Undressed to Impress the Duke : A Steamy Historical Regency Romance Novel

by Scarlett Osborne

  His hand was firmly on her waist. She swallowed. She wondered how she was supposed to live under the same roof with him, and be married to his brother at the same time.

  She didn’t want this moment to end. Lady Julia loved being so close to him. She had never thought that she would ever fall in love. And yet, here she was. Falling in love with the brother of the gentleman whom her parents wished her to wed.

  “Life is like a dance, is it not?” she asked.

  “If you know the right steps, then you can make it by?” He quirked an eyebrow upwards.

  “No,” she replied. “If you have the right partner, then you feel as though you’re flying.”

  He smiled at her, and it felt like they were the only two people in the world. It was like everyone else just faded away.

  Eleanor woke from her sleep suddenly. She sat up, wondering what time it was. It was completely dark in her room. She waited for the sound to come again.

  She still had a little bit of a headache, but it was lessened somewhat. Her stomach growled, and she wished that she had at least gone down to dinner.

  She got up, then put on a robe. She would go down to the kitchen, perhaps get a drink of water. She lit a candle, then went out into Lady Julia’s chamber. It was dark. The bed was empty. She would, no doubt, be returning early in the morning.

  Out in the hall, it was silent. Not a person stirred. She wondered what she’d heard. She moved as silently as she could, her heart racing a little.

  She made it to the servants’ hallway. Inside, she could hear movement, a few floors down. It sounded like something large was being dragged. Eleanor felt uneasy. She stood as still as she could, glad that she had closed the door softly.

  A door opened, whatever was being dragged was slid out, and then the door slammed shut. Eleanor was left in the silence. She walked quickly, going down into the kitchen. It was dark, empty.

  She poured herself a glass of water from the pitcher that was left out on the counter. She drank it, slowly. There was a loaf of bread, out on the counter. She tore off a good-sized chunk and ate it.

  As she peered out the window, there was a cart leaving. She could hear the sounds of hooves, clopping in the gravel. In the darkness, she couldn’t tell who was leaving.

  The cart was a large shape, moving down the drive. There were no lanterns on it.

  Curiosity came over her. She made her way through the halls. She was almost over at the front window, by the door, when she heard a man clearing his throat.

  Eleanor whirled around to find that the butler, Mr. Stanley was standing there. She almost dropped her candle.

  “What brings you out here at this time of night?” he demanded.

  “I heard the sound of a carriage,” she replied. “I…I thought it might be My Lady returning.”

  “You shouldn’t be here in the foyer in…such a state of undress.”

  Eleanor’s cheeks flamed as she looked down at her slippered feet. “I’m sorry. I’ll return to my chamber.”

  “That would be best.” His tone was icy.

  Eleanor rushed away from him, feeling chastised. She decided to forget all about the cart leaving Myrtlegrove Manor. She returned to her room, where she blew out the candle. She was awake for a long while, listening to the silence.

  She wondered what Aaron was doing. Was he thinking about her? Wishing that she was there? She imagined him, dancing with fine ladies. Not for the first time, she wished that she had been born someone else.

  Chapter 17

  Aaron was watching Lady Julia, who was in between Lord Sommerset and Jack. It was clear that one had offended the other. Lady Julia’s eyes were wide, and she was looking around.

  Aaron crossed the room. As he neared, he heard them.

  “You have danced with Lady Julia thrice!” the Earl was saying. “You must allow me the chance!”

  “To what end? Leave it up to her to decide,” Jack snapped. “You addle-pated nitwit!”

  Aaron nearly rolled his eyes. It was clear that both gentlemen had drunk far more than they should. He leaned in, his brother and the Earl.

  “If you’re going to come to blows, then take it out in the garden,” he snapped. “Don’t embarrass the Duke and Duchess of Edgeriver in their own home.”

  Both of them blinked. He glared at them, then turned to Lady Julia, offering her his arm. He glanced over at her mother’s lady’s maid, to ensure that she was following. She nodded to him.

  “I was wondering if you would like a drink, My Lady,” he said, bringing her away from his brother and the Earl. His brother was barely old enough to be considered a gentleman. The Earl, well—he would have expected better.

  “Yes, please, Your Grace,” Lady Julia said, waving her fan at her face. She looked like she was about to burst into tears.

  “I could see that they were becoming rather heated.”

  “Yes. They were arguing.” She was clearly upset about it. Aaron, though curious, didn’t press.

  “Well, I’m sure that a few moments to cool off will do them both good,” he assured her. He was beginning to think it unwise to continue the acquaintance with the Earl. At least, while Jack was still in the country.

  “Oh, I wish Eleanor were here,” she said, sounding like she was about to cry.

  “Where is she?” he asked, curious to know. When he glanced over at Lady Julia, she was very pale.

  “She had a headache. My Mother sent her to bed.”

  “I hope that she’s well.” Aaron could feel the lack of her presence. It had a shape. It had an ache. He tried to think of something to say. Something which wouldn’t give his true feelings away. “It’s not too serious, I hope?”

  “Just a headache, I believe—”

  Aaron cleared his throat. He wished that Eleanor was there. Even a glimpse of her would have been welcome. He got Lady Julia a drink, then brought her to stand by the wall.

  He glanced around the room for Jack and Lord Sommerset. He was relieved to find that they had gone their separate ways. Jack was standing beside the punch bowl, looking grimly at the couples on the dance floor. Lord Sommerset was standing directly across the room from Aaron and Lady Julia, glaring at them.

  The next morning, Eleanor woke early. Having rested the evening before, she felt better. Her headache was gone, and she felt much better. She crept from the room, where Lady Julia was sound asleep in her bed, snoring lightly. Eleanor knew that she would sleep late.

  She went down to eat breakfast, then walked out to the stables. She was not surprised to find Martin there.

  “Miss Eleanor!” he said, breaking into a wide grin. “What brings you down here so early?”

  She had an odd feeling about what she had witnessed the night before. She had come out to see if any of the horses were missing. But when she looked, all of the stalls were full.

  Which meant that the cart and horse had come from elsewhere. She didn’t know what it meant. Nothing had been brought in. Rather, it had sounded like something had been taken out.

  Martin was studying her closely. “What are you looking for?”

  “I’m not sure.”

  “All right. Care to explain?”

  “I was awoken, suddenly last night. I don’t know what I heard. I went down to the kitchen, and I heard a cart, leaving. Did you hear anything, Martin?”

  “No. I had to act as coachman,” he replied. “Since the party was so large, we needed two drivers to bring His Grace and the others to the ball. I left one of the stable lads to keep watch. I can question him, but he didn’t mention anything out of the ordinary.”

  “It might be nothing,” Eleanor said, attempting to shake it off.

  “Might be something.” Martin raised both of his eyebrows. “Those gut feelings,” he said, gesturing toward his own stomach. “That’s your body’s natural defense. Don’t ignore them, Eleanor.”

  “That’s good advice.”

  “I’ll look into it.” He raised his slouchy hat, then marched off. Eleanor b
it her lip. She decided to watch and wait. Perhaps the rest of the morning would prove something missing.

  When Aaron returned to his dressing room, Ponsby was still not there. He did his best alone. But he wondered where his valet had gone to? Ponsby had helped him dress for the ball the night before, but had not been there when Aaron had returned.

  He dressed himself, then went down to breakfast, which was being served late that morning. All were there, even Louisa. “Mrs. Fallmire, has anyone seen Ponsby?” he asked the housekeeper.

  “He didn’t show up to help you dress this morning, Your Grace?”

  “No. He wasn’t there last night, either.” Aaron helped himself to a slice of toast.

  “That’s strange,” Mrs. Fallmire commented. “Now that you mention it, I haven’t seen him this morning at all. I’ll go and find Mr. Stanley. Perhaps he’s been taken ill.”

  “Please find out. I’m getting concerned for his welfare,” Aaron said.

  “Of course, Your Grace,” she said. “I’ll go immediately.” Mrs. Fallmire left the room.

  One of the footmen brought Aaron his plate. He eagerly dug in to the eggs and bacon. The whole family was still eating when the housekeeper returned.

  “My Lord,” she said, clearly perplexed. “No one has seen him. His room is empty.”

  “He’s left?”

  “He didn’t even wait to ask for references,” she said.

  “That doesn’t seem like him at all.” Ponsby was so neat-fingered. He moved slowly, making sure that everything about Aaron’s person was neat.

  “Well, it wouldn’t be the first time that a servant has just up and left,” Jack commented. “If he took his things—”

  “He did at that,” Mrs. Fallmire confirmed.

  “Perhaps, until you have a moment to hire a new valet, you might use Jack’s,” Louisa suggested.

  “Would you mind?” Aaron asked his brother.

  “Not at all. You do look rumpled, Brother,” Jack said.

  “I’ll let Mr. Bradshaw know, Your Grace,” Mrs. Fallmire assured Aaron.

  “Thank you,” Aaron replied. He supposed that he was just overreacting. Perhaps, Ponsby had gotten an offer elsewhere. Or maybe he had needed to go home to his family. They lived a few towns over.

  Eleanor arrived at the servants’ dining room for luncheon. She sat down with a bowl of soup and a large chunk of fresh bread.

  “You were here, last night. Did you hear anything?” one of the house maids was saying to another.

  “Ponsby isn’t missing,” the unpleasant male servant said grumpily.

  “How do you know?” the maid asked. “He’s not the sort to up and leave, and without references, too!”

  Eleanor’s heart was racing. She must have heard him leaving. Right? After all, who would harm someone like Mr. Ponsby? He seemed very kind.

  “I heard him talking about leaving,” the unpleasant male servant said.

  “Did you, Mr. Bradshaw?” the maid asked.

  “Yes. Said he was going to stay with relatives.”

  “Mr. Bradshaw,” Mrs. Fallmire said. “Can you attest to this?”

  “I can. He said that he wanted a change of pace.”

  “Well, I suppose that’s that.” Mrs. Fallmire seemed to relax.

  “Really?” Eleanor blurted out. “I mean, you’ll take what he says?”

  “It’s common enough,” Mr. Bradshaw said coldly. His eyes cut over to Eleanor.

  “Servants come and go,” Mrs. Fallmire said. “While I’m a little surprised that Ponsby would, he seemed to like Myrtlegrove well enough. It just goes to show that you don’t know everyone as well as you think.”

  When she looked over at Mr. Bradshaw, he was smiling at Eleanor coldly. She had a gut feeling. One that told her that Mr. Bradshaw knew what had happened to Mr. Ponsby.

  She resolved to keep her eyes and ears open. Perhaps to even warn Aaron. For his personal valet knew enough about him that he had entrusted him with a letter to her. Which meant that he knew secrets about the Duke of Durnsott which someone else might find profitable.

  Aaron had spent much of the day lounging in the library with Arthur. They had sat, talking and drinking glasses of brandy. That was where Jack found them.

  His brother was looking rather worse for the wear. Dark circles were underneath his eyes, and he looked a little pale.

  “Have a drink,” Aaron said, cocking his head to the side. Jack waved it off.

  “I can’t.” He sank down into one of the armchairs. Jack looked miserable.

  “I heard that you nearly came to blows with Lord Sommerset,” Arthur said.

  “I did,” Jack muttered.

  “So much for polite neighbors,” Arthur remarked, taking a sip of his drink.

  “I can’t let him try to steal my Brother’s bride-to-be,” Jack said miserably. “Can’t let him get away with that.”

  “Jack,” Aaron said. “I was wondering if you might want to head to London early. Before the summer was up.”

  Jack seemed to consider it. He shook his head. “No, Brother. I can’t.”

  “Well, at the very least, consider it,” Aaron said. He needed Louisa to leave. She would only do it if Jack was going.

  Jack looked at him. “I wasn’t that badly behaved, was I?” His eyes were wide, and Aaron was reminded of when Jack was a small child. He still looked the same. He felt protective toward his brother.

  “No,” he replied. “You weren’t. I’m just wondering if you might need a change of scenery. After university, I imagine it’s very dull here.”

  Jack smiled. “That’s where you’re wrong,” he said. “There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”

  “Well,” Aaron said, attempting to mask his disappointment. “If you change your mind, I can send for the housekeeper in London to start opening up the house.”

  Jack seemed to twitch. “Mother wouldn’t be happy to hear you speak that way. Excuse me.” He got up, stalking toward the door. He opened it and left the room.

  Aaron and Arthur shared a look. “He seems very hung over,” Arthur commented.

  “Yes,” Aaron agreed. But there was something else. Jack had never seemed so bothered before. He wondered what was truly going on. His brother seemed angry.

  Eleanor’s heart was racing as she walked down the halls. Lady Julia and her mother had gone to have tea in the withdrawing room with the Dowager Duchess. She had quickly done all of her tasks, and was now looking for Aaron.

  He exited the library, almost running into her.

  “Eleanor!” he gasped, daring to reach out and caress her cheek.

  “I was looking for you,” she said, leaning into his touch. He ran his thumb over her bottom lip.

  He glanced around, opening the next door, which led to his study. He ushered her inside, then closed the door, turning the key.

  “What’s the matter?” he asked, pulling her into his embrace. “Are you well? You look pale.”

  “I think your valet met foul play.”

  “What makes you think this?”

  “I was woken up suddenly last night,” she explained. “When I was in the servants’ stairwell, I heard someone dragging something large.”

  “It could have been a lot of things. Like a trunk, perhaps.”

  “True. Then, when I was in the kitchen, I heard a horse-drawn cart, leaving the drive.”

  “Could you see anything?”

  “No. There were no lanterns.”

  Aaron let out a deep breath. “I cannot go to the Constable without proof,” he said. “Although, I can have Martin ride over to Ponsby’s parents’ home.”

  “What do you need me to do?” Eleanor asked, ready to help.

  He took her hands in his, looking into her eyes. “Please, Eleanor. Let me look into it. If anything happened to you, then I wouldn’t forgive myself.”

  She sighed, nodding. He kissed her. “If you hadn’t come to me, then I wouldn’t have looked into it. Ponsby is a good man, and if he met some
sort of foul play, I will ensure that he gets justice.”

  “Indeed.”

  Aaron kissed her once more. She cupped his cheek in her hand. The skin was both smooth and rough. She wished that he was actually hers. Sometimes, it seemed to be too much.

  “I have to go,” she said, although she didn’t want to. He brought her hands to his lips, kissing her knuckles.