Regency Romance: Loving The Reluctant Viscount (The Fairbanks Series - Love & Hearts) (Historical Regency Romance & Mystery)

by Jessie Bennett

  “I am most grateful, my lord.”

  Allan nodded, leaned down and picked the little boy up. “All right, young man. Are you ready for a biscuit? I think I do smell something delicious in the air. Do you?”

  Teddy nodded vigorously, still staring at Allan. Allan ruffled his hair. “I am Lord Allan Gray from Australia. Can you say Allan Gray?”

  “Allan Gray.”

  “Very good. My friends call me Allan. You can call me Allan, too, because you are my friend.”

  “Allan. Allan.” Teddy bounced up and down in his arms.

  “All right, all right. Be calm, young man. Do you want me to put you down?”

  “Yes, I am a big boy, I can walk.”

  “I noticed. You can run, too. You won’t run away from me, will you?”

  “No. No. No.” Teddy shook his head back and forth so hard, he almost pitched out of Allan’s arms. Allan set him on his feet, keeping hold of one of the little boy’s small hands.

  “Do you like to get up and bother your nanny in the early hours of the day?”

  Teddy just looked up at him. He grinned.

  “When I was little like you, a big boy on the inside but a little boy on the outside, I used to run around and make people chase me, too. I know I thought it was a lot of fun. But sometimes you must behave and do as you are told. As a matter of fact, it is a good idea to always do as you are told, especially if it is mama or papa or your nanny that is telling you something. Do you agree?”

  Teddy’s eyes opened wide. He nodded.

  “It is important to be obedient, is it not?”

  “Yes.” Teddy gripped his hand tight as they walked down the hallway toward the stairs that would lead down to the dining room and the kitchen beyond it.

  The cook was more than happy to give them both a biscuit with butter. When he was done with his, she gave Allan a second one. “Men get two.” She whispered to him. He laughed.

  “Thank you, Eleanor.”

  “You are most welcome, my lord. I have not seen anyone but Amelia bring this child in here for an early morning snack. Sometimes, it is the only way to calm him down. I would not expect a visitor to be so obliging. Do you have children of your own?”

  “I do not. Not yet.”

  “You plan to have children?”

  “I must get married first.”

  “Have you a woman in mind?”

  Allan would have been surprised by the forward nature of the cook if he had been visiting anywhere but Worthington Manor. The servants and staff were made to feel part of the family. Shawn and Elizabeth knew them all and called them by name. They were not shy about showing respect to the people who worked for them.

  “They keep us comfortable.” Shawn had told him a few days after he arrived. “We treat them with respect because they deserve it. If they show themselves to be of bad character, we do not keep them at the manor.”

  “There is a woman who has captured my heart.”

  Cook was an older woman, her face covered in fine wrinkles. Her hair was graying and her dress hung from her bony shoulders in an unfashionable manner. It seemed to Allan the only reason the dress stayed on her at all was because her apron was wrapped tightly around her, the strings circling her twice before being tied in front of her belly.

  “She is a lucky woman, my lord.”

  Allan grinned. “I would say that any man with the opportunity to taste your biscuits would also be lucky, Eleanor. These are delicious. Thank you.”

  “Thank you, my lord. I’m glad you like them.” He was pleased to see her thin cheeks fill with blood.

  He looked down at Teddy, who was holding the biscuit between his hands, taking small bites and staring at the two of them as they talked.

  “And what about you, young master? Are you enjoying the Cook’s biscuits?”

  Teddy nodded. “Yes. Good biscuits. I like to eat them.”

  Eleanor watched the little boy eat with a satisfied smile on her face. “I always make a few extra, my lord, just in case the master comes down early.”

  “Does he do this often?”

  “More often than Amelia would like, I must say. But only a few times a month.”

  “Does Amelia take him back to his room or her room after he eats his biscuits?”

  “His Grace will be down here before long. When little Theodore is already here, he spends a few minutes with him alone.”

  Allan shook his head. “This news does not surprise me. Tell me, Eleanor, is Shawn Worthington truly as perfect as he seems to be?”

  Eleanor laughed with him. “He is a good man, to be sure.”

  “He has a beautiful, devoted wife, two beautiful children, a beautiful home. There is not a soul I would be able to find in all of Fairbanks that does not speak highly of him.”

  “Some years back Fairbanks was in the hands of the Duke’s youngest brother, Lawrence. Fairbanks was not as prosperous under his rule.”

  “Was he dishonest?”

  Eleanor chuckled. “No. Lawrence has a good heart but no brain in his head. He had no idea what he was doing.”

  Allan had to laugh with her. “That can certainly bring down a kingdom.”

  “Yes and it nearly did Fairbanks. The Duke, bless him, returned and took over. What you see now is a result of his wisdom and good heart mixed together.”

  “I am astounded by loyalty of his people. It was a factor in my decision to stay on here.”

  “You will be moving to Worthington Manor?”

  “No, I am building a house in Duck’s Row, along with some other buildings.”

  Eleanor gave him an inquisitive look, reaching out to wipe away bread crumbs from young Teddy’s pants. “Where the children’s asylum is?”

  “Yes, that’s right.”

  “Will you be keeping Mrs. Bell and the children there or will you move them?”

  Allan raised his eyebrows and reached for another biscuit. Before he took a large bite, consuming half of the biscuit, he asked, “Where would I move them to?”

  “I do not know, my lord.”

  “No, I will keep them in their home. I have plans to expand on it and make it bigger for them. More room for the children to play.”

  A look of relief flooded the cook’s face. “I am terribly glad to hear that, my lord.” She gave him a pleasant smile. “You speak highly of Duke Worthington, my lord, but it seems you are a man of the same mold.”

  Allan smiled back. “Thank you, Eleanor.”

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  STEVEN AT THE DOWLING ESTATE

  STEVEN AT THE DOWLING ESTATE

  The door opened to the study. Elizabeth hurried through, moving directly to the desk where her husband was seated. “Shawn, I must talk to you.”

  He looked up from the papers he was scanning. “What is it, Liz?”

  She sat in a chair near the desk and leaned forward anxiously. “I have just learned that my mother has asked the Grays and Lord Minor to her estate.”

  Shawn nodded, letting the paper in his hand lay flat on the surface of the desk. He could see by his wife’s worried expression that this may be a lengthy conversation. “I can see this concerns you. Is it because of the theft situation? You are skeptical of Lord Miner?”

  “Have you any information that the items stolen have been recovered? Or that anyone who is a stranger has come through Fairbanks in the last week?”

  Shawn shook his head. “I must admit, I have not. But we mustn’t assume guilt on anyone until we have reason to believe they…or he in this instance…is guilty.”

  Elizabeth shook her head. “I don’t believe that anyone has told Janelle to be aware. It was only yesterday we found out that someone has been stealing. I fear if I send a messenger now, she will be informed while they are there. Oh, I should have stopped to tell them about Steven before now. But I did not know they would be visiting.”

  Shawn clucked his tongue. “My dear wife, I sincerely doubt that Lord Miner, if he is the thief
, will remove items from your mother’s home in front of any witnesses. And as far as we know, he is not a violent man. We will send a messenger and warn both Janelle and your mother to be careful. But we cannot assume. It would be very difficult to explain if he is accused but is not the thief.”

  “I don’t care about how hard it is to explain, Shawn. I am afraid for my mother and her belongings.”

  Shawn shook his head. “I must insist that you stop your worrying. Steven is not likely to do anything to cause damage to his reputation with Viscount Gray. In fact, Allan mentioned to me before he left that he plans to offer Steven a job, helping him to build on the land at Duck’s Row.”

  “I cannot stop worrying,” True to her word, Elizabeth looked even more concerned. “And now you are telling me that he may be staying on in an employment situation. Why, we’ll have nothing left in any of our homes!”

  Shawn laughed. “Elizabeth, you are bordering on hysteria. Where would Lord Miner store these things you say he will steal? He cannot sell them, for fear they will be recognized. He cannot keep them in his home because he has no home. What do you expect he will do? He is not a miracle worker.”

  Elizabeth sighed, knowing she was not thinking straight. “I do not trust him, Shawn.”

  “This is obvious to all. As I said, there is nothing we can do at present. We will pray he behaves while at your mother’s house. There is nothing else we can do at this point, is there?”

  Reluctantly, Elizabeth shook her head. “No, I suppose there is not.”

  “You need a distraction. Take yourself to the nursery and see your sweet baby girl. That will cheer you up.”

  Elizabeth got to her feet, mumbling. If something happened to her mother and sister, she was going to blame Shawn. She grumbled her way to the door. Once there, she turned back. “I hope you are right, Shawn. I do hope you are right.”

  “If I’m not, someone will let us know right away before anyone else is notified. You know that.”

  “It doesn’t sit comfortably with me.”

  “There is nothing to be done. Go see Anna and give her a kiss for me. Play with your baby. That will make you feel better.”

  Elizabeth disappeared behind the door. It clicked shut softly behind her. For a few minutes, Shawn let his eyes linger on that area, as if she was still standing there. Then he looked back down and picked up the paper he had been reading before Elizabeth entered the room.

  “Welcome to my home, Lord Miner, Lord Gray.” Lady Dowling and Janelle met the guests at the front door. “Is it raining terribly out there?”

  “It looks as though we might have clear skies for a short time, my lady. How are you feeling today?”

  “I will not complain, my lord. Thank you for coming to visit.”

  Allan bowed deeply to her before turning his attention to Janelle. “You look lovely, Miss Dowling.”

  “Thank you, Lord Gray.”

  “I do hope you are hungry for a big lunch.” Lady Dowling turned from them. They followed her to the dining room. “Cook has prepared a feast for us today. If the sky clears after we are done, we will play croquet outside.”

  “That sounds lovely.”

  Janelle looked up at Allan as they walked side by side to the dining room. He was dashing in comparison with the other men who had attempted to court her. She thought about him constantly when he was not with her. She wondered if he thought of her the same way. He caught her looking at him and they smiled at each other.

  “Do you play croquet well, Miss Janelle?” He asked in a soft voice, allowing Emiline and Steven to go ahead of them.

  “I have been known to win my rounds of the game.” Janelle replied. “How are you at the game?”

  “Formidable. We must insist on being on the same team. That way we will not be in competition with one another.”

  “I would not mind it.” She said. “I am willing to be I would be a good opponent.”

  “That remains to be seen.”

  “Yes, it does.”

  “Come along, you two, lunch is waiting.” Janelle’s mother waved at them. They hurried through the doorway and sat in the chairs closest to the end of the table, where Lady Dowling seated herself.

  Emiline was very hungry. She had not been eating well, despite the regular meals provided by the Worthingtons. They had even opened their kitchen to snacking if someone felt the urge. She’d been picking at her food, unable to garner up enough of an appetite to consume a satisfactory amount. She was hungry but unable to eat.

  Steven made her feel uncomfortable. He brushed against her randomly, sending chills through her body. He had visited her room every few days in the middle of the night, first making plans to get into the Dowling house and then forcing himself upon her. She was glad to finally be there. She hoped that he would find the elephant artifact he wanted and leave Fairbanks for good. She would not be going with him. She had formed a friendship with Abe Montgomery and was anxious to pursue it. Abe had told her all about his home in Fairfield. She wanted to visit. She wanted to meet new people and put as much distance between herself and Steven Miner as possible.

  She ate more than she had been in the past few days without feeling sick to her stomach. She didn’t participate in the conversation but enjoyed listening to the mother and daughter banter of Lady Dowling and Janelle, who traded stories of shenanigans and mischief the Dowling girls had gotten into as children. Steven laughed at the stories along with everyone else but she saw no humor in his face. She saw him as evil. It crossed her mind that he might be the Devil, alive and well, creating chaos in her life. When she looked at him, it was all she could see. She hoped her fear and disdain did not show plainly on her face. To ensure no one would notice, she kept her eyes away from him.

  The skies had indeed cleared up and the group went out to play on wet grass.

  “This is a disadvantage, my lady. It cannot be counted as fair.”

  “You only say that when your ball does not go where you desire it to.” Janelle teased, lining up her ball and knocking it through two difficult hoops at the same time.

  “You have me at a further disadvantage because you are at home. I can play on wet grass at my home, too.”

  “You are making excuses, my lord!” Janelle exclaimed with an amused gasp.

  “I don’t mean to. But yes, I am.” Allan laughed.

  “Children, play through so that others might play, too.” Lady Dowling teased them.

  Emiline felt Steven’s hand on her elbow. She stiffened and looked up at him. His face was contorted into a sneer. “It’s your turn, Em.” He said in a low voice.

  “I know, Lord Miner.” She said aloud, pulling her elbow from his hand. She moved to her ball and readied herself to take the strike. The sound of Janelle and Allan laughing distracted her and she sent her ball flying out of bounds.

  “Well, that’s certainly too bad.” Steven laughed. “I wouldn’t have thought it possible in this wet grass but you managed to send it well out of bounds, my dear.”

  Resentment flowed through Emiline. “I did the best I could.” She pouted.

  “Don’t worry about it, Em.” Allan called from across the playing field. “You will have another chance. Go get your ball and bring it back. You can try your turn again, if you’d like.”

  Emiline glanced at Steven. “You should go stand by your ball, Lord Miner.”

  “Why do you keep calling me Lord Miner?” He stepped closer to her. Louder he said, “I will help you find it, Emiline.” She walked a little faster to where her ball had landed, trying to stay ahead of him.

  “I can find it myself. I don’t need any help.” She hissed. “I won’t call you Steven in front of everyone!” Her heart was racing as she approached a group of bushes. Her ball was nestled below them in the thick. She knew that Steven was behind her. If her brother and Janelle were out of eyesight, Steven would have an opportunity to grab hold of her. Her breath came and went rapidly as she bent quickly and knocked the ball out with her croquet m
allet. She turned and Steven was directly in front of her.

  “Did you see the elephant?”

  “No, I didn’t see it. Did you?”

  “No. Now tell me, why are you behaving this way? You were so willing to go along with my plans in the United States and when we were traveling through other parts of this great big world.”

  “I did not know you then.”

  “You know me now, you are saying?”

  “I do.” She looked up at him angrily. He would not dare do anything to her here, in front of her brother. She attempted to go around him to get back into the clearing. She knocked her ball out so that it was closer to the playing field, unwilling to bend over and pick it up.

  “Is Lady Emiline angry?” Steven’s voice was bitter. The sneer he had pasted on his face would be quick to disappear once the eyes of the Dowlings or Allan could see him.

  “Yes, I am angry. Please step away from me.”

  He leaned so close, she could feel his steamy breath on her face. “Don’t you forget, my lady, I own you. You know too much about my business to go wandering off into the arms of another.”

  “I don’t know what you are talking about.”

  He reached up and grabbed her elbow again, squeezing it so hard, a sharp pain slid up her arm.

  “Please let me go, my lord.” Emiline squeaked.

  “You know that I am talking about Lord Montgomery. He is a Duke and is not interested in a drifter like you. Do not get any ideas.”

  “Let me go, Steven. Let me go!” She wrenched her elbow from his hand and stalked out into the clearing, casting a smile toward her brother and Miss Janelle. Both were watching for her. “You are willing to let me try again?” She called out.

  Allan lifted one hand. “Yes, try again, sister. We’ll pray for a better shot!”

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  SEARCHING FOR THE ELEPHANT

  SEARCHING FOR THE ELEPHANT