“Mother, you look very well,” he complimented her. “That dress suits you wonderfully.”
“Thank you, son, I am quite looking forward to preparing for this evening. I have new gowns and hats that have just arrived.”
“Splendid. Now why, Mother, did you invite Lady Banon and Sabine?”
“Oh Nicholas, how could I not?” she took on a pained expression. “We would be the talk of society had we not asked them. You do know what she is like.”
“I do, Mother. I am happy to note that all of the guests are those we are well acquainted with. I do feel that, Lady Banon aside, you should be surrounded by friendly, welcoming faces as you make your grand return.”
“On that, Nicholas, I soundly agree.”
Nicholas gave her a warm smile. “I shall see you shortly, Mother. I must go change out of my traveling clothes, and I will meet you at dinner.”
Chapter 5
Tabitha had barely settled in when there was a knock at her door. When she opened it, she was startled to come face to face with Anita, none other than the maid who had ordered the hats for the Dowager Duchess.
“Miss, Lord Rutland has arrived and Mrs. McEwan has asked if you would like to meet him,” said Anita as she smiled at Tabitha.
Chewing her lower lip, Tabitha nodded and allowed the woman to escort her down to Mrs. McEwan’s office. Anita pushed the door open after knocking and moved aside to let Tabitha pass. As she did, she saw that Mrs. McEwan was engaged in conversation with a young man, close to Tabitha’s age. He was sitting in front of her desk, one leg jauntily crossed over the other as he laughed deeply.
“Ah,” Mrs. McEwan said, as Tabitha walked in. “Here you are. Miss Tabitha Blackmore, may I present Lord Alexander Landon, Earl of Rutland and future Duke of Barre.”
The man rose, smiled, and placed a kiss over Tabitha’s knuckles as she took him in. He was very tall and stooped to reach her hand. His nose was dashed with a healthy serving of freckles that were quite cute on the man. His sandy blond hair was swept back and styled into place, setting off his bright green eyes. He was a charmer, indeed, as he grinned at her and finally released her hand.
“My date for the party?” he quipped, glancing over at Mrs. McEwan. “You have done well, Mrs. McEwan. I approve.”
Lorna swatted the younger man on the arm.
“Behave, rake!”
Tabitha’s eyes rounded at the interaction between Mrs. McEwan and the future duke. Lord Rutland smiled.
“I have known Mrs. McEwan since I was in knee pants and Nick and I brought toads in the house to scare the staff,” he said. “She is a second mother to me.”
At the praise, Mrs. McEwan blushed and shook her head.
“Have we settled on a story of origin then, Lord Rutland?” Tabitha redirected the conversation. She was nervous and suddenly feeling very unsure of herself.
He smiled at her then.
“Please, Miss Blackmore, it is just Alexander,” he said with a wink. “And yes, my dear, dear cousin Tabitha. We’ve only met this past summer, you see, as you were raised abroad with your mother, a distant cousin of my father’s. You are in town because your mother is traveling with her new Italian husband and you would like to get acquainted with the peerage before enjoying your own season next year. How am I doing so far?”
He grinned, and his eyes were full of warmth and mirth. Tabitha instantly relaxed.
“Splendidly, sir.” She smiled back. “Please continue.”
“You are accompanying me here today to make the acquaintance of the other side of my family,” he said. “You have studied in France. Summered in Italy. Crossed mountains on foot to see what the world had to offer!”
That got a laugh out of Tabitha, and Mrs. McEwan swatted him again on the arm.
“Rein it in, boy,” the woman admonished him. “You’re taking it too far.”
“Unfortunately for us,” Alexander continued. “We are not well acquainted and are still getting to know one another ourselves. It should explain any holes in our story, but I do warn you, be prepared to furnish details now and then when pressed. There might be a lot of pressing once the hounds catch your scent.”
Tabitha nodded. She had devoured every book in her father’s library and many of them had included geography and local culture of the major European cities. It had been some time but she hoped her memory would serve her well.
“I do believe I can try to play the shy, reserved wallflower if need be,” she added with a shrug. “Having never spent much time in society, it is almost too much for me to bear and I must spend a few hours letting my cousin take the lead.”
Mrs. McEwan nodded approvingly.
“Yes, exactly!” she said. “Tonight, you can get your lay of the land. Tomorrow is when Her Grace will need you most, as more guests will have arrived and more attention paid to her.”
“Do you need anything from me at present?” Tabitha asked and Mrs. McEwan walked out to the hallway.
“We have some time,” she replied. “Perhaps you and Alexander here can take a walk in the gardens and get reacquainted? I shall send Anita with you.”
Neither objected, and minutes later, they were taking a turn in the massive rose garden that encompassed much of the property around the house.
“How many gardeners does it take to keep this garden looking so perfect?” Tabitha whispered in awe as they walked through at least 100 different roses in less than five minutes.
“A small army, I would wager,” Alexander said beside her. When they had wandered far enough away from the house, he stopped and sat on a bench while Tabitha examined a particularly exquisite white rose, noting its shape and petal construction. She began making plans in her head on how she would attempt to recreate such a flower using crepe ribbon when she returned to her workshop.
“Tell me your story, Miss Blackmore,” Alexander said, interrupting her study. “Why are you here today? What brought you to the estate under such honorable circumstances?”
He was teasing, she could tell.
“I am a hat maker,” she said with a shrug and a laugh. “I made a few pieces for Her Grace, and when I came to deliver them yesterday, Mrs. McEwan presented me with the opportunity to add to my savings by helping the dowager duchess.”
It sounded so simple put that way. Alexander nodded, his hands on his knees.
“And what are you saving up for, might I ask?”
Tabitha studied him a moment. What would he think of her plans — would he judge her?
“There is a millinery school in Paris,” she said quietly. “My father and I used to pretend I was a student there when I helped him in the shop. When I have enough money, I am going to actually enroll and take classes there.”
“Do you enjoy millinery?” Alexander asked.
“I do,” she said, nodding. “And you? It makes more sense for a person in my circumstances to agree to such an outlandish plan. But why are you going along with it?”
Alexander bit his lower lip while his gaze went distant for a moment.
“Her Grace has always been one of the kindest creatures to walk the Earth. How the late duke treated her was a disgrace, and when he passed, we believed she would finally get a little peace and dignity,” he said, his tone bitter. “But some friends of theirs will do anything they can to undermine what little happiness the poor woman can get.”
Tabitha was quiet as he continued.
“And Nick is my oldest friend,” he said quietly. “He’s one of the best men I have come across, and to know that there are people like Lady Banon and her daughter who want nothing more than to get their hooks into him for the mere sake of a title and hurting his mother? I cannot very well stand by and watch it unfold.”
“Why does His Grace not refuse them access to his mother? And would he not be wise enough to see their scheming?”
Alexander shook his head.
“As to the first question, you simply cannot exclude certain families without setting off the gossips fas
ter and more viciously — it would almost give the Lady Banon a bigger stage to smear Her Grace’s name and reputation,” he said. “And as for Sabine, well, she and Nick have a history together and I am afraid he’s not as impervious to her scheming as we all hoped he would be.”
“Is he in love with her?”
That got a laugh out of Alexander.
“No,” he said. “Thankfully, no. But our boy fell for her damsel act as a young man, and I am worried he has not quite grown out of that. She will use some sort of sorry story to get her talons into him, and it will be hell trying to get him to see with clear eyes after that.”
Tabitha frowned, considering his words.
“I am here to help Her Grace,” she said, finally. “I do not think I want any part in helping save a man who is not intelligent enough to save himself from the obvious machinations of a scheming female. I am not interested in getting between a harpy and her prey, if we are being perfectly honest.”
That got a resounding laugh from Alexander.
“Oh, Miss Blackmore,” he said, shaking his head. “I like you very much, and I think you’re going to do just fine. You very well might be the savior of us all.”
A butler rounded the corner and announced that the Duke of Stowe had returned home.
With a smile, Alexander pushed to his feet and offered Tabitha his arm.
“A piece of advice, Tabitha. The key to swimming with sharks is that you never let your smile falter. You never let them see they have cut you,” he said. “For once they sense blood in the water, it becomes a frenzy. If, however, you can deny them the reaction they’re looking for, they get desperate and are forced to make bolder and more careless moves. Remember that, dear cousin. Patience is the key to this victory.”
Tabitha gave Alexander a smile as he led them back toward the house.
“What is my name?” She asked, stopping suddenly.
“Tabitha?” Alexander said, slowly, raising an eyebrow at her.
“No,” she shook her head. “I cannot very well be Tabitha Blackmore. What is my new family name?”
“Oh,” he laughed. “For the next day and however long after that, you are Miss Tabitha Kenmore, daughter of the late Baron Charles Kenmore. And remember, your mother, Caroline, is the erstwhile world traveler, Lady Kenmore.”
Tabitha nodded as they pressed forward.
“Follow my lead tonight, dear Tabitha,” Alexander said. “And you shall be fine.”
“Are you going to let Lord Nicholas in on the game?” She asked, hoping very much that she was not going to be expected to lie to a duke.
“No,” he said quickly. “Nick has too much honor to agree to such an outlandish scheme. We will send you back to Italy before long, and you’ll never have to worry about seeing much of him. He is planning to return to France after the holidays for a time, anyway. I believe he is going to convince his mother to use more of their country residence there, too. He does not have much of a taste for London society.”
“I cannot imagine why not,” Tabitha remarked dryly.
“Yes, Miss Blackmore, you and I shall become fast friends,” he said as they entered the house and he left her to find the Duke of Stowe. “I can tell already.”
Chapter 6
As Tabitha left Alexander, her anxiety for the evening returned. True, she had been to Paris, and she had studied many books on the countries of the continent, but it had been years ago. If she were questioned, would her cover story hold? She decided she needed to brush up on a few key facts about the city where she had apparently spent years studying and searched the main hall for the library.
She finally found the correct room and upon pushing the heavy door open, was greeted by rows upon rows of bookshelves. Glorious, she thought as she stepped inside. She hoped it was well organized so she could find what she was looking for.
It took some time before she found a volume on the city of Paris, and another on Italy. Florence, she thought to herself, that’s where she would say she had summered. She sat at the desk and began perusing through, storing a few facts in her memory she could turn to if questioned.
Her focus was broken by the sounds of male voices floating through the first floor. Hearing heavy footsteps outside the door, she panicked at the thought of being caught studying up on European countries in the library in the middle of a house party.
She raced back to the bookshelf and returned the books as she listened for the passing voices to disappear.
Unfortunately for her, a muffled conversation started in earnest right outside the door, essentially trapping her inside. Realizing it must be near time for Her Grace to prepare for dinner, Tabitha knew she had to send her attire at once. Impatient to return to her work before she was missed, she wandered through the library, hoping for a second exit of one sort or another. She explored between the shelves and in the corners and came up short — she was well and truly trapped for the moment.
* * *
After leaving his mother, Nicholas continued downstairs to find Bernard to ensure all of his items were unloaded from the carriage and properly returned to his rooms. He began to follow him when a hand clapped him on the shoulder.
“Nick! I was beginning to fret you would not make it in time for your own party.”
“Alex! Am I happy to see you.”
Nicholas turned to shake Alexander’s hand but instead found himself in a brotherly embrace.
“How have you been, old boy?” Alexander asked. “The ladies of France must have been sad to see you leave. I hope you will stay for a time on this visit home?”
“We shall see. As for the ladies, I have learned my lesson in the past and take much more care now.”
“Oh come, what fun is that?”
“I am a duke now, Alex, as you soon will be as well. It brings with it a sense of responsibility. At some point, you know, I must marry — as will you — but the prospect is a rather chilling one, I am afraid.”
“Well, you never know when you might find something more to your tastes. We have some time before dinner begins, what say you on having a drink to catch up before we go in to greet the bloodsuckers?”
“I think that sounds splendid,” Nicholas replied as Alexander pushed open the library doors.
* * *
Swallowing panic, her heart nearly beat through her chest when the library door burst open and Alexander plowed inside, red faced and laughing. Their eyes met and his shock at seeing her in the library briefly showed on his face before he quickly recovered. Hot on his heels was another man, close in age, and just as handsome, perhaps even more so, if Tabitha was being completely honest.
The second man also stopped short when he saw Tabitha, and she took the seconds of shock to get a better view of who she assumed must be the Duke of Stowe, Nicholas Fairchild. He was similar in height to Alexander but where Alexander was sunshine and freckles, the Duke of Stowe was ebony hair, golden skin, and mahogany eyes.
Tabitha was not one for fanciful pastimes much anymore, but she imagined if a Greek god wandered into a library in London, he would look very much like His Grace, Nicholas Fairchild.
“Who are you?” the duke said bluntly, his eyes narrowed on Tabitha. “And what are you doing here?”
Her throat constricted and her eyes darted to Alexander for help.
Alexander’s easy manners swept in, and he swung his hand toward her.
“My distant cousin, of course,” he said to the duke. “Miss Tabitha Kenmore. Don’t tell me you have already forgotten I mentioned bringing her along with me.”
There was no way he could have known in advance that she’d be there. She knew Alexander was bluffing, and it took a moment for the duke to look convinced, but he seemed to drop it.
“Of course,” he said slowly.
“Your Grace,” Alexander said with flourish. “My cousin, Miss Kenmore.”
“A pleasure,” the duke said as Tabitha dipped into a curtsey. “It still does not explain what you’re doing in my library.
”
She quickly clasped her hands behind her back and wracked her brain for an explanation — remembering Alexander’s advice to her earlier. Be ready to think on your feet.
“I was looking for the housekeeper, actually,” she said with a little laugh. “I thought I saw her come this way, but it appears I was wrong. I need a maid to help me dress for dinner today as mine seems to have wandered off.”
It sounded reasonable, she hoped.
The duke kept his dark gaze on her longer than was comfortable a second time, as though he was seeing straight through her babbling and could discern the truth without much effort.
She would not make it through the end of the day at this point.
“If you please, I would like to be pointed in the right direction of Mrs. McEwan’s office so that I may find a maid,” she said as she moved toward the doorway that the duke was currently blocking with his large body. He paused a moment longer before stepping aside, his eyes never leaving hers.
“I shall see you at dinner, cousin,” Alexander called behind her and she didn’t miss the note of laughter in his voice. At least one of them was enjoying themselves.
* * *
Nicholas could still feel the girl’s presence long after she’d left. He tried to focus on what Alexander was saying to him, but all he could think of were her hauntingly beautiful violet eyes, so intent on his.
He was somewhat perturbed at Alex for bringing a stranger to his mother’s party, but he found himself easily forgiving him for the girl, who reminded him of a fresh breeze over a spring meadow.
“Why have you not mentioned her to me before?”
“Her? Oh you mean Tabitha?”
“Yes, the girl.”
“We are only newly acquainted,” said Alexander, looking at his cousin with curiosity. “I wanted her to meet my mother’s side of the family while she is here in London. And I believe she and your mother should get along famously. They share a love of fashion, flowers, and hats of all things.”
Nicholas nodded as he thought of the long straight locks that had fallen out of her hair arrangement and onto her shoulders, and the way the emerald dress she was wearing had clung to her small frame. She had seemed quite surprised to see them but recovered quickly. Yet there was something about her, something he couldn’t quite put his finger on. She said the right things but in different manner than the usual young English ladies. She was… unpracticed.
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