* * *
The next day, Oliver was once again in his office. He was finishing up reviewing some orders, which he wanted to complete before his meeting. Oliver wasn’t quite sure what the Baron’s true intentions were, but he was still very curious.
He only had a few more orders, and then he could focus on the meeting. Though he didn’t know Lord Kenley extremely well, they had mutual friends and had attended the same events, such as balls and dinner parties. He knew that Lord Kenley had a wife, and a daughter around the same age as Jamie.
Oliver was rushing to get through these orders because he also had another task to take care of: to find a new governess for Jamie. The father and son had spent a couple of hours together earlier in the day, again, and though Oliver had enjoyed the first day with Jamie, today he found his son to be distracting to his work. So, he dismissed Jamie for the rest of the day so he could catch up. Jamie seemed a bit disappointed, but Oliver had to put his business first, especially when there was a potential deal in the works.
“Your Grace?”
Oliver turned towards the sound of the voice.
Wright walked in and said, “The Baron of Kenley has arrived. Shall I show him into your office?”
Chapter 2
Oliver knew that it would be a moment before Wright could get back to Lord Kenley, and then guide him to the office. It would give him plenty of time to clean up the table for the meeting.
Wright left the room, and Oliver began gathering his orders. Most of the work was done and he could finish the rest when Lord Kenley left.
He placed the orders in a pile and walked over to his desk. He pulled open one of the drawers and slid the papers in. He pushed the drawer closed and walked back over to the table. The door opened again, and Wright entered.
“Your Grace, the Baron of Kenley to see you.”
“Lovely,” Oliver said with a smile. “Please show him in.”
Oliver stood at the table and waited for Lord Kenley to enter. Lord Kenley walked through the doorway and Oliver extended his hand. “Welcome, Lord Kenley,” he said. “It’s wonderful to see you.”
LordKenley took his hand and shook it. “It is great to see you, too, Your Grace.”
“Please, have a seat. Would you care for some wine or ale?”
“Yes, wine please,” Lord Kenley said, as he sat at the round table. Oliver turned towards the waiting footman, who was already filling two glasses. Oliver sat in the chair opposite Lord Kenley, and the footman served the wine.
“How is business, Lord Kenley?” Oliver asked in an attempt to get the conversation moving. He took a sip of wine and looked at his guest.
He thought that Lord Kenley was about a decade older than himself. Oliver could see wrinkles forming around his ice blue eyes, which were a sharp contrast to his dark hair.
“Very well, Your Grace. I hope the same for you, too.”
“Oh yes. Orders are coming in faster than we can fill them.”
“I’m happy to hear that. And your son?”
Oliver took another sip of wine. “He’s growing older, quickly. He will be working beside me before I know it. Assuming, of course, I can find a good governess for him. Unfortunately, our previous governess resigned yesterday. It will be a chore trying to find another.”
“I’m sorry to hear that, Your Grace. My daughter, Lydia, has a wonderful governess, but she wasn’t easy to find. My wife met with several candidates before we found Miss Kranby.”
Oliver nodded. “I’m sure we will find someone quickly.” He took another sip of wine and Lord Kenley did the same. “Now, you have a business proposal for me?”
LordKenley nodded. “Yes, Your Grace. My business ventures are going very well, and I have come today to propose a deal.”
“Oh? I’m intrigued. Please continue.”
“I know that you have been running your distillery for many years, but I am prepared to offer a sum to purchase it…over the value of it.”
Oliver was shocked. “What? Buy the distillery? It’s not for sale. I’m sorry.”
“I know it’s not for sale, but I am still going to make an offer for it. I’ll be honest with you, Your Grace. I want to expand into distilling, and your distillery is the closest in the area. Not only will I purchase the distillery from you, but I will pay to have the facilities moved from your property to another location. I assure you that you will never get an offer like this elsewhere.”
Oliver couldn’t believe what he was hearing. The distillery was not for sale, nor would he sell it for any amount of money.
“I’m sorry. I am not selling the distillery.”
“Would you at least hear my offer?”
Oliver shook his head. “You could offer a million pounds, and I would still not sell it. This distillery has been in my family for years, and we have used the same recipe for decades, which is kept locked away. Jamie will take over the distillery after me, and it is my intention for it to remain in the family.”
Lord Kenley was silent for a moment, and then said, “I understand, Your Grace. I didn’t mean any disrespect by making this offer. I am simply interested in expanding my business dealings.”
“I wasn’t offended by your offer, but I am steadfast in my decision. The distillery is not for sale.”
“Of course.” Lord Kenley nodded and took the final sip of his wine from the glass. “I won’t waste any more of your valuable time, then.” Lord Kenley stood and Oliver followed suit.
He extended his hand and Lord Kenley took it. Oliver shook his guest’s hand, smiled, and then said, “I appreciate your determination. It’s an important trait to have in business.”
Lord Kenley smiled back, his ice blue eyes meeting Oliver’s own. “That is a great complement coming from a gentleman such as yourself. Thank you.”
“Of course. I’m sure I will see you soon, and I bid you a good afternoon.”
Now that Lord Kenley was gone, Oliver had another task: finding a new governess for Jamie. He turned to the footman who was standing in the corner of the office and said, “Please send Wright to me.”
“Yes, Your Grace,” the footman replied. Oliver turned back to the table and wondered if he had time to continue going through his orders before Wright came back. If he knew Wright, however, he wouldn’t have gone too far knowing that there was a guest in the house and that Oliver might need his assistance.
Oliver stood and started to walk over to his desk, and before he took more than two steps, there was a brief knock on the door and Wright walked in followed by the footman.
“You asked for me, Your Grace?” Wright asked.
“Yes. Please join me at the table.”
Oliver gestured to the table and once again, sat down. Wright did the same.
“That was a waste of my time,” Oliver said with a chuckle. “Lord Kenley asked if he could buy the distillery.”
Oliver could see the shock and surprise on Wright’s face.
“Really, Your Grace?” Wright exclaimed. “But the distillery is not for sale, is it?”
Oliver began shaking his head. “No, no. It is certainly not for sale.”
Wright immediately looked more relaxed. Oliver could only imagine what went through his mind in that brief moment.
“Good, Your Grace. You had me worried there for a moment.” Wright gave a nervous laugh.
“Nothing to worry about, Wright. Now, I have a task for you. As soon as we are done here, and assuming you have nothing else pressing to do today, I want you to go to the local registry office and find a governess.”
Wright nodded in response.
“Make sure that you keep the advert simple, yet direct, and hopefully we can find someone in the next day or two,” Oliver continued.
“Very well, Your Grace.”
“Also,” Oliver added. “It might be good to spread the word around town that we are looking. That way, even if an available governess hasn’t registered with the office, we can still reach more people.”
; “What about a listing in the newspaper?”
Oliver nodded. “If we don’t get a response in a couple of days, I think that is an excellent idea.”
“Splendid!”
“Let me know when you return. I will probably still be here processing these orders.”
“I will,” Wright responded, standing up. “The day is still young enough that I should be back here before darkness comes. Before I go, I will make sure that everything is ready and prepared for dinner, just in case.”
“Thank you, Wright,” Oliver replied with a smile. “I know that I can always count on you.”
“Always, Your Grace,” Wright replied with a smile, and then turned and walked out of the office.
* * *
Dinner was a rather quiet affair. Jamie didn’t seem to want to talk very much, and Oliver was tired. After his meeting with Lord Kenley, then continuing to work on his orders, and waiting for Wright to return with news of a governess, his mind was at its limit.
Now, Oliver was doing what he did most nights, sitting alone and sipping whisky in the sitting room.
“Your Grace.” Oliver heard, and he turned to see Wright coming into the room.
"Ah! You have returned. Please, have a seat and inform me about your evening.”
Oliver watched as Wright came towards him and sat in the chair opposite him.
“Thank you, Your Grace. The search for a governess is underway, and I also saw Mr. Thompson, the steward for Lord Fairson. I informed him of our situation, and he said he would spread the word around.”
“Splendid! Hopefully, that will create some success for us. I know Lord Fairson well, and if his steward is anything like his employer, he will certainly make sure that people know of our open position.”
Wright chuckled. “Yes, Your Grace. I know Mr. Thompson quite well, too, and he is much like Lord Fairson.”
Now it was Oliver’s turn to laugh. “Interesting how that works, isn’t it?”
Wright nodded, and then he said, “I placed my name on the advert, so when an applicant arrives, she can ask for me. That way, you will not be bothered.”
“That is perfect, Wright. Thank you for thinking ahead.”
“Always, Your Grace. Is there anything else you require?”
“No, Wright. You have been a great help today. I hope you have time to relax a bit before you retire for the night.”
“I will, Your Grace,” Wright said with a nod as he stood. “I am tired, but I think I can stay up long enough for a glass of sherry.”
“You deserve it,” Oliver said, tipping his glass towards his most trusted member of his staff. “I will see you in the morning.”
* * *
Priscilla Ainsley was standing at the front of a great manor house. She held an advert for an open governess position in her hands and now she was ready to apply.
Wearing her finest gown, Priscilla felt confident. She knew that the green color looked good against her pale skin, and it made her honey brown eyes look warm and inviting. She approached the footman who was standing to the left of the large, wooden door. She could feel a breeze flowing through her curly, brown hair.
“Excuse me,” she said to him. “Hello. I am Miss Priscilla Ainsley, and I am hoping to speak to Wright about the open governess position.”
The footman smiled at her and nodded. “Please follow me, Miss.”
Priscilla nodded and followed the footman as he opened the expansive door for her and led her inside the house. As she walked through the door, she had to hold back a gasp when she saw the grand entryway.
The floor was made of marble, and it was covered by a lush carpet runner, all of which seemed to look like a maze. As she followed the footman down the hallway, there were a number of doors and other smaller hallways veering off from the main entry hallway. They passed several marble statues, and gorgeous tapestries hung on the walls.
The footman turned down a hallway to the left, and then stopped at the first door to the right, which stood open.
“Please wait here in the sitting room for Wright,” he said.
Priscilla walked into the sitting room and immediately noticed how plush and inviting the furniture was. Typically, she found sitting room furniture to be extremely formal and uncomfortable, but these chairs and sofas looked much different.
She didn’t have much time to look around, as almost as soon as she sat down on the sofa, the door opened again, and a stout, short, balding man came through.
“You are Miss Ainsley, I presume?”
“Yes,” she replied. “Are you Mr. Wright?”
“I am, indeed,” Wright walked over to the sofa opposite Priscilla and sat down.
“I know this isn’t the typical way that one might fill a position,” he continued, “But His Grace, the Duke of Dowding, has asked me to find a governess for his son, the Marquess of Seton. Lord Seton is ten years old, and not quite ready for boarding school, so we are looking for someone to help him prepare.”
“I see, Mr. Wright.”
“What are your qualifications?”
“I must admit, Mr. Wright, that I don’t have a formal education. I am an orphan, and everything I have learned came from the staff of the orphanage. I was told I was very bright, however, and before long, I began teaching the other children. I assure you, that I am just as qualified to be a governess as any other candidate you might meet.”
Wright was silent for a moment, and Priscilla wondered what he was thinking. Finally, he spoke:
“Have you worked as a governess before?”
“No,” Priscilla admitted. “However, living in the orphanage with the younger children and educating them was no different than the job that a governess in a home would do.”
Wright nodded slowly, and then said, “Are you fluent in French? Are you familiar with history, mathematics, and globes?”
“Very much so,” Priscilla replied with a smile. “I am willing to share my knowledge with you if you like, or even take an exam, if that would ease your mind.”
“Oh no, no,” Wright said, waving his hand. “That won’t be necessary. However, since you come from a bit of a different background, I think it would be prudent for you to meet His Grace before I officially bring you onto the staff. Tragically, his wife passed away during childbirth, so instead of meeting with the Duchess, you are to meet with him. Are you available tomorrow afternoon at this same time?”
“I am.”
“Excellent! Please return tomorrow to meet with the Duke, and we can go on from there.”
* * *
Oliver was angry. Jamie had once again pranked the staff, and now the head cook, Mrs. Johnson, was huffing and puffing about not being appreciated…at least according to Wright.
“I have tried to talk to her, Your Grace,” Wright explained. “But she is threatening to resign unless Lord Seton is banned from the kitchen.”
“Please, Wright,” Oliver said with a sigh. “Tell me again exactly what she said.” He rubbed his eyes and shook his head. He really didn’t have enough time in the day to deal with Jamie’s nonsense again.
“As she told me, she made a cake for dessert. Thankfully, she chose to cut it before serving it. One of the pieces was uneven, so she set it aside. Maryellen, her assistant, took the piece and tasted it. Immediately, she could detect that the sugar and salt had been switched.”
“And how do you know that it was Jamie? After all, anyone could have switched the ingredients, yes?”
“Technically, yes, Your Grace. However, Mrs. Johnson said that Lord Seton was peeking around the corner. When he saw Maryellen eat the cake, he began laughing. When Mrs. Johnson turned to face the young Lord, he asked her if it tasted good, and then he ran up the stairs.”
Oliver shook his head. It certainly sounded like Jamie was the guilty party in this case.
“Please bring my son to me, Wright.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
Oliver leaned back in his chair and looked around the room while he wat
ched Wright leave. What am I going to do with Jamie?
He glanced up at the clock to see what time it was. He hoped that he would have time to talk to Jamie before the new governess applicant came to meet with him. Though, he had no idea where his son was nor how long it would take for him to come to the office.
Since Oliver’s wife, Leah, had died during childbirth, and he had raised Jamie on his own, it had been difficult juggling his business and home responsibilities. He had an excellent staff, but he did worry that Jamie didn’t have enough of a female influence in his life, especially with every governess eventually giving up and leaving. Oliver believed that what Jamie really needed was a mother-like figure whom he could relate to. Perhaps the new governess will fit that role perfectly.
The Devious Seduction 0f A Wayward Duke (Steamy Historical Romance) Page 2