“I see. Well, you do know what would be required of you in the position, correct?”
“I believe so. I would be responsible for sorting out Grace’s affairs and assuring that she receives all required care and necessities.”
“Quite right. The position would of course be live-in and we would sort out income more appropriately at the time of formal agreement.”
“Why yes. Of course.”
“Please excuse me, but I would think a lady such as yourself might be engaged in the matters of courtship as opposed to taking up such a position.”
“Well, in truth you are quite right, it is the time for courting. However, as I stated before, I believe that this position may have presented itself at optimal time.”
“I find you to be seemingly suitable, however, it is not my approval that matters most. I do not get the final say.”
“Perhaps I can have some further discussion with Lady Grace directly and that part may be sorted.”
Thaddeus nodded and stepped aside. Miss Evie approached Grace and the two of them broke off for their own chat. Thaddeus remained surprised that Miss Evie would even consider such a position. He would think a woman such as her would be fielding many suitors. He was not quite sure of her family’s position, but he knew it must be fairly low for her to even think of taking such a position. Although his initial intentions had been geared towards himself, he would be quite pleased if he could finally sort out the overseer for his ward.
He was drawn into conversation by an elder gentleman of some ranking. It was of no particular interest to him, but he remained a polite listener. He saw Miss Evie and Grace approaching him and he excused himself. Grace seemed to be quite pleased, certainly in the most pleasant mood that he had seen her in since Abigail’s passing. She bounced up to him and said, “I’ve found her! I would like it very much if Miss Evie could take up the post immediately.”
Thaddeus nodded his agreement and Grace went away, presumably to inform Judith. He turned to Miss Evie and said, “Well, I suppose that is settled. I will issue official correspondence in the next few days in order to sort out the final details. In the time I assume that you will get your affairs in order and will be able to report.”
“Absolutely. Thank you very much. I anxiously await your word. If you will excuse me, I must go find my sisters and tell them the news.”
As Miss Evie walked away, Thaddeus thought once more of how lovely her personage was. However, he was relieved and thought that perhaps she might serve some greater purpose than the one that he had initially intended. At the same time he took notice of Rebecca St. John. She was a young widow whom was quite lovely and found herself rebuffing the advances of many gentleman at the affair. Thaddeus thought that perhaps he would be able to speak with her, fairing better than the others. He gave one final glance in the direction that Miss Evie had disappeared before making his way over to the young widow.
Chapter 4
It was not an ideal or permanent solution, but watching over Lady Grace granted Evie more time to be able to figure things out. It would also give her the proximity to a higher quality of potential suitors. It was for her the best way to get into a circle that could potentially enable her to change her life and rise above her family’s current position.
Her sisters did not agree. When Evie had gone to them and told them of her arrangement with Duke Thaddues Wellington, they had both been unhappily surprised. Hannah exclaimed, “Why would you do that? We came here to be in better company so that we could potentially find some better matches for ourselves.”
“Exactly. What better company is there than a Duke?”
“But it is not as if you will be courting with him. You will be working for him.”
“It is a means to an end.”
Lucy interjected, “But Evie, we’ve done so well here. We have met with people and even secured some invitations. We could potentially be courting with some successful gentlemen very soon.”
“Listen, I don’t care what Mother says, I know that things are not good at home. Father has become so concerned over every little expense. I know that this will help. Besides, Grace is a big girl. It is not as if I will have to tuck her into bed or sing her to sleep. Once I have her affairs managed, I will be able to go on with other affairs.”
Her sisters looked at each other in doubt. Evie didn’t seem to care. In her mind she had done them all a great turn and she was not concerned that she had decided badly. In fact, she was quite sure of the opposite. She had a feeling that she would be very grateful for her decision in her future, even if her sisters could not see it. Meanwhile, Hannah and Lucy had both been in conversation with some eligible men with whom they felt there might be some promise of a future. They hoped that they would be receiving correspondence in the future about potential courtship.
As they returned home, Evie felt quite optimistic about each of their futures. She would inform her parents and begin getting her affairs in order for her move. She could only imagine what it would be like to live with the Wellingtons. Of course, the home would be far greater than what she was used to. Their home was not in particularly poor condition, but neither was it well kept. Evie knew that she would be living in rooms the likes of which she had only dreamed of, and privately hoped that she would be able to remain in like conditions once she was fortune enough to become married.
Upon return to their home, Evie immediately sought out her parents. Her father was in his study while her mother was seated at tea. She brought them into the sitting room to tell them her news. Her father immediately perked up and said, “Have you become engaged, my dear?”
“No, Father. But I do have some news that should bring you both great relief. Today, I came upon Thaddeus Wellington, the Duke of Geiser, perhaps you know him. He is a recent widower who has his younger sister as his ward. It seems in his wife’s absence that he now seeks someone as a companion and overseer for his sister and I have been offered the position.”
Her father inquired, “What shall be your income?” Her mother broke in, “But dear, I thought the idea was to be courting, not to take up a position. However shall you find your husband while attending to this young lady?”
Her father answered, “But it will be a great help for Evie to take up somewhere, even if only for a position. I’m sure the rest will be worked out in due time.”
Evie replied, “Yes, Mother. I believe that this is the best course of action. Just think of what it will mean to be in the company of a Duke. It will mean that only the finest sort of people will be visiting and it can only improve my chances of finding a suitor who could greatly improve our position. Perhaps even someone who could make some great connection for Father.”
Her father nodded enthusiastically, saying, “Quite true! Quite true! Perhaps we could all benefit from Evie’s new position.”
Her mother looked quite as doubtful as her sister’s had. She understood her mother’s reservations, but she maintained a sense of optimism about the arrangement. Her father came to kiss her head before going off to get himself a celebratory nip. Now alone she said to her mother, “Please understand. I feel that this is going to be good for us. Just today being at the Kingman’s improved our prospects greatly. Just imagine what it would be like to live in the home of a Duke.”
Her mother looked away thoughtfully, clearly rolling these new sentiments around in her mind. Finally, she came to sit down next to Evie, placing her hand upon her daughter’s. She said, “Evie, I trust your judgment and support your decision. While I shall miss you terribly, I believe that perhaps there is a chance that your condition may be improved by this position. Lord knows that being around here will not do you much good.”
“Thank you, Mother. I still have to await for His Grace’s correspondence before anything is sure.”
The two ladies hugged before Evie went to retire to her room. As she got into her dressing gown, she heard a soft knock upon her door. She already knew who was beyond it as she called for them
to come in. Hannah and Lucy came in and sat down upon her bed. Lucy said, “So you’re really going to do it?”
“Yes. It seems.”
“I can’t believe you’re leaving us.”
“Well, it was bound to happen in some way. You do know what happens once someone becomes married, do you not?”
“Yes, but this feels different.”
Hannah said, “Do you think that we shall be allowed to visit?”
“I do not know. I have no idea how things will go from here. I still have to correspond with Thaddeus Wellington, The Duke of Geiser, to get things settled. Hopefully you will, but even if you don’t, we shall be together. I will come to you if not otherwise possible.”
There was a sad silence between the three of them. They were women now, but still young and somewhat dependent upon each other. Although they could often be seen venturing beyond their home, they spent the bulk of their time together. They were greater than sisters, but also the best of friends. It would be difficult to part from each other.
Evie had not considered this in her eagerness to offer herself for the position. She thought now of all of the nights she and her sisters had spent in each other’s rooms, giggling and gossiping together. At times soothing each other from bad dreams and indulging in warm milk. It would certainly be quite a change to part from them, but it was necessary.
That night they all slept closely together in Evie’s bed, as they had when they were girls. The next morning there was a bit attention as they waited anxiously to hear from His Grace. Evie was not sure how long it might take him to send for her, but being that he was in such need, she did not expect it to be very long. She had already begun in some measure to gather her belongings. Once she had made the final agreement she would pack up her trunk and prepare to travel to her new home.
She did not hear back from The Duke the first day. There was a bit of relief, as she felt that she had some more time. The next two days passed on in the same manner, the family being tense over breakfast, but releasing the tension as the day went on with no word.
Finally, the first bit of correspondence came with Evie’s official offering. She found the income to be more than accurate and immediately replied with her acceptance. Having done so, she began to pack up for the move. Her mother and sisters aided her somberly, trying in vain to hide their dismay. Even her father seemed to be touched and found any excuse to speak with her either in passing or by bringing her into his study.
It was not long before The Duke of Geiser’s coachman waited outside as she brought her things to be presented to his home. With her trunk secured on the coach, she turned to her family for her farewell. She had briefly spoken with her father before he had gone to his work. He had offered her some final words of advice before taking his leave.
Her mother and sisters all gathered upon their lawn, each awkwardly fumbling for the words. Of course she would be seeing them all again, perhaps fairly soon, yet it would not be quite the same. She would now live elsewhere and the thought made them all slightly weepy. They each embraced and she smiled, hoping to leave them with more pleasantness than melancholy.
She bid her final farewell and prepared to make off for her new life. She was not quite sure what to expect. She had taken so swiftly to the idea of the position that she had taken little time to consider the finer details of it. What would it be like to live in a Duke’s home as a part of his staff? Was she of proper manners to live in such a way? Would she actually be good at the job?
All of these questions seemed quite too late and before she knew it she was pulling away from the only home which she had ever known for an entirely new one. She felt quite as a small child going off on her first trip. Yet, she had to hold on to her optimism about what lied ahead of her. From this position she would be able to secure a far greater future than she could have previously hoped, of that she was sure.
Yet, there was the bittersweet truth of leaving her family and not knowing whether her fantasies of being swept away by some Lord or Duke would even come true. All she knew is that she was off, leaving home very differently than she would have previously imagined. She shrugged away her nervousness as best as she could and instead decided to focus on the positives.
Lord Wellington, a recent widower, would surely be inviting over a great many people in search of his next bride. She thought again of the Duke. They had not had a great deal of interaction, but from what she had gleaned from him he seemed to be a decent enough gentleman. Not too pompous or proper. He had greeted her quite respectfully with no knowledge of her background. She thought perhaps he may prove to be a pleasant acquaintance.
She also thought that perhaps her position might be short-lived. Surely Lord Wellington would be finding another wife soon. He was so stately and handsome, there could be no shortage of ladies seeking his attention. She thought of his somewhat piercing gray eyes, the strength of his jawline, and the waves of his black hair. It would be only a matter of time before he was married again. For herself, she only hoped that by that time she too might have secured her own marriage.
Chapter 5
Rebecca St. John proved to be quite the companion. Thaddeus found her to be quite agreeable. She did not incite any thoughts of marriage, but he quite enjoyed the time spent with her. She was still quite humbled by the loss of her husband, but she allowed herself some pleasure. It seemed that she found in Thaddeus a shared sense of loss which made their interactions seem somehow more proper.
Thaddeus was simply glad to pre-occupy his mind and time with anything that did not directly remind him in some way of Abigail. In spite of his attempts to busy himself, he would find himself at times looking for her, only to remember that she was no longer to be found. Yet, he could not allow himself to be overcome. He had too many obligations and he found that it would do him no good.
At least, he thought to himself, he had been able to find Grace an overseer. With that settled he felt that the house was practically back in full working order. Or at least as full as it could now be. He had found that Grace seemed to be somehow lifted by the prospect of her new companion and when he had informed her that Evie was on the way, she had become visibly excited.
Thaddeus had found the process all very agreeable. He had inquired a bit more about Evie’s background and decided that he would be quite acceptable. Her father was a merchant and it seemed that while she was not of exceptional means, she was at least of some position. He hoped that she would be a good fit. If he found that she were not, he would once again have to find someone to fit the position. He really hoped that it would not come to that.
Thaddeus was in his study going over some documents when he got news that Miss Seymour had arrived. He went down to the foyer to receive her. He found that Grace had also been informed and she stood anxiously before the door. The coachman brought in Evie’s trunk and was directed to her room to set it down. In behind him came Evie.
Once again, Thaddeus was struck by her. She was adorned in a simple, but well-appointed dress, of a shade of blue that went wondrously with her eyes. Her hair was in ringlets about her face and she had that radiant smile on her face. Thaddeus stepped forward and said, “Welcome to our home. I do hope that you will find it quite comfortable. You will be shown about and given all instructed by our own Miss Watts. If you will excuse me, I shall return to my affairs. Should you have any further questions, please send for me there.”
The Duke bowed to her. Before he was able to return to the study, Evie said, “Thank you very much. I do so appreciate you having me in your home and I am hopeful that you will find me a more than adequate addition.” Thaddeus nodded and Grace moved forward to take Evie’s arm. He quickly realized just how few years there were between them, but found that may be an advantage.
All the same he had extended his introduction and left her to become acquainted with the home. With a final backwards glance, he returned to his study. He began once again to insure that his business was in proper order and returned some
of the correspondence in which he had recently received. People were still sending letters of condolences and both his and Abigail’s family were inquiring after his well-being.
He found that one of the challenges of loss, outside of the pain of it, was the constant inquiries about his state of being. He had never been one to speak very openly about his emotional state and he did not see any reason for that to change. When he had lost his parents it had been Abigail who had handled the people, answering the correspondence and welcoming the guests. Once again, he was reminded of what was now gone with Abigail no longer with him.
Once he had managed the majority of his letters, he went to wash himself up for dinner. By the time he entered the dining room, he found that Miss Evie and Grace were already there, chatting away merrily. Upon his entrance, Evie acknowledged his presence with a smile as Grace continued to talk on as if she was with her very best friend. Thaddeus looked at it as a good sign.
As dinner was being served, Thaddeus decided to gain better acquaintance with Miss Evie. He said, “Well, Miss Seymour, do you find accommodations agreeable?”
The Roguish Ways of a Hopeless Duke Page 3