Sister Teresa had never seen a man dressed the way the duke was dressed. She clutched her throat thinking he must be wearing his sleeping attire.

Samuel couldn't help but smile. "Ladies," he said with a bow. He took Shay's hand in his and placed a kiss on the back of it, before she had a chance to say anything. From the look on her face, he thought she was going to burst into flames.

"Why are you here?" Shay eased her hand from his grasp. "Albert told me you would not be here until this evening." For some reason her stomach muscles tightened. A lump formed in the base of her throat. He truly was a beautiful looking man. For some reason his clothes highlighted his dark eyes and sculptured features.

"I'm glad to see you too, Shay." Samuel ignored her question, slipped his hood back and turned to the nun. "Sister. We haven't been properly introduced. I am Samuel Denyer. Shay's fiancé."

"Oh, My Lord. Yes." Sister Teresa curtsied, and then smiled at him. "I do know who you are." She glanced at Shay and caught the look of disapproval on the young woman's face. "Perhaps I should leave and let you two have some time together. I do know we have had Shay preoccupied while you've been in London. I'm sure you have things to discuss."

"No!" Shay held her hand out, and then cleared her throat thinking she shouldn't have yelled. "Please stay. I was unaware that the duke would be calling. I'm sure he will understand that my time with you should take precedence."

Fire exploded in Samuel's chest. She was casting him aside, as if he were a stray dog. He pinned her with his stare. "I will apologise for my intrusion. I am here to discuss the King's Ball. After your absence last night, I felt it was my duty to let you know how important this is. I wanted to check that you have a gown, and to confirm that I will be here at seven o'clock to pick you up."

Shay wanted to cower under his gaze. The tone in his voice carried an unspoken threat. He didn't seem to care that Sister Teresa was here to witness their rashness. She steeled herself and lifted her shoulders. "As I told you yesterday. I am not comfortable attending the King's Ball."

Sister Teresa felt the tension between them. Knowing what she knew of Shay's feelings, and seeing the determination on the duke's face, she sensed she was witnessing a bull, head-butting a locked garden gate. To avoid any permanent damage, Sister Teresa took it upon herself to lift the latch. She stepped forward, took hold of Shay's hand and patted the back of it. "Yes, my dear. You must be very nervous." The nun took hold of Samuel's hand and said, "It would appear unseemly for a young unmarried woman to attend a ball without a chaperone." She smiled at Samuel. "You must understand, that even though you are her fiancé, it would be frowned upon in company much below that of the king." She placed Shay's hand in Samuel's. "I offer myself as Shay's chaperone, so she will be more comfortable with the idea of attending." Sister Teresa beamed. The look on their faces was something even God would be laughing at. She patted their connected hands. "Now that's settled, I'll be back to the orphanage." She tittered and lifted her hand in the air. "I have a ball to prepare for." Sister Teresa bowed her head. "Shall I expect you at six-thirty, My Lord?"

"Ah... yes. Six-thirty." Samuel grinned. She had put a stop to an argument, and solved his problem of getting Shay to the ball. He gripped Shay's hand to prevent her from pulling away. Samuel took a bow. "Thank you, Sister." He tightened his grip as he felt Shay try to tug her hand free. When the door closed behind the nun, he jerked Shay up against his chest. "Thank God for nuns," he chuckled and looked down at Shay's angry face. "Ugh, ugh." Samuel grinned. "You have no right to be angry. If either of us should be angry, it's me. You knew I was coming to see you last night. You know how important this ball is. King William has not long been in power. This ball, though small, is in honour of his taking the crown." He put his hand on her neck and rubbed his finger lightly up and down the soft spot behind her ear, hoping to affect her as he had the day before.

Shay stared up at him. For some reason she was drained of energy. All the fight in her dissipated and left her feeling numb. It seemed Sister Teresa had taken a side, and it wasn't with her. Shay wondered if she was making a mistake, in not accepting this man's offer of marriage, with good grace. She watched, as if in slow motion, him lower his head to hers. His warm breath caressed her cheek as his lips swept over hers.

"I look forward to seeing you this evening, Shay," he whispered.

She stood stunned as she watched him move away from her, open the door, and then close it behind him, without looking back at her.

I wonder if Samuel will nominate Sister Teresa for a sainthood? Hahaha

William IV was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and King of Hanover from 26 June 1830 until his death in 1837. The third son of George III, William succeeded his elder brother George IV, becoming the last king and penultimate monarch of Britain's House of Hanover. Taken from Google.

More on William the IV to come in following chapters. I think you will be impressed.

Photo taken from Quora.  I know this picture doesn't really suit the era, but Whoopi Goldberg's face really captured how I felt Sister Teresa might have been feeling at the time.