“It is fine,” her mother said from behind her. “Now, hurry along and tell Mr. Ludlow that Mrs. Catherine Blithe and her daughter Marianne are here to see him.”
Marianne could not stop staring at the man. She knew propriety should be first and foremost, and women of the Gentry should not stare at servants. Yet, for some odd reason, she could not stop herself from admiring his muscled arms and the way he wore his trousers, even in their current state.
“Yes, Madam,” the man said hurriedly. “Of course.” And then he rushed away.
Marianne swallowed as she watched him turn, and then silently berated herself. What was she, some sort of hussy to stare at a man in such a manner?
“You see what happens when a firm household is not run properly?” her mother asked. “Servants coming and going as they please, and through the main door rather than through the servants’ door.” She clicked her tongue. “It is a good thing we have arrived when we have. However, I am certain we will have everything back to working order in no time.”
“Yes, Mother,” Marianne replied. Although she believed servants should be treated with kindness, she did agree that the class system had to always be enforced. Perhaps it was not fair, but it was dictated by societal standards, and Marianne was a firm believer in them. Granted, she was not of the aristocracy, as the Duke himself would be, but then no member of the ton would ever have asked a member of the ton to tutor a young man, even if he had no previous training beforehand. That would simply never happen.
Footsteps could be heard echoing beyond the partially open door, and her mother whispered, “Please, let us not embarrass ourselves.”
Marianne could not help but smile. Her mother always worried, but that was also an aspect that came with their place in society. A member of the Gentry constantly worried about how he or she appeared to a member of the ton. It was to be expected even if there was no call for it. Marianne’s mother was as cultured and refined as any woman of the aristocracy.
Marianne returned her attention to the door, and a man with silver hair, who she assumed was Mr. Ludlow, smiled at them.
Behind him stood the stablehand, a proud, wide grin on his face. “I went and found him, Madam, Miss. Should I do anything else?”
Her mother sniffed disdainfully. “No, carry on to the stables.”
The man nodded, gave Marianne another smile that made her feel like she would melt like a pat of butter left in the sun, and then began to walk away.
“Now, Mr. Ludlow, thank you again…” her mother began before the man held up a hand to stop her.
“One moment, please,” he said as he stepped just past them. “Your Grace, if you have time, I believe introductions are in order.”
Marianne’s jaw dropped as realization hit her so hard she thought she might have fallen over. Her mother gaped as much, and all color had left her face.
“Your Grace,” Mr. Ludlow said in his prim voice, “may I introduce Mrs. Catherine Blithe and her daughter Miss Marianne Blithe. These ladies are to be your instructors.”
The man gave them an awkward bow. “Ladies, I’m glad to meet you.”
Marianne found her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth. This man was the Duke? How could it be possible? With his rough clothing, even if they fit him nicely, one could only take him for a servant. She understood that he had been brought up outside of the care of the former Duke, but this was beyond what she had considered.
A sharp elbow to her side brought her attention back to the conversation.
“Your Grace,” her mother said with a deep curtsy she reserved for only those of the highest titles, “my deepest apologies for my manners toward you. I had no idea, and Marianna and I beg your forgiveness.”
Marianna hoped her mother had not ruined everything for them with her sharp tongue, for it would break her father’s heart if he lost out on what was to be gained in this arrangement.
“It was just a mistake,” the man—no! The Duke!—said. “I’m not one to hold a grudge.” He wore the kindest smile Mariana had ever seen, and once again, she found herself feeling weak in his presence.
You cannot go acting all willy-nilly now of all times, Marianne thought to herself. You have business to conduct, and if you are to prove to your father that you are capable of running a business, you cannot allow someone as handsome as this man to make you lose sight of that.
“Mr. Ludlow, I am sorry,” her mother said in earnest. “I did not know.”
The man chuckled. “It is nothing to worry about. It only shows how much your help is needed. I do have one request, however.”
“And what is that?” her mother asked.
“Interact with His Grace, and by the end of the evening, let me know how long you believe it will take to prepare him for his introduction to society.”
“Of course,” her mother replied, though her face held a skeptical look.
Marianne could not agree with her mother more. She never looked down on anyone, or hoped she did not, but they certainly had much work to do before he would be ready to make his debut.
“Again, our apologies,” her mother said.
“Nothing to apologize for. Now, let us go and spend some time with him.”
With Mr. Ludlow leading the way, they followed him through the door and into the house.
As her mother walked past her, Marianne leaned over and whispered, “What was it you said about not embarrassing you?” She could not stop from giving her mother a mischievous smile as she said it.
***
The drawing room was twice the size of their own, and Marianne was amazed at the artwork, fine furnishings, and even the fine china tea set that a maid served them. Granted, she had many nice things; however, this was by far much grander than she had ever experienced before.
“Your house is beautiful, Your Grace,” her mother said. “Marianne and I are honored to be your guests and thankful you opened up your home to us.”
“Thank you,” the Duke replied as he looked around the room with as much amazement as Marianne did. “I like it, too. You know it has a ballroom? Even my bedroom has a balcony.” The man wore a grin that covered his entire face. “Oh, my name is William, by the way. You can call me that.”
“Your offer is kind,” her mother said, “but I believe it would be best if I address you with the title you deserve. If you will allow us to do so, of course.”
“If that’s what you want,” came his reply. Marianne did not miss the disappointment in the man’s voice. He picked up one of the teacups and held it in the air. “The teacups are expensive. If you break one, though, it’s fine. I won’t be angry. I can buy new ones if I have to replace any.” Then he took a drink of his tea, the tiny cup all but disappearing as his hand wrapped around it. A slurp resonated around the room, and Marianne wondered if her mother would fall over in a dead faint.
Then to make matters worse, the Duke set the teacup back down directly on the table and then persisted in scratching his chest with a wide yawn and then digging a finger in his ear. This man was so far from societal mannerisms, Marianne considered that it might not be possible to bring him to a level that would be necessary for him to gain to be ready for an introduction into society.
Her mother, however, acted as if what he had done had not appalled her, which only surprised Marianne that much more. “Thank you, Your grace. Marianne and I will be careful not to break one.”
“The last place I worked was for a Baron. He was nice enough, all right, but he was grumpy. We learned fast that it’s best to stay out of his way when he was in one of his moods. Thomas, that’s my friend, he’d often take naps on the job, and the Baron would yell so loud, his stomach would rise up and down.” He stood and extended his belly to emphasize his point. Words tumbled from the man’s mouth faster than water fell from a waterfall, and he changed subjects so often that Marianne had a difficult time keeping up.
He did not even wait for her or her mother to respond in any way to anything he said, and Marianne
was not certain if she should laugh or gape, so rather than embarrass herself and her mother, she decided to smile and nod her head. She did, however, find him quite humorous at times, and she had to stifle a giggle. Her mother would more than likely not appreciate such a reaction at this point, or at any point for that matter.
“Can I ask you a question?” the man asked as he stared at Marianne. “Do you like to read?”
Her mouth went dry again. Perhaps it was the suddenness of his question that had her feeling unsettled. “Yes, Your Grace,” she replied with a thick tongue. “I enjoy books containing poetry and even read a bit of history. Do you enjoy reading, as well?”
“Oh, yes. I learned to read a few years ago.” He leaned forward, reminding Marianne of a young child. “Did you know there are animals in Africa that are not here in England? Like elephants! I read they are bigger than some houses!” Marianne went to respond, but he continued speaking. “There are all sorts of animals and plants. I’m a gardener by trade, you see, but Mr. Ludlow here said I won’t need to do that anymore.” Then, as suddenly as it started, he stopped and lowered his head. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to talk so much.”
Marianne smiled. “You are fine,” she said. “Please, continue.”
Her mother nodded in agreement, and for a short time, the man spoke of the books he had read and those he wished to read. Through it all, Marianne saw a simple man who enjoyed the simplest things in life. He was a Duke and his fortune was great, and yet he wished to speak of elephants and tribesmen rather than fox hunting or gambling. She found she enjoyed listening to him, once she was able to recognize when he would be changing topics, which happened often and in sudden succession.
“Do you want to see my garden?” he asked as he stood.
Both Marianne and her mother stood, her mother spilling her tea in the process.
“Don’t worry, one of the maids will clean it up,” he said.
“Um, thank you,” her mother replied. “And yes, we would be honored to see your gardens.”
“Good!” he said as he made his way toward the door. “And if you get hungry, let me know. I can ask Mrs. Templeton to have anything you want brought to you at any time. We even have lamb here!” He hurried out the door, and Marianne stifled another giggle.
Yes, a child was of what she was reminded—most definitely a child.
***
They had been in the gardens for over an hour, and His Grace had pointed out so many types of flowers, naming each one at every turn, that Marianne was already forgetting most of their names. The man, though ill-bred, was knowledgeable in the various plants, a joy he was happy to share.
“Oh, Stuart,” he said to a passing gardener. “Can I use those?” He pointed to the sheers the man held in his hand.
Stuart looked at the tool and then up at His Grace and nodded.
The Duke walked up to a nearby rose bush, touched several of the blooms, and snipped two of them from their stems. Then he returned the sheers to Stuart, the man bowing his head and then quickly leaving.
“A rose is the most perfect of flowers,” he said as he turned back to Marianne and her mother. “Both beauty and elegance, its fragrance can capture both the eye and the soul.” Smiling, he handed one to Marianne.
She knew her cheeks had to be as red as the flower she held, for her face felt as if it was on fire. His words were captivating and poetic, a contradiction to the man who stood before her.
He handed the other rose to her mother, and she gasped at the gift. “Your Grace, it is the most beautiful flower I have ever seen.”
The man grinned and then his eyes widened as he reached out and took back the rose. In his hand he held a long, fuzzy beast, and Marianne’s first impulse was to take a step back in horror.
“It’s a caterpillar,” he explained as if instructing a pupil, and as if Marianne had never seen a caterpillar before. “I find them usually in the daisies and the peonies, but sometimes I find them traveling through the roses as they make their way from one place to another. And they aren’t all too picky about what they eat, really. Sometimes they get hungry on their journeys.” He shrugged, but all Marianne could do was gape. He was allowing the animal to crawl on the back of his hand! Just the thought made her shiver in fright. However, he seemed unconcerned. “They’re the most interesting of creatures,” he continued in an awed tone. “All day they eat and explore and then eat some more, and then one day they turn into a beautiful butterfly. It’s a most wonderful life, don’t you think?”
“Yes, Your Grace,” Marianne croaked, though all she wished to do was distance herself from the horrid little beast.
He smiled and then held out his hand to her, the creature still slithering over his skin. Marianne thought her heart would jump to her throat at any moment and choke her to death. Even her breathing was difficult to control.
“Now, if I place it on your hand…”
Marianne looked over at her mother for help. Surely she could not allow this man to put this animal on her person!
Her mother, however, gave an encouraging nod—though she appeared a bit green around the eyes—and Marianne held back panic as he placed the creature on the back of her hand.
“Oh, my!” she whispered. “It is…” Tears welled up in her eyes, but she blinked them back. She wanted to appear brave, but in truth, all she wished was that he remove the terrifying creature as soon as possible.
“Amazing,” he said and, to her relief, took back the animal. He walked over to a nearby bush and placed it on a limb before turning his attention once again to Marianne and her mother. “There’s so much more to see. Later, I’ll show you the library. You can read all the books you want during your stay. I don’t mind. Though you’ll never be able to read them all before you leave.”
Marianne regained her breath and forced her heartbeat to return to normal as she followed beside her mother, keeping her hand at her side in an attempt to not wipe away the feeling of the caterpillar’s tiny legs crawling over her. She cast her mother a worried glance, but the woman looked straight ahead and said nothing.
Chapter Five
Much to Marianne’s relief, Mr. Ludlow and the Duke—it seemed strange referring to the man they had met as a Duke, but a Duke he was—left both Marianne and her mother alone. They had two hours to ready themselves for dinner, which was more than enough time as far as Marianne was concerned. However, her mother did not agree.
“Two hours!” she said as she added another pin to her coiffure. “I do not understand how men believe two hours is enough time for a woman to wash, dress, do her hair, and choose the appropriate jewelry. They simply do not know how much time it takes for us to ready ourselves.”
Marianne smiled. The woman was beautiful with her red hair and fair complexion, and although she had reached the older age of one and forty, she still appeared ten yours younger.
“Mother, I can only hope to be as beautiful as you when I reach your age,” she said, ignoring her mother’s tirade. What could she say that would ease the woman’s mind anyway?
Her mother set the pin she held in her hand and turned. “Marianne, you are far more beautiful than I. You catch the eye of every man, and for good reason. Even the Duke admired your beauty.”
This made Marianne giggle. “Oh, I do not know about that,” she said remembering how she had been the one staring at him, although she did wish it were true that he was interested in her in some way. It was odd that she would find herself attracted to a man such as he, for although he was handsome in an unconventional sense, he was no Beau Brummell.
“Trust me, my dear, I saw it in his eyes. You must remember, we are here simply to prepare him for his instruction to society and nothing more.”
“Yes, Mother, I understand.”
Her mother set the final pin, stood, and looked herself over in the mirror one last time. Then she took a moment to look Marianne up and down. With a single nod of approval, she said, “Well, I suppose we are ready. Come, dear.”
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They made their way to the dining room and then stopped at the door. Inside, the Duke paced to and fro, his hand clasped tightly behind his back and, although she could not make out his words, was mumbling under his breath. He had also changed his clothes, but they very much resembled the ones he wore previously, only these were clean and tidy. The dirt that he had worn on his forehead had also been scrubbed clean.
“Ladies,” he said when he saw the women, giving them that same awkward bow he had given them when they met, “please, have a sit-down.” He stood with his arm outstretched, and Marianne noticed the butler in the corner standing with a rigid back and saying nothing. He, of all people, would know the proper procedure a man used in a woman’s presence. Then she remembered that Mr. Ludlow had asked that she and her mother make an assessment of the man. That explained why Mr. Barnsworth had not offered a suggestion on how to seat her and her mother.
“Thank you,” Marianne said. She and her mother walked to the table and waited to for either the Duke or Mr. Barnsworth to pull out their chairs but was surprised when the Duke pulled out his own chair and sat down.
When he looked up, he stared at each of them before realization crossed his face. Close to jumping, he rushed to Mrs. Blithe’s side and pulled out her chair. “Here, allow me.”
Her mother gave him a small nod. “Thank you, Your Grace,” she said before taking her seat and then grunted as he pushed the chair forward, the high back of it lifting up to the point that Marianne worried that the woman would fall over.
“Sorry,” the Duke said as he gave the chair a lighter push, allowing Mrs. Blithe to be more comfortable. Then he rushed around the table, much like a child moving quickly to please a parent or tutor.
“Hello,” he said with a wide grin. Yes, a very young child.
“Hello,” replied Marianne. “Shall we sit?”
As if coming out of some sort of trance, he practically jumped in place. “Yes, of course,” he said as he pulled out the chair for her. This time he was more careful as he pushed in her chair than he had been with her mother.
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