by Amelia Grey
“And risk the wrath of someone I wanted to employ? That would have been foolish.”
“It would have been nice,” she countered. “You should have immediately cleared your throat to let me know you were there. Or, you could have said, ‘I’m sorry, but I couldn’t help but overhear your conversation.’ Something!”
He smiled sheepishly and shrugged his shoulders, irritating her even more.
“Neither of your suggestions crossed my mind. I wholeheartedly approved of the way you shook the governess to her core and sent her running from the room.”
“But there should not have been a witness to it.”
“On that I agree. But that said, you gave her good, sound advice and, like you, I hope she took it as you intended it. I’m sure you can take care of my sisters and if need be have both shaking in their skirts as well as you handled your employee.”
“If that was supposed to be a compliment, take my word for it, it wasn’t.”
One corner of the duke’s mouth lifted a touch. “Take it however you wish. It won’t change the fact you were stern, sensible, but somehow managed to be quite nice about it at the same time. That let me know while you will be thorough with my sisters and their behavior, you will also be kind and fair. So see, when I said someone recommended you to me, it was you, Miss Swift. You recommended yourself without knowing it.”
His words of praise covered her like a warm blanket on a snowy night. She shouldn’t be susceptible to his compliments. They were simply a device to get what he wanted from her.
The duke pulled his gloves from his coat pocket and gave her a half smile. “And I’ve decided to give you until next Monday to be at my house with Napoleon, Josephine, and your new wardrobe in tow. That gives you a week to settle all your affairs. I’ll send a carriage for you at eight.”
With that he turned and walked out, the tail of his black cloak flaring out behind him.
Chapter 4
Don’t back down when you are right, but if you must, do find a way to back down nicely.
MISS MAMIE FORTESCUE’S DO’S AND DON’TS FOR CHAPERONES, GOVERNESSES, TUTORS, AND NURSES
Esmeralda watched the broad-backed man quietly close the door behind him.
She didn’t know how long she stared after him before relaxing her tense shoulders and letting out a long sigh of relief. For an instant she wondered if there was any possibility she’d imagined the entire conversation that had just happened. A quick glance over to the desk behind her assured her it was no flight-of-fancy that the Duke of Griffin had just walked into her life and talked her into chaperoning his twin sisters. The brown velvet purse was proof the handsome, determined gentleman had been there.
Squeezing her eyes shut, she shook her head, still in awe of what had transpired between them. If only she’d spoken up right from the beginning and been truthful with the duke about her sister, the dog, and the fact she didn’t have sufficient clothing appropriate for the position, she could have saved herself from a lot of nervous frustration. But then she would have denied herself all the new and wonderful feelings he’d stirred up inside her.
Their exchange had been an absolutely grueling tit for tat, and in the end, she didn’t know who had won.
But she must have.
For some reason though, she wasn’t feeling much like a winner right now.
A breathy laugh passed her lips. She’d had to say yes to the duke. What else could she have done? She’d desperately tried to say no and he wouldn’t let her—even when she made outrageous demands she never expected him to accept.
Her luck had been so bad for so long, she was still reeling from the fact she might actually earn enough money to pay her debts and have a little left over for next winter. Being in service to the duke during the few weeks of the Season, she could possibly make more money than her agency had brought in for an entire year.
That thought was exhilarating and definitely making her begin to feel more like the winner. First, because she would be earning the entire amount of the payment rather than only the small percentage of the money paid by the earnings of the ladies assigned to the agency. Second, because Josephine and Napoleon would go with her. And a new wardrobe, too.
Yet, some apprehension still assailed her. As she’d told His Grace, she knew the duties of a chaperone, but she’d never been one. What if she did something wrong? What if the duke was unhappy with her? What if he turned her off after the first day? What if Society didn’t accept her as a chaperone and shunned her? Or the twins because of her? She would have bought the new gowns for no reason and with no possibility to repay the duke.
There were other things she had to consider. The last she’d heard, Viscount Mayeworth was in poor health. She doubted he’d attend the Season, but what if he did? Would he recognize her as his cousin? If he did, would he do what his father promised her mother, and pretend he didn’t know her? Pretend there was no blood between them?
That would suit Esmeralda just fine.
She rubbed her forehead and sighed heavily again. The possibilities of things going wrong were endless. If she kept thinking that way, she’d be ready for the insane asylum. One of Miss Fortescue’s rules was “Don’t borrow trouble.” Esmeralda had to hold to that one right now. She would go back and reread Miss Mamie Fortescue’s Do’s and Don’ts for Chaperones, Governesses, Tutors, and Nurses. Brushing up on the woman’s rules would help her feel more confident when she arrived at the duke’s house next week.
She would be ready.
Esmeralda would make sure she didn’t give the Duke of Griffin reason to be unhappy he chose her. For now, she would simply be grateful for the employment and not think about failing or how attractive the man was.
Now that she had the position, she didn’t intend to lose it.
Since her mother’s brother had disowned her mother, Esmeralda had had resentment in her heart for all peers. The duke had done nothing to change her feelings and a lot to substantiate them by his firm insistence she must be the one to help him. Most of the titled few got what they wanted. Peers were difficult to please and expected to be obeyed. Their expectations were high and their tolerance low. If a family member could be dismissed on a whim, so could an employee.
A pang of sadness tried to settle over her as was often the case when she thought about how mercilessly her mother was treated by her own brother. And as usual, she managed to brush it away. It didn’t matter that she was once destined to have a chaperone and attend the Season as a diamond of the first water. Those dreams were shattered when she was fifteen and her mother went against her family and married the young and handsome but penniless Irishman, Myles Graham. Now, Esmeralda was to be a chaperone instead of having one.
Just as she’d had to do when her mother died, and when Josephine’s father had died, she would take on this new task and find a way to be good at it. She would adapt to this new role. She had to. Her sister had no one else to take care of her.
Esmeralda looked at the coin purse again. Though she was reluctant to spend money on clothing she may never wear again, she would swallow her pride, take the duke’s money, and purchase new gowns. When the Season was over, if she failed to gain another position as a chaperone, perhaps she could sell them. Or maybe she would save the gowns and have them remade for Josephine. It wouldn’t be too many more years before her sister would be old enough to catch the eye of a handsome young man.
“No,” she whispered aloud. Thinking about Josephine old enough to marry was a worry she didn’t need right now. She would take one day at a time. The duke thought her capable to chaperone his sisters. That was enough to accept right now. She would prove to him and to herself that she was.
Her stomach did a slow tumble when she picked up the velvet purse. It was heavier than she expected. She untied the short drawstring and looked inside. There were more than enough coins inside for a few gowns, capes, gloves, hats, and other necessary items as well as some new clothing for Josephine too. Esmeralda would count it a
nd know exactly how much was in the bag, so she could repay him.
Whether or not the duke wanted her to do it.
Chapter 5
Don’t think that past mistakes will stay buried. There is always someone willing to remind you of them.
MISS MAMIE FORTESCUE’S DO’S AND DON’TS FOR CHAPERONES, GOVERNESSES, TUTORS, AND NURSES
Griffin quietly closed the door of the employment agency behind him as he stepped out of the two-story building. He stood under the entrance of the covered archway for a moment and watched the rain come down in a heavy, chilling stream.
He didn’t know how long it’d been since he’d had such an invigorating conversation with a woman—if ever he had. For far too long he was used to the fairer sex only saying things they assumed he wanted to hear rather than actually being brave enough to speak their minds. Even when he gave them permission to do so. Too, there was a freshness about Miss Swift that piqued his interest. He was used to women who knew how to make their lips rosy and cheeks pink with creams, ointments, and dyes. On Miss Swift the alluring blush was natural.
More recently, he found that he not only wanted a woman to share his bed, he wanted one he could enjoy conversing with as well. Finding such a woman had been impossible among the available mistresses.
He grunted a laugh. Perhaps it was just that he’d lived so devilishly, so fast, and for so long that for a time he’d become disenchanted with mistresses, drink, and gambling. Now that he was twenty-eight, maybe he was finally ready to enjoy all life had to offer again, but in moderation this time.
Since he had to attend the entire Season because of his sisters’ debut, perhaps he would give serious consideration to the possibility of searching for such a lady who could stimulate his intellect as well as his primal passions. Surely there would be a bevy of young ladies at the balls to choose from. Perhaps he’d find one who stirred him as much as Miss Swift had just now.
She’d had no compunction about talking freely with him—except, of course, when it came to telling him why she couldn’t chaperone his sisters. Now that he knew her problem, he wasn’t surprised she was so reluctant to divulge her personal and financial circumstances to him. Surely it was an embarrassment for her to have to do so, though it shouldn’t have been. Her situations weren’t her fault.
It couldn’t be easy for a young woman to take care of herself and a sibling without the aid and protection of a male relative or guardian. Knowing she had done just that, and that she seemed to be doing a reasonably good job of it, impressed the hell out of him.
She had done very well holding her own with him too. That was no easy accomplishment. He wasn’t sure he understood it himself, but the more she said she couldn’t chaperone his sisters, the more adamant he became that she would. She kept telling him she had never been a chaperone, but he’d already made up his mind by then that she was the one for Sara and Vera.
Nothing else had mattered to him.
Including the fact that she was probably right when she said that most of Society wouldn’t consider her the proper age to be an acceptable chaperone. He could imagine the horrified expressions on all the widows’ and dowagers’ faces.
He smiled.
They all knew him well. They should expect no less. Miss Swift’s determination to resist him demonstrated the kind of strength needed to keep an eye on his spoiled sisters at the Season’s parties and other festivities.
At first he didn’t know why he was so hell-bent that she be the one to chaperone the twins other than he desired her.
He wanted her.
No matter how unwillingly. It was that simple.
There was no use in denying it, because it wouldn’t change the fact he wanted her. In bed. Beneath him. Softly gasping with pleasure. Desire stirred low in Griffin’s body. He almost gave in and welcomed it so he could enjoy the satisfying feeling. But this was not the time for that. So once again he pushed away the yearning for her that beckoned enticingly.
He hadn’t been drawn to a woman in the way Miss Swift charmed him in a very long time. It wasn’t surprising she captivated him and now his thoughts. He was a man after all. She was enticing. Strong, shapely, and lovely. But he wouldn’t act on those primal urges she’d aroused so wantonly inside him. He couldn’t. She was now a part of his staff. Under his protection and his care. He’d never attempted to seduce anyone in his employment, and he wasn’t going to start with her.
However, he had no doubt he would enjoy lively conversations while in her presence.
With that thought firmly planted in his mind, he settled his hat on his head and walked briskly in the rain to the other side of the street where his carriage waited. His driver jumped down and opened the door for him.
“St. James,” he said as he climbed inside.
Settling himself on the plush velvet cushion, Griffin doffed the hat he’d just donned and knocked off the rain before laying it on the seat beside him. He felt the landau pull out into the street and take off at a jaunty clip. Seconds later the carriage lurched violently and then jolted to a quick shuddering stop, throwing him forward.
“Damnation,” he swore, catching himself with his hands on the opposite seat as his hat tumbled end over end to the floor.
The only thing that would have made his driver stop so quickly was if a person or animal had run into the street in front of them. Intent on finding out what the devil happened, he reached for the door, but it was suddenly jerked open and he grasped only air. Rust Rathburne, the Duke of Rathburne, bounded inside and slid onto the cushion opposite Griffin. Sloane Knox, the Duke of Hawksthorn, climbed in behind Rath and plopped onto the seat beside him. So it wasn’t anything quite so horrendous as a person or dog in danger of being run down after all but a foolish stunt by his friends.
Griffin’s driver was left standing in the open doorway, looking bewildered while rain drizzled down on top of his hat.
“Park, and I’ll let you know when I’m ready to leave,” Griffin told the shivering man.
Turning to his friends, he said, “Do you want to tell me what the bloody hell made you cause my driver to almost wreck my carriage and harm my horses?”
“You know that wasn’t our aim,” Hawk said, removing his hat and running a hand through his dark brown hair to smooth it down. “Just as we alighted from my coach, your driver took off like bats from a chimney at dusk. We had no idea he’d react so quickly to stop the horses when we waved to him.”
“Waved?” Griffin questioned skeptically.
“It may have been a bit more than a wave,” Rath admitted rather sheepishly, wiping droplets of rain from the side of his face. “I didn’t mean to scare the daylights out of the poor man. It doesn’t appear there was harm to the horses.”
“You best be glad of that,” Griffin said, as he picked up his hat from the floor and laid it on the cushion beside him once again.
“He is,” Hawk agreed, and then quickly added, “I mean we are. But that aside for now, we’ve been searching for you for almost two hours.”
“You are a difficult man to find,” Rath added.
“Since when? I have one home in St. James and another in Mayfair and belong to only two clubs.” Griffin rolled his shoulders and settled back into his seat once again. “I can usually be found at one of those four places when residing in London.”
“We have been to all four,” Rath answered dryly.
“And we were on our way back to your house in St. James when we saw your coach. Perhaps we should have followed you rather than stop your driver.”
“Perhaps so,” Griffin agreed, glad there was no mishap and not really upset with his friends.
“We needed to talk to you,” Hawk said. “We’ve heard a rumor we thought we should let you know about as soon as possible.”
Griffin looked at the serious expressions on the faces of the two men and knew they’d also heard about the possibility of someone seeking revenge on his sisters. He’d suspected it would only be a matter of time before the
rumor was spread around Town and he was right. This was just the sort of gossip the ton relished and loved to chew on.
He’d known Hawk since their early days at Eton, and Rath since Oxford. Rath was a year younger than Griffin and Hawk when he entered Oxford, but he’d been an easy fit into their friendship. He was more reckless than the two of them, and proved it every day by suggesting one daring escapade after another that always ended up with the three of them in trouble with the headmaster and sometimes their fathers too.
Unlike Rath, Hawk’s clothing and hair were always presentable. Like Griffin, Hawk was studious, organized, and somewhat sensible—most of the time. Rath was the opposite. His dark eyes and shoulder-length black hair made him look more Greek than English, though he was a British aristocrat through and through. His hair always looked as if he’d just crawled out of bed and needed a brush. His neckcloth was never properly tied and his coat didn’t always match his waistcoat and trousers. He cared little for fashion and it showed. His casual appearance had never bothered any of the ladies. In fact, from what Griffin could tell, they all were drawn to him because of it.
It was an anomaly that England had three unwed dukes all relatively close to the same age. That by itself was enough to make the scandal sheets light up with rumors when they all started attending the Season almost ten years ago, and the gossip hadn’t stopped since.
The rakes didn’t see as much of each other as they once had now that they were older. All the responsibilities that came with such noble titles kept the three busy with their estates as well as matters before parliament and London’s elite. There were endless numbers of people who wanted a moment of their time for a favor, a business deal, or a night of entertaining in their homes.
Both Hawk and Rath were tall, broad-shouldered men with faces most ladies would consider handsome. And like Griffin, they had stayed away from most of the social gatherings of Polite Society for the past few years, attending only a few well-chosen events.
