Mending the Duke's Heart: A Historical Regency Romance Book

by Bridget Barton

  “There aren’t any that I have really found a kinship with,” Lady Pamala explained.

  He couldn’t blame her, as he had avoided the ladies of the ton simply because their personalities were often shallow and pompous.

  “What about Lady Clarissa? I thought you and her were getting along well these last few years.”

  “Lady Clarissa can be…” Lady Pamala hesitated.

  The Duke knew his sister was never fond of talking ill of someone else even if they deserved it.

  “She is enjoyable enough to be around, and certainly she knows the ins and outs of society very well being a few years my senior and very active in society,” Lady Pamala started with all the good virtues she could think of. “It is only just she is not someone I would consider having a very close relationship with. I think we are very different in key ways, and though I would always be happy to keep her company, I don’t know that I would ever feel comfortable with her as I already do with Miss Ward.”

  “But you have known Lady Clarissa for years and this Miss Ward for only a month. Surely you can’t have discovered everything about her in such a short time. Not to mention,” the Duke hesitated how to put things politely. “I fear Miss Ward might stand out, and not in a good way, in many social circles you would be required to traverse.”

  “But Ella is very smart, and she will be a quick study. I can teach her all she needs to know. You would never guess that she wasn’t born among the gentry by the time I am done.”

  The Duke raised a golden brown eyebrow at the confident declaration.

  “I really mean it, Winthrope. I could teach her everything she needs to know and to be honest, she really isn’t that bad. Yes, her language could use a bit of clarifying, but other than that, it is really just telling her all the silly rules she would have no reason to know before now. I promise you in a week’s time, she will be a completely different person. The day before the ball…” Lady Pamala lighted up as the thought came to her. “She could come with us to the small dinner at Lord and Lady Cunningham’s. I know that Lord Melvin would not object to having her join at her father’s small dinner, and I’m sure Lord and Lady Cunningham wouldn’t either.”

  The Duke hesitated. Though the Cunninghams were very good friends and this dinner with them was a very regular and relaxed occurrence compared to other engagements, he still wasn’t sure if he was willing to risk the embarrassment.

  “Perhaps something a little less public. Why don’t you invite Lady Clarissa over for tea that afternoon before going to the Cunningham’s? I will join you and determine if I think she is fit enough for engagements with society. If that is the case, I will gladly fund the necessary means so that she may stay at least the remainder of the Season with you.”

  “If you insist, but I assure you she is an excellent lady already. You have nothing to fear, but if you want this little test first, I’m sure she will be amenable to it.”

  “It’s not just for her, Pammy. I want you to consider Lady Clarissa just once more. You have known her for many years. And even if you turn this Miss Ward into the ton’s finest lady, she is still not part of the gentry. People will still be less than enthused with her presence for that fact alone. Many will not care, but there will be some who would look down on her still, and you and to an extent myself, for keeping company with her.”

  “Ella Ward is kind-hearted, hard-working, determined, and has already accomplished more in her life than many of the so-called fine people of the ton could ever claim. As for those who would still look down on her simply for her happenstance of birth, well, they are certainly not people I care to associate with.”

  “I agree with you on that point, but please just remember to be cautious in how and with whom you share it.”

  Lady Pamala nodded that she understood her brother’s meaning. Kissing him sweetly on the cheek, she excused herself to bed for the night, having gotten the desired effect she had come for.

  He watched his sister leave the room and thought about all that had just transpired between them. He wondered if his father would have done differently. He hoped he had done what the late Duke would have liked. Yes, he had caved into his sister’s demands yet again, but she had come to him sensibly and had been willing to submit to his conditions.

  He also thought on this young miss that he had only a briefest of moments with. What could she have possibly done for his level-headed sister to find so admirable in such a short amount of time? He feared that though he hadn’t gone to the lengths of his mother or Mrs Jenkins, he too had his own part on judging her and assuming things about her.

  He decided that night as he sat by his office fire, that he would give Miss Ward a real chance to show her true character to him as he would anyone else of the ton. He would not fall into the trapped way of thinking as so many of the other Tories did that good people only came from the gentry. He knew that good could come from even the lowest of stations.

  Chapter 11

  “Oh, look at that! It fits you perfectly,” Lady Pamala exclaimed as she sat on her bed and watched Abigail, her lady’s maid, dress Ella for her first official social event.

  Though they had spent the last six days hard at work completing the dresses for the ball, every moment of their time together had also been spent endeavouring to turn Ella into a lady indistinguishable from the rest of the ton. All of this had been done under the watchful glare of Mrs Jenkins.

  Today was what all the dictation, recitations, and etiquette lessons had led up to. It was the moment Ella was to prove to the Duke that she was a sensible miss who would never disappoint or shame him.

  To be honest, Ella cared little about what the Duke thought of her. To Ella, he was nothing more than a giant lumbering rock that only seemed to scowl in and out of rooms except for the rare occasions that he conversed with his sister.

  It was in this moment he melted his cobblestone exterior and actually seemed almost human to her. Then Ella would say something or do something that he would find unbecoming, and with the sliding of a curtain, the sombre, solemn visage returned to his angular face.

  “Are you sure this is necessary?” Ella asked as she studied herself in the larger mirror that hung on Lady Pamala’s wall.

  She had agreed to all of this training and prospect of companionship, only because she did enjoy Lady Pamala’s company. The weeks they had spent together, though just as hard-working as her time in the shop, had been some of the most enjoyable of her whole life.

  Part of that was due to the fact that she didn’t have to fear not making enough that week or month. She didn’t have to wonder if they could pay the rent on the shop or if they would have enough food and coal to warm their rooms and bellies.

  A certain level of relaxation came over a person when they didn’t have to fear what tomorrow would bring. Beyond that, she had enjoyed what it must feel like to have a younger sister.

  However, as she looked at herself in the mirror, she was beginning to question if this was a good idea. Indeed, her motivation had been the idea of a whole Season spent in the Duke’s house as his sister’s companion would mean enough income to keep her mother and herself comfortable for many years to come. Aside from that, Ella had a particular desire to stay with Lady Pamala. At the same time, she navigated society for the first time, as Lady Pamala had mentioned on several occasions how nervous it all made her.

  Having so few classes in the proper way to speak and act, she was suddenly having reservations about the whole idea.

  “Of course, it’s necessary! And I think you look absolutely beautiful! Much better than that black gown,” Lady Pamala said resolutely.

  Ella studied herself in the mirror for a moment. She couldn’t remember the last time she had seen herself entirely from head to toe. Even if she did, it was certainly not looking like this.

  She was wearing one of Lady Pamala’s afternoon walking gowns. It was the perfect shade of powder blue that matched her eyes perfectly.

  Her hair had been br
ushed and styled with small dark curls framing her face and braids that decorated the high chignon. Lady Pamala had insisted that she also borrow some white ribbon embroidered with blue flowers to tie around her bun.

  It was a good thing that Lady Pamala was the same height as Ella so that the dress came just perfectly to the floor. She was still wearing her own wool stockings, though Lady Pamala insisted she borrow a pair of slippers. They were a little tight but not unbearable.

  Unlike Lady Pamala, Ella filled out the top of the dress completely. There was more skin showing than she had ever bared in her entire life. Luckily Lady Pamala had allowed her a sheer white fichu to give her a bit more of a sense of modesty.

  “No fichu tonight at dinner,” Lady Pamala warned. “Only matrons do that.”

  There had been so many rules and etiquette that Ella had been doing her best to memorize over the last six days that she was sure other bits of information were starting to slip out of her brain. It was no wonder that these genteel ladies were expected to do little else beyond their home and social engagements. There certainly was little room left after memorizing every little detail of proper society.

  “Once my brother sees you today at high tea, he will know for certain that you are more than ready to stay on as my companion. Then we can go out and buy all the fabric in the world for you. We will have to get you new everything. Morning dresses, walking dresses, evening gowns, riding attire, and of course shoes, hats, gloves, silk stockings, underthings…” Lady Pamala listed off a shocking number of things.

  “My goodness! Certainly, you will put your brother in the poor house if he got all these things for me. I won’t be needin’ things,” Ella tried to stall her friend’s excitement.

  “You most certainly will be required to procure all the fashionable articles of the Season,” Lady Pamala corrected.

  In her shock, Ella has slipped her speech back into her normal intonations. Ella turned to her friend with a look of worry filling her large blue eyes.

  “You see, I’m not ready at all.”

  “Nonsense,” Lady Pamala waved her off again, ever the optimist. “Plus, it is just tea with Lady Clarissa and my brother. And even tonight is just a private affair with very close friends. Lord Melvin will even be there, as it is his father. It’s the perfect way for you to make your first introductions into society before the big ball tomorrow night.”

  Ella knew that Lady Pamala was doing everything she could think of to calm her fears, but she wasn’t sure if she indeed was ready. Still, she knew Lady Pamala was desperate for a close confidant and that she genuinely was a good influence on the young lady.

  So it was with a slow, deliberate release of her breath that she agreed with Lady Pamala, straightened her shoulders, and together they walked out of the room to wait for their guest downstairs in the drawing-room.

  Ella had been in the room on a handful of occasions, though most were in the past week and only for the benefit of practising entertaining guests and proper etiquette.

  Now she sat on the edge of her seat, willing her frame to be as straight as possible as low tea was served. There had been minimal conversation since Lady Clarissa arrived, and even less as Mrs Jenkins brought in the tray followed closely by a sweet cake, muffins, and light sandwiches.

  Luckily with the servants finished with their task, Ella focused on the task before her, which was serving the tea. Lady Pamala had insisted Ella do it, giving her a distinction of honour in the home.

  She had just served Lady Clarissa quite successfully and passed along Lady Pamala’s cup and saucer the doors to the drawing-room swung open again. The Duke strode in with his usual broad shoulders, wide steps, and a deep scowl upon his face.

  Ella panicked for a moment. She was literally holding the cup and saucer out in mid-air to Lady Pamala when she knew that it was proper to stand. Did she stand with the cup in hand? Did she set it down and let it slowly cool while greetings were made, thereby passing over a chilled cup to the lady of the house? Or did she simply pass the cup along first before standing?

  She wasn’t sure if this had ever been covered in their many lessons and couldn’t seem to come up with the best option on her own. Luckily in that fraction of a second, Lady Pamala recognized Ella’s panic. She took the offered cup and set it down near her before properly greeting her brother.

  If Ella had felt nervous having a light tea with the two ladies, she was practically trembling by the time the Duke sat down to join them. She did her best to do the task correctly and having served all the guests, let out a low sigh, not having made a terrible mess of things just yet.

  “I understand you will be attending Lord and Lady Cunningham’s dinner tonight with Lady Pamala,” Lady Clarissa narrowed her gaze on Ella as she spoke.

  “Yes,” Ella did her best to speak clearly. “It was most kind of Lord and Lady Cunningham to include me, and as such a late addition.”

  Lady Clarissa was doing her best to pretend that Ella had not existed up until this point. All short conversations she had made were solely directed at Lady Pamala and all pertaining to the ball gown that Lady Pamala refused to divulge any information about.

  It was clear that now the Duke was present in the room, Lady Clarissa was desperate to make a fool of Ella. What Lady Clarissa didn’t know was that there was nothing more motivating to Ella than others’ expectations that she would fail.

  She squared her shoulders a little bit straighter and smiled pleasantly at the lady.

  “It’s a shame that your little rat of a dog isn’t here,” the Duke announced to his sister as he very dramatically looked around the room, expecting Scrapper to appear at any moment.

  “Lady Clarissa has an aversion to dogs,” Lady Pamala explained.

  “Yes, I sneeze uncontrollably around them,” she explained, though Ella wasn’t entirely sure she believed her.

  “Yes, well, I’m also finding that they tend to rub the shine off my boots with their drool,” the Duke added.

  “He just dribbles a bit when he drinks water. You make it sound like he leaves behind him a translucent trail like a slug.”

  “No, certainly not a slug. That creature is much too fast to be compared to such a slow miscreant. And far too hairy, I might add. Is he supposed to have such long hair on him? I often wonder if he is constantly running into things because he simply can’t see.”

  “Oh, you’re just rotten, Winthrope,” Lady Pamala announced with a scrunch of her nose.

  “His Grace is probably right in his assumption that a haircut is in order,” Ella said with a pleasant smile and a steady voice.

  She was desperate to show Lady Clarissa that she had a place in this afternoon’s tea despite the glaring looks that Lady Clarissa had been passing all the while.

  “Poor Scrapper bumped into the door frame this morning when Abigail took him for his walk. I think he couldn’t see the door and was just going by memory of its placement.”

  “Animals don’t have enough sense to remember the place of a doorway without seeing it,” Lady Clarissa scoffed. “I doubt they really even have enough space to truly remember their owners. They just like the ones that feed and play with them that day.”

  Lady Pamala and Ella exchanged looks. Ella did her best to press her lips firmly shut.

  If Lady Pamala and Ella hadn’t bonded over their mutual love for sewing, they would have still become fast friends over their affection for all creatures big and small. Lady Clarissa, however, didn’t seem to care for anything that wasn’t wearing a perfectly knotted cravat and riding in a fine gig.

  “Oh, I don’t know if that’s true, Lady Clarissa,” the Duke continued conversationally. “My father had a pair of hunting dogs that seemed to love him dearly, and I can assure you he never fed them their meals. Though he did give them plenty of scraps from the table.”