“I have never seen anything so beautiful. How do you bear to leave it and go to London?” She held his hand tighter, eyes wide and her skin glowing in the late day sun. Beauty ran across the lawn after a rabbit. Her golden fur bright and shiny as she barked.
“Though I do love it here, I enjoy London and all it has to offer. I also enjoy travel and seeing my friends. I’m happy that you like it.”
“Can we go down and see the garden?” She pointed to the lower garden.
Checking the sun, he regretted his next words. “It will be dark soon. Perhaps I can take you there tomorrow.”
Beauty spotted her and abandoned her chase to gallop up the stairs.
Millie knelt down to scratch Beauty’s ears. After a long sigh, she smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. She folded her hands together in front of her. “Tomorrow your guests will arrive and there will be much to do. I’m sure there will be time for me to see all Brookhaven has to offer in the two weeks we are in residence.”
“Of course. I’ll show you the way inside. I’m sure you’d like to rest before supper.” Not wanting her to pull away, he forced his hands behind his back to keep from touching her then led the way to the wide veranda that opened into the great parlor.
In the hallway, she turned to him, all expression removed from her face. “Thank you for the tour, Your Grace. I think it important that we return to our business arrangement from now on.”
“Millicent, I will agree to whatever you wish, but not to you calling me Your Grace when we are alone.” He’d meant to keep the conversation light, but he found he’d gritted his teeth and the statement sounded threatening rather than casual.
“Of course, Preston. We are friends, after all.”
“Your friendship is very important to me, despite what you might think.” An ache settled in his chest.
She touched his cheek. “You shall always have it.”
Despite all he wanted to say, the words stuck in his throat.
Pulling her hand back, she ran up the steps and around the corner out of sight.
Beauty sat in front of him, head cocked, eyes focused.
He petted the dog’s head. “I know, but she’s so determined to fulfill the Everton contract, I don’t want to disappoint her.”
Beauty panted, tongue lagging.
Preston swore the dog was laughing at him.
“Go on, follow your lady.”
Beauty trotted up the steps.
* * * *
Unable to sleep, Preston played the day over and over in his head. He should have told her how he felt. He should have told her he would marry her. The idea that she might put him in the same category as Merrifield nauseated him. Perhaps he would just go and check on her to make sure she was not afraid as she had been at the inn in Pendleton. He was only being a concerned friend, he told himself as he padded down the hall after midnight.
He tapped on her door. No answer.
Sure Beauty would have heard, he tapped again.
Still nothing.
It was outrageous, but he opened the door. Empty. Once inside, he closed the door behind him. Perhaps she was hungry and went to the kitchen or got lost looking for his room. Worry threaded its way through him, and he turned to exit as the door opened.
Beauty rushed toward him happily and licked his hand. He scratched her head and chin.
Millicent stood wide-eyed at the threshold. Her nightgown flowed around her with a blanket wrapped around her shoulders, and the cutest slippers in light pink warmed her feet. “What…What are you doing in my room?”
All he wanted was to wrap her in his arms. “I came to check if you were okay. When not even Beauty answered my knock, I came in to find the room empty.”
She held up a book. “I went to find reading material to help me sleep.”
“I should leave.” It was the last thing he wanted to do.
Closing the door, she placed her forehead against the wood. “You should, but if I am honest, I don’t want you to.”
In two steps he was behind her and ran his hands from her shoulder down her arms. “Thank you, Millicent. I don’t know what I would have done if you had sent me away out of hand.”
“Just because we feel these things, Preston, it does not mean we must act on them. There is no future for us. You have a duty to your title, and I have plans of my own. My desire for you will not keep me from my goals.”
Flowers and soap, she was a delight to his senses even as her words broke his heart. “I don’t want to keep you from anything, Everton Lady. I just want to hold you. Isn’t tomorrow soon enough to worry about the future and duty?”
She leaned against him. “I can’t close my eyes without thinking the house will explode.”
“I know, and I’m sorry.” He should have taken better care of her.
“None of this is your fault.” She turned into his embrace and rested her cheek on his chest.
Arguing the point would gain him nothing. He had failed in his duty, but he would not allow any more harm to come to her. “You need sleep. Do you think you might let me hold you until you can rest?”
She nodded and followed him to the bed.
Thinking it best to keep his clothes on, he watched as she kicked off her slippers and climbed in beside him. Pulling her tight against his chest, he waited until she settled as the other half of himself. Or maybe he was her other half. Content, he said, “Close your eyes, sweetheart. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
“Then you don’t want to make love?”
He closed his eyes until the wave of desire eased. “I will always want that, but you need to sleep, and I need to take care of you.”
She might have been about to protest, but a long yawn captured the words. “I suppose I should be rested when the guests arrive.”
The words slipped from her mouth as her head grew heavy on his arm, and her breathing deepened. He reveled in the feel of her soft body against his and loved that he could give her enough comfort to rest. Even if she didn’t know it yet, she trusted him.
There was nothing sweeter than that knowledge.
Chapter 15
Millie woke to an empty bed but feeling total contentment. Having no memory of when Preston had left her, she imagined he waited until she was asleep and went back to his own rooms. Still, it was delicious knowing he had come to her to keep her safe. No one had ever protected her, not since her parents had died. Of course, Uncle Francis tried, but his head was always in one of his inventions or an experiment.
Mrs. Whimple walked in, and Millie shook off the notion. Once Preston was married, Millie would be able to pursue her dreams, and nothing would stand in her way. She longed for adventure and to put her mark on the world. It might not become a lady to want those things, but she hadn’t cared what society thought for a long time. Doing good in the world was far more appealing than conforming to someone else’s idea of right and wrong.
Putting the breakfast tray on the table, Doris said, “I heard from the housekeeper that a note came from the Duke of Kerburgh early this morning. They will arrive later today with five of their children.”
“It should be lively around here.” Millie pulled on her robe. “Did you sleep, Doris?”
“I struggled but went to the kitchen for a glass of warm milk and had a nice chat with William. He set my mind at ease, and I was able to return to bed and had a good rest.” She poured herself a cup of tea and sat down at the small table. They had been sharing breakfast together for so many years, it was nice to do so even when away. Something familiar to hang on to.
Millie sat and sipped her chocolate. The warm bitter drink was far better than what she was used to. “This is nice. You seem quite taken with William.”
“He is very nice, and I feel a great deal of gratitude for his saving my life.” Despite the flat tone of her voice, Dor
is blushed.
“There’s nothing wrong with liking him. From what His Grace said, William Mallory is a fine man. Do you think he likes you as well?” Finally rested, Millie found her appetite had returned and she ate the sausage and coddled eggs with a warm slice of bread. It might have been the best food she’d ever eaten to break her fast.
“I don’t know. He is always kind, but I don’t see that he pays me any special attention. Besides, he works for a duke and I work for you and Everton’s. Our paths will never cross again after this assignment is over.”
Millie popped the last bit of bread in her mouth. “You had better make the most of our time here then.”
Doris giggled at the teasing, and Millie’s worry eased. It was all going to work out. Everyone would be happy in the end. Yes. She knew it would.
“And what about you, Millie? I can see you’re in love with him,” Doris said over her cup of tea.
Praying that only Doris detected any particular regard, she took a breath. Doris knew her better than anyone, so it wasn’t surprising she was more likely to notice such a thing. “No. I like him, and we are friends. That is all.”
“I think it’s more than that. I see the look in your eyes as well as his. He’d marry you if you gave him a little encouragement.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. Dukes don’t marry Miss Edgebrook from an unconnected family with an uncle who’s a laughingstock. Dukes marry Lady Helena, daughter to the Duke of Flintmore, or someone of that ilk. Besides, I don’t want to get married and stay in England. I have not sought a conventional life since my first season, and I don’t seek one now.”
Doris ate a piece of bread with jam. “If you say so. You had better get a move on and get dressed. The guests will start arriving by luncheon, and you must play hostess to a duke even if you will not marry one.”
Giving Doris a stern look, Millie got up and went to wash and dress.
* * * *
Late morning, she ventured to the lower garden. Plantings along the hillside were still lush, even with autumn full upon them. Millie imagined they held the ground and kept erosion from forcing the slope into the perfect garden below. Two cherubs marked the end of the stairs. From their pedestals, they guarded either side of the walkway and had the most horrific faces she had ever seen. These were not the cherubs one expected to see in an English garden. These were like demons screaming at anyone who dared enter. “What on earth?”
“Horrible, aren’t they?” a woman called from above. Elinor Rollins, the Duchess of Kerburgh, stood at about the halfway point of the stairs. “I have begged Pres to remove those things, but he insists they are part of the history of this estate.”
Millie waited for her descent and then made a formal curtsy. “It is nice to see you again, Your Grace.”
“Oh, please call me Elinor. We shall be friends as soon as my children arrive and begin to wear you down.” Her light blond hair glowed in the sunshine. “I have instructed the nanny to bring them down here as soon as they have tortured their uncle Preston enough. It’s a fine day, and we may not get too many of them.”
“I look forward to meeting them all.”
“Only five on this trip. The older boys are away at school. I miss them, but Michael insists they will be fine.” She stared off, and sorrow filled her eyes before she shook off the reverie and smiled. “I am terribly curious about your profession. Do you enjoy it?”
“It is interesting thus far. Mind you, I have not succeeded in my assignment yet. Once His Grace is married, I’ll be able to tell you how I like being an Everton Lady. If I fail, I shall not like that at all.” She should keep her place, but she liked Elinor and thought if things were different they might be friends. As it was, Millie was in service and Elinor was a duchess, so it was an unlikely pair.
“I’m sure you will succeed. Who wouldn’t want to marry Pres? He’s perfect.” Elinor walked along the path toward a pond in the shape of a half circle that occupied the far side of the garden.
“You didn’t want to marry him.” The words popped out before Millie could stop them.
Elinor looked off in the distance where a lake reflected the high fluffy clouds. She frowned, but it did not reach her eyes, which held a happy memory. “That’s true, but it wasn’t because there was anything wrong with Pres. I believe I would have married him if Michael hadn’t come back into my life. He is a kind and thoughtful man, and I think he would have made me happy.”
“But you were in love with His Grace already?” None of this was any of her business, but Millie couldn’t help her curiosity.
“Michael and I were engaged, and my father broke it off just before the wedding. Michael had been injured on a mission for the crown. He was a soldier before he was a duke. It was assumed he would not recover from his injuries, and the wedding was called off.” Her voice was distant, and a crease marred her brow.
Millie’s heart ached for the lovers who were wrenched away from each other. “You must have been devastated.”
Spinning toward Millie, Elinor smiled. “At first, but then I was angry. Truly and completely enraged. In the end, it all worked out, at least for Michael and me. Poor Pres took the brunt of it, as he made society believe that I would not have him, when it was he who stepped back to allow Michael to marry me. My parents would never have chosen Michael over the Duke of Middleton. And so, the gossip was about him rather than us. It was an extraordinary gesture, and we have all been the best of friends ever since.”
“He didn’t tell me that. Only that you loved another.” Even years later Preston kept Elinor’s secret. Even now, he protected her.
“I’m not surprised. He is a gentleman, and it really is my story to tell.”
Screams of delight tumbled down the hill from the upper garden. With a child under each arm, Preston and Michael ran down the steps while the youngest was carried in the arms of the nanny. As soon as they reached the grass, they released their captives, who ran like mad across the lawn.
Elinor laughed. “They’ve been cooped up in a carriage for days. Poor dears.”
Michael ran after them.
“Here, Peggy, give Lila to me and go and help His Grace.” Elinor took the youngest, who squealed with the excitement of the play. She put the toddler down, and they walked along with her on the soft grass.
Joining them, Preston asked, “What are the two of you talking about?”
Elinor grinned up at him. “Well you, of course.”
“Me? What is there to say about me?” He scooped up Lila and put her on his shoulders.
The oldest boy splashed into the pond, and Elinor ran toward him. “No, Donald, it’s far too cold for a swim.”
Walking along with Preston and Lila, Millie watched the chaos of four children and three adults trying to corral them. It was a comedy of errors and ended with the Duke of Kerburgh wet to his knees. Millie was surprised by how much Preston enjoyed the children, especially Lila, who was pulling his hair. “You lied to me,” she said when they were far enough away from the group as to not be heard.
He offered her a seat on a stone bench and sat next to her while placing Lila on the grass. “About, Elinor. Yes, I’m sorry, but it is not my place to divulge that information.” Holding Lila’s hand while she danced in place, he was more attractive than he had ever been.
“You let all of England believe that she had thwarted you rather than damage her reputation.” A band tightened around Millie’s heart.
“Yes.” Preston never took his eyes off Lila running from the bench, facing them, and then back to them.
“You must have really loved her.” It burned a hole inside her.
Lila toppled, and Preston scooped her up, brushing the grass off her white dress and plucking a leaf from her brown curls. “No. I did not love her, but I liked her, and Michael was a friend. I wanted them to be happy. I didn’t wish to be the cause of a lifetime
of misery for both of them.”
“She said you would have made her happy if Michael had not returned.”
“I would have done my best, but she would have always regretted him.” Their gazes met, and she was lost in the intensity of his stare.
Strand stood atop the steps and waved.
Wanting more time wouldn’t make it so. Why did he have to be so good? She longed to find fault in him, so she could focus on that and ignore her growing affection for a man she would never have.
Preston stood with Lila in one arm and offered Millie his hand. “I believe the guests are arriving. Will you join me to greet them?”
Peggy, a sturdy girl with bright red hair poking out from under a crooked cap, ran over and took Lila before making a quick curtsy and rushing off to gather the rest.
At the top of the stairs, they made their way through a small garden and a door that led to an office or study. “This was my father’s private study. He hid away from the guests here for many hours when my mother would throw house parties. At night they would sit in here when we were alone at Brookhaven. They would read and talk, and I would play. When I was old enough to join the conversation, my father and I spent hours alone in here.”
She pictured a young Preston learning about the world from his father and again wished she had met the late duke. “How did he hide? Is this room a secret too?”
“It is. Both doors”—he pointed to the doors adjacent to each other at the corner of the room—“are hidden from the other side. One leads to a back hallway behind the stairs, and the other to a staircase and up to the second floor.”
“How very mysterious. You must enjoy fooling guests with all of this.”
“I have not shown this room to anyone. Only Mother and I know of its existence, and now you. The same is true of the secret passage to the kitchen garden.” He smoothed his hand over the back of a chair and didn’t meet her gaze.
“Perhaps you should save those things for the woman who will be your wife, Preston.”
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