by Rose Pearson
It was a ridiculous notion, of course, particularly for a Duke but the hope that such a thing might, one day, occur did not instantly leave him. Instead, he let it linger, his eyes falling on Miss Smith as she sat reading quietly in the corner, clearly unaware of his presence.
Clearing his throat, John walked towards her, hearing Alice pause in her reading for a moment, only to resume it again. Glad that his sister and Miss Elouise would be distracted for a moment, for he did not want to be overheard, John gave Miss Smith a small smile as she looked up at him, clearly a little surprised to see him.
“Your grace,” she murmured, looking to get up from her seat, but John waved her back.
“There is no need to rise,” he said, one hand on the back of the chair opposite her. “Might I sit with you for a moment, Miss Smith?”
Her eyes rounded but she nodded and he sat down gratefully, hoping that she was not afraid of him in any way.
“Miss Smith,” he began, clearing his throat again as the words stuck in his throat. “I…. Miss Smith, I think I should begin by apologizing to you for some of the things I said to you in our recent meeting.”
She tipped her head a little to the side and he saw, for the first time, just how vividly blue her eyes were. “Oh?”
Hesitating for a moment, John took a breath to collect his thoughts before continuing on. “Indeed. I was very rude to you, Miss Smith, and for that, I apologize. I was angry and frustrated and should not have allowed such emotions to become evident in my speech.”
There was a moment of silence.
“Yes,” Miss Smith said after a moment. “Yes, you were very rude, your grace.”
A flush of heat crept up his neck and into his face, growing aware that, yet again, Miss Smith was speaking to him like no other person would. “For that, I apologize, as I said, Miss Smith.”
She considered him for another moment. “Elouise was rather upset, your grace. I had to speak to her calmly and patiently, to reassure her that it was nothing she herself had done that had made you rail at me in such a loud fashion. She heard every word, I’m afraid, and it has taken a good deal of convincing from both myself and Lady Alice before she would set foot in the drawing room or the library again.”
He nodded, his shame growing by the moment. “I would be quite glad to show Elouise that she is most welcome here, Miss Smith, if that would settle your mind.”
A small smile settled on her lips and, to his astonishment, John found himself smiling back at her.
“That would be most welcome, I am sure, your grace,” she said, carefully. “Although might I suggest that you do not disturb her at this present moment, for she is heartily enjoying a story with Lady Alice, as you can see.”
A question stuck in his throat, trying its best to be spoken aloud but John found that he could not bring himself to do so.
“She is doing wonderfully well,” Miss Smith continued, softly. “I am truly glad for her. She was so very miserable.”
“And –” John began, the words tumbling out of his mouth now. “If I make reparations with Miss Elouise, might you then consider forgiving me for my unpardonable rudeness towards you?”
Her smile stretched across her face and relief flooded him. “But of course, your grace. It would not do for a lady of such a lowly background as myself to withhold pardon from someone such as yourself!”
A flush caught his cheeks. “I would not have you do so without being willing, Miss Smith.”
“But willing I am,” she replied, gently. “Have no fear, your grace. I have received a good many insults in my life thus far and most of them have been a good deal worse than what you said.”
That did nothing to please him but rather sent his soul into a flurry of concern. “Is that so?” he asked, realizing that he knew nothing about this young lady. “Might I ask if you too come from the same background as Elouise, then? You may have told me before, I understand, but I have not always paid a good deal of attention.”
At his blush of shame, Miss Smith laughed gently and smiled at him, her blue eyes now sparkling with warmth instead of being icy with cold. “I do not mind saying so again, your grace. Yes, I too am without family, for both my parents died when I was young. I spent my life in the orphanage at Smithfield Market in London and it is from there that I come here. I managed to secure employment at the orphanage when Mary Sanders agreed to keep me on.” Her lips twitched. “We do make a good pair, I confess, for Mary Sanders is of a much more practical sort than I. It is quite understandable, I suppose, since she has never had to endure the difficulties that come with being an orphan.”
This made him pause. “By this,” he said slowly, thinking hard, “you must mean that Mary Sanders does not often see the tears in the eyes of those that come to you?”
She nodded, her eyes growing a little sorrowful for a moment. “That is quite correct, your grace. I think that both are of equal importance when it comes to ensuring that a girl is as happy as she can be in a very trying situation.”
“And what of me?”
The words slipped from his mouth before he could restrain them. Miss Smith looked surprised.
“What I mean is,” he said, floundering just a little. “Do you think, as my sister clearly does, that having Elouise present will help my emotional state, as dire as it is?” He felt very strange, opening himself up in such a vulnerable fashion with a lady he did not know particularly well at all, but there was something about her that made him want to do so and, to his relief, she did not seem to find his question in any way ridiculous.
“I do hope so, your grace,” she said, quietly, her eyes betraying her growing compassion for him. “I cannot imagine what you have endured. It must be a deep, unflinching agony, I expect. An agony which you cannot truly explain to anyone.”
His throat grew a little tight as she continued to speak, wondering how she was able to see into his very soul.
“I have seen such a pain in many a girl’s eyes,” she continued, softly. “And there are a good many things that can bring some relief, but I would state that these things differ for each person. One cannot tell you that what worked for them will, therefore, be sure to pull you from your misery, but I would think it wise to give each thing a try before discarding it.”
John glanced towards Elouise, hearing her laugh as Alice read something funny on the page in front of her.
“I suppose you are correct, Miss Smith,” he said, getting to his feet. “You have given me much to consider.” His eyes fell on the book she had been reading, his eyes rounding as astonishment filled him.
“You are reading a book on chess?”
She looked up at him, her brows furrowed. “I may be from the streets of London, my lord, but I can read. In fact, I enjoy reading very much and have done as much as I can these last years.”
Something like mirth tickled him, making his lips quirk. “Should I challenge you to a game, Miss Smith?”
He thought his challenge would go unmet, that she would turn him down and step away, claiming to be much too poor a player to be able to do such a thing, but much to her astonishment, she rose and nodded. “Is this it over here?” she asked, walking closer to the fire where the chess set was already set up and waiting. “Do you mind particularly if I choose the white?”
Quite sure that she was bluffing, John waved a hand. “Of course.” He waited for her to laugh, to turn around and state that she was only pretending that she could play and that, of course, she could do no such thing – but she then sat down and eyed her pieces carefully, looking over each one of them.
Slowly, he came towards her, sitting down opposite. Still, she did not turn him away, still, she did not tell him that it was all just a pretense.
“Shall we begin?” she asked, in a slightly firmer voice. “White begins, of course.”
If John was astonished at the beginning of his chess match, he was dumbfounded when, one hour later, he was quickly put into check. Staring at the board, he attempted to make one more final move, on
ly for Miss Smith to put him to checkmate.
“I think I win,” Miss Smith murmured, her blue eyes alight with laughter as she looked into his face and saw his utter astonishment. “Should you care for another game, your grace?”
He shook his head, hardly able to believe that such a slip of a girl had been able to do what so many of his friends had been unable to do. He could not even recall the last time he had been put in check!
“You have done wonderfully, Miss Smith, and you have surprised me with your skill,” he admitted, still unable to lift his eyes from the board. “Well done.”
She colored prettily, her eyes dancing. “Thank you, your grace. I look forward to our next game, whenever that may be.”
John nodded, unable to rise as she walked away from him, staring at the chessboard in front of him. There was more to Miss Smith than he had first realized and, perhaps, she might bring a little happiness to his life in her own way, if only he would let her.
7
“Elouise?”
Pushing the bedchamber door open a crack, Laura was surprised to find it empty, with no sign of either Elouise or her maid. Frowning, she made sure to check inside the wardrobe and the dressing room, thinking that perhaps Elouise was intending to hide until Laura managed to find her.
But there was no sign.
“Elouise?” she called again, her voice echoing around the room. “Elouise, where are you?”
Stepping out of the bedroom, she pulled the door tightly shut behind her and began to descend the stairs, wondering if her charge had chosen to eat breakfast in the dining room, which would be, of course, rather unusual for her. However, there was only Lady Alice within, who, with a warm smile, informed her that Elouise had been encouraged to go to the stables that morning.
“Oh?” Laura murmured, coming a little further into the room. “I did not think she would come downstairs alone to break her fast with you but I am glad to see that she has done so.”
Lady Alice smiled, her eyes warm. “It shows, I think, that she is very comfortable here with us.”
A warm delight spread across Laura’s heart. “Yes,” she agreed, softly. “I think it does.”
There was silence for a moment, where Laura was caught up with thoughts as to Elouise’s return to the orphanage, where the other twelve girls would be waiting to hear all about what her visit to the Duke’s home had been like. Would Elouise be glad to go back? She did not think that she would, given that she herself did not much look forward to returning there.
“I believe,” Lady Alice said, quietly, interrupting Laura’s thoughts, “that my brother is with Elouise.”
That startled Laura greatly, turning to look at Lady Alice who was smiling gently, her eyes bright with happiness.
“Truly?” Laura whispered, a little unsure what to make of this. “He asked her to go with him, did he?”
“He did indeed!” Alice declared, sounding more than thrilled. “He came to join me for breakfast and, on finding Elouise here began to discuss with her what she liked the most about being here. When he discovered that she has been eager to visit the horses but has been somewhat fearful in doing so since they are rather large beasts and she does not know what to do about them, he proposed that they go together.” She laughed at Laura’s astonishment. “I confess I was as surprised as you, but I held my tongue and waved them off, truly delighted for her. I cannot express to you in mere words how relieved I was to see a smile of happiness on my brother’s face as he walked out with Elouise. It was truly a sight to behold.”
Laura drew in a long breath, feeling a smile spread across her own face in response. “I am very glad to hear it, Lady Alice. I know you have been longing for this day.”
“It is only the very beginning, I know, Miss Smith,” Lady Alice said, carefully. “And I need to make sure not to push him, but I do believe that this is the beginning of a wonderful moment with Elouise. I am so very glad that you came to be a part of our lives, Miss Smith.”
“You are most welcome,” Laura replied, not quite sure what else to say. “You have been very generous towards us and I will not forget it.”
Lady Alice’s eyes twinkled. “Should you wish to go and ensure that Elouise is being well taken care of, then I am quite sure the Duke will not object. He has spoken of nothing else other than his astonishment at how you managed to beat him at chess. Apparently, no-one has managed to do so for many years!”
Laura blushed, her gaze dropping to the floor. “I confess that I have always enjoyed reading and challenging my mind,” she said, as Lady Alice nodded approvingly. “I do not have a good deal of time to myself but the time I do have, I have always put to good use.”
“Well, you have certainly caught my brother’s attention,” Lady Alice replied, with a chuckle. “I am sure he will be just as glad to see you as Elouise.”
Bobbing a quick curtsy, Laura took her leave of Lady Alice and hurried down towards the stables, her mind turning over as she thought of all that Lady Alice had told her. Could it be true? Was this truly the beginning of the Duke’s transformation? She had never expected him to do anything of the sort, having been so frustrated with Elouise’s presence here only a few days ago, but mayhap something she had said had finally forced him to consider the matter without the presence of anger. Whatever the reason, she was almost deliriously glad that Elouise was with the Duke at this present moment – glad for them both, for it would take away Elouise’s fear of the man and, for his sake, show him that life could be a good deal better when there were children about. She knew that herself, for even when things had been hard, when Mary Sanders had been overbearing and almost cruel, she had found happiness in her work of caring for the orphaned girls.
Stepping outside into the cool morning air and wishing that she had thought to bring a shawl with her, Laura quickly made her way towards the stables, stopping dead when she heard the sound of Elouise giggling.
Her heart lifted and, for a moment, she thought to turn around and head back into the house, for fear that she would disturb the Duke and Elouise. But then the longing in her heart grew to a fever pitch and she could not prevent her legs from walking a little further forward, until, finally, she caught sight of them both.
“That’s the way,” the Duke was saying, deftly cutting another slice from the apple that he held. “Keep your hand flat and hold it steadily. This old boy will not bite you. He is the most gentle natured beast I have ever owned.”
Again, came the wonderful sound of Elouise’s giggle as the horse snuffled at her palm, carefully taking the apple slice from her. Laura clasped her hands tightly together at her heart, finding the scene almost dream-like. This was truly a wonderful moment.
The Duke chuckled as Elouise asked for another slice, telling her that this was the last one, even though Cartwright, his old horse, would eat the core also. Laura’s smile grew all the wider as Elouise presented her palm yet again, before looking up into the Duke’s face with shining eyes. Laura felt her heart stop dead in her chest for a moment, seeing the Duke’s face completely transformed as he smiled. He became an entirely different man, warm and friendly, instead of the anger and frustration that she had come to expect from him.
It was then that the Duke spotted her, turning his head just a little as he caught her eye. Laura felt a spike of embarrassment shoot through her, as though she ought not to have intruded on them both and turned to leave – only for the Duke to call her name.
“Miss Smith, good morning!”
She had no choice but to turn back to him, seeing the slight redness in his cheeks and realizing that he too was a little embarrassed at having been spotted.
“Your grace,” she murmured, inclining her head. “I am sorry for intruding. I did not know where Elouise had gone and thought to come in search of her.”
“Oh, Miss Smith!” Elouise breathed, still with that wondrous look in her eyes. “I have been having such a marvelous time. I have fed Cartwright here and the Duke has shown me all of his h
orses one after the other, although I was too afraid to go near any of them.”
The Duke chuckled, and Laura felt her heart lift all the more.
“I realized that Elouise is truly afraid of the big creatures, which is not surprising when they are so large and she is so little,” he said, with a warm smile. “But Cartwright here is very docile, and Elouise has done marvelously well.” His eyes caught hers, his mouth in a lop sided smile. “Would you care to be introduced?”
Laura hesitated. “I do not wish to intrude all the more, your grace.”
“It would not be an intrusion, I assure you.”
Her eyes caught his and were warmed by them, seeing them flare just a little.
“Very well, then,” she murmured and moved closer.
The next hour was spent most enjoyably, with Elouise introducing Laura to each of the Duke’s horses, although she occasionally had to look to him for help. The Duke was most obliging which brought Laura even more joy, truly finding him to be a remarkably changed man.
“You are staring at me, Miss Smith.”
She flushed and looked away as Elouise bounded forward, having found another apple and fully intending to feed it to Cartwright whether or not the Duke approved of it.
“You are wondering if it is the same man who stands before you now,” the Duke continued, with just a hint of mirth in his voice. “Yes, I am afraid that it is, Miss Smith. A man who has taken heed of what both you and my sister have said to me and thought to try a slightly different approach with Elouise.”
Her eyes sought his and she saw nothing but truth in them. “And?” she asked, softly. “What are the results of your different approach, your grace?”
The Duke hesitated for a moment, before nodding to himself. “I would say, Miss Smith, that the results are very pleasing,” he admitted, in a very quiet voice. “In fact, one would go so far as to say that one is rather surprised at the joy such a simple thing as feeding Cartwright an apple or two can bring.”
“I think that is to do with the company more than anything else,” Laura ventured, still feeling somewhat cautious around him. “She is a very good child, your grace.”