Under the Seductive Lady's Charm: A Historical Regency Romance Book

by Henrietta Harding

  Katrina watched Amanda for a moment. “But did he not come here looking for someone else? Does that not set your teeth on edge?”

  “It does not matter who he came looking for. It only matters who he found and, apparently, he liked me enough to ask to call upon me again.” Amanda shrugged.

  Katrina shook her head. “You are an amazing woman. I would never have that kind of confidence.”

  “Well, just do as I do and soon enough you will.” Amanda gave her maid a smile. “Besides, you have to know how to allow men to treat you and when to tell them that they are not welcome.”

  Katrina nodded and enquired, “You have many suitors. Do you ever tell them to leave you alone?”

  “I do,” Amanda said as they walked through the winding rows of roses and hedges. “There was a young man, a merchant, I believe. He was attempting to work up the nerve to court me, or to ask my brother at any rate. I put him out of his misery. There was no point in things dragging on and him getting embarrassed.”

  Katrina frowned and whispered, “Do you think your brother would not have approved of him?”

  “A merchant? I doubt even my brother would be that charitable. He was not a particularly wealthy merchant. I could make allowances if the man had made something of himself, but really he had not.” Amanda waved off the whole idea.

  “Sometimes it is for the best to be blunt with people, Katrina. There are people who simply will not take notice of hints and nudges.”

  “I am aware,” Katrina said with a soft sigh. “I do not mind Charlotte leaving, just so you know, Miss. I am curious though as to why she did choose to leave.”

  Amanda huffed. “You would have to ask her and my brother. No doubt she thought I was treating her poorly and told my brother so. He, being a noble sort, set her up in Mrs. Lennox’s household. Seems to explain itself.”

  “Here I thought that Charlotte had learnt her place in the world.” Katrina frowned.

  Amanda sighed. “She was the vicar’s daughter. We played together, took lessons together. I, being a child, had no idea how different our worlds truly were.” Amanda turned to Katrina. “Do you think I treated her poorly?”

  “I think you treated her as you would most any servant, Miss. That is the job she was hired for, was it not?” Katrina seemed altogether puzzled by the question and Amanda pushed the idea of her own wrongdoing away.

  Amanda nodded. “Of course it was. Or at least that was what she wanted. I offered to let her stay as my guest, but she refused. What was I do to do but honour her wishes?”

  “I do not see where she left you much choice,” Katrina said after a moment. Amanda wondered if that was truly what the maid thought or if Katrina was perhaps just saying what Amanda wanted to hear.

  In the end, Amanda decided it did not matter. “Well, we shall just have to carry on with our lives. She’ll probably come back around once Mrs. Lennox gets tired of her nonsense.”

  Chapter 6

  Of all the idiocy that his household had been besotted with this season, the incorrigible Lord Stanhope was by far Graham’s most vexing problem. The man had been as good as his word about visiting Amanda. Twice he had come to call upon her, always well-announced this time at least.

  It vexed Graham all the more because he genuinely wished he could come up with some reason to sweep the man’s existence aside, yet there was nothing that stood out enough that warranted such an action. Graham almost wished the man would do something offensive, yet he never seemed to do so. Of course, Amanda, would probably just laugh and banter on no matter what the man said or did.

  It was truly frustrating to see his sister, who while she was no angel herself, did at least deserve a gentleman. Graham was unsure if Lord Stanhope was the man that Amanda deserved. There was something about him that did not sit right with Graham.

  “You could always look into him,” Randolph said as he leaned against the wall of Graham’s study. Graham had been confiding in Randolph his misgivings about Amanda’s would-be suitor.

  Graham rolled the pen between his fingers, walking it along them, then back the other way as he thought. “I have spoken to his brother, who is a good man from all I have gathered. He assured me that Lord Stanhope has reformed and made a better man of himself.”

  “That depends on what sort of man he was before,” Randolph said with a snort.

  Graham nodded. “Indeed. The Earl of Brunswick did not seem eager to go into detail. If he is like other men of society, I would say probably gambling or something relative to his stature.”

  “Hmm. Gamblers are a tricky lot to reform,” Randolph said with a knowing look.

  Graham put down his pen. “This is not getting us anywhere.” Graham stood up.

  “You still going into town?” Randolph pushed off the wall and opened the door as Graham approached it.

  With a nod, Graham confirmed, “I do need to go out. I may stop by Mrs. Lennox’s and see how Miss Browne is getting on.”

  “Did you not just get a letter from Mrs. Lennox?” Randolph gave him a smile. “Do not get that crease in your forehead. I meant no harm by it. She seemed like a sweet lass when she was here.”

  Graham slipped into the hallway with Randolph right behind him. He turned his head to look at his steward. “She is a dear young woman,” Graham agreed. “I just hope she does not hold how my sister has treated her against the whole of our family.”

  “I doubt she would do that, Sir.” Randolph shook his head. “With you getting her that position with Mrs. Lennox, she should be praising your name.”

  Graham sighed and rubbed his beard. “I do not care about praise. I just hope that I have somewhat made amends for not seeing what a wretched time she went through after her father’s death.”

  “You could not have known, Sir.” Randolph was adamant, but Graham knew better.

  He could not stand to look at Randolph’s earnest face at the moment. “I could have checked in on her.”

  Randolph’s voice came to Graham even if he did not want to hear it. “I was not yet in your employ then but from all I have learnt, you were going through your own trials.”

  Graham looked over at the man. “I was, but it does not relieve my guilt over not trying to stay in contact with them. Perhaps if I had assisted them, Miss Browne’s brother would not have gone to war at all. It would have removed the financial urgency that compelled him to leave his only sister alone.”

  Randolph chuckled. “I do believe that no matter what I say you will come up with a way for it to be your fault.”

  “See, you are learning my ways,” Graham said with a smile at his steward. “Speaking of learning, I have heard no rumblings of dissent among the staff, so I gather the housekeeper issue has been resolved?”

  Randolph nodded and put his hand over his heart. “And I am very grateful too. That woman is scarier than a scarecrow on a stormy night.”

  “Good thing we had you to put the fear of God into her then,” Graham said with a wink. They laughed then parted ways at the entrance hall. Graham gave the doorman a nod and a wave. “I shall return by the evening meal.”

  “Right, Sir,” the doorman chimed back to him with a bow.

  Out in the sunlit world, Graham breathed in the smell of the air. The wood that they were using to extend the stables held a deep and warm aroma that wafted over the driveway. It reminded Graham of the country estate and it put a longing in his heart that he pushed away.

  The streets of London went by swiftly, which was a pleasant surprise after the never-ending delays during Graham’s last outing. The carriage bumped along and he sighed. London would never expend the money to simply fix the roads. Eventually, some wealthy family would get tired of potholes on their particular street or route and would indulge themselves by having them fixed. Graham found it just another notch of absurdity. Surely enough broken carriage axels warranted having the roads passable.

  When they pulled off the road at Mrs. Lennox’s townhouse, Graham breathed a sigh of relief. The h
ouse was smaller than Graham’s own estate, but he had never looked down on her for that. He was not someone who kept up with how much larger his house was than those around him.

  He left the carriage and cleared his throat as he walked to the door. Before he could even grasp the door-knocker, the door came open. He came face to face with Lord Stanhope and both of them stilled for a split second before breeding took over and Graham gave the man a slight bow. “Lord Stanhope, what an unexpected surprise.”

  “I could say the same thing, Lord Easterly,” Lord Stanhope said with puzzlement. “Pardon me, but I really must be going as I have to meet with my brother.”

  Graham stepped aside. “Of course. Do say hello to your brother for me, will you?”

  Lord Stanhope’s eyes cut to Graham as he passed by. “Certainly, I shall.”

  The man’s tone had been pleasant enough, but Graham had seen that instance of concern. It made Graham all the more interested in what Lord Stanhope had got into since returning from the war. He put it out of his mind as he turned toward the door again.

  The doorman was waiting patiently. “Good day,” Graham said pleasantly to the man. “Will you tell Mrs. Lennox that I am here to see her?”

  “Right away, Sir,” the doorman said as he waved Graham into the entrance hall. As soon as Graham was settled, the man rushed off to deliver the message. It really only took a minute before the doorman returned with a maid. “Follow Marlow here, and she will take you to the lady of the house.”

  “Splendid,” Graham said as he waved his hand for the maid to lead on.

  The woman led him back the way she had come. Her footfalls were sure and steady and Graham was certain she must walk these hallways a dozen times a day, much as the maids at home did. She stopped by the door. “The missus is in here,” she said with a smile. She opened the door and led Graham in. “Your visitor, Madam.”

  “Thank you, Marlow,” Mrs. Lennox said. Her eyes lit up when she saw Graham. “Oh, they did not say it was you, Lord Easterly. Please come in and sit.”

  Graham gave the woman a smile. It had been a long time since he had shared a room with her. “It has been too long since we were all together. Where is your husband this fine day?”

  “Working,” Mrs. Lennox said with a happy sigh. “That man is always working his fingers to the bone. You did not come here to talk of him, did you?”

  Graham sat down as the door opened yet again and Miss Browne entered. Her eyes darted to Graham and then back to Mrs. Lennox. “You called for me?”

  “Oh yes, but that can wait. Come and visit with Lord Easterly. I am sure he came here more to check up on you than to talk to me.” Mrs. Lennox beckoned her with a wave of her hand.

  Graham said, “It would be lovely to see how you have been, Miss Browne. My sister sends her regards.”

  Miss Browne sat down and eyed Graham with disbelief. “Does she truly or are you just being kind?”

  “I am sure if she knew I was coming here, she would have sent her regards, but I must admit that I came on a whim. Mrs. Lennox’s letter left me feeling as if I should see your progress for myself.” Graham could not fault Miss Browne for not believing the best of his sister. Amanda had not ingratiated herself with Miss Browne after her thoughtless behaviour.

  Miss Browne did not seem eager to talk further of Amanda and instead asked, “I trust everything has been going well for you this season since my departure?”

  “I have not had time to attend as many events as I would honestly have preferred, but I am pleased with the ones that I have attended.” Graham had given the season little thought to be truthful, but he had enjoyed the events he had been free for.

  Miss Browne smiled and clasped her hands together in her lap. She had taken a seat near to Mrs. Lennox. Mrs. Lennox nudged Miss Browne and Graham gave them a curious look. “Oh,” Miss Browne said with a frown. “I do not think he would be interested in such things.”

  “Nonsense. Lord Easterly,” Mrs. Lennox’s use of his name brought Graham’s eyes to the older woman. “A friend of mine who is a well-respected artist was inspired to do a penny portrait of Miss Browne. The print has become quite popular from what he has told me. We thought perhaps we could bestow you with one as a token of thanks.” The woman reached into a drawer and brought out the print, framed up sweetly. She held it out to Graham.

  He took the picture from her and admired the design of it. “I can see why it is popular. I never understood the appeal of these silhouette drawings, but there is certainly a rare likeness to you, Miss Browne.”

  Miss Browne’s cheeks coloured and she dropped her eyes. Graham watched the young woman peep at him through her lashes as she was prone to do. He gave her a smile. “There is no need to be embarrassed by a good likeness,” he assured her. “It is a lovely portrait. Thank you.”

  “You are most welcome,” Miss Browne breathed softly.

  Mrs. Lennox looked at Miss Browne then back to Graham. “She really has done so well lately. You saw the young gentleman leaving here? He came to call upon Miss Browne.”

  “I saw Lord Stanhope, indeed. I applaud your steps out into society, Miss Browne.” Graham felt an unusual tightness in his throat. He wanted to say more, a warning perhaps? There was no call for that though. He felt protective of Miss Browne, but he had no call to warn her off Lord Stanhope beyond his feelings of unease.

  Miss Browne gave him the tiniest of smiles as if she were holding back. “Thank you, Lord Easterly.”

  Mrs. Lennox asked, “Would you be staying for tea, Lord Easterly?”

  Graham shook his head. “I just wanted to check in personally and let Miss Browne know that we had not forgotten her. I do hope this will allow you to achieve your goals in life.”

  “I cannot thank you enough for introducing me to Mrs. Lennox. She is simply marvellous and has helped me so much already.” Miss Browne looked at the older woman with obvious admiration.

  Mrs. Lennox patted the young woman on the arm. “I did nothing but put you in the right places. I daresay you did all the rest.”

  “I really should get going. I have an appointment to meet with a colleague soon.” Graham stood and gave the ladies a polite bow. “Miss Browne, I do hope that with your busy social schedule you can find time to come visit us once the season is over or any time of your choosing.”

  Miss Browne nodded. Her face looked genuinely pleased with the invitation. “I might be tempted to do that, especially to see my home territory again and visit my family’s graves.”

  “I am at your disposal,” Graham told her. “Thank you for allowing me to visit, Mrs. Lennox. Your husband and you should come and visit us before he is off working again.”

  “I shall try to make sure Leonard does just that,” Mrs. Lennox assured him.

  “Good,” Graham said with a grin. “It would be nice to catch up with him before everyone is off to their summer homes.”

  Graham left the ladies to their preparations for their tea and bid the doorman farewell. His heart was relieved and glad that Miss Browne seemed to be doing so well. He gave the carriage driver instructions to the tavern where he was to meet up with some old school colleagues for tea.

  As he rode through the streets, Graham’s expression dipped into a worried frown. Lord Stanhope had been visiting Miss Browne. That bothered Graham. It was not unheard of for a young man to be visiting several ladies, or to even be cordial before he settled down into a pairing. However, to think that Miss Browne and his sister were among those women did not sit right with Graham.

  He chided himself for being so ridiculously protective. They were grown enough to make their own decisions, but he was the only male of a reasonable rank and age to look out for them. It was his duty to be protective, was it not?