A Pure Lady for the Broken Duke_A Historical Regency Romance Novel

by Hanna Hamilton

  “I doubted he meant it to get back to Papa, but somehow it did and once Papa found out, all has been ruined for Georgie and me.”

  “What can be done?”

  “I have no idea. But we are lost,” and she burst into tears once again.

  “Oh, dear friend, I am so very sorry. Is there anything I can do to help you?”

  “It is so good of you to be here with me now.” Then she had a thought. “And why did you come? You had no way of knowing I was in distress.”

  Jenny felt embarrassed now. “No, I came because I have some good news and I wanted to share it with you. But now I fear I may upset you more.”

  “Oh, Sister, you could not. Please tell me.”

  “I am to go to Pemberton to make all the pastries for the Duke’s ball.”

  It took a moment for Helena to register this news. “Why, Jenny that is wonderful news.”

  “And he is going to pay me a hundred pounds for the week.” Helena began to cry again. “Why are you crying?” Jenny asked, taking Helena by the shoulders.

  “Because I am so happy for you,” she wailed.

  They both started laughing. Then Helena stopped and looked as though she had an idea.

  “What?” Jenny asked.

  Helena smiled. “When I was last with Thomas, we talked about you—or at least I did. And I was saying what a wonderful person you are and how he should consider you as a wife…”

  Jenny blushed. “Oh, Helena, why would you do such a thing? You know it is an impossibility. He would never consider marrying the likes of me.”

  “And why not? You are charming in every way. You are a talented pastry cook, and I know he likes you.”

  “Stop right now. That is a preposterous idea.”

  Helena was beginning to forget her own problems as she was hatching a plan.

  “I am going to take you in hand. We need to do something with that hair, and I want to teach you a few tricks to make you look even more appealing.”

  “What is wrong with my hair?”

  Helena scoffed, “Have you looked at yourself in the mirror lately? When is the last time you washed it?”

  “I brush the flour out every day.”

  “Oh, Jenny, you need to do much more than that. It needs a wash, a cut and some curl.”

  Helena stood and held out her hand. “Come. Let me show you.”

  They ran up to Helena’s room and they spent the rest of the afternoon working on Jenny’s hair, applying just the right amount of blush and rouge and working with Jenny’s nails, beaten and broken by her daily work in the bakery.

  “When they were done, Jenny sat at the dressing table and stared at herself in the mirror. It was not a blatant transformation but a subtle enhancement of her natural beauty.

  “Oh, my dear, how splendid you look.”

  Jenny looked up at her friend. “I do look nice. Thank you. But I know not what difference it is going to make. I am going to be in the Pemberton kitchen making pastries for a week, not dancing at the ball nor having afternoon tea with his Grace.”

  “Oh, he will notice. Trust me. I know Thomas. And I know men.

  Chapter 17

  Thomas was devastated to learn from George that the slip of his tongue in front of his uncle had caused Helena’s father to break up the courting couple. George and Thomas were in the Duke’s study furthering their work on the business.

  “You know what this means?” George added. “Now we cannot count on Ralph to be one of our investors. He is resentful that you lied to him about your engagement, and he certainly will have nothing to do with me. We are… hoisted on a petard as Shakespeare would say.”

  “Then we shall have to work our other contacts,” Thomas said, as he sat on the edge of his desk and tried to figure out what was to be done next.

  “I think it is time we talk to my father about investing,” George said.

  “But what about you and Helena? Is there anything to be done to repair this breach?”

  “Ralph has threatened to disinherit her if she sees me again.”

  “Then you are going to abandon her?”

  George was shocked that Thomas would think that. “Not at all. But it makes me all the more determined that our business should be a success. If I can provide for us, then we will not need her father’s money.”

  “That is very brave of you,” Thomas said with a slight laugh.

  “Then we must make our project a success,” George said with great resolve.

  “I have two more horses I am interested in buying. But we need to see them.”

  “And we need the money to buy them,” George reminded.

  “And that too.”

  “Then let us go to my father this afternoon. I have prepared the proposal for him, and hopefully, he will be open to our proposition.”

  Jenny had the list of pastries that would be required for the ball. She had broken down all the ingredients needed and had paid a visit to the Pemberton kitchen to coordinate her activities with the head cook in charge of the ball. Now, her last task was to meet with her market providers to make certain she would have the fruits she needed.

  As Jenny approached the Drake’s stall on her usual morning shopping for the bakery, she saw Evan lifting crates of apples from the wagon.

  “Good Morning, Betsy,” Jenny greeted Evan’s mother as she was pulling spoiled plums from the display on her stall.

  “Jenny, what will it be today?” Betsy asked.

  Jenny looked over the fruit. “Oh, those grapes look fine. And some of those plums. Those apples, and are the pears ready yet?”

  “They are coming on but not ready until next week, I expect.”

  “Too bad. My customers just love my pear tarts. But put some aside for me as soon as they are ready.”

  “Happy to,” Betsy said.

  “Good morning, Miss Jenny,” Evan said, as he plopped a crate of apples on the stall.

  “Mr. Evan, nice to see you again. When will you be heading back to Bristol?”

  Evan studied her and smiled. He appeared to notice the change in her appearance since Helena had helped her with her hair and makeup.

  “I leave the week after next,” he said coming around from behind the stall and taking her hand. “I was hoping you might find some time to spend with me before I leave.”

  “That might be possible, but I find I am uncommonly busy as well. In fact, I wanted to speak to you all about my new development.”

  “What is it, child?” Betsy asked as she wiped her hands on her jersey.

  “The Duke of Pemberton is giving a ball in a couple of weeks and he has asked me to do all of the pastries for the dinner.”

  “Oh, my dear, how splendid,” Betsy said.

  “Congratulations. Your dreams are coming true,” Evan said.

  “And what I wanted to know was, if I might prevail upon you to deliver my daily fruit to the Pemberton kitchens before you come to market? I know it is an imposition, but it would be a great help to me.”

  Betsy conferred with her husband and asked, “If Evan is still here he could run the boxes to you. When will you be needing them?”

  Jenny handed Betsy her list of what she needed and on which days she would need them. Betsy studied the list. “Oh, Jenny, I believe Evan will be back in Bristol by then.”

  “I can do it,” Steven, her husband, offered. “But only after we are set up here.”

  “Is there no way you could deliver to me on your way to the market? I have a tolerable amount of work to do each day and will need to get started as early as possible.”

  “I could stay another week,” Evan suggested.

  “No, lad, you need to be back in Bristol,” his father said, then turned to Jenny, “We will work something out for you, Miss Jenny. You be such a good customer. For you… anything.”

  “I would be so grateful.” Jenny said. She then asked Betsy, “Will you be able to provide all of those provisions? If not, I shall have to talk to some of the other vendors
.”

  Betsy checked the list again. “Aye. We should be able to do that. And will Pemberton be able to pay on delivery?”

  “I will make sure they do.”

  “And what else can we do for you today?” Betsy asked as she began loading the fruit Jenny had asked for on her cart.

  “What berries do you have?”

  “All we have left are some blackberries and Raspberries.”

  “I will take all you can give me.”

  As they continued to load her cart, Evan pulled Jenny aside and asked, “We live too far away for me to ask you to supper at our house, but would you consider letting me take you and your sister, Claudia, and Jeremiah on a picnic on your day off?

  “That would be nice. I shall talk to Claudia about that. It would have to be a Sunday after church. Would that work for you?”

  He nodded. “You look very nice today, Miss Jenny, have you changed your appearance?”

  “Some. My friend, Helena, has taken me in hand and has been instructing me in more ladylike grooming. She scolded me for not caring enough about my appearance.”

  “I never thought you could be more beautiful, but your friend has enhanced the beauty that you have naturally.”

  “We are all done, Miss Jenny,” Betsy called out.

  “Thank you.” Jenny paid, and Evan called out to her as she was leaving, “Let me know when you have spoken to your sister about the picnic.”

  “Soon,” she called back.

  Both George and Thomas were silent on the carriage ride over to visit Silas, George’s father. Thomas was mulling over what he was going to say to convince him to invest in their project, but George interrupted his thoughts.

  “I have been thinking how we might best appeal to Father to invest with us.”

  “I have been thinking the same. What are your suggestions?” Thomas asked.

  “Father is very practical. He will want to see a clear plan and figures—which we have well prepared. But he is also a little bit of a snob and I know he will be flattered that you, the Duke of Pemberton, are asking him to join you in one of your projects. So, if you take the lead in the presentation, I think it will work to our advantage.”

  “I can certainly do that. But I want him to see that you are an equal partner in the project. I think he will be proud of your initiative. I will let you present him with our written proposal, and you can answer any questions he might have.”

  “Very well, but I warn you he is unlikely to make a quick decision. He will want to study the plan and mull it over for a while before he will commit himself.”

  “What do you honestly think is realistic? Will he be interested in our plan?”

  George’s face did not look hopeful. “Fifty-fifty, I should say. Let us do our best and take what comes.”

  They arrived at the Edgerton estate and were welcomed by George’s mother, Virginia.

  George kissed his mother on both cheeks and she curtsied to Thomas.

  “Your father is waiting for you in his study,” she said. “Shall I bring some tea?”

  “That would be nice, Mrs. Edgerton,” Thomas said politely.

  “Hello, Mr. Edgerton,” Thomas greeted George’s father with a warm handshake after they entered the study.

  “Your Grace,” Silas welcomed. “My son has been telling me bits and pieces about your project, and I look forward to hearing the full presentation.”

  Silas was a slightly older looking version of George, but with less hair and a rather prominent red nose.

  Thomas did not want to rush into their pitch, so he said, “It has been a good summer. I do not farm, but the crops I have seen as I travel the county seem to be doing well.”

  “It will be a good enough harvest. Might I offer you a refreshment, Your Grace?”

  “I believe your wife is preparing tea.”

  “Ah… excellent.” Silas turned to his son. “George, how did you and his Grace become involved together in this project?”

  George answered, “Because of my knowledge of racing and horses, he asked if I would be interested in being his partner in this venture.” Then he laughed. “And, I need to develop my own income. It is all well and good, helping you with the estate, but, as you know, I want to marry Helena and I want to be able to provide for her.”

  “That is a discussion for another time,” Silas said and turned his attention to Thomas. “Very well, tell me what it is you are doing and how I might be able to help.”

  Thomas thought that was an encouraging opening and he said, “I am going to have George make you the presentation. Of course, if you have any questions for me, I shall be happy to answer them.”

  “Then proceed.”

  George laid out the prepared presentation on his father’s desk and went over the outline and filled in the pertinent details. After he was finished, his father stood back, and rubbing his chin, studied the plan without responding.

  “Do you have any questions?” Thomas spoke up, hoping to elicit a response.

  “Iterate for me exactly where the income is going to come from? So far, I see a lot of expenses, but it is not entirely clear how you are going to make a profit.”

  Thomas went over to the desk. “I currently have two very fine young horses with great racing potential. You already know one of them—the mare you tried to snatch from me for a ridiculously low price,” he joked.

  The three men appreciated the humor.

  “Then I have two more horses I am ready to buy once we are funded. That gives us four great racers. We plan to enter them in as many races as we can and—if we win—the purses should provide a very handsome income.

  “Then there are the stud fees. A winning horse brings very substantial fees for breeding. And our mares can produce foals—the sale of which can be substantial for the offspring of winners.”

  “But that is dependent on your horses being successful on the race course.”

  “That is true, and that is where your son comes in. I know him to be quite astute in assessing horses, and I am counting on him to lead us to victory. Not to mention the fact that I have one of the top British trainers at my stable.”

  “Very interesting,” Silas said, nodding his head and stroking his chin. “Of course, I will need to study this proposal and think about this. And the amount of the investment you propose as my share will give me what percentage exactly?”

  “That depends on what share of the total you wish to choose. The greater the investment the greater the share,” George said.

  “I see.”

  It was then the tea was brought in and the conversation went in another direction. Silas began showing Thomas his collection of antique coins which he had been collecting since he was a child.

  As Thomas and George were leaving—no more business had been discussed during tea—George said to Thomas as they were heading back to Pemberton in the carriage, “You know Helena and I meet secretly at her Aunt Rosemary’s.”

  “I believe you mentioned that before.”

  “She and I are meeting again shortly. I will need to leave when we get back to Pemberton.”

  George frowned and Thomas asked, “Will her father not find out about these, now forbidden, meetings?”

  George looked at Thomas with concern. “Her aunt is very discreet. She definitely sides with us. But it is the only way we can meet under the circumstances.”

  “If there is anything I can do, let me know,” Thomas offered.

  George sighed. “I am afraid Helena and I are on our own. Her father does not look too kindly on you right now—in any event.”

  Thomas chuckled. “You are probably right in that.”

  They rode on in silence for a moment before Thomas asked, “How do you think the meeting went with your father?”

  George said, “He certainly seemed open to the suggestion. However, I think he was trying to please you. He felt honored to have you there. So, I really can’t be certain how he will respond. He is a very conservative businessman, and
I think his reservations about the uncertainty of the racing world troubles him. If he were more of a gambler we might have a better chance. But I honestly would not count on him coming in with us.”

  “I see,” Thomas said soberly. “Then we will need to think of other possibilities. I shall make a trip to London and talk to my banker.”