Kind Ella and the Charming Duke: A Historical Regency Romance Book

by Barton, Bridget

  Ariadne, in keeping with the rest of the household, was ordinarily a late riser. It was a trait she had needed to keep in check when Ella’s father was still alive, for he did not hold with the idea of keeping the household servants in limbo all morning, waiting for everybody to finally rise and ultimately not finish breakfast until almost midday.

  But at Dandridge Hall, thoughtfulness towards the servants was not a common sentiment, and so it was that the staff teetered on the brink of serving breakfast from very early, when Ella arose, until the morning was over, and the rest of the family finally sat down at the table.

  “Good morning, Mama,” Ella said quietly, keeping her tone neutral.

  While she did not particularly want to greet her mother warmly, she did not want to be obviously dismissive. There was no need for an argument that morning, and she would seek to avoid one at all costs.

  “Have you eaten already?” Ariadne said, looking down at Ella’s plate.

  Ella had only thus far eaten a little bacon and some toast, but the sudden appearance of her mother had put an end to her appetite altogether; she knew she would not eat again until taking luncheon in her chamber.

  “Yes, I have eaten already. I will finish my tea and be on my way.” As much as she sought to avoid an argument, Ella could not resist reminding her mother of the solitary meals she was ordinarily forced to take.

  “No, no, you need not leave,” Ariadne said in a manner which suggested she was doing her daughter a great service in letting her stay. “Perhaps we could take breakfast together, my dear.” And she immediately set about loading her plate with bacon, kidneys, and tomatoes.

  “As you wish.”

  “It is so quiet at this hour, is it not?” her mother said conversationally between bites. “I think I am beginning to see why it is you rise so early.”

  “Yes, it is very quiet. Peaceful.”

  “Peaceful is the word, my dear.” Her mother gave her a conspiratorial glance before continuing. “And I must say that it is nice to eat a meal without the benefit of a full-blown argument between sisters at the table.”

  “Indeed,” Ella said shortly.

  She had been sure that her mother’s patience had been waning in respect of her new husband’s offspring, and now she was certain of it. But Ariadne had shown her very little care, and Ella begrudged the idea that she was now expected to commiserate with the woman who was at the root of her misery.

  The woman who had married again without need and had done so without thought. The woman who had treated her own daughter like one of the staff in order to appease her husband. Why on earth would she assume that Ella would be so keen to chase after any scraps thrown from her mother’s table?

  “And I must admit that I shall be somewhat relieved when the Duke finally chooses one of them. At least that will take one of them away from Dandridge and put an end to the arguments.”

  “So, you think that Dandridge will be a much more comfortable place when that happens?” Ella decided not to say anything at all about the Duke.

  It would appear that her mother was as convinced as the Earl that the man would be pleased to take either one of the young Belville women as his wife. Well, Ella was not about to dissuade her on it; she would not discuss the Duke at all.

  “Oh, I am sure of it. I must admit that their constant bickering is a drain on my energy and quite sets my teeth on edge.”

  “Then you are not quite as enamored of them as you were when we first came here, Mama?”

  “I would not say that I have ever been particularly enamored of them, my dear.”

  “Really? Because your rough treatment of me would certainly have led me to suspect otherwise.”

  “Are we to have this again, Ella? Especially when I am doing all I can to build bridges between the two of us.”

  “And why is that? Why are you suddenly so keen on my company that you would rise so early even when I know to rise early is not your custom?”

  “I suppose I do not want you to take every single meal alone,” Ariadne spoke solemnly, but Ella gave her sentiment no credit at all.

  “Then perhaps you might allow me to sit at the dinner table again?” Ella said flatly. “If you are as concerned as you say.”

  “I do not think it wise to antagonize your stepfather, Ella.” Ariadne was keeping a tight lid on her exasperation, and Ella could see it. “I think it would be better if we take one step at a time.”

  “So, was it my stepfather’s idea that I be kept away from the rest of the family? Did he instruct you to make it so?”

  “No, he did no such thing.”

  “Then it was your idea, Mama?” Ella had the upper hand, and she knew it.

  “No, it was not my idea, as you put it, it was simply a suggestion.”

  “Then it was a suggestion which seems to have taken firm root in this household, for I can hardly think that if I arrived at the dinner table this evening that I would be welcome. Or can you tell me otherwise?”

  “It is not permanent, Ella. It is just until this business of the Duke settles down, then I am sure that things will return to normal.”

  “Normal?”

  “When one of the girls is married to the Duke, and the other one is settled with some other suitor, then your stepfather will have no further worries, will he? And then I am sure that his humour will return.”

  “I must admit that I had never perceived any particular humour in him, Mama,” Ella said waspishly. “But perhaps humour is as much in the eye of the beholder as beauty is.”

  “There is no need to be clever, my dear.”

  “Why not? In this household, it is all I have left.”

  “If I had realised that you were so determined to be offensive, I would never have gone to the effort of coming down so early.”

  “Then at least it will save you the effort of doing so again, will it not?” Ella was suddenly furious.

  “All I had wanted was to have a few minutes with you, just to be ourselves again, is that too much to ask?”

  “No, it is very little,” Ella said significantly. “It is shamefully little.”

  “And what do you mean by that?”

  “Surely you cannot be happy in a house where you have to creep down early in the morning simply to be able to talk to your own daughter without fear of recrimination? Is it really so necessary for it to be such a secret?”

  As soon as Ella had finished speaking, she could see a look she barely recognised clouding her mother’s expression. For all the world, Ariadne looked as if Ella had stumbled upon the truth.

  “Perhaps it would be better if I gave up on the idea of breakfast,” Ariadne said quietly.

  “Is it true? Are you really so afraid of him that you dare not speak to your own daughter unless to instruct her on how best to keep out of everybody else’s way?”

  “I am not afraid, my dear, just very aware that we should not upset the applecart here.”

  “Here in our home , you mean? Is that not what you promised me Dandridge Hall would be once you married the Earl?”

  “And I am sure it will be, one day.” Ariadne looked suddenly tearful, and Ella, despite everything her mother had done to hurt her of late, was dismayed to find that she felt genuine pity for her. “But we must take things easily, slowly.”

  “Even our own relationship, Mama?” Ella spoke more tenderly to her mother than she had done in a very, very long time.

  She knew that things were not right, and Ronald Dandridge had made it worse without a doubt. But had they ever been close? Had Ella ever really loved the woman as a mother? Or had she loved her father so much that there was never room for Ariadne?

  “I am just trying to do what is right for both of us,” Ariadne said, and Ella’s pity began to wane just a little.

  It was clear to Ella that her mother would never own up to her part in things, however much Ella was hurt by it. But perhaps by coming down to breakfast, Ariadne was making the best effort that a woman of her nature could man
age.

  Or maybe she was finding herself a little lonely and seeking solace wherever she could get it?

  Either way, Ella knew that she was in no position to turn away the hand of friendship if it was offered.

  “Perhaps I will have another cup of tea before I finish,” Ella said, effectively putting an end to the conversation and seeking to set off on a brand-new foot.

  “Yes, that would be nice,” Ariadne said, always one to take the path of least resistance.

  Whilst Ella did not trust the idea of a tentative friendship between herself and her mother, she knew that she would at least have to give it a chance.

  Chapter 19

  “Forgive my intrusion, Miss Winfield,” Violet said as she bustled into the morning room with barely a knock. “But Mr Henry Mercer is here again.” She was whispering so quietly that Ella was forced to read her lips.

  “He is here at Dandridge?” Ella whispered back.

  “He arrived just a few minutes ago, and the butler had instructions to take him straight through to the Earl’s study.”

  “It was the Earl already in his study?”

  “Yes, I have just this minute delivered tea to them.”

  “And it was just the two of them again?”

  “Yes, Miss.”

  “Violet, are you quietly suggesting that I eavesdrop again?”

  “Yes, Miss,” Violet said and nodded vigorously.

  “Violet, you are a caution!” Ella said and laughed.

  “But Miss, what about the Duke? They might be talking about him at this very minute, and it might be something that you can help him with again.”

  “To be honest, I am not entirely sure that I helped him the first time. He very likely thought my cryptic little message some sort of nonsense. And even if he did not, I realise now that he probably could make no guesses as to whom he should be avoiding.”

  “But he was so nice to you in the tearooms, wasn’t he?”

  “Well yes, he was.” Ella thought back and could hardly believe it had been two days since she had taken mid-morning tea with the Duke. She had been thinking about him in almost every waking moment since and the time seemed to have flown. “But I cannot begin to imagine what the Earl and Henry Mercer are talking about. After all, the Earl has already secured Henry Mercer’s duplicity, had he not?”

  “You do not know in what manner, though, Miss. If you know what they are planning, you might be better able to help.”

  “I cannot help thinking that the Duke has no intention whatsoever of marrying either Patience or Georgiana.”

  “But his Lordship does not know that, does he? He will still plot and scheme as if the Duke would marry one of them. There will be other ladies, of course.”

  “Oh, Violet, I cannot rescue the Duke of Hillington from every lady in the county. All I can do is put him on his guard so that he is not steered into marrying one of the two horrors who live under this roof.” As soon as Ella finished, Violet began to chuckle. “Forgive me, I ought not to have said that,” Ella said but was unable to stop laughing herself. “Really, that was very rude me.”

  “But Miss Winfield, you might hear something of value.” It was clear that Violet was not ready to give in.

  And Ella knew that deep down in that sweet little maid’s heart was the idea that Ella would somehow end up in the arms of the Duke. As practical and as pleasantly scheming as Violet was, she really was an incurable romantic.

  “Oh, alright then,” Ella said and rose to her feet with a sigh. “But next time Henry Mercer comes here, I am going to make you listen at the door.” Ella playfully pinched Violet’s arm.

  “I will, I promise,” Violet said, and it was clear that she would say anything to get her mistress onto her feet and out of the room.

  As Ella sneaked her way through the corridors once again, Violet followed along quietly some distance behind her. She had promised to act as a lookout for just a few minutes before she had to return for whatever fresh instructions the housekeeper had for her.

  Ella had to admit that there was a certain freedom in knowing that Violet was there in the shadows, keeping an eye out for anyone who might discover her there. And, as such, Ella could turn her attention to every word spoken in that study without worrying that she was about to be caught.

  “But I thought you said the dinner went well, My Lord,” Henry Mercer said, and his voice sounded reedy and defensive.

  “The dinner went well, of course,” the Earl said, and Ella recognised the complete lack of self-awareness. Who else present at that meal could have thought it a success? “But the fact that the dinner went as well as it did does not seem to have dissuaded your master from going out across the county to have dinner with the Earl of Mortcombe and take a good, long look at his daughter, has it?”

  “I am sure it is not on account of the evening you had here, My Lord. After all, the engagement was made prior to His Grace’s evening here with you. And he is a man of his word if it is of any comfort to you. He would never break an engagement lightly, even if he did not wish to attend.”

  “Then he is sure to attend Mortcombe at the end of the week?” Ronald snapped bitterly, reminding Ella curiously of a small terrier barking.

  “Yes, I am sure he will. But as I said before, My Lord, that is just His Grace’s way. And it is the first time he is due to meet with any lady other than one of your daughters since the night of the masquerade ball.”

  “And does he seem keen to meet the others on the list?”

  “He only asks me now and again what other engagements he has, My Lord. But he does not seem to state a preference, nor even to seem impatient when I say that it is simply a work in progress . He is in no hurry, My Lord, and I think you may rest easy. I am certain that he is impressed with both of your daughters, and I am as keen as ever to gently edge him towards them. Believe me, Sir, I am doing all that I can.”

  “Well, see that you do, especially if you are as keen on the reward as you seemed to be in the beginning.” Ella winced; the Earl of Dandridge really was the most vulgar human being she had ever encountered.

  “Then I shall certainly drag my heels in arranging further events with any other of the ladies. Perhaps if you made another invitation in the meantime, My Lord, the Duke might be further persuaded to keep his interest here at Dandridge.”

  “Yes, yes,” the Earl said thoughtfully. “Yes, good idea, Mercer. I shall send a message over today to see if I can get him here for afternoon tea on Saturday.”

  “Very good, the day after he has attended his engagement with the Earl of Mortcombe,” Henry Mercer said and seemed relieved that the Earl seemed to be his ally again. “For it will be an excellent way of taking His Grace’s mind off whatever has passed the evening before. Although I am bound to say that he will undoubtedly not have quite such a fine evening there as he had here at dinner. His Grace said there was a good deal of fine food.”

  “I laid on every luxury, Mercer, let me tell you,” the Earl said with pompous pride, and Ella hurriedly clapped a hand over her mouth to keep from laughing. She remembered well the Duke’s expression at the table, not to mention his humorous comments when she had seen him in town. “I left him in no doubt whatsoever of my resources, my dear fellow. A subtle reminder of just how much of a dowry one of my beautiful girls would come with.”

  “Very clever, My Lord. Very clever.” As Ella listened to Henry Mercer make much of her stepfather’s alleged intellect, she wondered if the old man genuinely believed what he was saying.

  “But I must admit, I think it would go very much better if the Duke never made his engagement with Mortcombe in the first place. If I am honest, his daughter, Lady Caroline, is our only real competition in all of this.” Ronald Belville’s tone had become suddenly somewhat dangerous, and Ella felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up.

  “My Lord?” Henry Mercer also sounded a little taken aback.

  “What is the matter, have you no stomach to see things through? I am not
talking of anything so desperate that you need fear it, Mercer.” Her stepfather’s temper was so easy to excite that it was a wonder his health did not suffer on account of it.

  “What have you in mind, Sir?” Henry Mercer said tentatively.

  “I was simply thinking of creating a situation which would make it difficult for His Grace to attend Mortcombe. Nothing serious, just a little subterfuge of some kind.”

  “In truth, I wish I could think of something so quickly,” Henry Mercer said and sounded as if he was speaking in earnest.

  “He has no close family to speak of, does he?” the Earl said as if he were thinking aloud.