A Christmas Bride for the Duke: Clean Regency Romance (The Nettlefold Chronicles Book 4)

by Arietta Richmond

  “…I never expected him to be here! Imagine, the Black Scot! I don’t know if I should be afraid, or setting myself in his path. After all, the rumours… and he looks so… rough… even in perfect gentleman’s clothes. So wild, with that unruly black hair. And the size of him! Just imagine…” here the speaker’s voice dropped to a quiet whisper, but Eleanor could still just detect the words, which made her face flush at the implication, “…what it would be like to be bedded by a giant of a man like that!”

  The others laughed, and Eleanor found herself considering their words. How had she felt, when his hands had rested on her waist? A little afraid, yes, but not so much that she had wanted to flee. He was, as they said, dark and wild looking – but did that mean that he was dangerous? Remembering the look in his eyes, she suspected that it did not. Still, she shivered again, thinking about it. He was, most definitely, the largest man she had ever met. Behind her, another woman spoke, her voice low, and with an edge which said that she wanted to believe the gossip.

  “But what of the rumours, of fights, and duels and scandalous mistresses and more?”

  “Perhaps what is said is not true – how can we tell? But surely some of it must be true, or where would the stories have started from? But look at him – so big and wild… and handsome… it makes it easy to believe, doesn’t it? And it makes it exciting. I think that I, for one, will be trying to catch his attention this week.”

  “You are braver than I… but it is tempting. There is just something about the raw strength of him, when compared to the dandies who surround us… and he is a Duke…”

  Eleanor could only agree with that last statement – all of it, but especially the tempting bit. No matter how much he seemed overwhelming, and a little threatening, she could not deny that His Grace of Braeness was utterly intriguing as well. And, she realised, she wanted to know the truth of him.

  After all, he had held her in his grasp and been the perfect gentleman – surely, if the rumours were true, he would have behaved differently? She would watch him, and quietly ask others about him - Juliana and Garrett should know something – they had invited the man to their home, and she supposed, from his educated accent when the Scots was not in his voice, that he had gone to Eton with Garrett.

  Now that she had been near it for a while, the heat of the fire was becoming too much, and Eleanor rose from the stool, and went in search of her sister. Suddenly, the idea of circulating in the room, and speaking with the assorted eligible gentlemen present had lost its appeal – asking her sister about one particular gentleman seemed far more interesting.

  She eventually found Juliana in her private parlour, well away from the crowd of guests.

  “Juliana… are you well?”

  “Perfectly. I am just being a terrible hostess, and hiding from my guests for a little. Sometimes people are so overwhelming. And… so shallow that it makes me want to scream.”

  “I believe that I am beginning to agree with you on that matter, much though I might once have contested your statement. I have just overheard the sort of gossip which seems composed more of rumour and supposition than any grain of truth. It left me wondering if there was anything solid beneath it at all.”

  “Oh? What, or who, was this gossip about?”

  “The Duke of Braeness. The ladies here present seem determined to cast him as some wild man, likely to indulge in nefarious deeds. And, whilst I can agree that he is large, and rather overwhelming, I do not see much evidence of anything else….”

  Juliana laughed, shaking her head.

  “You are right that such gossip is usually based on nothing more than imagination. The poor man – I sympathise – I remember all too well what it felt like to be the target of the gossips. I have not known him long, but from what I have seen of him, he is a perfect gentleman. Garrett went to Eton with him, and counts him a friend. He may be large, and rather wild in appearance, but I’ve seen no indication that his attitudes or actions match that external appearance.”

  “That is good to know. I wonder how long it will take for those young ladies to shift from scurrilous supposition to throwing themselves at the unwed Duke?”

  Chapter Two

  Adair woke early, as he usually did, and the memories of the previous few days rose up to the surface of his mind as he lay there in the warmth. So far, nothing about this house party was encouraging. He felt just as out of place as usual, and people were gossiping about him, as they commonly did. The men were rather dull, or outright dismissive of him, apart from Kilmerstan and Dangerfield, whom he had known long enough to be comfortable with.

  And the women… well, as was also common, they whispered about him, no doubt all of the same rubbish which went around in London, and either flinched away in fear, or attempted to flirt with him, their hope of becoming a Duchess overcoming their fear. The only woman here, apart from the Duchess of Kilmerstan, who had looked at him without either judgement or flirtation, was the one he had caught yesterday, as she slipped on the terrace. And even she had shown signs of some fear.

  He sighed, and threw back the covers, letting the cool air of the room draw a shiver from him.

  He would call for Stevens, dress, and slip out of the house to ride, as he had the last few mornings. Exploring the snow-covered countryside soothed his soul, and used up the entirety of the morning, so that he need not engage in pointless small talk with the other guests for at least that few hours. Riding, especially on a horse sized to suit his frame, he could forget his own bulk, could forget all of the ways in which he stood out in a room full of polished English gentlemen, and simply be himself.

  The countryside here was beautiful, if far less steep and craggy than his northern home, and it was easy to simply ride, and forget that anyone else existed. Stevens, knowing him well, had riding clothes laid out and waiting, and soon sent a footman down to the kitchens for a small tray, so that Adair might break his fast before he left the house.

  The stables were quiet as he walked in, apart from the rustle of horses moving in the straw of their stalls, and the soft mewling of the stable cat’s kittens. He walked through towards the tack room, where, no doubt, he would find the grooms preparing for the day. As he went down the walkway, a groom came down the ladder from the hayloft, and Adair assumed that the man had slept there – with the press of guests, space out here might well be in short supply.

  The man nearly collided with Adair as he stepped off the ladder, and jerked back in snarling surprise. A surly fellow, then, was Adair’s thought. He ignored the man, and went through to find his own groom. It took very little time before Emperor was saddled, and Adair led him towards the stable doors. He passed the end stall, and glanced in to see, not a horse, but a pile of kittens in the straw. A housemaid sat with them, stroking the tiny things.

  The sight brought a smile to Adair’s face. Some things were universal, it seemed. He led Emperor out into the cold grey morning, and swung up onto his back, keen to be away and feel the wind in his face.

  ~~~~~

  Eleanor and Juliana sat in the breakfast room, alone. Garrett had already broken his fast, and gone to deal with some estate business in his study, before the guests arose from their beds and needed his attendance. Almost everyone else was likely still abed, or taking breakfast in their rooms. Juliana sipped her coffee, and looked consideringly at her sister.

  “I had thought that you were rather taken with Lord Eiderton, and he with you, but last night he seemed most attentive to Lady Elizabeth Hobbs. I gather that means he is not a candidate for your husband?”

  “I had thought him a possibility, I will admit, for he is charming, and not ill to look upon, even if his conversation is rather limited… but if he was so easily distracted by Lady Elizabeth, I am not sure that he would be a good choice… which does not stop me from being rather annoyed, nonetheless. Lady Elizabeth’s flirtation was very, very obvious, and rather rude, given that the man had been spending so much time with me!”

  Eleanor could
feel the frown on her own face, and consciously tried to ease it. She did not want her brow permanently marred by lines! Two years ago, she had been sure that finding a husband would be easy…

  Now, she knew that it was far harder than she had ever supposed. Her beauty and reasonable dowry were not enough, it seemed, to attract a decent man. They were enough to attract all manner of scoundrels and wastrels, however. She envied Juliana – which was something she had never expected to do – for her sister was utterly happy in her marriage, and Garrett was everything a woman might wish for in a husband. Eleanor sighed, and ate the last of the food on her plate as her sister spoke.

  “It was rather rude, I agree – but some people will take any steps they can to get what they want, no matter who they hurt, or trample over in the process. But surely there are other worthwhile men, less fickle men?”

  “There may be, but I do not know that I have met them yet. Have I met all of the men whom you invited to this house party? Or is there hope for further opportunities?”

  “Eleanor dear, I do think you need not feel so desperate – there is always next Season, after all. I do believe that you have met almost all of those invited before – except the Duke of Braeness, and perhaps one other.”

  At the mention of the Duke of Braeness, Eleanor felt an odd quiver inside her, remembering the moments when his hands had rested on her waist, holding her steady on the icy terrace.

  “The Duke is rather… imposing… isn’t he? He is so large, that I feel tiny by comparison. And he does not seem much interested in socialising. I had so hoped that you might have found some new people to invite…”

  Juliana shook her head at her sister’s mournful expression, and reached across to pat her hand consolingly. Eleanor appreciated her sympathy, even if it changed nothing.

  “Let me make you feel better – come out to the stables. There are new kittens – they are so tiny, and soft – holding them will make you feel better – for kittens do not judge, all they care for is food and warmth, and attention. Go and put on your half-boots and pelisse, and I will show you.”

  Eleanor thought for a moment – to go outside would inevitably mean mud and straw from the stables, all over her clothes, but… it was still tempting. Juliana was right – kittens did tend to make you feel better. She gave a decisive nod.

  “I will. I never could resist kittens.”

  ~~~~~

  Adair felt cleaner, clearer of mind, and far happier once he had allowed Emperor to race across the fields for some distance. The cold wind on his face reminded him of home, and the stark purity of the snow dusted landscape was a soothing comparison to the sullied complexities of socialising amongst the ton. When the horse began to slow, voluntarily, he eased him back to a steady trot, and then a walk, allowing him to cool without chilling.

  He paused a moment on a hilltop, and looked back towards Kilmerstan Castle. The place was enormous, and its many windows caught the morning light, making it sparkle as much as the icicles on the trees beside him did. That size was, in his current opinion, a disadvantage, for it allowed the space for far more guests at once than he was comfortable with. More people to be polite to, and to avoid.

  And people jammed together tended to become surly – like that groom he had almost collided with in the stables. Idly, as he turned Emperor onto the path back to the Castle, he wondered who the man worked for. The thought of employing someone that surly did not appeal at all – but he supposed that not all employers were as fussy as he was. And a surly groom was easier to deal with than a gossiping viper with a sweet smile on her face…

  He turned his thoughts away from the vagaries of humanity, and back to the countryside around him – a far more pleasant prospect. This was rich land, on the whole, with some hills and outcroppings of stone – land that would easily support many tenant farmers, and give a good return to the Duke as well. He wished that some parts of his own estate were as gentle and fertile as this land – he loved the mountains, but land like this would make everyone richer.

  The stables were quiet when he returned, and he wasted no time in handing Emperor over to his groom, and returning to the Castle. Riding made a man hungry, and the morsels he’d had before going out were well and truly a distant memory now. As he crossed the gravelled expanse between the stables and the house, Lady Eleanor and her sister, the Duchess, passed him, going towards the stables.

  He paused, and gave them a bow in greeting. Lady Eleanor, seen in the brightness of the winter sun, was even prettier than he remembered from the previous day. She was so small, compared to him, yet perfectly proportioned as a woman – she might almost have been some ethereal fae thing, with that pale gold hair wisping about her face.

  “Good morning, ladies.”

  “Good morning, Your Grace. You are out and about early.”

  “I usually am. ‘Tis the most peaceful part of the day.”

  The Duchess looked at him with a wry smile before speaking.

  “Do I detect that you are far too polite to say ‘before the dandies and the fluttering young ladies have risen from their beds, and filled the house with chatter’?”

  Adair laughed, surprised. Lady Eleanor smiled at him – and that smile transformed her face from pretty to simply stunning – and laughed as well.

  “Politeness is sometimes overrated, Your Grace.”

  He heard the echo of his words to her the previous day, with respect to elegance, and was quite sure that she had done it intentionally.

  “Perhaps… but it is usually the safest course. There is enough gossip about me, without me giving them excuses for more…”

  “Indeed – it takes very little for some people to turn it to gossip. But we are delaying you, I’m sorry. You were moving with obvious purpose when we encountered you.”

  “I was – but only because I fear that those self-same chatterers may pause their speaking long enough to devour the entire contents of the breakfast room, before I reach it. Enjoy your morning, ladies, and we will no doubt encounter each other later in the day.”

  He bowed again, and went on, wondering what they were going to the stables for, then telling himself that it was no business of his. Still, as he found his way towards food, the image of Lady Eleanor’s smiling, laughing face stayed with him.

  There had been no fear in it this morning, only curiosity.

  ~~~~~

  The Duke of Braeness really did have the strangest effect on her! When she had seen him stride out of the stables, everything about him speaking of confidence and power, a shiver had run through her. Not of fear, but of something far warmer and more intoxicating. Then, when he had stopped to speak to them, she had been, again, deeply aware of just how large he was.

  His hair, which had been tied back into a queue with a single ribbon as black as the tresses it constrained, had been escaping that constraint, no doubt from the wind when he had been riding. But it had made him look even more the wild man. His eyes, however had been warm. Cautious, but warm, especially once Juliana had gone straight to the point with respect to the other guests.

  She was not sure what imp had possessed her to echo his words of the previous day, but it had been worth it, to see those forest green eyes widen in recognition. Now, as he walked away from them towards the house, the naughty part of her mind delivered another thought – what other prodigious appetites, apart from food, might a man like that have? A man who was, in so many ways, larger, more… of everything.

  She felt her cheeks flush at the thought, and hoped that anyone who saw would believe that the crisp cold air had brought that colour to her face.

  Compared to outside, the stables were warm, the heat of many horses insulated by hay and straw making them far more pleasant than outside. Juliana led her down the aisle of stalls, past grooms coming and going with feed and water, all of whom, except one man, smiled, and stepped aside for them. That one man barely moved, and eyed them rudely. His manner made Eleanor’s skin creep, and she hurried past him.


  They reached the end stall, just as one of the housemaids slipped out of it. The maid stopped, disconcerted by their presence, then dipped a curtsey.

  “Your Grace! I... I just slipped out to see the kittens…”

  Juliana smiled at her.

  “It’s Molly, isn’t it? It’s alright, we slipped out to see the kittens too. So long as your work still gets done, I don’t mind you taking a short while here.”

  “Oh thank you, Your Grace. I’m new here, and it’s all been a bit overwhelming, with so many guests.”

  “I can understand that! But you’d best be getting back inside – all of those guests are waking up now, and will be needing things.”

  “Yes, Your Grace.”

  The girl curtsied again, and rushed off through the stables. Eleanor watched her go, wondering what part of the house she worked in. The surly groom leered at Molly as she went past, and the look on his face made Eleanor feel queasy – she had met men who looked at women that way…

  She turned back as Juliana opened the stall door.

  The kittens were adorable – seven of them, in a mixture of colours from black to silver grey, with one little ginger one. Eleanor sank down into the straw beside them, all concern for the state of her gown forgotten as she reached out towards them. The mother cat stood and came over to her, sniffing her hand, then rubbing on it. Eleanor scratched her under her chin a little, before carefully lifting a tiny tabby kitten into her lap.

  With a sigh, she allowed herself to relax, to forget about annoying ladies and fickle gentlemen, and to enjoy the simplicity of playing with kittens.

  By the time they returned to the house, Eleanor was in a better mood than she had been for days.

  Chapter Three