Ravaging the Duke

  "How?"

  "Her brother is taking her to London after their stay here in Paris. If she finds no one in Paris, he's going to see she has at least one season in London."

  "With her relations, one would think the young woman would have a room full of suitors."

  "She's been engaged twice. Both times she broke them off. I understand they were arranged. Her family was mortified when this last engagement failed. That's why her brother has brought her on a tour of Paris and London."

  Norwood nodded. "The news of two broken engagements will not be known in London or here."

  "Yes. At least not right away."

  "Thank you, Grisham. You've been quite helpful."

  "Glad to help out a friend of Evermont's," he replied. He grinned. "I imagine traveling with three older women is quite taxing."

  "Not to mention my mother plays matchmaker."

  "Now the rest is up to you."

  "Thank you again, Grisham."

  He glanced over at the young lady. She was leaning forward, looking through a pair of opera glasses. His mother smiled at him before returning her attention to the stage. He returned his eyes to the graceful neck of Anna Grover. He imagined kissing the soft, warm flesh. As if knowing what he was admiring, her gloved hand slowly moved to the ruby necklace she was wearing. She toyed with the piece, making Norwood shift his position. His imagination was running wild, and she knew it. But how? Was he that obvious, or was there an instant attraction between them. His bet was on the latter, and he needed to find out everything there was about this seductress.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Margaret's meeting with Mrs. Macintyre was shorter than the housekeeper could have imagined. Her primary purpose of meeting with the housekeeper had been to merely establish who had the ultimate say in matters regarding the running of the household. Knowing that their visits to Scotland might be infrequent, Margaret wanted to be sure that during their absence the place would be kept running. There was no reason for inches of dust or grime on the windows. While redecorating may be a slow process, repairs would be done according to her husband's wishes.

  Happy with the menu selections and the satisfaction that the house would be kept running efficiently, Margaret left Mrs. Macintyre in her office off the kitchens. She traced her steps back to her husband's study and knocked.

  She heard him bid her in as a footman opened the door. Margaret couldn't be sure if the young man was part of the group that had accompanied them from Kent or if he already worked at the castle. Only speaking with him would uncover that mystery.

  "You finished your meeting with Mrs. Macintyre already?"

  Her husband sat behind a huge mahogany desk. Papers were stacked in different piles. Margaret knew he had his own system of how he managed his affairs. His jacket was laid over the arm of a chair as he sat in his shirt sleeves. He'd rolled them up to his elbows, giving her a glimpse of his muscular forearms.

  "Yes. There isn't much to be changed since we won't be staying here that often. I simply wanted to make sure the house is kept spotless regardless of whether we're here or not."

  "My estate manager is going to begin some outside repairs that need to be done before the weather gets cold. He made a list of repairs that need to be made to tenant cottages. I thought when we ride we should try and call on as many as we can."

  Margaret nodded. "That's a good idea. They need to know even though you're an absentee master, you still care about their needs."

  "Precisely. Tomorrow, we'll do that if the weather cooperates. I'd like to show you around the castle. That is if Mrs. Macintyre hasn't done so already."

  "You can show me anyway. We primarily discussed the lack of cleaning."

  "They didn't get much advance notice to prepare for our arrival."

  She shook her head and stood in front of his desk. "And it showed."

  "Very well, Duchess. Since you have your household under scrutiny, how about I give you a more private, intimate tour?"

  "I'm waiting."

  He rose from his desk and picked up his jacket. Putting it back on, he offered Margaret his arm. "We'll start with the library and music room."

  "You have a music room?"

  "Yes, though it hasn't been used in ages. Like the rest of the house."

  She peered up at her husband as they walked across his study to the door. "Tell me, do you like it here? Is it somewhere you'd like to spend time?"

  "I do like it here, and yes, I'd love to be able to spend more time here. I love the countryside, the streams, the fishing. However, the drawback is the distance. If we were to start coming, it would mean spending the majority of the summer here."

  "I think I could live with that," she replied. "I know you love Somerset, but this seems so private. All of the world is in London or Edinburgh. Perhaps the railways will be here soon. At least they've reached Edinburgh. Maybe it'll be here soon."

  "One day they will," he replied. He led her past the footman to another closed door. "This is the library."

  There were shelves and shelves of books. Margaret gazed around in fascination. The books were quite old-looking. Surely, the old duke had never added to this library.

  "It appears quite neglected."

  "It is. Not one of my father's favorite rooms. I believe the only time he really used it was when he and my mother had guests."

  The furniture was still covered in Holland covers. She wondered when this furniture had last seen the light of day.

  "Let's move on to the music room."

  "I hope it's not as forgotten as this one," Margaret replied.

  The music room was not much better. Though it was sunnier than the library, it was still in need of a good cleaning. The piano sat to one side of the room. Everything in here was covered as well. Alec pulled the cover back on the piano and lifted the lid that covered the keys. He ran his fingers along the black and white keys. The instrument was in dire need of being tuned.

  "Are you the only one who plays in your family?" Margaret inquired.

  Alec began to pick out a melody on the keyboard. It sounded nothing like it was supposed to. He gazed at Margaret. "Eleanor plays as does my sister Prudence. Neither of my parents played as adults."

  "This could be part of the reason," she said, making a face. "Surely there is someone who could come out and tune it."

  "I'll make inquiries. I'm sure there has to be someone in Edinburgh. It's a shame to let such a fine instrument go like this."

  "If you could make sure the staff keeps a fire going in here, especially in the evenings and in winter, the piano wouldn't go out of tune as quickly."

  "Cold is an enemy, you're right," he replied. "Would you like to see somewhere special?"

  She nodded. "Is it somewhere private?"

  He smiled and took her hand. "No one knows I hid here. It's in a portion of the castle that's no longer in use. At least it hasn't been in my lifetime."

  "Why not?"

  "This place belonged to my mother's family. It was part of her dowry when she and my father married. He knew right then that he'd never come here. It was too far away, and he was an English duke. Sadly, he decided to close up half the house. But my sisters and I used to explore through the rooms and halls."

  "So that's why no one knows of it outside of family."

  He nodded and led her up the stairs. "The easiest way to access the old part is through one of the guest bedrooms. There is a secret door that leads to a hallway."

  "Does the staff know how to get to there?"

  "No, my father made sure the place was boarded up. I walked around it earlier, and there is no sign of intruders. It's becoming an old crumbling structure. I hate it, but I'm afraid it would take too much to restore it at this point."

  "Could you do something else with it?"

  "Evermont and I talked about it once. We thought about pulling that wing down and having an architect come up with a way to close in the main house."

  "Something to keep in mind. But before you
do, I want to see where you played as a boy."

  "It was a way to hide from my father when the weather was bad."

  Margaret drew herself next to her husband. "Your father sounds like a horrible man."

  "He was."

  "I'm sorry you have no fond memories of him."

  "No need to apologize. I made up my mind years ago I'd never be like him. One of these days soon the dukedom will flourish once again. Our children and future generations will never know the unthinkable times I had to endure at the hand of the old duke. They'll only see the beauty in everything."

  "That is one of the things I admire about you, husband." She laid her head against his arm.

  "What's that?"

  "You could be a very bitter man, but you're not. You see only a positive future. It makes me proud."

  They reached the guest room. Wexwood strode across the room and made some effort to open a door not seen by others. The paneling didn't budge. After three tries, he pushed against the paneling with all his weight. Still, the panel didn't move.

  "Perhaps this is a sign," Margaret said softly.

  "I have to agree with you. Perhaps not this year, but soon I'll hire an architect to design a way to preserve the integrity of the remaining structure. Pull the rest down."

  "I would love to try and design something. Perhaps another wing. Make that the front of the house. Something more inviting."

  "I didn't know you had an interest in architecture," he replied. He rubbed his arm and shoulder as they walked out of the room.

  "There's a lot about me you don't know. I've always had an interest in architecture. Unfortunately, women aren't supposed to be interested in such things."

  "I'll be most interested to see your ideas. Maybe once Kent and Somerset are repaired, we can put our effort here."

  She placed her hand on Alec's forearm. "We can at least make sure the tenants here are taken care of before we leave."

  "We will."

  ***

  Two days later, they made the trip to Edinburgh. While his wife was busy with a modiste, Alec made his way to a tailor to purchase clothing for himself. He'd decided against having more sent from Kent, afraid Jacob would find his way to Scotland by following any wagon leaving the house.

  Satisfied with the suits being made and his other purchases, he waited outside the seamstress's establishment, taking in the sun.

  A footman approached him with a letter. He took the letter, broke the seal, and began reading. The missive was from Norwood, informing him all had reached Paris. Alec arched a brow as he read on. Norwood was staying on for another week to see to some business and make sure the women were settled. He wondered what sort of business his friend might have, but was glad all the mothers seemed to be enjoying themselves.

  He placed the letter in the inside pocket of his jacket as he saw his wife coming down the stairs, her arms loaded with packages. A footman dashed over to her to take them, and she motioned to the young man and then to the shop. Obviously, Margaret had found plenty of things already made.

  "I take it Mrs. DuBois met with your satisfaction." He smiled down at her as he watched her hand over her packages to another footman.

  "Yes. She is French, and while she has a keen eye for fashion, she is also quite practical. We were able to come up with some things that would function well at the castle."

  "Good. I hope, though, functionality isn't what all these packages contain."

  "No, not everything is practical."

  "I can't wait to see."

  Margaret opened and then closed her mouth. Obviously, he'd taken her off guard. "And you? How did you fare?"

  "Quite well. Since we finished earlier than I thought, why don't we eat?"

  She nodded. "Don't you have to oversee the supplies you need for repairs?"

  "No, my estate manager, Mr. Stewart, is taking care of everything. We went over the list before we left this morning. He'll head back to the estate as soon as he has everything needed."

  "That's one less thing for you to worry about."

  They reached the carriage, and Alec helped her up. He spoke with the driver and climbed up after Margaret. He sat down beside her. "We're going to eat at one of the hotels. They are supposed to have excellent food."

  "Very good. I'm quite hungry."

  Alec hesitated. "I received a letter from Norwood. Seems they all arrived in Paris, and the mothers are enjoying themselves already."

  "Good. I'm glad my mother is having fun. It's been a long time. What else did he say?"

  "Only that he had a few business matters to see to before he left. He's hoping to leave within a week."

  "Good for him. He deserves some fun as well, though I hope the ladies don't abuse him."

  Alec smiled. "Whatever do you mean?"

  "You know, take up his time by having him escort them everywhere."

  "They hardly need an escort."

  "I know, but still..."

  "I sent word to Evermont that we'd arrived safely. I also inquired about your cousin. I want to know if he's been seen anywhere."

  "Since Jacob is limited on who he knows in England, it'll be a matter of time before he slips up and shows himself. He won't dare go back and face his father's wrath."

  Alec said nothing further. He knew his wife had strong opinions about her cousin. Opinions he didn't necessarily agree with. Now would be the perfect time for him to try and steal the jewels. No one except Evermont was around, and they weren't with him. If he didn't take the opportunity to try and recover the gems for himself, what was he up to? Margaret was right; he wouldn't go back empty-handed and face his father's wrath. Perhaps he'd returned to London. Maybe he had decided to stay in England. Jacob had skills he certainly could put to use here. Something wasn't adding up. Were they missing something?

  The coach came to a stop in front of The Thistle and Rose, one of Edinburgh's latest hotels. It catered to the hordes of tourists who were making their way north every summer. A footman opened the door and put down the step. Margaret took the young man's hand and descended the carriage. Alec followed her, watching her as she looked around at new sights.

  For the next hour, he shared a quiet meal with his bride. He was amazed at how she took the time to speak with everyone from their host to the young men who brought their meal; she was truly interested in them.

  "Mrs. DuBois gave me the name of a gentleman who can tune the piano. She sent word to him about our dilemma and asked him if he'd please come look at it."

  He smiled and sat back in his chair. "Very good. Do you know his name?"

  "Yes. Her husband. It seems he can't play anymore, so he uses his talent teaching and tuning pianos."

  "He was a concert pianist at one time. Composer, too," Alec replied.

  "She said he had some sort of accident, and several fingers in his right hand had been broken."

  Frasier had mentioned Mr. DuBois in passing when he'd asked about having the piano tuned. The butler's take on it was something else entirely. That incident had been part of the reason the couple had moved to Scotland.

  "That's tragic. I look forward to having him tune our piano so I can hear you play."

  "And for you to play as well."

  It had been one of the few things he kept up throughout his childhood. From the time his father shipped him to Eaton to spending time at home with the family. It was a way for him to escape his father's madness.

  "I thought you might be interested in riding the estate tomorrow. We can meet up with the work crew and see how things are progressing. None of the jobs are major with the exception of replacing a couple of roofs. Patching a few, too. It would be a good way to introduce ourselves to the tenants."

  "I can't wait. I thought perhaps we could walk around the castle when we return. The afternoon is perfect and I'd really like to spend some time outside."

  "Very well. Perhaps seeing the unused section might give us both ideas on how to pursue renovations."

  "Yes. I would enjoy that
."

  "Is there anywhere else you would like to stop while we're here?" Alec inquired as he helped his wife from her chair.

  "Would you mind if we walked over to a couple of shops? I need some things from the stationeries' and some new embroidery threads," she said. "Unless, of course, you're in a hurry."

  "Of course I don't mind. Just don't take too long. I want to make use of the daylight."

  She hesitated. "We can come back. It's nothing I have to have today."

  "You're sure?"

  "Yes. I have plenty to keep me occupied."

  "Very well. We'll make the stops when you come back for your fittings."

  "You see? Everything always works out for us."

  Alec hoped she was right. So far everything had gone accordingly. Since this journey was taking the place of a wedding trip, he meant to make good use of the time they spent here. Once all this nonsense with her cousin was done with, he would take her on a proper wedding trip. Perhaps she'd enjoy Italy or the south of France. He'd also make sure to take her to Paris. All women needed to see the city of lights at least once in their lives.

  Chapter Fourteen

  "I would tear down this entire portion of the castle. It's crumbling down around itself," Margaret said. She eyed the structure with critical eyes. "I would have a large Jacobean structure built in its place. There is plenty of stone here that could be reused."

  "Somehow connect the two structures?"

  "Yes. Make this into the main entrance. You can see where this was once the main entrance. It would be far more inviting to guests. Once it is built, begin work on repairing what's left of the old castle."

  Alec shook his head. Such a project would not only take a substantial amount of time, it would cost a small fortune. "I think it's worth revisiting in a year or two. It's a massive project. I think since we can't be here but during the summer, the best course of action is to make sure the tenants are taken care of and that the estate runs well."

  "You're right, of course." She smiled and smoothed her skirts with her hands as they walked toward the small cart. As they were visiting a few of the tenants, Margaret had insisted they take the cart.