The Duke's Lady (Historical Romance - The Ladies Series)

by Jernigan, Brenda

  Jewel noticed her sister-in-law had her share of gentlemen callers, but Elizabeth never seemed to be interested in any of them. One day Jewel asked Elizabeth which of the men she liked best—only to receive a shrug of her shoulders. “They’re all boring,” she later confessed.

  Elizabeth probably didn’t have time to think about men, since the running of the house had been left in her capable hands. Jewel hadn’t made any changes in that arrangement, because she didn’t want her new sister-in-law to feel she had been pushed out. Besides, Jewel had never run a house before and didn’t have the slightest idea what to do.

  The chirping birds seemed to be enjoying the bright sunny day. What a perfect time for their outing to the city. They needed to start preparing Annie’s house so she and Derek could move, and they were going to have a summer party to introduce Jewel as Adam’s wife. Since it had been winter when they’d arrived, Jewel hadn’t met anyone.

  Adam had made several business trips to plan his spring cotton crops, saying reluctantly that planting season would keep him busy. Jewel wanted to see the plantation he so loved, but she hadn’t yet had that privilege, even though Adam had promised her a tour.

  She had wanted to get word to her uncles that she was alive, but she wasn’t sure just how she could accomplish the task. She remembered Jean speaking of a blacksmith shop he and Pierre owned in New Orleans. Maybe she could find this place and leave word of her safety; that is, if she could locate it.

  Elizabeth swept into the room, breaking into Jewel’s thoughts. “Are you ready to go? It’s time to really show you New Orleans.”

  Jewel got up from her overstuffed stair and faced her sister-in-law. “I’m looking forward to going,” she replied.

  “I can’t wait for you to taste the French pastries. Of course, we’ll have to be fitted for our dresses first. The pastries will probably make our middles thick,” Elizabeth teased, her eyes sparkling.

  “Oh, do stop, Elizabeth. I didn’t have any breakfast.” Jewel tugged on her arm. They grabbed their things and left the room.

  Outside, they were still chatting about food when they found Annie waiting in the carriage.

  “ ’Tis about time ye tae showed up,” Annie scolded. “I thought I might have tae go shoppin’ by meself.”

  “When are we supposed tae be meetin’ Adam?” Annie asked.

  “He said to meet him at one o’clock in the Cafe du Monde,” Jewel told her.

  They had chosen an open carriage so they could enjoy the fresh air and sunshine.

  Upon reaching New Orleans, they rode along Esplanade Avenue, which was beautifully lined with Creole mansions set back from groves of lush banana trees. The festive streets of New Orleans carried the flavor of their Spanish and Creole influence. Once the carriage reached the shopping area, Jewel noticed the many window boxes, each decorated with assorted flowers that reflected the personality of the city—gay and bright with color.

  The ladies stopped first at the famous House of St. Jacqueline. They pored over lace, ribbons, and material of very rich hues. After narrowing her selection to three, Jewel picked out a beautiful blue organza material with hand-painted orchids scattered over rich, heavy satin of the same color. A thick satin sash of teal blue would be worn at the waist, and a flimsy ruffle at the bodice in teal with traces of lavender completed the outfit.

  Elizabeth picked out an attractive dress of buttercup yellow batiste. The sleeveless top featured tiny silk roses of buttercup yellow and white. Annie’s vivid spring green dress had a skirt that hung with a dark green satin sash. After picking out the appropriate undergarments and shoes, the ladies proceeded to the next shop, very pleased with themselves.

  Now they needed to get down to serious business, ordering supplies for Annie’s house. New curtains were in order, as well as bedding, food supplies, and other necessities.

  Adam was busy on the other side of town, talking with Governor Claiborne. He had put off his meeting with the governor until now because he had truly enjoyed the time spent with Jewel, though he realized he hadn’t spent nearly enough time with her. But today had been perfect. When the ladies suggested it was time for them to go to town, Adam decided not to put off the meeting any longer.

  Governor Claiborne told Adam that General Jackson was in Mobile. That bit of information was quite useful to Adam, for he had yet to meet with the general. He talked with Claiborne about New Orleans and what had been happening over the past year. But Adam was careful not to divulge the information he had obtained in England. That would be saved for Hawk alone.

  “How is Lafitte?” Adam asked.

  “That thief is a thorn in my flesh!” Claiborne slapped the desk with his hand. “The bloodcurdling sagas of ships being wrecked at sea is all I hear, and Lafitte swears he’s innocent of any wrongdoing. If that wasn’t enough, now he’s smuggling slaves into New Orleans. Those bands of pirates are a constant headache!”

  Claiborne stood, clasped his hands behind his back, and started to pace the room. “I’m not sure exactly what I can do with the pirate, seeing as Lafitte does pretty much as he pleases.”

  “Don’t judge too hastily. We might need his ships before this war with England is over,” Adam pointed out.

  “Do you really think there will be war in Louisiana? I myself think we’ll be left out.” Claiborne raised a brow and looked at Adam.

  “I’m not too sure that will be the case.” Adam narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. “The greatest attraction of New Orleans is its position; she regulates the mouth of the Mississippi, which means she controls the whole vast rich expanse between the Alleghenies and the Rockies, as you well know. Lose the Mississippi, and our young republic will not be able to expand. So I tell you again, a day might come when we will need Lafitte and his pirates.”

  “You might be right, but what good will it do? He can’t be trusted,” the governor protested.

  “I know Lafitte. If he gives his word, it’s as good as gold.”

  The governor stood. “You’ll have to prove that to me.”

  Adam left Governor Claiborne’s, his decision made. It was time to visit his friend Lafitte, and then he would go to Mobile to see General Jackson.

  Adam found his wife sitting at the Cafe du Monde, eating beignets and drinking cafe au lait. She was laughing over some remark that Annie had made, and Elizabeth looked amused, too. Seeing Jewel across the room made him swell with pride. She had definitely become a part of his life. He would hate leaving her, but as soon as this war was over, they could get back to a normal life.

  He started over to the table where the ladies were sitting. He’d only taken a few steps when a young woman ran up, threw her arms around his neck, and planted a kiss firmly on his lips.

  “Adam Trent, I didn’t know you were back.” Catherine Paulsboro smiled up at him.

  Adam looked in dismay at the woman he used to keep company with before he’d gone to England. In fact, he’d seen quite a bit of her then. He’d forgotten all about her in the intervening months. He felt the heat sting his cheeks as he undraped her arms from around his neck.

  “Catherine,” he finally said, glancing at the table where he had been heading, and noticing that he now had his wife’s complete attention. “What a surprise.”

  “If you’ve been back a long time and haven’t called on me, Adam Trent, I’ll never forgive you.” She put on her practiced pout.

  “I’ve been back for several months. I have someone you should probably meet.” Adam took Catherine by the elbow, escorting her past the gawking patrons and toward his wife’s table.

  Jewel watched Elizabeth turn to see what had caught her attention. “So, it’s my brother.” She giggled, holding a hand over her mouth. “I’d give a bundle to have a painting of him now.” She leaned over to Jewel. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen him blush before.”

  “I don’t think I have either ... he must be guilty.” “Perhaps in the past,” Elizabeth agreed. “That young lady is someone Adam used to see before he l
eft for England.”

  “I see.” Adam must be the only man who could have women clinging to him in two countries.

  They stopped in front of the table, and Catherine’s eyes widened as she recognized Elizabeth and gave her a hug.

  “Elizabeth, I can’t believe my luck today. First I see Adam, and now you. It has been much too long since we’ve gotten together.” She held out a lace-gloved hand. “Let’s have lunch one day.”

  “That would be nice, Catherine. You are coming to our summer party in July, aren’t you?” Elizabeth asked.

  “Why, of course. I wouldn’t miss it. It’ll be like old times.” Catherine looked at Adam, smiling sweetly. “You are going to be my escort?”

  “No,” Adam said gruffly. The damned woman was chattering so fast he couldn’t introduce her to his wife. He stole a glance at Jewel. She purposely looked away from him, so he missed seeing the expression in her eyes.

  “Catherine, perhaps I should introduce you to my relatives,” Elizabeth jumped in. “I’d like you to meet my governess, Annie Pritchard ... I mean Winters; she has just recently married.”

  “It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Winters, and congratulations,” Catherine said. Then she addressed Elizabeth again. “I wasn’t aware you had a governess, Elizabeth.”

  “Annie raised Adam and me at our home in England,” Elizabeth explained.

  “I see. You must have come home with Adam.” Catherine smiled at Annie.

  “Indeed, I did. ’Twas my first sea voyage.”

  “You have a lovely daughter, Mrs. Winters.”

  “Oh, Jewel isn’t my daughter, even though I kind of adopted her,” Annie said, patting Jewel’s hand.

  “I’m sorry, I just assumed—” Catherine began.

  “I was getting ready to introduce her,” Elizabeth broke in. “This”—Elizabeth pointed to Jewel—“is my sister-in-law, Jewel Trent.”

  “I wasn’t aware you had two brothers. . . .” Catherine’s voice trailed off and her face reddened.

  “It’s good to make your acquaintance.” Jewel smiled at the young woman. “I can understand your confusion. Adam and I arrived in the winter months, and haven’t had a chance to announce our marriage.” She decided to ease the girl’s embarrassment. She could tell Elizabeth was enjoying herself and wasn’t about to enlighten Catherine. The poor girl still stood there with her mouth open and a look of horror in her eyes.

  Adam moved to stand behind Jewel. His hand rested on her shoulder, and she resisted the urge to cut her gaze up to him. “I hope you will wish us both well.”

  “Yes, of course, it was . . . was just a surprise.” Then, remembering her manners, Catherine added, “It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Trent. I hope you’ll like it here in New Orleans.”

  “Thank you. It’s a beautiful city.”

  Catherine gave her a genuine smile. “If y’all will excuse me, I’ve some errands to run for Mother. She has been ill.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that,” Elizabeth said. “I hope it’s nothing serious.”

  “The doctor said she needed bed rest for a couple of weeks, but she should be fine after that.”

  “Give her our regards,” Adam said.

  “Yes, I will. Good day.” Catherine walked away from the group.

  Adam took the chair next to Jewel and picked up a beignet that had been ordered for him. He was ravenous, and had just taken a bite when his sister decided to address him.

  “What have you been up to, brother dear, besides entertaining Miss Catherine?” she asked with a teasing glance at Jewel.

  Adam choked on his pastry, knowing what his sister meant. Taking a swallow of water to clear his throat, he said, “I had a meeting with Governor Claiborne.” He decided to ignore his sister’s barb. “How did you ladies enjoy your day?”

  “ ’Twas wonderful,” Annie commented. “We obtained a few things for the house, and with the girls’ help, I’ll be havin’ the cottage fixed up in no time.”

  “I’m glad to hear that,” Adam said. “Derek has been grumbling about a place of his own. When you start working, if there is any heavy lifting to be done, you’re to get help from the main house.”

  “Yes, sir,” Annie said.

  “What else did you do today?”

  “We picked out dresses for the party.” Elizabeth’s excitement came through in her voice. “They’re beautiful. You should see Jewel’s.”

  Adam turned to his wife, looking at her for the first time since sitting down. He’d really love to see her without a dress, he quickly thought. She didn’t appear angry over the earlier scene; however, he’d noticed she had been very quiet. Of course, with Elizabeth around, it was hard to get a word in.

  He reached over and took Jewel’s hand. “Are you going to be the belle of the ball, sweetheart?”

  “I doubt that, not with all the beautiful young ladies I’ve seen in New Orleans. But then I guess you’ve probably made the rounds.”

  Annie and Elizabeth cleared their throats. “We have a little more shopping to do. We’ll meet both of you in about an hour.”

  After saying good-bye, Adam turned his attention back to his wife. “You wouldn’t be jealous . . . now would you, sweetheart?” He couldn’t stop the grin spreading across his face.

  “Of course not.” She tilted her chin up.

  “Well, I thought you handled the situation very gracefully.” He rubbed his thumb across the back of her hand. “You could have been rude to Catherine, but you chose not to.”

  “Someone had to be pleasant,” she snapped, and jerked her hand away. “The girl was heartbroken. Were you engaged to her, too?”

  “No! I have never been engaged to anyone. If you will remember, I didn’t even take time to be engaged to you.” He grinned at her.

  “Tell me, Adam, how many young ladies’ hearts have I broken by marrying you?” Jewel raised a brow, awaiting his reply.

  “Well, maybe one or two. But,” he added quickly, “that was before I met you.”

  Jewel felt her heartbeat quicken. What a rogue. His magnetic charm was ever present. She should be angry with him, but she wasn’t, especially when he smiled at her that way. Could he help it if women insisted on clinging to him? Just as long as Adam remembered he had a wife now . . . and by the smoldering look in his eyes, he definitely remembered that point.

  Adam reached over to brush her lips with his. The chaste kiss had ended before it began. “Forgiven?” A devastating smile swept across his features.

  Jewel returned his smile, surprised at his display of affection in a public place, yet pleased. “Yes.”

  “Good. I’ve another place I need to go before we return home.” He wiped his mouth with the linen napkin, placed it on the table, and stood. “Would you like to go with me?”

  Jewel stood, too. “The day is so beautiful. Can we walk?”

  “Of course.”

  They left the restaurant and started strolling to a different part of town, one she hadn’t yet seen.

  “Where are we going?”

  “The blacksmith shop,” Adam answered.

  If her husband had turned at that very moment and looked at her, he wouldn’t have found much color in her cheeks. She had wanted to find the blacksmith shop, and now it was being laid in her lap.

  Jewel could hear the blacksmiths hammering rhythmically. When they drew close, she saw the hot metal of a horseshoe lying upon an anvil. There were three blacksmiths in all.

  The intense heat from the furnace had forced the huge men out of their shirts. One man stopped his pounding and inserted the finished horseshoe in water to cool. A loud hiss sounded from the sizzling metal. Back home, she’d seen many sailors without shirts, so the men didn’t offend her. The man who had stopped now watched as Adam approached.

  “I need to see Jake,” Adam called out to the men. “I have some horses to be shod at Four Oaks.”

  “Yeah,” the soot-faced blacksmith barked, his muscles bulging as he lifted the heavy hammers. “If ya want to see
Jake, ya can find him in the back.” He grunted and jerked his head in that direction before picking up another piece of red-hot metal.

  Adam went back over to where Jewel stood. “The heat from the furnace can be unbearable, so stand back away from the shed. Stay right here. I’ll only be a few moments.”

  “I’ll be fine.”

  “Were you listening?” His eyes twinkled, but she knew what he alluded to. “I said don’t move.”

  “I’m not deaf. I’ll be right here.”

  She watched Adam disappear around the corner into what she assumed to be an office. She took the opportunity to look around, but she didn’t recognize anyone. How in the world was she going to get word to her uncles that she was alive? This might be her only chance.

  Jewel hadn’t been paying any attention to the blacksmith’s conversation until she heard one of them mention Pierre.

  “Excuse me?”

  All three men looked her way, their astonishment showing that she had spoken to them.

  “Did you mention Pierre Lafitte?”

  “Yeah, lady, ya know him?”

  “Yes, I do. Is he here?” She couldn’t give him any information.

  “Nope, but he will be in two weeks.”

  “And Jean?”

  “Not sure when Jean will be coming. Unpredictable, he is, if ya want to see Pierre, though, come back in a few weeks. He’s planning to stay a couple of days here. Ya want us to tell him ya were looking for him?”

  “No, but thank you for the information.” She noticed Adam rounding the comer.

  Adam was glad to see his wife had obeyed him this time. He took her by the arm and they left, walking back to the Cafe du Monde to meet their carriage. A blacksmith would be coming out to Four Oaks next week. Some of the horses definitely needed shoeing, but the part Jewel didn’t hear was a message he had left with Jake to inform Jean that he’d be paying him a visit. That way Adam wouldn’t be shot on sight when he sailed into the bay.