Bewitching the Duke

by Christie Kelley

  Colin shook his head as he walked toward the door.

  “Yes?” a butler said after opening the door.

  Colin realized that he must have been gone far too long if his friend’s butler didn’t recognize him. “I’m here to see the earl.”

  The butler waited for a card.

  “I don’t have a card, my good man. I am Northrop.”

  The butler’s blue eyes widened. “Excuse me, Your Grace. Come right in.”

  Colin followed the man down the gallery filled with family portraits until they reached Hart’s study.

  Hart looked up with an easy smile. “To what do I owe this honor, North?”

  “I need to speak with you in private.”

  “Of course.” Hart walked toward the door. “Do you want coffee? I just asked them to bring me some.”

  “Yes, thank you.”

  Hart called for a servant to fetch them coffee and two cups. The servant returned with remarkable speed and placed the tray on a table near the window. Hart poured two cups and then handed one to him. Colin took the drink and sipped it slowly. Warmth spread throughout his body as he drank the slightly bitter brew.

  “How is the refurbishing coming along?”

  “Slow. It might be hard to have everything ready before the wedding.”

  Hart smiled. “Kate won’t mind. She is a very even-tempered young woman.”

  Her temperament was one of her finest attributes. She would make a wonderful wife. In that sense, she reminded him of Mary.

  “Now, what really brings you here?” Hart asked as he placed his cup down on the table next to him. “I doubt you came all this way to chat about your house.”

  “I’m wondering if you can do me a favor.”

  “Of course, name it.”

  “Do you have space on the estate for another tenant?”

  Hart eyed him suspiciously. “I do. Are you looking to keep a mistress here?”

  “God, no. I just want Miss White off my land.”

  Hart shook his head. “Don’t do that, North. You are begging for trouble if you do.”

  “I am sick to death of everyone telling me how much these women do for us. I want her off my estate.” Colin finished the rest of his coffee and then placed the cup on Hart’s desk. “Will you take her or not?”

  “Of course. I’m sure Miss Featherstone will be happy for the company. And Mrs. Featherstone will appreciate the help.”

  “Exactly.” And Colin was pleased that he had this mess finally settled. “I shall tell her to be packed by Friday.”

  “Shall I send a man for her?”

  “No, one of my men will bring her and her things over.” Colin stood and nodded. “Thank you.”

  Hart shook his head. “I still believe you are making a mistake, North. Miss White has done nothing but good for your tenants.”

  “Not for me,” he muttered.

  “They will hate you for forcing their wise woman to leave. Most of them believe these women keep them safe from harm and the land bountiful.”

  “Then they are fools,” Colin remarked.

  “Very well, anyone else I can take off your hands? A good footman or two, maybe?”

  Colin smiled. “Highly unlikely you would want any of my elderly servants. Just take the wise woman.”

  “As you wish.”

  With that settled, he could get on with his life. Already, he felt as if a weight had been lifted off his chest. Now, with Miss White gone, he could concentrate on the wedding.

  Selina felt the bulging belly of Susan Wells and attempted not to frown. The baby was due any day but Selina hadn’t felt a movement in the past few minutes. “Has the baby been moving a lot?”

  “Not as much this week but I’m not sure there’s anywhere to go.”

  Selina smiled at the young woman. First babies were always the hardest and sometimes they didn’t cooperate. “Well, perhaps he is just sleeping for me today.”

  God, she hoped that was all it was, but she didn’t have a good feeling. She hadn’t lost a baby in over two years. There was nothing worse . . . except losing the mother too. “I will stop by tomorrow and see if we can’t wake him up.”

  “Probably as soon as you leave, he’ll be kickin’ up a storm,” Susan said with a laugh.

  She prayed Susan was right. If there was still no movement by tomorrow, she might have to brace Susan for the worst. A knot tightened in her belly. She packed up her things, said her good-byes, and walked home.

  She’d spent the past two days trying to figure out what she would do if the duke upheld his threat to make her leave. Mia’s small home was full with her mother living there too. Tia’s cottage on Viscount Middleton’s land was smaller than Selina’s home.

  A deepening sadness invaded her mind. She didn’t want to leave the tenants who needed her. And with her worries about Susan, Selina felt as if she couldn’t leave the poor woman stranded. It might take Mia two hours to get here, longer at night. Anything might happen to Susan and the baby by then.

  As she arrived home, Mrs. Roberts sat on the bench in front of the cottage window. “Mrs. Roberts, is everything all right?”

  “Yes, my dear. I came by with some fruit tarts to thank you for the herbs you sent.” Mrs. Roberts hoisted her sturdy frame out of the bench and walked toward Selina.

  “Thank you. Would you care for some tea?”

  “Oh, I would at that. I’ve been up since dawn, baking for all the workers the duke has here. It’s nice to get away for some peace. They are a noisy bunch of men.”

  Selina smiled and opened the door for her. “At least the house is finally being put into order.”

  “True.” Mrs. Roberts set the tarts on the table and started fussing with the fire. “I’ll get the fire started while you fetch the water.”

  Selina kept several jugs of water on hand. She reached for one and poured the water into a pan. Once Mrs. Roberts had the fire started, they waited for the water to boil. Selina readied the tea and pulled out plates for the tarts.

  “You will have one, won’t you?” she asked Mrs. Roberts.

  “I shouldn’t . . . but maybe just a small one.”

  Selina poured the tea and then sat down at the small table. “How is everyone at the house?”

  Mrs. Roberts looked down at her tart. “Everyone is horrified by the duke’s actions, my dear. We all believe he may have lost his mind.”

  “He is the duke and can do as he likes,” she replied and then took a bite of the flaky crust. “This is wonderful.”

  “Thank you.” Mrs. Roberts sipped her tea. “We do not understand why His Grace would want you gone. Your kind has been here forever.”

  Her kind. She was nothing more than a woman with some knowledge of herbs and healing. Yet the tenants thought her some kind of magical being who could heal every illness. “He is a modern man with modern notions.”

  “What do you mean?” Mrs. Roberts asked.

  “He believes physicians and surgeons have the answers. After all, I am just an uneducated country woman. I might be able to read but I have never been to university. How much could I possibly know? And what could I possibly know about healing people?” Selina sipped her tea and sat back.

  Mrs. Roberts tilted her head back and laughed. “I’ll take your uneducated knowledge over one of those arrogant physicians any day.”

  Selina smiled back at the older woman. “Thank you.”

  “What will you do now?”

  Selina shrugged. “I honestly don’t know.”

  Mrs. Roberts leaned in closer until her large breasts pressed against the table. “I heard he went to Hartsfield.”

  “For what reason?”

  “To get permission for you to stay on his lands.”

  Selina covered her mouth with her hand. She blinked away the tears that threatened to fall. Finally, she moved her hand. “What did the earl say?”

  “The duke told Mr. Roberts that he wanted a wagon to be in front of your home on Friday for the trip ove
r to the earl’s land. So I can only assume the earl gave his permission.”

  Of course, Hartsfield would do that. “What am I to do?” Selina mumbled.

  “That’s the reason I’m here, Selina.” Mrs. Roberts smiled at her. “We have a plan.”

  “We?”

  “The servants and I came up with a plan so that you won’t have to leave.”

  Selina smiled at the kindhearted lady. “I don’t have any choice, Mrs. Roberts. His Grace can evict me.”

  She waved a pudgy hand at Selina. “Pish-posh, girl. What did the duke really say?”

  “He told me to leave the cottage.”

  “Exactly. And so you shall.”

  Selina suddenly felt like thumping her head on the table. “If I must leave then I will have no choice but to go to the earl’s land.”

  “Selina, he told you to leave the cottage. He never told you to leave his land.”

  Thinking back Selina was certain he had told her to leave his lands. But she desperately wanted to hear Mrs. Roberts’s plan. “But all the tenants’ cottages are occupied. There is nowhere else I can go.”

  Mrs. Roberts laughed. “There is an entire house with only a few people living in it.”

  “Northrop Park?”

  “He never said you couldn’t live there.”

  “Once he discovers me there, he will have me removed immediately,” Selina countered.

  “And that might take months. That house has fifty bedchambers. We could move you to a new room every night if needed and he wouldn’t discover you for months. That will give you time to show him your worth.”

  Selina looked up at the plain white ceiling. She knew it had nothing to do with her worth. “But he doesn’t want me here.”

  “That man doesn’t know what’s good for him. Did he ever say you couldn’t help his tenants after you leave the cottage?”

  Selina shook her head and then brushed a lock of hair out of her eyes.

  “So if he sees you in the house, just tell him you are there at one of the servants’ request. If he sees you on the property, you are there to help out one of the tenants.”

  This was so wrong. She knew why he wanted her off his property. And she had no doubt that when he said he wanted her gone from the cottage, he meant departed from his property. Nonetheless, she had a duty to this land that took precedence over his wishes.

  “Are you certain I won’t be discovered?” she asked hesitantly.

  “There are only a few servants he brought with him from London. The majority of us have lived here our entire lives. The few new servants will take orders from Mr. Roberts or myself. Every one of us will help keep you safe.”

  “What about during the wedding?”

  “That will only take up to a fortnight. We will hide you elsewhere if they need all the bedchambers.”

  “What about after the wedding?”

  “Once the wedding is over, he’ll go back to London. Mr. Roberts heard him say so.”

  Selina took a long breath in and held it for a moment. Slowly she released it and made her decision. No one would force her to renege on her duties to this land and its people. Not even the Duke of Northrop.

  “Very well, Mrs. Roberts. I believe we can make this work.”

  Chapter 6

  Colin tried to listen as his steward discussed the cost of wheat this year, but his attention was elsewhere. It was Friday. The wagon should be at her cottage. Within a few short hours, she would be on her way to Hart’s lands. There she could live happily for the next two months. Perhaps she would be so content there she would decide to remain on Hart’s estate for good.

  And he could forget her and all that she represented.

  Therefore, he should return his concentration to his steward.

  “As such, Your Grace,” Mr. Hughes said, “I recommend reducing the percentage of wheat the tenant farmers receive.”

  What did he miss? “Excuse me, Mr. Hughes, I am not quite certain I understand why you would have me do such a thing.”

  “Sir, you will greatly increase your profits if you reduce their percentage. Even half a percent decrease to the tenants would increase your wealth substantially.” Mr. Hughes closed his ledger as if their conversation were finished.

  “Mr. Hughes, this estate is my most profitable already. Part of the reason for my success here is that I give a very reasonable portion to my tenants and they continue to work the land as if it were theirs. I will change nothing.”

  Mr. Hughes glanced down at the desk. “Yes, Your Grace.”

  Colin watched Hughes’s face as he attempted to say more but did not. “What else, Mr. Hughes?”

  “Sir, it’s just that you have sent away our wise woman. There is a chance that with her gone, your lands may not produce as they did in the past.”

  Colin banged his fist on his desk. He was so damned tired of everyone on this land treating her as if she was some sort of goddess. “Miss White does not toil on this land. The tenants do. They will continue to do so for generations whether Miss White is here or not. She has no mystical powers. Her departure will not impact our crop output.”

  Mr. Hughes nodded. “If you say so, Your Grace.”

  “You don’t believe me?”

  “I should take my leave now.” Hughes stood and gathered his things.

  “Speak your mind, Hughes.”

  Mr. Hughes stared down at his boots. “If the tenants are unhappy that you’ve sent away their healer, they may take their displeasure out on you. They might deliberately set out to ruin the wedding, or worse, the crops.”

  “They would do no such thing,” Colin said harshly. Although, as he thought back to the day he entered Mrs. Godwin’s home, the reception had not been cordial. And then there was the way most of the tenants turned their backs on him when he rode past. None of that mattered, he decided. This was his land and he would do what was needed. “Good day, Mr. Hughes.”

  “Good day, Your Grace.”

  Dammit! Colin picked up a teacup and hurled it toward the fireplace to ease his frustration. The sooner she left, the better. Just to make sure she really intended to leave, he decided to verify her whereabouts.

  He strode to her cottage. The dark clouds overhead suited his mood perfectly. As he walked, he realized his ankle must be completely healed. It didn’t even ache with the approaching rain.

  He stopped a short distance away and watched the scene. One of his wagons sat in front of the house as many of the tenants assisted her with her things. She brought out a small trunk and placed it in the back. As if she knew he stared, she turned and spied him. She only shook her head and walked back into the house.

  He approached the house slowly. Several of his tenants nodded but none muttered much more than a quick greeting. He felt their anger as they loaded her possessions. Perhaps Mr. Hughes might be correct with regard to the tenants’ reactions.

  “Did you come to check on me?” Miss White asked as she brought out a satchel.

  “I came to say good-bye,” he said as a slice of guilt knifed him in the stomach.

  “Very well then, good-bye, Your Grace.” Her emerald eyes shone with unshed tears. She dropped the satchel in the wagon and then walked back inside.

  He knew there was nothing more to say, and yet, he had no desire to return to the loneliness of his home. He heard a quick giggle as someone said something to her. The sound of her laugh warmed his heart.

  Gradually, he walked away, knowing he was not welcome there. He stopped at the reflecting pond and looked over the land that was his only because he happened to be born at the right time and fathered by the right man. Had his father been a tenant on the land, he’d be assisting Miss White instead of forcing her to leave.

  If he had any sense, he would stop her. But glancing up at the empty house, the memories were still too raw for him. Forcing her to leave was the best option for everyone. With her gone, he could concentrate on the upcoming wedding. For once, happiness would be the overwhelming emotion in the
house, not the continual sadness that draped every room.

  So why did he feel like he’d just made a huge mistake?

  Selina looked about her empty cottage as sorrow enveloped her. This was the only home she’d ever known. While the servants’ plan to keep her hidden in the house for two months might work, he still might discover her. And if that happened, she’d never be able to return here again. But she had to try. What he didn’t know after he left would not hurt him.

  “Is that everything, Selina?”

  “Yes.” She brushed away a tear that fell but another just took its place.

  Mrs. Roberts embraced her. “It will be all right. You’ll be back in your home in no time.”

  “Thank you, Mrs. Roberts.”

  “We have the two books you requested, your herbs, and your personal things up in a bedroom on the third floor. His Grace has the west wing on the second floor. He’ll never know you’re living right under his nose.”

  Selina nodded and gave the kind older lady another squeeze. “Thank you for all your help.”

  Mrs. Roberts let out a husky laugh. “We’re not about to lose our wise woman. The duke has no idea how much you do for us all.”

  And he never would, she realized. With this plan, she had no way of showing him the duties she performed for the estate. Not that it would matter to him. He believed only men made good doctors. Healing needed knowledge, and education, and, according to the duke, a penis. After a final look around, she walked outside and closed the door to her cottage. Instinctively, she knew she’d never be back to live there again.

  “We shall head out toward the earl’s estate in case the duke is watching,” Mr. Evans said in a hushed tone. “Once we reach the woods, you and David will get out and walk back to Northrop Park. Randall will be at the back of the house to let you inside and show you to your room.”

  A nervous energy filled her. If this went wrong, she would end up living with Mia and her mother forever. But this plan would work, as long as they all were careful.

  Mr. Evans continued, “I will go on with your things to Mrs. Featherstone’s home. They arranged for your possessions to be left, out of sight, in the stables.”