Where There's A Will

by MacGregor, Janna

  “You’ve done a marvelous job of keeping everything safe,” Kat answered with a smile. She didn’t mention that while Rodney kept his eye on her factory, a night watchman kept an eye on the lad during the evenings. Kat paid the watchman a little extra every month to ensure that Rodney was looked after at night.

  “Why don’t you prepare for the day, then come and break your fast with me.” She headed toward the door.

  “What did Miss Willa send today?” At the mention of food, the boy’s drowsiness immediately disappeared. “Any tarts?”

  “You’ll have to look and see,” Kat teased. “I shan’t spoil the surprise.” Today’s basket contained fresh baked apple tarts that were still warm, along with enough food to feed a small army.

  Kat closed the door and surveyed the workroom. Neat as a pin, her employees—all single women—cleaned the floors and straightened their work areas every night before they left for home. There wasn’t a single thread or feather on the floor. During the day, the entire place was as busy as a beehive with her employees making feather duvets and embroidered bed linens and matching pillows.

  With a smile of satisfaction, Kat climbed the stairs to her office that overlooked the factory floor. Though the work floor was neat and orderly, her desk had its usual piles of work scattered across the top. There were always fabric samples, embroidery hoops, and rolls of thread lying around for when inspiration struck. This was where she created her designs for her customers.

  Once finished, her designs were sold by appointment in the exclusive Beltic Arcade. She rented shop space there and catered to the women of the ton who purchased her finished products for their bedrooms and boudoirs.

  But every morning before she went to her shop, she started her day at the factory.

  If her business continued its growth, Kat would have to hire additional help. She was running out of hours in the day to complete all her work. Truthfully, it was a lovely problem to have, and she was thankful for it.

  She sharpened her quill to answer the letter from Meri’s solicitor’s office, then pulled out a piece of parchment from her desk. Instantly, she stopped. It was her sketch of the duke. She’d been working on it for months. With every new pamphlet or post she read, she’d made changes to the drawing.

  But it wasn’t just his likeness that intrigued her. His daring feats of heroism on the battlefields made her take notice. The man was afraid of nothing.

  She placed the drawing to the side, then answered the clerk who’d written her. Briefly, she informed him that she would be there for the reading of the will. Having her two hundred pounds returned to her would provide peace of mind. Meri had taken it with the promise of investing it wisely. She chastised herself for ever letting him have it.

  “M’lady?” Rodney peeked around the corner with the basket in hand. “These tarts . . . are still hot. Would you like . . . to share them?”

  And there it was. The hint of loneliness that she suspected lurked inside the boy but which he refused to acknowledge to anyone including himself. She knew the ache of wanting companionship too. For some odd reason, it lessened when she thought of the duke.

  “I’d be delighted to join you,” she said to the boy as she carefully replaced her drawing in the desk. She stood and scooted a chair close to hers, then pushed a pile of fabric samples to the side so he could join her.

  A grin broke across his face, and for a moment, Kat could have sworn that the sunrise had decided to reside in her office instead of outside.

  “I’ve made us some tea. Why don’t you set out the plates while I pour,” Kat instructed.

  With a nod, Rodney took his assigned seat and did as instructed. Kat brought the cups to the desk and sat the one with an extra helping of milk in front of the boy. Nibbling her tart, she sat amazed he could devour so much food in one sitting. Good thing that Willa had packed enough for three grown men. By the next morning, every crumb would be gone.

  “I’ve been thinking about school.” Kat set her cup and saucer down as she regarded the boy. “You need to start learning your letters and numbers.”

  “What for?” he asked around a mouthful of apple tart. He swallowed then grinned sheepishly. “I forgot. I ain’t supposed to speak with my mouth full.”

  “Thank you for remembering.” She sighed gently. She’d taught him a few lessons in etiquette, but he needed more than that to be successful in life. The knowledge of how to drink a proper cup of tea without slurping wasn’t going to help him much when he was older. He was an eager learner, but he was always so resistant to change. “There’s a new school two streets over that I think we should visit.”

  He scrunched his nose as if she’d said something offensive. “I don’t like to be told what to do.”

  “Because of the foundling home?” she gently asked. Rodney had shared that he’d been raised in one but had never disclosed its location. He didn’t know anything of his parents nor did he know his birthday. She suspected his secrecy arose from a fear that he’d have to return there if anyone discovered his whereabouts.

  “I know what you’re thinking. I ain’t going back there.”

  “That will never occur under my watch,” Kat said vehemently. “I’ll always be your friend, and you’ll always have a home here.” She smiled in encouragement. “But with schooling, perhaps one day you could start your own delivery business. With all the merchants up and down the street, there will always be a need for such services.”

  He cocked an eyebrow as if interested.

  “Just think, if you mastered your letters and numbers, you could expand your business outside this street. I’ve heard the financial area of London is always teeming with delivery boys and runners.”

  “Hmm,” he said. His nonchalance didn’t fool her a bit as he slid a side-eyed glance her way. “Would I have to sit there all day? At school, I mean.”

  A wave of triumph swept through her. “Of course not. I believe that it only lasts a half day. Afterward, you could return here, do whatever deliveries I have, then proceed with the rest of your day.” She leaned down so she could look him in the eye. “Willa and I will help you with your reading.”

  He nodded once. “I might like that.”

  At the boy’s words, she nodded as her heart seemed to hold itself motionless. It was the first time he’d ever come close to asking for more from her and Willa. “It’s a big decision, but one you won’t regret. I promise.”

  He wiped his mouth on his sleeve, and Kat bit her lip to keep from smiling. His napkin sat right beside his plate.

  “I ’ave an idea for a new design.” Rodney leaned back confidently in his chair.

  “I’d love to hear it.” Kat propped her elbow on the desk and rested her chin in her hand.

  The boy scooted to the edge of his chair. “I went to the docks to see that war hero duke arrive.”

  This time Kat wanted to scrunch her nose, but she kept her expression pleasant. “Did he arrive already?” She knew exactly the day and the hour he’d arrived. She should have gone to meet him, but she didn’t want to be disappointed. He might have refused to see her. He still hadn’t sent a letter or paid a call.

  “Such a spectacle. There must ’ave been a thousand women waving handkerchiefs at ’im.” Rodney’s eyes widened as he held out his arms. “Biggest crowd you’ve ever seen. There were food vendors and even an orchestra.”

  “What a sight that must have been to behold.” She laughed, trying to envision how it must have appeared. “I can just imagine the multitude of magnificent colors. Was it like a carnival or a street fair?”

  He nodded. “The duke didn’t have much time for it or for all those ladies either. He made short work of going to his carriage. His men kept the crowd at bay.”

  “He must have been anxious to return home.” Immediately, she wondered if he’d thought about Meri? Maybe he didn’t even know about her. That could conceivably be the reason he’d never tried to contact her.

  Rodney rested his elbow on the desk, m
atching Kat’s pose. “I skirted past the crowd so I could get closer to ’im.” Rodney blinked. “I’ve never seen a duke before, ’ave you?”

  She shook her head. No, but she was related to one. The exact same one Rodney had seen was part of her family in a way. She sighed gently. Why was she even thinking about him?

  “There was a mum holding a baby with her little girl gripping her skirt. She approached the duke. I was close enough I could hear some of what they were saying.”

  “What happened?”

  Rodney took a bite of tart and chewed thoughtfully. “The duke took her hand.” He shrugged. “She said something like that her husband wanted her and her children to meet the duke. I don’t understand it. She wasn’t quality or anyone of that ilk. But when he spoke to her, his voice was soft. Soothing almost. Like he was talking to an equal. The mum was crying and smiling at the same time.”

  A vision of this duke, a war hero, who happened to have been Meri’s only living relative materialized before her. What could the woman have said that captured his attention? What kind of a man would make the effort to help a woman obviously hurting? By the sound of it, he was consoling her. Kat didn’t want to think that the woman had lost someone dear and was hurting—particularly her husband.

  It was bad enough to have lost her own husband, one she hadn’t loved.

  Nor had he loved her. Yet, she still mourned his loss.

  Her own perceptions of the courageous and stalwart Duke of Randford softened. The duke had to be a man with a heart if he took the time to help another who so obviously anguished.

  “I wish I could have seen that.” She took another bite of the tart.

  Rodney shook his head. “I can tell you he’s a nob, a big one at that.”

  “Is he handsome?” The words slipped out before she could recall them. Good heavens, she sounded like a lovelorn goose. “What I meant to say . . .”

  “I suppose.” He chuckled. “He has black hair and brown eyes.”

  “You were close enough to see the color of his eyes?” she asked incredulously.

  The boy nodded sheepishly. “He saw me by his carriage and called me over. He was kind of scary-looking until he smiled. He gave me this.” Rodney dug his fingers into his waistcoat pocket and brought out a coin.

  He handed it to Kat. It was a brand new guinea. She smoothed her fingers over the valuable coin. It bespoke the duke’s generosity to give it to a boy he didn’t even know. Surely, he wouldn’t begrudge her the two hundred pounds that was rightfully hers. “What did he say?”

  “He said for me to take it and buy me mum a present.” He dipped his face and stared at the floor. “I didn’t tell him that I don’t have one. I wanna buy you a present, but I don’t know what you need.”

  Her heart somersaulted in her chest that he might consider her a mother. She’d never seen this side of Rodney, and she could feel the tears well in her eyes. “I want you to keep it.”

  He nodded. “You’re not my mum, I know.”

  Afraid that she might have hurt his feelings, Kat added, “You asked what I need. What I need and what I would treasure is a hug. If you wouldn’t mind?”

  Awkwardly, the boy rose from the chair and hugged her briefly. Tears sprang from nowhere, and she tamped them down. She wanted nothing more than this boy to feel he could depend upon her.

  For some reason, it felt like a new start for her and Rodney, and unbelievably, she had the duke to thank for it.

  As quickly as he hugged her, he slid back onto his chair. “The livery that his men were wearing was fancy.”

  “Is that the design you want to discuss?” she asked, grateful that he didn’t dwell on her question about the duke’s appearance. She shouldn’t care if he was handsome. She’d married a handsome man before, and it brought her nothing but trouble.

  “No, ma’am,” he said earnestly while his gaze held hers. “It’s the duke’s uniform. It was the finest green wool you’ve ever seen. Do you know the color of the cool summer grass in the park near your house? That’s what it reminded me of. His collar and wrist sleeves were trimmed in black velvet. Not showy like the army’s red coats, but . . . I can’t think of the word.”

  Immediately, elegant came to mind. “Refined, perhaps?”

  “Refined,” he repeated with a smile. “What a fancy word, but that’s it exactly.”

  “You, sir, are developing quite the eye for fashion.”

  He waggled his eyebrows. “That duke’s shoulders were as wide as the Thames . . . more or less.” The boy grew thoughtful. “There was a manner about him that was calming. Have you ever met anyone like that?”

  She shook her head. “I’d like too, though.” The admiration in the boy’s voice and the heartfelt expression of awe on his face made her lean in closer, hungry for more of his observations.

  “He’s like you,” Rodney declared.

  Kat laughed at the thought. “In what way? Because I’m brave and strong like him?” She lifted her chin playfully as if challenging him to disagree.

  “M’lady, you’re a girl.” Rodney rolled his eyes.

  “And that makes me what . . . not brave?”

  “Of course you’re brave,” he chided. “You took me in when no one else would even look at me. But what I’m talking about is how you care for all those who work here. You greet every worker as soon as she walks in the door.” He stood and started to put away the dishes and clean up the remains of their breakfast. “The duke did that too. When he came off the ship, I could tell who worked for him. His servants all wore smiles, delighted he’d come home. And he greeted them the same.”

  How would he greet her? Like a hundred times before, Kat let her mind wander as she imagined the duke waiting for her. He’d come inside her shop and chat with her employees as she gathered her things for the evening. When she’d walk his way, a look of delight would fall across his handsome features. She’d rush to his side, and he’d take her work satchel, then extend his arm. As soon as they were outside, he’d find a hidden corner or a nook and steal a kiss, saying he couldn’t wait a moment longer without tasting her lips.

  He’d growl softly, then kiss her again, taking his time. But there would be an urgency, a hunger that begged to be satiated.

  In her dreams, she’d wrap her hands around his neck. Her fingers would stroke his dark hair, finding it softer than her finest silk. At her touch, his brown eyes would deepen in color, and his gaze would caress every inch of her. He’d feast upon her lips once again as if he could never kiss her enough. When they broke apart from their embrace, his eyes would glow with warmth and true affection. It would be the kind that reached deep inside and held her heart in its tender care.

  The duke was the man she should have married. A husband at war was easier to accept than a husband who left her for other pleasures.

  If only she’d met him before Meri.

  If only he weren’t a duke.

  She shook herself out of her trance. What was the matter with her? She was being swept away in all those romantic notions because Rodney saw the duke.

  Or maybe . . . it was she, still wanting to believe in love—still wanting to believe that there was someone out there for her.

  Like the duke.

  “He had a matching black velvet armband tied around his arm.” Rodney blinked his ridiculously long black lashes, then stared earnestly at her. “That’s for your husband, ain’t it, m’lady?”

  She grew quiet for a minute. He mourned Meri? The man who’d never written a word to her? Perchance she’d misjudged the duke all along. Perhaps he did have a heart and grieved for his brother, her long-lost husband. Like a mild earthquake, her world shifted slightly. There was more to the duke than she’d originally considered. Her heartbeat quickened at the thought that she’d made a hasty assumption about whether he cared about Meri or even her.

  The Duke of Randford did care. All this time, she saw him as a paragon of society, an indescribable hero whose reputation for courage and valor preceded
him. Based upon Rodney’s description, he was more than those simple descriptions.

  He was simply a man who cared about others and had a heart. The proof? He cared about a woman and her children who needed comfort. He cared about a small, curious boy who came to see him home.

  She’d never met Meri’s brother. When she and Meri had exchanged vows, the duke was fighting in the war. It was feasible, maybe even probable, that he would care for her if he knew she had wed Meri.

  Her heart, that sentimental organ in the center of her chest, beat a little stronger, a little quicker at such a thought. It was all the encouragement she needed. She wanted to have her questions answered about the man who kept pushing his way into her thoughts. She had to discover why he hadn’t called upon her or penned a note of condolence to her.

  It wasn’t his fame or fortune that drew her interest or made her heart beat a little faster. It was the personal stories of his bravery, his compassion, and his sense of fairness that made her hungry for more news about him. When people spoke or wrote about him, there was almost a reverence in their words.

  Kat had little doubt that when she met him, he’d be the type of man who would provide comfort with his kindness and care. She sighed softly at the thought. She’d never been so taken with a man in her entire life. She might have fallen a little bit in love with him over the last several months.

  And she’d never even met him.

  Kat would not wait for the duke to make the first move. She’d visit and offer her condolences on the loss of his brother. He would likewise do the same on the loss of her husband. She was certain of the fact based upon what Rodney had shared with her.

  Together, they’d find a way to heal each other’s wounds over the loss of Meri.

  “What do you think?” Rodney asked.

  “I think I’m very glad we had this conversation,” she said, standing. “Let’s work on your design. I’m thinking pillows.” She extended her hand for him to take.

  “I think I might like to see about that school,” he said as he tucked his hand in hers. “If you’ll come with me.”