“Very well, Miss Ainsley. I will deliver the message to His Grace.”
As Wright left the school room, Priscilla turned to Lord Seton. “What do you suppose your father could want with us? Do you think we will get scolded again?”
He laughed at her, and then said, “I haven’t done anything to get scolded. Have you?”
Now it was her turn to chuckle. “No, I haven’t. I just wasn’t sure if you had been pulling some pranks behind my back.”
“No, I haven’t. I told you. I am now going to be a gentleman.”
“And you are doing a very good job of that, My Lord. I have certainly noticed a great improvement in that regard. Shall we finish up our globes lesson?”
* * *
Jamie and Miss Ainsley had walked into his father’s office and were now sitting at the table. His father sat next to Miss Ainsley, and then turned to him.
“How has your day been, Son?”
“Very well, Father. We did French and math lessons this morning, and then this afternoon, we worked on history and globes.”
“That sounds like it has been a very productive day.”
“Indeed.”
“I’m sure you are wondering why I have asked you and Miss Ainsley to join me in my office?”
“I have, Father. I am hoping that it’s something fun.”
His father and Miss Ainsley laughed, and Jamie immediately realized that she knew what was going on. He was the only one who didn’t know the reason for the meeting.
“Well, Jamie. Miss Ainsley and I have been spending more time together, as you know. During that time, we have decided that we would like to spend even more time together and that we have discovered that we have feelings for each other. Romantic feelings.”
Jamie nodded. “You just discovered this?”
“Well, we just admitted it,” his father replied, glancing over at Miss Ainsley. “It was only last night that we decided to talk about it.”
“Well, I’m glad you finally talked about it. I have noticed it for a long time now.”
Both Miss Ainsley and his father first looked surprised, and then they looked at each other and laughed.
“Are you accepting of this, then, Son?”
“Of course. I think Miss Ainsley is really great, and I like that you are happier when she is around. I might only be ten years old, but I can still see that the two of you are better, together.”
“That is very sweet of you, Lord Seton,” Miss Ainsley replied. “You are wise beyond your years.”
“Do I have to still call her Miss Ainsley?”
Again, both his father and governess laughed. “Yes. I think for now, that is best. She is, at least for now, your governess, and that is a position that a young gentleman must respect. However, if it makes you more comfortable, you can request that she call you by your given name. She has consented for me to call her Priscilla, and I am happy to have her refer to me as Oliver.”
“Yes, I would like that.” He turned to Miss Ainsley. “You may call me Jamie…or James, I suppose, but I usually only get called that when I have been naughty.”
Laughter filled the air as all three of them found humor in the situation. If his father and Miss Ainsley were going to start the courting process, he certainly approved.
* * *
Later that night, Priscilla sat at her desk and wrote out a letter to Joan. She was hoping that her friend would be available to meet with her later in the week so that she could share the news.
Priscilla also wanted to go to town to perhaps see some other people she knew. She had a few acquaintances that she might be able to get in contact with about her task, and she had a couple of questions.
She supposed she should create a plan for this, after all, she simply wanted to get this done and move on with her life. She knew what she needed to do, but she didn’t quite know how to go about it. That’s what she needed with some of her contacts. The big thing that she would have to do is convince Jamie that he couldn’t come with her. She had a day off coming up, so missing a lesson wouldn’t be an issue, but she knew that he would want to go.
Since that was the case, she would talk to Oliver about perhaps scheduling a time when the three of them could go to town. He had mentioned it already, and he seemed very focused on spending more time with his son, so it could be a perfect solution.
Priscilla finished up her letter to Joan and then folded and sealed it. She would give it to Wright in the morning to send off.
* * *
“Wright, I am hoping that you will join me in the sitting room this evening.”
Oliver was on his way to his nightly whisky in the sitting room and had passed Wright in the hallway along the way.
“Of course, Your Grace.”
“I won’t keep you long, Wright. I just need to speak with you for a moment.”
The pair walked into the sitting room and sat down facing each other. Oliver was immediately given his whisky. He took a sip of it before speaking.
“Wright, I am hoping that you can help me with a favor.”
“It would be my pleasure, Your Grace. Anything.”
Oliver took another sip of whisky, and then continued to speak. “I don’t know if you have realized or not, Wright, but Miss Ainsley and I have been spending more time together recently.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
“And during those moments, we have become closer and have revealed to each other that our feelings are getting stronger. Thus, we have decided to explore this more and see where it might lead. I don’t want any unnecessary rumors to start. So, I think being open and honest from the start is the best way to go about this.”
“I agree, Your Grace. If you don’t mind me saying, Miss Ainsley is a lovely woman.”
“Indeed, she is, Wright. I want you to spread the word about this. I also want you to make it clear that, until the relationship moves forward, the staff are not required to treat Miss Ainsley any different than they do now. Jamie and I have both consented to her referring to us with our given names, but she shouldn’t have any special privileges in the household that would not typically be given to a governess.”
“I fully understand, Your Grace.”
“I suspect that this is what will make Miss Ainsley the most comfortable. This will be a transition for her, and I think it best that we take everything slowly. I appreciate your help with this, Wright.”
“I will always help you, Your Grace. I assure you that the staff thinks highly of Miss Ainsley, and I don’t foresee any issue with the staff regarding this matter.”
“Thank you so much, Wright.”
“Is that all, Your Grace?”
“One more thing, Wright. Can you inform the manager at the distillery that a new lift is arriving tomorrow? I would like to be informed when it arrives.”
“Of course, Your Grace.”
“Wonderful,” Oliver said, smiling as everything was falling into place. “I bid you good night.”
* * *
“Miss Ainsley, I don’t understand something. Why did Richard the First never stay in England? If he was the king, shouldn’t he have stayed in his kingdom?”
“Things were very different six hundred years ago. King Richard the First was a military gentleman. He was interested in fighting and the Third Crusade, which we will get into very soon.”
“So, a king can do whatever he wants?”
“Technically, yes, Jamie. But a good king would never leave his kingdom like they did long ago.”
As Jamie leaned over his history book, a knock came upon the door.
“Come in,” Priscilla said loudly, and a footman walked through carrying a tray.
“Two letters for you, Miss Ainsley.”
“Two?”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
Priscilla took the letters. One was surely from Joan, but what of the other? A sense of dread washed over her.
She opened the letter from Joan first, and quickly scanned it. Joan would be availa
ble to meet in three day’s time. Next, she opened the other letter. All it said was:
The job must be done within two weeks, or our deal is off.
Priscilla shivered. She had to create a plan, and she had to do it now. She was running out of time, and there was a lot on the line.
“Jamie, I think we will continue with this history lesson tomorrow.”
“Oh? It’s still early in the day.”
“Yes, I know. I’m feeling a bit under the weather, and I want to rest a bit before dinner.”
‘I’m sorry you aren’t feeling well, Miss Ainsley.”
“Thank you, Jamie. I really appreciate that. Perhaps Miss Slade is available to take a walk with you or you can go to the library. I’m sure I will feel better tomorrow. For now, I think it’s in my best interest to pause for the day, though.”
If Priscilla had to be honest with herself, she was feeling very nauseous knowing that she would have to do this task or lose everything. She needed to make sure she was alone, and she wanted to rest a bit, because she knew that she would probably be up very late this evening.
* * *
Oliver couldn’t believe the magnificence before him. The new lift was set up in the distillery, the steam was piping out of the top, and it was moving the heaviest of whisky barrels with ease. This would change everything in the industry, and he was the first one to use it.
Many of his staff were staring in awe at the machine, as it easily lifted one barrel after another. Though it was true that men were still needed to push and pull the barrels into place on their shelves, several of Oliver’s distillery workers were standing idly watching the process unfold. This was exactly what he needed to start getting the company’s finances back on track.
“The lift seems to be working well, Your Grace.”
Oliver turned to face Wright. “Yes, we will have to meet at some point to discuss a plan for the future, should we continue to use it.”
“I understand.”
Oliver never liked to get rid of his loyal staff, but he couldn’t keep paying for all of his workers, plus deal with the loss of some of his land. At the same time, he was happy that Lord Kenley accepted his proposal. That was the only way he was able to get the lift, even though Oliver suspected that Lord Kenley would be getting the better end of the deal.
As Oliver watched the lift, he couldn’t believe his change of luck. Just a week ago he was struggling to find out what to do with his distillery, and now, bis business was being set up to thrive. At the same time, he had Priscilla in his life and Jamie was happy. He really couldn’t ask for more.
* * *
“How do you feel about this, My Lord?”
“I’m very happy. I like Miss Ainsley a lot, and I like how my father acts when she is around.” Miss Slade was helping him dress for dinner.
“That is great news. Every time I have spoken with her, she has always been a pleasure. She has certainly had a positive effect on you and your father, too.”
“Yes, she is a very good governess…and I should know. I have had, what, five?”
Miss Slade began laughing. “Yes, My Lord. I believe we are at number five now.” She straightened his jacket as she spoke. “I want you to know, My Lord, that if you have any questions or concerns about what is going on with the developing relationship between Miss Ainsley and your father, that I am here for you.”
“Thank you, Miss Slade. I probably won’t, though. Things are going well so far. They like each other very much, and we are doing things together. Did you know we are even going to go to town together?”
“I didn’t, My Lord, but that sounds delightful.”
“I actually do have one question, Miss Slade. If my father and Miss Ainsley get married, do you think I would still have to call her Miss Ainsley? Or would I call her by her given name? Or…Mother?”
“Very good question, My Lord. I would doubt that she would remain your governess should that happen, as she would have many other new duties to take on as the Duchess of Dowding. So, I don’t think you would continue to call her Miss Ainsley. However, as for what you might call her, perhaps that would be a discussion between yourself, your father, and Miss Ainsley. Just keep in mind, however, that courting is a complicated process, and there is always the possibility that there will not be a marriage between the two of them.”
“Yes, I have read about it in my books. I, for one, hope it does work, as they seem very happy together.”
“Yes, My Lord, they do. We all like Miss Ainsley, and we always pray for the best for you and your father. I’m sure that things will work out just as they are meant to be.”
Jamie thought so, too, but he was puzzled about Miss Ainsley’s sudden departure from their lessons.
Chapter 20
The night was dark, and Priscilla was doing her best to remain as quiet as possible. She was laying in her bed listening hard. The room was silent, and as soon as she heard Oliver walk past, which he would as he went to his bedchamber, she could start her search.
She had an idea that what she was looking for might be in the library. That’s where she was going on the night when she had hidden in the closet. Though Priscilla told him that she was having trouble sleeping, the truth was, she was far from tired that night, and their interactions in the closet had certainly not made it any easier to sleep.
Tonight, though, as much as she would want a repeat of Oliver’s body touching her own, she hoped that he would remain safely in his bedroom and not interrupt her.
She soon heard the shuffling of feet outside of the door. The steps seemed to pause for a moment, but then continued on. She strained to hear the sound of his door closing, and within a few seconds, she heard the sound she was waiting for.
Priscila shot up in her bed and swung her legs around to put her feet on the floor. She had her darkest-colored gown on and made sure that her hair was tightly pinned to her head. She needed to stay as inconspicuous as possible, and her wild curls could possibly give her away if she wandered into a lighted area.
She made her way into the hallway, which was dark and empty. She had purposefully waited for tonight, as the moon was full and bright, and it helped to illuminate the hallways. Priscilla didn’t want to take a chance by carrying a lamp.
Slowly, she made her way to the top of the stairs. Going down and around would be the most dangerous part of her walk, in terms of getting caught. The door to the staff’s quarters was on the other side of the stairs, so there were often a lot of people walking in and out. She was hoping that it was late enough to avoid seeing anyone. If she did, she would use the same excuse she used with Oliver—she couldn’t sleep.
At the bottom of the stairs, Priscilla heard a noise, which made her turn her head to look behind her. She stopped breathing and froze in place. Was someone there?
After a moment, she didn’t hear anything else, so she slowly continued on around the staircase and down the darkened hallway. If she could make it to the end of this hall, the library door was right around the corner.
Priscilla moved faster than she intended to, but her nerves were intense, and her heart was pounding in her chest. She tried to walk slower, but just wanted to get to the corner.
As she got close, she backed up against the wall and peeked around the corner. No one was present and the hallways was dark. She could see the housemaids’ closet, and across the hall would be the library door.
Slowly, Priscilla took a step into the darkness, and in one smooth movement, the rest of her body followed. She swallowed hard, took a few more steps, and her arm extended to allow her hand to open the library door. She only opened it a small amount, just to see if it was dark…and it was, save for a small glowing lamp sitting on the table.
Was the lamp lit because someone was there or was it a lamp that remained illuminated all night? Priscilla didn’t know, but she had come too far to not go through with her plan. So she took a breath and opened the door wide.
There was no movement, so Priscilla
walked in and closed the door quietly behind her. She rushed to the shelves and then started pulling books off of them. She was looking for a single piece of paper, or so she believed, and thought that the library would be the perfect hiding place.
She cleared off shelf after shelf and opened drawer after drawer, but she found nothing. Priscilla didn’t know how long she had been searching the library, but it had to at least been an hour, and likely more.
The Devious Seduction 0f A Wayward Duke (Steamy Historical Romance) Page 18
