The Devious Seduction 0f A Wayward Duke (Steamy Historical Romance)

by Olivia Bennet

  “You are ten years of age?” Miss Ainsley asked.

  “Yes.”

  “What do you like to do, Lord Seton?”

  Jamie thought about it for a minute, and then he said, “I like to read, and I enjoy learning about history.”

  Miss Ainsley smiled. “I like to read, too. When I was a girl, I loved to read fairy tales and made up stories. My favorite is the French story, La Belle et la Bête. What do you like to read?”

  Jamie had read La Belle et la Bête, and knew the story well, but it wasn’t a favorite of his. “I like books about ogres. And I like books about imps and leprechauns.”

  Miss Ainsley chuckled. “Do you like stories about them being mischievous?”

  Jamie had to smile, because that is exactly what he liked about them. Maybe Miss Ainsley wasn’t as bad as the other governesses were. But he was not going to just accept her that easily. He was sure that as soon as they began their lessons she would be just as strict…and just as boring…as the rest of them.

  “I have always liked those types of books, too. What do you like about history?”

  Jamie thought about it for a moment, and then said, “I like the crusades, and I like to study the War of the Roses.”

  “Oh? Why do you like the War of the Roses? It happened hundreds of years ago.”

  Jamie said, “My father’s family can trace their heritage back to the House of Lancaster.” He knew it wasn’t true, but it would be a fun prank on her.

  He could see Miss Ainsley’s face have a look of surprise and then she looked confused. “I didn’t think that the house still existed. How is your father’s family connected?”

  Jamie’s mouth fell open. Perhaps Miss Ainsley was more intelligent than she seemed.

  “Lord Seton, I know that it’s difficult to meet someone new and trust that they are going to be good to you. I want to be your governess, but I also want to be your friend, and friends do not lie to each other.”

  Jamie nodded, and then he said, “I know. I’m sorry.”

  Miss Ainsley nodded back. “I think you will find that we have more in common than you might realize, Lord Seton, if my suspicions are correct. I hope that you might give me a chance. Will you?”

  Again, he nodded. “I will give you a chance,” he replied, knowing that she would have to put up with a few pranks along the way.

  * * *

  Oliver sat at the dining room table looking across it at his son. Jamie was picking at his meal and generally seemed uninterested in talking.

  “Jamie?” Oliver asked. “Is everything all right?”

  Jamie moved the piece of roast duck around his plate with a fork before speaking. “Yes, Father.”

  “You seem quiet tonight.”

  “I’m fine.”

  “Did you meet your new governess?” Oliver asked, taking a sip of wine.

  “I did, Father,” Jamie replied, still pushing the meat around without actually taking a bite.

  “And? Did you like her?”

  “She was fine,” Jamie said with very little emotion in his voice. Oliver didn’t know why, but sometimes he had great difficulty reading his son, and this was one of those times.

  “Jamie, Miss Ainsley is very capable of being your governess. She is well-educated, and she is willing to be here even after your past misdeeds with your former governesses. You will accept her, you will treat her well, and you will not prank her at any time. Is that understood?”

  “Yes, Father,” Jamie said, still moving the food around the plate.

  Oliver just shook his head. Sometimes it was simply impossible to get through to his son. He took another sip of wine, and then said, “Jamie, if I hear that you were uncooperative with the governess, there will be consequences. Do you understand?”

  Jamie looked up at him and nodded, and then dropped his head back down.

  Oliver took a final sip of his wine, placed his napkin on his plate, and stood. “I have work to do tonight,” he announced, and then walked out of the dining room.

  * * *

  Priscilla looked around her quarters. They were nice, and they looked very comfortable.

  There were two doors, one which led to the hallway, and another that led to the schoolroom. The bed was large enough for one person, and she noticed that it had plenty of blankets.

  She also had a dresser, a desk, a mirror, and a wardrobe. All of her clothing and belongings had been put away, and she was trying to make the room as comfortable as possible. There was a nice rug on the floor, though, which she liked, as the thought of stepping onto a cold floor each morning did not sound pleasant.

  Priscilla also noticed a window in the room, which looked out over the Duke’s property. Though it was almost dark, she could see a large structure in the distance, which she presumed to be the famed distillery. Everyone in the area knew that the Duke’s family was well-known for their whisky.

  After looking out of the window for several minutes into the darkness, Priscilla knew that she needed to work on Lord Seton’s lessons for tomorrow. Since she didn’t know what he knew from his past lessons, she wasn’t quite sure where to start.

  Priscilla walked over to the desk and sat down. The light from the lamp was illuminating the surface, and she noticed a stack of blank papers, a couple of pencils, and rubbers to remove any mistakes.

  There were also drawers in the desk, and out of curiosity, she began to open them. Each of the drawers were empty except for one. In it, there was a folded piece of paper, which she took.

  Priscilla turned the folded paper over, and on it were the words: “To the New Governess.”

  Supposing that was her, Priscilla opened the paper and began to read:

  “Keep your guard up around Lord Seton. He is a notorious prankster who will stop at nothing to force you to leave. I was the fifth governess in this house, and I finally had enough. Good luck.”

  Priscilla was a bit surprised by what she was reading, and she read the note two more times before she really saw what it was saying. She suspected that Lord Seton had a bit of a naughty side about him, and this letter certainly confirmed it.

  Just then, there was a knock on her door. Priscilla stuffed the letter back into the desk drawer, stood up, and walked over to see who was knocking.

  She pulled the door open and a footman was standing there. “Good evening, Miss Ainsley,” he said. “His Grace has asked, if you are not engaged in other activities, for you to join him in the sitting room.”

  * * *

  Oliver didn’t know why he was so nervous. He always met with the governess the night before lessons would begin. Unfortunately, there had been so many governesses come through the manor, he was quite used to these meetings.

  Miss Ainsley was an attractive woman, yes, but that was no reason for him to be nervous. Oliver took a sip of whisky and exhaled. He hoped that she was available tonight.

  The door opened and a footman came in. “Your Grace, Miss Ainsley to see you.”

  “Please, show her in,” Oliver replied, standing as he watched Miss Ainsley enter the room. She was thin, yet curvy, and pale, yet that made her freckles stand out. He found her to be incredibly attractive and wondered to himself if he had hired her because of her abilities or because she was beautiful.

  Oliver swallowed hard, and then motioned to the chair next to him. “Please, Miss Ainsley, have a seat. Would you care for wine?” He remembered that he had said the same thing to her when they had met for the first time, yesterday.

  “Thank you, Your Grace,” she said quietly, and he watched her body as she walked towards him, turned, and sat down gently. The footman brought over a glass of wine for her on a silver tray, which she took and sipped from. She then looked at him. As their eyes met, he felt a sense of energy surge through his body, settling directly into his member.

  He immediately dropped his gaze and took another sip of whisky. Hopefully that would help to keep him from becoming noticeably aroused.

  “I hope that you are sett
ling in well?” he asked her, trying to keep his gaze occupied on anything but her body.

  “Oh yes, Your Grace. Thank you so much for your hospitality.”

  “I take it that you met Jamie this afternoon?” Oliver asked with apprehension. He didn’t know how the conversation had gone, though he wondered, based on Jamie’s behavior at dinner, if it hadn’t gone as well as he had hoped.

  “Oh, it was wonderful, Your Grace.” He looked up at her, and she was smiling.

  “It was?” Oliver said, surprised. “I wasn’t sure. Jamie isn’t always as welcoming to strangers as I would like.”

  “He was very welcoming, Your Grace. He was quite the young gentleman, in fact.”

  “Well, then,” Oliver said, now smiling himself. “I am very happy to hear that.” He took a sip of whisky, and then, again turned his full attention back to Miss Ainsley.

  “I must be totally honest with you, Miss Ainsley. The governess before you…Miss Collins…she resigned.” He watched her face for a reaction, but none came. Instead, he could only see her eyes, the delicious color of honey.

  “I assumed that, Your Grace,” Miss Ainsley said, shocking him a bit.

  “Oh? Why?”

  Miss Ainsley smiled. “I could tell when I spent time with Lord Seton this morning that he was a curious young gentleman with a bit of a mischievous streak in him. Growing up, I was quite the same, in fact. Perhaps I simply recognize my own kind.”

  Oliver smiled at her. “Well, you seem to have turned out fine,” he said with a chuckle. “Have you begun to plan his lessons?”

  “I haven’t yet, Your Grace,” she said after taking a sip of wine. He closely watched her lips around the rim of the glass. The wine was making her lips look rosy and red. “I thought it best that I see where Lord Seton stands in a variety of subjects, including mathematics, history, and globes, as you asked yesterday.”

  “That sounds excellent, Miss Ainsley. I am quite pleased by that.”

  “I’m happy to hear that, Your Grace.” He noticed that she shifted slightly in her seat. “After tomorrow, I should have a better answer for you on what I plan for his lessons.”

  “Amazing idea,” Oliver responded. “Once you find what Jamie is interested in, I believe that you will find he is a smart young gentleman.”

  “I have no doubt of that, Your Grace. He seems like a bright young gentleman, and I’m looking forward to getting to know him better.”

  “Wonderful,” Oliver took another sip of whisky, as he could feel himself start to stiffen again as he kept stealing glances at Miss Ainsley’s breasts. “I invited you to meet with me to help you plan, but it seems as if you have everything under control.”

  “I believe I do, Your Grace. But of course, I am always open to your suggestions.”

  I certainly have some suggestions for you, Miss Ainsley.

  Oliver shook his head, and then said, “Oh no. I have nothing more to add. In fact, I believe I will retire for the evening. It’s a bit early, but I want to get started with my daily tasks as I have a friend visiting tomorrow.” Oliver stood. “Feel free to remain here as long as you like. As our governess, I believe that you should try to be as much a part of our family as you are comfortable with, and that includes visiting the library and using this sitting room.”

  “Oh, thank you, Your Grace. I greatly appreciate your kindness.”

  “Of course, Miss Ainsley.” Oliver turned and walked out of the room quickly, hoping that she didn’t notice the erection that he had suddenly grown.

  * * *

  Priscilla was lying in her bed waiting for sleep to come. She was hoping that the wine would help to tire her, but perhaps the nerves of being in a new place and sleeping in a new bed was too much to overcome.

  She also, if she had to admit, was nervous about the next day’s lessons. She was confident that she would be fine in the long run but was fully expecting the first few days with Lord Seton to be a bit rocky, thanks to the note from the previous governess and her conversation with the Duke.

  She turned over to her side and pulled the blanket up over her shoulders. Priscilla couldn’t help but think of her meeting with the handsome Duke, though she knew that it was quite inappropriate.

  He was such a handsome gentleman, plus he had money, power, and influence. It was hard to deny the attraction she was developing for him, and she had only seen him twice. In fact, she was trying to drink her wine quicker than she typically would just so she could relax a little.

  She wondered why the Duke had never remarried after the loss of his wife. Perhaps he was concerned about Lord Seton, or perhaps he simply hadn’t found the right lady. She also wondered if he was one of those gentlemen who were too focused on their work to care much about anything else.

  Priscilla sighed, and once again turned onto her back. She took a deep breath and shook her head. She wanted to get the thought of the Duke out of her head, but she couldn’t stop thinking about how it would feel to have his arms around her, holding her tight.

  She didn’t have a lot of experience with men, but she knew the mechanics of what could happen between men and women when they were alone, and her mind began to wander. She briefly thought of herself and the Duke in that type of situation but pulled herself back with thoughts of the school lessons tomorrow. She had no business thinking of her employer like that, and she had to get to sleep. Once again, she turned onto her side, closed her eyes, and tried to slow her breathing.

  Chapter 5

  Oliver woke early the following morning. He had a lot on his mind, including the distillery, Jamie’s lessons, and of course, Miss Ainsley. He had also invited his close childhood friend, Nash Buxton, the Earl of Darnerton, for dinner.

  He made his way downstairs to have his normal breakfast of tea and toast with jam. He was hoping that Jamie would be at the table, but he knew that his son wasn’t always an early riser like he was. Instead, he preferred to sleep a bit later in the morning. Oliver had tried to break him of that habit for many years, but to no avail.

  “Your Grace,” he heard, and turned around to see Wright. Oliver could tell by the look on his face that something was wrong.

  “Wright?” Oliver asked.

  “It’s Lord Seton. He’s not in his quarters, and his nanny cannot find him anywhere.”

  Oliver immediately stood up from the table. “What do you mean he’s not in his quarters? He’s gone?” He could feel the panic rush over him.

  Wright nodded. “When the nanny went to help him dress for breakfast, she found the room empty. She immediately came to me to report the incident. We called for him, but he has not yet been located. I have employed all available staff to search the manor.”

  Oliver could feel his stomach fall. “Come with me, Wright,” he said, as he immediately left the dining room and ran into the hallway with Wright at his heels.

  Oliver looked back and forth, and then moved swiftly towards the stairs and loped up them two at a time. Again, he looked back and forth, and down each hallway he could see his staff searching for his son. He then turned to Wright.

  “When is the last time anyone saw him?”

  “Last night, I’m afraid, Your Grace,” Wright said, his voice trembling. “The nanny readied him for bed, and then after making sure he was safe and sound, she went to her own quarters.”

  Oliver nodded, but became distracted as he saw Miss Ainsley in the distance also searching for Jamie. For some reason, he felt calmer seeing her, almost as if he was being brought back to reality. He also had a thought come into his mind.

  He then turned back to Wright, and he took a deep breath. “Wright, we need to collect ourselves,” Oliver said. “We know that Jamie likes to prank people, and I just realized the connection between his first day with the new governess and disappearing before his lessons.” He could see Wright’s previously tight, worried face begin to relax. Wright knew Jamie almost as well as Oliver did.

  “Continue searching for him up here. I am going to go downstairs
. I have a feeling that he is somewhere he believes no one will look for him.”

  Wright nodded, and Oliver turned to walk back down the stairs. He had reason to believe that Jamie was in the library. He knew that his son loved to read and that he felt safe there. He also knew that the library had several places to hide, thanks to the shelves, which held their large collection of books, and the oversized furniture that Leah had put in there while she was pregnant.

  Oliver smiled as he walked towards the library. He remembered Leah telling him that it was more relaxing to sit and read in a large comfortable chair while heavy with child. Jamie had certainly gotten his love for books from her. Oliver rarely stepped into the library.