A Dangerous Debut: A Sweet Regency Romance (Ladies of Mayfair Book 5)

by Wendy May Andrews

  With a dry chuckle, Jasper forced himself to sit up and swing his feet over the side. Sighing, he acknowledged the wisdom of his valet’s words. “Very well, Henry, ring away. But I beg of you, coffee and toast only. I could not stomach anything more than that at this ungodly hour.”

  Henry’s grin remained firmly in place as he bustled around the room. His efficient movements had the viscount fed, shaved, and dressed before too many moments had passed. By the time he was dressed, Jasper’s gaze was as sharp-eyed as usual.

  “Thank you, Henry. You are as proficient as ever. I trust that all has been arranged, and my baggage is properly stowed.”

  “Of course, my lord. I shall be riding in the second carriage with your and Miss Pembroke’s luggage. If you have no further need of me, I will leave now to ride over and get on with collecting the rest of the luggage.”

  “Very well, Henry. That would be best.”

  ~~~

  Within a short time, Jasper was handing Daisy and her maid into his carriage, and they were making their way out of the city.

  Jasper was chagrined to see the sympathetic expression Daisy was sending his way. “Was it terribly difficult for you to get up this early, my lord?”

  “It is not so very strange for me, Daisy, my dear.” Jasper made an attempt to brazen it out.

  However, Daisy wasn’t about to fall for his tales. She rolled her eyes at him but failed to comment. She had her own anxieties to concentrate on and allowed him to maintain his claim.

  A few minutes of silence were interrupted by her yawning. Quickly covering her mouth, Daisy blushed to her hairline. “I do apologize, my lord. It was a short night, as we worked late making certain all was in readiness for today.”

  “Do not trouble yourself, my dear girl, it is perfectly understandable. You might as well put your head back and try to get a bit of sleep. We have several hours of driving ahead of us.”

  “Oh, my lord, I doubt if I could sleep a wink. I am far too excited.”

  Jasper looked at her and observed the anxiety shining in her bright eyes. He was swept with an overwhelming desire to pull her into his arms and comfort her as best he could. Feeling the maid’s suspicious gaze focused on him, Jasper squelched the impulse and merely reiterated his suggestion that she try to get some rest.

  “I will not pester you with chatter or questions. Close your eyes and at least get a little rest.”

  “Very well, my lord, I will do as you bid,” was Daisy’s cheeky reply. She followed his directions, and before long, the motion of the vehicle had soothed her nerves. Her breathing evened out and her head began to nod.

  Jasper took a moment to study his companion. In repose, she looked even younger than she usually did. He wondered how she could possibly be responsible for herself. He realized there was much he did not know about her and determined to get to know her a little better when she awoke. Chastising himself for his usual self-absorption, he resolved to spend the time during the drive after she awoke learning as much as he could. They needed to establish their story so that it would stand up to the scrutiny they were sure to face once they arrived at his parents’ estate.

  He was surprised how enjoyable it was to sit and watch her sleep. Jasper could have done it for hours, but then he caught Kate’s fierce eyes upon him. Jasper tried to charm her with a smile, but it seemed she was not going to be so easily beguiled. He wasn’t sure if he should endeavor to engage the young woman in conversation. To solve his dilemma, he decided to follow his own advice. Closing his eyes, he thought he would just rest them a few minutes.

  Expecting he would be too aware of his surroundings to actually fall asleep, he was shocked to open them what felt like a moment later to realize that he had been sleeping. Across from him, Daisy and Kate were whispering quietly to each other. Daisy caught his eye upon her.

  “Good morning, my lord,” she greeted him cheerfully. “I would like to thank you for the suggestion to close my eyes. I thought it could not possibly do any good, but I actually slept and now I feel much more the thing.”

  Jasper tried not to glare at her. He was not feeling at all the thing. He hated falling asleep in a carriage. The crick it always placed in his neck was such an irritant.

  Daisy’s sharp gaze searched his face briefly before she let slip a light giggle. “Oh dear, my lord, you are not feeling nearly as refreshed as I am, are you? Do you need a wee bit more sleep? Would you prefer if Kate and I remain silent so you can get a bit more rest?”

  “Not at all, my dear, but I thank you for your solicitous offer.” His begrudging reply was polite, causing another giggle to escape his companion.

  A moment of silence stretched through the carriage before Daisy cleared her throat delicately. “I was far too anxious this morning to eat very much. Did you by chance think to pack some refreshments?”

  Jasper looked at her blankly for a moment before Kate piped up from her corner.

  “Perhaps that basket could be an answer, my lord,” she offered, wry amusement lurking in her low voice.

  Surprised, Jasper grabbed the basket, blessing his valet at the back of his mind. “No doubt my servants arranged for our comfort.”

  Daisy tried to maintain a polite, social façade, but it had been so long since she had been pampered or provided for. She found she was far more excited to see what was in the basket than was surely seemly for a lady of the ton.

  Jasper felt her curious gaze upon him and decided to tease her for a moment. He feigned peeking into the basket but then closed it, putting it aside with a shrug.

  After another moment of taut silence, Daisy prompted, “Well? Was there anything in there for us to eat, my lord?”

  “Oh, did you wish to eat?” he asked. Seeing her incredulous face, he was unable to contain his mirth. With a bark of laughter, he relented. “Yes, my dear girl, there is plenty to keep you satisfied in this basket. Please, help yourself.”

  “Allow me, miss,” Kate insisted, taking on her roll of lady’s maid with enthusiasm.

  A few moments later, Daisy sat back with a sigh. “Thank you, Kate, and thank you, Lord Seaton, I was beginning to fear I would perish from my hunger before we reached our destination.”

  “I find that doubtful,” Jasper began before Daisy’s tinkle of laughter rang out.

  “My lord, you are a complete hand,” she declared, as was her wont. She waited a beat before asking solicitously, “What sort of traveller are you, my lord? Would you prefer silence to think your own thoughts or do you prefer to pass the time with light conversation?”

  “I am glad you have asked. I was thinking there is much I do not know about you. While you were sleeping, I realized there are many things I ought to have found out before now.”

  Daisy’s stomach knotted at his words. She hated lying and had been so relieved that he seemed uninterested in her past. She had not yet decided how much to tell him. Resolving to wait and see what he asked before she panicked, she offered what she hoped was an encouraging smile and waited expectantly for his questions.

  “What is your family situation, Miss Pembroke? I assume you do not have any family or you would not be seeking employment.”

  “You are quite correct, my lord. I am sadly an orphan. My parents both died a year and a half ago.”

  “You have my sympathies, my dear. How tragic that must have been for you. And there were no extended family who could take you in?”

  “Unfortunately, not really. Neither of my parents came from large families. There are, of course, some cousins and various other extended relatives, but no one was overly anxious to have me join their families, and I decided I would prefer to fend for myself rather than be beholden to them.”

  “But surely they would have welcomed you.” Jasper could not conceive of the lovely young woman being abandoned to her fate.

  Daisy did not wish to dwell upon the painful subject. Trying for a light tone, she lifted her chin to a proud angle. “Their circumstances made it challenging to be very welcomi
ng, and I did not wish to impose. I can assure you, my lord, being a governess is far preferable to being a poor relation.”

  Jasper searched her face, his ears catching the fact that there was much being left unsaid. “Did your relations by any chance have some unattractive, unmarried daughters?”

  Daisy’s tinkling laughter filled the small space of the carriage, causing the viscount to catch his breath over the instant pull of attraction. He studiously ignored the sensation, waiting for her reply.

  “I beg leave to say that had nothing to do with the situation, my lord,” Daisy insisted.

  “Did you truly enjoy being a governess?” Jasper asked, curious to see how she would answer.

  “Well…” Daisy hesitated, wondering how best to reply. “The children were actually not monstrous. There were four, two boys and two girls. They were varying in age from three to eight. It was very busy, to say the least.”

  “You were on your own with four small children?” Jasper was aghast.

  Kate just barely managed to keep her gasp to herself. It was not so strange to her. She had been responsible for her younger siblings for years. Daisy cast her a sympathetic glance before turning her attention to the viscount.

  “It is not so very strange, my lord. But no, I was very rarely completely on my own with the four children. Usually a maid was assigned to assist in the nursery. She would keep the baby occupied while I was busy with the children in the schoolroom. And when we went out of doors, a maid or a groom would accompany us in order to help keep the children safe. There was a small lake on the property, and I was always terrified the boys would try to go for a swim.”

  “Were they the rambunctious sort?”

  “Very much so,” Daisy said, smiling in memory.

  “How long were you with that family?”

  “Fifteen months.”

  “So you sought a position within three months of your parents’ death?”

  “That is correct. It was all a stressful muddle at first, as I am sure you can imagine. But when I came to terms with the situation, I decided being a governess would be the answer for me.” Daisy sighed. “I never thought it would be possible, but I actually find that I miss the children.”

  Jasper tilted his head to examine his companion, trying to see into her thoughts, wondering how to pry the truth out of her. “How did you have the necessary qualifications?”

  Now we are getting to the tricky parts, Daisy thought, as she smiled nervously. “I have received a rather excellent education, my lord,” she began to explain.

  Kate, who hadn’t been paying much attention to the conversation but had been gazing raptly out the window, as she had never been anywhere outside of Bloomsbury, gasped suddenly. “Oh look, miss, it is the prettiest thing you have ever seen, I’m sure.”

  Daisy followed Kate’s pointing finger and had to agree with her assessment. It was a beautiful sight. The field full of woolly, white sheep surrounded by the vivid green of the hedgerow was the epitome of bucolic charm, but for the city-born-and-bred young maid, it was a sight to behold.

  Looking at the viscount to see how he was taking the interruption, she was surprised to see the look of compassion upon his face. He was watching Kate’s enjoyment of the scenery with such indulgence displayed in his eyes.

  “Have you truly never been outside of the city before now, Kate?” he asked, leaning forward, kindly interested in her reply.

  The usually hostile Kate now smiled shyly at Jasper. “No, my lord, my family has always lived in London.”

  Jasper was surprised by the information. They had yet to travel very far. His parents’ estate was less than a day’s travel from the centre of Town. It was hard to imagine never having been outside the City. He had a new thought.

  “Have you ever been outside of London, Miss Daisy?”

  “Well, of course, my lord. The family I worked for spent most of their time on their country estate. I am actually still quite fascinated with the city as I have less experience with London than I do with the countryside.”

  “Ah, yes, of course.”

  Daisy mistrusted his speculative gaze and hastened to steer the conversation along the same vein, hoping the viscount would not return to wondering about her circumstances.

  “What about you, my lord? Do you spend much of your time in the City or out?”

  “I, of course, grew up on my parents’ estate, the one to which we are travelling. My father has other properties that we visited from time to time, and he would sometimes bring the whole family to London when he would sit down in the House. But in recent years, I have spent most of my time in London. There is so much more to do in the City than there is while rusticating upon the estate.”

  “To be sure,” Daisy nearly drawled, just imagining the type of shenanigans the handsome young lord was likely to get up to.

  She watched in fascination as the viscount threw back his head and laughed heartily.

  “Your sarcasm is strangely appealing, Miss Margaret Pembroke. Are you very sure you have not made your curtsy to Society? I am convinced the patronesses would be enamored with you.”

  “Are you funning me, my lord?”

  “Perhaps a little, my dear girl. Now why do you not go back to telling me how you were so excellently educated?”

  Daisy felt the blush rising in her cheeks, and she silently cursed the fairness of her complexion that gave away nearly every emotion. She braced herself, as she watched his gaze sharpening over her hesitation to answer the question.

  “This should not be a difficult question, my dear,” the viscount drawled.

  Daisy knew his lazy tone was deceptive as his gaze remained bright, but she lifted her chin, refusing to be cowed. “I spent one year at Ponder’s End with Mrs. Tyler. She was perfectly lovely, although I hated being away from home and missed my governess and parents terribly. But my parents thought it would be good for me to have the exposure to other girls, since I was the only child.”

  Trying not to squirm under the viscount’s unblinking gaze, Daisy made an effort to keep her smile in place and unaffected.

  She had not realized she was holding her breath until she let it out in a puff she had to control so it was not a gasp when Jasper finally responded.

  “Intriguing, my dear,” he finally offered. “I find it so curious that you would find yourself in need of employment when your childhood was so obviously idyllic.”

  Daisy offered a dainty shrug. “Circumstances change, my lord, surely you must be well aware of that. We would not be on this errand otherwise.” Daisy decided she had told him enough for now and turned the questions on him. “Were you able to find out who will be present when we arrive?”

  “No, my mother was decidedly uninformative, I must say. She was effusive, as I expected, in her delight that you would be accompanying me. She urged us to arrive with all haste.”

  Jasper’s smile widened to reveal the dimple in his cheek. Daisy wanted to stare at it but forced her eyes away. Clearly his smiles were hardly ever genuine as the dimple so rarely peeped through. If she were not made of sterner stuff, she surmised that looking at the viscount would be enough to turn her head. As it was, despite her best efforts to remain firm, butterflies fluttered in her midsection. Studiously ignoring the ridiculous sensation, she reminded herself that this entire situation was all make believe.

  “Does your mother host house parties often, my lord?”

  “Oh yes, inexplicably it would seem it is one of her favorite things. She hosts them as often as my father will allow, I believe.”

  “So do you usually attend?”

  “I used to, of course, when I still lived with them. For a time I was unsure if I was even welcome to attend. Of late my mother has started sending me invitations.”

  “And do you reply?” Daisy asked with a trill of laughter.

  Jasper shrugged. “Usually.”

  Daisy tried not to be annoyed with the effort required to pull the information out of him. She was torn b
etween enjoying the back and forth conversation and wishing he would just tell her everything she needed to know.

  “Have you been to any of her parties of late?” She struggled to contain her annoyance, as she could see that it amused the wretched man.

  “It has been some time since I attended. My mother seemed to be using her parties as an opportunity to try to match make, you see. I found that it was much more ideal to have previous plans whenever she got it into her head to have another party.”

  Daisy’s smile widened in amusement. “And now here you are, bringing your own match. Will your mother be terribly disappointed when it turns out that we will not suit?”

  “It is hard to say, my dear. It will depend on how attached you allow her to get to you over the next se’ennight.”

  Guilt rose up in Daisy’s heart. It must have been written on her features, as Jasper was quick to chuckle. “Have no fear, my dear girl. Even if my mother grows quite attached to you, she will weather the disappointment easily. It will at least give her the opportunity to redouble her efforts to match me up herself. While I am certain she shall be delighted with you, there will be one obvious flaw about you.”

  “And what, pray tell, is that?”

  “She did not pick you out herself.”

  Daisy’s delighted chuckle rang out in the confines of the small space before she quickly clapped her hand over her mouth. “I am so sorry, my lord, I should be containing myself, should I not? Proper ladies do not laugh so loud, do they?”

  “Where do you get your ideas from? Was Mrs. Tyler terribly strict?”

  “The lady for whom I was the governess had very clear rules about such things. I was supposed to be passing these instructions on to the children. No, Mrs. Tyler was lovely and did not try to crush our spirits.”

  “I can see why you had such difficulty being a governess. It would seem that it is not in your nature to crush the spirits of youngsters. Is that why you left the position?”