Duke of fire

by Monroe, Jennifer

  As she made her way down the stairs, she heard the murmur of voices in the drawing room. Had Lord and Lady Blackstone arrived early? Jane had hoped to be waiting for them when they called, but now she would be the one all eyes were on when she entered the room. Her head spun for a quick moment, but she pulled herself to together and walked through the door.

  Michael and Lord Blackstone rose as soon as she entered, and Samuel gave her a wide smile.

  “Miss Harcourt,” Michael said as he walked over and gave her his arm. “You have already met my brother Robert.”

  “Yes,” Jane replied with a curtsy. “My Lord.”

  “It is good to see you again, Miss Harcourt,” Lord Blackstone said before taking her hand and kissing her knuckles.

  “And this is Catherine, Robert’s wife. Catherine, this is Miss Harcourt, Samuel’s governess.”

  The woman could only be considered a great beauty with her striking blond hair and clear blue eyes. “Miss Harcourt.” She rose from her chair and looked Jane up and down approvingly. “My husband mentioned that Michael had a new governess but he failed to mention how lovely she was.”

  Jane gave her a shy smile. “Thank you for saying so.”

  “Well, shall we head into dinner?” Michael asked.

  Before he could offer Jane his arm, Lady Blackstone took Jane’s hand and pulled her close. “We women must stick together, should we not?” she said as she led Jane to the dining room.

  “I suppose we should,” Jane replied, although she felt more than a bit disorientated.

  “As I was saying,” Lord Blackstone said as they took their seats at the dining table, “I still firmly believe that women have no place in business. Their ability to rationalize is not at a level with that of a man, and thus they simply cannot be as successful in such an arena. It would be like sending in the secretary to fight the gladiator.” He laughed heartily at his own joke, and his wife raised an eyebrow at Jane, who had to stifle a giggle. The man was arrogance incarnate, although it did not surprise her in the least. She remembered her brief encounter with him soon after she had arrived and had not thought much of him then. At the time, she was uncertain what about him bothered her, but after his opinions thus far, it was clear that she had not been wrong in her assessment of the man.

  “That may be so,” Michael said as he took a drink of his wine. “However, as instructors, especially for children, they do quite well. Samuel has improved greatly in his studies and now I oftentimes find him with a book in his hand whereas before getting him to do any amount of reading was as difficult as pulling a carriage mired in the mud.”

  Samuel grinned at the praise from his father.

  Robert, however, did not seem impressed. “It is because the boy is a Blackstone,” he said with a snort. “We are gifted in many areas, and it is only natural that he has taken to his education.”

  Jane gripped her fork a tad tighter. She was not looking for praise from the man, but it was clear he would never be one to give her even the slightest acknowledgment for her contribution to Samuel’s education. The boy was bright, there was no doubt, but he had not learned what he knew on his own. Then she loosened her grip. The opinion of such a man had no bearing on her abilities. Plus, it was only how Michael viewed her that mattered.

  “Now, what I would like to know,” Lord Blackstone said through a bit of food, “is why you have decided to invite your servant to dine with us.”

  Everything around Jane began to spin. The man’s words reminded her of the warning Anne had given her—that someone such as herself was not, and could not be, like these people. Unfortunately, Jane had begun to believe the fantasy, and what Michael’s brother said brought her back to reality as easily as a jump into an icy pond.

  “Miss Harcourt is not a servant,” Samuel said angrily. “She’s a governess.”

  “Samuel!” Michael admonished. “That is enough.”

  The boy lowered his head. “I’m sorry.”

  Michael gave the boy a single nod and then turned his attention back to his brother. “I am grateful for the contributions that Miss Harcourt has made to this household,” he said as he shot her a smile. “It is because of her wisdom that I have decided to host a ball.”

  Lady Blackstone gasped, and Lord Blackstone set his fork down on his plate with a clatter. “A ball? What ball?”

  “The one I will be hosting here at Wellesley Manor,” Michael replied, unperturbed by his brother’s reaction. “I will be reintroducing myself to society. No longer will I hide behind these walls in shame.”

  The room went eerily quiet, and the air seemed to cool considerably. What she had expected was his brother to smile, or at least offer up words of encouragement. However, what the man said came as a shock.

  “Surely you do not mean to do this. There are dire consequences to such rash actions, and with your current…forgetfulness,” he glanced at Samuel who did not appear to be listening, “I believe you would be making a grave mistake.”

  Michael let out a heavy sigh and signaled a footman to remove their plates. “I do mean to do as I say, although I had hoped to have your support.”

  “I believe it is a wonderful idea,” Lady Blackstone said in a quiet voice.

  Lord Blackstone turned and glared at his wife. “The men are talking. Please, do not interrupt.”

  The woman nodded and looked back down at the table. Jane was furious; to see a woman treated in such a disrespectful manner was horrible and demeaning. However, she also knew that no matter what she said, her words would only make matters worse, so she remained quiet.

  “Let us retire to the library and discuss this further,” Michael said.

  Jane turned to Samuel. “I believe it is time for you to go to bed.”

  Samuel nodded, pushed the chair back from the table, and silently walked out of the room.

  Jane smiled at Michael. “I’ll see to him,” she said and she followed behind the boy. In all honesty, she was glad to be free from the animosity of the room. However, she did worry that Lord Blackstone would talk Michael of out hosting the ball, and Jane knew that doing so would only send the man spiraling out of control. Yet, she was just the governess; what did she know?

  ***

  After putting Samuel to bed, Jane sighed and stretched. The boy was much more tired than she had suspected, which explained his short outburst during dinner. Although she was appreciative of his attempt to defend her honor, Jane knew that the boy speaking out as he did was nothing short of rude. She was never a firm believer in children being silent unless spoken to, but she did realize that they lacked the skills and knowledge to input their opinions at such a young age, at least at such a gathering.

  She tugged the door closed behind her, careful not to be too loud, when a hand shot out and grabbed her arm. She spun around, ready to scream, and was surprised to see Lord Blackstone standing there.

  “Lord Blackstone,” she said with a sigh of relief. “You startled me.”

  The man glared down at her, the glint in his eye frightening her. “What is the meaning of your game?” he asked as he pushed her against the wall.

  Jane winced at the ache in the back of her head where it had hit the wall behind her. “I-I’m sorry, My Lord,” she stammered. “I have no idea what you mean.”

  “Do not play innocent with me,” he said through gritted teeth. “I told you my brother is unwell and should not be leaving the house. Now I find that you ignored me and have encouraged him to do exactly that.”

  Pain shot through her arm, which he still held as he pressed it against her body. “My Lord! You are hurting me!” she said, though it was difficult to breathe, not only from the pressure he was putting on her body, but the fear that gripped her.

  “I see now,” he said in a low, yet harsh, voice. “You think you’re not a woman of lower means. Do you believe yourself to be one of us?” Jane shook her head, but he snorted. “Do not lie to me, girl. I see the way you look at my brother, and I do not like it. You are noth
ing but a servant, despite what my nephew says, and I will not stand by and watch as you seek to take his fortune. You will never be a Duchess; do you understand me? Never!”

  “I seek no such thing from him,” she gasped, hot tears filling her eyes. Not from fear now, but from anger. How dare he accuse her of such nonsense! Regardless, she would not give this man the benefit of seeing her cry. “I have no interest in title or wealth. I only wish to see him get better, and leaving the house is a good place to begin.”

  “You are a liar!” he seethed.

  “Robert?” a woman’s voice said from down the hall. “What is going on?”

  Robert stepped back and Jane sighed with relief. “Nothing. Miss Harcourt and I are simply having a conversation.”

  “Well, your brother is waiting for your return,” she said simply.

  “I am on my way,” he said, not taking his eyes off Jane. Then he leaned in and lowered his voice. “Heed my words. You will never get another position as governess if I have anything to do with it.” And with that, he walked away.

  “You look as if you have seen a ghost,” Lady Blackstone said as she walked up to Jane. “Are you all right?”

  Jane wished to reply that no, she was not all right and that the woman’s husband had just accosted her, but she could not get the words to come out.

  “Come with me,” Lady Blackstone said. “We will have something to drink in the drawing room. I know I certainly could use it after this evening.”

  With a nod, Jane replied, “Yes, that would be nice.”

  The two women walked down the hall and made their way to the drawing room. As Jane followed the blond beauty, she wondered how such a kind woman could have married such an angry man.

  Entering the drawing room, Lady Blackstone went over and poured them each a glass of brandy. “Men are an interesting sort,” she said as she handed a glass to Jane. “They seem to believe that, the angrier they become, the more important their words are.” She laughed at this.

  “I suppose that is true,” Jane said, although she did not see Michael in that category. Yet, she was not about to admit to this woman that she thought so specifically about her husband.

  “My Robert is like that,” the woman said with a sigh. “I suspect his words are far from kind. Would you not agree?”

  Should she tell this poor woman about how her husband had treated her with such disdain in the hallway before her arrival? However, what would that accomplish? It was obvious that the man treated his wife no better. “I am sure your husband his many good qualities,” Jane lied. “He is firm in his beliefs, is all, My Lady.”

  Lady Blackstone gave a short laugh. “We really must dispose of these formalities,” she said, “at least when we are alone. Please, call me Catherine.” She placed a hand on Jane’s arm. “And do not fear telling me the truth. I will not be angry.”

  Jane let out a small sigh. Perhaps sharing what had happened before the woman’s arrival would be all right after all. “Lord Blackstone was angry with me for encouraging His Grace to leave the house, although I still do not understand why. Surely he would like to see him brother improve?”

  Catherine rose and returned to the liquor cart. “I was afraid he would do something like this,” she said with a sigh. She poured another glass of brandy. “Would you like another?”

  Jane looked down at her untouched glass. “No, thank you.”

  The woman shrugged and replaced the stopper. “You see, when Robert loses his temper, he becomes a tyrant. But I can assure you, he truly is a gentleman.”

  Jane hid her doubt by taking a sip of her brandy. “I am sure he is.”

  “Well, let me be the one to apologize for his behavior toward you and seek your forgiveness.”

  “Yes, of course,” Jane said, shocked that a woman of her standing would be find a need to do such a thing for a governess.

  “Thank you, my dear,” she said as she retook her seat. “You must understand that Robert has good reason to not wish Michael to leave the house.” She swirled the amber liquid in her glass as she paused. “I’m not sure where to begin, but I guess the night of the fire is as good a place as any.”

  Jane sat up, curious to hear what this woman had to say.

  “You see, after the fire and the loss of Elizabeth, Michael had so much guilt that it has driven him to a certain…madness, if you will.”

  Jane leaned forward. “I do know of his episodes, but I can assure you he has moved past that. The guilt he once carried he has now dealt with and moved on from it.”

  “May I take a guess at something?” Catherin asked. Before Jane could reply, she continued. “I imagine that Michael has told you that his guilt plagues him and that somehow you have offered him kind words that have suddenly freed him of that guilt. Am I correct in saying this?”

  “I have helped him, but I believe he came to that conclusion on his own.”

  Catherine sighed, as if she carried a heavy burden. “Jane…may I call you Jane?”

  “Of course.”

  “Well, Jane, you are a beautiful woman, and I can see that you have a strong, but kind, countenance. However, facts are facts. As a governess, you are a servant in this house, no matter what Samuel might believe.”

  “I do not try to give myself airs,” Jane said.

  “No, I suppose you do not. Yet, Michael has taken a liking to you. I have seen the way he looks at you. And you him.”

  Jane bowed her head. What this woman said was true, but surely it was not unheard of.

  “I saw the same look on his face with the last governess.” Catherine’s voice was soft, but she might have slapped Jane on the cheek with what she revealed.

  “You do not mean…?”

  Catherine placed a finger on Jane’s chin and forced her to look at her. “It is how I knew it was your words that led him to release his guilt, for I had heard the same from Miss Hester in this very room.”

  “This cannot be,” Jane said, her voice choking. “He is a kind man.”

  “Yes,” Catherine said with a sigh. “I would be the first to defend his name against anyone who spoke against it. However, he led Miss Hester to his bed and then when he tired of her, he threw her out onto the streets.” She gave Jane’s hand a gentle squeeze. “It is why my husband used such harsh words with you, for he does not want another woman to lose her virtue because of Michael’s madness.”

  Jane searched the woman’s face for any sign of a lie, but her tears of confusion blinded her. “It cannot be true.” She looked back down at the glass of brandy, finding it difficult to comprehend what she heard.

  “It is. And to Michael wishing to return to society or to host this ball? Robert worries that his brother will become the sinister man he was before the fire.”

  Jane’s head shot up. “I do not understand. What do you mean ‘before the fire’?”

  Catherine shook her head. “Oh, he has been with many women. It was why he was away from Elizabeth that night; he was off visiting one of the hussies he kept on the side. It is what drives his guilt. You see, Robert’s concerns are more than justified. Michael is slowly losing his memory, and Robert does not want the family name ruined for Samuel’s sake.”

  Jane nodded slowly, finally comprehending the wisdom and worry of the woman before her. “I will do what I can to watch the Duke, if you would like,” she said, her voice faint.

  “That will be helpful,” came Catherine’s reply. “However, it is important that you continue on as normal so Michael does not know that you are helping Robert. If he were to find out you have betrayed him, I am unsure how he will handle it. The most important thing is that you must guard your heart, for Michael has a way with words and I would be greatly troubled if you were hurt in all this.”

  “Thank you,” Jane responded. Could it be true that Michael was trying to woo her just to get her into his bed? However, had she not already encountered such a man in her last position? Perhaps her current employer used different tactics to lure his servants,
but the result would be the same.

  Her heart and mind warred with one another, but one thing Jane knew, she had to be careful from this moment forward. She would be vigilant and then ask Michael questions when the time was right.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Two days had passed since Robert and Catherine and come to dine with him, yet Michael was still troubled by his brother’s words as they drank alone that evening.

  “I am telling you, Michael,” Robert had insisted, “that woman is after your wealth.”

  Michael shook his head. “No, I do not believe it. She has done nothing to make me believe that. Not once has she asked me for anything.”

  “Mark my words, she is up to no good. I guarantee it.”

  By the time his brother had left, Michael began to have doubts, but he still was not completely convinced that what his brother said was true. What he saw was a woman with an unselfish manner who had the best interests of Samuel and himself at heart, and he could never imagine her deceiving him in such a way. However, the seed had been planted and Michael struggled to shake off the idea, as awful as it seemed.

  “Your coat, Your Grace,” Dalton said, breaking Michael from his thoughts as he walked toward the door.

  Michael stopped and sighed, allowing the valet to help him don the coat. Then he stopped. “What is this?” he demanded. “I specifically requested the blue coat, did I not?” The man was getting older, but that did not give him the excuse to ignore his master’s requests.

  “Your Grace,” Dalton said in his simpering voice, “You told me…” He stopped and looked down at the floor. “My apologies, Your Grace. I will get your blue coat at once.”

  As he turned to leave, Michael caught his arm. “What did I tell you?”