“My staff?” Devlin asked as he tried to gather his mind around his new station in life.
“Yes, of the house here in London. Then, I assume you will want to visit Pine Crest to meet your wards.
“My wards?” Devlin gasped.
“Yes, Your Grace,” Mr. White said as he started to return papers to his precious satchel. “The previous Duke’s three daughters. As the new Duke and their only living male relative. You are their guardian. Responsible for their well-being. At least until they are married.”
The lawyer said this as if it were a daily occurrence, being saddled with the responsibility for three young women. Devlin’s stomach clenched even tighter. This was too much. Too fast. A huge fortune. A title. Now three wards.
“Daughters?” Devlin asked. “Married?”
Yes, maybe that was to be his salvation. He’d give them huge dowries. Surely, someone would take them off his hands. The thought of being responsible for other people, especially, young women-type people, was disturbing at a soul troubling level.
“How soon can I arrange marriages for the girls?” he asked.
“Oh, not for quite some time,” Mr. White replied as he started for the door. “The oldest is only twelve, l believe, the youngest, barely eight.”
Devlin’s world began to fall in on him. It was his friend who threw him a life line.
“Don’t worry Dev,” the Earl said, “well-being means financial. No one expects you to care for the girls yourself. You hire people for that. Governesses, nannies, dancing instructors, that kind of thing. Maybe send them to school. Sponsor them when they come out, make sure the man they marry isn’t a blackguard. If necessary, fight a duel or two for their honor. You’ll like that part.”
Devlin looked at his friend with disbelief. His world was ending, and his friend was making jokes.
“If that is all, Your Grace,” Mr. White said, “I can return tomorrow and escort you to the ducal residence here in London. Should we say at noon?”
Devlin could only nod his head as he accepted Mr. White’s proposal. Yes, tomorrow. Tomorrow he should have a better understanding of what had just happened to him.
.o0o.
Miss Rebecca Jones examined each girl closely. First impressions were so important. It was critical that the girls start off well with the new Duke.
The household had learned only that morning that the new Duke would be arriving today. The man had become the Duke of Hampton over a month ago and was only now bothering himself enough to visit Pine Crest and his wards.
She gritted her teeth to stop the rising anger when she thought of it. The irresponsibility, the unkindness, the sheer rudeness. It angered her to her very core.
Sighing to herself, she shifted her focus. The girls, she reminded herself. Do not let them see your anger.
Girls shouldn’t have to wear black, Rebecca thought. It made them look sallow and pale. Especially Johanna. Her blond hair clashed with her black dress.
Rebecca examined each girl closely.
“I hope he likes us,” Elizabeth said as she tucked a stray strand of hair under her bonnet.
“I hope we like him,” Johanna said as she bent to wipe at Isobel’s face.
“I hope he hurries up,” Isobel said. “I promised Jimmy I’d meet him in the barn. Mrs. Fuzzy is going to have kittens.”
“Mrs. Fuzzy is perfectly able to have kittens without your assistance,” Rebecca said as she straightened the shoulders in the young girl’s dress.
“Now then,” Rebecca continued, “you will remember what I told you. You will be on your best behavior at all times, especially around the new Duke.
“Yes ma’am,” Johanna and Elizabeth said with a serious nod of their heads. They well knew what could happen if the new Duke didn’t like them.
“I don’t see why it is so important,” Isobel said with a frown. “This is our home, he should be worried about us accepting him.”
“He’s the Duke,” Johanna said to her sister as if that explained everything.
“Think of it this way,” Elizabeth said, “If he wants to, he could send you to a convent. A cold, dark convent. Where they’d keep you locked up in a dank cell.”
“That is enough,” Rebecca said before things got out of hand.
“We’re not Catholic,” Isobel answered as she stuck out her tongue at her sister, obviously pleased with herself at scoring a point.
“That wouldn’t stop him. He is a Duke, our guardian, he could send us wherever he wants, and there isn’t anything you can do about it.
The look of shocked realization on the little girl’s face melted Rebecca’s heart. The fact that Elizabeth was right, only made it worse.
“I’m sure it will not come to that,” she said as she started them down the stairs. They needed to hurry. Things needed to go perfectly.
What the girls hadn’t realized, her continued presence here at Pine Crest would be determined by the new Duke. He was required by law and custom to ensure their needs were met. There was no such compunction when it came to governesses. He could dismiss her at any moment.
The thought sent a cold chill down her spine. Who would protect the girls? Who would teach them? Who would love them, if not her?
Sighing and squaring her shoulders, she ran her hands down her dark gray dress, checked the bonnet’s bow, and quickly followed the girls.
This was a turning moment in her life she realized. A moment that could determine her and the girls’ entire future.
Chapter Four
Rebecca glanced across the front drive at the row of servants. Lined up like sparrows on a branch. Sally, the scullery maid, dressed in her starched gray uniform anchoring one end. Mr. Scruggs, the family butler, at the other.
She and the three girls stood across from them. Everyone waiting with nervous stomachs.
As the governess, she was neither staff nor family. Much like the Duke’s secretary and agents, she answered to the Duke, not Mr. Scruggs. She believed that deep in his heart, Mr. Scruggs did not agree with this arrangement. Of course, he would never say so.
Her stomach turned over with anticipation and dread. The rumors had not painted a kind picture of the new Duke. Lawrence, the second footman, had received a letter from his brother, the butler for Lady Simpson.
Lawrence had been eager to share the news. It seemed the Duke was known to have spent several late evenings in the company of the young widow Simpson. A rake, they said. His name had been linked in the London scandal sheets to several other well-known and beautiful Ladies of the Ton.
He had the reputation of a gambler and was believed to have fought in several duels. Not the kind of man she wanted as the guardian for her girls.
Setting her shoulders, she resolved to do whatever it took to protect her charges. They would not grow up unloved, unwanted, and in fear, as she had. It would not be allowed.
The jingle of a harness drew her attention as the big black coach rumbled into the estate. She held her breath as Tomas the coachman pulled the horses to a halt, the carriage door perfectly aligned with the waiting group of retainers.
James, the first footman, in the red and gold livery of the Duke of Hampton, jumped down from the rear of the coach and hurried to open the door.
Rebecca was sure that no one else was breathing as they waited. Except for Isobel of course, the girl was watching a distant hawk across the fields. Her mind off in a world of adventure and discovery.
The carriage rocked, as the devil himself stepped down. She swallowed hard. This couldn’t be the new Duke. He was too handsome, too well formed.
His hat set at a rakish level, his smoky silver eyes twinkled with a devil-may-care look that could make a woman’s knees quiver.
Her insides turned over. Dressed in a gray square cut tailcoat and full length black trousers. The man radiated power, wealth, and pure maleness. You would think he’d been born to the Dukedom, she thought.
He would be a formidable adversary, she realized. A man who k
new his own mind. She could tell instantly that he was used to getting his way, especially with women.
She glanced across the way and watched as every woman in line smiled to herself. Each one, from Sally, the scullery maid to Mrs. Owens, Pine Crest’s cook for almost thirty years. Each one liked what they saw.
The new Duke studied the large house, then looked out over the crowd of people awaiting him. He cast a quick smile towards Mrs. Owens. The woman actually blushed. Rebecca had trouble believing what she was seeing. The man smiled, and women danced to his whim. It was enough to set her nerves on edge.
He paused for a moment as he examined the line of servants as if he were a commander inspecting his troops.
Turning, he said something back into the coach. A hearty laugh answered him. Rebecca wondered what he had said. Did he find them amusing? How dare the man?
She glanced over at the girls. Johanna’s smile could light up the world. Elizabeth frowned. She too had difficulty believing this could be the new Duke. It was Isobel that registered the biggest surprise.
Her face had lost all color. Obviously, her sister’s words about the convent had finally registered. This most definitely looked like a man who wouldn’t hesitate in breaking a little girl’s heart. Or a full grown woman’s for that matter.
Two men exited the carriage behind the Duke. A rather portly fellow in a yellow jacket and paisley vest. The second man was rather average looking, dressed in conservative black. The kind of face that could get lost in a crowd. Who were they? Rebecca wondered.
Straightening her shoulders, she lifted her chin and waited. Scruggs stepped forward and bowed at the waist, welcoming His Grace, the Seventh Duke of Hampton to Pine Crest. His ancestral home.
The Duke nodded, then informed the butler that his friends the Earl of Claremont and Baron Sudbury would be staying at Pine Crest for a few days.
“Of course Your Grace,” the butler said, then indicated with a tip of the head, silently asking if His Grace was ready for the introductions.
The new Duke looked over his shoulder at his friends, then nodded his agreement to the butler, as he stepped towards Lady Johanna, waiting for an introduction.
“Your Grace,” Scruggs said. “May I present Lady Johanna Beaumont? Lady Johanna, The Duke of Hampton.”
Johanna dropped into a deep curtsy. Her eyes downcast. Her head bent at the proper angle. Rebecca held her breath, her heart raced as she waited to see what would happen. Would this man dismiss Johanna? Would he treat her as a mere inconvenience?
A small, sympathetic smile creased his face as he held out his hand to help lift her from her curtsy.
“My condolences cousin,” he said with a deep voice, “I am sorry for your loss.”
Johanna looked up at him, her eyes wide with surprise, glistening with emotion.
“Your Grace, Lady Elizabeth,” Scruggs continued, as he moved down the line.
Elizabeth hesitated for a moment. As if she had forgotten what to do. Rebecca exhaled with relief when the girl dropped into a curtsy every bit as perfect as her sister’s.
“Elizabeth,” the Duke said. “It is so nice to meet you. I never knew I had such pretty cousins. If I had known, I would have visited Pine Crest long ago.”
The smile on Elizabeth’s face made Rebecca marvel. It was the first time the girl had smiled since the death of her father. There might be hope after all.
Rebecca marveled at his charm. Already he had the two girls in the palm of his hand. He had known the perfect thing to say. She must be careful with this man, she realized. Not only was he extremely attractive, he was intelligent. A deadly combination.
“And Lady Isobel, Your Grace,” Scruggs said with that inscrutable voice of his.
Isobel had been the bane of Scruggs existence for years. Always making a mess of his perfectly ordered world. Her antics and constant search for fun seemed to rub the butler raw.
Isobel froze as she stared up at the man before her. Rebecca could read the thousand thoughts flying through the little girl’s mind. Was this man for real and would he really send her to die a lonely death in a convent.
“Lady Isobel,” the Duke said as he bowed at the waist, taking her hand, he smiled kindly. “I have been told that you know all of Pine Crest’s secrets. I do hope you share some of them with me.”
Isobel could only nod, her mouth hanging open like a fish, completely forgetting to curtsy.
Scruggs cleared his throat and gave Isobel one last scowl, obviously upset at her lack of manners.
The Duke smiled, in no way indicating he was upset.
Oh, this man was pure trouble, Rebecca thought. Handsome, powerful, and completely charming. Her insides turned over. How would she ever be able to control things?
“And Miss Jones, the young ladies’ governess,” Scruggs said.
Rebecca dipped her head and slowly lowered herself into a curtsey. As she did, she glanced up from under brow. A faint bruise marred his cheek. Had he been fighting? Probably a jealous husband, she thought.
A look of confusion crossed the new Duke’s face. What was wrong she wondered? Almost immediately, that confused look was replaced with a look of interest as their eyes locked. A woman learns early in life that look a man gets when he likes what he sees.
It was as if the world melted away. A shock of surprise rushed through her. How? What?
Rebecca pushed away the sudden thoughts invading her and focused on her mission. Raise no waves. Ensure the new Duke was pleased with the girls and their governess. She must remember what was important and not get lost in those silver eyes.
Swallowing hard, she fought to rise from her curtsey. Her knees had grown weak and for a fleeting moment, she feared she would fall.
The Duke’s hand flew to catch her, helping her stand, his hand resting on her elbow.
How embarrassing, she thought. She could feel her cheeks turning red. It was as if she were a schoolgirl again. How could this be happening?
He smiled down, and nodded. “Miss Jones, it is nice to meet you. My cousins’ education is very important to me. I look forward to discussing it with you.”
Rebecca’s brow narrowed in confusion. Had there been a hidden meaning in his words? Was the Duke flirting with her? What did it mean?
No, that couldn’t be it. What then? A way to confuse her? Why? He could simply dismiss her. Why worry about her? None of it made sense.
And the way he looked at her. A burning intensity that set something alight inside of her.
No. It could not be allowed.
A slow anger began to build inside her. For some reason everything this man did seemed to upset her. He was charming to the girls, and that bothered her. He smiled and was kind, and her nerves jumped with energy. It was wrong. Everything about this situation was wrong.
Remembering where she was, and who she was dealing with, she was able to say, “Of course, Your Grace,” before Scruggs could lead him across the drive to begin the rest of the introductions.
The Duke didn’t follow. Instead, he smiled down at her as he ignored Scruggs’ indication. Once again, their eyes locked. Her insides fluttered, and her legs threatened to shake.
The man was insufferable, yet she could not look away.
At last, the Duke seemed to remember where he was and turned to follow the butler. A puzzled frown on his brow.
Rebecca’s stomach refused to calm down. What was this feeling? Why was she experiencing such emotions? Fear, excitement, anticipation, and something else. Something at her very core had come alive.
Swallowing hard, she tried to regain control. Glancing over she saw that Isobel was looking up at her with a frown as if she were worried her governess would faint at the mere thought of meeting a Duke.
Oh, little girl, she wanted to tell her. This man is much more than a mere Duke. Much, much, more.
Chapter Five
Devlin watched Scruggs pour drinks for his friends and deliver them on a silver tray. Sighing to himself, he looked around
the study. No. Not the study. His study!
Each of the books lining the walls were his. The large mahogany desk was his. Hell, this amber gold whiskey in his glass was his. Would he ever really believe it? he wondered.
The house was unbelievably large, with over twenty formal bedrooms alone. Each one with an exquisite painting or the latest sculpture. The place would rival the London Museum.
It had taken almost two hours for Scruggs, the butler, to give them a full tour of the house. Every painting of an ancient ancestor, each room and its distinct furniture. It was enough to make a man dream of a small flat in the center of London.
“Will that be all, Your Grace?” Scruggs asked as he finished.
“Yes, thank you, Scruggs.”
“Of course, Your Grace,” the butler said as he turned and left the room.
Benny smiled. Tony shook his head in disbelief.
“So Gentleman,” the Earl of Claremont said as he raised his glass. “I give you, His Grace, The Duke of Hampton.”
Tony raised his glass, joining in the toast.
“I am still in a bit of shock,” Devlin said. “I didn’t know houses got this big. I am sure it will take me weeks to learn where everything is. And the servants. Did you see how many servants there were? How will I ever learn their names?”
“I know the one you won’t have any problem remembering,” Benny said with a smile.
“The Governess?” Tony asked. “Yes, I saw her too. How could we not? The woman is beautiful.”
“Is she?” Devlin asked. “I hadn’t noticed.”
Benny laughed and almost spit out his drink. “The day you don’t notice a beautiful woman is the day I listen to my mother’s advice.”
Of course, he had noticed. It had been one of the first things he became aware of upon their arrival. The shapely figure hidden by a frumpy dress. A heart shaped face protected by a coy bonnet. A fair, pure complexion and large warm brown eyes that seemed to hold a depth and intelligence. Truly remarkable.
His brow knitted in confusion, though. Why was the woman trying to hide her beauty? That bonnet, the simple gray dress. Everything spoke of a woman uninterested in being perceived as beautiful. A completely new experience in Devlin’s world. He didn’t think he’d ever met a woman uninterested in being more attractive.
A Rake's Redemption Page 3
