to a drawing room on her right.

Unwanted flashbacks to the last time she was in these halls deftly seeking a breath of fresh air crossed fresh into her mind. She had not known that she would stumble upon the same duke who aroused her curiosity, infatuated her brain, and now infiltrated her ignorant heart. Yes, ignorant. That was a good way to describe how she felt about her own heart. She had taken a liking to a gentleman just from the way he looked at her and then enjoyed one dance with him. The realization that she didn't really even know anything about the duke was an enigma to her.

Except, she could still recall how his arms tightened around her branding into her waist while they had danced their set and the way his eyes danced over her in the candlelight making his clear blue eyes look more like heated pools. Oh, how she wished she could erase it all from her memory mayhap that would be for the better.

The paranoia of being an inadequate dancer finally subsided, but feelings of being inadequate in other aspects of her life crept into her conciseness unwittingly. She dared not admit to anyone her feelings but ever since the night she danced with the duke she found it hard to enjoy a dance with any other. Ball after ball, soiree after soiree her treacherous eyes would scan the crowds for him and to no avail he could never be found.

After three full months of absolutely nothing from the Duke of Yarmouth it was quite silly of her to still wonder about him. He preferred things that way and returning back to her earlier resolve it'd be best if he became a figment of the past. Instead of a figment of my imagination. Ambrosia thought to herself.

Lady Jane had come bustling through the door with a bright smile of her face which instantly began to cheer Ambrosia's spirits. "I am so sorry for keeping you waiting, my dear!" Jane said coming around the chaise lounge.

"That is of no matter, Jane. You did not keep me waiting long. Please come sit with me." Ambrosia smiled offering Jane the spot next to her even though it was her drawing room.

"Actually, I thought we might enjoy a change of scenery. I've had two canvases set up in the rose gardens here at Renforth you must see for yourself they are quite magnificent! I thought perhaps we could paint the lovely flowers. It's been ages since we did that, remember when we would paint at Aylesworth Castle? We were young girls then and the summers were often so vibrant there, were they not?"

Ambrosia began reminiscing about many a times she, Jane, and all her sisters would spend entire afternoons in the more than pleasant gardens of her family ancestral estate. Things were so simple in those times and Ambroisa wished she could relive the sun filled days where her problems did not exist.