‘So what after four days.’
‘I will see you again, if you would like me to, and we will discuss it.’
‘He would like you to,’ Eli replied for his brother.
‘Thank you, Mrs Defoe.’ Lord Shelton rose to his feet, without appearing to feel the effort, grabbed Athena’s hand and kissed the back of it. ‘I’m greatly in your debt.’
‘It was my pleasure. But now, if you gentlemen will excuse me, I am supposed to be in the barn, helping Lady Susan to decorate it.’
Chapter Nine
‘Harry, what are you doing down here?’ The duchess stared at her young son, with a mixture of surprise and concern. ‘You ought to be resting.’
‘I have done nothing but rest since I can’t recall when,’ Harry replied, leaning down to kiss his mother’s brow. ‘I feel a great deal better, and I’m sick of the sight of the four walls in my rooms.’
‘You certainly look a great deal better. I can’t imagine what caused this transformation. I was on the point of sending for the physician again, even though you were opposed to the idea.’
‘As you can see, there is no need.’
‘You do look much more like yourself,’ Susan said, kissing his cheek. ‘You actually have some colour in your face.’
Charlotte kissed him, too. ‘Welcome back to the land of the living, Harry,’ she said.
Eli leaned against the mantelpiece, watching his brother, delighted by the changes in him, in spite of the problems they were about to cause for him. His mother would discover how those changes had been wrought, if she didn’t already know, but that was a small price to pay in the light of Harry’s improved condition. Athena’s knowledge of herbs and their properties was nothing short of miraculous, and Eli was almost tempted to believe she was a witch. He had certainly fallen totally and completely under her spell.
After treating Harry, she had returned to the barn and spent the rest of the day with Susan. Where she took luncheon, and with whom, Eli didn’t know, but his sister would have ensured she was fed. Eli had pressing matters to attend to with Bairstowe, and forced himself to concentrate on them when he would have much preferred to spend his last few hours of freedom with Athena. He knew she had been driven back to Whispers’ Hollow by one of his grooms and tried not to resent the blaggard’s good fortune in having her to himself for the duration of the short journey. Yea gods, but he was in a bad way!
‘Come and sit by the fireside, Harry,’ Eli’s mother said. ‘Don’t tire yourself by standing about.’
‘I have had more than enough of fires,’ Harry replied with great good humour. ‘I am now a firm advocate of fresh air.’
Charlotte sat beside her brother. ‘Tell us how you come to look so much better,’ she invited. ‘Who wrought such miracles?’
‘I have Mrs Defoe to thank,’ Harry replied. ‘She made a herbal inhalation that cleared my lungs almost immediately.’ He shook his head. ‘I can still scarce believe it. All the cures that have been tried, and it was that simple.’
‘Mrs Defoe?’
The duchess looked bewildered. Could it be, for once, the latest gossip had failed to reach her ears, Eli wondered, or was she being deliberately obtuse for reasons best known only to her?
‘Mrs Defoe is one of our tenants, Mama,’ Susan said. ‘She is kindly helping me to decorate the barn. She is such a talented lady, and so very beautiful. I am quite in awe of her abilities.’
‘That’s as may be, Susan, but I fail to understand how poor Harry’s condition came to her notice.’
‘I asked her to look at Harry, Mother,’ Eli replied languidly.
‘You!’ The duchess fixed Eli with a considering look. ‘I fail to appreciate how you could know anything about her.’
‘It was she who treated my head wound. I fell from my horse near her cottage, she found me, and probably saved my life,’ Eli replied, the master of understatement.
‘She actually saved your life!’ The duchess looked truly shocked, and appalled. ‘You told me your injuries were not serious.’
‘They are not, but would have been, had not Mrs Defoe been on hand.’ Eli would much rather not relate all this to his mother, and spellbound sisters. ‘I happened to see her in the barn with Susan this morning, and it occurred to me she might be able to help Harry, too.’
‘And she did, as you can see.’ Harry shared a smile between them. Eli rejoiced to see him attired in full evening clothes for the first time in weeks, looking far more like his old self. ‘She warns me not to expect miracles, but as far as I’m concerned, that is what she has wrought.’
‘I must meet this paragon, and thank her personally. It seems I am indebted to her for both of my sons’ wellbeing.’
‘She will be here again tomorrow, Mama,’ Susan said, sending Eli frequent sideways glances and mischievous smiles. ‘Shall I bring her to meet you?’
‘Yes, my dear, I think perhaps you should. Bring her to luncheon. I very much look forward to making her acquaintance.’
‘When will your husband join us, Charlotte?’ Eli asked, keen to change the subject.
‘Oh, he is still in Brighton with his royal highness. Goodness knows when he will be free. Being equerry to the prince is far more time consuming than we had supposed would be the case. His royal highness doesn’t seem able to manage without him, and poor Charles is quite exhausted.’ Charlotte sounded both exasperated and proud. ‘Goodness knows when he will be able to get away.’
‘In that case, why do you not go to Brighton and join him?’ Susan asked.
‘And miss the fun of seeing Eli choose a bride?’ Charlotte grinned, shaking her head. ‘Not likely. I have been looking forward to this day for years. I can give you chapter and verse on all of Mama’s choices, if you think it would help you make up your mind, Eli.’
‘Thank you, Charlotte,’ Eli replied drolly. ‘Your selflessness never fails to impress.’
Archer announced dinner and the family moved into the dining room together. It was rare for them all to be at home and without company. Eli looked forward to a quiet family dinner, even if he would be required to tolerate his sisters’ teasing, to say nothing of his mother’s inquisitive glances. He was acutely aware that his interest in Athena Defoe had not gone unnoticed by her.
Both of Eli’s sisters seemed to be in especially capricious moods during the meal—excitement at the thought of the forthcoming festivities, or perhaps they shared Eli’s pleasure at the improvement in Harry’s health.
‘That’s a lovely ribbon in your hair, Susan,’ Charlotte remarked. ‘Quite unusual.’
‘Isn’t it beautiful?’ Yes, Eli thought, it is, and I’ve seen it before. ‘Mrs Defoe gave it to me.’
‘You take gifts from our tenants now, Susan?’ the duchess asked, arching a brow. ‘Should it not be the other way around? Especially since Mrs Defoe has already done so much for your brothers.’
Harry shot Eli a wry smile, implying he would very much like to know precisely what Mrs Defoe had done for Eli. Not nearly as much as I would like her to, little brother.
‘Oh yes, I agree, but you see, Mrs Defoe and her sisters make lace. I happened to admire this ribbon in her hair today, and she insisted I take it.’
‘She made it herself, presumably,’ Charlotte said. ‘She must be very talented. I shouldn’t know where to start.’
‘You have never had to make your own living,’ Harry pointed out, grinning.
‘True, but even so.’
‘Lace?’ The duchess canted her head. ‘Did I not hear something about Miss Dawson having a large consignment of handmade lace in her premises which she is assured of selling because you have endorsed it, Eli?’
‘The lady saved my life, mother,’ Eli replied indolently. ‘It was the very least I could do for her in return.’
‘I disagree. You have the power to bestow just about any gift of your choosing upon her, as you should, if she really did save you. I’m still not persuaded your accident was so very serious.’
<
br /> ‘You think Mrs Defoe has exaggerated in order to win favour with Eli?’ Harry asked frowning. ‘Having met the lady, I find that very hard to believe.’
‘You, too?’ The duchess sent Harry a mildly censorious glance.
‘Unlikely as it seems, Mrs Defoe wouldn’t accept a reward for what she did…for either of us.’ Eli glanced at Harry as he spoke. ‘And so I had to think of more inventive ways to thank her.’
‘The lace and repairs to her dwelling,’ Susan said. ‘She told me about that, and I think it was very thoughtful of you, Eli. She might be poor, but she has her pride, after all.’
‘Where is her husband?’ the duchess asked.
‘Abroad somewhere, I believe,’ Eli replied.
‘Well, I must definitely meet her tomorrow and thank her,’ the duchess said, a firm set to her jaw.
‘And I fully intend to be well enough to stand up with her at the harvest festival,’ Harry added, sending Eli a challenging smile. ‘Eli will be too busy dancing attendance upon his prospective brides to spare her a second thought.’
‘Will she come, do you suppose?’ Charlotte asked. ‘Have you invited her, Eli?’
Hell no, how could I have overlooked something so obvious? ‘All of her family will come,’ he replied off-handedly. ‘She is one of our tenants and all the tenants attend.’
‘And she is also responsible for making the barn look so wonderful,’ Susan said. ‘Without her I would have made a complete mull of it. She deserves the lion’s share of the praise.’
Athena felt great satisfaction with the progress she and Lady Susan had made with the barn. She experienced even more satisfaction from what she had been able to do for Lord Shelton. Every time she thought of that stuffy, over-hot room he had been told to shut himself away in, she wanted to scream with frustration. Was that really the best advice their considerable wealth could buy?
She climbed into the curricle that was to take her home at the end of the day, feeling wary now the full implications of her actions had come home to her. Making a public exhibition of herself was the surest way for her pursuers to catch up with her. Not that Winsdale Park was public, precisely, but word of what she had done for Lord Shelton would get out. So, too, would the part she had played to save the duke in his hour of need. She would be looked upon as anything from a miracle-worker to a witch and, once again, would become the subject to endless gossip and speculation.
What was the point in burying herself away if she then did everything she could to draw attention to herself? Athena sighed. She really liked it here, felt settled, and did not wish to move yet again. The duke’s patronage of their lace ensured them a steady income for the foreseeable future. It wasn’t just the duchess’s house party that would bring customers for it, but the ladies in the other grand houses in the area would also take an interest. The rich dwellings in the locality had attracted Athena to it for that very reason.
As to the duke with his devastating smiles, seductive eyes, outrageous flattery and mercurial charm…well, she simply wouldn’t think about him and the most peculiar effect he had upon her. His prospective brides would be at Winsdale Park in two days’ time, and Athena would ensure she went nowhere near the place once they were in residence. Instead, she would remain quietly with her sisters in their newly renovated cottage and work her fingers to the bone to ensure their survival.
They had been making lace for the past six months, ever since escaping from Nottingham, stockpiling it until they found the right market. A market far enough away from Nottingham to sell it without fear of their unique handiwork—albeit disguised—being recognised. She hadn’t anticipated selling it all at once, but certainly didn’t feel the need to complain because they had. Their stocks were virtually depleted, and they must work night and day to replenish them while the going was good.
It was the perfect antidote to the strange cravings wracking Athena’s body. She knew from experience if she worked herself to the point of exhaustion, she wouldn’t have the energy to think about anything else.
‘Excuse me, ma’am.’ The groom who would drive her home joined her on the seat of the curricle and handed her a wrapped parcel. ‘This is for you.’
‘For me?’
A note accompanied the package. Athena opened it with shaking hands as the curricle moved off. The handwriting was sprawling and confident—a man’s writing.
Mrs Defoe, it said. To replace the one you sacrificed for the greater good of my head. Winsdale.
Yea gods, the package was from Eli! And Athena would bet her last farthing it contained a petticoat. How the devil had he managed to get hold of one? Presumably, he had mistresses dotted all over the county and bought them intimate apparel all the time. Her face heated as she considered that very real possibility. She couldn’t accept such a gift from a stranger, could she? But what was the alternative? To try and return it to him? That would create more difficulties than it would resolve. Unless she handed it back to the groom, unopened, asking him to return it from whence it came. Perversely she couldn’t quite bring herself to do that.
Athena threw back her head and blew air through her lips, quite out of charity with the duke. The man was completely impossible—a law unto himself. He seemed to think he could do precisely as he pleased, without caring about the damaged reputations he scattered in his wake. Really, it was too much, and she would give him a firm talking to the next time she was in his company. She fingered the parcel, severely tempted to open it. The wild side of her character longed to know what he had chosen for her—if he had chosen it himself, of course. It was far more likely some minion had done the choosing in his stead, she mused, which helped to rein in her fanciful imagination.
Her reflections were brought to an end when the curricle came to a halt in the clearing outside the cottage. All was activity there. The thatcher had obviously arrived and half the rotted thatch had already been removed. A posse of men were in and out of the cottage, carrying tools, timber and any number of other items Athena couldn’t begin to identify. She very much doubted if the twins had achieved much work today in the middle of all that upheaval. Indeed, the two of them danced into sight at that moment. Selene was in deep conversation with a young man, causing Athena to frown. Why wasn’t Millie keeping a closer watch on them?
The answer became obvious when she observed Millie standing in the door to the cottage, keeping a weather eye on the workmen as they came and went. She couldn’t possibly be everywhere at once, and the twins were very lively when in company, mainly because they spent so much time in isolation. That was all her fault. She had dragged them away from everything familiar to them, and the guilt that thought engendered helped Athena to absolve them of any wrong-doing.
Boris noticed the curricle and came bounding over, tail spiralling.
‘Hello, darling.’ She leaned down from her perch and scratched his ears. ‘Have you been a good boy?’
Woof!
The twins saw Athena and came running over.
‘You’ve been gone for ever,’ Selene said.
‘You should see how much work has been done to the cottage already,’ Lyssa added with enthusiasm. ‘You won’t know the place.’
‘I can see differences even from here,’ Athena replied, taking the groom’s hand and jumping down from the curricle.
Millie noticed her and came across. ‘What’s in the parcel?’ she asked.
Athena shook her head. ‘Show me what has been done.’
It was indeed remarkable, if chaotic, reminding Athena of the duke’s ability to get things done. A short time later, the workers left. Selene lingered at the door, waving off her apprentice, her eyes shining. Athena shared a glance with Millie, who merely shrugged.
‘Tell us all about your day,’ Millie said as they sat down to their meal.
Athena briefly told them how she had helped Lord Shelton, and about Lady Susan and the decorations for the barn.
‘But here is the most astonishing thing.’ Athena knew they woul
d find out soon enough, but they ought to hear it from her. ‘Prepare yourself for a huge shock.’
‘What is it?’ the twins asked together, their eyes round and wary. Dear Lord, did they always assume any news she had would be bad? Had she really trained them to expect only the worst these last months? Once again, she was consumed with feelings of guilt.
‘Well, Mr Franklin, the gentleman who fell from his horse isn’t Mr Franklin at all.’ Athena paused. ‘He is actually the Duke of Winsdale.’
‘No!’
The girls clasped hands to their mouths. Even Millie looked shocked. Then she laughed.
‘So, a duke slept in my bed. Well, there’s a thing. I knew there was more to him than met the eye. That air of authority. He wears it like a mantle and probably doesn’t even know it.’
‘Quite.’
‘So, I take it the lace, the repairs here, are his way of repaying you?’
‘Yes.’
‘Why didn’t he tell us who he was when he regained his senses?’ Lyssa asked.
Why indeed? ‘He said no one ever treats him like a normal person, and he enjoyed the novelty too much to bring it to an end.’
Athena thought it better not to mention he had actually been conscious when she and Millie hoisted him so unceremoniously onto Byron’s back. Duke or no duke, Millie would probably take him to task for his forwardness if she knew of it.
‘Well, if he thinks I would have kowtowed to him, even had I known, then he would have been disappointed,’ Millie said, hands on ample hips.
‘Imagine us knowing a duke,’ Lyssa said reverently.
The girls and Millie marvelled for some time about having had a duke beneath their humble roof and asked endless questions about Winsdale Park.
‘Is it very grand?’ Selene asked.
‘Oh yes. It’s quite magnificent.’
‘You saved a duke’s life,’ Lyssa said wondrously.
‘It’s hardly surprising he wants to do something for us in return,’ Selene added.
To Defy a Duke: Dangerous Dukes Vol 1 Page 11
