Tempting The Ruined Duke (Steamy Historical Regency Romance)

by Olivia Bennet

  “I believe you will like her,” Oliver continued. “She is young, pretty, and nice, but she will not put up with your pranks. Do you understand?”

  Jamie nodded. “I do, Father.”

  “Very good. I have to get back to work now, but I will see you at dinner. I trust that it will be delicious now that you have apologized to Mrs. Johnson.”

  Oliver gave his son a rare smile, and then turned to walk out the door and back to his office.

  * * *

  Priscilla had returned home and was in the process of packing up all of her belongings. The events of the last two days had been a whirlwind. Since being hired as a governess for the son of the Duke of Dowding, her thoughts were all a blur.

  Priscilla was an orphan raised, for the most part, in an orphanage. Though the story she had told Wright earlier in the day wasn’t totally true, she was educated, and she was qualified to be a governess.

  Priscilla had educated herself. She had always loved to read, so she took every opportunity she could to read books. Every night, and sometimes even during the day, she could be found with her nose between the pages of a story, a text, or even the Bible…whatever she could find to read. This was how she learned mathematics, history, and even French.

  There was a kind vicar in the town where she grew up, and he helped to refine her knowledge and improve her scholastic pursuits. Now, as an adult of two-and-twenty years, she was just as educated and knowledgeable as any other lady her age.

  So, in her mind, she hadn’t really lied to Wright, she had just left some details out. Priscilla was looking forward to this new chapter in her life, and the fact that she could do this while living in such a grand house was a wonderful opportunity.

  She finished placing her books in her trunk and had to push hard to ensure that it closed all the way. Priscilla heard the click of the lock, placed the key on the now empty desk in the corner of the room, and began to ready herself for bed. After all, she had a big day tomorrow, and she wanted to be rested up.

  * * *

  Oliver was looking at himself in the mirror as his valet, Christopher Barnes, was finishing up by brushing the lint off of his dinner jacket.

  “Almost done, Your Grace,” Barnes said. He had been Oliver’s valet for more than a decade, and he was one of the very few people who Oliver felt totally comfortable with.

  “Thank you, Barnes.”

  “Is everything all right, Your Grace?” Barnes asked with the sound of concern in his voice. “You are quiet tonight.”

  Oliver nodded, still staring at himself in the mirror. He just had so much on his mind between the influx of orders for the distillery, to hoping that Jamie would improve his behavior with the new governess…to the new governess, who he couldn’t seem to get off of his mind.

  “Oh yes,” Oliver said, smiling widely. “I’m tired, and I had a lot to handle today.”

  Oliver could see Barnes smirk in the mirror. “Yes, Your Grace. I heard that Lord Seton made a visit to the kitchen today.”

  Oliver shook his head, and he said, “Indeed, and poor Mrs. Johnson was about ready to resign, according to Wright.”

  “I can imagine that she was not happy,” Barnes said, as he straightened Oliver’s jacket. “Though, I also imagine that it was an empty threat. Mrs. Johnson has been here longer than I have been, and I do not think she would leave on account of the sugar and salt being switched.”

  “I hope you are right,” Oliver said, as he took a final look at himself in the mirror. Though it was only he and Jamie at dinner, he always liked looking his best as an example to his son. “Though, I couldn’t blame her if she did leave on that account.”

  Barnes began to put the brush away, but then turned back towards Oliver. “I might be out of line to say this, Your Grace, but I think Miss Collins resigning was a bit rash. The child was only trying to have a bit of fun.”

  Oliver couldn’t help but smile. “Barnes, you are not out of line, and I must admit that I agree with you. At the same time, as his father, I must make sure that he is disciplined for his indiscretions. And, as amusing as his pranks are sometimes, I think I am giving him the wrong message if I encourage it.”

  “Of course, Your Grace.”

  “But,” Oliver said, as he readied to leave the room to go down to dinner. He turned to Barnes with a large, wide smile. “If I was a young gentleman of ten, I can guarantee that I would be by his side helping him.”

  Chapter 4

  “Lord Seton,” Wright said as he approached Jamie. “Your new governess is here.”

  Jamie looked up from his book, and he stood as the pair walked in. He was in the library and reading a book of fairy tales about a mischievous imp who wreaked havoc on a small kingdom. He liked books like this, because he liked to play pranks, himself.

  Standing next to Wright was a young woman. She smiled, had noticeably curly hair and was pale and thin. She looked nice enough to Jamie, but he hadn’t had the best of luck when it came to governesses.

  “It is a pleasure to meet you, Lord Seton,” the governess said. “I am Miss Ainsley, and I am greatly looking forward to working with you.”

  Jamie looked at her with suspicion. Every governess had said generally the same thing when he had met them for the first time, and he quickly found that they did not like working with him on his schooling after a bit of time.

  “I thought that it would be a good idea for you and Miss Ainsley to get acquainted here,” Wright said. “And then begin your formal lessons in the morning.”

  “Thank you, Wright,” Jamie replied begrudgingly. He didn’t really want to get acquainted with anyone. Instead, he wanted to get back to reading his book.

  Wright turned and walked out of the door. Jamie could tell she was nervous by the way she continued to wring her hands. He sat down in the chair he had occupied moments before.

  “Do you mind if I sit, Lord Seton?” she asked with a wide smile.

  “No,” he said, motioning to the empty chair next to him.

  She cleared her throat, and then said, “I would like to get to know you a bit before we begin our lessons. Is that all right?”

  “Yes,” he said. Jamie was intrigued because all of the other governesses he had simply rushed right into lessons on the first day of meeting him.

  “You are ten years of age?” Miss Ainsley asked.

  “Yes.”

  “What do you like to do, Lord Seton?”

  Jamie thought about it for a minute, and then he said, “I like to read, and I enjoy learning about history.”

  Miss Ainsley smiled. “I like to read, too. When I was a girl, I loved to read fairy tales and made up stories. My favorite is the French story, La Belle et la Bête. What do you like to read?”

  Jamie had read La Belle et la Bête, and knew the story well, but it wasn’t a favorite of his. “I like books about ogres. And I like books about imps and leprechauns.”

  Miss Ainsley chuckled. “Do you like stories about them being mischievous?”

  Jamie had to smile, because that is exactly what he liked about them. Maybe Miss Ainsley wasn’t as bad as the other governesses were. But he was not going to just accept her that easily. He was sure that as soon as they began their lessons she would be just as strict…and just as boring…as the rest of them.

  “I have always liked those types of books, too. What do you like about history?”

  Jamie thought about it for a moment, and then said, “I like the crusades, and I like to study the War of the Roses.”

  “Oh? Why do you like the War of the Roses? It happened hundreds of years ago.”

  Jamie said, “My father’s family can trace their heritage back to the House of Lancaster.” He knew it wasn’t true, but it would be a fun prank on her.

  He could see Miss Ainsley’s face have a look of surprise and then she looked confused. “I didn’t think that the house still existed. How is your father’s family connected?”

  Jamie’s mouth fell open. Perhaps Miss Ainsley w
as more intelligent than she seemed.

  “Lord Seton, I know that it’s difficult to meet someone new and trust that they are going to be good to you. I want to be your governess, but I also want to be your friend, and friends do not lie to each other.”

  Jamie nodded, and then he said, “I know. I’m sorry.”

  Miss Ainsley nodded back. “I think you will find that we have more in common than you might realize, Lord Seton, if my suspicions are correct. I hope that you might give me a chance. Will you?”

  Again, he nodded. “I will give you a chance,” he replied, knowing that she would have to put up with a few pranks along the way.

  * * *

  Oliver sat at the dining room table looking across it at his son. Jamie was picking at his meal and generally seemed uninterested in talking.

  “Jamie?” Oliver asked. “Is everything all right?”

  Jamie moved the piece of roast duck around his plate with a fork before speaking. “Yes, Father.”

  “You seem quiet tonight.”

  “I’m fine.”

  “Did you meet your new governess?” Oliver asked, taking a sip of wine.

  “I did, Father,” Jamie replied, still pushing the meat around without actually taking a bite.

  “And? Did you like her?”

  “She was fine,” Jamie said with very little emotion in his voice. Oliver didn’t know why, but sometimes he had great difficulty reading his son, and this was one of those times.

  “Jamie, Miss Ainsley is very capable of being your governess. She is well-educated, and she is willing to be here even after your past misdeeds with your former governesses. You will accept her, you will treat her well, and you will not prank her at any time. Is that understood?”

  “Yes, Father,” Jamie said, still moving the food around the plate.

  Oliver just shook his head. Sometimes it was simply impossible to get through to his son. He took another sip of wine, and then said, “Jamie, if I hear that you were uncooperative with the governess, there will be consequences. Do you understand?”

  Jamie looked up at him and nodded, and then dropped his head back down.

  Oliver took a final sip of his wine, placed his napkin on his plate, and stood. “I have work to do tonight,” he announced, and then walked out of the dining room.

  * * *

  Priscilla looked around her quarters. They were nice, and they looked very comfortable.

  There were two doors, one which led to the hallway, and another that led to the schoolroom. The bed was large enough for one person, and she noticed that it had plenty of blankets.

  She also had a dresser, a desk, a mirror, and a wardrobe. All of her clothing and belongings had been put away, and she was trying to make the room as comfortable as possible. There was a nice rug on the floor, though, which she liked, as the thought of stepping onto a cold floor each morning did not sound pleasant.

  Priscilla also noticed a window in the room, which looked out over the Duke’s property. Though it was almost dark, she could see a large structure in the distance, which she presumed to be the famed distillery. Everyone in the area knew that the Duke’s family was well-known for their whisky.

  After looking out of the window for several minutes into the darkness, Priscilla knew that she needed to work on Lord Seton’s lessons for tomorrow. Since she didn’t know what he knew from his past lessons, she wasn’t quite sure where to start.

  Priscilla walked over to the desk and sat down. The light from the lamp was illuminating the surface, and she noticed a stack of blank papers, a couple of pencils, and rubbers to remove any mistakes.

  There were also drawers in the desk, and out of curiosity, she began to open them. Each of the drawers were empty except for one. In it, there was a folded piece of paper, which she took.

  Priscilla turned the folded paper over, and on it were the words: “To the New Governess.”

  Supposing that was her, Priscilla opened the paper and began to read:

  “Keep your guard up around Lord Seton. He is a notorious prankster who will stop at nothing to force you to leave. I was the fifth governess in this house, and I finally had enough. Good luck.”

  Priscilla was a bit surprised by what she was reading, and she read the note two more times before she really saw what it was saying. She suspected that Lord Seton had a bit of a naughty side about him, and this letter certainly confirmed it.

  Just then, there was a knock on her door. Priscilla stuffed the letter back into the desk drawer, stood up, and walked over to see who was knocking.

  She pulled the door open and a footman was standing there. “Good evening, Miss Ainsley,” he said. “His Grace has asked, if you are not engaged in other activities, for you to join him in the sitting room.”

  * * *

  Oliver didn’t know why he was so nervous. He always met with the governess the night before lessons would begin. Unfortunately, there had been so many governesses come through the manor, he was quite used to these meetings.

  Miss Ainsley was an attractive woman, yes, but that was no reason for him to be nervous. Oliver took a sip of whisky and exhaled. He hoped that she was available tonight.

  The door opened and a footman came in. “Your Grace, Miss Ainsley to see you.”

  “Please, show her in,” Oliver replied, standing as he watched Miss Ainsley enter the room. She was thin, yet curvy, and pale, yet that made her freckles stand out. He found her to be incredibly attractive and wondered to himself if he had hired her because of her abilities or because she was beautiful.

  Oliver swallowed hard, and then motioned to the chair next to him. “Please, Miss Ainsley, have a seat. Would you care for wine?” He remembered that he had said the same thing to her when they had met for the first time, yesterday.

  “Thank you, Your Grace,” she said quietly, and he watched her body as she walked towards him, turned, and sat down gently. The footman brought over a glass of wine for her on a silver tray, which she took and sipped from. She then looked at him. As their eyes met, he felt a sense of energy surge through his body, settling directly into his member.

  He immediately dropped his gaze and took another sip of whisky. Hopefully that would help to keep him from becoming noticeably aroused.

  “I hope that you are settling in well?” he asked her, trying to keep his gaze occupied on anything but her body.

  “Oh yes, Your Grace. Thank you so much for your hospitality.”

  “I take it that you met Jamie this afternoon?” Oliver asked with apprehension. He didn’t know how the conversation had gone, though he wondered, based on Jamie’s behavior at dinner, if it hadn’t gone as well as he had hoped.

  “Oh, it was wonderful, Your Grace.” He looked up at her, and she was smiling.

  “It was?” Oliver said, surprised. “I wasn’t sure. Jamie isn’t always as welcoming to strangers as I would like.”

  “He was very welcoming, Your Grace. He was quite the young gentleman, in fact.”

  “Well, then,” Oliver said, now smiling himself. “I am very happy to hear that.” He took a sip of whisky, and then, again turned his full attention back to Miss Ainsley.

  “I must be totally honest with you, Miss Ainsley. The governess before you…Miss Collins…she resigned.” He watched her face for a reaction, but none came. Instead, he could only see her eyes, the delicious color of honey.

  “I assumed that, Your Grace,” Miss Ainsley said, shocking him a bit.

  “Oh? Why?”

  Miss Ainsley smiled. “I could tell when I spent time with Lord Seton this morning that he was a curious young gentleman with a bit of a mischievous streak in him. Growing up, I was quite the same, in fact. Perhaps I simply recognize my own kind.”

  Oliver smiled at her. “Well, you seem to have turned out fine,” he said with a chuckle. “Have you begun to plan his lessons?”

  “I haven’t yet, Your Grace,” she said after taking a sip of wine. He closely watched her lips around the rim of the glass. The wine w
as making her lips look rosy and red. “I thought it best that I see where Lord Seton stands in a variety of subjects, including mathematics, history, and globes, as you asked yesterday.”

  “That sounds excellent, Miss Ainsley. I am quite pleased by that.”

  “I’m happy to hear that, Your Grace.” He noticed that she shifted slightly in her seat. “After tomorrow, I should have a better answer for you on what I plan for his lessons.”

  “Amazing idea,” Oliver responded. “Once you find what Jamie is interested in, I believe that you will find he is a smart young gentleman.”

  “I have no doubt of that, Your Grace. He seems like a bright young gentleman, and I’m looking forward to getting to know him better.”

  “Wonderful,” Oliver took another sip of whisky, as he could feel himself start to stiffen again as he kept stealing glances at Miss Ainsley’s breasts. “I invited you to meet with me to help you plan, but it seems as if you have everything under control.”

  “I believe I do, Your Grace. But of course, I am always open to your suggestions.”

  I certainly have some suggestions for you, Miss Ainsley.

  Oliver shook his head, and then said, “Oh no. I have nothing more to add. In fact, I believe I will retire for the evening. It’s a bit early, but I want to get started with my daily tasks as I have a friend visiting tomorrow.” Oliver stood. “Feel free to remain here as long as you like. As our governess, I believe that you should try to be as much a part of our family as you are comfortable with, and that includes visiting the library and using this sitting room.”

  “Oh, thank you, Your Grace. I greatly appreciate your kindness.”

  “Of course, Miss Ainsley.” Oliver turned and walked out of the room quickly, hoping that she didn’t notice the erection that he had suddenly grown.

  * * *

  Priscilla was lying in her bed waiting for sleep to come. She was hoping that the wine would help to tire her, but perhaps the nerves of being in a new place and sleeping in a new bed was too much to overcome.