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

by Bridget Barton

  The Duke cleared his throat again, and Ella could swear she saw his brown eyes slightly gloss over.

  “You do look very grown-up, Pammy,” he said softly before retreating back to his office while they waited for the arrival of the Dowager Duchess.

  Ella expected this would be her only chance to speak to the Duke before he left with his family. She explained her intention to Lady Pamala, who of course assured her that she should just go and see her mother and not even worry about asking the Duke for permission. Still, Ella was determined it was the proper course to take, and at least he seemed to be scowling less this morning.

  It was just as the Dowager Duchess’s carriage pulled up in front of the house that Ella excused herself from the drawing-room and knocked tentatively on the Duke’s office door.

  Chapter 16

  The Duke entered his office, finding the housekeeper waiting there for him as he expected. Without a word, he took his place behind his father’s desk and looked on the waiting servant with a disappointed scowl etched deep in his brow.

  “You wished to speak with me, Your Grace?” the housekeeper spoke.

  She stood with her back straight and hands delicately paced in front of her.

  The Duke motioned for Mrs Jenkins to take a seat across from him. It wasn’t unusual for him to speak with her, though normally the task would have been left to the lady of the house. Still, with his mother staying elsewhere, Mrs Jenkins had often sought out the Duke over his younger sister in household matters since their mother’s departure. He didn’t like dealing with both sides of the house, but as it seemed to be his position at present, he settled deeper into his scowl in preparation for the disciplinary action he was about to dish out.

  “I am under the impression that you spoke very disrespectfully to Miss Ward this morning in front of several members of the staff,” the Duke cut in without so much as an introduction to the topic.

  Mrs Jenkins opened and closed her mouth several times, started by his sudden accusation.

  “I’m not sure who would say such a thing to you, Your Grace, but I can promise you that I did no such thing. May I ask who has given you such a false statement?”

  The Duke of Winthrope had expected such a response. It would have been beyond unlikely that a member of the staff would come to him and complain about a senior member of the staff. In fact, it hadn’t been told to him at all. He had witnessed it for himself.

  Waking early and coming down for breakfast, he had caught Miss Ward making her way to the ballroom in nothing but a nightdress and shawl. He had been intrigued and followed her. He had stood just outside the double doors watching her twirl and dance like a little girl. It had been so mesmerising.

  Then he had heard the housekeeper’s rude outburst and accusations. He had been about to step in when the whole situation stopped as quickly as it had begun. The moment that had impressed him far more than Ella’s joyous dancing was as she had stood there, chin held high, not allowing herself to even show a hint of hurt from the scandalous accusations thrown at her. She had even had the sense to make a joke of it after the fact.

  Never in his life had he seen a woman take a crude comment with such class and then just let it simply wash away. It hadn’t affected her mood one bit. Instead, she had gone right on smiling and giggling, clearly filled with excitement.

  That image of Ella Ward dancing barefoot in the ballroom had stayed with him all morning long. Perhaps she hadn’t been born a member of the gentry, but she clearly had all the class and backbone that one needed to make their way into such a society from a lesser birth.

  Even though Miss Ward had let the matter go—and he suspected that she had let several other instances of disrespect roll off of her shoulders over the past months—the Duke had no plans of allowing such insolence to continue.

  Ella Ward was a guest in his house, and when his staff treated his guests poorly, it reflected on his hospitality. It didn’t matter where she came from, or what she did before she entered his house, she was to be treated with the same respect and manners that was expected for any other Lord or Lady that crossed his threshold.

  “It is a trusted source, I can assure you, Mrs Jenkins. Are you denying, then, that you accused Miss Ward of flaunting her flesh in front of the staff? That you were alluding that she was of loose morals?”

  The housekeeper opened and closed her mouth a few more times, and he watched as she nervously twisted her hands in her lap.

  “She was making a spectacle of herself in the ballroom. Right in the way of everyone and in her nightgown no less, Your Grace,” Mrs Jenkins spoke in a pleading tone.

  “She is a guest of this house, and I expect that she will be shown every courtesy and politeness that you would show to myself or any other member of this household. Accusing a member of my household of prostitution is unacceptable. I don’t care how she was behaving. Do I make myself clear?” He spoke in a stern, hard voice.

  “Yes, Your Grace, of course.”

  “If I ever hear that you are making a member of my household feel uncomfortable in the slightest ever again, you will be dismissed without notice and without reference. Do I make myself clear?”

  “Yes, of course, Your Grace,” Mrs Jenkins stammered as she did her best to swallow back tears.

  A knock came to the door. Though he wasn’t expecting anyone else, it was the perfect dismissal that he was looking for.

  “You may return to your work,” he said, not sparing her another glance.

  Mrs Jenkins stood, curtsied and turned to leave. She paused at the door after opening it.

  “It’s Miss Ward, Your Grace. Shall I let her in?”

  “Yes, of course,” the Duke replied, standing to greet the miss.

  The housekeeper curtsied again for good measure before allowing Miss Ward in. She slipped out behind her without so much as a glance above carpet level.

  Chapter 17

  Ella sat down on one of the soft chairs by the hearth. The Duke, who had been seated behind his desk, had immediately insisted she join him there.

  “I promise to take but a moment of your time, Your Grace,” Ella explained. “I hope I wasn’t interrupting anything,” she added while her green eyes drifted back to the door that Mrs Jenkins had just exited from.

  She half-wondered if the housekeeper had sought an audience with the Duke to tattle on her early morning dance. However, he seemed in just as good a mood as he had been in moments before while showing Lady Pamala the tiara.

  “I have a few moments before we must leave,” the Duke assured as he checked his pocket watch and properly stowed it.

  Taking a seat on the opposite couch from Ella, he waited for her to continue with her request.

  “Well, I was wondering…you see the thing is…” she stuttered.

  Wringing her hands in the folds of her blue cotton walking dress, she realized for the first time how nervous she was to speak alone with the Duke. There was still that argument hanging over them, and now here she was asking for a special request. Though he seemed happy and a lot less solemn at the moment, Ella was learning that the Duke could change moods in an instant. She didn’t want to be the cause of him going sour right before they left on such an important day for her very best friend.

  She let out a long breath trying to relax. She knew before she could ask anything of him, she would first need to make amends for her accusations.

  “I suppose I should start first by apologising,” Ella spoke softly.

  She stole a look at him for just the briefest of seconds beneath her dark lashes and was pleasantly surprised to see that wasn’t what he was expecting.

  “Apologise?”

  “Yes, I was very rude last night. I made assumptions about you that I shouldn’t have. I heard Lord Cunningham talk about the hunt, and I suppose I just saw red. I detest anyone who could find enjoyment in hurting and torturing anything inferior to them. When I heard Lord Cunningham discussing the event over with you, I just assumed...Well, anyw
ay. I suppose I shouldn’t have been so cross with you. It’s just easy for me to sometimes pile on more faults when I find one.”

  “And so you did with me?”

  “Well, after the incident in the sewing room with Scrapper that first day. I know you just nudged him, Your Grace,” she added quickly when the Duke opened his mouth to protest, “but you were already so furious and wrongly so in my opinion, that I suppose that was the first fault I piled on even if you didn’t entirely do wrong.

  “But I shouldn’t be doing that. You’ve dealt very generously with me—and my mother as well. It was very ungrateful of me to question your character, and I’m sorry for it,” she finished, her hands trembling.

  Perhaps bringing up the past wasn’t the best way to keep his good mood before requesting something of him. Still, she thought it was better than completely ignoring how she had wronged him last night.

  “I appreciate your willingness to apologise, but the fact of the matter is…” the Duke said slowly.

  She stole another look at him. He had crossed one leg over the other and had his hands clasped at his lips in seriousness. Her heart sunk into her lap. Had she just ruined his happy mood? Was he about to scold her on this matter as well as her impropriety earlier this morning?

  He dropped his hands to reveal a mischievous smile.

  “There is nothing you need be sorry for, Miss Ward,” he finished. “I am a bit of a hardened man, I suppose, or at least that is what Lord Melvin reminded me last night. I don’t doubt it was a great leap for you to think me a type of man who would hunt foxes or kick puppies.

  I have no problem forgetting the whole argument last night if you don’t?”

  “I would like that very much,” Ella replied honestly.

  “Splendid,” the Duke said, rubbing his hands together. “I expect that isn’t what you really came here for, though. Perhaps you have already spent all your pocket change for the week. I dare say I wouldn’t be surprised with all the things Pamala would insist you buy right at the start,” the Duke chuckled to himself. “I see nothing wrong with doubling your allowance for at least the first few weeks as you acquire the necessary items.”

  The Duke began patting his jacket pockets for his leather fold of notes. His eyes drifted to the desk when he realized he hadn’t carried any on him in his current formal attire. He was just about to rise when Ella stopped him.

  “No, Your Grace. Thank you, but I have plenty left still. You have been more than generous in that regard. So generous to my mother as well and understanding her needs while I’m away. That’s actually what I hoped to speak on.”

  “Your mother? Is she alright?” the Duke asked as he relaxed back into his seat.

  “Yes, of course. Well, I suppose not ‘of course’. You see, I don’t exactly know. I’ve written to her, but since accepting your offer to stay on for the Season, she's stopped responding to my letters. I am sure she is fine, naturally,” Ella added quickly. “I just don’t think she is very happy with me and that is why she isn’t writing back.”

  “Why isn’t she happy with you?” the Duke asked furrowing his golden brows.

  “Because I accepted your offer. You see, she never was very keen on me coming here in the first place and now she is worried that I might think to highly of myself, I suppose. But I won’t,” Ella amended the second the words left her mouth. “You are very kind to let me stay on with Lady Pamala, but I don’t have any delusions about my station in life, I can assure you.”

  “I don’t know why you shouldn’t consider yourself elevated,” the Duke countered. “By Season’s end, you will have all the grace, manners, and —if Pamala gets her way as she always does—the wardrobe of a very fine miss. Not to mention connections and friendships developed over the course of the months. Do not sell yourself short, Miss Ward, you are a fine lady now.”

  Ella did her best not to blush at the onslaught of encouragement. Ella would have liked to think he was right in his considerations. But a lifetime of being on the bottom tended to teach one to never expect something so grand no matter the luck of circumstance that was given you.

  “Well, either way,” Ella did her best to soothe the rose at her cheeks, “I am a bit concerned about my mother. I would like to see for myself that she is doing well since she won’t write back. I wondered if I might have your permission to call on her while Lady Pamala was at court?”

  “You don’t need my permission, Miss Ward. You are free to go whenever you would like. I consider you a guest here, and are free to come and go as you please.”

  Ella considered asking the Duke if he provided funds for all his guest of the house. Though he was generous with his words, the fact was that she was an employee.

  “I mean it,” he leaned forward, sensing the contradiction that played in her head. “You are my sister’s friend and a guest of this house. I don’t want you thinking of yourself as any less, or letting others treat you like less. You are talented, smart, a quick study, and tough enough to take a tongue lashing from Mrs Jenkins to simply turn around with your own quick whip. In my estimation, you are already far superior to a vast majority of the ladies of the ton.”

  Ella covered her mouth in surprise. Mrs Jenkins must have heard her snarky comment and reported it to the Duke.

  “She told you what happened this morning?” Ella melted in embarrassment.

  “No,” he paused a moment, letting her squirm.

  If Ella didn’t know better, she would think he was teasing her and rather enjoying it.

  “I saw it,” he finished.

  “You saw it? You mean you saw me…”

  “Dancing barefoot in the ballroom. Yes, I did.”

  “Your Grace, I’m so sorry…” Ella started.

  She could feel the blush, that had not completely subsided from her last embarrassment, rise to clear up to her forehead. But before she could get her whole apology out for her behaviour, the Duke broke out in a deep laugh.

  It was that same kind of laugh when he had caught her on the ladder. It reached all the way up to his honey brown eyes.

  “I think you are enjoying this moment a bit too much,” Ella grumbled as she attempted to cool the heat on her cheeks.

  “I am enjoying this entirely too much, but not quite as much as I enjoyed watching you twirl in your nightgown,” he added with a wicked wink.

  “Oh, you’re a terrible rake! I was just practising. I’m a bit nervous about tonight, you know,” Ella fumed though there was no anger in it.

  “I’m sorry,” the Duke attempted to control the merriment on his features. “You’re right, I shouldn’t tease. But you shouldn’t be nervous. By this morning’s performance, I can assure you that you will be breathtaking on the dance floor tonight.”

  She narrowed her blue eyes on him. Clearly, he wasn’t done making fun of her.

  “But,” the Duke amended quickly, “if it would ease your nerves, I would be humbled to be one of the first to dance with you tonight.”

  “You want to dance with me? At the ball? In front of all those people?”

  The Duke thought over each one of her questions seemed to weigh them in his mind and then shrugged off any hesitation one might feel.

  “I don’t see why not. I will start the ball dancing with Pamala, of course, since Father isn’t here to do it. But I would be honoured if you would dance the second set with me?”

  Ella’s insides did a flip flop. She had first thought he was still jesting, but his brown eyes read nothing but sincerity.

  “I would like that very much, Your Grace,” Ella responded softly, unable to meet his gaze.