“I am very glad to hear it, although I do hope that your sudden burst of health does not mean that you will soon be leaving Devonshire.” He seemed a little awkward again, and something about his declaration felt strangely personal.
Strangely personal because it did not seem at all inappropriate, even though they were barely acquainted.
“As devious as it might seem, I am not yet ready to write to my mother and tell her how well I am.” Georgina smiled conspiratorially.
“Not devious at all, Miss Jeffries. I am sure that your mother would not want you to return too soon at the cost of your recovery.” He smiled with equal mischief, and she felt a sense of a bond between them.
Overall, she felt extraordinarily comfortable in his company, very much at her ease, whereas poor dear Fleur was still struggling with a few nerves and the intimidation of so great a title. But Georgina had to admit that there were moments when she was just a little tongue-tied. It was fleeting, but she was certain that it was because she thought his face so handsome and his thick mop of hair such a draw.
The chatter throughout the audience suddenly died away, and its loss was curiously startling. Georgina looked down towards the front and saw that the musicians had gathered and were ready to begin.
“I hope you enjoy the performance,” the Duke said, leaning in slightly towards her and whispering.
“Thank you, Your Grace. I hope you enjoy the performance also.” She smiled and found herself looking into his pale green eyes for a moment, the chandeliers above giving them the same silvery quality as his hair.
When the music began, it was something of a relief as Georgina could turn her attention away from the man who was such easy and such unsettling company all at once.
Chapter 6
Lady Maud Aston was an ageing widow of a minor baron in Rowley, who lived in a very splendid townhouse which was but minutes from the sea. The view was breathtaking, and Georgina could hardly tear herself away from the drawing room window which was large, no doubt intentionally so that the householder might enjoy the dramatic vista.
The landscape was not quite rugged and not quite rolling either, with just enough drama to make it interesting and just enough softness to make it appealing. The day was warm and bright, and Georgina wished that she could wander off on her own and make her way down to the seafront and smell the salt and seaweed, feel the breeze on her face and the warmth of the sun on her skin. She wanted to listen to that wonderful sound each time the sea receded a little and drew back little pebbles from the sand.
“Are you enjoying the view, Miss Jeffries?”
“Very much, Your Grace.” Georgina had not found it necessary to tear her gaze away from the view to see who was talking to her.
She had recognized his voice immediately, and she had known already that he was in the large drawing room somewhere. For when she and Fleur had arrived that afternoon for bridge, it was to find Lady Maud Aston in something of an excited and agitated state.
Lady Maud, so Fleur told her, had extended standing invitations to many fine families in and around the little town of Rowley. Naturally, the Duke’s household was extended an invite and had been for many years; it was just the way of things. And, as was also the way things, no Duke had ever actually attended.
That was until that very day, the first time that Georgina herself had been in that fine townhouse. Fleur had been wide-eyed the minute Lady Maud had told her of her unexpected visitor.
“He is in the drawing room as we speak; can you imagine it? Heavens, I never did think that my little home would be so blessed.” The lady, who was well into her sixties, was pink-cheeked with excitement and breathless with fluster.
“And he has never been here before, Lady Maud?” Fleur said in a whisper as she and Georgina hurriedly removed their cloaks and handed them to the waiting butler.
“No, never. And I spoke to him so briefly at the garden party that I can hardly imagine that he has particularly sought out my company. Although, in truth, I did mention it to him at the time and reminded him that he was always welcome here.”
“Yes, of course,” Fleur said in a soothing manner as Georgina did what she could to hide her amusement.
She already liked Lady Maud, even though the two of them, under the circumstances, had enjoyed no more than the very briefest of introductions before she had spiralled into excited chatter. Georgina really did like a lady of title who did not walk through the world with a curiously blank expression as if every wonderful thing that happened was not exciting or something to be grateful for, but merely a natural right. No, Lady Maud was most certainly not a woman made in that category.
“And where is he now, Lady Maud?” Fleur said in a whisper.
“He is in the drawing room, my dear. Did I not say? Dear me, I hardly know what I am doing. I think I did say, did I not?” the elderly lady said and then took a deep and steadying breath. “But I managed to get him settled without incident, and he is taking tea with my sister-in-law, Mrs Phillips. Thankfully, Mrs Phillips is of a very different disposition to myself, a very steady and calm woman.” It was if Lady Maud was now talking to herself, and she was nodding a little vaguely as she stared into space. “Yes, a very steady and calm woman indeed.”
“My dear Lady Maud, I am sure that the Duke is very well pleased with his company. Mrs Phillips is a very nice lady, not to mention a superb bridge player, so you did very well to put the two of them together.” Fleur reached out, took Lady Maud’s hand and patted it, and Georgina felt very touched once again at the kindness her cousin seemed to show to everybody. “What do you say I take you down into the kitchen for a steadying brandy from the cook’s larder?”
“Oh yes, what a clever girl you are. After all, I should not like all present in the drawing room to see me helping myself to brandy there, should I?” Lady Maud seemed to be calming a little, and Georgina had no doubt that it was her cousin’s influence. “And I must admit, even a little cooking brandy would settle my nerves greatly at this moment.”
“Then let us make haste.” Fleur turned to look at Georgina.
“I shall be quite alright, cousin,” Georgina said confidently. “For I can already see that there is a large window in the drawing room I would be very pleased to stare out for a few minutes.” She laughed.
“I shall return as soon as possible,” Fleur whispered in Georgina’s ear before taking Lady Maud’s hand and speeding her away in the direction of the servants’ staircase.
Georgina, despite many closeted years and lonely hours, never found herself particularly nervous in social settings, and that day was no different.
She did not hesitate to make her way in through the open drawing room door to where so many bridge tables were set out, and so many people were either playing or talking. She did not feel conspicuous for being alone for a few moments but just made her way quietly to the window to enjoy the view.
She had not searched the room as she walked through for any sign of the Duke of Calder, for she already knew that he was there, and she would not have liked him to see her looking for him.
She had been at the window but a few minutes when he made his approach and, although she recognized his voice, she was surprised that he had quitted Mrs Phillips’ company so soon. Furthermore, she hoped that in doing so, poor dear Lady Maud would not be thrown into any further turmoil.
“It is a very fine view of the sea, is it not?” the Duke went on, and Georgina turned to look at him, already anticipating his thick silvery brown hair and pale eyes.
“It is a great treat for me, Your Grace,” Georgina said truthfully and realized that she was as at ease with him as she had been when the two had sat side-by-side to listen to the string quartet in the assembly rooms just a week before. “You must count yourself very lucky to have grown up in a place that is not landlocked.” She smiled at him.
“Yes, I never tire looking at the sea,” he said and turned his attention out through the window. “But I was not always here.�
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“You were not?” Georgina said and immediately regretted it.
She did not wish to pry, and she instantly remembered that Fleur had said something about childhood illnesses which had kept him away from home. No doubt he would not be keen to remember such a time in his life.
“Forgive me,” she said hurriedly before he had a chance to answer her. “I had not meant pry.”
“There is no forgiveness required, Miss Jeffries, and I did not suspect you of prying for a moment.” He turned back from the window to look at her and smiled.
It was a warm smile, if a little shy, and it rendered him even more handsome in Georgina’s opinion. But there was something else, something that she once again recognized. He must remind her of somebody, and yet she was sure she did not know another man so handsome or with such a smile.
“That is a relief, for I should not have liked to give offence, Sir.”
“You are such pleasant company, Miss Jeffries, that I cannot imagine you giving offence to anybody.” He laughed. “Unless you absolutely intended it, then I could imagine it entirely.”
“Good heavens,” she said, somewhat startled.
“Please believe me that that was not intended as an insult, Miss Jeffries. I simply mean to convey that you strike me as a woman possessed of a certain strength and confidence, one who would not lose an argument very often.”
“I am still not entirely sure that I should be flattered, Your Grace.” Highly amused, Georgina began to laugh.
“If you are not flattered, Miss Jeffries, then I must settle for your amusement.”
“Then I assure you that you have that much, Your Grace.” Still laughing, she turned to look out of the window again. “I wish I had such a view in Hertfordshire, but I do not.”
“I have some very good views of the sea from Calder Hall, but none as close as this and really only from the upper windows on the rear elevation. But Lady Maud has one of the finest views in this very window, I believe.”
“Yes, I can quite imagine. But she seems like a nice lady indeed, and I think such a nice lady deserves such a fine view,” Georgina said with warmth, thinking how the presence of the man before her had thrown that pleasant old dear into such a spin.
“I am sure that she is nice, although I think I have unsettled her a little,” he said in a whisper.
“I am afraid that you have unsettled her greatly, Your Grace.” Georgina smiled at him again. “But in a very fine way, one that the lady will never forget.”
“I was surprised, I must admit, that she was so astonished to see me here today,” he went on. “After all, she had reminded me of the standing invitation that has existed for some time when I saw her at the garden party.”
“Yes, but I suppose she had never imagined for a moment that you would choose to make use of that invitation.”
“But why not?” He looked at her with a sudden wide-eyed naivety that she found both surprising and endearing all at once.
“Well, because you are a Duke, Your Grace,” Georgina began. “And she no doubt thought that you would have many other fine engagements that you would prefer to fulfil. Trust me, it is quite a natural thing.”
“Is it really?” he said and still looked a little confused. “Well, I suppose it is just the sort of thing I ought to get used to.”
“Being a Duke, you mean?”
“Yes, exactly that.” His voice had grown a little vague, and his eyes drifted towards the sea once again.
“I suppose these things come in time, Your Grace,” Georgina said and wondered that he had not been better schooled in such things.
But, of course, if he had done much of his growing up away from Calder Hall, perhaps he did not find his title and position quite as natural as he might have otherwise.
“I daresay I ought to return to Mrs Phillips for a while,” he was whispering again. “She disappeared to have some more tea sent to us both, and then I saw you standing here looking out of the window.”
“Yes, of course, you must return to her,” Georgina said, kindly releasing him from any obligation he might feel.
“Although I think I should much rather continue to stand here with you and look out of the window.” He smiled again, and his pale eyes caught hers for a moment and held them.
“You are very kind.” It was all that Georgina could think of to say, for she felt suddenly a little tongue-tied.
“And perhaps, if you are not otherwise engaged, you might care to partner me for a game of bridge later if you have a mind to play.”
“Yes, I should like that very much, Your Grace.”
“Then I will come and find you when Mrs Phillips releases me properly,” he said and bowed deeply before turning to leave her.
As Georgina watched him leave, she thought what a very appealing man he was. With or without his title, Emerson Lockhart was very comfortable company, almost like an old friend. She could not imagine feeling so with any other Duke in all of England and wondered why it was she was not at all intimidated by him.
As she looked around the room, Georgina could see many young ladies allowing their gaze to stray in his direction as he regained his seat on a small couch opposite Mrs Phillips. He was very handsome, with his hair still looking a little unruly, but his dress immaculate. He was wearing largely brown, a colour which entirely suited his hair and complexion.
But despite his handsomeness, Georgina wondered how many young ladies present would be trying to catch his eye if he were not the Duke of Calder. Perhaps all, perhaps none.
“My dear Georgina, I am beginning to think that the Duke has a liking for you,” Fleur said in an excited whisper.
“Oh, Fleur,” Georgina said, startled out of her reverie.
“Forgive me, I did not mean to come upon you so suddenly,” Fleur said and began to laugh.
“No, no, I am quite alright. Do not fear, you will not need to hurry me down below stairs and pour me a glass of cooking brandy.” Georgina smiled. “Tell me, is Lady Maud faring a little better?”
“Yes, very much better.” Fleur’s pretty blue eyes danced, and Georgina knew that the whole thing had amused her greatly. “Although I do nurse a hope that so large a serving brandy will not render her a little wobbly later on.”
“Thank heavens for Mrs Phillips.”
“And for you, apparently, for to return to my original thought, the Duke does seem to have an interest in you.” Fleur’s tone had become gossipy, and she looked at her cousin expectantly.
“I must admit that I was quite surprised when he joined me at the window. But, apparently, Mrs Phillips had gone to request some more tea for them both, leaving him alone.”
“So, he did not waste a moment in coming to speak with you.” Fleur looked excited.
“I think he was just pleased to see a friendly face, somebody who perhaps he did not have to try quite so hard for,” Georgina said thoughtfully.
“Yes, I must admit that the two of you do seem at your ease together.”
“And I do not think him as comfortable in the role of Duke as he might be.”
“No, perhaps not.” Fleur had narrowed her gaze in thought.
“For why else would he have come here today to fulfil such a small standing invitation? Perhaps the little events might help him get used to the larger ones.”
“Or perhaps he had hoped to see you here, Georgina,” Fleur said, and her pretty blue eyes widened at the thought of it.
Chapter 7
When the invitation was received, all of Winton House seemed to fall into a wonderful, excited sort of turmoil. Fleur seemed almost fit to burst with all manner of observations that she could not possibly make to Georgina with the family present.
And Felix himself seemed pleasantly upended by the whole thing, talking more than usual and a good deal faster.
“Well, I suppose we did spend a fair amount of time in conversation with His Grace at the garden party,” Felix said in a hearty tone as if he was trying to take the whole thing i
n his stride. “But still, for us to be invited to Calder Hall for afternoon tea is quite a thing, girls, is it not? And what do you say, Jeremy?”
“I am very pleased to be invited, Father, but I cannot begin to imagine that I am the reason for such an invite,” he said and looked at his sister and then Georgina. “I daresay it is one of these very fine-looking creatures.”
“Jeremy, behave!” Fleur said although her attempted chastisement fell victim to her own excitement and pleasure at the invitation.
“I do hope my sister and my cousin are not about to fall out over a man, even if he is a Duke,” Jeremy went on, clearly enjoying his opportunity to tease much more than he enjoyed the idea of the invitation. “For they have been getting along as sisters, and I should hate to see a man come between them, even if he is the most powerful man in the county.”
A Damsel for the Mysterious Duke Page 5