by Amelia Grey
“Don’t be angry with her, Griffin,” Lady Vera said, coming to her sister’s defense. “She had no way of knowing there would be a dog in the house today.”
He inhaled deeply and looked at Josephine. “I’m not angry with anyone.”
“You sounded like you were,” Josephine said.
“You’re right, I did. I’m sorry about that.” He looked over at Esmeralda. His gaze swept down her face. “And I think your sister is sorry too. Aren’t you, Miss Swift?”
If only he knew. “Immensely sorry, Your Grace, and Josephine.”
“I’m sorry too,” Sara said softly to Josephine. “It was my fault about the cat, but I like your dog.”
“He’s usually a good dog.”
“He will be again,” the duke said, walking over and handing Napoleon to Sparks. “Take him outside.” He then turned to Josephine. “Go with him,” he told her as he took the cat from Esmeralda’s arms and gave him to Lady Sara. “Sara, put him back out the front door where you found him so he can find his way back home. Do not bring him back into this house as long as Napoleon is here. Vera, go tell Lady Evelyn what happened before the stress from all the noise has her rash spreading to the other side of her face. I’m sure she’s desperate to know what all the uproar was about.” He then turned to Esmeralda and said, “You stay there.”
Esmeralda groaned silently as she nodded for the tearful Josephine to follow Sparks out and then watched as the twins quietly left the room too. She should have known that working for the duke, earning the kind of money he’d promised, was only a dream. A very fine dream that had filled her with the kind of excited anticipation she hadn’t had since before her mother died.
Why had she let herself believe their lives would be different, better than before they met the duke? Why had she agreed to try? She should have never said yes to the determined duke. Getting her hopes up and Josephine’s too only to have them dashed caused a great hurt deep in her soul.
Esmeralda’s mind was a blur of many thoughts, her body a mixture of emotions out of control. One word from the duke, and Mr. Fortescue wouldn’t let her continue managing the employment agency. She and Josephine would have to leave the building, and they didn’t have anywhere else to go.
She remained stiff and solemn as the doorway cleared and the house fell silent after the footsteps faded and the doors were shut. Bracing herself for the words she knew were coming, she lowered her chin and moistened her dry lips. The only good thing was that she hadn’t had time to unpack, so they could leave quickly.
When she was brave enough to shift her gaze to the duke, he was smiling.
Her world had been turned upside down and he was smiling?
She felt as if her heart sank to her feet and filled them with lead. He was going to enjoy throwing them out! Oh, why had things gone so horribly wrong?
“That cat gave Napoleon quite the chase,” he said
Her chest was too heavy to move. Her stomach jumped so fast she could hardly breathe as a lump of cold emotion settled thickly in her throat, making her “What?” sound more like a croak.
He chuckled. “That was the most excitement I’ve seen around this house in years.”
Was he laughing? Perhaps she could find amusement in the dog chasing the cat if not for the fact she didn’t want to lose this position. Didn’t he know how much this meant to her?
She tried to keep her upper lip stiff as she said, “I don’t find this comical, Your Grace.”
His expression challenged her. “You don’t?”
“No,” she said softly.
“Not after we knew it wasn’t your sister tumbling down the stairs? I admit that gave me cause for alarm too.”
Regret consumed her. Unable to give a verbal response, she shook her head.
“How about when all three of us were trying to get through the doorway at the same time. Surely, you think that was a little amusing, don’t you? I do believe your hand hit me in the face twice and Josephine elbowed me in the ribs and stepped on my foot.”
He was doing a good job of trying to make her feel better, but Esmeralda was in no mood to stay around and have him beguile her with all he found delightful about the incident.
“I’ll gather our things together and we’ll leave as soon as possible.”
“What?” He walked over to her. The smile faded from his expression. “Leave? What do you mean? After all I had to promise you in order to talk you into taking this position? Now that you are finally here, do you really think I’m going to let you leave?”
They stood toe-to-toe. His gaze penetrated hers. “I didn’t think you would want me to stay now.”
“Why?” Fierce concentration settled on his face. “Because in the heat of the moment we raised our voices to each other?”
“No, not just that,” she declared. “I understand that the tension of the incident got to both of us. Look.” She pointed to the urn. “Napoleon broke a table, a vase and a figurine, in case you don’t remember. I can’t possibly pay for those things.”
His features softened. “You won’t be asked to. Neither were prized possessions or held great value. How many more times are you going to try to get out of working for me?”
Through a catch in her breath, she managed to say, “You mean you really want me to stay? I mean, all three of us? You’re not going to throw us out?”
He ran an open hand through his hair and shook his head. “Throw you out? Did you really think I would do that?”
She nodded.
“I’m going to have to change your opinion of me, Miss Swift.” His voice was soft, soothing. “I want you to watch over my sisters. I don’t know how I can make that any clearer to you.”
“What if Napoleon breaks something else?”
His gleaming blue eyes held steady on hers. “What if he does?”
Her skin peppered with goose bumps at his intense gaze, at his closeness. It truly didn’t seem fair that she was so susceptible to his nearness, to his very presence.
The duke placed his fingertips under her chin, nudging it upward. A thrill of something, which could only be described as feeling like a lightning strike, bolted through her, heated her with a shocking, shimmering, delicious warmth.
“What if he does?” he asked again as his palm cupped her jaw with a gentle sweetness that beckoned her to relax and welcome his touch.
She watched his lips as he talked, and all she could think was that she wanted to feel his lips on hers. She wanted to be caught up in his strong embrace, held against his powerful chest. What madness! To change the direction of her thoughts and those traitorous desires springing up inside her, she said, “You will be unhappy.”
“No. You will be. I won’t.” His thumb lightly rubbed up her cheek, to the corner of her mouth and then across her lips.
Her lips tingled. Her breasts tightened and her stomach quaked at the boldness and the intimacy of his thumb caressing her.
“Accidents happen,” he said softly. “It’s over.”
His touch was reassuring and so much more. It was comforting, delicious, and persuasive. She knew the prudent thing to do was recoil from his hand, his nearness, but she simply didn’t have the will to deny herself the closeness and feeling of his warmth.
“I rather enjoyed you taking me to task about the cat,” he said huskily, keeping his hand on her jaw, his fingers brushing her cheek so lightly.
He bent his head closer to hers. Much too close. And still closer. She held her breath, thinking surely he was going to kiss her. And she was going to let him.
Instead, he whispered so close to her lips she felt his warm breath waft across hers, “I don’t believe I’ve ever had a young woman yell at me.”
“No,” she countered earnestly. “I didn’t yell at you. Did I? I mean, I might have raised my voice—a little.”
The edges of his mouth twisted into an attractive smile. “A little?”
Her chest heaved with embarrassment over what she’d done, over desperate
ly wanting him to kiss her so badly she was ready to initiate the kiss herself.
After a long intake of breath that ended on a shaky sigh, she noticed that the fire had burned low, giving peaceful warmth and a golden glow to the morning shadows that filtered through the windowpanes. “In that case, I should apologize.”
“No need for that,” he said as his fingertips slowly caressed their way down her neck to the hollow of her throat and back up again to her cheek. “I told you to always feel free to speak your mind to me. That’s one of the things I find so appealing about you.”
Esmeralda found everything about him appealing. His thumb ran across her lips again and, dear heavens, the sensations that spiraled through her made her tremble with a need she’d never had before, a need she didn’t understand. She was certain he could sense her shaking, sense her silently begging him to kiss her.
“You may regret saying that.”
“I don’t think I will. Besides my voice was loud too. No harm was done. Servants break things. It’s part of life.”
Servants.
That word brought her up short, and she stiffened. That was all she was to him. All she would ever be. A servant to help his sisters. How could she have forgotten?
She had to swallow the bitter taste of it and remember it every time her heart started beating faster at the sight of him. Every time she wanted to be caught up in his strong arms. Every time she dreamed about his lips on hers. Every time she heard him say, I want you, you’re a part of my household, I’ll always have time for you, or similar innocent phrases that delighted her senses and made her feel special, she must remember she was a servant. She was in his life as an employee, not as a member of Polite Society, not as a guest in his house.
And not as his social equal.
She turned her head away from his touch and stepped away from him on shaky legs, angry at herself for forgetting that she was nothing to him but a person to look after his sisters.
“Thank you for being so understanding about that, Napoleon, everything.” She lifted her chin and her shoulders. “Is there anything more that you need from me this morning? If not, I’d like to get started on my work.”
He looked as if he was going to speak, but stopped himself and dropped his hand to his side. “Do you see any reason the twins won’t be ready for the first ball?”
“No, none at all,” she said, pulling herself together quickly and returning to a professional stance. “But I just realized I do have one question for you before you leave.”
“All right.”
“It’s about the five on Lady Evelyn’s list of acceptable gentlemen for Lady Vera and Lady Sara to consider for a possible match. Am I to assume they have been cleared of having any interest in the mischief of ruining the twins’ Season?”
“No one has been ruled out.”
“So that includes your friends the Duke of Rathburne and the Duke of Hawksthorn?”
A glint of admiration shown in his eyes. “I seldom have to admit this, but I was wrong. Those two have been ruled out. They adore my sisters and would never seek to harm them. They will help us watch over Vera and Sara at the parties.”
“Good. I’m glad I’m clear on that.”
“Anything else?”
“That’s all.”
“Then once again I’ll bid you good day, Miss Swift.”
Chapter 13
Don’t get caught in the middle of a family matter by voicing your opinion. Do be mum on your view of things.
MISS MAMIE FORTESCUE’S DO’S AND DON’TS FOR CHAPERONES, GOVERNESSES, TUTORS, AND NURSES
Esmeralda couldn’t watch the duke walk away. She stared at the broken figurine and urn. Her shoulders slumped with relief as she let out a heavy silent sigh. The sensations he’d created inside her were confusing at best. She couldn’t believe the duke’s touch had stirred her to the point of madness. That she was aching for him to wrap her into his arms and kiss her with all the passion she was feeling couldn’t be anything but madness.
She closed her eyes and expelled a deep breath.
He was right when he’d said she was attracted to him. She was. Immensely so, but there was nothing to do about it but fight it, deny it, and make sure she kept it to herself. What she was doing for her future and Josephine’s had to be at the forefront of her mind. She’d been given another chance. She must not lose it over silly notions of kissing and these mysteriously feminine feelings he aroused inside her. That she even kept the post was a miracle considering all the damage Napoleon had caused.
Perhaps the duke wasn’t as set in his beliefs and as unforgiving as Viscount Mayeforth had been. In any case, it would only be for six weeks at the most. Surely she could keep her wits about her, keep Napoleon under control, and her feelings for the duke at bay for that long.
Shaking off the lingering effects of his touch and her desires for more, Esmeralda walked down the corridor. She looked into the open doorways as she passed, stopping to give a closer look to the dining room. A highly polished table was surrounded by chairs covered with a golden-colored brocade that matched the draperies. Placed in the middle of the long table was a large silver urn with a lion’s-head handle on each end. Past that room was a small music room. A pianoforte and a harp stood in one of the far corners. Chairs were lined around the walls, as if a musical might be planned for that evening.
The last room on the left was the book room, the duke’s private study. The first thing she noticed when she stepped inside was its warmth. A fire was burning, but the heat that enveloped her came from a far different source than the small leaping flames. It had been from the look in the duke’s blue gaze, the expressions on his face, and his nearness when he touched her. She looked around and smiled. There was something intimate about having free reign of the duke’s private study. But her practical side reared up. Those were the things she must find a way to put out of her mind and remember she was a mere servant to him.
Both sides of the room were lined with shelves stuffed with books of all sizes. She hadn’t seen that many bound copies all in one place since she and her mother left Viscount Mayeforth’s house almost fifteen years ago.
On the back wall were twin windows. The chocolate-colored draperies were pulled back and sunshine streamed inside, making the dust particles shimmer in the air. A small round table and lamp sat between two comfortable-looking, upholstered armchairs. It was easy to imagine herself curled up in one sipping warm chocolate, reading until the sun faded, then lighting a lamp and continuing until darkness covered the sky.
Esmeralda was suddenly filled with sweet memories of her youth. When she lived in a spacious house like this instead of working in one. When she had servants instead of being one. For a few moments she allowed herself the time to indulge in those happy remembrances of a life with no worries, no responsibilities, and no thoughts of the future except to attend the Season and fall in love with a handsome gentleman. She’d missed those days of her youth, and she could never get them back.
Because her mother had made the choice of love over family and left Polite Society behind, Esmeralda now had a different future than she was brought up expecting. She supposed it was impossible to keep all her memories at bay. And now she’d added another to her storehouse of the past. The duke’s intimate touch and all the thrilling sensations it awakened inside her.
At that thought she laughed. She supposed one never got too old to daydream and think about love, to want the touch of a handsome prince and to see desire for her in his eyes. Surely there was nothing wrong with permitting herself the fantasy of enjoying them all once in a while.
But for now, she reminded herself again, she could only go forward and see to it that Josephine had a good life.
Taking a steadying breath, she walked over to the desk. Stacks of papers and cards were lined up in meticulous order under headings. Accepted invitations. Declined invitations. Alternate Invitations. Placed on the desk in front of the chair was a note addressed to Esmeralda. Beside i
t was a daily appointment calendar that started with the first ball of the Season.
She skimmed down the pages that held all the events they would be attending as well as the times for afternoons and evenings. Their days would be busy, but thanks to Lady Evelyn’s thoroughness it would be very easy to follow exactly what to do. Esmeralda picked up the letter addressed to her and broke the wax seal.
Dear Miss Swift,
The duke told me he has explained why employing you was necessary. So I will dispense with further mention of it and so will you. He assures me you are capable for the duties for which you have been positioned. The only thing left is for you to prove that you are.
If you have studied my previous notes that the duke delivered to you, you know what I expect from you.
Each morning I will hear from Lady Sara and Lady Vera about the evening before and will have Harper deliver further instructions to you for the day.
I await your questions.
Lady Evelyn
That note was about as direct as could be, Esmeralda thought.
From a distance, Esmeralda heard Napoleon barking and Josephine squealing with delight. She laid the note down on the desk, walked over to the window, and looked out. Josephine was running and holding a long length of ribbon out behind her. It fluttered and flapped in the wind as Napoleon chased after her, nipping at the flowing piece of satin. Her red hair bounced and swayed around her shoulders. The skirt of her new dress tangled around her legs.
Esmeralda smiled as she pressed her forehead against the cold windowpane. For a few weeks her sister would have a little taste of what her life would have been like if she could have grown up as the granddaughter of a viscount. “Thank you, Your Grace,” Esmeralda whispered softly into the quietness. “For giving Josephine this gift to enjoy being outside and playing with her dog.”
“Miss Swift.”
Startled, Esmeralda whirled. Only by what she was wearing did Esmeralda know which twin was standing in the doorway. “Yes, Lady Vera.” Esmeralda moved away from the window.