by Leah Conolly
“I will do my best to be forthcoming with you from this point onward, my lord,” she said quietly.
“Very good,” Duncan said. Despite her secrecy, Duncan felt he could trust her, and he decided that whatever she was keeping from him could wait. He smiled at the women. “Then I will leave you ladies to your own devices. Be sure to let Hilda know if there is anything she can do for you.”
Christine beamed at him, and the look made him melt.
“Thank you so much for everything,” she repeated. “You are too kind.”
Duncan smiled.
I can make no such claims,” he said. “But I would like to think that I am a fair and just man.”
Christine nodded, clearly trying to hide her tears of gratitude.
“Indeed, you are,” she said. “I will not make you regret it.”
“Very good,” Duncan said. “Then I will expect to see you first thing tomorrow morning.”
With a final farewell, Duncan left the two women. As the day progressed, he found that only one of them occupied his thoughts. He was greatly impressed with Miss Christine Becker, and he could not wait to know more about her.
Chapter 5
Charlotte stared after Duncan just a little longer than perhaps she should have, as he departed. A giggle beside her pulled her attention back into the room. Charlotte looked at her maid, eyebrows raised.
“What?” she asked innocently.
Ruth giggled again.
“Do you mean to tell me that you did not notice how handsome he is?” she asked, giving her mistress a knowing look. “Or did you think I did not notice that you noticed?”
Charlotte gave her maid’s shoulder a gentle shove.
“You are wicked,” she said. “We are fortunate that he is as kind as he is handsome.”
Ruth nodded solemnly.
“We certainly are,” she said.
Charlotte took her hands, her face growing serious.
“I am so sorry that I have landed you in such a mess,” she said. “If it had not been for my wild ideas earlier, we would be on our way to France now, and I would not have almost gotten you arrested.”
Ruth laughed.
“Nonsense,” she said. “Now that all is said and done, that was the most fun I have had in as long as I can remember.”
Charlotte laughed. She had to admit that it had been something of an adventure for her, too, though it would have been much less fun had things gone differently.
“Perhaps, however, we will not press our luck so much again,” Ruth volunteered.
Charlotte laughed again and nodded.
“Ruth,” she said. “I think that our luck is changing.”
* * *
The next morning, Ruth was frantically trying to help Charlotte put her hair into a neat, professional-looking style. She kept twisting strands of her hair this way and that, and Charlotte could not help but laugh.
“If I did not know better, I would think that you are more nervous than I am,” she said.
Ruth looked at Charlotte, her cheeks flushed.
“We must make you look like a respectable working woman, not the daughter of an earl,” she said, feigning a reproachful expression.
Charlotte nodded.
“Of course, you are right,” she said.
In truth, she had not slept well the night before. She had lain awake, thinking about the lies she had told Duncan. She felt more than a little guilty for being dishonest with a man who turned out to be so kind and compassionate, and part of her wished that she could go back and tell him the truth.
She would have done anything to avoid her marriage to the Comte, however, and that involved keeping her true identity a secret. Since her new employer was a duke, he would certainly know her father, and she could not be sure that Duncan would not tell her father what she had done.
She consoled herself with the notion that, though she had been forced to lie about her name, she would be true to her real character and personality.
Ruth paused in her work on Charlotte’s hair and put a hand on her shoulder.
“Do not fret,” she said. “The hard part is over. He is a kind man, and I am of the opinion that things will be better now.”
Charlotte nodded, wishing she felt as certain.
“We can certainly hope so, at least,” she said. Just then, there came a knock on the door. Ruth rushed over to open it and was greeted by one of the inn’s staff.
“Your carriage is waiting, ma’am,” the woman said.
Charlotte stared at her for a moment, temporarily forgetting that, as Christine Becker, no one would be addressing her as a lady.
“Oh, yes,” she said, quickly recovering. “Thank you.”
The woman nodded brusquely and took her leave, and Ruth finished Charlotte’s hair with a quick flourish.
“There we are,” she said, looking pleased with her work.
Charlotte smiled.
“It looks wonderful, Ruth,” she said. “Thank you.”
Ruth returned her smile.
“Good luck, my lady,” she said.
Charlotte squeezed her maid’s hands, then she rushed out of the door and outside to the waiting carriage.
The ride to Duncan’s estate was a peaceful one. There was little traffic, and the weather was mild and pleasant. Charlotte breathed in the fresh air, as she worked to calm herself. She was nervous about working for Duncan, at least in part because he was very handsome indeed. His curly, ear-length blond hair was beautiful and perfectly complimented his light blue eyes. His smile was infectious, and his strong jaw was smooth and handsome. Her heart raced, and she forced herself to push the image of his face out of her mind.
The estate was as impressive as she had expected. The manor sprawled across what seemed to be an endless expanse of land. Even though she knew that he was the ninth duke in his lineage, the house and grounds were so well maintained that it could have all been built and planted as recently as that morning. Everything looked fresh, new, and inviting, and the gardens took her breath away. In that moment, she realized how glad she was that she had stayed in London and sent Christine to France in her place.
Duncan himself greeted her when the coach came to a stop. He helped her out and bowed to her as her feet touched the ground.
“Good morning, Miss Becker,” he said.
Charlotte smiled, suddenly feeling shy.
“Good morning, my lord,” she said.
“Come,” he said. “Let us go into the study, and we will discuss the extent of your duties.”
Charlotte frowned, realizing that she had failed to ask what sort of work she would be doing for him.
“Of course, my lord,” she said.
The inside of the manor was even more impressive and well-maintained than the outside. All the furniture was of a deep, red wood, and the tapestries were a rich green. Lighter green and gold upholstery accented many of the chairs and benches, and all the paintings she could see hung in gold frames.
She tried, with some difficulty, to behave as though the sumptuous surroundings were of little consequence, but, even as the daughter of an earl, she had never seen such an ornately decorated home.
Her father had always preferred dull and drab décor, and she had fully expected that to be reflected throughout the ton, if not the world. Yet, as she took in the duke’s lavish furnishings, she found herself in awe. Luckily for her, that was what Duncan was expecting, and, for the first time since she had concocted her false identity, she gladly hid behind the façade.
“I promise to give you a proper tour, once the official business has concluded,” he said, as he watched her take in her surroundings.
Charlotte nodded respectfully.
“I would enjoy that,” she said.
They made their way to Duncan’s study, Charlotte admiring the house the entire way. She tried not to seem like a child marveling at new toys, but she was impressed with how the décor in Duncan’s home was both decadent and comfortable. As they asce
nded the stairs, she rehearsed her role as Christine. She was determined that, should Duncan question her story, he would not find any inconsistencies.
At last, they reached the study. Duncan held open the door for her, and she stepped into a room that, unsurprisingly, was just as impressive as the rest of the house. The desk was a deep, red-brown wood, highly polished, and seemingly untouched. If not for the stacks of papers resting neatly atop the desk, Charlotte would have thought it had never been used. She shook her head and looked at Duncan, waiting for him to get himself situated behind the desk.
Instead, he gestured to one of the chairs on the guest side of his desk, pulling it out a few inches from the edge. Charlotte smiled gratefully and took the seat, knowing better than to offend the man who had not only decided not to have her arrested, but was also offering her a job. Once she was seated, Duncan at last moved to the large chair on the other side of the desk and made himself comfortable.
“Please, make yourself at home,” he said. Charlotte tried her best to relax, but her heart was roaring louder than Duncan’s words. She knew that if she said even a single thing wrong, it could be the end of the tenuous plan that she had so rapidly concocted on the docks when she had happened upon Christine Becker.
Fortunately, it seemed that Duncan was more than happy to lead the conversation. He sat down in his chair and clasped his hands in front of him.
“I can appreciate that we are both people who need little small talk,” he said, “and so I shall spare us both. I hired you because I need someone to help keep my office neat and tidy, and to greet my business associates.”
Charlotte kept a stoic face.
“Does your house staff not meet those requirements to your satisfaction?” she asked.
Duncan smiled.
“They do well enough,” he said. “And well enough is good enough for me. However, I do not wish to burden them with any extra duties. Things related to my business, or the area in which I do the bulk of my business, should not be added to their workload. At least, they will not be if I can help it.”
Charlotte stared at Duncan, both impressed and surprised. Most men of his station would be far from concerned about adding more duties to his household staff. However, it seemed that Duncan sincerely cared about his employees. She realized that he was someone for whom she could likely work happily. Nevertheless, she also knew that she could not sound too desperate or seem too quick to accept his job offer. She thought hard for something else to ask him.
“Are you not looking for someone with previous experience in secretarial work?” she asked.
Duncan shook his head.
“Not at all,” he said. “This is not the type of work that a professional secretary would handle. It is not very complicated. I merely seek an extra set of eyes and pair of hands, so that, while I am away, my business associates know that I am well organized and still attentive to their needs. I do not believe that job requires any special set of skills, except for politeness and professionalism.”
Charlotte nodded. She understood what he was saying, but she knew how important it was that she pretend to consider his words carefully. In truth, she would take any position he offered her, even if it involved scrubbing floors, but she could not let him know that.
“Very well,” she said. “Will there be any other duties required of me?”
Duncan shrugged.
“I cannot say for certain at this time,” he said. “If I were to require more of you, I imagine that you and I could discuss that when the time comes. I certainly would not expect you to do anything for which I am not paying you.”
Charlotte nodded, seeing an opportunity that she felt ashamed for not considering sooner.
“And what of Ruthie?” she asked. “Do you have any work for her? I cannot simply leave her without a way to earn her keep, not after the sacrifice she made for me in exchange for a mere promise. You understand.”
Duncan sat back in his chair.
“Of course,” he said. “I have not forgotten about her.”
Charlotte waited for him to continue, but he remained silent for several moments. She opened her mouth to press the issue again, but then Duncan smiled.
“What if I were to also offer her a job, after a one-week trial period with you?” he asked.
Charlotte thought for a moment. Considering that, just the day before, this man had had every right to have the two of them thrown in jail without a second thought, she believed that the offer was more than fair. However, she realized once more that she could not seem too desperate. She pretended to mull over the offer, knowing full well that Ruth would be elated to hear of the proposition.
“That sounds fair,” she said at last.
Duncan smiled, and Charlotte thought again how young and joyful it made him look.
“Very good,” he said. “Let me show you around the office, and then the rest of the house, if you would like.”
Charlotte smiled, her first real smile since the beginning of this insane scheme.
“I would love that,” she said.
Chapter 6
Duncan finished helping Christine become acquainted with the house and prepared for her duties, which were to begin the following day. Then, he reluctantly walked her to her carriage. He wished that he could find an excuse to keep her there a little while longer, but, as her employer, he did not feel it was appropriate to ask her to linger for a social visit. As she turned to face him instead of immediately boarding her carriage, however, he could not help but smile.
“I cannot thank you enough,” she said. “For everything. You truly are a kind and fair man, and both Ruthie and I will be forever grateful.”
Duncan dipped his head, his smile widening.
“It hardly seemed fitting to send two young women to jail who were quite clearly in an unfortunate position,” he said. “Needing a bit of help is hardly a crime.”
Christine nodded solemnly.
“Not everyone would have shown such compassion,” she said. “It is quite rare. I wanted you to know that Ruthie and I both know how blessed we are that it was you who found us in that crate.”
Duncan bowed.
“Speaking of Ruthie,” he said. “As I mentioned, I intend to hire her after you have worked for me for one week. Please, invite her to come here any day this week, so that I may give her the same tour that I gave you and determine what employment would be most suitable for her.”
Christine smiled and clasped her hands in front of her chest.
“You are most gracious, my lord,” she said. “I will let her know, and, on her behalf, I thank you, very much.”
Duncan tipped his head again.
“You are most welcome, Miss Becker,” he said.
At last, Christine boarded the carriage and too soon disappeared from his view. He knew that he had only just met her, and that she would be returning the very next morning, but he could not help feeling a sense of loss at her departure. He decided to keep himself occupied by getting things ready for her arrival the following day.
As he had hoped, Christine arrived a quarter of an hour early. Her lovely blond hair was pulled up in a neat style, and her eyes sparkled with a cautious enthusiasm. His heart skipped a beat as she approached the front doorway where he was waiting.
“Good morning, Miss Becker,” he said with a bow.
Christine smiled and blushed, giving him a modest curtsy.
“Good morning, my lord,” she said.
Duncan gestured for her to come inside.
“You are just in time to join me for breakfast, if you like,” he said.
Christine smiled gratefully.
“You are too kind, my lord,” she said. “I do not wish to impose.”
Duncan smiled brightly.
“It is no imposition at all, Miss Becker,” he said. “Please, I insist.”
Christine smiled again.
“Thank you,” she said.
Duncan led Christine into the breakfast room, where th
e meal was already being served. He gestured to his servants to bring a plate for Christine, then pulled out a chair for her. She smiled warmly and seated herself. Once she was comfortable, Duncan took his own seat.
“How is Ruthie liking the inn?” Duncan asked.
Christine beamed at him.
“She is most grateful for the accommodations,” she said. “It really is a lovely, comfortable place.”
