Kneeling for the Duke

A/N: Slow in starting but building up to it.

Kneeling for the Duke- Chapter One

Why he made her feel so alive, he had no idea.

Eloise had been looking across the room for the last quarter hour since he had come across her line of vision, well staring would probably have been a more accurate word for it. She just couldn’t seem to help it. For two years now she’d been a debutante fluttering across the aristocrat adorned ballrooms that made up the London Season and for two years she had watched men and women come and go, marry off or fall into scandal and none of them, not a one, had even remotely perked her interest. Not like this. Not the way this newfound gentlemen had caught it, making her delicate skin tingle without ever being introduced or even meeting his eyes.

Taking out her blue laced hand fan she fanned herself, subtly staring at the man over it. He was tall, brown eyes with thick black hair that was just lengthy enough to both be accepted with modern fashion and be noticed as an oddity. Clearly the man needed a trim. His face was clean shaven beneath a large, straight nose and thick lips that seemed most seductive even from across the room as he spoke to this Lord or that Lady. He was also broad shouldered and surprisingly fit to be a peer of the realm which, if all the sycophants surrounding him were any indication, he most certainly was.

Funny, she had thought to have known all the eligible bachelors that were available, in fact her mother had insisted on it determined as she was that this was the year she would be married off. Eloise wasn’t so sure. With her older brother firmly holding the title of Marquess passed on by their dearly departed father nearly two years prior, she was given an uncommon leeway that so many of her class were not allowed – her brother was allowing her to choose her own husband. A peculiarity considering the times they lived in and the act that by every right her brother, as her provider, had every right to select and present her with her future husband and Lord. It was kind of him, she would freely admit, but were she to bother being honest with herself she would recognize the increase in balls and house parties he insisted she attend that he was tired of waiting and funding her seasons which had yet to prove fruitful.

A shrill laugh caught her attention across the room bringing Eloise’s attention from her own inner thoughts and back over to her mystery man. The men and married women who had formerly surrounded him had given leave to a group of young, upstart hopefuls that had her fighting a frown fighting down both jealousy at not being one of them to be introduced and annoyance that they were crowding his space. A man like that deserved to be given room, to see gazed upon with respect not being crowded by foolish girls who couldn’t keep their hands to themselves.

Snapping her fan closed, she pursed her lips and gave the girls a disapproving look. No, she would not join the masses nor introduce herself so improperly. She was a Lady and would await a proper introduction as such. Instead, she turned for the beverage table and sought out a refreshment to cool down her overly heated skin.

“Lady Eloise!”

Eloise startled at the loudness of her calling but immediately plastered a cool smile on her face and turned to a man she knew well.