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

by Olivia Bennet

  Priscilla let him pass, and then slowly pulled the door open. She stuck her head out and watched as he paused at the top of the steps. He slowly turned his head around the corner, and then started walking down the staircase.

  She took this as her cue to leave the room and follow him. She walked down the hallway a bit faster than he had, but she stopped right before the top of the stairs. Like he did, she turned her head around the corner to see if there was anyone present. She didn’t see anything except the figure of Lord Seton sneaking down the hallway to the right.

  Again, Priscilla waited a couple of moments, and then made her way down the stairs. When she got to the bottom, she paused, and slowly turned to look down the hallway that Lord Seton had gone down. She didn’t see him, so she kept following him.

  Once she got to the corner that lead into the hallway, she peeked down again. No sign of Lord Seton, but she knew that the library was that way, so she wondered if, perhaps, he had wandered into there. The real mystery, however, was why he was sneaking.

  Priscilla began to walk down the hallway but had only taken two steps when she heard a door open. She immediately jumped back and took cover on the other side of the hallway. She stood there motionless and heard the sound of slow walking coming down the hall from the library.

  She held her breath as she stood against the wall, and watched as Lord Seton, holding something in his hands, walked right past her without noticing she was there.

  Priscilla watched as he walked down the hallway, and then into the dining room. She knew that he couldn’t see her, so she began following him once again. As she passed, she saw a housemaid walking down the hall, and smiled at her. That was close. I do not know what I would say if she saw me hiding against the wall.

  She found her way to the dining room and took ahold of the handle of the door. She slowly opened it, just enough to see through, and she leaned forward to look inside.

  Priscilla could see Lord Seton kneeling on the ground. It looked like he was tying a string to the leg of the chair at the head of the table, which is where she assumed the Duke sat for meals.

  She then watched as he scooted himself over to the buffet and tied the other end of the string to the leg. Lord Seton gently pulled on the string, and then stood. Priscilla took this as her chance to walk away, as she didn’t want him to see her.

  She turned and kept walking down the main hallway towards the front door. She passed what she though was the drawing room, and then passed a room that looked as if it was set for afternoon tea, which confused her a bit, since there were no ladies in the house who would take tea.

  Priscilla then turned again and saw Lord Seton walking back up the stairs. She knew she had to investigate, so she walked back down the hallway towards the dining room. She opened the door, looked down, and shook her head. He had rigged up a string, so that the next person who walked between the chair and the buffet would trip and fall.

  She knelt down, untied the string from both the chair and the buffet, and held it in her hands. It’s probably best to save this for another time.

  * * *

  After a long day, Oliver finally was in the sitting room with a glass of his best whisky, waiting for Darnerton to arrive. It was quiet, he felt like he could breathe again, and best of all, he hadn’t heard anything about Jamie’s behavior all day.

  Oliver sighed as he took a sip from his glass. This had been from one of the last batches his father had created before he died. Each time Oliver had a glass of this whisky, he felt a connection with his past, and all of the gentlemen who had created the distillery before him. He hoped that the family legacy would continue on with Jamie.

  “Your Grace,” Wright said, as he stepped into the room. “The Earl of Darnerton has arrived.”

  “Please, Wright, send him in.”

  Wright stepped out of the room, and a few seconds later, the door opened again and Darnerton entered.

  Oliver stood, smiled, and walked towards his oldest friend. He extended his hand, which Darnerton took, and then pulled his friend in for an embrace. Oliver only had a sister, so he was the closest thing to a brother that he had.

  “It is so great to see you, Darnerton,” Oliver said, patting Darnerton on the back. “It’s been way too long.”

  “Yes, Dowding,” Darnerton said with a smile. “It has been. How long? Almost a year?”

  “Indeed. Please, sit.” He motioned to the sofa. “Have a glass of some of our finest whisky.”

  “Of course I will,” Darnerton said, as he sat down. “If it’s like all of the other whisky you have produced, I am surely in for a treat.”

  The footman who had been standing in the corner brought a glass to Darnerton, and Oliver watched as his friend took a sip.

  “This is delicious, as expected. What is this taste? Toffee?”

  “Close. It’s caramel and vanilla.”

  “Lovely,” Darnerton said, taking another sip. “It adds a sweetness that is unexpected, but it works so well…and as you know, I am a self-proclaimed whisky expert.”

  Oliver laughed. “Yes. I do know that, certainly.” Oliver turned towards his friend. “How have you been, Darnerton? How is your family?”

  “I have been doing very well. Business is going great, too. With so many exports going out, shipping has been excellent. We should talk about sending your whisky out over the seas, actually.”

  “Oh, that’s an interesting thought. I had never considered that, but with such a good friend as the head of a shipping empire, perhaps it’s time.”

  Darnerton laughed. “I wouldn’t say it’s an empire, but I am doing well.”

  “And the family?”

  “Very well. Norman has been working alongside me in the shipping office, and Tabitha is showing a great talent for the piano. Margaret is doing well, too. She was just appointed head of our town’s garden organization. You know how she loves her flowers.”

  “Oh yes. I can remember Leah and Margaret going on and on about flowers and plants.”

  “Indeed,” Darnerton looked around the room, and then said, “I see you are doing well, too, my friend. I notice several new pieces in your sitting room, and two new marble statues in the entry way.”

  “Investments. Leah was always the art lover, and I was never much into it, but I think it makes the house look presentable, and after speaking with an art expert, I decided to buy some more.”

  “I think you have made a great choice. Speaking of Leah, how is Jamie?”

  Oliver paused for a moment and took a sip of his whisky.

  “He’s up to his same old behavior, again. And, I’m not sure what to do about it.”

  “Meaning what? The pranks?”

  “Exactly. And simply bad behavior. He doesn’t listen to me, nor the staff. His governess resigned earlier in the week, and our cook threatened to resign, too, after Jamie purposefully mixed up the salt and sugar in the kitchen.”

  “Oh no. Did she make something?”

  “Yes, a cake. That’s how we knew that it happened. One of the assistant cooks tasted it, and she discovered that it had occurred.”

  “How do you know it was Jamie? Though, it does seem like something he would do.”

  “Of course it does and it was a typical Jamie prank. I asked the same question when I was informed of the incident. It seems as if Jamie was peeking around the corner watching the event unfold. When he saw the assistant cook take a bite, he began laughing at her reaction.”

  “So, he never left the scene of the crime. Did he willingly admit it?”

  “He did,” Oliver said, taking another sip of whisky.

  Darnerton shook his head, and then said, “I know most children will play some pranks when they are Jamie’s age. Norman did, too. But it does seem like Jamie is doing it more and more.”

  “He is. And to make matters worse, the pranks are starting to get more daring and bold.”

  “Do you have any idea why he is doing it? There has to be a reason, yes?”

&nb
sp; “I don’t. I have asked him several times, and he simply tells me that he finds it to be funny.”

  “Don’t take this the wrong way, Friend, but perhaps he needs more attention.”

  “He gets a lot of attention. He is almost always with a member of the staff.”

  “I see. What are you doing about a governess? Are you considering boarding school?”

  “I hired a new governess. She seems to be working well, and Jamie seems to like her. This is a vast improvement on the past few governesses. She certainly seems to like him, too.”

  “So, no boarding school?”

  “Not yet, but probably in the next couple of years. I know those were some of our best days, but I just don’t know if Jamie is quite ready for it, yet. He still is a bit immature.”

  “That could help him grow up. It certainly helped me, and it could help prepare him to take over the business.”

  “Indeed. If this governess doesn’t work out, perhaps it will be sooner rather than later. Speaking of the business, something interesting happened.”

  “Oh?” Oliver asked, taking another sip of whisky. “I’m intrigued.”

  “The Baron of Kenley came to see me earlier in the week. He had a business proposition for me.”

  Oliver watched as Darnerton moved in his seat. “Oh? Kenley is not the most savory of businessmen.”

  “Yes. He’s well-known for being a bit sly, and I have done business with him before, but I have always been cautious.”

  “I have, too. I just use care when working with him. Sometimes, he has some excellent inventory, though. It’s a wonder he can access some of his wares.”

  “I presume that he is a bit manipulative with customers who aren’t quite aware of his business practices,” Oliver replied with a laugh. “He certainly has a way of making deals sound like you can’t say, ‘No.’”

  “Indeed. I haven’t been approached by him in several months, but surely it will happen soon. What did he want with you?” Darnerton asked, taking another sip of whisky.

  “You are drinking it… He wanted to buy my distillery.”

  “What?” Darnerton said loudly, a look of surprise apparent on his face. “Your distillery? Where did he get the capital for that? You didn’t sell, did you?”

  Oliver shook his head. “Of course not. I would never sell the distillery. I found his act of boldness a bit surprising, however. He knows that this distillery has been in my family for decades.”

  “I do, too. Stay cautious around him. A good deal can only take you so far.”

  Chapter 7

  “Lord Seton,” Miss Slade said. “You are eating in the main dining room with your father and the Earl.”

  Jamie smiled. This is perfect. He had created the perfect prank and now he could see the results of his handywork in person.

  “Oh, I’m so glad,” he said in response.

  “Here, let me help you with your shirt and jacket.”

  Jamie walked over to her and she began to straighten the shirt he was wearing and brushing it to remove any lint. She then helped him with his jacket and did the same thing.

  “Now, let’s get this hair in order,” she replied, as she took a bit of pomade from a jar. He watched as she rubbed it between her hands, and then began to massage it into his hair.

  After a few seconds of this, she stood back, looked at him, and then said, “There we are. You now look like the perfect young gentleman.”

  Jamie looked into the mirror, which stood next to the wardrobe. He could see that he looked like his father, though many people also told him that he had features of his mother, though they had never met.

  “I think I look good.” He could see Miss Slade start chuckling behind him.

  “Indeed, you do. Now, let’s get you down to your father.”

  From the top of the stairs, Jamie could see his father and his father’s friend, the Earl of Darnerton, engaged in a conversation. He began to walk down, Miss Slade close behind him, and it wasn’t until he got to the bottom that his father saw that he was there.

  “You look like a right gentleman,” his father said. “I almost didn’t recognize you.”

  The Earl extended his hand, which Jamie took to shake. “You look like you are doing well, Jamie,” the Earl said. Jamie could smell the whisky on both of the gentlemen.

  “Yes, My Lord,” Jamie replied. “I am doing very well.”

  “I am glad you will be joining us for dinner,” the Earl replied. “I look forward to getting your opinion on the state of international trade.” Both gentlemen laughed, but Jamie didn’t understand why, nor did he know what international trade was. They won’t be laughing in a minute when someone trips and falls.

  “Wright announced dinner right before you came down the stairs,” his father said. “So let’s make our way into the dining room before the soup gets too cold.”

  Jamie couldn’t wait. He watched as his father walked into the dining room first, and then the Earl followed behind him. Jamie paused for a moment because he was trying to see which of them would walk into the string.

  But something was wrong. Jamie stood back and watched as his father took his seat, but he walked around the chair to do it. How does he miss the string? Jamie quickly stepped into the dining room and looked down at the ground between the chair and the buffet. The string was gone.

  “Jamie?” he heard his father say. “Are you going to join us or stare at the floor?”

  Jamie looked up at his father. “Sit, Your Grace,” he walked around the table to his own seat.

  “Is something wrong, Jamie?” his father began to take some soup from the waiting footman.

  “No, Your Grace,” Jamie said, sulking. Whoever removed that string will pay.

  * * *

  Priscilla looked at the clock. Lord Seton should be here any moment for his morning lesson. She woke up well-rested, and in a cheery mood, and she hoped that Lord Seton would be the same.

  She wanted to start her lesson with him today with just a bit of conversation instead of jumping right into mathematics or globes. Priscilla felt as if this was the best approach with Lord Seton, as she still thought that he was unsure of her.

  Priscilla heard a knock at the door, and waited for a moment, as she assumed it was Lord Seton, who would simply knock, and then walk right in. Instead, the door remained closed.

  She then heard another knock, and this time, she approached and pulled it open. Standing before her was a footman holding a silver tray.

  “Good morning, Miss Ainsley. I have a letter for you.” He held out the tray, and she took the folded, sealed paper off.

  “Thank you,” she said, turning it over. There were no marks nor any indication of where it might have come from.

  The footman said, “Very good. Have a wonderful day.” He nodded at her, and then began walking down the hall. Priscilla was about to close the door when she noticed movement coming towards her. It was Lord Seton, and he was frowning.

  “Lord Seton,” she said, as he got close to the door. “Good morning!” She tried to be cheerful, even though she could tell that he was upset about something.

  “Good morning, Miss Ainsley,” Lord Seton said quietly.

  “Are you doing well?”

  “Yes, Miss,” he walked to the table and sat down.

  Priscilla frowned, and placed the letter on the desk. She would have to read it later. Right now, Lord Seton had to be her priority.

  She walked over to the table and sat down across from her student. Priscilla could see that something was on his mind, but she didn’t yet know how to talk to him so that he would fully trust her.

  “Good. I thought that perhaps you were feeling down.”

  Lord Seton just shook his head in response, but he didn’t speak.

  “Fine,” she said in her most cheerful voice. “I spent last night creating a lesson plan for you this week. I think you will like it. Only two days with mathematics, and three days of history. We will also do some French this wee
k, along with globes. How does that sound?”

  “It sounds fine,” Lord Seton replied, obviously not paying attention to her, as he was making shapes on the surface of the table with his fingers.

  “But, before we do that, I want to know how your dinner was last night? I know that your father invited you to eat with himself and the Earl of Darnerton.”

  “Yes. It was fine.” He continued to make invisible shapes on the surface of the table.