The earl was not always present, but the children’s mother made sure she was there every day. Victoria knew her uncle’s wife thought it made her an attentive mother to have these brief visits each day with her children, but Victoria could not help contrasting it with how much time her own parents had spent with her when she was a child. They had spent most of her life on their country estate, rarely coming up to the city even when the House was in session. Although she had had a governess, both of her parents had participated in her studies, making sure they knew exactly what she was learning.
Victoria suppressed her sigh, giving her head a firm shake to dispel the bittersweet thoughts as they stood in the foyer waiting for the butler to announce their presence to the countess. This pretension was the earl’s idea of formality. It made Victoria and the children feel like visitors in their own home.
Daniel and Vanessa held tightly to Victoria’s hands while Felicia and Gwen chewed their lips nervously. Only Everett was able to hide his agitation but Victoria could still detect his fidgets. She tried to distract them with a pleasant thought.
“Mrs. Marks told me Cook has prepared your favourite dessert today, children.” Her effort succeeded, as all five of them turned to her with excited grins.
“Truly, Aunty?” asked Felicia, while Everett declared, “All right, custard!” with glee.
All six of them had happy smiles when the butler finally returned to escort them to see Lady Bartley.
“Hello, my children,” greeted the mousey woman as the youngsters entered the room and gathered around her. “I am sorry to have to tell you your father could not make it home from his Session in time to see you today.”
Daniel pulled his thumb out of his mouth long enough to answer, “That’s all right, mama,” as he patted her leg before wandering away to stare at a table covered in knickknacks he was not supposed to touch.
Eyeing her son with apprehension, the countess said, “Remember Daniel, you can look but you cannot touch.”
“I know, mama.” He replied before sticking his thumb back into his mouth.
Turning back to her older children, she asked the same question she asked every day, “So, what have you been up to today?”
The three girls looked at each other before glancing nervously at their cousin, unsure if they should tell their mother about their adventures in the park. Victoria had not told them to keep it a secret; she would never ask them to hide anything from their parents. But the girls still wondered if it was best to keep it to themselves. They were saved momentarily by Everett launching into speech.
“I completed my level of mathematics with my tutor this afternoon, Mother,” he announced importantly.
Victoria was happy to see the countess respond with suitable excitement. “Oh, Everett, that is marvellous. I do wish your father were here to congratulate you himself. That is a remarkable accomplishment. You must be proud of yourself. John had mentioned that you were struggling with some of the lessons.”
Everett flushed with embarrassment, angry that his tutor had been telling tales behind his back. Victoria winced in sympathy but held back from commenting.
“I may have struggled, but I got through it,” he said almost sullenly. “What else did John tell you?”
Realizing her misstep, the countess stammered out an answer. “Not much, Everett, dear. Your father just wants John to keep us apprised of your progress. You know how important it is to the earl that you do well at Eton.”
Not appeased, Everett shrugged in an effort to appear unaffected, turning his back on the ladies and joining his little brother in looking about his mother’s parlour.
The countess turned to her daughters with upraised eyebrows. Felicia, the typical middle child, and always seeking to make peace, blurted out, “We went to the park today when our lessons were done. Victoria gave us crusts to feed to the ducks.”
Lady Bartley smiled rather wanly at her niece over this statement before turning back to her daughters. “That must have been lovely. It was a nice day to be at the park, I am sure.”
Gwendolyn, trying to learn grown-up ways, turned to her mother with a question of her own. “What did you do today, Mother?”
Surprised and strangely gratified, the countess’ smile finally showed some genuine warmth. “Why thank you so much for asking, Gwendolyn. I had quite a lovely day myself. I spent some time on Bond Street visiting my dressmaker, since I will be attending some special functions with your father. Then I had a few calls to make on some of my friends. And just before you children came to see me I was meeting with Mrs. Marks about the menus for this coming week. Your father wants to host a dinner party for some of his associates, so I had to discuss all the preparations with the housekeeper to make sure everything will be just as he wants it. It is not for several days yet, but there are ever so many details that need to be sorted.”
The girls were heartily bored by the time their mother got to the end of this speech. Victoria was torn between the urge to giggle or weep. If looked at dispassionately this scene would be terribly amusing. The countess had no idea how to interact with her own children. But Victoria could not be dispassionate about the situation since she loved the children so dearly. She quickly stepped in to ensure no misery would ensue.
Dropping a brief curtsy to her aunt, Victoria politely excused them. “It was lovely to see you, my lady. The footmen will be bringing the children’s supper to the schoolroom momentarily, so we should be getting back. We wish you a good evening, do we not, children?”
Happy to be returning above stairs, the children quickly chorused their agreement.
“Goodnight, Mother.”
“Have a lovely evening, Mother.”
“Goodnight.”
Impulsively, Vanessa ran to her mother and threw her chubby arms around her neck, giving her a warm hug. The countess, taken aback, was gratified at this childish display of affection, and returned the hug awkwardly before the little girl pulled away and ran to grab her cousin’s hand.
“Thank you, Victoria,” the countess called after them rather uncharacteristically. She usually hid it fairly well, but she resented her husband’s niece’s presence in their lives. She was particularly resentful of the young woman’s close relationship with the children. Unable to generate closeness with them herself, she was deeply jealous of their attachment to their cousin whom they insisted on calling their aunt. So it was decidedly rare that she showed any gratitude for Victoria’s role in the children’s life.
Victoria acknowledged her aunt’s words with a smile and an inclination of her head while she herded the children from the room. There was much less decorum amongst the group as they ascended the stairs. The volume rose the farther they got from the foyer as they all tried to speak at once.
“Did Mrs. Marks tell you what we are having for supper?” Perpetually in a growth spurt, some of the children seemed to be always hungry.
“I worked up quite an appetite walking to the park, Aunt ‘Toria,” said Vanessa endearingly.
“So did I,” chimed in Felicia.
Victoria smiled warmly. “I must say, I think I did too.”
“What are we going to do after we have our dinner?” Everett asked curiously.
“Some of us will have to go to bed straight away, as we have had quite a day. The rest of us will no doubt manage to keep each other amused until bedtime,” Victoria answered.
“Aww, Aunty, how can you talk about bedtime?”
“I apologize, Everett, but I am truly looking forward to my own bedtime. I had some adventures today that I need to sleep off.”
Everett looked unconvinced, but Victoria quickly turned his attention. “That was marvellous news about completing your mathematics, Everett. That is an impressive accomplishment. I am very proud of you. I think I should send a note to the kitchens declaring you ought to be served a double portion of dessert as a small reward.”
The youngster grinned in delight, looking much more like a little boy than he wou
ld ever admit to being. “That would be grand!”
“But what about us?” the girls demanded.
“Everybody is getting custard, have no fear. But you must agree that Everett’s accomplishment is deserving of something a little special, don’t you? When you manage something similar, I promise I will ensure the cook provides you with a double portion of dessert too.”
Gwendolyn thought about the matter seriously for a moment, fixing Victoria with a determined stare. “Be sure not to forget.”
“I promise,” vowed the doting cousin, managing to contain her amusement to a pleasant smile.
The rest of the evening passed uneventfully as the children ate their supper, played some games, and then retired for the night. Victoria was relieved to seek her own bed as soon as the last of her charges were tucked in. Tomorrow it would start all over again, she thought with a small sigh as she slipped into slumber.
Chapter Six
The duke was having a far different evening.
After leaving the club, Bryghton went home to his elegant townhouse on Charles Street. His butler greeted him as he stepped into the foyer.
“Welcome home, your grace. I trust you had a pleasant afternoon.”
“I did. Thank you, Jeeves. Do you know if Henry is still at work in my office?”
“I believe so, your grace. I have not seen him all afternoon. I did see the housekeeper taking him a plate a few hours ago.”
“That boy works too hard, doesn’t he, Jeeves? I must say, it is a useful quality in one’s secretary.”
“I would imagine so. Would you like me to summon the housekeeper to provide you with some refreshments?” asked the butler, ever attentive.
“No, thank you, Jeeves. I have just now come from White’s, so I am perfectly refreshed. I am to be dining somewhere in a couple of hours and ladies do tend to frown if I do not give proper attention to the meal that is set before me.”
The usually stiff butler could not help grinning over this wry statement. With a slight nod, he said, “As you wish, your grace,” while the duke strode purposefully down the hallway to his office.
The well-oiled door opened without a sound as he stepped in and took note of his diligent secretary hunched over an open ledger with a furrowed brow creasing his youthful forehead.
“What seems to be troubling you, Henry?”
With a start of surprise the young man bolted upright, and almost knocked over a bottle of ink in his haste to stand. “Your grace, I did not hear you enter. You fairly scared me witless, I must admit.”
Chuckling, Bryghton walked further into the room, pausing next to Henry’s desk to look at what had been occupying him. “Sorry for startling you, old chap. I could not resist surprising you since you seemed so absorbed. But tell me, why the worried frown?”
Flushing slightly, the hard-working young man explained. “I was not frowning, your grace, I was merely concentrating. I was trying to make sense of the report I was reading concerning the expenses involved in the running of one of your estates. I was simply calculating to ensure that everything adds up.”
Bryghton, always aware of all that was going on with his various holdings, glanced down at the papers on Henry’s desk. “I am confident you can work it out, but is there anything you would like me to take a look at?”
Henry hastened to reassure his employer. “Thank you, your grace, but I am quite certain I shall be able to work it out on my own.” He smiled, and continued, “I did not expect to see you this afternoon. Was there anything you wished me to do for you?”
“It seems to me you might already have enough to do this afternoon, Henry.”
“No, no, I assure you, I am quite capable of taking on any other assignments you might wish to give me.”
The duke looked dubiously at the young man’s eager face for a moment, but then conceded that despite Henry’s furrowed brow earlier, he really was a most competent assistant. Bryghton asked a question of his own. “How are you coming along with your research into Pickering’s background?”
“Lord Bartley?” Henry asked redundantly. “I have been digging around as much as possible, your grace. So far I have not found anything we did not already know. He is a despicable man who takes advantage of anyone who comes into his path. He has also made some mistakes with some of his investing in recent years and has nearly run through his fortune. From what I have been able to ascertain, he has begun to dip into his niece’s funds.”
“Lady Victoria? How could he touch her money?” Bryghton asked with disgust.
“The earl is her guardian and the trustee of her funds until she marries or turns twenty-five. It is a rather commonplace practice, is it not, your grace?” Henry seemed surprised at the duke’s interruption.
“Yes, you are probably right, Henry. It is just that I happened to meet the young woman this afternoon. While I am sure I must have been aware at some point that Pickering had a niece, I had never had occasion to give her much thought. She seemed like a nice enough young woman. It is all the more proof of how despicable the earl is that he would be stealing money from his own niece.”
“Quite true, but we really did not need any more reason to despise the earl, did we?”
“Excellent point, Henry. Carry on with what you were saying.”
“I do not actually have much more to say, I am afraid. Despite everything we know about him, I have yet to come across anything we can use against him—not even his misuse of his niece’s funds. While it is dishonourable and deplorable, it is arguably within his rights as her guardian to access her monies.” Henry hesitated to go further, but took a deep breath and then continued. “Even what he did to Drake was not precisely illegal, or at least not provable.”
Bryghton growled low in his throat, but could not deny Henry’s words. “Keep digging anyway. And while you are looking into Bartley, please find out whatever there is to know about his niece.”
Henry quirked a curious look at his master. “Lady Victoria? There is very little to know about the young lady. I thought you said you met her today.”
“I did. And her three young cousins, the offspring of the devil himself. It made me wonder why she was with them rather than out with some other young ladies doing whatever it is young ladies do all day. It struck me as though she were acting as those children’s governess.”
“Perhaps she is close with her young relatives.”
“Perhaps. But my mother said the lady has not yet made her curtsy to Society. She is the daughter of an earl. It is her right, and most young ladies would go to nearly any length to assert that right.”
“Perhaps she is shy, and has no desire to traipse about London with other young ladies,” Henry pointed out reasonably.
“Lady Victoria is far from shy. I might not know much about her, but that was fairly evident.” The duke finally found something to smile about, as he reminisced about their encounter.
Shaking his head from the reverie, Bryghton continued in brisker tones. “Look into it, Henry. See if there is anything there that we can use against the earl. I have engagements this evening, so I must go if there is nothing else to discuss at the moment.”
“No, I believe that is all for the time being. I shall keep working on what we have discussed. Enjoy your evening, your grace.”
Bryghton eyed his secretary speculatively. “You should try to enjoy your evening, too, Henry. You know you could always join me as I make my rounds.”
Henry flushed to his roots at the thought. “Thank you for the invitation, your grace,” he replied, “but I do not think it would be an enjoyable way for me to spend my evening.”
The duke raised one eyebrow in sardonic question. “What are you saying Henry? You do not think you would enjoy the Countess of Standish’s hospitality?”
Henry gave the duke a look of exasperation. “I am quite certain you know that is not what I meant, your grace. While I am sure no one would give me the cut direct were I to accompany you, I certainly would not be welcomed w
ith open arms as you are wherever you go. I would not be dressed appropriately, nor am I the font of social conversation that you seem capable of being. I would much rather stay here and work than stand about at some ton event listening to the aristocratic crowd gossip.”
“You do have a point, Henry. I must admit, I too would much rather stay home. But much of my work is accomplished by listening to that gossip, so I must bid you adieu.” Bryghton swept from the room, heading to his bedchamber to prepare. He had an impressive list of social engagements for the evening and he began to don his elegant clothes like an actor for a part in the theatre.
His valet eased him into his close-fitting coat, careful not to disturb his beautifully tied cravat or his artfully disarrayed hair. “You are looking particularly marvellous this evening, your grace.”
Regarding himself critically in the mirror, the duke had to concede rather dispassionately. “I suppose I would have to agree with you, Timothy. Thank you.” He continued with a lopsided grin. “No need to wait up. I will no doubt be quite late, and I should be able to manage to undress myself without assistance.”
Timothy looked horrified at the idea. “Your grace,” he gasped, “surely you jest. I just helped you put on that coat—I am quite certain you will not be able to get it off without me. Be sure to ring for me as soon as you return home, no matter the hour.”
The duke grinned with amusement. “Yes, sir.”
The valet knew he had overstepped, but he grinned back at the duke unrepentantly before sweeping from the room.
As Bryghton descended the grand staircase, his footsteps echoing rather hollowly from the high ceiling, he was delighted to see Alfred already waiting for him.
“Freddy, you are always so reliably punctual. How do you do that?”
Grinning good-naturedly, the baron shrugged dismissively. “I am not nearly so vain as you, nor am I so high up the aristocratic ladder that all eyes will be on me. So my toilette does not take nearly as long as yours.”
The Reluctant Debutante: A Sweet, Regency Romance (Ladies of Mayfair Book 4) Page 4
