To Teach A Gentleman

by Langston, Jenn

  Fate had been kind to him on that day, and hiring her had been the greatest decision he’d ever made. Simply gazing upon her struck him in the heart. It would be an honor to spend the rest of his life loving her, and he looked forward to every day of it.

  Keep reading for a glimpse from book 4 in the Reformed Rake series, To Marry a Lord.

  Chapter 1

  “Damn it!” Hannah Dobson, Countess of Rivers, exclaimed as she hit her slippered toe on the ill-placed piece of furniture, for what had to be the twelfth time.

  Ever since she’d been helping at the House of Reform, she’d commented on the placement of the hall table, but no one listened to her. She supposed it didn’t help that she was always in a hurry. A languid pace was not for her.

  “Did you hit your toe again,” Regina laughed as Hannah limped into the classroom in which they had agreed to meet.

  “That bloody table shall be the death of me,” Hannah grumbled. “I just don’t understand why it needs to be there.”

  Lady Regina Serra shook her head. Considering she had founded the House of Reform with Lady Constance and the newly married Viscountess Washburne, Hannah firmly believed some of the blame belonged to the young woman. However, she knew it truly wasn’t the table that was bothering her. Ever since her friend, Genevieve, married and rushed off to the country, she’d lost another reason to be in London. The trouble was, she didn’t exactly belong in the country either.

  “If I moved the table, I daresay you would locate it just to stub your toe in its new location. I believe it would be better for the two of you to work out your differences.”

  As Regina burst out laughing at her jest, Hannah rolled her eyes. “I can see nothing amusing here and therefore suggest we move from this topic.”

  Once the lady composed herself, she straightened her back. “Of course. Did you finish checking in on the classes?”

  Hannah nodded, then gave her report regarding which clients appeared distressed and which ones were pleased. Luckily, she hadn’t walked in on any gentlemen getting too friendly with their instructors. It didn’t happen often, but considering they’d seen several marriages between clients and employees, they needed to be vigilant.

  Overall the House of Reform provided good services, and Hannah was pleased to have been a part of it, but she didn’t truly belong here either. Since her husband had died, she thought her life would improve, and although it had, she still felt displaced. For ten years, she’d never belonged anywhere, and she suspected that feeling wasn’t going to go away anytime soon.

  “Very good.” Regina leaned back in her chair. “Tonight we shall be celebrating Miss Raycela’s betrothal. I’ve been working with that girl for far too long now. Do you plan on remaining for our tradition?”

  Shaking her head, Hannah forced a smile. The ladies who seemed against marriage for themselves only gathered together to celebrate the union. Never had they toasted when one of their clients mastered a language or became proficient at the pianoforte. Only for the interminable torment of marriage. It just didn’t make sense to Hannah.

  “No, I can’t stay. That’s actually another matter I wanted to discuss with you today. I shall be leaving London soon, and therefore, will be unable to offer my assistance with the classes any longer.”

  “Leaving? But, why?” Regina seemed truly appalled at the idea.

  Hannah laughed at the horror on the woman’s face. “Ever since I married all those years ago, I’ve spent the season in London and the remainder of the time in the country. Even though my husband is gone, I see no reason to end this custom.”

  “I’ve spent my whole life in London and can’t imagine ever wanting to leave. Is there anything to do in the country? It seems like it would be rather boring.”

  “Why don’t you arrange your schedule to pay me a visit? It would be a wonderful opportunity for you to see, and I would dearly love to have a friendly face and some news of London.”

  After Regina gave a cautious, yet noncommittal reply, Hannah took her leave. In truth, she had no other manner of answering the question. After all, the estate where she would be spending the winter would be very different than the one she’d spent the previous ones. For the first time in years, she planned to return to the earl’s estate.

  In the past, her brother, Anson Greenleaf, Marquis of Melbourne, was kind enough to take her in when her husband had exiled her to the country. However, she would not rely on him any longer. With his new wife and child, it wasn’t fair to infringe upon their time. Not to mention, with her husband’s death, she felt slightly more comfortable spending time at the house that had been her prison for her first year of marriage.

  A fortnight later, she stepped foot onto her late husband’s estate. As she breezed through the doors, she took in a deep breath. It smelled different. She smiled, not sure if it was reality or if it was the knowledge her husband was gone that gave the place a more refreshing aroma. Regardless, she liked it.

  “My lady,” Mr. Rawlings, the butler, gave a deep bow. “It’s wonderful to see you after all this time.”

  “Thank you. I decided it was past time for my return.”

  “Of course. I shall have Mrs. Rawlings prepare a room for you.”

  Knowing she would have a little bit of a challenge with the new Lord Rivers, Hannah put her shoulders back. “The countess’s chambers will do nicely. Seeing as my designation hasn’t been altered, I see no reason to change my quarters.”

  “Very good, my lady.” The man’s face gave no indication to his thoughts.

  As she supervised the moving of her trunks, she debated paying a visit to the new lord, but decided against it. She’d been informed that he had taken up residence here a month or so after title had passed on to him. Being the nephew of the late earl and next in line, he’d known this would be his future, so she didn’t imagine he’d been surprised. And, considering the man had never approved of her, she didn’t intend to remain in his company long. As a matter of fact, she planned to encourage him to spend some time in London.

  Considering his past reception of her, she didn’t expect he would want to share a household with her. She also understood he needed to examine all of his holdings, not only the estate. They would be able to manage well together if he spent his winters in London and seasons in the country--the exact opposite of her.

  She smiled. This would work out. A few months of this, and she would finally find her place and the feeling of displacement would dissipate. Her future would be simple, she just needed to rid herself of the new earl first.

  ~ ~ ~

  “She’s doing what?” Lucius Dobson, Earl of Rivers, slammed his hands on his desk as anger rushed through his body. This was unacceptable, and he suspected the woman knew it. His late uncle’s wife always had her own way of doing things, as she was quite spirited.

  He groaned. If he couldn’t find a way to make her leave, she was only going to make everything more difficult for him. That was not what he needed right now.

  “Mr. Rawlings, please show the countess to my study at once.”

  The man bowed and left the room. Lucius let out a sigh. He’d known remaining away all these years would make taking over the earldom more difficult, but he couldn’t go back and change that fact now. His uncle had left the books in a fine puzzle and Lucius had wasted too much time before moving here to see to his duty. It didn’t matter now. He’d accepted his fate as there was no avoiding it in any case.

  “You wished to see me . . . Umm, my lord?” His late uncle’s wife gave a small smile. “It seems so strange to address you as such.”

  He fought off the urge to return her smile as he stood. The woman was even more beautiful than the last time he’d seen her. However, he kept his scowl firmly in place, not wanting to be affected by her. He hated how quickly he noticed everything about her. She had no ri
ght to come in here with her blond hairstyle so meticulously perfect framing her high cheekbones and pert nose. Then, there were those brown eyes. Those soulful things had gazed upon him years ago as if he should be the one to save her, but, he could not. He wasn’t her husband.

  “And, how would you like to address me?” He lifted a condescending eyebrow, needing to bring himself back to the present. “Shall we be Lucius and Aunt Hannah?”

  The disgust on her face struck him. “Heavens, no. That would be highly inappropriate. I’ve never been an aunt to you, and I don’t intend to begin now.”

  “Then, as the Earl of Rivers, you may address me as Lord Rivers.”

  Her face paled. Interesting.

  “I don’t believe I’m ready to hear that name again. I suppose we are stuck with my lord and my lady.”

  Nodding, he held out his hand toward the chair placed before his desk. “Tedious, but serviceable. Please have a seat, my lady.”

  Again, she smiled and the sparkle in her eyes hit him in the stomach. Why was it she could always do that to him? He turned away, not wanting to notice her beauty any longer. He’d seen his share of attractive women, but none of them had ever compared to her.

  She settled in the chair as he took his own seat. “I was rather busy unpacking my belongings, so if this is to be a social visit, I’d dearly love to reschedule for another time.”

  Clearing his throat, he forced his mind to focus on what he needed to say. “Not simply a visit. Your arrival was a surprise to me, and I don’t appreciate being left out of the decisions.”

  Her lips pinched tight. “I can understand, however, my movements don’t need to be monitored by you or anyone else. However, I will be happy to inform you that I always spend the season in London and the winter in the country.”

  It was difficult to stifle his reaction. “You intend to remain here through the winter?”

  She nodded. “I understand it’s a long time, but I believe it will be a good time for you to use this opportunity. You see, with me being gone from London, it’s an ideal time to check out the townhouse. I’m certain there is much in the city requiring your attention as the earl spent the majority of his time there.”

  This time Lucius couldn’t keep his jaw from going slack. This woman was dismissing him from his own home? It was true he only recently inherited, but how dare she believe she had a right? This was much worse than he’d originally believed. He crossed his arms.

  “I’m not going anywhere. And, if you intend to stay, there needs to be an adjustment to your choice of quarters.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “My choice of quarters? You mean the countess’s chambers? If you hadn’t noticed, I’m still the countess.”

  “That is true, but I’m the new earl, and those rooms are reserved for my countess, not my uncle’s.”

  “I will happily vacate as soon as she is found and awarded the title.”

  They stared at each other, neither one of them flinching. Lucius wondered how his uncle could have put up with this unmalleable creature. From his memory, he didn’t recall this difficult side of her. She’d been sweet and carefree. He imagined it was good that . . . No. He wouldn’t think along those lines. Moving down that path never served him.

  “Think of the talk that would generate. Besides, you can’t be comfortable having your room connected to a man who is not your husband.”

  She tossed her head back. “There will be no talk, considering I’m your aunt. That being the case, I’m not sure we can classify you as a man.”

  The defiance in her eyes made him clench his fists. She was deliberately goading him. As if she believed doing so would make him change his mind and leave for London. Well, she had it completely wrong. He would not be manipulated.

  “Although your assessment of me and the situation is quite incorrect, I’ll not remain here arguing with you. If you insist, you may remain in the countess’s quarters, but I will also be remaining in mine.”

  She nodded. “Good. Then, I have no reason to believe that you would use that door. Therefore, I have nothing to fear from you. As I said--not a threat.”

  The defiant tilt of her head ignited him. He wanted to tell her how she was wrong. To give her reason to be afraid. To warn her that he had every right to use that door. But, he couldn’t force himself to do such a thing. No matter how furious she made him, she deserved to feel safety of her own--albeit temporary--quarters.

  “Now that we have the rooms established, I want you to know that this will be nothing like London. I’m not here to socialize or to attend parties. Don’t expect anything from me, because you will not receive it.” Her eyes widened, but he ignored her surprise. “I’m certain you have matters you would like to attend, so you may leave.”

  With her mouth slightly agape, she woodenly stood and left his study with her back straight. Once she was gone, Lucius let out a sigh of relief. Her being here was not ideal, but he would manage. Likely she was accustomed to an active social life and would hope to connect with the nearby families.

  The winter months would be long, but if she spent the majority of her time elsewhere, he wouldn’t be bothered by her presence. Yes. That was the solution. The manor was large, and he saw no reason to stand on ceremony.

  He simply needed to keep his mind focused on his lengthy task ahead and ignore any distractions. That being the case, before long she would be returning to London. Then, once he deciphered all of his uncle’s ramblings, the books would be in working condition, and he would finally be able to find his own bride and move on with his own life.

  ~ ~ ~

  Hannah shoved the needle in the fabric, listening to the hum of the thread as it pulled through. Normally, she adored embroidering. It was her little secret that had kept her sane all these years, but today the activity couldn’t hold her interest. She’d been living at her late husband’s country estate for a week now, and she was growing restless.

  Letting out a sigh, she tossed the offending fabric aside, wishing she had someone she could talk to or a worthwhile task to occupy her time. The out-of-doors were no longer something she enjoyed, and the lack of another human made the long hours tedious. The staff was minimal since no one had been informed the lord and lady would both be in residence, so talking to them took them from their duties. And, they were most certainly worried after their positions since the earl had passed. She certainly didn’t want to be the reason why someone was released.

  Her mind drifted to her wretched nephew. From their last conversation it was clear the man loathed her, and she had to admit the feeling was quite mutual. Every time she’d seen him, which was minimal over the years, he had seemed perpetually miserable. Never once had she seen him smile. Had he not been such a horrid person, she might have felt inclined to take it upon herself to coax a grin or two out of him, but how could she when he was so decidedly unpleasant? Not to mention the fact he seemed to be ignoring her. He went as far as to take his meals in his quarters.

  As she collected her embroidery and put everything away in her basket, she realized her desperation for interaction with another person was so great, she would overlook her prior dealings with the new Lord Rivers at this moment. She shook her head at the sad truth as she made her way to his cave of a study and lightly knocked on the door. The anticipation welling inside her was embarrassing.

  The gruff voice inside immediately granted entrance. She smiled. Clearly he wasn’t expecting it to be her. Otherwise, she knew he would have put up more of a fight.

  “Good afternoon, my lord,” she sweetly greeted, ignoring the wide-eyed shock that he quickly masked under a scowl as he got to his feet. “I hope I’m not interrupting something important.”

  “What can I do for you?” His blue eyes watched her warily.

  Clicking her tongue, she leisurely walked around the room, taking in the dark pan
eling, shelving, and furniture. It was worse than a cave. More like a dark hole in the ground. This room held no happy memories for her, but she wouldn’t let them intrude now. After making a circle, she put her hands on the back of the tall chair placed before the great desk. Her husband loved the power he felt from sitting at the larger piece of furniture as she helplessly stood before him.

  “I always hated this room. I don’t know how you stand it. The decor is dreary and demands a person be in a constant state of distress.”

  He lifted an eyebrow. “No one is requiring you to be here. So, why have you come?”

  Discomforted, she lightly ran her fingers along the fine leather of the chair. His eyes zeroed in on her movement, and his jaw locked. What was she doing wrong? Did he dislike her so much he didn’t want her to touch his belongings? She narrowed her eyes.

  “When you said you weren’t here to socialize, I didn’t realize you meant to lock yourself in this room without having the decency to join me at dinner.”

  His eyes slowly moved back to meet hers, his haughty eyebrow still lifted. “If you wanted to keep up your active social life, you never should have left London.”

  “Don’t pretend to know anything about me. I’m not asking for much, besides, from your lack of social skills, I’d venture to say you would benefit from engaging in an occasional conversation.”

  The long stare he gave her portrayed nothing of his feelings. “Are you trying to get me to join you for dinner by insulting me? If that’s the so-called manners I’m lacking, I’m not sure I wish to sit in on that lesson.”

  Irritated, she blew out a breath. “I’m merely stating a fact as your manner of speaking to me has never been polite.”