The Roguish Ways of a Hopeless Duke

by Lucinda Nelson

  “Oh yes, quite. Thank you very much.”

  “So you discontinued your education just shy of university, is that correct?”

  “Yes. I have quite a fondness for reading, but have never considered a position which called for further education.”

  “I see. So prior to this position you did no aspire to such matters?”

  “Not quite. I suppose I held ideas much as most young women do.”

  “So what led you to inquire after this position?”

  “Lady Grace, mostly. I found her to be quite lovely. Besides, as I first stated, it felt like perhaps the perfect fit. I do have two younger sisters so I am somewhat fitted to the work.”

  “What about your father? Did he not protest?”

  “No. My father offered his blessing.”

  “Quite high-minded of him. What exactly is your father’s business?”

  “I do not pretend to know. Over the years, he has dealt in many different wares. I suppose it is a consequence of the business.”

  “It is true that some merchants do change with the times. Your father is quite wise to be amenable to the changing market.”

  “Ah, but the market is not always so kind.”

  “True. It is a risk.”

  At this time the food was brought to table and they began to eat. He found Miss Evie to be of quite good manners and again was surprised to find her in her current position. How was it that she was not already intended for marriage? He thought perhaps her father’s station was not so good which may limit her. It is understandable. Those were the sorts of things to be considered in marriage. It was fortunate for him that he had no intentions on going back down that road again.

  As the main course was removed, Thaddeus suggested that they remove themselves to the sitting area for dessert and tea. Miss Evie seemed to agree and the three of them made the transition. As they sat, Thaddeus asked Miss Evie, “So, did you find the tour adequate? Do you have any further questions?”

  “Well, yes. Not about your home, which I found to be quite lovely, but about my position. Lady Grace is of a particular age where certain things shall not be necessary, I wondered if there were any chance that I may have leisure to take leave in the interim. I fully intend to maintain my duties and I hope that you do not find it rude, I just thought that perhaps I should get things established from the start.”

  “Of course. Well, you are quite right, Grace is no small child. You will not be needed to attend to her every second of the day. So long as her affairs remain properly managed, I see no problem with you taking leave as you wish. Particularly when Grace herself is off.”

  “Thank you very much. That is all I needed to know.”

  “You do not have any further questions?”

  “Not at this time.”

  “Good.”

  “I would like to say, if you do not mind, that your wife seemed to be of exquisite taste. This home is well-tended to.”

  “Yes, she was. Thank you.”

  With that, Grace and Miss Evie once again took up in conversation. Thaddeus soon quit them for his own endeavors. It seemed that Rebecca found her nights quite unbearable in the wake of her husband’s passing. Thaddeus had promised to assist her in the matter. So he quietly called to his coachman to take him to the St. John estate.

  It was not very far down the road and he was able to come upon her during decent visiting hours. Like he and Abigail, Rebecca and her husband had not yet had children. So aside from her staff, she had only her visitors to keep her company. Thaddeus had been assured that all of her visitors would be gone upon his arrival.

  He was received by her butler at the door and escorted to the salon, where she sat waiting. It appeared that she was in one of her more emotional states. Thaddeus did not find these states particularly pleasant, but must admit that in spite of it she was still quite lovely. She brightened at his entrance and he took his seat across from her on the sofa. She said, “Oh Thaddeus, I am so very glad to see you. I have been so lonely.”

  “I thought that you were entertaining visitors.”

  “Yes, but it is not the same. It was mostly ladies who had come to make sure that I was still sufficiently in grief. I did not find their presence agreeable. I have looked forward to your arrival all day.”

  “As have I.”

  “How is Grace?”

  “She is fine. I don’t want to talk about her. I want to talk about you.”

  “It is so very hard to cope. I feel the emptiness of this house. It still feels surreal.”

  “Yes. But perhaps there is some method of relief.”

  At this suggestion, Thaddeus moved across to sit beside her. He reached for her hand and lifted it to his lips, pressing them against the back of it. He could hear her breath catching in her throat. He looked up into her eyes. He sensed her loneliness and despair. She was rocked by grief, but also by something else that she was not quite so willing to admit.

  She chatted absentmindedly, trying to maintain her sense of decorum. He could feel what was building up between them and he knew that she felt it too. He knew all that was left was too insure her that she was not betraying her husband’s memory. He felt she may have some worry about how her staff might perceive her actions, so he intended to ease her mind.

  He got to his feet and walked to doorway, peaking out. He saw no one. He then returned to her and said, “It is alright to find some pleasure, you know. You do not have to wallow in sadness for all of your days.”

  “But it would not be proper.”

  “You may set your guilt aside. You are a proper lady. But even proper ladies have desires. Were you not a devoted, faithful wife? Do you not deserve?”

  Thaddeus could still feel some hesitation. He decided to seal his fate with a kiss. He slowly leaned into her, careful not to move too quickly and overwhelm her. He had been in this situation enough times to know how they should properly be handled. All they needed was enough secrecy to assure her. So he offered it.

  He took her by her hand and guided her to her feet. He then led the way down the hall, careful not to make any sound. He then brought her into one of the guest rooms and shut the door behind them. He could just barely make out her face in the dark, but she seemed to remain apprehensive. He placed his hands upon her shoulder and pulled her into him. He offered her the tenderness that he knew that she lacked in her husband’s absence.

  Once he had inspired her to release some of her body’s tension, he once again brought his lips to hers, pressing softly. At no point did he move too quickly. He offered her the touch that she craved with the cover of darkness that she needed. As they intertwined, he knew that perhaps behind her closed eyes she would not be with him. He found himself also drawn away, thinking of another. However, it was not his beloved Abigail that he saw, but rather the face of Miss Evie.

  It took an effort not to be jolted. Although he had found Miss Evie to be quite stunning from the start, he did not think that he harbored strong desires towards her. Yet, as his lips touched Rebecca's he envisioned the pouty lips of Miss Evie, parted just so to receive his kiss. He could not help himself. He wondered if perhaps his proximity to her would prove to be troublesome.

  Chapter 6

  It was quite the adjustment for Evie in her new home. It was much better than any place she had lived before. Even when her father had been a man of status, they had not lived so well. She felt self-conscious, not wanting to do anything wrong. Her mother had raised her with a proper upbringing and yet she suddenly felt as if she were a wild animal or some other lower lifeform. She had to stop and think before she did anything. It proved to be quite unsettling.

  Yet in her work with Grace, she found some level of ease. Having been a young girl herself not so long ago she was able to speak with Grace quite easily. While Grace had other things going for her that Evie had not, Evie still caught on quite quickly, able to manage Grace’s schedule and needs fairly well. In the down moments when Evie had some time to herself, she was abl
e to miss her family and friends. She had sent out letters to them, yet they felt so far away. Grace would be having a day out with her friends soon and so Evie was planning on going back home to visit.

  In her interactions with The Duke, she found herself unsure. At times it appeared that the two of them got on fine while other times she felt as if there was some tension there. She could not determine the source of it. She simply remained determined to be able to do her work. It offered a good distraction from her problems, even though she was still quite aware of them. There was no guarantee with this new position, but that was for the best. It would be at her disadvantage to remain in employment too long. As it were, she would have to hide it as best as she could to remain in some level of status. She highly doubted any man who could offer her the necessary step up in life would be attracted to a girl with a position in someone else’s house. She knew for a fact that they would not. While she did not intend to lie, she thought it best to go unsaid.

  She did find a great deal of fulfillment in her work, however. In her mind she told herself that at least she was not the maid or governess. It was simply a temporary position to help a young girl transition into womanhood. It was not so shameful a position to be in. All the same she wondered at what might happen if she were to find some suitor to more seriously court. How would she explain her living situation? She could perhaps suggest that she was staying with a relative to help him raise his ward. A plausible enough reason for her to have taken up board there.

  It hardly seemed to matter when it came to the reality of her family’s position. She had been out of the loop for a while, but she thought that perhaps word might be traveling that her father’s position was hardly in good standing. The gossip and chatter was always present, particularly with the young women who had already married and found themselves with ample idle time. That is how word had traveled before that her father was no longer an Baron It had been quite humiliating to try and assure her circle at the time that her family had not so fallen. Only through the kindness of a few real friends had he been allowed to maintain any social status at all.

  One morning, she got up quite early no longer able to sleep. Grace was still in bed and had no reason to rise yet. Evie made her way towards the kitchen to see if she could perhaps find herself some tea. There was tea set up in the sitting room, yet the Duke was there as well. She stopped short as she stepped into the room and said, “Oh, excuse me!”

  He replied, “That’s quite alright. Would you like some tea?”

  “Yes, please. I thought I might find some in the kitchen.”

  “Well, I also found myself up early in need of a cup.”

  Evie nodded in understanding and sat down to have some as well. As she fixed her tea, she noticed that the Duke was watching her. At first she thought that perhaps it was only her imagination, yet when she looked up she did find that he was indeed staring. She immediately blushed, feeling that perhaps she was doing something improper. Her hands shook slightly as she tried to continue making her cup. Once that was done she sat back in her seat and sipped. She felt somewhat inclined to begin conversation, but she hadn’t the slightest clue what it was for them to discuss.

  Up until that point they had engaged primarily in absolutely necessary talks. They discussed what needed to be discussed and little more. Initially, he had asked some questions about her, but she figured that was simply his way of knowing who was living under his roof. Since, their discourse had been primarily about the weather and Grace. She looked vaguely out of the window to see if there were some comment about the day that she might make to get it started. Before she could come up with anything, the Duke said, “So, how are you finding things here?”

  “They are quite lovely, thank you very much.”

  “Have you found it comfortable?”

  “Oh yes, quite. I am very grateful for your hospitality.”

  “Well, it is the staff that make it so. I know very little about it myself.”

  “The staff here is certainly exceptional.”

  “That was all Abigail’s doing. She hired all of them. Before her, I maintained the staff that had been here. They were adequate enough, but they were not very pleasant. Abigail had insisted on replacing them and I quite agreed.”

  “She made excellent choices. She must have been quite an amazing woman.”

  “She was. She truly was.”

  Evie dared not stare at the Duke as he thought of his late wife. She did not wish to intrude. She focused once again on her teacup and wondered vaguely when might be the proper time for her to make her exit. She had finished her tea and set it back down, ready to take her leave, when Thaddeus once again began to speak. He said, “You’re quite different from my wife, you know. In many ways. I wonder how Grace has taken to you so.”

  “Oh! Well, I’m sorry if…”

  “Oh no, I did not mean it in that matter. You are quite satisfactory, it is simply that Abigail did things differently than you.”

  “I see.”

  Silence fell between them again. Evie felt awkward for a few reasons, still not clear on his meaning. She hesitated in expectation that he might continue speaking, although she hoped that he would not. When he said nothing further, she excused herself and left the room. She thought surely that His Grace was not very fond of her, although she could not think of what she had done wrong. She remained courteous and did everything she could to stay out of the way, sticking primarily to her duties. She couldn’t say what His Grace might oppose in her, but she knew that could be the manner of men in his position.

  The more powerful a man was, it seemed that he found people to be improper for no true reason. As if it was just a point of power to disapprove of people. She made a mental note to be more mindful in his presence as not to upset him further. By this point, Grace had risen and Evie was drawn to her to help begin her day.

  Evie found that Grace was much more mature then she would have thought. She seemed to have a good grasp of herself. In spite of her position, she was not at all pompous or rude. In fact, she was quite kind and Evie imagined she was a great deal like Abigail. Although Grace was aware of her duty to marry well she still seemed to have her own ideas about the life she would lead. She spoke openly of love, not like her parents, but like her brother and Abigail.

  Evie was very surprised to hear this. She could hardly imagine Lord Wellington being very loving. She listened as Grace said, “My brother and his wife had a very special bond. It was very sweet to witness.”

  “He really loved her?”

  “Oh yes, very much. Their marriage was not arranged. They found each other. From the first time Thaddeus brought her around, he was different. More calm and settled. Abigail had that effect on everybody.”

  “That sounds wonderful.”

  “It was wonderful to watch. My parents were not that way. They did not seem to like each other at all. They only ever spoke to each other when they had to.”

  These words made Evie look at him differently. Perhaps there was indeed a heart under his cold exterior. It would explain his current manner. He had experienced a very painful loss. It made sense that thereafter he would be distant and guarded.

  With this new information, Evie decided to make more of an effort to be nice to the Duke. She spoke to him much more pleasantly and avoided him less. She couldn't tell how it was being received. He spoke back to her, but he was not especially welcoming. In fact, he seemed opposed to her efforts. In spite of his rebuffs, Evie remained determined. She wanted to add back to the household some of what was lost with Abigail. Not to replace her, but seems that all under the roof was suffering in her absence and so she hoped to offer some relief.

  She did not attempt to learn what Abigail did. She found her own ways to create levity. She helped the maid bring in fresh and colorful flowers to add to the space. She often chatted up the gardener and cook to try to draw them out. They all seemed to be appreciative. The cook, an older woman known as Miss Drake, told her, “It ha
s not been like this here since The Duchess passed. Thank you for lifting our spirits.” Evie was more than happy to be of help. It made her feel as if she were a real addition to Wellington Manor.

  Chapter 7

  Miss Evie had proven herself to be very helpful. She and Grace get along well and she had helped the others in the operation of the household. Taddeus was very pleased and found himself able to conduct his business as well as his own private affairs. It was as if he were hardly ever the husband to Abigail, though just below the surface there remained a yearning for her that he refused to acknowledge.

  He noticed a bit of a change in Miss Evie’s manner towards him. He was not sure why. Initially, she had been only formal, but more recently she was being much more friendly. He wondered at her intentions, but she did nothing at all inappropriate. She was simply nice. He thought that perhaps that was just her way, but he could not be sure.