Three Weeks with a Princess

by Vanessa Kelly

  “You needn’t lecture me, my lord,” Mama said. “I’ve been telling her to go back to Yorkshire for days.”

  “Good, then we’re all in agreement,” Jack said.

  Lia finally yanked her hand away and stood up. When she tried to edge away from him, she found herself half-immersed in the pile of frothy, elaborate costumes hanging from the rack behind her. Impatiently, she batted away feathers from a large purple ruff that insisted on poking her in the face.

  “I am not going back to Stonefell,” she said. “Jack, it’s none of your business where I go or what I do. My stepfather said I could stay in London as long as I wanted. Isn’t that right, sir?”

  Stephen’s bushy eyebrows tilted up in a comically distressed slant as he cast his wife an alarmed glance. “Er, of course, my dear. For as long as you . . .” He stuttered to a stop when he took in Jack’s basilisk gaze.

  “Stop trying to intimidate my stepfather,” Lia said.

  “Stop trying to ignore the truth of your situation,” Jack retorted. “After tonight’s debacle, there is an even greater necessity for you to rusticate, and as soon as possible.”

  “Again, thank you for such kind words,” she said caustically. “There’s no need for me to flee like a thief in the night. I didn’t do anything wrong. It was just a slight mishap and not worth the fuss you’re all making.”

  “A slight mishap? Are you completely mad? Your performance gave London its most delicious piece of gossip in months. And you’ve now attracted a legion of scoundrels and rakes.” He shook his head, looking disgusted. “I cannot believe you or anyone else thought it appropriate to play a breeches role.”

  “I say, that’s not fair,” Stephen piped up. “Lots of actresses do so, including my wife.”

  “Well, this particular actress isn’t doing it anymore,” Jack said. “In fact, her acting days are over.”

  Lia was considering running her dearest friend through with her mother’s prop spear when a woman shoved Stephen aside to enter the room.

  “Confound it,” her stepfather said. “No need to push, young lady.”

  The newcomer ignored him. “Do stop badgering the poor girl,” she said, glowering at Jack. “She’s correct—she didn’t do anything wrong.”

  “You’re as bad as she is.” Jack shot a disgusted look at the tall, elegant man who’d crowded into the room behind the young woman. “Can’t you keep her under some semblance of control?”

  “You know the answer to that question as well as I do,” the man said sardonically.

  “My husband is much too intelligent to hinder me when he knows I’m right,” the woman said.

  Feeling muddled by her headache and the commotion, Lia shook her head. “Excuse me. I don’t mean to be rude, but who are you?”

  The woman gave her a dazzling smile. “You couldn’t possibly be ruder than I am, as my husband would be thrilled to tell you. My name is Gillian and I am your cousin.”

  That announcement stunned the entire room into silence, although Lia fancied she heard a weary sigh from Jack. She stared at the tall, lovely young woman dressed in the first style and decked out in a set of obviously expensive diamonds. Everything about her and her husband shouted of membership in the upper tiers of the nobility.

  Instinctively, her gaze flew to Jack, whose expression comingled resignation and annoyance. “She’s my cousin?” she managed in a thin voice.

  He nodded. “You have many cousins, pet, as you know. And aunts and uncles, for that matter.”

  “Not that any of them would have anything to do with us,” her mother said with an offended little sniff. “The nobs love looking down on our sort.”

  “You’ll be happy to know that I’m not the least bit snobby, Aunt Marianne,” Lia’s newfound cousin said in a cheery tone.

  Even Mama looked shocked by the informal address.

  Gillian stepped forward and extended her hand. “But allow me to properly introduce myself, dear cousin. I’m Gillian Dryden Penley, Duchess of Leverton. And that distinguished fellow in the doorway is my husband, the Duke of Leverton. In truth, he is a bit of a snob. But because he’s also an exceedingly nice man, I hope you’ll overlook that little flaw.”

  To his credit, the duke simply lifted an ironic eyebrow in response to his wife’s summary of him.

  Lia weakly extended her hand to the duchess, who clasped it in a no-nonsense grip. Part of her wanted to laugh at the young woman’s forthright manner, but she couldn’t seem to process the astounding turn of events. Jack not only knew the duchess was Lia’s cousin, he was apparently quite friendly with her. That he had withheld such knowledge from her grew more annoying with every passing second.

  Mama, never one to miss a golden opportunity, leaped to her feet, then swanned into a deep and graceful curtsy. “Your Graces, we had no idea you were in the audience tonight. This is such a great honor. We do hope you enjoyed the performance.”

  “It was . . . illuminating,” the duke said. He glanced at Lia. “In more ways than one.”

  She fancied she caught a note of disapproval in his smooth tones, which didn’t improve her rising temper. Even worse, her head was pounding like a blacksmith’s hammer. As much as she wanted to stay and speak with Gillian Penley, she was desperate to flee the confusion and noise and collapse into a warm bed.

  “Jack, why didn’t you tell me the duchess wished to meet me? She’s obviously a friend of yours,” she said, focusing on the part that bothered her most.

  He grimaced. “I was trying to figure out the best way to break the news. It’s rather tricky, as you must admit.”

  “By telling me straight out, I would think,” she said. “‘Lia, you have a cousin and she seems very nice.’”

  The duchess beamed. “Thank you, my dear. If it’s worth anything, I thought Jack should have told you weeks ago.”

  “Yes, so did I.” Jack looked at Lia, his dark eyes shadowed with regret. “But your grandmother asked me to hold back. She wished you to find out at what she felt was the appropriate time.”

  Now it was her turn to sigh. “I suppose she didn’t want me to get any ideas above my station.”

  Although Granny certainly had her pride, she also had very definite ideas about the social order. It was understandable, given that she’d built her entire life around settling for something considerably less than what she deserved.

  Jack waggled a hand. “I wouldn’t put it quite that way. But she did fear that such a relationship would ultimately lead to rejection. She didn’t want to see you hurt.”

  “As if I would ever do something so shabby,” the duchess indignantly said.

  Lia gave her a wobbly smile before returning her focus to Jack. “I understand that you wanted to respect Granny’s wishes, but I still wish you’d told me about Her Grace, especially after I came down to London.”

  “Have you forgotten you’ve been avoiding me?” he asked. “And when I did finally see you the other day, you stormed out before I could tell you. You keep cutting me off at the damn knees, Lia.”

  “Lendale, you know I’m very fond of you,” the duchess said, in what Lia could only describe as a threatening tone. “But I must insist that you address my cousin with respect or I’ll be forced to knock your—”

  “Gillian,” the duke interjected sharply.

  “Er, I’ll be forced to speak very sternly to you,” she amended.

  Jack snorted in disbelief.

  The duchess directed an apologetic grimace at Lia. “Please call me Gillian,” she said. “And to be fair, Lendale only met me a few months ago. At the time I wasn’t yet married and wasn’t even sure if I was staying in England. It didn’t make sense to tell you if we were never to meet.”

  Lia nodded, feeling slightly mollified. Absently, she rubbed her aching head, pondering the best response to the fraught situation.

  “Lia, please sit down before you fall down.” Jack pressed her down onto her mother’s dressing stool before stroking her cheek. “You need to rest, sw
eetheart, or you’ll fall into a bad state.”

  Her anger dissipated another notch, but he ruined it a moment later by shooting an irritated glance at her mother. “She needs to go home, Mrs. Lester. And no more of this acting nonsense.”

  “Of course, my lord,” Mama said instantly. “Lia can rest up with us before she returns home to Yorkshire. There’s no need to rush, but I’m sure the city doesn’t agree with her at all. No wonder she fell so ill.”

  “I caught a cold,” Lia said through gritted teeth. “As did half the people in the company. And I have no intention of returning to Stonefell, so you can both stop nagging me about it.”

  “Of course she’s not going back to Yorkshire,” Gillian said. “She’s staying right here in London with us, at Leverton House.” She shot her husband a winning smile. “Isn’t that right, sir?”

  The duke, who’d been leaning against the doorjamb watching their little scene with a mostly lofty sort of disinterest, moved closer and suddenly looked uncomfortable. “My love, I don’t think that’s the best idea, either for you or Miss Kincaid.”

  “Why not?” his wife asked. “She’ll receive the best of care, and we can also get to know each other.”

  “You know why,” her husband said in a firm voice.

  “Are you truly going to worry about gossip at a time like this?” Gillian demanded. “You know I don’t care about that sort of nonsense.”

  “I’m afraid you do need to care about this,” the duke said.

  “I simply ignore the opinions of idiots,” she said, “and you should, too. God knows we’ve done enough of that in the past few months. Our marriage was supposed to be the biggest scandal of the decade and yet everything’s fine. Besides, you’re going to make poor Lia feel unwelcome and that’s perfectly awful of you.”

  “It is not that simple. Not this time,” Leverton said. Then he gave Lia a kind but regretful smile. “I have no intention of making you feel unwelcome, Miss Kincaid. In fact, I look forward to getting to know you better.”

  Lia wondered if that was the case, although he sounded sincere. “I understand, Your Grace. I’m not offended in the least.”

  “But I am, confound it,” Gillian said. “Why in heaven’s name can’t my cousin stay with us?”

  “It is a lovely and generous offer, Your Grace,” Mama piped in. “I’m sure Gillian would be thrilled to spend some time with you. Wouldn’t you, my love?”

  Now Lia wanted to crawl completely behind the costume rack—or, better yet, flee the room. Of course Mama would wish her daughter to cozy up to a rich and powerful duke and his duchess, especially if they were near relations. Lia had no doubt her mother planned to exploit that connection to the troupe’s advantage, likely by asking them to become investors. But she’d rather go back to Yorkshire than allow anyone to impose on the generosity of the kind young woman who seemed so eager to help.

  “You see, Charles?” Gillian said in a triumphant tone. “If Lia’s mother approves, what is the problem?”

  “The problem is that two royal side-slips staying under one roof would be manna from heaven for the gossips,” Jack said bluntly. “It would wash right off you because you’re a duchess and married to a powerful man. But such would not be the case for Lia. Moving to Leverton House would focus a great deal more attention on her, which is exactly what we don’t want right now.”

  Gillian let out an endearing little growl. “Blast! I simply hate the Ton and their small-minded ways. I’d like to set fire to them all.”

  “Small-minded but dangerous, at least for Miss Kincaid,” said the duke. “Lendale is right, I’m sorry to say.”

  “We have to do something,” Gillian said, waving her arms so wildly she almost knocked the plumes out of her coiffure. “I won’t let her be shipped off to Yorkshire if she doesn’t want to go.”

  “I believe I have the solution to this particular problem,” said a deep voice from the hall.

  Lia looked up to see yet another stranger in the doorway. Like Jack and the Duke of Leverton, he was tall, broad-shouldered, and elegantly dressed, but he was some years older, probably in his forties. He had a rugged face with a great deal of character and carried himself with an air of powerful authority.

  “There you are, Hunter,” said Leverton. “Finally.”

  The newcomer gave a slight smile. “I wished to get the measure of the situation before I intruded.”

  “So, you were eavesdropping on us, Sir Dominic?” Gillian asked.

  The man raised his eyebrows in polite inquiry. “Isn’t that exactly what you would do, Your Grace?”

  Her mouth twitched in a smile. “Yes, but how dreadful of you to point that out. Well, you’d best come in while we try to sort out this mess.”

  “Indeed,” he said, easing in beside the duke. The room was now so crammed that Lia’s stepfather all but climbed up onto Mama’s dressing table to avoid being trampled.

  Lia pressed the tips of her fingers to her temples, suddenly overwhelmed by the heat and by absorbing too many surprises in so short a space of time. With the appearance of the mysterious Sir Dominic Hunter, she suspected yet more revelations in the offing.

  He smiled at Lia and managed a very credible bow, considering the tight quarters. “I am Sir Dominic Hunter, Miss Kincaid, and it is a pleasure to meet you. I come on behalf of your half brother, Captain William Endicott, who wishes me to extend his best wishes and his protection on your behalf. In short, Captain Endicott has made it clear that he desires you to come home with me.”

  Chapter Ten

  “Don’t tire yourself out, Lia,” Chloe, Lady Hunter said. “You’re still convalescing, so the last thing you need is a rambunctious baby to manage.”

  Lia settled little Dom on her lap, smiling at the lovely woman who’d so kindly taken care of her during her illness. “I’m feeling much better now, thank you. I still can’t believe I was so ill.”

  This was the first day she’d come down to the drawing room since moving into the Hunters’ lovely town house on Upper Wimpole Street. Far from contracting just a little cold, she’d been felled by a nasty infection that had left her as weak as a half-drowned kitten.

  Chloe rummaged in the sewing basket by her chair. “It was no doubt from all the hard work and excitement leading up to opening night, combined with a jarring transition from the country to the city.” She glanced out the pretty bow window onto the quiet street. “I’ve always found the country to be a healthier environment, and certainly more peaceful.”

  While it was true the Hunters’ town house was tucked away in one of the quieter neighborhoods of the city, Lia had discovered they generally lived quite out of the way at their manor house in the country village of Camberwell. Their primary home also doubled as a charitable establishment for unwed pregnant girls and young women, providing shelter for those cast aside by their families.

  Most members of the Ton had already decamped to their country estates, and Lia suspected Chloe and Sir Dominic would have done the same had she not been so precipitously thrust into their care.

  “You are not to be considering yourself as any sort of burden,” Chloe said, clearly reading her expression. “We’re thrilled to have you stay with us for as long as you like.”

  When Lia bounced Dom on her knee, the baby chortled and waved his chubby fists in the air, then made a grab for the ribbons that trimmed the waist of her dress. “You’re very generous, but I’m sure you’d both prefer to be in the country.”

  “Indeed, no. My husband has a number of interests in Town. There is always something to keep him occupied while we are in residence here.”

  “And you? Don’t you miss your home and your charity work in Camberwell?”

  A soft smile curved Chloe’s mouth. “I do, but my true home is wherever my husband and little Dominic are. I can ask for nothing more. Besides, while I do miss my work, my son and his wife are staying at our villa, looking out for my girls. Justine is close to one of the children under my care, and she never
misses the opportunity to spend time with him.”

  “And your son? Does he enjoy it?” Lia couldn’t help asking with a hint of mischief. From everything she’d heard about Griffin Steele, she found it hard to believe that the former gaming hell owner was the sort of man to enjoy spending time in a house full of women and babies.

  Chloe laughed. “Griffin is less enthusiastic but surprisingly good at keeping order and generating a calm atmosphere in a sometimes exceedingly lively household. In any case, he goes wherever Justine goes, especially now that she’s with child.”

  “I’m very much looking forward to meeting the Steeles. It’s still amazing to me that I have a real family beyond my mother and grandmother.”

  While Lia had always counted Jack and Lord Lendale as family, now she was discovering she had a real family, bonded by blood and apparently eager to accept her. She’d barely gotten over the shock of meeting Gillian when Sir Dominic had marched into the room and announced she also had a half brother. Captain William Endicott was the natural son of the Duke of York and had been raised by his aunt and uncle, respectable members of the country gentry. Privately acknowledged by his father, Will had gone on to have a successful military career and marry the daughter of a viscount. He was now stationed in Vienna as part of the British diplomatic delegation.

  Another shock had followed when Sir Dominic further revealed that he was married to Lia’s aunt, who was the mother of Griffin Steele. Griffin was Gillian’s half brother and yet another thread in the tangled web of relations Lia had recently acquired.

  Remarkably, none of her newly found relatives seemed at all bothered by her dubious lineage, even though it included two notorious courtesans, one of whom still made her living on the stage. But while her half brother and cousins also carried the stain of illegitimacy, they came from good families on their maternal sides—even from among the aristocracy, in some cases. Because of that, they’d been able to establish lives within the Ton and find spouses with impeccable backgrounds. It was a feat Lia could never hope to equal.

  “You have quite a large family now, my dear,” Chloe said, “and we’re all happy that you have joined our ranks. We’re quite a loyal lot, as you will find out soon enough.”