The Duke's Marriage Mission

by Hale Deborah

  He scowled at the interloper and gave a curt nod toward the door. She had the temerity to smile at him, her hazel eyes dancing.

  As he strode toward the door, Hayden heard Tilly ask what Kit would like to eat.

  “Nothing for now.” The boy sounded far too cheerful to suit his father. “I shall wait for Miss Leah to come back. Then we can eat together.”

  His son would have a very long wait, Hayden reflected as he held open the nursery door for the woman who had thrown his calm, orderly household into turmoil. He intended to send her packing, with a warning never to darken the threshold of Renforth Abbey again!

  Her introduction to the duke could have gone better, Leah admitted to herself as he hustled her out of his son’s nursery.

  It was a shame such a handsome man should spoil his looks with that severe expression. He acted as if he had caught her trying to murder his son rather than giving the poor child a much-needed taste of freedom. True, her efforts might have had unfortunate consequences, but everything had turned out well in the end. Why fret about all the terrible things that might come to pass if they never did?

  “This way.” The duke’s tone was nearly as stiff as his posture as he strode down the wide, paneled corridor, clearly expecting her to follow.

  He cut a fine figure, tall and spare with broad shoulders. Leah tried to dismiss the unsettling sensation that had come over her when he caught her and Kit. The first grasp of his arms had conveyed dependable strength tempered with gentle protectiveness. For as long as she could recall, Leah had made her own way in the world and treasured her independence. But for that fleeting instant, she’d relished the sensation of having someone to lean on.

  Of course, the duke had spoiled it the very next moment by tearing his son away and blaming her for what had happened, when it was at least as much his fault. His ungracious behavior reminded her that having someone to rely on often came at a cost of rules and restrictions she could not abide. No doubt she was about to learn the rules of Renforth Abbey straight from its formidable master.

  “Is it much farther, Your Grace?” she inquired as she trailed him down the broad staircase. “As Kit mentioned, I am rather hungry. A truly gracious employer would have invited his son’s new governess to eat before dragging her away to discuss her duties.”

  The duke halted at the foot of the stairs and turned on her so swiftly that she barely managed to keep from bumping into him. As it was, she teetered on the second last step, precisely at eye level with His Grace.

  At that intimate distance, she was struck by the color of his eyes. His incisive blue gaze seemed to pierce the armor of her bravado and see her more clearly than she cared to be seen. There was something else about his eyes that unsettled her. Dusky shadows beneath them and crinkled lines radiating from the corners made him look tired, as if he had not enjoyed a truly restful sleep in years.

  That thought provoked Leah’s sympathy, something she did not want to feel for a man who clearly regarded her with cold contempt.

  “You may dispense with the deception, Miss... whatever your real name is. You might have succeeded in fooling my butler, the nursemaid and my son, but I would certainly remember if I had engaged a governess for Kit. I have done nothing of the kind, nor do I intend to. I cannot fathom your motives in coming to Renforth Abbey but I am certain they cannot be honorable.”

  How could he say such insulting things while looking so vexingly attractive? Leah considered that most unfair. The duke’s chestnut brown hair was clipped short, like his son’s, perhaps to keep it from ever appearing untidy. His jutting nose and the crisp line of his jaw gave his face a severe look. The generous fullness of his lower lip contrasted with that, as did his mobile brows and high forehead, which seemed inclined to settle into lines of bewilderment or worry. The combined effect was altogether too compelling to suit Leah. She did not want to feel even a flicker of admiration for such a harsh, repressive man.

  “My real name is the one I told everyone I’ve met so far at Renforth Abbey—Leah Shaw.” She exaggerated the pronunciation. “I have done nothing to deceive anyone. You may not recall hiring a governess for your son, but have you forgotten asking your sister to find a suitable person to instruct him and supervise his care? I am surprised Lady Althea did not write to inform you when I would be arriving. I assumed she would.”

  “Althea?” The duke’s eyes widened. He took a half step back, as if Leah had pushed him. “My sister sent you here?”

  “Is that not what I said?” It was difficult to stay vexed with the duke when he appeared so baffled. “Perhaps you remember now. Things sometimes slip my mind, too, though not often anything this important. My previous employer recommended me to Lady Althea. She thought I would do very well for your son. Having met Kit, I agree he needs someone like me... in the beginning at least. As I told your sister, I do not care to remain in one position for more than a year. I hope that will not be a problem.”

  “Not in the least.” The duke made an obvious effort to marshal his composure. “But there has been a misunderstanding. I apologize for accusing you of deliberate deception. Once you have learned the circumstances, I believe you will agree I had grounds for suspicion. When it comes to the safety of my son, I cannot be too careful.”

  He drew back, giving Leah room to descend the last two stairs. She rather wished he had not, for it meant he towered over her again... not that she was the least bit intimidated. “That was a very lukewarm apology, considering the dreadful things you accused me of. What is this misunderstanding you feel excuses your incivility?”

  Clearly the duke was not accustomed to having his conduct questioned. No doubt his word was law at Renforth Abbey and he was free to treat his servants as he wished. Moving from one position to another so often, Leah had learned not to put up with such nonsense from her employers. Once she made that clear, she seldom had any further trouble. For his son’s sake, she hoped the Duke of Northam would be equally sensible.

  He seemed to debate whether to rebuke her for addressing him as she had, but decided against it. Instead, he began to walk down the ground floor corridor. This time he did not stalk off and expect her to follow, but strolled by her side like an escort. “Perhaps I deserve that, Miss Shaw. But what was I to think, when I knew neither of your coming nor that my sister had engaged your services? If she told you she was acting on my behalf then it was she who deceived you.”

  Now it was Leah’s turn to be taken aback. Was it possible she had misunderstood Lady Althea?

  The duke paused before a set of elaborate double doors. “Let us continue our discussion in the privacy of my library.”

  He opened one door and ushered her in. Leah stifled a gasp at the magnificence of the room. Everywhere she looked were vast shelves, some built into the walls, others jutting out to create interesting alcoves. All were filled with a fortune in finely bound volumes.

  Leah expected the duke to invite her to sit in one of the handsomely upholstered chairs grouped around the room. Having been told she was hungry, perhaps he might ring for tea. Instead he strode to a substantial writing table and stood behind it.

  Planting the tips of his fingers on the edge of the tabletop, he fixed her with an icy blue gaze, which reminded her of the most tyrannical of her teachers at the Pendergast School. “Let me make one thing clear, Miss Shaw. I did not authorize my sister to find a governess for Kit. She told me that was what I should do. When I refused, she must have taken matters into her own hands.”

  Leah cringed to reflect upon her earlier actions—barging into Renforth Abbey, ordering the servants about. More importantly, she wondered what would become of Kit if he was not to have a governess after all. Now that she had met the boy, she was more anxious than ever to teach him.

  Until recently Leah’s vocation had been a means to fund her plans for the future. Having been left a small inheritance, she did not have the same concerns as her friends about saving every penny to support herself when she could no longer work. If
she chose, she could afford to take a lease on a cottage in the country, hire a widowed companion for the sake of propriety and live a retiring life. But that prospect did not appeal to her in the least.

  Instead she preferred taking temporary teaching positions, which gave her the opportunity to see new places and meet new people while saving money toward her dream—a tour of the Continent. The salary she’d been offered for this position would have made it possible for her to go abroad far sooner.

  But it was not the thought of her plans being dashed that dismayed her at the moment. If the duke meant to send her away, she had nothing to lose by speaking her mind. She strode to the writing table and planted her hands on the opposite side, mirroring his stance. “I happen to agree with Lady Althea, sir. It is clear your son wants and needs a governess. Since I have come all this way, why not let me stay for a while on trial, and see how it works out?”

  “Stay?” The duke’s fingers pressed hard upon the writing table. “Out of the question! I am quite capable of providing my son with the care he needs. I see now why my sister sent you here. She thought once you got your foot in the door, I would not be able to send you away. Let me assure you, she was mistaken.”

  When he drew a deep breath to continue, Leah seized the opportunity to get a word in. “Don’t be ridiculous! I have no intention of staying where I am not wanted. But what could it hurt to do what I propose?”

  What could it hurt? If the matter had not posed such a threat to his son, Hayden might have laughed at Leah Shaw’s preposterous question. He scarcely knew where to begin to enumerate the possible consequences.

  At the same time he could not dismiss his suspicion as to why Althea had selected this particular woman. His sister must have thought he would fall under the sway of Leah Shaw’s lively beauty and want to keep her at Renforth Abbey under any circumstances.

  As he stared across the table at her, Hayden could not stifle a pang of impatience with himself. This was the first time in years that he had been so conscious of a woman’s appearance. Leah Shaw’s fine, dark brows were mobile and expressive, reflecting her changing mood in the blink of an eye. Her lips had a similar mercurial quality, though he sensed their most frequent expression must be a winsome smile.

  Reminding himself that it was not her fault he found her attractive, he strove to moderate his tone. “Miss Shaw, I regret that our acquaintance began with such an unfortunate misunderstanding, entirely the fault of my meddling sister. Althea has been trying to run my life ever since our nursery days. She had no business sending you here without my approval, but you are not to blame for that. Nonetheless, I know what is best for my son. As you have seen, his needs are different from those of other children you may have taught. His health and well-being are my primary concerns. I fear his constitution is too delicate to allow him to undertake a rigorous course of study.”

  “Nonsense!” she snapped. “The right sort of teaching need not tax Kit’s constitution. On the contrary, it would provide him with some much-needed diversion. From what I have seen, the worst threat your son faces is being bored to death under your stifling regime.”

  What had made him suppose this woman could be reasoned with? No one who would romp about with a frail, disabled child on her back could have any sense worth appealing to. Hayden knew some people, women especially, were motivated by impulse and emotion rather than good judgment. Such people were a danger to themselves and everyone around them. He had seen proof that Leah Shaw was one of those people.

  “I will decide what is best for my son!” He was not accustomed to being put in his place with such impudence. “Not my sister and certainly not a stranger who never set eyes on Kit until an hour ago.”

  When she tried to interrupt, he silenced her with a stern glare. “It is too late in the day for you to leave Renforth Abbey, so I will order a room prepared for you. I also intend to pay you half of whatever annual salary my sister promised. That should keep you until you can secure a new position.”

  “That is generous of you sir, but—”

  Hayden had no compunction about interrupting her. “I offer this settlement on the condition that you leave my house tomorrow morning without any further fuss and never return. Is that clear?”

  “Perfectly clear,” Leah Shaw replied tartly. “However, my silence is not for sale at any price. I appreciate your civility in offering me a bed for the night, but I refuse to look the other way when I am certain you are making a grave mistake, for which your son will pay.”

  Her reply left Hayden momentarily speechless. It had never occurred to him that Leah Shaw might reject his offer. Though it vexed him to be thwarted, he could not stifle a flicker of admiration for this infuriating woman that had nothing to do with her attractive looks. In spite of her brief acquaintance with Kit, she must care a great deal about his welfare or she would not decline such handsome compensation.

  How could Hayden fault her for that? Yet he dared not follow the perilous course she proposed. Years of caution argued strenuously against it.

  “I understand your concern for your son’s well-being.” Leah Shaw continued, clearly determined to have her say, for which she would pay such a high price. “And I commend you for it. But is it necessary to keep your child alive by depriving him of everything that makes life worth living? Has he ever looked out that window before today? Has he ever been allowed to leave the confines of that bed, or is it a splendid prison cell?”

  Her impassioned words went far beyond mere impertinence. They verged on brutality. Every one struck Hayden a painful blow. But when he tried to rally his defenses and strike back, a traitorous part of him inquired whether some of what was said might be true.

  “If I were obliged to endure such a solitary, monotonous existence...” Her voice faltered. “...I would go mad. I beg you, sir, if you do not consider me suitable, hire someone else to be Kit’s governess. But do not permit your dislike of me to deprive your son of the joy of learning!”

  He did not dislike her. Hayden bit down hard on his tongue to keep from admitting it. The trouble was he could easily come to like her too well. From there it would be but a short, treacherous step to caring about her opinion of him. That was a weakness he could not afford with his son’s welfare at stake.

  “I have heard quite enough!” He cut her off with a slashing motion of his hand. “If you will not accept the compensation I have offered, that is your choice, Miss Shaw. But I will not risk my son’s health on the advice of someone who knows so little of Kit’s situation. Contrary to what you may believe, I love my son with all my heart and I am confident I know what is best for him. Nothing you can say will alter that. Good day and farewell to you!”

  With that, he turned on his heel and stalked out of the library, torn between relief and regret that he would never set eyes on Leah Shaw again.

  Chapter Two

  THAT INFURIATING MAN!

  As Leah watched the duke march out of the library, she found herself torn between acute frustration and intense relief. How could he not understand the intolerable conditions to which he was subjecting his young son? It reminded her of her blighted youth at the Pendergast School—the dank, dark rooms, the numbing routine and stifling conformity. She had rebelled against it by every means she could devise, outrageous humor being the most effective weapon in her arsenal.

  If only His Grace would give her a chance, she was confident she could brighten Kit’s life and broaden his horizons, which were even more severely restricted than hers had once been. At least she’d had the stimulation of her studies and the companionship of her friends to make her situation bearable.

  Yet much as she wanted to stay at Renforth Abbey for Kit’s sake, Leah would not be sorry to escape having to deal with his imperious father. Though she had been impressed by the duke’s offer of such liberal compensation, she resented his assumption that she could be bribed into silence over something as vital as the welfare of his child. Since leaving that wretched school, she had never encou
ntered such a stubborn, shortsighted despot!

  Scarcely aware of what she was doing, Leah began to rub the palms of her hands against her skirts. No indeed, she did not relish the prospect of constant battles she would have to wage with Lord Northam to get him to ease the restrictions on his son. And yet, she could not deny something about their verbal sparring had stimulated her.

  “I beg your pardon, Miss Shaw.” The butler’s voice jolted Leah from her silent fuming. “His Grace informs me you will be staying the night. He requested I provide you with tea. Would you care to take it here, or in one of the sitting rooms?”

  How many sitting rooms did this house have?

  “Here in the library will do very well, thank you, Mr. Gibson.” Leah tried not to let her annoyance with his master affect her courtesy toward the butler.

  “As you wish. If you would care to take a seat, I shall return shortly.”

  So the duke had paid attention when she told him she was hungry. Leah considered his unexpected gesture of hospitality as she took a moment to appreciate the muted grandeur of her surroundings. Above the lofty book shelves hung centuries-old portraits in gilt frames. A collection of delicate Oriental vases lined the mantelpiece while a finely crafted table globe stood nearby. Three groups of chairs and sofas occupied different areas of the room without appearing crowded in the least.

  After a good look around, Leah took a seat on one of the brocade armchairs clustered around a low table near a tall bank of windows. She had scarcely gotten settled before the butler reappeared, bearing a tea tray.

  “I am sorry to hear you were mistaken in thinking you had been engaged as a governess for the young master.” The butler sounded sincerely sympathetic as he offered Leah a bounty of sandwiches, biscuits and cakes that made her mouth water.