Kind Ella and the Charming Duke_A Historical Regency Romance

by Bridget Barton

  “So distant that he would not necessarily attend one were he to receive a message that they had fallen ill?”

  “I think not, My Lord,” Henry said, and Ella realised her mouth was hanging open.

  Would her stepfather really stoop so low as to send a spurious message to the Duke of Hillington to tell him that one of his relations was in failing health? Just to get him to forego dinner with the Earl of Mortcombe and set off on a fool’s errand across the country? What a dreadful man he really was.

  “You are sure?” the Earl said impatiently.

  “I am quite sure of it, Lord Dandridge. Whilst he does have relations, if they were in failing health, he would likely only hear of it when they had come to depart this mortal coil. That is the true extent of the distance between them. The closest of his relatives, in terms of regard and physical distance, are all gone now.”

  “Then you do not think he would be persuaded, not even by the most desperate message?”

  “I cannot think that the Duke would be anything other than suspicious were one of his distant relations to send him so desperate a message, in all truth.”

  “Then I must think of something else,” the Earl said and let out a great sigh.

  The room was quiet for several moments, and Ella became suddenly aware of Violet flapping her arms wildly out of the corner of her eye. She turned to look over at her, thinking that Violet had heard somebody approaching and was seeking to usher her away.

  But when she looked, Violet smiled and motioned that she would have to leave and return to the housekeeper. Ella looked from Violet to the door and back again and, at that moment, decided that she could not possibly leave until she had heard everything that her stepfather had to say.

  Previously, Ella had no idea that the Earl would plumb such depths in his bid to have his own way, and she dared not leave now for fear that he would come up with a plan even more evil.

  Violet, realizing that her mistress had no intentions of leaving with her, smiled broadly and tapped her ear, indicating that Ella must be very aware of her surroundings, and that she must be her own lookout from that moment onward.

  When Violet disappeared, Ella turned her attention back to the study, listening carefully and giving a continual eye to her immediate vicinity.

  “Then we will have to do something that will stop him en route, Mercer,” her stepfather said, breaking the silence quite suddenly, and Ella held her breath.

  “Good heavens, surely you do not mean an accident of some sort, My Lord?” For a moment, Ella was mildly grateful that the elderly conspirator would not go so far as actually hurting the Duke.

  It was little enough, but it was at least a minor point in his favour.

  “No, no, I would not do such a thing,” the Earl said and dared to sound affronted. “But perhaps just a put-on threat of some sort.”

  “A put-on threat, My Lord?” Henry Mercer said nervously.

  “Something which would stop him in his tracks and, if he were close enough to home, might see him turn around again. Something which would put him out of sorts and would provide him with a genuine reason for not attending the home of Lord Mortcombe that night.”

  “I see what you mean, but I cannot think what that ought to be.”

  “Perhaps a staged robbery?” the Earl spoke speculatively, and it was clear that he was not entirely sure of his ally’s confidence at that moment.

  “A robbery?” Henry Mercer sounded entirely upended.

  “Staged, my dear fellow, staged,” the Earl said in the warmest voice he had used on the ageing attorney thus far. “Nothing serious, and certainly nothing that would go so far as to relieve His Grace of any of his belongings.”

  “Because surely a person can hang for robbery, Sir.” It was clear that Henry was going to take a little convincing.

  “Yes, for a real robbery, my good man,” the Earl went on in cajoling tones. “But this would be no such thing, Mercer. This would be nothing more than a little piece of theatre. Just enough to unsettle without causing any real harm.”

  “But unsettling enough to have His Grace turn around and head for home again?” Ella bit her tongue; it seemed that Henry Mercer might not be quite so difficult to persuade after all.

  “Yes, just unsettling enough.”

  “Well, I am not so sure how such a thing is to be achieved. After all, I do not think I know anybody who would be prepared to stage a robbery at the roadside.” Henry was seriously thinking about it now.

  “You need not worry about that, my dear fellow. All you need to do is give me a very good idea of the route that His Grace is likely to take and a good indication of the time he is likely to travel. That is as far involved in the thing as you need be, Mercer.”

  “Well, when you put it like that, My Lord …”

  “Yes, when I put it like that , Mercer, I am the one taking all the risks, am I not?” The Earl could not help himself, he always had to have the upper hand.

  “If my master ever discovered my part in it, then I fear it is I who would lose the most, My Lord.” Ella stopped herself from silently congratulating the little man for taking such a tone with her stepfather.

  He was, after all, every bit the treacherous toad that Ronald Belville was. More so, for the Duke trusted him.

  “Quite so,” the Earl said dismissively. “Well, if that is settled?”

  “Yes, I think so.” Ella was astonished at how quickly Henry Mercer recovered after what must have been a most unsettling conversation.

  “Then you will get word to me of the route and the time?”

  “I will make some gentle inquiries with His Grace this afternoon, Sir, and get a message to you by the end of the day.”

  “Good,” the Earl said in a tone which looked set to dismiss the loathsome old attorney.

  Ella hurried away from the door, keen to regain the safety of the morning room without anybody seeing her, and knowing she need not listen any further, for she had certainly heard the worst of it.

  All that remained now was to rack her brains and find a way to let the Duke of Hillington know everything that she knew. But how was such a thing to be achieved?

  Chapter 20

  “But do you really think another note is a good idea, Violet?” Ella said as she handed Violet the note to peruse.

  By the time Violet had attended that morning to prepare her for the day, Ella was already washed and dressed, her note written.

  She did not want to waste the limited time the two women had together in performing the mundane tasks that she could easily manage herself.

  “Yes, this is very good, Miss Winfield. It is very clear, and I think he will be left in no doubt that he must take a different route to his planned dinner with the Earl of Mortcombe.”

  “I just wonder if he will take it seriously. A second note seems almost as if somebody is playing a game with him, does it not?”

  “I do not think so, Miss. But it will certainly have him wondering who it is.”

  “Yes, I am worried that he might try to discover the identity of his anonymous well-wisher.”

  “Yes, but how would he achieve it? You have been very careful.”

  “But we have talked a little more of late, and I wonder if he will recognise something of me in the note.”

  “Then perhaps you should do something to put him off the scent,” Violet mused, and her fine eyebrows seemed almost to knit together in thought. “Perhaps give him a little idea that will keep him wondering but keep him off the path that might lead to you.”

  “It is a good idea, Violet. I just do not know how to make it manifest. How am I to put him off the scent?”

  “I have it,” Violet said, her small eyes round with excitement. “May I?” she said and looked towards the tiny writing desk.

  “By all means, Violet,” Ella said and stood behind her maid as she took her seat at the desk and picked up the pen.

  “Oh, you clever, clever girl,” Ella remarked and lightly clapped her hands t
ogether.

  Violet had drawn a tiny mask on the paper, next to where Ella had signed it a Well-Wisher . It was just the sort of mask that one might wear to a masquerade ball.

  “So, he will know that the note has come from somebody he feels he knows, even though he does not know her at all.” Violet looked extraordinarily pleased with herself.

  “Hopefully, that little sign is just enough for him to know that he can trust the message.” Ella was in awe and knew that she would not have come up with something so clever so quickly.

  “And with me delivering the note, Miss Winfield, and not directly into his hand, he will have no cause to suspect you at all.”

  “Are you absolutely sure about this, Violet? I would not have asked it of you.”

  “You need not even ask, Miss. I should be very glad to help you do anything, and I am inclined to help His Grace too. Nobody should be so cruelly deceived like this. I am honestly still taken aback by everything you heard at the study door yesterday. It is very, very wrong.”

  “It is very wrong, my dear, but I should suffer greatly if you were caught. I would not like to put you in harm’s way at all.”

  “I know that very well.” Violet rose from her seat and began to busy herself straightening her mistress’ bed, almost as if she was keen to put Ella at her ease. “And I will not be in harm’s way. After all, I am simply going to deliver the note to Lady Brightwell’s house. The Duke will already be inside, as will you, so I will only be handing the note to Lady Brightwell’s butler. I need not give my name, and he will undoubtedly be flustered that any sort of correspondence for the Duke has been delivered to his mistress’ house. I think there is just enough confusion there for it to be perfect.”

  “And you are sure that you have things straight with the housekeeper?”

  “Yes, I have offered to take her shopping list to the butcher if I might be allowed to run a small errand of my own. It is nothing out of the common way, Miss, and the housekeeper seemed to take it in her stride. It is something I have done before, so she does not suspect me of anything.”

  “And you are sure that you can make it over to Lady Belville’s and back before you are missed?”

  “I am convinced. She has already said that William might drive me in the little cart, so we will make good time, I promise.”

  “Well, leave it a good half an hour after I am inside before you come. By then, Lady Brightwell will definitely be settled in the drawing room, and there will be no chance of her hovering near the entrance and seeing you when you come to deliver the note,” Ella said and began to calm down a little. “But I really do think you must wear a disguise of some sort.”

  “I will wear an oversized bonnet, Miss, and tuck my hair well into it. People rarely take notice of maids, so I am sure that that will be disguise enough.”

  “Well, I take notice of you, my dear.” Ella smiled at her warmly.

  “I know, Miss Winfield, and you are very kind.”

  “And I am very grateful.”

  “When you think about it all, it is quite exciting, isn’t it?”

  “You truly mean that! Violet, you really are very spirited.” Ella laughed.

  “It is quite a thing to be able to help a Duke without him even knowing it,” Violet whispered. “Although that does mean if the plan works, that he will still make his way to have dinner with Lady Caroline. Perhaps that is not such a good thing.”

  “But why not?” Ella said.

  “Well, it is just another young lady for the Duke to have to think about.”

  “Well, I am sure he does not mind.”

  “Yes but …” Violet seemed suddenly stuck for words.

  “You really are the sweetest person,” Ella said with a smile. “But I am the lost and bedraggled daughter of a deceased minor Baron, not the sort of young lady a Duke would ordinarily fall in love with. But it does warm me to know that your romantic heart is still thriving.”

  “But is it really so impossible? After all, not every young lady the Duke has been introduced to so far has had a title, have they?”

  “No, but the ones without title have a good deal of wealth behind them. Unfortunately, in this day and age, a woman needs one or the other, it would appear.” Ella laughed.

  “It is not a romantic notion, is it?” Violet said a little hopelessly.

  “No, but it is realistic.” Ella shrugged and realised that she was more affected by it all than she was letting on.

  “Well then, we must hope that the Duke of Hillington is much more interested in romance than practicality,” Violet said forcefully, clearly having decided that she was not going to give up hope just yet.

  “Oh, Violet.” Ella smiled and gently touched Violet’s cheek. “Promise me that you will never change, my dear.”

  “I promise.”

  “And promise me you will be very, very careful this afternoon.”

  “You have my word, Miss Winfield.”

  Later that afternoon, as Ella made her way into Lady Brightwell’s drawing room, she wondered if Violet could keep that promise. She looked this way and that for any sign of the Duke and could see none.

  It had not occurred to her that he would arrive later than her, and it had certainly not occurred to her that he might not arrive at all. But, of course, he had not expressly declared that he would be attending the bridge, only that he was pleased that Ella was going to.

  Perhaps it was nothing more than the idea that she would have some amusement that week that pleased him. Perhaps he had never intended to attend at all himself.

  And, if either one of those eventualities came to pass, Violet’s arrival at the door with a message for the Duke could prove problematic.

  In the worst of all cases, the Duke might arrive late and find himself on the doorstep at the same time as Violet. For one thing, he might recognise her from Dandridge and, for another, if he read the note in her presence, then he might make demands of her in respect of the identity of the sender.

  Ella began to wish that she had not embarked on any of this. If everything was found out now, she knew she could not begin to explain it.

  And she still did not know the Duke well enough to be certain that he would not be angry with her for her continued deception.

  For all that she was warning the Duke against deception all around him, was she not equally guilty of the same thing herself? He was a clever man, and there was a very good chance he would see it that way.

  “From the look on your face, I can state with certainty that you are not at all interested in the game that you are pretending to watch.” The Duke appeared suddenly and whispered into her ear so that the two pairs playing at the bridge table closest to her would not hear him.

  “Your Grace, you startled me,” she said and let out a great sigh; a sigh of pure relief.

  “So, what occupies your mind so much today, Miss Winfield?” he said with a laugh. “And please do not try to tell me that you were concentrating on this game, for it is clear to me that you were not.”

  “As is often the case, Sir, I was pondering upon subjects of little matter.” She smiled evasively and was strangely pleased when he began to laugh.

  “I do not believe that for a moment, you looked far too occupied for little thoughts.”

  “But enough little thoughts put together are surely enough to occupy a person?”

  “Perhaps, but I do not believe it in your case.” He looked around the room briefly and then indicated the couch and chair where they had sat on their last visit to Lady Brightwell’s. “Shall we sit down before somebody expects us to play?”

  “Do you not wish to play, Your Grace?”

  “Good heavens, no,” he said in a whisper and gave a comical shudder.

  “And if you do not mind me asking, why is it that you continue to attend a standing invitation at a regular bridge afternoon when you do not seem to care for the amusement?” Immediately they were back at their ease, and Ella began to wonder what Violet would make of it a
ll.

  There was something about the Duke that was somehow less formal than anybody she had ever met. And yet he managed to be so without really breaking any of the bounds that seemed to hold them all so tightly.

  But then, did she not manage just the same thing in his company? Now that they had shared a little something of themselves, been just a little open, she wondered if they were not starting to enjoy a little of the fun and frankness of their first, anonymous meeting.

  “Because if I do not, I will never hear the end of it. Constance is a dear friend and somewhat motherly in her approach. In short, she is one of the only people on this earth I am truly afraid of.”