Mr. Hunt, I Presume: A Playful Brides Story

by Bowman, Valerie

  Collin turned his head to look at his brother. “What happened to the other governess? Miss Langley, was it?”

  Derek cracked a smile. “She married.”

  “Thank heavens,” Collin replied. “She was a lovely young woman, but I got the distinct impression that Lucy was trying to match me with her. It made me deuced uncomfortable.”

  Derek laughed. “You weren’t wrong. Lucy adores matchmaking, as I’m certain you’ve gathered. She tried to match poor Miss Langley with half the male guests who entered the house before Mr. Benton came along.”

  Collin stared out the window again. “I wish them well.”

  “I do too. I just hope Lucy doesn’t try to matchmake the new governess.”

  Collin moved from the window and dropped into one of the two large leather chairs that faced Derek’s desk. He arranged his jacket. He’d discarded his uniform for regular clothing, garments he rarely wore. He felt odd in them. “Is she comely?”

  Derek took another sip of brandy. “Honestly, I don’t know. I haven’t met her yet. Lucy hired her just before we left London and provided her with fare to take the mail coach here. The woman arrived this morning, not an hour after we did, and Lucy hurried her off to the children’s rooms before I had a chance to greet her.”

  “Well, the poor woman should be careful. If she doesn’t want to marry, Lucy may not be the best choice of employer for her,” Collin said with a laugh.

  “I’ve tried to explain to Lucy a half-dozen times that it’s not particularly conducive to keeping a governess for the children if she continues to marry them off one by one.” Derek sighed. “But Lucy cannot seem to help herself. She’s says she’s a matchmaker at heart.”

  Collin knocked back the rest of his drink. “As long as she doesn’t try to matchmake me, I’m fine with it.”

  “I’ll be certain to remind her to leave you be,” Derek said. “Now, what’s on the agenda for the next fortnight?”

  Collin sighed and stretched out his legs in front of him, staring glumly at the reflection of sunlight on his polished boots. “I suppose I should see about relaxing. To that end, I intend to have a completely peaceful stay in the country with absolutely nothing to worry me.”

  Derek lifted his glass. “I’ll drink to that.”

  Chapter Five

  Erienne glanced around the magnificent bedchamber that belonged to Lady Mary Hunt, the duchess’s adorable, precocious, three-year-old daughter. The child was as beautiful as her mother. She had the duchess’s curly black hair and her father’s dark eyes. Lady Mary had already endeared herself to Erienne by toddling over, executing a perfect little curtsy, and saying, “It’s vewwy nice to meet you, Miss Stwone.”

  Erienne and Lucy had exchanged glances and hid their smiles while Erienne performed a similar curtsy to little Lady Mary. “My pleasure, Lady Mary. And may I say you have fine manners, indeed.”

  “Thwank you,” Lady Mary replied. She clasped her little hands together and asked, “Do you have a dwog?”

  “A dwo—?” Frowning, Erienne glanced at Lucy for an interpretation.

  Lucy smiled and shook her head. “She wants a dog. She’s been asking for one for as long as she could speak.”

  “Oh,” Erienne said, lifting her skirts and crouching so that she was at Lady Mary’s eye level. “I do not have a dog, but I should very much like one. I adore them.”

  Lady Mary clapped her hands. “Oh, gwood,” the little girl exclaimed. “I want to name my dwog Cinderwella.”

  Erienne pressed her lips together to keep from laughing. She could tell the little girl took the subject of procuring a dog and naming it quite seriously. “Cinderella?”

  “I gave her that book for her birthday. She adores it,” Lucy explained.

  Erienne turned her attention back to Lady Mary. “Well, I think Ella is a perfectly lovely name for a dog.”

  “Me twoo,” Lady Mary said, beaming.

  Lucy placed a hand on her daughter’s shoulder. “Go play with Ralph and Anna in the corner, darling,” she said, pointing toward where her son and a nursemaid sat across the room near a stack of wooden blocks. Ralph was sitting up straight, shaking one of the blocks in his little fist. Mary happily scampered off to join them.

  “Anna will be your assistant,” Lucy continued to Erienne, nodding toward the young maid. “She’s been the children’s nursemaid since they were born.”

  Erienne blinked. “Assistant?”

  “Yes.” Lucy waved a hand in the air. “You know, for when you need a few moments of peace. Or help with lessons. You’ll also have a maid who serves your meals and theirs, and another maid who does your laundry and theirs, and one who cleans your rooms and—”

  “I’m not accustomed to having help.” Erienne had never even heard of such a thing. At Hilltop House, she and the other upper servants had been served meals by the under servants, but that had been the extent of any help she’d received in her position. She’d certainly never had a nursemaid to help watch the children, or a maid to clean her room or do her laundry. She’d been responsible for bringing her own laundry down to the laundry maids each week.

  “I understand,” Lucy replied. “But I think it’s best if you’re able to concentrate on the children’s studies. I want both of them to begin learning French right away.”

  “Of course.” Erienne wasn’t about to argue with a duchess over the extravagance of her household. Besides, it stood to reason that in such a fine home there would be more servants. But it was yet another reason she was still not entirely certain why she’d accepted this position. Would she ever feel comfortable here?

  “They’re darling children,” Erienne said. “And I’ve never seen such fine bedchambers.” She gestured around the cavernous space that was Lady Mary’s room.

  Lucy threaded her arm through Erienne’s. “Now, let me show you your rooms.”

  “Rooms?” Erienne echoed. She’d assumed she would have one room, no doubt a lovely one, but at Hilltop House, her accommodations had been limited to a single serviceable bedchamber.

  “Anna, we’ll be back soon,” Lucy called to the nursemaid, who nodded and continued her play with the children.

  They left Mary’s nursery and strolled down the hall, past Ralph’s equally large bedchamber to the end of the corridor, where Lucy pushed open a wide door to reveal a room that stole Erienne’s breath.

  “This is your bedchamber,” Lucy said, sweeping her hand in front of her as she showed Erienne the huge, elegantly appointed space. The room was much grander than the one she’d had at the Hilltops’ residence, decorated in hues of green and lavender. Her bed was a large, fancy thing with a white satin tent over it, a new down mattress, matching fluffy pillows and the finest white linens she’d ever touched. Fresh flowers and wax candles (no tallow) rested on the bedside table. Erienne wanted to pinch herself with glee.

  Lucy pointed. “Through that door is the sitting room, and over there is the dressing room.”

  “Dressing room? I have my own dressing room?” Erienne couldn’t help herself. She lifted her skirts and hurried through the first door. The dressing room had its own dressing table with a small lavender tufted stool sitting in front of it. The top of the table was filled with pots and bottles, a silver-handled brush and a matching mirror. There was a large cheval looking glass in the corner, and a wardrobe nearly double the size of the one she’d been given at Hilltop House.

  Keeping her lips tightly pressed together to hide her amazement, Erienne turned and made her way back through the bedchamber to the sitting room. Lucy followed her, watching with a faint smile.

  The sitting room was a cozy space with an obviously expensive fitted carpet, and (oh, goodness!) she had her own fireplace in this room too, for heaven’s sake. A comfortable-looking chair with a footstool sat next to the fireplace with a small table beside it. The walls were lined with whitewashed bookcases of all wonderfully welcomed things. A plethora of books graced the shelves. There was a cream-colored quilt splayed
across the chair, and two fluffy fur-lined slippers sat in front of the footstool. A silver-plated tea service perched on the footstool, completing the perfectly relaxing little space.

  Erienne turned to face Lucy and couldn’t help the wonder that no doubt shined in her eyes. She pressed her palms to both cheeks. “These rooms are beyond magnificent, your grace. I couldn’t possibly—”

  “Ah, ah, ah.” Lucy wagged a finger at her. “I’ve already told you, you must call me Lucy. We don’t stand on formality with our trusted servants in this house. And don’t you dare refuse these rooms. They’re meant for you. And well-deserved. You’ll need time for yourself after spending so much of it with the children.”

  Erienne expelled her breath. “I was going to say, I couldn’t possibly ask for more.”

  “Excellent,” Lucy replied with a sparkling smile. “I’m so happy you’re pleased.”

  Erienne made her way back into the bedchamber. She hadn’t noticed it at first, but on the far wall there was a lovely painting of two little girls playing in a bright, flowered field. Looking at it, her heart swelled. She’d always wanted a sister, and her fondest dream had been to have two daughters. But that was a long time ago, back when she had allowed herself to do things like dream of marriage and children of her own.

  She shook her head. It did no good to contemplate the past. She must look to the future. Hadn’t that been her maxim since the day she’d left Brighton behind, wiping away the last of her tears and refusing to ever shed them again for any man?

  Least of all, Collin Hunt.

  “I’ll just leave you to look around for a bit,” Lucy said. “I’ll meet you back in the nursery when you’re ready.”

  Erienne nodded happily and glanced around. She wouldn’t take long, but she dearly appreciated the few minutes to explore her new home. She had been apprehensive agreeing to this position. In the last few days since first meeting with Lucy, she’d refused it outright more than once. But the duchess refused to take no for an answer. It wasn’t until Lucy mentioned a sum of money that Erienne had seldom dreamed of that she finally relented and told the duchess she would think about it. After all, the amount Lucy had offered for one month’s pay had been more than she’d made in an entire year at the Hilltops’.

  Erienne would be a complete fool to refuse it. Her brother needed surgery to remove a bullet from his back and she was used to sending all her money home. She couldn’t pass up the opportunity to pay for all of Peter’s medical bills, and then some, over the fact that she might encounter a man from her past if she took the position. That would have been entirely selfish of her. She had been merely thinking about it, however, not at all convinced that she would take the position, but she’d discovered to her acute chagrin that Lucy Hunt could be extremely convincing, almost ridiculously so, when she wanted to be. She’d sent Erienne letters every day begging her to accept, along with gifts of gowns, flowers, and books. She’d even written to Lady Hilltop and asked her to put in a good word for her.

  The lady had written posthaste to tell Erienne she’d lost her wits if she refused a position in the illustrious Duchess of Claringdon’s household. “Why, I daresay the entirety of Hilltop House could fit in one bedchamber at Huntingdon.”

  But now that she was actually here, Erienne’s middle was filled with nerves at the prospect of seeing Derek. Had Lucy told him about her? He had to remember her. How else had Lucy known who she was?

  Erienne didn’t hold out much hope (fear?) of seeing Collin. Lucy had assured her that he worked constantly and stayed in his apartments in London. He could usually be found in his offices at Whitehall, neither of which were places Erienne would ever be likely to visit in her role as governess to the duke and duchess’s children. She supposed she might face him eventually at some holiday like Christmastide, but that was a long way off.

  Erienne trailed her way over to stand in front of the painting of the two girls. She’d admitted her past with Collin to Lucy, but had significantly downplayed the effect it had had on her, though she had asked Lucy to promise not to attempt to arrange for them to meet. “I realize it may come to pass, eventually, but I would dislike it immensely if you were to … orchestrate it.” She’d cleared her throat, hoping the duchess wouldn’t ask too many personal questions about her past with Collin.

  “I completely understand,” Lucy had replied, patting her on the shoulder and giving her a sympathetic look that Erienne greatly appreciated.

  That had been the end of their discussion about Collin, thank heavens.

  Now, Erienne twirled in a circle, taking in the gorgeous surroundings once more. The children seemed well-behaved, the pay was exorbitant, and her suite was magnificent. She might have an awkward moment with Derek at first, and someday she might have to suffer through an excruciating encounter with Collin, but she would worry about that when the time came. For now, she intended to enjoy every moment of this glorious new position.

  Lucy had been beyond generous in allowing her a few moments to settle in. She should get back. She mustn’t take advantage of the duchess’s generosity. Erienne hurried into the corridor, closing the door to her rooms behind her, and made her way back to the nursery.

  When she entered the room she stopped short, her breath caught in her throat.

  Collin was standing there.

  Erienne’s heart pounded so heavily her chest hurt. The tall, dark-haired man faced away from her, his broad shoulders blocking Lucy from her view, but she could hear the duchess’s voice coming from the other side of him. Wait. No. It wasn’t Collin. She closed her eyes and expelled her pent-up breath. It was Derek. Of course it was Derek, not Collin, standing there. The two brothers simply looked so much alike. She took a fortifying gulp of air for good measure and straightened her shoulders.

  “Your grace?” she called softly.

  Lucy stepped around her large husband, a wide smile on her face, as Derek turned to Erienne.

  “Ah, here she is now. I was just telling Derek about you,” Lucy said.

  Erienne lowered her chin, but forced herself to meet Derek’s eyes, which instantly widened. The last time she’d seen him, he’d been perhaps seventeen years old. On leave from the army, he’d come home to visit his family. He’d been a tall, handsome young man, and now he was larger and even more handsome. Except for his dark eyes, he looked so much like Collin.

  Her knees nearly buckled. Why had she done this to herself? Was the money and the suite of rooms truly worth this constant reminder of Collin? She pressed her lips together. Hard.

  Lucy hurried over to her side and threaded her arm through Erienne’s as she’d done so many times before. “Derek, may I present Miss—”

  “Stone,” Derek finished, his dark gaze narrowed on her. His face was completely devoid of emotion, but his nostrils flared.

  Erienne concentrated on controlling her erratic breathing. She’d no idea if Lucy had told Derek that she’d hired a governess from Brighton whom he’d once known. Likely the duchess had, given the fact that Lucy had already known what Collin once meant to Erienne. Where else would Lucy have learned about her past with Collin if not from Derek?

  But Erienne had also assumed that Derek had agreed with Lucy’s decision to hire her, or she would not be here. Now, looking at the obvious frown on the duke’s face, Erienne realized she’d made a grave mistake. She should not have assumed Lucy told her husband she’d hired the girl who used to love Collin. Drat. Drat. Drat. This was dreadfully awkward.

  “Good afternoon, your grace,” Erienne said belatedly, dropping into her most formal curtsy.

  A muscle ticked in Derek’s jaw. “Miss Stone,” he intoned. “Lovely to see you again. It’s been, ahem, many years.” He clasped his hands behind his ramrod-straight back. It was obvious the man had spent many years in battle. He commanded attention even simply addressing his new governess.

  Erienne had to squelch the urge to hide behind Lucy. “Many, many years,” Erienne echoed, wishing the floor would open up and
swallow her.

  Anna, the nursemaid, was doing a fine job keeping the children occupied in the corner, so Erienne couldn’t even use that as an excuse to run off and perform her duties. Instead, she stood there, still as a statue while Derek turned to his wife and said in a tone clearly laced with anger, “Lucy, may I have a word with you? Privately.”

  Chapter Six

  Lucy patted Erienne’s shoulder and gave her an encouraging smile before following Derek out of Mary’s bedchamber. They walked down the corridor and around the corner where they wouldn’t be overheard by the two servants or the children.

  The muscle continued to tick in Derek’s jaw when he turned to her and said, “You promised me you wouldn’t choose a governess based on her past relationship with Collin.”

  Lucy nodded. “And I didn’t. I met with Miss Stone and spoke to her former employer, as well as the woman who recommended her from the employment office. Miss Stone is highly qualified. She speaks fluent French and—”

  “Lucy,” Derek’s voice was low and agitated, a tone she didn’t often hear him use. “You promised—”

  She folded her arms over her chest. “I never promised not to hire Miss Stone. I only promised not to hire Miss Stone only because of her connection with Collin. And I assure you, I have not.” She ended her sentence with a firm nod.

  Derek scrubbed a hand through his hair and blew out an obviously frustrated breath. “But you are intending to play matchmaker with Miss Stone and Collin, aren’t you?”

  Lucy lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “If it ever comes to pass that they see each other, I cannot help it if the two of them still have unresolved feelings for each other.”

  Derek narrowed his eyes. “What do you mean, if it ever comes to pass? Of course it will come to pass.”

  Lucy pushed a curl behind her ear and affected a thoughtful expression. “It’s true. Miss Stone was concerned about the possibility of encountering Collin, of course, but I assured her that we rarely see him.”