A Rogue's Courtship: Clean Regency Romance Collection

by Madeline St. James

  “Ah, there is one more thing,” the Baron said. “You’re to have a proper ceremony in the spring. Here at Clearwater, where her Grace, the Duchess of Cambridge, can come to mock and leer and taunt all she likes, as well as the rest of the lot that is sure to follow.”

  Catherine and Thomas suppressed grins.

  “Sarah will remain here with you,” her father also interjected, and that was fine with Catherine. That meant he was in search of a new housekeeper, and she had just the candidate in mind for the position.

  She hoped Father had fresh tomatoes on the premises when Claire walked through the door for the first time. Catherine couldn’t believe her good fortune when Thomas bent to kiss her. It wasn’t socially proprietary, but she didn’t care. She never fit with social constraints to begin with. The fact that her marriage and her love were ill-fitting for the standards set forth seemed as if it was the only way she would have ever been happy. As she kissed her husband back, she knew she was destined for a life of nothing but happiness, forevermore.

  THE END

  Fated by the Marquess

  Chapter 1

  “Madame Kingston, are you sure this doesn’t put a hardship on you and the other girls?” Claire looked around the tavern of Madame Kingston’s House of Ill-Repute. She’d been a working girl there for several years, ever since her brother had gambled their inheritance away. Even though she knew the offer of a better life by her friend, the Lady Catherine Desmond of Clearwater, formerly known as Lady Catherine Haddington, was a chance to improve her circumstances, she was hesitant to leave the familiarity of the establishment. She feared the unknown. Her uncertainty kept her awake at night; questions plagued her mind. She worried what would happen to her, and whether or not she would be accepted. What if she could not learn everything she needed to in order to be presented to society and given pardon for her past?

  It wasn’t that Claire wanted to be a demirep for the rest of her life. She resorted to her current lifestyle out of necessity. Madame Kingston was kind to her because she had been considered “high born” amongst her peers at the brothel. She was given high end clients who came in for a night of comfort. Her specialty was the Lords of the ton who weren’t receiving attention from their ladies at home. Claire tended to those men up until last year when Cook, a woman Madame Kingston had taken in and employed in the tavern part of the business’ kitchen, passed on from a touch of the ague. She was an older woman when she was first employed by Madame Kingston. A year and a half ago, Cook was blessed with the presence of Lady Catherine as an apprentice. Lady Catherine took the job when she considered running away from an arranged marriage.

  Claire smiled, remembering Lady Catherine toiling in the kitchen under the withering stare of Cook. Cook had never known another name, and after Lady Catherine found the Lord Desmond of Clearwater and wed him, Cook’s health went downhill. Claire had taken up residence in the kitchen at the behest of Madame Kingston, a portly woman with entirely too much chin hair, but the disposition of the most mothering Ma’am in the White Chapel District. Men and women came in from all over the ton for a touch of cheer and a pint of ale when they needed the emotional boost that Madame Kingston could provide. It was always peculiar to Claire that a place of comradery, comfort, and acceptance was found in a house of ill-repute, but she supposed circumstance didn’t necessarily define the nature of the people enslaved to those circumstances.

  Lady Catherine certainly hadn’t judged Claire, and now she was making good on a promise to help her. Lady Catherine was bound to Clearwater Manor with her husband until such a time as his father, the Baron Desmond, passed away. The Baron was proving to be more elusive to the fate of his ultimate demise than anyone anticipated. Notorious for his obstinate ways, despite being grievously ill the last couple of years, the Baron was still hanging on to his long life. That meant Lady Catherine was stuck in the Baron’s country manor with his eldest son, her husband, Lord Desmond. What Claire loved the most about her dear friend, whom she kept in contact with via written correspondence, was that the Lady Catherine was not of the disposition to suffer boredom graciously. She had spent the better part of the year befriending the members of the manor, learning the ins and the outs of one day become a Baroness. She also entertained her father-in-law when the time called for it and he was feeling well enough. But like with all her endeavors, Lady Catherine had grown bored and was begging Claire to come to the manor and keep her company. She had even hatched a crafty plan to lift Claire from her status within the lower class and introduce her to society as the Lady’s foreign cousin.

  At first, Claire refused. Lady Catherine had already been subject to a scandal, which resulted in the elopement of her and the Lord Desmond. Against all odds, the pair obtained the Baron Desmond’s pardon with the agreement they wouldn’t leave him to pass on out there in the manor all alone. They promised to keep him company in his final hours. Lady Catherine told Claire that it was expected of the distant cousins to begin making appearances in the hopes that they were bequeathed some small monetary or property gain in the last will and testament of the Baron Desmond. She complained to Claire that, in fact, the Lord Desmond’s own younger brothers, who had previously abandoned their father, took a sudden and keen interest in the welfare of the estate. It was a source of contention amongst the household, because the Baron Desmond confided in his eldest son that the property, estates, and vast majority of the financial wealth was being left solely to her husband. Lady Catherine expressed how it was going to be the source of a tumultuous uproar when the younger sons discovered their lack of compensation within the will.

  Lady Catherine begged Claire to come to Clearwater. Then, Madame Kingston discovered one of her letters and all but threatened to kick her out of the house if she did not take Lady Catherine up on the offer. She chided Claire for her indecision, claiming, “I can’t understand why ye’d stay around the likes o’this place when ye have a chance to turn yerself into the proper lady ye were always meant to be.”

  Claire argued that Madame Kingston had been fair to her, and she felt guilty leaving her and the other girls, even if her job was just to cook for the house. She had received that post after Cook passed.

  “Claire, luv, yer not meant to be a woman of ill-repute. Yer meant for better things in this world. I just know it. Take Cook’s place. I am in sore need of the help and there are plenty of women who can take yer place above stairs, but not a lot who can produce a loaf of that fresh baked bread the likes o’which ye can make,” Madame Kingston had said.

  Claire agreed, effectively hanging up her “available to service” status forever. She had been cooking for a year, and now she had the opportunity to go and learn to be a lady. At the very least, she might find a place in the kitchen at Lady Catherine’s manor house if the ton rejected her at the start of the Season. She stood at the door of Madame Kingston’s entrance and glanced back at the tavern room. She knew services were in full swing upstairs, and she had said her goodbyes to the women she would sorely miss. She smiled at a young woman no older than her eighteenth year, who had come in to take her place in the kitchen. She was bumbling around, spilling a bowl of stew in the lap of a vagrant who dared a grope. In an instant, Madame Kingston was on him, hoisting him out of the chair and tossing him out the back door.

  Claire heard the clop of hooves as a carriage arrived, which was an unlikely sight in the White Chapel District. The footman, a young lad with a nervous look about him, hopped down off the coachman’s bench and opened the door for her. Claire bent to pick up the ratty case she had packed. It contained one other dress she owned and a few small personal items. She had nothing left from her parents or her old life.

  Claire was surprised when the footman approached her and smiled, taking the case from her and stowing it in the compartment. She had never been waited on before. She bit her lip and looked back into the tavern to find Madame Kingston smiling at her. Claire waived and turned back, taking the arm of the footman as he helped her up into the
carriage. It felt as if she would never be returning to Madame Kingston’s establishment. She was going to miss the woman who had been more like a mother to her than any other woman she had known. She waited for the footman to close the door of the carriage, shutting out the crisp breeze from autumns late evening winds. If she was going to return to her roots as a woman of the upper class, she needed to act like it. Allowing something so simple as a coachman to close a door for her might not seem like a big deal, but as she had been forced to serve the needs of others for so long and care for herself, it was important to her that she allow it to happen.

  Claire stared out the window for as long as she could as the carriage pulled away. She knew she was leaving this place behind her and moving into a better life. Yet, she couldn’t help but wonder if there really was a way to escape her past and all of her transgressions, or if someday her reputation and association with Madame Kingston’s House of Ill-Repute would catch up with her.

  Chapter 2

  Claire spent the night bumping along in the carriage. She wrapped herself in a thick shawl, and was grateful that the tiny windows didn’t filter the cold air in. The last thing she wanted was to start her new life ill, but the cramped confines of the carriage made her restless. She was accustomed to bustling about, getting work done and making sure the patrons were taken care of. She wondered how long it would take to get to Clearwater Manor. Lady Catherine had indicated that it would take most of the night and she should try to sleep, but Claire’s mind was still too fraught with questions. What if they were caught in their plan to reintegrate her into society? Not only would she be shunned, but Lady Catherine would be as well. What if Lord Desmond turned her away? Lady Catherine hadn’t indicated whether or not the Lord Desmond knew of their plan. Would he remember her from a year ago, when she had attended their nuptials in the tavern room at Madame Kingston’s house? More importantly, what if Claire could never grow accustomed to life as a Lady again? She had lived free in the sense that she wasn’t controlled by the decisions of anyone but herself and Madame Kingston.

  Claire was trying to recall the last time she held a tea cup. Was she supposed to hold it a certain way? She knew a table setting was supposed to indicate certain courses throughout the meal, but what were they? They had one course at mealtimes at Madame Kingston’s, and then it was back to work.

  “Oh get ahold of yourself, Claire!” she chided herself internally. “You aren’t at Madame Kingston’s, you are just going to have to learn again.”

  Claire looked out the window as they bumped over a gravel road and caught sight of a huge manor house sitting in the distance. It must be Clearwater Manor. She felt the knots in her stomach tighten as they drew closer and closer to the house. Claire felt like the windows of the house had eyes that were watching her, judging her. It was like the house knew she didn’t belong. She wanted to open the tiny window and tell the coachman to take her back, but she knew that would be foolish.

  When the carriage pulled to a stop, Claire’s fingers twitched to open the door and escape immediately, but she remembered she was supposed to wait. After a moment, the door opened and she felt her heart leap at the sight of Lady Haddington waiting for her as the coachman retrieved her bag and helped her down.

  “Thank you,” she murmured. Lady Haddington approached and spoke.

  “Alfred, did anyone see you?”

  “No, my Lady. We were quick and discreet, and I drove the carriage through the ton a while before leaving the outer limits.”

  “Thank you, Alfred. Can you see to it that Sarah gets Lady Claire’s bag and it is taken to her room?” Alfred gave Lady Catherine a deep bow and Claire blushed at having been called Lady Claire. “I’m sorry for the lack of grandeur for the carriage. It had to be unrecognizable to the ton so that they wouldn’t associate it with Clearwater.”

  “I don’t mind in the least, Lady Catherine. It was a luxury for me.”

  “Well, I can assure you that you will come to know the finer things in high-born living, and that carriage isn’t one of the nicer ones.”

  Claire blushed again as she curtseyed to Lady Catherine. She couldn’t stop staring at her friend; she practically glowed with happiness. Claire knew when she and the Lord Desmond had eloped together that they made the right decision. But they had not seen each other since. Lady Catherine’s letters didn’t do her joyful aura justice.

  “You look resplendent, Lady Catherine.”

  “Oh, you do flatter me so!” Lady Catherine embraced her, kissing her on either cheek. They linked arms and Lady Catherine steered her towards the massive doors. Claire felt awkward and out of place as they climbed the steep stone steps and entered into a massive foyer; it was larger than Madame Kingston’s entire establishment. She regarded the finery and artwork set on display with a wariness, like she was a child or an animal set loose in a house of grandeur. She was afraid to touch anything, and even more, she was afraid to look at anyone. What would they think of her, dressed in a simple, ragged gray dress, standing in the middle of the foyer with her arms linked with the Lady of the house? She knew if she were of the elevated station of serving in such an opulent house, she would question her presence here too.

  “Come. Your room is prepared, and I think we will start your training after a nice long bath and a few hours rest,” Lady Catherine said. “Unfortunately, the Lord Desmond has had to move our departure date back to the ton for the Season a week early to engage with the solicitor about the estates here. So that means we only have the next two weeks to ready you to reintegrate into society.”

  “Really? How is this possible? I thought Lord Desmond’s father didn’t want you to leave him alone here,” Claire countered. They began climbing a staircase built of white marble. They passed fancy sculptures and portraits of Desmond's through the years.

  “He has decided he wishes to accompany us one last time to the ton for the Season. He will travel with us and he doesn’t anticipate making it back, but time will tell. He is a stubborn man.” Lady Catherine grinned, and Claire wondered why she found the Baron so entertaining. She had very limited reactions with men despite her previous vocations. She worried the Baron would recognize her for the imposter she was. As if sensing her thoughts, Lady Catherine assured her, “he has so many distant relatives that one more popping up isn’t going to affect him. Lord Desmond and I decided when we told him you were coming that we would just explain you off as a cousin. The staff accepted this story as well. We told them you are a cousin who has fallen into ill-fortune, and that explains the simplicity of your dress. Lord Desmond is excited to see you tonight. If his father is up for coming to dinner, we will make introductions there. Your given name will be Lady Catherine Bonnefant of Wales. Your father was a sea merchant, and your mother a Governess. We have left out the part of your brother for simplicity's sake, but we are hoping that amongst the Baron’s vast financial holdings and sea faring investments, he will overlook the fact that he doesn’t have a cousin in Wales.”

  Claire couldn’t argue with the plan. It was more intricate than she could have come up with herself, yet it rang true even in her own ears. Her parents had been a Lord and Lady, owning property in a portion of British ruled Ireland. When they died and she and her brother had moved to London, he lost everything by gambling. Her father had ties with merchants and seafarers, and although her mother hadn’t been a Governess, she certainly was the ruler of the house when their father was away. Claire felt the ache and knot in her stomach lessen even still as she realized that Lord Desmond was aware of the plan. She was grateful he seemed jovial about a reunion as well. She had been pleased he had married Lady Catherine and made her happy. Now she could thank him for that and everything else. She was also confident in the plan to explain her existence to Baron Desmond.

  They ascended a second set of stairs after climbing to the top of the grand staircase, and Claire found herself on a floor with a long hallway. There were so many doors to rooms that she could not fathom what they were all u
sed for. Lady Catherine steered her down the hallway to the last door on the left. A maid exiting the room curtseyed and then held the door open for them.

  “Thank you, Sarah.” Claire recognized the name. When Lady Catherine worked in the kitchens, she had spoken of her fondness for the woman. Sarah smiled at Claire, who found that peculiar. It wasn’t a grin born of hatred, loathing, or even jealousy. Her cheerfulness was sweet and genuine; Claire could not help but smile back.

  “Yes, thank you Sarah,” Claire mimicked Lady Catherine. Together they strolled into a room which housed a massive canopied bed, a hearth so large she could stand in it, and several plump, cushioned chairs and tables arranged around it. There was a great oak wardrobe and a hot, steaming bathtub set out. Claire could practically feel the water wash over her skin in anticipation of sinking into it. She had baths at Madame Kingston’s, but they were never this grand. She could smell rose water seeping from the cloud of steam coming from the water.

  “I have taken the liberty of filling out your wardrobe...” Lady Catherine indicated the massive oak chest behind her. “...with dresses that would fit you based on the size you were last year.” Claire glanced down at her own dress. She thought it was going to look sad and worn amongst all the fine things Lady Catherine had commissioned for her, but she didn’t think she could part with it. It was a testament to where she had come from, and what she might be forced to go back to if they were ever discovered.

  “And your sure the Lord Desmond is alright with your plan, Lady Catherine?” She looked up and bit her lip. “I would hate if…”

  “You needn’t worry about the secret,” Lady Catherine said soothingly. “The only people to know of it are you, Lord Desmond, myself, and Sarah. Sarah is most loyal, and aided me in escaping my father’s house last year on a nightly basis. She is trustworthy, and is glad to finally make your acquaintance. I spoke highly of your friendship.”