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

by Olivia Bennet

  “Come in,” she said, quickly trying to tame her loose curls.

  Wright walked in and said, “Miss Ainsley, His Grace has asked for your presence in the sitting room this evening.”

  “Oh, very well. Please give me just a moment to freshen up.”

  “Yes, Miss Ainsley. I will wait for you in the hallway.”

  “Thank you, Wright.”

  Priscilla furiously began fixing her hair and straightening out her gown. She hadn’t thought that she would see Oliver tonight, so she hadn’t prepared for that. She was also not feeling herself after talking to Duncan, so she hoped that she could at least act like everything was normal. Of course, she was thrilled to spend time with Oliver, but other things were weighing her down.

  She met Wright in the hallway, and he escorted her to the sitting room where she met Oliver.

  “You look lovely tonight, Priscilla,” he said with a smile. “Thank you so much for joining me.”

  “You are very kind, Oliver. It has been a long day, and I hope that I am not wearing that on my face.”

  “Not at all, my Dear. Please, sit with me. I would like to hear about your time in town.”

  Priscilla sat down, and she was immediately given a glass of sherry.

  “It was wonderful to see my friend Joan. She has been a dear friend to me for many years.”

  “Did you know her from the orphanage?”

  “No. She is not an orphan. We both worked in a hotel washing dishes when we were children. She eventually broke free of that type of life and married a physician only last year. She informed me today that they are expecting their first child.”

  “Oh, that’s wonderful news. I didn’t know, however, that you were working like that so young. How old were you?”

  “Perhaps eight years old. Children in the orphanage generally begin working at a very young age. I had stopped by the time I was a bit older, though.”

  “Terrible. I can’t imagine Jamie working like that.”

  “Jamie was blessed to be born into a different type of life.”

  “Yes, he was. For that, I am fortunate. Did you tell her about our…courtship?”

  “I did. She was thrilled. We both had such wonderful news to share, so it really was a delightful afternoon.”

  “I’m happy you did it. Though, I have to say…there is something about you that seems…I don’t know…off.”

  “Oh, I think I am just a bit tired. I did a bit of shopping after meeting with Joan, and I probably just overexerted myself. I’m sure I will perk right up after a night of sleep.”

  “Indeed. I’m glad, even though you are tired, that you took the time to meet with me. I do miss seeing you when you are not around.”

  “That is very nice to say, Oliver. Those sentiments are mutual.”

  “Pardon me, Priscilla, but I am still rather curious about your childhood. It was so much different than mine.”

  “Yes, it would be. There is really not much to say. I was raised in an orphanage until the age of ten. I worked washing dishes as a child.”

  “What happened after the age of ten?”

  “I was taken in by a local family. I helped with their family business.”

  “So, it wasn’t all bad, it seems.”

  “I don’t necessarily see that any of it was bad. After all, I believe that our experiences in life are what create the person we are today.”

  “Very true…and if that is the case, then I’m happy you went through that, because that is the woman I am deeply caring for right now.”

  Priscilla smiled and took a sip of her sherry.

  * * *

  The house was abuzz with excitement this morning. To Jamie, it seemed as if every member of the staff had a smile on their face and was in a great mood. His father’s friend, the Earl of Darnerton, and his wife, Lady Darnerton, would be coming for dinner and staying overnight.

  “Miss Slade, why is everyone so happy that the Earl and his wife are coming?”

  “Well, My Lord, it’s probably due to the fact that Lady Darnerton hasn’t been here in several years. In fact, I think she hasn’t been here since you were but a wee baby. You have never met her…or at least met her at a time when you would remember. Many of the staff members do remember her, though. She was great friends with your mother.”

  Jamie thought about this for a moment. Since he had never met his mother, he always had conflicting feelings when someone mentioned her. On one hand, he knew that he was supposed to feel sad that she was no longer alive, but on the other, how could you feel sad about the loss of someone you have never met?

  “Then I look forward to meeting her.”

  “I’m sure she is looking forward to meeting you, too, My Lord.”

  “Do you know her?”

  “I do. She is a lovely lady, and I’m sure that she will be a delight.”

  “Is she going to meet Miss Ainsley?”

  “She will. That is why your father invited them, I presume. Since Miss Ainsley is a governess, and not a lady, it is important for her to be introduced into that way of life. I’m sure your father intends for Lady Darnerton to take Miss Ainsley under her wing and to give her some much-needed advice. As a young lord, you may not understand the different ways of life that people have. Your way of living, for instance, is much different than how I lived as a child or how Miss Ainsley lived as a child.”

  Jamie nodded. He knew that there were different groups of people in society, but he hadn’t given much thought to the fact that it wasn’t as easy to raise your social standing as he might think.

  “Will Lady Darnerton like Miss Ainsley?”

  “Miss Ainsley is a lovely person, and I would hope that Lady Darnerton wouldn’t take Miss Ainsley social status into consideration right now, but society can be a fickle thing to some people.”

  “Yes, I have read about it in my books. I just didn’t understand that real life could be like that.”

  “Listen to me, My Lord.” Miss Slade bent over to look him in the eye. “You have been very privileged to be born into the highest level of society. You father has kept you very sheltered from the rest of the world, and now your eyes are opening. With people in your life like me, Miss Ainsley, and others, I hope that you will be part of the peerage that is willing to accept and adopt that the world is changing. I don’t know if Lady Darnerton is quite at that level yet.”

  “I understand, Miss Slade, and I also hope that Miss Ainsley is up to the task to impress.”

  “Me too, My Lord. Now, off to your lessons.”

  * * *

  Priscilla was sitting at her desk when Jamie walked into the classroom.

  “Good morning, Jamie. Are you ready for your lessons?”

  “Good morning. Yes, I am Miss Ainsley. I’m sorry that I am a bit late. Miss Slade and I were in the middle of a conversation.”

  “It is perfectly fine. I was just finishing up with my lesson plan when you walked in. I think we will begin with history. Is that acceptable?”

  “Yes, of course. May I ask you something, first?”

  “You may always ask me anything, Jamie.”

  “Have you met Lady Darnerton before? She’s coming here for dinner tonight, you know.”

  Priscilla smiled at Jamie and chuckled. “No, I haven’t met her, but I do know that she is coming for dinner. Your father thought that it would be nice for me to meet his oldest friend, the Earl of Darnerton, and his lovely wife, Lady Darnerton.”

  “I haven’t met her either. But, I know she was friends with my mother.”

  Priscilla nodded. “Yes, that’s what I understand, too.”

  “Are you looking forward to meeting her? Are you scared?”

  “Yes, I am, and no, I’m not afraid.”

  The truth, however, was that Priscilla was quite nervous about meeting both the Earl of Darnerton and his wife. She didn’t have a lot of experience interacting with people of their standing, and she also knew that the Earl…and even Lady Darnerton…might have a
lot of influence on Oliver. If they didn’t like her, she wasn’t sure that he would want to continue moving forward with their relationship.

  “That’s good, then,” Jamie said. “I have met the Earl several times. He is very nice. I even had dinner with him and my father the last time he was here.”

  “Yes, I remember that. I did not have the pleasure of meeting him on that occasion.”

  “One more thing before we start our lesson, Miss Ainsley. Do you like Wright?”

  Priscilla paused and looked at Jamie, confused. That was an odd question.

  “Of course I like Wright. Why would you ask that?”

  “I don’t know. I just thought that perhaps you didn’t like him.”

  Something told Priscilla that something strange was going on in Jamie’s mind if he was asking questions like that, and she would have to make sure to get to the bottom of it.

  * * *

  Oliver was watching the clock. Darnerton and his wife would be arriving shortly, and if he had to be honest with himself, he was nervous.

  He wanted to greet the couple if he could, so he kept glancing out the window of his office to watch the road leading up to the house. As soon as he saw the carriage arriving, he would make his way to the house’s main entrance.

  Until then, Oliver continued to calculate his numbers. According to his calculations, he could afford to lose ten members of staff in the distillery and still keep up production. That would bring him a very nice profit. More good news to share with Darnerton.

  Oliver then noticed the carriage approaching, so he made his way to the front of the house. By the time he got there, the carriage had already slowed to a stop, and the coachman was beginning to open the door.

  Lady Darnerton stepped out followed by Darnerton, and the coachman closed the door behind him.

  Oliver approached Lady Darnerton and leaned in to embrace his old friend. “Margaret, it has been much too long since I have seen you last. You look lovely, and I’m so happy that you were able to come with Darnerton.”

  “Oliver, you are looking well, just as my husband has said. I am greatly looking forward to seeing Jamie and meeting your…friend.”

  “Jamie is definitely looking forward to seeing you, too. Priscilla can’t wait to meet you.”

  “Where is she, then? Typically, I would expect her to meet us.”

  “Margaret,” Darnerton interrupted. “We discussed this.”

  “I’m not saying anything at all, Dear,” she replied to her husband. “I am simply asking where she is.”

  “I can answer that quite simply,” Oliver interjected. “She and Jamie are finishing up their lessons for the day. You will meet with them both for dinner.”

  “Very well, then.” Margaret replied.

  “Margaret, I’m certain that you would like to rest up after your journey. Please, follow Wright. He will show you to your quarters.”

  “Thank you so much, Oliver.” She then turned to Darnerton. “Are you coming, Nash?”

  “I will join you in a bit, my Dear. I want to catch up with Oliver.”

  “I would love to show you the new lift in the distillery.”

  “Excellent.” Darnerton turned to Margaret. “I will meet with you later.”

  Chapter 22

  Margaret and Wright walked into the house, and Oliver turned towards Darnerton.

  “As expected, she doesn’t seem to like my new relationship.”

  Darnerton shook his head. “I’m sorry. She doesn’t. Once I figured it out, I attempted to keep her from accompanying me, but you know Margaret. Once she has her mind set on something, there is no talking her out of it.”

  Oliver laughed. “Yes, that is the perfect way to describe her. Shall we walk over to the distillery?”

  “Indeed.”

  The two gentlemen continued to talk as they walked the short distance to the distillery.

  “Was your journey here pleasant?”

  “Very pleasant, though long. It feels good to walk around a bit, to be honest.”

  “I can imagine. Do you need any rest?”

  “No, I think I’m fine. I’m not keeping you from your work, am I?”

  “Of course not. In some regards, since we are heading to the distillery, I am technically working!”

  Darnerton laughed. “Yes, that is true. I am looking forward to seeing the lift in action.”

  “It’s quite spectacular. It picks up the barrels like they weigh nothing. All thanks to steam power.”

  “How much did it cost, if you don’t mind me asking? I know you went through Lord Kenley to get it.”

  “Indeed.” Oliver laughed. “I’ll say that he probably got the better end of the bargain, but it will be very helpful to me in the long run. I estimate that, thus far, I can do with ten fewer staff members working with the barrels.”

  “Oh, that will save a lot of money.”

  “Yes, it will. I will be happy to see a profit for once. I just have to talk to Wright about choosing the staff who will be displaced.”

  “Never a pleasurable job, but a necessary one.”

  “Yes…now…here we are. Follow me, Darnerton.”

  Oliver led his friend into the bustling, loud distillery. There were men talking and shouting, and the air near the lift was thick with steam.

  “Wow, Oliver. That’s pretty amazing,” Darnerton said as he walked near the lift. “I can’t believe my eyes. You are right. It’s picking up those huge barrels like they weigh nothing.”

  “We live in an exciting time, Darnerton. If we have this type of machinery now, I can’t even imagine what this distillery might look like when Jamie is my age.”

  “Lord Kenley must have really done some work to get something like this.”

  “I’m sure he did, and I would prefer not to know what lengths he went to in order to obtain this!”

  Both of the gentlemen laughed. “Shall we go back to the house? Jamie and Priscilla won’t be done with their lessons yet, but you and I could have a drink and catch up…unless you want to rest, of course.”

  “Yes, Dowding. That sounds fantastic.”

  * * *

  “Jamie, I know you are excited, but we have to finish this before the end of the day. We only have one more chapter to go over.”

  “I’m sorry, Miss Ainsley. I am excited. We don’t usually have dinner guests, at least I don’t get to participate in a dinner with a guest.”

  “I know. But your lessons must come first. There is plenty of time before dinner, and I daresay that Miss Slade will want to make you look your very best tonight, so it will still be awhile before you can see the Earl and Lady Darnerton.”

  “I suppose you are right. Aren’t you excited?”

  Priscilla was far from excited. Instead, she was very nervous. Not only did she feel intimidated by meeting Oliver’s closest friend and his wife, she would be eating in the dining room with the family. She was used to eating alone in her quarters, so this would certainly be different. She also would have to dress on her own, and she was nervous that she wouldn’t look acceptable.

  “I am very excited, Jamie. It will be nice to meet your father’s friends. Now, shall we get back to your lessons?”

  * * *

  “Please, tell me more about Miss Ainsley.”

  Oliver and Darnerton were sitting in the drawing room sipping on some ale.

  “Well, she is all that I could want in someone, I believe. She is wonderful with Jamie, he simply adores her, and she is very funny. Priscilla makes me laugh, and I feel comfortable with her.”

  “She really sounds lovely. I am looking forward to getting to know her better this evening.”

  “Do you think that there is anything we can do about Margaret? I’m sure Priscilla is already worried about meeting you for dinner, and I’m just afraid that Margaret might put her under too much pressure.”

  Darnerton shrugged. “You know how she is, Dowding. She will want to put Miss Ainsley through the paces before fully accepting
her. It’s not just that she sees her as a replacement for Leah, but because she is a governess, and Margaret feels that you deserve better than that.”

  “I see.” Oliver took a sip of his drink and sighed. “I hope Priscilla can handle it.”

  “If she can’t, Margaret will be right. Personally, I don’t have any issue with it, but I know that Margaret’s main concern is that Miss Ainsley is not good enough for you.”