The Devious Seduction 0f A Wayward Duke (Steamy Historical Romance)

by Olivia Bennet

“Miss Ainsley said that it was only a short trip this time, but that she would talk to you about taking me with her again. Did she?”

  His father wiped his mouth and laid his spoon down while shaking his head. “No, she did not. However, I think it’s a splendid idea. In fact, perhaps if I am not busy, I will go with you.”

  “Really?” Jamie had never known his father to want to do something like that before.

  “Yes, really. I want to spend more time with you, and with Miss Ainsley.”

  “You do?”

  “I do. Jamie, let me ask you something. You like Miss Ainsley, right?”

  “Oh yes.”

  “Good. I am hoping that the three of us can all get to know each other better. If you would like that, of course.”

  “Oh, I would!”

  “Excellent, when Miss Ainsley returns, we can talk about it.”

  * * *

  Priscilla stared out of the window of the carriage. She had sent off the letters, went to the stationery shop, and then bought some sweets for Lord Seton from a confection shop. Now she was heading back to the house, and she had time to think about her current situation.

  She could now certainly admit to herself, fully, that she had feelings for the Duke. She also knew that he felt the same for her. She adored Lord Seton, and he seemed to like her, too. They were almost a ready-made family.

  The Duke was so attractive to her, too, and she could tell based on his body’s response last night, that he, too, was attracted to her. All of her dreams could come true and she would never have to want for anything. She could have the fairytale life that she had always read about in books.

  At the same time, though, there were things that the Duke didn’t know about her…things that she was ashamed of…things that she wished had never happened. He would never accept her if he knew who she really was.

  Sending her letter had given her a bit of relief. Yes, she has a task to do, and yes, she would do it. That’s what the letter said. But, after she was done with this, she would never do anything like this again.

  * * *

  “Did you talk to my father?”

  “I have not, My Lord.”

  Jamie really wanted to know if Miss Ainsley had asked his father about going to town, so as soon as he walked into the classroom, he asked her.

  “What about the stables? We never asked about that, either.”

  Miss Ainsley chuckled. “You are right, My Lord. We never did. We were supposed to ask him about both things.”

  “He said I could go to town. I asked him last night.”

  “Oh? I’ll have to confirm that, but I’m glad that he has agreed. Perhaps we can go this week.”

  Jamie sat down at his table, and he turned to look at his governess. “I would really like that. He said that he wanted to go, too.”

  Miss Ainsley turned towards him quickly. “Your father said that?”

  “Yes, he did. All three of us can go. He said that he wanted to spend more time with both of us.”

  Jamie could see Miss Ainsley’s expression change. First, she looked confused, and then she looked happy. “I’m pleased that he said that. We will have to take him up on that offer, don’t you think?”

  “Yes, Miss Ainsley. What are our lessons on today?”

  “I think we will have to go back to that math issue, but I believe I have a way to make it easier. Then, perhaps, we can have our French lesson outdoors. It looks like it’s going to be a beautiful day!”

  * * *

  Oliver was frustrated. He had spent much of the morning running numbers and things were not looking as good as he had hoped. Even with bottling and successfully selling his aged whisky, the distillery was still bleeding money. He knew he would have to do something and do something fast.

  He had received a letter from his solicitor. He had advised Oliver to negotiate some acreage with Lord Kenley in return for taking the lift. This way, Lord Kenley would get some type of payment and Oliver could hopefully see some change in his distillery’s status.

  Based on all of this, and the fact that Oliver was losing money every day, he took a piece of paper and began writing to Lord Kenley. He laid out the terms that the solicitor suggested, and he hoped that it would be enough to get the lift.

  Now focusing on the open window in his office, Oliver could see Jamie and Miss Ainsley. She was pointing at something on the ground, and it looked as if Jamie was speaking to her. She was wearing a green gown, and her curls were blowing in the breeze.

  Oliver glanced at the clock, and then back out the window. He could take a few moments away from his desk. He wanted to see Jamie…and Miss Ainsley. So, he straightened his shirt, looked in the mirror to make sure his hair was in place, then left his office.

  * * *

  “What is this one, My Lord?” Priscilla asked her student, pointing to a lavender plant.

  “C'est de la lavande.”

  “Yes! It is lavender. Your French is certainly improving. Are you ready for a bit of a challenge?”

  Lord Seton nodded, and Priscilla pointed to a rose bush. “What is that?”

  She watched as her pupil seemed to struggle. This was actually a trick question since rose was the same in both English and French.

  “Jamie, I think Miss Ainsley might be trying to prank you.”

  Priscilla whipped around quickly, and she saw the Duke standing there, smiling, his blue eyes sparkling and inviting.

  “That’s not fair!” Lord Seton said with a fake frown. All of them laughed.

  “A lot of words are the same in both English and French. Some, however, are spelled the same, but thanks to accents, they sound a bit different,” she explained. She then turned to the Duke. “Your Grace. What brings you out to our lesson?”

  “I saw you out here from my window, and I decided that since it was such a beautiful afternoon, I would take a little bit of a break.”

  “I’m happy about that, Father.”

  “Me too, Jamie.”

  Priscilla was overjoyed that Lord Seton and the Duke had some time to spend together, and she was happy that she was there with them. All of them were, indeed, becoming closer.

  “I was hoping to also talk to you and Miss Ainsley about going into town next week. Would you like that, Jamie?”

  “Yes!”

  Priscilla smiled at the joy exuding from Lord Seton.

  “Wasn’t there something else that we wanted to talk to your father about, My Lord?”

  Lord Seton looked at her and shook his head. Priscilla was confused by this, but she made a mental note to talk to him about it later. The Duke also looked confused by his son’s behavior.

  “If there is something you want to ask me, Jamie, please do.”

  “No, Father. There is nothing. I am just happy to be going back to town.”

  “Fine, then.”

  The Duke then turned to Priscilla.

  “Miss Ainsley, I was hoping that you might join me tonight in the sitting room after dinner.” He then turned to Lord Seton. “Jamie, you are welcome, too, if you like.”

  “No, thank you, Father,” Lord Seton said with another funny fake frown. “I don’t want to be there stuck talking about adult things. I would rather read!”

  Both Priscilla and the Duke laughed, and then Priscilla turned to him and said, “Yes, I would love to, Your Grace.”

  * * *

  Jamie and Miss Ainsley returned to the classroom after his father left. He was so happy and surprised that he had attended a lesson, it was hard for him to settle down and finish out the day.

  “Only one more conjugation, My Lord, and you are free to go,” Miss Ainsley said, as she began picking up papers and neatening her desk. “By the way, why did you not ask your father about visiting the stable?”

  “Oh, that. Well, I think I don’t want to do pranks like that any longer.”

  “What?” He could tell that Miss Ainsley was surprised. “I thought you loved doing pranks, though.”

  Jamie lowe
red his head. “I was only doing them to get my father’s attention. Now that he is spending more time with me, I don’t really feel I have to do them anymore.”

  Miss Ainsley smiled. “That is a very adult and responsible thing to do, My Lord.”

  Jamie could feel himself blushing. “You taught me that I can still have fun and be a gentleman, Miss Ainsley.”

  She swallowed hard, and then said in a shaking voice, “I am very proud of you, and I know your father is, too. So does that mean no more pranks?”

  Jamie thought about it for a moment. “Well, if the opportunity presents itself…”

  Miss Ainsley laughed, and then said “You are excused for the day, My Lord. I will see you tomorrow.”

  “Thank you, Miss Ainsley.”

  Jamie left the classroom with one thought on his mind. He wouldn’t totally give up pranks, but he thought that perhaps he could improve the pranks that he was doing. The best thing to do, he thought, was to start secretly following Miss Ainsley. She was so good at pranks that perhaps he would learn something from her.

  * * *

  After knowing that Lord Seton had turned over a new leaf, and realizing that she was going to see the Duke later in the evening, Priscilla had a very pleasant afternoon.

  She readied herself for her meeting with the Duke, and as she stared in the mirror, Priscilla couldn’t help but notice the way her eyes seemed to shift from side to side. Shifty eyes…

  She had to put that thought out of her head for now. Tonight, she had to meet the Duke.

  With a final glance at her reflection, Priscilla made her way down to the sitting room. This time, she arrived before the Duke, and a footman showed her in and offered her a glass of wine, which she gladly took. She remembered the first time she had been in the sitting room, when Wright had interviewed her for the governess job. She still found it as inviting now as she did then.

  The door opened and the Duke walked in, a bright, welcoming smile greeted her as he spoke, “Good evening, Miss Ainsley. I’m so happy you have joined me.”

  “It is my pleasure, Your Grace.”

  The Duke received a glass of sherry from the footman, and then he sat directly across from her.

  “I’ll be honest, Miss Ainsley. Most nights I sit here alone, lost in my thoughts. It is quite refreshing to sit here with someone else…especially someone as lovely as you.”

  Priscilla blushed. “Thank you, Your Grace.”

  The Duke leaned forward and said, “Miss Ainsley, I must insist. We have grown to know each other much better recently. I would like for you to call me Oliver.”

  Priscilla’s heart felt like it might jump right out of her chest, and she knew that she couldn’t possibly smile any wider than she was right now. “Really, Your Grace? I mean…Oliver?”

  He laughed. “On one condition…you allow me to call you Priscilla. I think it is a beautiful name for a beautiful woman, and it would greatly please me to use your given name.”

  “Of course. Absolutely.”

  “Thank you, Priscilla. That means a lot to me. I am serious about getting to know you better. In fact, that’s why I invited you here tonight. To see if you felt the same. I believe you do, but…I need to be sure.”

  Priscilla swallowed, as she could feel a lump beginning to form in her throat. She lowered her head as she didn’t want to look at him. “I do. I feel the same way about you. I just…I don’t…I am just an orphan turned governess, and I don’t deserve to be with a gentleman like you.”

  “Priscilla, look at me.”

  Priscilla slowly raised her head.

  “You might be an orphan, but you have brought yourself up through the ranks of society to a position that you should be proud of. That makes you, in my opinion at least, a suitable match for anyone, including a Duke. In fact, I daresay that you are better suited for me than any of the ladies who have crossed my path.”

  She just nodded, allowing his words to settle in. “So, it’s fine?”

  “I won’t lie to you and say that everyone will be thrilled with our pairing, but I also think it’s important that we begin to make our relationship known…but slowly. Start by sharing with the staff, if they haven’t already realized, of course, and with our close friends and family. I think we should inform Jamie, too. I think he will be all right with this, but I do wish to get his opinion, if it’s fine with you.”

  “All of that is very good. I think it’s a smart way to go ahead. I have to tell you, that I am quite thrilled with this conversation.”

  “I am, too, Priscilla. I have wanted to tell you this for a long time, even before we…” he laughed nervously.

  “I’m glad,” Priscilla laughed. “I don’t know if I would have had the courage to say these things to you without knowing how you felt…though as you mention, it did become obvious.”

  She watched as he doubled up in laughter. “One of the things I like most about you, Priscilla, is that you make me laugh. I have always been a bit serious and even, perhaps, distant. But you make me feel like opening up, laughing, and smiling more.”

  “I’m really happy to hear that. I think you are quite funny, too.”

  “That’s amazing.” He laughed. “I want to tell you something so you can try to understand me a bit better, though I think you know this. I am in a position where it’s difficult to raise my son and run the distillery. In fact, the distillery has been struggling and I have had to spend more time than normal trying to keep up with it. You are the only one who had the courage to stand up and bring to my attention that I had been neglecting my relationship with Jamie, and as difficult as it is for me to admit, you were right. I thank you for that. It has been such a pleasure to spend time with him recently…and with you, of course.”

  “I shouldn’t have said those things to you. I know that, and it was definitely out of line. But, if it has helped you and Lord Seton become closer to each other, I think it was worth it.”

  “It was well worth it, Priscilla. Not only did it make my son and I have a better relationship, it also brought the two of us closer together.”

  Chapter 19

  Oliver felt as if he were walking on air. Spending the evening with Priscilla had been like a dream. In fact, as much as he enjoyed fantasizing about her body, he could feel himself greatly falling for her mind and personality, too. Though he certainly had some moments last night where he began to feel that familiar stiffening…

  Presently, though, his mind was far from bedding her. Now, it was focused on writing a letter to Darnerton to invite him to the house. He believed it would be best to tell him about this development in his life in person. Perhaps, he would even bring his family. It had been several years since Oliver had seen his friend’s wife and children, and it would be ideal for Priscilla to have some influence from a lady such as Margaret, his wife. She and Leah had been quite friendly.

  “Your Grace.”

  Wright stepped into the room.

  “A letter for you. It is from Lord Kenley.”

  Oliver took the letter and ripped it open. This would be his response to Oliver’s proposition for the lift.

  He skipped the letter and saw the phrase, “I accept the terms of your proposal, and the lift will arrive at the distillery tomorrow, hence the urgency of this letter.”

  “Wright. Please ask Miss Ainsley and Jamie to join me here when they are done with their lessons.”

  “Yes, Your Grace.”

  Things are working out so well lately, it’s time to talk to Jamie.

  * * *

  “His Grace has asked that you join him in his office following Lord Seton’s lesson.”

  “Thank you, Wright.”

  Priscilla’s heart skipped a beat every time she knew that she would see Oliver. If Lord Seton was also invited, it meant that he had likely decided that the time had come to tell the young gentleman about their budding relationship.

  After speaking to Oliver earlier, Priscilla felt more at ease about exploring this relationship
, though she knew that it would likely have some bumps along the way. Hopefully, they could come out at the other end, unscathed. Now, however, if things were going to get more serious, she thought that it was wise to try to act as sophisticated and as lady-like as she possibly could. That could, in a way, make her transition into courtship with a Duke easier for all involved.

  “We will be finished within the hour, Wright.”