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

by Olivia Bennet

  Priscilla barely slept at all. She had eventually cried so much that her pillow was still damp with her tears.

  She decided that she could not see Jamie today. She would sneak over and tell Miss Slade that she was ill today while Jamie was at breakfast. Then, she would just pack her things, wait until she saw Oliver leave to walk to the distillery, and go get the recipe.

  Priscilla walked over to the door so she could hear when Jamie came out of his room. Though his quarters were a bit down the hallway, he always slammed the door so she could hear it. As she stood there leaning against the wall, another wave of regret and remorse for her situation spread over her.

  Eventually, she did hear Jamie’s door close. Priscilla waited a couple of moments, and then opened her own door and stepped into the hallway, which was empty. She walked down to the nursery and gently knocked. Miss Slade answered the door.

  “Oh, good morning Miss Ainsley.”

  “Good morning, Miss Slade. I’m very sorry, but I’m going to have to cancel Lord Seton’s lessons today. I am feeling under the weather.”

  “Oh no. Yes, you do look a bit pale, if you don’t mind me saying. You also look very tired. Please, don’t worry about it. I will make sure that he is occupied today.”

  “Thank you, Miss Slade. I certainly appreciate it.”

  “Shall I let Wright know for you?”

  “Please,” Priscilla replied, placing her hand over her stomach. “I really think I need to get back to bed.”

  “Of course. I hope you feel better soon.”

  “Thank you, Miss Slade.”

  Priscilla turned from the kind woman and walked back to her quarters. She slipped in and gently closed the door behind her.

  * * *

  “I’m sorry, Lord Seton. You cannot see her.”

  “I need to see Miss Ainsley, though. You don’t understand.”

  “She’s ill and in bed. I told you already.”

  “I know, but I still need to see her, Miss Slade.”

  “Lord Seton. I don’t want to have to bring your father into this, but if you keep this behavior up, I will have no choice. Tantrums are not acceptable for a young gentleman of your age. I assure you that you will survive a day without seeing Miss Ainsley.”

  “Fine!”

  Jamie was brooding. He and Miss Slade were sitting in the library, and the day was dim and cloudy, just like his mood. He would hopefully be able to see Miss Ainsley later.

  “Do you want to read a book, My Lord?”

  “No.”

  “Do you want to play a game?”

  “No.”

  “Fine. Sit there in silence. You still cannot go see Miss Ainsley.”

  He folded his arms across his body and continued to stare out the window.

  “May I at least see my father?”

  “He’s working, My Lord. You could speak with Wright, if you must, but I daresay your father will not give you permission to see Miss Ainsley either.”

  Miss Slade was right, of course. Jamie knew that his father would not consent to allowing him to see Miss Ainsley if she was sick.

  “My suggestion to you, My Lord, is to find a nice book and settle in for the afternoon. It’s likely going to rain, so playing outside probably won’t be an option.”

  * * *

  Priscilla sat on her bed and stared out the window. Her belongings were all packed in a bag, which she could pick up before leaving. She left a note for Oliver on the desk and hoped that he would get it.

  In the letter, Priscilla expressed her deep love for him and apologized for what she was about to do. She also explained that he and Jamie would be in danger if she didn’t take the whisky recipe. The Baron was too powerful and too well-connected to do anything else.

  She glanced at the clock and noted that it was around the time that Oliver usually walked over to the distillery. Priscilla believed that once he left, she would have about an hour to get to his office, take the recipe, and then get away from the house.

  Staring out the window again, she saw him walking away from the house. Now, it was time.

  * * *

  Oliver was still angry about what happened between himself and Lord Kenley the previous day, but he had to keep working. He knew that he had to get back to normal and back into his routine, so he planned on seeing Priscilla tonight. That, he knew, would make him feel better.

  As he walked towards the distillery, it dawned on him that he forgot to bring the order list. So, he turned and began to walk back.

  * * *

  Priscilla slipped into the darkened office. She passed one footman along the way, but he didn’t say anything to her short of a greeting. She saw that as a good sign that her plan would succeed.

  Oliver’s desk was in front of her, and she took a deep breath and then walked towards it. She hoped that the key was still in the large drawer. She had found it when she was looking for the recipe the first time…the time that she just couldn’t bear to take it and betray the gentleman she loved.

  Though the room was void of any lit lamps, there was just enough light coming in through the window to allow her to see the small silver key as she pulled the large drawer open. Her heart skipped a beat as she reached in and pulled it out.

  Priscilla held the key between her fingers, which were now starting to shake. Her trembling and lack of light made it difficult to fit the key into the lock. She turned it, heard a click, and the drawer opened. She reached in and pulled the recipe out.

  Suddenly, she heard the door to the office open, and Oliver was standing there, a look of shock on his face.

  * * *

  “What are you doing? Priscilla…answer me, damn it. What are you doing?”

  Oliver couldn’t believe his eyes. Priscilla…the woman he loved…was standing over his desk holding his family’s secret recipe for whisky.

  “Oliver, please,” she said, her voice cracking. He could see that she was shaking. “I had to, please let me explain.”

  He felt the anger rise through his body quickly.

  “Get out.”

  “What? Oliver, no.”

  “Priscilla, get out of this house. I never want to see you again. You have betrayed me, my son, and my family. Get out.”

  “Oliver, please.”

  Oliver turned towards the nearest footman. “Please escort Miss Ainsley out. She is not to come back to the property. I will inform Mr. Wright.”

  “Yes, Your Grace.”

  He watched as the footman approached Priscilla. “Follow me, Miss Ainsley.”

  She turned towards Oliver, tears falling from her eyes. “But…”

  “Go!”

  He slammed his hands on the desk as he yelled at her. He heard the door close behind him as she and the footman left the office. It took all that he could do to stop the lump in his throat that was beginning to form.

  Chapter 27

  “Lord Seton, please sit. I would like to talk to you a moment.”

  It was almost time for bed, and Miss Slade was helping him get ready.

  “What is wrong?”

  “While you were having dinner tonight, Wright informed me that Miss Ainsley has been dismissed.”

  “What?”

  Jamie could feel the tears welling up in his eyes.

  “I have to see my father.”

  “What? No, My Lord. It’s too late. You can talk to him tomorrow. I’m sure he would prefer to be alone tonight.”

  Jamie stood up and faced Miss Slade. “If you won’t take me to him, I will find him myself.”

  He walked past Miss Slade, who stood there in shock, and then began running down the hallway towards the stairs. At this time of night, he would assume that his father was in the sitting room, so he would check there first.

  Jamie sped down the stairs with Miss Slade yelling and running after him. “My Lord, come back!”

  He ignored her and kept running down the hall. He saw a footman standing outside the door to the sitting room, so he knew his father
was inside.

  He ran right past the footman and into the room, not caring how much trouble he might get into or how improper it might be to barge through to see his father.

  As Jamie ran into the sitting room, as expected, his father was sitting there holding a glass of whisky. He sat it down, stood with an extremely stern look on his face and said loudly, “Jamie, what is the meaning of this?”

  Panting, Jamie said, “Miss Ainsley. What did you tell her?”

  “Miss Ainsley is no longer your concern, Jamie. And if that’s why you barged in here, there are going to be consequences. Your behavior is totally inappropriate. Where is Miss Slade?”

  “No, Father,” Jamie panted, trying to catch his breath. “You have to listen a minute. She didn’t do it. She didn’t do anything wrong. Let me explain.”

  * * *

  Oliver didn’t know what to think. Here was his son, standing before him, begging him to listen and saying that Priscilla didn’t do anything wrong. But Oliver had seen her stealing his family’s recipe with his own two eyes.

  “Fine. You have five minutes…and sit down before you pass out from running through this house like a crazed mongrel.”

  Jamie sat down in the chair next to the one Oliver sat back down in.

  “Explain yourself, Jamie.”

  “I’m sorry, Father. But Miss Ainsley. I heard her. I saw her yesterday. She was talking to that gentleman who was here. Lord Kenley. He threatened her. He said that if she didn’t steal the recipe for him that he would hurt us.”

  “What? Hurt who?”

  “You and I.”

  “You heard Lord Kenley say this?”

  “Yes. And Miss Ainsley…she had to.”

  “Wait, wait, wait. Start from the beginning. Take a breath, Jamie.”

  Oliver watched as his son took a couple of deep breaths. Then, looking up at him, Jamie began to speak.

  “Yesterday, I was playing in the garden. I saw Wright bring Lord Kenley out. They didn’t look happy, so I hid behind a large pot so I could hear what they were saying.”

  “Continue.”

  “Lord Kenley was waiting for his carriage, and I saw Miss Ainsley come out. They started arguing about something, and I realized that they knew each other. She told him to meet her around the corner of the house where no one could hear them talk. Miss Ainsley went, and then Lord Kenley followed.”

  “Let me guess…you followed them, too?”

  Jamie nodded and Oliver was certainly not surprised by his son’s actions.

  “When Lord Kenley joined Miss Ainsley, I could hear the conversation from around the corner, but they couldn’t see me. That’s when Lord Kenley threatened her and said if she didn’t get the recipe, that he would harm you and I. Miss Ainsley was very frightened. I could hear it in her voice. Finally, she said she would do it as long as you and I were not harmed.”

  “Then what?”

  “Then I ran. The carriage came for him, and I knew that when he walked towards it that he would see me.”

  “But, Jamie. Your story only tells me that Miss Ainsley was pushed into stealing the recipe. She still betrayed me and our family when all she had to do was let me know this was going on.”

  “Well, Father…there is more.”

  “What? More?”

  “Yes. Actually, Miss Ainsley found the recipe two months ago.”

  “How do you know this?”

  “Because I have been following her, and I saw her find it. She didn’t betray you at all, Father. She was protecting you. But now, since she didn’t get the recipe, she’s in trouble.”

  * * *

  Priscilla was cold and frightened. She didn’t have the recipe, and she had been removed from Oliver’s home.

  The Baron would be furious, of course. In fact, he would surely have her killed when he realized that she didn’t have the recipe. She had to think, and she had to think fast. For now, she was sitting in a dark, drafty corner of an inn in town, but she couldn’t stay here forever. People would recognize her, and she had to get out of town by morning.

  An old woman brought her a cup of warm soup and a glass of wine. That would hopefully warm her up. Priscilla would leave early in the morning and see if she could get passage to London. There, she could at least blend into the crowd.

  The soup was bland, but as she hadn’t eaten since yesterday, she knew that she needed it. She was so upset after speaking with the Baron that she had no appetite, and she still didn’t now, but she had to keep her strength up.

  She couldn’t help but wonder what was happening at the house. Surely, Jamie would know by now. She hoped he wasn’t too upset. She really loved him, and it broke her heart to think of him saddened by this.

  Unfortunately, she didn’t have a lot of time to think about it, because suddenly her old acquaintance, Duncan Clark, walked into the inn. Her heart sank as he turned to her and began to walk towards her.

  He didn’t smile. He just approached the table and with a sullen, whispered tone said, “I could get killed for this, but I care for you. Lord Kenley knows you are in town and he’s looking for you. You have to get out of there. Leave now. I will settle up your soup. His men are a few blocks to the north, so go south.”

  Priscilla immediately stood and grabbed her bag. The darkness of night would help keep her hidden, but Duncan was right. She had to leave now.

  * * *

  “I need that horse saddled now! I don’t have time to wait for the carriage to be ready.”

  Oliver was frantic. He had to find Priscilla before Lord Kenley did. Jamie was right. Since she didn’t get the recipe, she was surely in danger.

  He then turned to Wright. “Wright, I need some men to accompany me. Maybe two or three, and I need them immediately.”

  “Yes, Your Grace,” Wright said as he sprinted out of the stable.

  “Saddle two more horses, please. I need to leave quickly.”

  Every second that was passing was a second that Lord Kenley could be gaining.

  “This one is almost ready, Your Grace.”

  Oliver walked over to the horse and held its reins. It looked fast and strong, which is exactly what he needed. He would head directly for town. It was dark, but the moon was full, and the sky was clear, so they would at least have some light.

  He wasn’t quite sure where she would go, but he trusted his instinct that she was in town. Unfortunately, Lord Kenley was in town, too. All Oliver had to do was find her first.

  Wright soon returned with two men who would accompany him. They immediately jumped up on the awaiting horses and Oliver pulled himself up onto his own.

  “Wright, keep Jamie with Miss Slade. Don’t let him leave her sight,” Oliver shouted as he and the men galloped from the stable onto the darkened road.

  * * *

  Priscilla walked quickly and carefully towards the south, holding her bag in front of her body. She didn’t want to walk too quickly, so as to arouse suspicious eyes, but she didn’t want to lollygag, either.

  She could feel her heart beating, and she knew that if her body wasn’t in motion that it would have been trembling.

  Though it was getting late in the day, people were still out on the streets, and she felt as if all of them were staring at her. With every person she passed, she wondered if they were part of the Baron’s search party.

  Since Priscilla grew up here, she was very familiar with all of the streets and alleyways, and she used it to her advantage as she moved through town.

  Of course, going south meant going right back towards Oliver’s manor, but as soon as she could find a safe place to stay for the night, she would. She would find a ride to London in the morning.

  Priscilla briefly thought about going to Joan, but she knew the Baron would surely look for her there. Her best bet would be keep going south and hope that she could stay ahead of the Baron’s cronies until first light.

  * * *

  Oliver could see the lights of town ahead of him as he galloped down the road,
flanked by his men.

  “We are almost there,” he yelled to his companions. “We must find her!”

  He kicked the horse and gained a burst of speed. He had to locate Priscilla before Lord Kenley did…he just had to.