by Yasmine Nash
Mrs. Allen took Louisa inside and sat her down in a comfortable sitting room. “I hope my brother hasn’t scared you too badly with his dreadful manners,” she said when the pair were drinking tea. “He can get so caught up in his affairs that I never see him all day long, even when I’ve come down expressly to visit him.”
“On the contrary, he’s been the perfect gentleman,” Louisa assured her truthfully. Much to her displeasure, as a matter of fact…
Mrs. Allen smiled. “I’m relieved to hear it.”
They were silent for a few moments, each drinking her tea in relaxed contentment. Louisa had withdrawn herself from society so much since her parents’ deaths, she had forgotten what it was like to be in the company of a female friend.
The older woman spoke again. “From Jon’s letter, I had assumed you would be much younger, to be perfectly honest. I’d brought along some of my husband’s niece’s gowns thinking they might fit you, but they’ll be much too short with your height.”
“That won’t be necessary,” Louisa assured her. “I’ve plenty of my own on their way here shortly. I believe His Grace said he expects the rest of my belongings to follow us by just a few days.” Except for Peppercorn. Louisa had no idea when she would be reunited with her horse.
“Of course you have gowns of your own,” Mrs. Allen said with a kind smile. “How silly of me to presume. As you can tell, I’m new at this as well. But we shall all become better, together,” she said optimistically.
A few moments later, Louisa ventured a line of inquiry. After all, she might as well gather as much intelligence on Jonathan as possible if she was going to break his walls down.
“His Grace spent most of the journey on horseback. We haven’t had much of a chance to speak, therefore. Is he often reticent, your brother?”
The other woman frowned a little. “Yes, he can be, sometimes. As I mentioned, he gets preoccupied with running his estate. Sometimes I wonder what he even employs a steward for. Jonny has such a strong sense of duty that his honor won’t allow him to sit idle if there is work to be done. And that can sometimes get in the way of his socializing. But he’s been such a devoted brother to me, I could never complain about him. He’s rendered my husband a great service on several occasions, and for that, I’ll always be grateful to him.”
There was a glimpse of sadness that passed over Mrs. Allen’s face so quickly, Louisa thought she might have imagined it. She was curious about what kind of services Mrs. Allen was alluding to, but she decided she’d pried enough for one day.
It seemed the duke was still out when supper arrived, so the two women dined alone that evening. Louisa had worried it would feel lonely for just the two of them to sit alone at that long dining table she’d spied during the tour Mrs. Allen had given her earlier that day. It must have been able to seat at least 20 guests at a time. In her head, Louisa pictured the duke sitting at one end of the table, an ear trumpet held to his head to hear the conversation happening at the other end.
As humorous as that image was, Louisa had no desire to play out that scenario in real life. At Haverton, she and her parents had eaten most of their meals in their cozy breakfast room, eschewing the formalities of the formal dining area unless they were entertaining very important guests. After her parents had passed, Louisa had taken most of her meals in her bedroom, but she had even been known to sup in the kitchens from time to time—much to the horror of the head housemaid and the cook. So it was with some relief that she found Mrs. Allen at least (if not the duke) was of a similar mindset.
The two sat down for their evening meal in a smaller dining room, which they had bypassed on the earlier house tour. The meal was surprisingly simple. For some reason, Louisa had thought that, as a duke, Jonathan would keep a fancier table. But perhaps he didn’t see a need to make a fuss over someone as unwanted and unimportant as Louisa.
No matter. She would make him change his mind about that before long. She was certain of it.
The two women made friendly conversation over the first two courses. Louisa shared some of the happier memories of her childhood in Haverton while Mrs. Allen listened intently. What Louisa really wanted to do was broach the subject of the entail, to see what, if anything, Mrs. Allen knew about the topic, but she wasn’t sure how to begin.
It turned out Mrs. Allen was the first to create an opening.
“It’s a wonder,” she said, “that our families have never been acquainted until now. I should so have liked the chance to know your parents. They seem like they were lovely people.”
“They were,” Louisa said softly. “If only we could have gotten to know each other under different circumstances.” Louisa paused before shifting the conversation in another direction.
“I’ve never been able to figure out exactly how it is our families are connected,” she added casually.
Mildred’s blue eyes squinted while she considered the question. “I asked Jon that very thing when he first informed me of the news. Let me see if I can get this correct now. Our great, great grandfathers were brothers, I believe. Or was it our great, great, great grandfathers?” she said, sounding puzzled. “Anyhow,” Mildred concluded, “it was something like that. I’m no good with genealogy.” She smiled again at Louisa apologetically.
“No matter! I’m not either,” Louisa assured her. “The two subjects certain to put me to sleep are anything to do with history or legal matters. Although,” she added as casually as she could, “I do remember your brother mentioning a few of the other properties he holds. Are they all in Devonshire?”
It felt almost wrong to be probing this warm, welcoming woman for information, but it had to be done. Louisa wasn’t even sure what information she hoped to learn, but the more she knew about the duke, the better.
Mrs. Allen confirmed that, with the exception of Haverton, all the duke’s many estates were in this part of the country. “And have they been in the family long?” Louisa asked, hoping this wouldn’t sound rude.
“I believe most of them have been in our name for several centuries, at least,” Mrs. Allen said politely, although she looked a little puzzled at this line of questioning.
Time to change the subject, Louisa decided. Mrs. Allen wouldn’t be a wellspring of information about legal matters, but she would surely be able to give Louisa some insight into her brother.
After spending a few moments dancing around how she would phrase her next question, Louisa decided to just blurt it out.
“Your brother was younger than I had expected. For some reason, I had gotten it into my mind that he would be a middle-aged man with a wife and children,” Louisa said with a forced laugh.
“Yes, I can see how you might think that,” Mildred said delicately. “It is certainly an unusual situation we’ve all found ourselves in. Unfortunately, Jon has never expressed much of an interest in marriage. He’s disappointed a fair number of young ladies of our acquaintance,” Mildred added with a chuckle. “But he is so focused on his work and the other duties that occupy his time that he hardly has room in his head for anything else.”
Louisa made polite comments in return and the conversation eventually drifted to other topics. Internally though, her mind was whirring. Attracting the attention of the duke was going to be even more difficult than she had thought.
Chapter 5
A few days later, Mrs. Allen happened upon Louisa, who was absentmindedly doing needlework in one of the lower rooms of the house.
“Walk with me?” the older woman asked her with a soft smile.
Louisa tossed aside her stitching basket and acquiesced gladly. She was not what anyone would call accomplished in that regard, and had only taken up the activity for want of anything else to do.
Louisa was still attempting to determine which of her old activities she would be allowed to carry over here. She probably would have been able to take one of the duke’s horses from his stables out for a ride, but she would likely be forced to ride sidesaddle, which she despised. Besides,
the thought of riding lost its charm without Peppercorn there.
And Louisa was already certain the duke would not approve of her wandering into the kitchens to bake. Her fingers had itched to do something useful, however, so needlework it was. At least, until she was offered the distraction of a walk.
“Please, no more of this Mrs. Allen business,” the other woman said with a kind smile within a few minutes of their stroll. “I think that if we are to be family, you should call me by my given name. Mildred.”
Louisa smiled back at this gesture of intimacy.
“It’s a pity Jon couldn’t join us this morning,” Mildred commented. “He has gotten so busy lately. I tell him to take a break for the sake of his health, but he doesn’t listen.” She chuckled. “I guess the days are long gone when I can simply order him to do something and he’ll obey. That is part of the joy of being an older sibling, you know,” she confided smilingly to Louisa.
Louisa had barely caught a glimpse of the duke over the past few days. She knew he was occupied often with caring for his holdings, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that he was deliberately ignoring her. Little comments like the one from Mildred just now made Louisa think that the duke was generally a little more sociable than he had been on this visit.
“I had never regretted being an only child before,” Louisa said, “but hearing you say that does make me wonder what it would be like.”
Not to mention, if Louisa had been blessed with a brother, the estate wouldn’t have gone to Jon and none of this mess would have happened. She would still be living in Haverton as before.
“But it doesn’t do to dwell in what-ifs, I suppose,” Louisa added.
Mildred squeezed her arm. “I was sincere about what I said on your arrival. You’re family now. I shall be happy to consider you as my sister.”
The words affected Louisa more than she wanted to admit. They almost made her feel guilty for the plan she’d plotted on the carriage ride here from Haverton.
Except that Mildred would be leaving eventually. And the duke was still clear in his desire to have as little to do with Louisa as possible. Having Mildred’s love and acceptance was wonderful, but it did nothing to enhance Louisa’s future.
The pair controlled their stroll around the beautifully maintained gardens, with Mildred offering occasional commentary on a tree which had been around since her childhood, or a new change in the landscape her brother had recently undertaken.
Louisa smiled and replied and paid as close attention as she could, but her thoughts kept circling back to one notion.
If only she could have a chance alone with the duke, then maybe she could attempt to charm him. But she only ever saw him now when Mildred was present, and for some reason, she felt awkward flirting with Jon when his sister was around to judge her. Mildred was now her only friend and she didn’t want to do anything that could jeopardize that.
But one way or another, Louisa was going to have to get Jon alone, which would be no small feat.
* * *
Although Jon was doing his best to keep his physical distance from his ward, his mind wasn’t cooperating. Even as he resumed his normal duties at his estate, thoughts of Louisa would creep up at the most inopportune times. Like when he was meeting with the reverend. Or while he was discussing landscaping with his gardener. It was incredibly frustrating, and he would turn his thoughts to other subjects when he noticed his mind wandering, but before long, they would land back on Louisa again.
Time and again, Jon’s mind would return to that second night at the inn, replaying the events. After helping Louisa undress, he had fled to the common room where he had stayed until long after it had emptied of the other guests, dozing off and on from his seat near the fireplace. Finally, when the first cold, pale rays of dawn shone through the windows, he had made his way back to the room. He could tell by Louisa’s slow, steady breathing that she was still asleep. He chanced a glance at her.
During the night, she’d stretched her limbs all across the width of the bed. The chemise she wore as a nightgown had ridden up, revealing milky calves and flashes of her thighs. This wasn’t the first time Jon had seen a woman in a state of undress, but he had never seen one look so deliciously devilish and innocent all at once. It had taken a great deal of willpower for him to not climb in that bed with her and wake her up by planting kisses on that soft skin.
As a result, he’d slept fitfully on his makeshift bed on the floor, waking up a few hours later feeling less rested than he had before. Louisa had already been dressed and gone from the room when he’d arisen.
Jon had been able to absent himself from her physically the past few days, except for during their evening meals, but she kept invading his mind. Whenever he did run into her in the halls or the dining room, he got flashes of Louisa with her chemise pulled up past her knees, and he had to gruffly excuse himself before he did something he would regret.
Thank all the heavens for Mildred. With her presence, the situation seemed bearable. Jon knew his sister had an open, affectionate heart, but even he had been surprised by how quickly the two women had seemed to bond. He was glad his sister was taking the girl under her wing, but he knew Mildred wouldn’t be able to stay in Devonshire forever.
She had a husband of her own to return to, and Timothy had a tendency to get himself into trouble whenever his wife was away. It would probably be better for Jon to urge his sister to leave sooner, rather than later, therefore, although he couldn’t’ bring himself to do so just yet.
In the meantime, he had to plan for her absence, which meant finding a suitable finishing school for his charge to attend. As soon as he sent her away, Jon would be able to forget these thoughts which had been troubling him and he’d return to normal.
He’d charged his steward to explore the matter for him while he was away, and the man had not disappointed. Upon their return to Devonshire, the steward had presented Jon with a list of five perfectly acceptable boarding schools for gentlewomen of high birth. Jon had immediately written the first one on the list, requesting a berth for Louisa.
She did not take the news well when Jon broke it to her a short while after her initial arrival. Mildred was out visiting some of her childhood acquaintance nearby when Jon had received the confirmation from the headmistress. He decided that there was no reason to wait for his sister’s return. He succinctly informed Louisa she’d be leaving in two weeks’ time.
His charge’s reaction was even worse than Jon had anticipated. “So you’re sending me off to a babysitter, as though I need constant monitoring?” she said furiously. “I’m not a child! Women my age marry and have children, you know.”
His eyebrows rose. “Are you trying to tell me you wish to find a suitor? Mildred can make introductions, if that’s the case.”
Louisa rolled her eyes. “I’m telling you that I don’t wish to leave here so soon after arriving.”
Oh.
“I hadn’t realized you’d grown so attached,” Jon admitted awkwardly. Granted, he had deliberately tried very hard to keep Louisa at a distance the past few weeks.
“Despite your best efforts, right?” she asked, echoing his own thoughts, and he was shocked to see her eyes welling with tears. Louisa turned her head away to hide them. “If you’ll excuse me, Your Grace, I don’t feel well.” Without awaiting an answer, she strode off to her bedroom.
Well, that had not gone well. Fool. Jon realized now that he should have told Mildred his plans and allowed his sister to broach the subject with Louisa instead of doing it himself. No doubt Mildred would have addressed the issue more delicately than he had. His sister seemed to arrive at much the same impression when she’d returned that evening to find Louisa refusing to speak to Jon all through dinner.
Mildred held her brother back before they retired for the night. “Boarding school?” she asked him, disappointment evident on her face. “What was going on in your head? She is family now, Jon. You shouldn’t just send her away. The poor girl has ex
perienced enough uncertainty for a lifetime—partly at your hands.”
That was unjust. “You can’t blame me for inheriting her family’s estate? Believe me, I had little appetite for the business,” he said bitterly.
“Of course not,” Mildred said soothingly. She was so good at appearing sympathetic with whomever she was speaking; probably because she had the biggest heart in the world and really did feel that way. “But we have to make allowances, nonetheless. I don’t see what’s so wrong with Louisa remaining here until you can find a husband for her. It shouldn’t be difficult; the thing is as sweet and pretty as they come.”
Jon tamped down the unexpected surge of jealousy he felt for this nonexistent future husband.
Mildred, not noticing, went on. “If you’re worried about keeping her occupied, hire her a governess. Don’t worry, I shall help you,” she added, forestalling any objections on his part.
That could be a good workaround, Jon admitted. Not as good as shipping her off to a school, but it seemed Mildred wouldn’t allow that as a possibility. And a governess could help tamp down that impulsive side of his ward.
“Very well,” he conceded reluctantly. “However, if I’m displeased with the results, I will happily send her off.”
Mildred reached up to peck her brother on the cheek. “Thank you. Now, I think it’s best if I’m the one to convey this news to her, considering your efforts went astray last time.” Jon agreed and watched as Mildred went to knock on Louisa’s bedroom door.
The next time Jon saw his ward was at breakfast the following morning. She didn’t give him her usual bubbly greeting, but at least she wasn’t shooting daggers at him either.
“I take it Mildred has discussed the compromise with you?” he asked while buttering his toast.
Louisa nodded. She still looked unhappy at the idea, but at least she was no longer arguing with him.
“Then allow me to clarify that this was her idea, not mine,” Jon said. “If you give me any reason to do so, I’ll gladly dismiss whichever governess we hire and revert to my original plan. Is that understood?” he asked calmly.