Priscilla turned from the table to sit at her desk. She pulled a piece of paper out of her paper receptacle and began to make notes. However, as soon as she began to write, her thoughts immediately went to the Duke and their conversation the night before. She couldn’t help but think that he wanted to see her again…alone. In fact, he asked her to spend more time with him. What does this mean?
Her immediate thought was that he was attracted to her and wanted to get to know her a bit better in a romantic way, but Priscilla was quite senseless in regard to relationships and love. Why would a Duke be interested in her?
Yes, it was true that she was attracted to him, but she also wasn’t the type of woman who fawned over someone who she could never be with. She knew who she was, and she knew that her background was not appropriate to someone who would marry a Duke.
It was then that Priscilla remembered something. She glanced at the desk and pulled open a specific desk drawer. In it, she could see the letter that was sent earlier in the week.
She would have to answer it, and then send it. But for that, she would have to go to town.
Chapter 13
“Lord Seton,” Miss Slade asked, as she helped him dress for dinner. “How were your lessons?”
Jamie watched her as she pulled the cuffs of his sleeves to ensure they were straight.
“My lessons were quite interesting,” Jamie replied with an excited smile. “I got to be the teacher, today!”
“Oh?” Miss Slade said with a smile. “Tell me more.”
“Well, Miss Ainsley let me teach her a lesson today. We had an agreement from last week that if she allowed me to leave lessons early, I would have to teach her a lesson…and that day was today.”
“What did you teach Miss Ainsley, then?” Miss Slade asked, as she tried to tame his hair.
“I taught her about the Greek gods Zeus and Poseidon.”
“Oh, how fascinating! And what did she think?”
“She seemed very interested,” Jamie said, as he turned around to allow Miss Slade to remove the lint on his clothing. “She said that she didn’t know much about Greek mythology, so it was a good lesson.”
“Wonderful, My Lord,” Miss Slade turned him around again, this time to straighten up his collar. “And how did you learn about Greek mythology?”
“From my books. I like to read stories about Ancient Greece. It’s very interesting to me.”
“You are a smart young gentleman, My Lord. Plus, you are very handsome.” She turned him around so that he could see himself in the mirror.
Jamie smiled as he stared at himself. He thought he looked handsome, too.
“By the way, My Lord. I have a little gift for you.”
“A gift?”
“Yes,” Miss Slade said, with a smile. “I went to town yesterday during my time off, and I saw the cutest little toy.” She handed him a small parcel.
“May I open it?” Jamie asked, unsure if he could take a peek or if he should wait.
“Of course, you may!” Miss Slade said with excitement. “It’s yours!”
Jamie opened up the parcel and he pulled out a small, plush mouse. It almost looked lifelike. He smiled and turned to Miss Slade.
“I love it, Miss Slade,” he said, and then remembering his manners, said, “Thank you very much.”
“You are welcome, My Lord. It reminded me of a book I used to read to you when you were a child. Do you remember?”
“Oh yes! I remember, Miss Slade,” Jamie said with a smile. “The mouse chased the cat, and the dog, and the horse, right?”
“Yes! You do remember! I know that you are getting older, My Lord, and you won’t need a nanny forever. You have also been so well-behaved lately, I thought that you should be rewarded.”
Jamie’s face fell. Yes, he was ten years old, and perhaps it was getting time to move on from having a nanny, but he would miss Miss Slade. She was the only mother-figure he really had.
“Don’t get sad, My Lord,” Miss Slade said, placing her hands on his shoulders. “We still have time. For now, let’s celebrate your fine behavior.”
Jamie leaned into her and she put her arms around him, holding him tightly. He held the mouse in his hand, and a single tear fell from his eye.
* * *
Priscilla placed the hat on her head and straightened it as she looked in the mirror. She then set the letter she had written the night before in her reticule, dropped a couple of coins in the bottom in case she saw something to buy, and then pulled the strings tightly.
Today was her day off, and Priscilla was heading into town. She had plans to meet her friend, Mrs. Joan Webb, for tea.
She glanced out of the window and noticed that the sun was shining, so she also took her parasol. She was going to be walking outdoors during the day, so it was best to always protect her pale skin from the sun. She certainly didn’t want to turn red, she thought, as she made her way to the carriage.
As she sat on the plush seat, Priscilla placed her hands on her reticule and held it tightly. The letter inside was a response to the letter she had received a few days ago, and though she answered it appropriately in her opinion, it was making her apprehensive.
Priscilla didn’t want to think about that now. Instead, she preferred to think of the Duke. He was still heavy on her mind, and she wondered when he would ask to meet with her again.
She still didn’t know how appropriate it was to be thinking about her employer in this type of way, not to mention that her employer was a Duke. Additionally, she had something else really starting to nag at her, which had to do with the letter…
Priscilla looked out the window and watched as they passed by fields and homes. Town wasn’t very far, so she knew they would be there shortly. She probably could walk if she wanted to, but she also wanted to get the most out of her one day off.
As she stared outside, Priscilla wondered what Lord Seton would do whilst she was gone. Perhaps spend time with Miss Slade? She hoped that, as an alternative, he would be able to spend some time with the Duke. She knew that her student longed for time with his father, though she wasn’t totally convinced that the opposite was true.
She patted at her reticule. As soon as she got to town, she would walk into the inn and send off the letter. It certainly didn’t have far to go, but she didn’t want to bring any attention to herself. Once the letter was safely with the postmaster, she could enjoy the rest of her day.
* * *
“A letter for you, Your Grace,” Wright said, as he brought a tray towards Oliver.
“Thank you, Wright. Much appreciated.” Oliver said, brightly. Since his evening spent in the library with Miss Ainsley, he had been in a spectacular mood.
Oliver took the letter from the tray, and immediately noticed the crest of his friend, the Earl of Darnerton. He quickly opened the letter and scanned the words on the page. As expected, Darnerton suggested meeting each other instead of one or the other making the long trip. He asked to meet in London in a week’s time.
Oliver nodded, and took a piece of paper from his desk. He accepted Darnerton’s invitation, signed the brief letter, and then folded it and sealed it with his own crest in the soft wax.
“I’m glad you didn’t go far, Wright,” Oliver chuckled, as he placed the letter on the tray. “Please make sure this gets to the Earl of Darnerton.”
“Of course, Your Grace,” Wright said with a slight bow.
“Also, Wright, before you go, could you please ask Miss Ainsley to meet me in the library again this evening?”
“Yes, Your Grace. She is not here currently, but I will be sure that she gets the message when she returns.”
“Oh? Where is she?”
“Today is her day off, Your Grace. I believe she went to town to visit with a friend.”
Oliver was a little disappointed. He was hoping to catch a glimpse of her and Jamie today. He figured since the weather was so nice that she would take him outdoors again for his lessons.
“What
of Jamie?”
“He is spending the day with Miss Slade, Your Grace. The last time I saw them, they were heading to the library to choose a book to read together.”
“I see,” Oliver replied. There was a part of him that wanted to invite Jamie up to the office to spend time with him, but he had so much work to do, and that must come first.
“Thank you, Wright. Please let me know when you talk to Miss Ainsley.”
“Of course, Your Grace,” he said as he walked out of the office.
* * *
“My Lord,” Miss Slade said. “Have you read this one?”
She held out a book for Jamie to look at. It had a drawing of a prince and a lion on the front.
“Yes, Miss Slade. I believe I have read every book in this library.”
Miss Slade laughed. “My Lord, that has to be impossible. There are hundreds of books in here.”
He chuckled and said, “If I haven’t, I am going to make that my goal.”
“I have no doubt that you can do that, My Lord. Do you miss your governess, Miss Ainsley?”
Jamie thought about it for a moment and said, “Yes, I do.”
“She is a good governess for you. She has come in here and I have seen such a positive change. I’m happy that you like her. She seems to like you, too.”
Jamie smiled. “Yes, I think she does.”
Miss Slade smiled at him and glanced at the clock. “My Lord, I am going to leave you here for a few moments, but I will be back before you know it. Is that agreeable to you?”
“Yes, Miss Slade,” Jamie said, pulling a book from the shelf. “I will just sit here and read until you return.”
Miss Slade turned towards him, smiled and nodded, and then left the library. Jamie settled back into the chair and opened the book. There was a footman in the corner, and he wanted it to look like he was reading, but he was actually going to sit here and plan his next prank.
Since his talk with Miss Ainsley about being the perfect gentleman, he had taken it very seriously. Jamie had done his absolute best to remain well-behaved, too. He was quite happy when Miss Slade commented on it, in fact, and that meant that the next step in his plan could commence.
He discreetly pulled his new toy mouse from one pocket, and a long piece of lightly colored string from the other. He tied the string around the middle of the mouse, and then placed the plush toy in his hand, hoping that the large book would hide what he was doing. He pulled the string gently, but the mouse seemed to jump instead of glide.
He then moved the string lower on the mouse’s body, but that, too, when he pulled the string, made it jump instead of glide.
Finally, he moved the string to the base of the tail…he dragged the mouse backwards by the string and it glided across his hand. He smiled widely. This was exactly what he wanted.
* * *
“What’s it like to work for the Duke?”
Priscilla was taking a sip of tea. She was sitting across from one of her dearest friends, Mrs. Joan Webb, and they were talking about her latest position. She was much more relaxed now that she had sent the letter.
“It’s quite nice,” Priscilla said with a smile. “His manor is gorgeous, Lord Seton is a dream student, and I am very comfortable.”
“Do you ever get to interact with the Duke?” Joan asked enthusiastically. Priscilla knew from previous conversations, that Joan was always interested in her life. She believed that Priscilla lived a much more exciting life than she ever would as a woman married to a country doctor.
“Oh yes. I see him daily. In fact, we have gotten a bit more familiar lately.”
“Oh,” Joan said leaning forward and lowering her voice. “Tell me more.”
Priscilla laughed. “There isn’t much to tell, but I am happy you brought it up, because I have to tell someone. Earlier this week he specifically asked me to spend time with him…just the two of us.”
Joan gasped and grinned. “He did? Keep going!”
“We met later that evening and had a drink together. We talked a bit, and before I retired for the evening, he asked if I would be interested in doing it again.”
“Oh, Priscilla,” Joan said with her hand over her heart. “I think he is interested in you. Why else would he ask to meet with you…twice!”
“Well, I don’t know. We did talk about Lord Seton, his son, a lot. So, there is a part of me that wonders if it was simply to get a report on how he was taking to his lessons.”
“What about the other parts of you?”
Priscilla laughed again. “There is a small part of me that does believe that he might be interested.” She could feel the heat rising into her cheeks, making her blush.
“Oh, Priscilla, that is marvelous. What do you think of him, though?”
“I do think he’s very handsome,” she admitted to Joan. “He also is kind, though a bit distant. There is also the fact that he is a Duke, and I am an orphan turned governess…and a…”
“Oh, Priscilla,” Joan said, interrupting her. “Though it’s true that it is not common for a governess to marry her employer, it has surely happened, and it will certainly happen again.”
“Marry?” Priscilla laughed. “I was only talking about meeting with him again, not marrying him!”
“I know,” Joan said, laughing. “But these meetings are eventually going to lead to more.”
“We don’t know that.” Priscilla said quickly.
“Do you want it to?”
“I…think…yes.” Priscilla admitted, bringing her hand up to her mouth, almost as if she were trying to stop herself from this admission, but it was too late.
“Oh, Priscilla, I think you have nothing to lose here. Why not try and see where it leads? What is the harm in that? You technically are a governess, yes, but it’s not like you are a well-refined lady whose father is an Earl.”
“Yes. That’s true. I am an orphan. I am also a…” She paused.
“A what?” Joan said, raising her eyebrows.
“Actually, never mind,” Priscilla said, stopping herself. She almost said something that she might regret. “I am an orphan turned governess, and technically I have no business being with a Duke.”
“It will be fine. I am sure of it.”
“I hope you are right,” Priscilla said, finishing her tea.
* * *
It was getting late in the afternoon, and Jamie knew that his father would eventually head to the distillery to check on things there, as he did every afternoon. So, until he saw his father leave, he had to remain patient.
Jamie was standing outside against a tree, facing the path his father would take to walk to the distillery. He had told Miss Slade that he was wasn’t feeling well, and she said he needed to lay down. She had shown him to his quarters, but then left. Once he knew she was out of sight, he snuck downstairs and out to this tree…the perfect look-out point.
In his hand he held the plush mouse, which still had a string tied to its tail. The plan was that when his father left, he would sneak into his office, place the mouse in a place where his father could see it, and then when he knew his father would see it, slowly begin to move the mouse. He knew that his father hated rodents of all kinds after getting bitten by a rat when he was younger, so this would be an amazing prank.
Jamie’s heart jumped as he noticed a carriage coming closer to the manor. Hopefully it was a member of the staff—perhaps Miss Ainsley—coming back from town and not an important visitor for his father. Either way, Jamie could be in a lot of trouble. He was too far away from the carriage to see who was in it, but it looked like one of his father’s.
At that point, Jamie also noticed that there was a door open on the side of the house. He watched as a footman held the door open, and as expected, his father began walking swiftly towards the distillery.
Jamie tried his best to not move. He was counting on blending in with the tree, and he realized that he was squeezing the mouse in his hand very hard due to his apprehension.
He
waited until he saw his father and the footman get close to the distillery, and then he slowly walked towards the door they had just come out of.
Another footman was standing there. “Good afternoon, Lord Seton,” he said.
The Devious Seduction 0f A Wayward Duke (Steamy Historical Romance) Page 12
