Duke of Havoc

by Blake, Whitney

  “You must not go, Miss Sedgwyck,” he said. “If you do, you will have broken an agreement between three parties – you, me, and your father – and you will no doubt cause a heartbreak for my poor daughters. They decidedly latched on to you from the very first day.”

  He is shrewd, Caroline thought. Using the girls as leverage.

  “You may well be assured, my lord, that my father and I shall refund the advance payment you have made to him,” Caroline said calmly. In truth, she did not know if that was possible. In all likelihood, her father had already spent a little of the money. It had been so sorely needed.

  “But my daughters – you will abandon them? Are you that indifferent to their innocent feelings, Miss Sedgwyck?”

  “What, as you are, my lord?” she said with incredulity. His unashamed use of his daughters as bargaining chips infuriated Caroline, and anger loosened her speech again. She flung out her arms for emphasis.

  “Upon my honor, you are the most hypocritical man I have ever had the misfortune to meet. Don’t you dare accuse me of the same detachment and disinterest you yourself exhibit! You have visited your girls only once since I arrived here – to instruct them to keep away from the drawing room and the parlors and the dining room so your friends would not be embarrassed by their presence. Several days have passed since I came to The Thornlands, and the concerned father could not bring himself to ask the new tutor how his daughters were faring.” She laughed derisively.

  He was gaping at her, but she was not finished.

  She could not quite meet his eyes, but she was determined that he would understand her thoughts.

  “You hold a gambling party with the little ones under your roof! While you may suppose that they have no idea what you and your lot are about, you must abandon that notion. Phoebe asked me this morning at breakfast why those ladies did not dress like I do.” She eyed the woman who was still walking toward the manor. “As I sat there, unable to think of anything sensible to say, Sophie declared that she preferred the other ladies’ attire. She was particularly entranced by the rouge on their faces, too. Just imagine if one of your daughters had caught you in my place. My lord, what on earth would you have told her by way of explanation?”

  At the end of her long speech, Caroline was not displeased to find that her audience of one was staring at her in astonishment. She was also, she realized, only a pace or two away from him.

  Surely, now, I will be asked to leave the manor, Caroline thought.

  Her anger was short-lived as it always was, but it always presented itself forcefully when she had lost her temper. She had invoked enough fury to upset any man, much less an employer who was of the gentry.

  She had spoken nothing but the truth, but perhaps it was not her place to do so. She was only a tutor. Teachers, she should have learned from her father’s experience, never remarked upon what transpired in their employers’ lives.

  Heavens, this is as bad as hitting Lady Rosie in the parlor when I was fifteen, she thought.

  She began to worry in earnest when the duke remained silent for what felt like hours.

  “Forgive me,” she said, only to break the silence. She did not actually think she needed to be forgiven. “My words were harsh, although I believe they were the truth.”

  “You owe me no apologies for telling the truth,” the duke said quietly. He had taken a small step toward her, and now there was only one pace between them.

  His mild words shocked Caroline. She waited as he composed himself.

  “It must appear to you that I am irredeemable. But I promise that I have only ever wanted the best for my daughters.” He paused. “I would not have engaged your services otherwise. In the past, I have thought that Sophie and Phoebe were well hidden from my parties by the women of the house. By Duckie and Miss Ball and Mrs. Humphrey, I mean to say.”

  “Perhaps,” Caroline said tiredly, “you misjudge their intelligence and natural curiosity, my lord. They are no longer babes in the cradle.”

  He nodded. “No. They have grown more than I can fathom… even in these months since…”

  Since their mother died, Caroline mentally finished for him.

  Lord Malliston resumed speaking after a moment of quiet. “Sophie, in particular, must not be encouraged along in those… thoughts of hers. Thank you for telling me of my daughters’ interest in my affairs, Miss Sedgwyck. I would not have known otherwise. I shall rectify the affair immediately.”

  It occurred to Caroline that despite the duke being prone to debauched behavior, he was actually quite awkward and even gruff. The traits did not seem to coincide.

  Caroline blinked at his back as he began to walk away, trying not to linger on the intriguing lines of his shoulders under his coat.

  She did not understand what the duke now intended to do. “My lord?” she called hesitantly.

  “I presume that if the objectionable activities are taken away from here, you shall not actually be leaving my employ,” he said, quite abruptly, whirling back to her.

  Caroline wanted to say something in response. She did not know what that should be or even what further censure she could offer without being rebuked herself.

  The duke interpreted her silence as an assent.

  Smirking at her, he continued on his way into the house, leaving Caroline sufficiently flummoxed.

  *

  “It is nothing short of delightful to know that you are not only handsome, you also have a good head on your shoulders – more young ladies your age ought to have ’em.”

  It was time for luncheon, and ever since the party left the manor the day prior, Duckie had been filled with nothing but effusive praise for the new tutor. She perceived that Caroline, being the only new factor within The Thornlands, could be the only reason for this agreeable turn of events. In her honor, Duckie prepared a veritable feast for lunch.

  Caroline could already tell this brought disdain from the other women of the house. Mrs. Humphrey and Miss Ball were seated at the table with them.

  Duckie herself would never sit at the table with any of them. In her own firm words, she explained, “I have my place in the kitchen. I see no point in sitting down formal-like just to put food in my stomach.”

  Nonetheless, she took it upon herself to wait upon the diners, hovering to cater to their needs. This attentive service was entirely for Caroline’s sake, as well as Phoebe and Sophie’s. Even in her short residency at The Thornlands, Caroline knew the cook and the sisters never saw eye to eye.

  Uncomfortable, Caroline said, “Duckie, you must not praise me. I have only done my duty to the girls in pointing out the impropriety of having such a party here.” She reddened slightly.

  She had, in fact, been thinking back to Lord Malliston’s exposed thighs in the garden rather too much to claim any credit for her supposed moral righteousness.

  “And not many people would deign to do that,” said Duckie stoutly. “None, I would wager.”

  With the exception for Duckie’s warm words toward Caroline, they were all awkwardly seated at the table in a silence laden with disgruntlement. Miss Ball sat beside Mrs. Humphrey, and both sisters looked like they would take immense delight in castigating Duckie for anything they could deem subpar. They glared at their food, at Sophie and Phoebe, and especially at Caroline.

  She had decided not to take notice of this, but would have greatly preferred it if Duckie would keep her kind words to herself. They were sweet and Duckie meant well, but it all only increased the divide between the sisters, Duckie, and Caroline, who had only just become part of daily life at The Thornlands.

  In the few days that Caroline had been present at the manor, Miss Ball and Mrs. Humphrey had not ingratiated themselves to her in the least. Quite the contrary, through their words – or lack thereof, depending on their moods – and by their actions, they revealed to her just how offended they remained at her mere presence in the house. Only Duckie’s affable reassurance heartened Caroline a little. Duckie bolstered her fortitude
by ignoring the women’s ill tempers. This, Caroline felt, was a particularly brilliant solution.

  Women like them only want attention, she thought.

  “Sophie, Phoebe… shall we take our lessons in the garden, this afternoon?” she asked, hoping to break the tense atmosphere. “The fresh air can only help us.”

  “Can we?” said Sophie rapturously. “I love to sit in the gardens, Miss Caroline!”

  “We were never allowed to play in the garden,” said Phoebe, though the joy wrought by Caroline’s suggestion was evident in her eager expression.

  However, Miss Ball appeared quite flabbergasted at the idea.

  “Children should not be given such liberty with their lessons,” she declared. She shoveled a piece of chicken into her thin mouth, then took her time to chew and swallow before saying, “Phoebe already supposes they are going to the gardens to play. How will any substantial lessons be taught in such a distracting place, Miss Sedgwyck?”

  “My dearest Anna, I daresay that it is nothing but inexperience and vapidity that leads young Miss Sedgwyck to such a suggestion.” Mrs. Humphrey spoke before Caroline could answer. “Personally, I will continue to insist that the job of coaching young girls should be left to the sensible and experienced. But alas, the duke seems to confuse pretentious superciliousness with true intelligence.”

  Caroline was too stunned to make a reply. Quietly, she stared at Lady Malliston’s portrait, which was directly across from her on the wall. The pale eyes of the late Lady stared back at her accusingly – as if to tell her that she deserved every abuse hurled in her direction.

  Only Duckie gasped at the remarks, her hands fluttering about in high indignation.

  “How rude you are, Mrs. Humphrey!” she exclaimed in an offended voice. “You must apologize to Miss Caroline this instant.” Amongst the three female staff of the household, only Duckie called Caroline “Miss Caroline”.

  “Of course, I will do no such thing,” Mrs. Humphrey replied, utterly unbothered. “I will make no apologies for my open nature and genuine frankness of character, which, if I might add – and I daresay that I can – is in contrast to the brazen disrespect that I suffer in this house. Some people, I declare, possess such ill-breeding as to repulse me.”

  Her eyes glittered maliciously at Caroline.

  The look of such gobsmacked affront on Duckie’s face was almost all it took for Caroline to regain her composure.

  Perhaps, it was Miss Ball’s barely concealed giggle following her sister’s hurtful words. Or perhaps, it was the mirrored expressions of extreme discomfort on Sophie and Phoebe’s young faces – faces that, only a few minutes ago, had been filled with interest and glee. Caroline quickly decided that ignoring Mrs. Humphrey and Miss Ball would not stop their endless provocations.

  Should she continue to remain silent, they would perceive her as a target. Already, they believed her as pretentious.

  With a smile on her face, a smile that she wore only for Sophie and Phoebe’s sakes, Caroline looked in the direction of Mrs. Humphrey and her sister. “You see, Madame, as much as I would have been inclined to respect an opinion offered by such a sensible and experienced lady as yourself, I would much rather not. It is my opinion that good breeding can be found in many places, and amongst many people. Regardless of their stations. However, it would never lead one to continue to rain insults upon a new member of the household, and further… it would prevent such nasty bile being dripped in front of children.”

  Caroline’s words were uttered with such a benign smile that she got no response from those to whom it was directed. Even Duckie, who always had something to say even if it was nonsense, found herself silent.

  The stunned silence continued until the end of the meal, when Caroline serenely ushered her wards out of the room.

  When she was at the door, she barely heard Miss Ball say to Mrs. Humphrey in a tiny voice, “Why, were you just abused by that miss, Isabelle?”

  Caroline firmly shut the door on her way out.

  *

  “Mrs. Humphrey is going to take a paddle to you.”

  The children and Caroline had just settled in the garden and were set to begin their lessons when Phoebe made this solemn announcement. Startled by the suddenness of this, and thinking it to be Phoebe’s attempt at joking, Caroline burst into amused laughter.

  Her giggles died a quick death when she caught the solemn look on both her wards’ little faces.

  “Of course she would not!” she said. “Why would you even think so?”

  “When Mrs. Humphrey gets angry, she threatens to paddle our backsides. I imagine she might want to do the same to you,” Sophie said, wide-eyed.

  “And she seems pretty angry, too,” added Phoebe.

  Caroline saw that the girls were truly concerned for her. They were filled with the sincere fear that she would, indeed, get herself beaten by the irksome housekeeper.

  “Has Mrs. Humphrey ever taken a paddle to your backsides?” she asked the girls, looking closely at them.

  Her question solicited a telling silence from both of them. Sophie suddenly developed an avid interest in studying her fingers, while Phoebe stuck her thumb in her mouth, and began to suck as though she hadn’t eaten any noon meal at all.

  “Phoebe… Sophie?” Caroline said. “If Mrs. Humphrey ever did, you would tell me, wouldn’t you?”

  She received no answer from either girl.

  Fearing the worst, Caroline decided to lay the matter to rest for now. While she had decided on civility and firmness with the two sisters, this new knowledge, unconfirmed though it was, was sufficient bait to abandon the more rational decision immediately. In fact, Caroline wanted to march back into the house and take a paddle to Mrs. Humphrey’s backside herself. She could not imagine why anybody would ever raise a hand against the girls.

  It would seem that she would have to have yet another frank talk with the reprobate duke whenever he returned from his gambling party.

  She only hoped she would not catch him in flagrante delicto, first, next time.

  Chapter Six

  Miss Anna Ball and Mrs. Humphrey came to be known as the Witch Sisters.

  Duckie coined the sobriquet in one of her more sprightly moods. While Caroline was not inclined toward nursing uncharitable thoughts about others, she accepted that it was apt. She just endeavored never to use it around the children. Now that she suspected that one or both of the sisters had physically disciplined Phoebe and Sophie, she could not actively try to think of them with any kindness.

  Caroline’s response to the sisters’ rudeness had finally been understood as the insult that it truly was meant to be, and the Witch Sisters, having decided that Caroline did not hold them in any esteem at all, rallied to regain their authority in the house. By and by, they resolved to ensure that the little snobbish miss was put in her place.

  One evening, when Caroline was passing through the kitchen to pour herself a glass of water – she was not a servant, but did not think herself above those tasks – she overheard a conversation between the sisters that made their position toward her perfectly clear. It was as though they assumed everyone in the house, not just Lord Malliston, was hard of hearing and spoke too freely.

  But Caroline, with keen ears that had not suffered in battle, heard everything, pausing in a nook between the kitchen and the ground floor solar that the sisters so liked to use as their own.

  “Why, she is a nobody with designs on the duke himself!” said Mrs. Humphrey.

  “That’s the only reason she seeks to endear herself to his daughters,” said Miss Ball, “and dispose of his poor, dead lady wife’s most loyal friends!”

  “That,” said Mrs. Humphrey, “will happen over my dead body, Sister.”

  Caroline could neither forget nor forgive what she had heard. But she did not announce her presence, instead making her way back upstairs as silent as a mouse.

  And now, for what seemed like the thousandth time in a fortnight, Caroline found herself
at loggerheads with the Witch Sisters.

  After dinner, Caroline had ventured near the grand pianoforte that sat in a corner of the drawing room, admiring its beauty. She ran a gentle finger along the keyboard, closing her eyes at the perfectly tuned, lovely notes it produced. She was not even actually playing.

  Caroline’s eyes opened to meet Miss Ball’s dark glare.

  She had been quietly enjoying a game of whist with her sister, but the idea of Caroline even briefly touching the pianoforte seemed to induce a nearly apoplectic rage. Miss Ball’s horsey face was beet red.

  “Miss Sedgwyck, you must desist! That is not to be played by anyone in the house.”

  “Why ever not? It is such a grand instrument.”

  Mrs. Humphrey took the responsibility of addressing Caroline’s evidently woeful ignorance on the matter.

  “The pianoforte is the duke’s favorite instrument in the house,” she said, as though she was speaking to an errant child. “He loved to play and did so extraordinarily well – much to the delight of us all. Particularly our dear lady. But he went off to war and lost two of his fingers right along with much of his hearing. He would not go near the instrument again.” Her eyes flashed in warning. “We never play in deference to this loss, so you must ensure never to do so, too.”

  Indeed, Caroline knew that the duke’s left hand was missing its two middle fingers. She had observed it. Her father had also mentioned this to her.

  “The duke always has my sympathies, for he has endured much that we ladies will never know. But surely he would enjoy hearing music in his manor again instead of letting such a gorgeous instrument go to waste. It isn’t meant to be a decoration.”

  “That would be most uncaring of you,” said Miss Ball. She wrinkled her nose like she suddenly smelled excrement. “Most uncaring, indeed.”

  “To think that one would so callously play when he cannot!” said Mrs. Humphrey. “You are very full of nerve, Miss Sedgwyck. I am not sure it is altogether healthy.”