Time 4
"So where are you and you father off to on your tour now?" Santana asked from her seat next to the window as Rachel changed into a travelling dress.
"Arundel Castle of at all places" Rachel moaned "His Grace the Duke of Norfolk as Earl Marshall wants to be on my father's good side considering all of the contacts he has made around the world"
"It is a gorgeous castle though from what I have heard" Santana said wistfully "and everyone is following your tour with interest"
"More interest then I want" Rachel sighed making sure her skirt fell properly "when my father made the decision to come back here I tried to make him allow me to move home to North Wales but he wouldn't hear of it, wants me to be part of 'society'"
"But I thought you were allowed to choose your own husband?"
"I am, doesn't mean he wouldn't prefer him to be capable of running the estates"
"So peerage"
"Of course, my father respects me but even he wants me to marry someone of my social standing, or above obviously. What are going to do now that I will not be monopolizing all your time?" she asked changing the conversation
"Help my mother at home" Santana shrugged "I have enjoyed this last week a lot in fact"
"You should come with us" Rachel declared suddenly "it would be nice for me to have a companion who is like myself and it can do nothing but help you and your family to have a close relationship with my own"
"Really?" Santana asked stunned
"Of course, we shall run it past my father but I'm sure he will agree with me" Rachel said linking her arm through Santana's and towing her away towards her father's suite, who agreed with Rachel's plan and talked to Santana's family so less than two hours later she was packed and ready to travel with them.
"Welcome to Arundel Castle!" said the Duke happily as they rode up in their carriage two days later the Duke and his son waiting for them on their front step, Duke Puck leaning against the door behind them shooting Rachel an insolent grin as he stepped forward to help her out of the carriage.
"Thank you your grace" Hiram smiled "may I introduce my daughter Rachel and her friend Miss Santana"
"A pleasure ladies" Burt smiled "this is my son Kurt, and of course you know his grace Noah already"
"Yes we do" Rachel smiled sweetly "you seem to be popping up everywhere your grace"
"I do seem to do that don't I?" he asked rhetorically with another smirk
Rolling her eyes behind her fan at Santana who tried and failed not to giggle at her friend they linked their arms before following Lord Kurt and his father into the house, Puck shifting uncomfortably as he followed behind them not used to be laughed at.
After a cup of tea in greeting the guests retired to their rooms, Santana and Rachel's suites joined so that they could get ready together and as men always assumed that women needed each other for some obscure reason.
"So his grace?" Santana asked with a smirk after her bath and dressing taking a seat in Rachel's room as the one of the maids helped tie Rachel's dress at the back, this time in a cream and dark blue that suited her slim figure which was natural and not caused by a corset, her dark long hair curling over one shoulder.
"Noah?" Rachel asked looking back at her friend "he likes to push my buttons nothing more"
"More like he's trying to figure you out" Santana said shrewdly trying not to drool as Rachel opened her jewellery case and tried to find a necklace to wear "I have heard enough tales about the next Duke of Rutland to know he expects two things of women, to be empty headed and vapid, and secondly to fall at his feet"
"Darling did you?" Rachel asked turning to Santana as she heard the bitter tone in her voice
"Yes" Santana admitted reluctantly "he never played with my feelings as much as others because I am Matt's cousin but still..."
"Still he spun you a line and you fell for it and you have regretted it ever since" Rachel said coming to sit next to her and slip an arm around her shoulders.
"I was young and stupid" Santana admitted "he didn't even mean it maliciously he was completely honest with me as to his intentions and I still fell for him a little. Just like every other girl, that's why he messes with you, he doesn't understand you"
"Then perhaps he should learn that to know someone you need to talk to them, not make their life difficult" Rachel groused "are you sure you are ok?"
"About the Duke situation? It was years ago I would not have told you if you had not guessed!"
"As long as his continued presence does not hurt you" Rachel said worriedly "I could request him to leave..."
"You like it!" Santana suddenly accused laughing as Rachel trailed off "you like the attention"
"I must confess I do" Rachel said wincing at her friend's delighted expression "he is unlike the other young men, and not even in a particularly good way! But he is different and that intrigues me"
Still laughing Santana tucked her arm into Rachel's and led her to dinner "and there was me thinking you were so strong for not falling at his feet!"
"I am not falling at his feet! I just...I just...I don't even know right now" she wailed as they reached the top of the grand staircase, Santana still laughing as they descended together the object of their humour waiting for them at the bottom with the haughty looking Kurt.
"Lady Rachel" Puck smiled offering his arm to her, Kurt doing the same to Santana as they led the ladies into the dining room, Puck helping her into his seat with all the manners and grace his mother had forced into his head before taking the one next to her.
"I thought we would dine in the family room tonight" Burt boomed from the head of the table "we have enough time for all the trappings of a formal dinner in the week you will be with us, but I myself much prefer smaller occasions such as this"
"That is a sentiment me and my daughter can very much appreciate and understand your grace" Hiram smiled from the other end of the table "while we understand the need for such parties and have enjoyed them on the continent we have much preferred smaller more intimate affairs since the death of my late wife"
"Mother always did love a party" Rachel said brightly as she saw her father's heartbroken face again "she loved the lights and atmosphere of a party, unlike me and father"
"It was heart breaking when Shelby died" Burt sympathized "and so suddenly, but I too remember her as the life and soul of a party, especially at Norfolk house in London"
"She always loved that house" Hiram said gently smiling staring into space.
"Arundel castle however is just as amazing" Rachel said swiftly steering the conversation away from her mother, whose death still troubled her father.
"Why thank you..." Burt started telling her about the history of the castle and then leading the conversation on the most recent play in London, Puck curiously quiet as he watched Rachel delicately eat the plate of food in front of her and hold her own in any conversation at the table, even business conversations.
"But to invest in France is still a risk" Rachel argued "Bonaparte will not just stay on Elba forever"
"It is a rare day when I met a women so well versed in the international situation" Burt complimented with a small smile "if only my son would find an interest" he quipped with a gentle smile at his son to take the bite out of his words.
"Well Rachel is unique" Hiram tried to explain away as Kurt scowled "some days I believe she knows more than me!"
"Simply a case of reading the papers" Rachel shrugged trying and failing to keep her proud smile off her face, everyone loved a compliment.
"Lady Rachel would you like to accompany me on a walk?" Puck asked hoarsely using his voice for the first time in a long time as the meal ended.
Darting a look at Santana who nodded covertly, urging her to go "I would love to your grace" Rachel said demurely as the others retired to the living room and the young man and lady exited on to the torch lit garden balcony, the cold night air making Rachel shiver a little and move closer to Puck who placed his hand over hers in an attempt to warm her.
"Tell me about your childhood" he ordered gently, wanting to know everything he could about this girl next to him, Rachel smiled and began to talk about growing up in North Wales and then her time in numerous schools and with governesses as they moved around Europe.
"But what made you, you?" Puck asked unable to not ask "you are so different; you were talking about the rate of interest earlier"
"I don't know" Rachel shrugged "is that a problem?"
"No, you just confuse me, I never know what to expect"