The duke threw back his head and bellowed with laughter, causing his highly strung mount to prance skittishly. Bryghton regained his composure and control of his horse, and grinned in good humour at his loyal friend.
“I know you think this is a foolish errand, but I appreciate your company. It will be less obvious if we happen across her together rather than me searching her out on my own.”
“Have you given any thought to what you intend to say to her if we do happen to find her?”
Bryghton shrugged dismissively. “I am certain it shall occur to me when the time comes.”
Alfred shook his head but continued riding along at his friend’s side. He really had nothing pressing he ought to be doing with his day. And despite his misgivings about the duke’s interest in the young lady, he convinced himself that no harm would come from this day’s activities.
It took them a fair amount of time to find their quarry, as it was a large park, and it took the men a while to realize the young lady would no doubt be averse to spending time in the same area where they had come so close to tragedy the previous day.
The duke was taken by surprise by the joy he felt when he finally set eyes upon the lovely Lady Victoria and her passel of cousins.
Victoria had been lost in thought when Daniel called out, “Isn’t that our duke from the river?” She was startled from her reverie, wondering if she had conjured the Duke of Wychwood with her thoughts.
Heat stained her cheeks as he rode towards them on his huge beast of a horse, accompanied by his friend, the baron. Victoria stood up, feeling flustered, and wondering what to do about this turn of events.
“Good afternoon, your grace,” she greeted, while executing a perfect curtsy. Watching her attentively, her three female cousins followed suit, with varying degrees of skill. Not to be outdone, Daniel looked seriously at his sisters before turning back to the duke and bowing respectfully.
Unaccustomed to the sight of children performing such niceties, Bryghton grinned with delight. “Thank you all, those were quite well done. Hello, Daniel, I see you have recovered from your harrowing ordeal from yesterday.”
“What’s a harrowing deal?” the young boy asked, causing the duke to grin again.
Bryghton’s grin was a powerful thing, and Victoria’s breath caught at the sight. Their eyes met, and for the briefest moment she actually thought she felt the earth tremble. She decided it must have been the footsteps of the powerful horse the duke was riding, and burst out laughing at her ridiculous notion. She was immediately embarrassed at her outburst, but grateful for the laughter, as it helped to break the spell he had seemed to cast over her.
The duke and baron swung down off their horses and strode forward to greet the small group properly.
“Fancy running into you a second time,” the duke declared.
Alfred rolled his eyes and drawled, “Fancy that,” rather faintly behind him, causing Bryghton to throw a quick glare over his shoulder.
Daniel, ever tenacious, approached the duke and repeated his question. “What’s a harrowing deal, duke?”
Bryghton smiled at the little boy and crouched down in front of him. “A harrowing ordeal is a scary adventure, such as you had yesterday when you and your cousin were in the river.”
Daniel grinned at the duke importantly. “I had a harrowing deal. Did you ever have one?”
Victoria quickly coughed delicately to catch his lordship’s attention. It would decidedly not do to tell Daniel any stories of adventures the duke might have had as a youngster. It would be all she could do to handle whatever antics the little boy might get up to with his own imagination.
Bryghton looked up at the sound and caught sight of Victoria shaking her head vigorously. He grinned at her knowingly.
“I do believe your adventures have topped any I might have had, my boy.” Bryghton stood back up. “I am just glad to see that none of you are any worse for the wear.”
He took a moment to look around at the others. He was taken aback by the startlingly sweet sight of the three little girls holding hands and regarding him steadily. He bowed slightly to them and offered them a greeting of their own. “Good day, ladies.”
Continuing to look at him with serious faces, the two youngest girls kept silent, but Gwendolyn managed to find her tongue. “Could we pat your horse, your grace? He is ever so beautiful, but so large we are a bit afraid.”
Bryghton looked to their cousin for guidance but she merely looked back at him with curiosity, waiting to see what he would say.
He turned back to the little girls. “It is good that you are a little bit afraid. This particular horse is not all that gentle and he has never been around children before. But I am quite convinced he will not harm you as long as I am here, so yes, you may pat him if your cousin says it is all right.”
Victoria had to suppress a sigh as all the children clamoured around her begging her to say yes.
“Only for a moment, children. And you must be very quiet so as not to distress the lovely horse. Like the duke said, that horse is not used to children, so he might be afraid of you if you make too much noise.” The children gave her dubious looks, but they obediently tiptoed closer to the duke and whispered as he held the large animal’s head so that they could pat it gently.
“He’s so pretty, your grace,” whispered Felicia shyly, which brought another smile to the duke’s lips. “Thank you for letting us touch him.”
Daniel was too short to reach the monstrously large horse’s head, so Victoria had to help him. She grew more nervous as she approached the handsome duke and his beast, and she began to babble as she lifted up the little boy.
“We are not used to such large animals. The children and I do not ride very much. Of course, we have all been taught how to but we have not had much occasion to do so, you understand. And none of the horses in my uncle’s stable are nearly so large as this one. He must be very fast.” She could not quite make eye contact with the duke, but she noticed the amused twist to his lips and managed to rein in her own, pressing them together to stem the tide of words as she blushed with embarrassment.
The children, satisfied with their experience, now lost interest in the adults and the animal. Victoria put Daniel back down, and he ran off to play once more with his sisters. Watching the children play, Victoria struggled to think of what to say to the two gentlemen who showed no signs of leaving.
Mustering her courage, she turned back to them. “That was very kind of you, your grace. Thank you for your patience with the children.”
“It was my pleasure, my lady. I will admit to you I do not recall speaking to any children since I left Eton, other than my brother and sister, but they seem to be exceptionally interesting youngsters.”
Victoria laughed at this. “How could you know whether or not they are exceptional if you have nothing with which to compare them?”
Alfred had to laugh at this. As concerned as he was about his friend, it was obvious the young lady was not laying a trap for the duke. He allowed himself to relax and enjoy the interchange as the duke too laughed over her question.
“You have a good point, my lady, but all I will admit is that I find anyone who loves my horse to be exceptional.”
Victoria tilted her head slightly. “That is a questionable manner with which to judge exceptionalness, your grace.”
“Perhaps, but I stand by it,” he replied, enjoying the interchange. It was obvious that she was inexperienced and nervous, but she was a far better conversationalist than the beauty he had danced with the previous night. He wondered what Lady Isabelle would make of Victoria. He rather thought the two would hit it off nicely.
Unsure of what else to say to the gentlemen, Victoria attempted to dismiss them. “It was kind of you to stop and inquire into our well-being, but I would not want to detain you from your important affairs, your grace.”
Bryghton smiled, amused over her inexpert attempt, and quickly assured her, “Oh, Freddy and I have nothing of imp
ort to be accomplishing at the moment. In fact, he had just been saying how much he would enjoy playing ball, had you not, Freddy?”
Alfred, Lord Lynster, sixth baron of Fielding, looked incredulously at his dear friend the Duke of Wychwood. Did he really expect him to play ball with a passel of children? It would seem he did. Blinking with something bordering on bewilderment, Freddy found himself approaching the four youngsters and asking if he could join in their game. The little ones were delighted with the adult attention and welcomed him enthusiastically.
Lady Victoria might not be familiar with the ways of the ton, but she was quite certain it was out of the ordinary to the extreme for a baron to play ball in the park with even his own children, let alone ones he had just met. She turned to the duke with laughter dancing in her eyes.
“That was rather masterful, your grace. What do you have against your friend that you would toss him to the wolves like that?”
Bryghton smiled at her turn of phrase. “Do you truly consider your young charges to be wolves?”
Allowing a small sigh to escape, she quirked her lips into a slight smile. “At times, yes,” she admitted.
“Why do you not have more help? This is the second time I am seeing you with them with only a nursemaid to accompany you.” This was beyond the pale of polite conversation, but Bryghton could not resist the need to know.
Victoria was unnerved by the intensity of his question, but was blissfully unaware of his breach of etiquette. “My aunt and uncle have yet to replace the governess who quit,” she answered simply, uncomfortable with how close this was to her and Pansy’s earlier conversation.
“How long has she been gone?”
“Two months.”
“Two months,” he repeated. “And the care of the children has fallen on you?” Bryghton was aghast.
“Well, we have Pansy who is a marvellous help. And we also have a lovely young maid named Mary who does much of the work in the nursery.” Seeing the duke’s dubious expression, Victoria had to admit, “But yes, you are correct. It is a rather large responsibility.” She chewed her lip with worry, not noticing how his eyes focused on that telling action.
“I worry that although I was well educated myself, I was not really trained how to teach others. I went to finishing school, your grace, not Eton.” Perhaps regretting her confidences, she continued. “Of course, I am not expected to teach Everett. He has a tutor because he is preparing to enter Eton himself. He is very serious about his studies. And of course, little Daniel is quite young to be worrying about lessons. And the girls are doing well enough.” Realizing she was babbling again, Victoria cut herself off and changed the subject.
“But of course, you do not wish to hear all about this. Were you on your way somewhere when you spotted us?”
Bryghton blinked and tried valiantly to keep a blush from staining his cheeks. “Fred and I were just out taking the air,” he prevaricated. “Hyde Park is a lovely space to enjoy when we are so far from our country estates.”
Alcott wished he could persist in questioning her about why she was being turned into a governess, but decided to try a different tack for his questions.
“Have you been to Almack’s of late, my lady? I have heard there is a new conductor for the orchestra. I was wondering what you think of his skills.”
Victoria looked at him questioningly. Thinking back to their conversation of the previous day, she could not recall whether or not she had mentioned that she did not go about in Society. But surely he must realize she did not. Of course, being a duke, he might not take note of all the ladies traipsing about Society during the Season, she mused. She wondered whether she could brazen it out or if she should be forthcoming. She decided on the bald truth, as she did not think she had the required skills to tell tales and would be quickly caught out in any lie.
“I have never been to Almack’s, your grace. I am not out, nor have I made my curtsy to our queen,” she admitted with quiet dignity.
Bryghton, much more experienced in the ways of the world, had no trouble hiding the fact that he had already known this, and he was pleased his ploy had worked, giving him the opening to question her further. “Why ever not?” he asked, allowing his indignation over her mistreatment to colour his tones.
Victoria eyed him nervously, unsure of why he would seem so upset. “You make me feel as though I ought to apologize, your grace, but I am quite certain I have no idea why.”
“No, I apologize, my lady. You have nothing for which to be sorry. I am merely wondering why you have yet to be introduced to Society.”
Victoria shrugged her helplessness. “It is a rather complicated situation.”
“I do not see why. You are the daughter of an earl, are you not?”
At her nod he continued. “It would seem to me that it would be your aspiration to take your rightful place in our world. Do you not want to?”
Looking at him with honest, steady eyes, Victoria stated the truth. “I have given the matter little thought. My parents died when I was twelve, and I have been living with my uncle and his wife and children ever since. My parents had stipulated that I was to be sent to school for a time, and of course my friends there often spoke of their eagerness to make their come out, but it was never discussed in my home. If I ever brought it up, my aunt was extremely uncomfortable with the subject and it was continually postponed. My uncle says it is too expensive a venture for us to consider at this time. He has his own children’s futures to consider and cannot be overly concerned with mine.”
Bryghton felt a wave of anger crash over him at Pickering’s despicableness but made every effort not to allow it to show.
“But do you not have any other relatives who could help you in this way? I can understand that Lady Bartley is perhaps overly busy with her children,” he said, despite the fact that it did not appear to him that the lady was at all occupied with her offspring.
She shook her head in denial of his words. “I do not have many relatives that I am aware of, your grace. And it doesn’t truly matter. I am too busy with the children to give it any serious thought. Besides, I do believe I would be terrified to go to a ball or any of the things my friends used to look forward to. Even if I had the appropriate gowns and such, I would not know how to go on.”
Bryghton was drawn to the young woman’s simple honesty and humility. He marvelled that she seemed so pure despite being under her uncle’s influence for the past several years. He grew more determined to do something about her situation, but remained uncertain of what it could possibly be. He persisted in his questions.
“Did you not stay in touch with any of your friends from school? Could you not go about with some of them?”
Smiling sadly and pulling her eyes away from the handsome face of this man so intently questioning her, Victoria wondered absently why it seemed to matter to him. “I did stay in touch with a few of my friends, but no one has invited me, and I am not going to push myself upon them. They are all so busy with their own Seasons and some of them have married already, so…” She trailed off with a slight shrug, illustrating the impossibility of what he was suggesting.
Bryghton had to admit that no doubt jealousy would prevent any of her supposed friends from wanting to have her near when they were making their debut. Her beauty would cast all others into the shade. Even if any of her friends were kind enough to include her, their doting mamas would surely insist otherwise.
“Perhaps you could come with me and Fred to some parties. I am sure any of my friends would welcome you.”
Victoria allowed herself to laugh at this preposterous suggestion. “I may be a green girl who has no experience with the ways of the ton, but even I know that would never do, your grace. You cannot escort me about without setting all the tongues wagging. Besides, I have nothing appropriate to wear.”
“You look perfectly fine to me.”
Victoria by now had had nearly enough of the duke’s pestering. “Your grace, I must say, I believe you are being
quite unkind to badger me about these things. You know it is an impossibility for me to go about in Society. It is prodigiously mean-spirited of you to suggest that it is not.”
Bryghton was surprised at this turn of the conversation, and he hastened to assure her that his intentions were the complete opposite. “No, my lady, I assure you, I did not mean any unkindness. It is not an impossibility, I am certain of it. I know of just the thing. My sister shall shortly be arriving for the Season. I would think she is of a size with you. You could borrow some of her gowns and fripperies and go about a little with her. She would love to have a new friend to accompany her, as she does consider the Season to be a bit of a bore.”
“I do not know your sister, but I do find it hard to believe she would fall in with a plan such as you are suggesting.” Realizing that her words may give an indication that she might actually consider such a course of action, she hastened to add, “Not that I am at all interested in gadding about amongst Society. I can assure you, I am perfectly content with my life the way it is.”
Alcott gazed at her speculatively for a moment, which caused the blush to rise in her cheeks. In deceptively soft tones he asked her, “Really, my lady? You are perfectly content to look after four or five children essentially by yourself? You are the daughter of an earl. You should be having your own children, not looking after your uncle’s.”
She could no longer hold his eye, as she could not fully deny his words. She finally admitted the complete truth in a soft voice. “I am not perfectly certain I would be permitted to enter Society, your grace.” Tears glistened briefly as they gathered on her lashes but she refused to allow them to fall.
Bryghton hissed at the sight and hardened his resolve to somehow save the lovely young woman from her circumstances. “Why do you say that? Have you asked?”
“No, not precisely. It is just a feeling I have. I have been helping to care for the children ever since I came home from school. It was suggested at the time that I owed it to my family to do so, and that I needed something to occupy my time. Two months ago, when the governess quit, I was told to take over her responsibilities until she could be replaced. I have a hard time believing it could take two months to hire a governess. I am beginning to believe my uncle and aunt are not even trying. I do not think it would be possible to go about the Season and look after the children at the same time.”
The Reluctant Debutante: A Sweet, Regency Romance (Ladies of Mayfair Book 4) Page 6
