The Earl's Mission: Defiant Brides Book 4

by Jennifer Monroe

  “Miss Cooper, come away from that window this instant,” he hissed once the couple had moved past them.

  Miss Cooper turned, a hurt look on her face. “I was only looking,” she said with a pout. “We do not have to go inside.”

  Joseph glanced around to see who was nearby, which was no one now that the couple had moved on, stepped over to Miss Cooper and grabbed her arm to pull her away. “Do not disobey my instructions,” he demanded in a low, firm voice. “Why must you remain so defiant? Now, come, let us return to the estate.”

  Miss Cooper remained quiet as they crossed the road, more than likely sulking because she had not gotten her way. As they moved away from the pub and the embarrassment that establishment had caused, his anger began to diminish, though he still glanced around to see if anyone else had witnessed the debacle that had taken place.

  When he was certain they would not be overheard, he said, “Establishments such as that are ones we must avoid. You could have embarrassed me no end if one of my colleagues had seen your actions.” He moved his jaw in an attempt to loosen it.

  Miss Cooper looked down at the footpath before them. “Establishments like that are what I grew up in,” she said in a quiet voice. “There were many lovely people who came through those doors, people you would most certainly have liked.”

  Joseph stopped walking and turned Miss Cooper toward him, his hand grasping her arm roughly. “Do not argue with me,” he said in a tight voice. “You will keep away from that place, or any place like it. Is that too much to ask? I have given you free rein of the house, spent a fortune to see that you had an entirely new wardrobe and the best instruction, and provided a home for you in which to live. Must you continue arguing, or might we be able leave this matter behind us?”

  She nodded without a reply, and Joseph felt a twinge of guilt for his tone. He supposed he could have handled it better, but he had been much too angry to do otherwise. Although he was not going to apologize, he realized that he needed to say something to ease the severity of the situation.

  However, before he could say anything, a familiar voice behind him said, “There he is, the man the ton has been speaking of as of late.” Arthur Crantenberry, Duke of Bottleshire, and his wife by his side. Of course it would have to be this couple who had seen him in this dire situation.

  “Your Grace,” Joseph said with a bow of his head to the Duke. “Your Grace,” he added with a deeper bow and small kiss on the knuckles of the Duchess. “Might I introduce you to my fiancée, Miss Rachel Cooper of Cornwall. Miss Cooper, it is my pleasure to introduce you to Arthur and Esther Crantenberry, Duke and Duchess of Bottleshire.” He could only hope and pray that the woman would use what she had learned and not embarrass him even further.

  “Your Graces,” she said before giving what could only be deemed as the most perfect curtsy he had ever seen from the woman.

  “Fiancée you say?” the Duke asked in his nasally tone. “I have not heard about this. Have you hosted your engagement party and not invited me?” He wore an offended look on his face.

  “No, Your Grace,” Joseph replied. “We do intend to make the announcement soon, and when we have our party, you will be the first to know.” His eyes moved to the Duchess. Where the Duke was a stern man, his wife could not be considered anything less than harsh. Her face sat in a permanent scowl and she looked down her nose at anyone she came into contact.

  “Well, we expect to hear from you soon, then,” the Duke replied. “I have matters to attend to. Good day to you both.” Without even a nod of farewell, they were gone.

  Joseph took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He had no interest in inviting the couple to their party, but it would be expected. Plus, Joseph needed the man for his business connections. The Duke owned too many properties in London that would be perfect for one particular venture in which Joseph was interested.

  He turned his attention to Miss Cooper once again. The woman was unusually quiet, and he offered her his arm to her. “Earlier with my words…” he started to say before she cut him off.

  “There is no need,” she said in a voice just above a whisper. “I understand now your concern over being seen in front of the pub as we had.”

  He gave her a surprised look and then a nod before they continued their stroll down the footpath in silence.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Rachel sat on the stool before her vanity table mirror as Leah pulled a brush through her hair. It had been two days since Rachel had accompanied Lord Linfield into town, the outing like most of their times together—beginning with smiles and laughter and ending in anger. Once again, Rachel felt confused as to what to do. Should she leave this place with her few possessions and money and find a new home? Or should she continue attempting to help the man release his anger and save him?

  Save him from what? she thought.

  It was a question that had plagued her the past two nights, kept her awake as she attempted to figure it out.

  Although Rachel believed that much of the blame lay with his mother, she suspected that the man needed saving from himself. He was far too critical of his own actions and accomplishments, if not of hers, as well, and if she could simply persuade him of the issue, the kind man she had seen glimpses of would take the place of the beast that oftentimes rose up in his place.

  “I do not know what to do,” she said with a sigh. “I am more confused than ever.”

  Leah paused the brush. “Well, it’s too late to cancel now, Miss,” she said, not realizing what Rachel had meant by her comment. “You must attend or it’d be the subject of gossip for months.”

  Rachel smiled as she glanced at the card on a side table. The card had arrived yesterday, an invitation for Rachel to attend a tea at the home of Her Grace the Duchess of Bottleshire, the woman she had met briefly on the street with her husband after the debacle in front of the pub. Originally, Rachel wanted to decline—certainly she was not ready for attending formal teas. However, Leah had urged her to go, stating that it was important that she attend and that it would be the start of numerous invitations to come.

  “Oh, I will still attend the tea,” Rachel said with a sigh. “I speak of the Earl. His mood rises and falls within minutes. I often wonder what I am doing wrong.”

  Leah gave her an encouraging smile and resumed brushing her hair. “You haven’t done anything wrong,” she said. You’ve continued in your lessons with Madam Louvette.” She giggled as she did every time she said the tutor’s name. Apparently, Leah found it delightful to ‘speak French’ as she put it. “And you’ve said yourself that the dance lessons are going well. Not that you’ll be dancing at tea, but what I mean is that you have really applied yourself and I’ve seen those changes in you over the last month. He’d be blind not to notice.” She paused. “Forgive me. I didn’t mean to speak to you so familiarly.”

  Rachel knew the advice came from the heart of a woman who cared. “No need to apologize, I’ve told you this numerous times. I need your input so I know I am doing what I should be doing. Without you, I would be lost.” She shook her head. “And the Earl does act as if he is blind at times. However, I hold out hope that he will break out of whatever personal misery he is in.”

  “There we are,” Leah said as she placed the final pin in Rachel’s hair.

  Rachel admired Leah’s handiwork. “Your skill with my hair and helping me prepare for today is invaluable. Thank you.”

  Leah smiled, though her cheeks had reddened considerably. “Of course. I enjoy helping you, to be honest. And I like our talks. You’re a good woman, and I’m glad I get to be your lady’s maid.”

  Rachel stood and took one last look in the mirror. She was nervous. This was her first official social outing, and she hoped she would not embarrass herself, and in turn Lord Linfield.

  Her worry must have shown because, as Leah placed the blue shawl around Rachel’s shoulders, she smiled and said, “You’ll have a great time, I’m sure. If you forget anything, just watch the other la
dies and copy what they do. You can’t go wrong with that, can you?”

  Rachel laughed. “Oh, Leah, you are brilliant! I will do that.”

  As she walked toward the door, Leah called out, “Don’t forget your gloves.”

  Rachel thanked the woman and then pulled on the gloves. She was visibly shaking and Leah took Rachel’s hands in hers.

  “You’ll do fine,” she said firmly. “Don’t you worry, nothing’ll go wrong.”

  Forcing a smile on her face, Rachel replied, “I certainly hope not.”

  ***

  The carriage had arrived only moments ago, and Rachel found herself standing outside the door of a home as large, if not larger, than Elford Estates. She stood wringing her hands, but before she could use the large knocker, the door opened to a liveried butler, who gave her a stiff, yet swift, bow.

  “Miss Rachel Cooper to see Her Grace the Duchess,” Rachel said to the man.

  He moved aside as he said, “Please, come in. I will announce you.”

  She gazed around the entry hall and had to stop and remind herself not to gawk. It was a difficult task, however, as the hall was quite elaborate with a bright red and black rug in the center below a high ceiling. The portraits that hung on the walls sat in gilt frames, and Rachel was afraid to come to close to the large, but delicate, vases filled with large bouquets of flowers. Rachel did her best to keep herself calm, reminding herself that her new persona would be already acquainted with such décor.

  “If you will follow me, please,” the butler said after taking her wrap. She followed him down a short hall and through a set of French doors. The Duchess and three other women were already seated.

  “Miss Rachel Cooper,” the butler stated formally from the doorway.

  The Duchess stood and smiled widely, though it appeared unnatural on the woman’s face. “Ah, Miss Cooper. What a pleasure. I have so been looking forward to your arrival.” She motioned Rachel to an empty place on a red velvet couch beside an older woman with more gray than brown in her hair.

  “Thank you,” Rachel replied as she waited for the Duchess to sit before sitting herself. “I have been looking forward to calling.” She was surprised at how steady her voice was.

  “Allow me to present Miss Rachel Cooper,” the Duchess said. “She is to be married to Lord Linfield, Earl of Brunsford. Miss Cooper, I would like to present to you Lady Billings,” she indicated a woman in her mid-thirties who was quite lovely with her auburn hair and alabaster skin, “Lady Clairmont,” she motioned to the woman who sat across from her with white-blond hair who might appeared around the same age as Rachel, “and Mrs. Landsing.” It did not slip past Rachel the sitting arrangements. The titled women sat in three separate chairs, all lined up together and facing the two women who were not titled. She doubted it was unintentional.

  The drawing room resembled that of Elford Estates, only it was much larger with enormous windows that allowed in a great deal of sun. The furniture was all a deep red with white trim, and the walls were papered with white and red stripes. Through the windows she could see the gardens from where she sat, and already she was impressed.

  A maid stood beside the fireplace, hands clasped in front of her as she stared at the floor. She could have been made of marble for as little she moved.

  “Now that the introductions are out of the way,” the Duchess said brightly, although Rachel felt it a bit more exuberant than it should have been. Yet, she was not a Duchess, so how was she to know how a Duchess should speak? “I believe it is time for our tea.”

  The statue of a maid moved instantly at these words and began pouring tea without a word. Rachel smiled and thanked the girl, but the Duchess ignored her completely, as did the other ladies.

  “So, Miss Cooper, tell us, why have you come to Kellington?” the Duchess asked over the rim of her teacup. “You came from somewhere in Cornwall, was it not?”

  Rachel could feel the eyes of all four women boring into her and she forced her hand to remain still as she took a sip of her tea before answering. “Well, I wished to acclimate myself to the area before the Earl and I wed.”

  “And how have you found our lovely village?”

  “I have found Kellington and the people to my liking,” Rachel replied easily. She had anticipated that question.

  “I was quite surprised to hear of your engagement when we met two days ago. We ladies are at the forefront of what is happening in our village, you see, so the fact that we did not know is…unusual.” She gave a wave of her hand. “But that is neither here nor there. What I find surprising is that Lord Linfield has never mentioned you once to my husband, and they have spent many days together over the past month speaking of business matters.”

  Then the forced smile came and Rachel understood the woman’s intentions. If this had been her parents’ pub, she would have thrown the woman out for her underhandedness and propensity to gossip, especially about her. What she found most interesting was that the games the woman played were nothing more than gossip grabbing, a term her mother had taught her since childhood. The only difference was that these women attempted to be subtler. No, this had been no invitation to tea; it had been an invitation to an inquest.

  Well, Rachel was to become a lady, so she would act like one. She gave a sniff and said, “As I am sure you know men, their business is all that consumes them. If Lord Linfield wishes to focus his time on making more money, then what can I do about it?” This brought on a small amount of appreciative laughter from all four women.

  “Miss Cooper,” Mrs. Landsing, the woman who sat beside Rachel, said, “If I may ask, how did you come to live at Elford Estates? Mr. Templeton had not been dead ten weeks before you had moved in.”

  Another expected question. These women were much too predictable, which put Rachel more at ease. She had never been one to not talk herself out of any situation, and the fact that these women were no different from women she already knew, that much the easier. “My father and the Earl had done many business deals together. That is how I met Lord Linfield, actually.” She took a sip of her tea and used that time to assess whether her story was being accepted by the ladies around her. It seemed as if it was. “As I am sure you already knew, Mr. Templeton was a mentor to Lord Linfield, so when the man passed, he left the house to the Earl. It made sense for me to move into Elford Estates until the wedding. I certainly could not live with the Earl before we were married.” She giggled to show the idea would be ridiculous, and much to her delight, the other women also laughed, thought it was much stiffer than true laughter would be.

  “How fascinating,” the Duchess said, though her tone said she felt otherwise. It was then that Rachel realized that, while the other three had given a perfunctory laugh at her words, the Duchess had sat stone-faced and cold. Well, Lord Linfield had warned her that she could be a hard woman. “I did not realize that Lord Linfield dealt in the shipping trade.”

  Rachel swallowed. She had not even mentioned the type of business with which her supposed father dealt, but the arrogance the woman showed, and the tone meant to belittle both Lord Linfield and her father, made Rachel want to reach out and pull out the woman’s hair. However, she was a lady now; ladies did not do such things. Instead, she said, “Oh, yes, my father boasts of the amazing insights Lord Linfield has in the shipping trade quite often, though I find talk of business a bore.” She smiled behind her teacup as the other women nodded in agreement. “The Earl has a keen mind for finances and business, and the way his holdings are increasing, I hope he has time to still marry me.”

  The other women laughed politely, but a scowl came over the Duchess’s face. Leah had been quite clear that the nobility did not discuss financial situations with each other, and here she was doing exactly that. However, her intentions were good. She would not allow this snobbish woman to speak ill of her fiancé, not when he was working so hard to increase his wealth.

  This last thought made Rachel want to laugh. Here she was, unable to decide if she truly w
ished to marry the man, and yet she felt it necessary to defend his honor. It was quite mad, really.

  “That is lovely,” the Duchess said, her scowl replaced with a smile, though forced, a smile just the same. Perhaps Rachel had passed whatever test the woman wished to give, but the conversation turned to other things. She continued to watch how the other women conducted themselves, laughed lightly when they did, sipped her tea when they did. She soon found herself enjoying the company, although the Duchess was still a rod of steel. However, the other women proved to be lovely and witty.

  Confidence built in Rachel as the afternoon progressed, and though she had always looked down at those of the upper class, believing them to be self-absorbed and arrogant, she found that at least a few of them could be decent people. When it was time for her to leave, she realized that she had actually enjoyed affair very much.

  ***

  When Rachel returned home, Leah was already waiting to hear everything that had happened, and Rachel could not wait to tell her.

  “The ladies were kind, though I must admit that the Duchess was not a woman I enjoyed spending time with. In fact, I would rather not in the future if I can help it.”

  “I had seen Her Grace whenever Mr. Templeton had a ball or a dinner party,” Leah said with a nod. “And though I shouldn’t speak ill of someone of the nobility, I have to admit she always had a frown for anyone who she felt was beneath her. But you have to remember, she’s an important woman, so you may be around her more often than not.”

  Rachel sighed. “Yes, this is true,” she said. “However, I can hope, can I not?”

  Leah laughed. “Yes, of course you can hope.” She rose from her chair. “It sounds like you had a good time overall, though.”