“There are my little children. There you are. How is everything with you both? Has Miss Anne been treating you right?”
“Oh yes, Papa, she always does! She always does!” Both children began talking excitedly about their most recent trip to the park, describing how they had been able to see the fish in the pond clear down to the bottom because the water was so clear that it looked like glass.
The Duke just listened to them, nodding and making sounds of great admiration as they described their playtime and what they had seen. He glanced at Anne Marie several times, the corners of his lips lifted in a soft grin.
The children began to debate between each other which child had recovered the most shells and which had the prettiest shells.
Thomas looked at Anne Marie. “How has your morning been, Miss Anne?”
“Productive, I must say,” she responded. “The children were up earlier than usual, which I found surprising. They were so excited about having lunch with you today that they couldn’t sleep.
Thomas nodded. He moved to the table, still carrying his little boy in his arms. He set him down in the proper chair and pulled out the chair for Claire to sit on. She smiled prettily and sat down.
When he moved to the third chair, the one closest to him, he pulled it out for Anne Marie. She sat. She had never noticed it before, but it was common for Thomas to pull out her chair for her. He had done so at every ball, party or dance the two attended.
She watched him move around the table and take his seat at the head. She blinked several times. He was looking very handsome. Earl Carter’s face floated through her mind and she found herself silently comparing the two men. There was no doubt that she knew the Duke much better. She knew what time he rose in the morning, what color shirts he preferred to wear, how he liked his meals prepared and what his favorite after dinner drink was. She knew very little about Carter Montgomery. So little, in fact, that the list under his name in her mind was short compared to the long list of things she knew about the Duke.
He thanked the girl who’d placed the food in front of him. When he looked away, he noticed that Anne Marie was staring at him. She dropped her eyes, but not before he saw a look he had wanted to see on her face for some time. He inhaled sharply and wondered. Were her feelings for him growing stronger? Were they changing from those of deep friendship to love?
He had known his feelings for her were stronger than that of an employer a few short weeks after her arrival at the mansion. His wife already deceased, he was not bound to the rules of society. Not as he saw it. He felt free to love whom he chose.
Anne Marie had made it clear those years ago that she did not feel the same way, that she did indeed feel the boundaries set forth before her.
However, the Duke was taken in by something he saw within her, a look of royalty, a regal attitude that emanated from her at every turn. He was sure that she would make a lovely Duchess. If only she would choose to return his love for her.
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What if the best thing for him to do would be to marry Anne Marie so that she would be taken care of, have the title of Countess, which she rightly deserved, and have access to money she didn’t even know was rightfully hers?
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CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
DISTRESSING NEWS
An hour before he was to leave for his carriage ride with Anne Marie, Carter was sitting in his study, papers spread across the surface of his large mahogany desk. He was sitting back against his chair, contemplating a mess. Two of his assistants had brought him a fresh stack of papers he was to go through, all of them having something to do with Fairfield, his father and his uncle.
He didn’t want to go through them. He wanted to leave for the ride early. However, that would make no sense. It could also be bothersome to Miss Anne Marie, who probably would not be ready for the ride that early.
Besides, the work truly needed to be done. It was simply a matter of reading through the papers and discovering which ones were relevant and which could be filed away, never to be retrieved again. It was doubtful that he would be able to toss any of them into the bin. If they weren’t important in some way, they would not have been kept.
He scanned the papers some more until one small stack caught his eye. The top sheet was marked confidential and several areas of it were blacked out with ink. He sat forward and focused on the small stack of papers, which were held together with a clip.
“What’s this?” he murmured. He reached forward and pulled the stack toward him.
He flipped over the top sheet and scanned the second page. Chills lifted the hair on his arms and the back of his neck. He frowned.
The second paper was a certificate of birth. The name of the mother was Abigail Burlington. The father was not mentioned. It was a certificate announcing the birth of a baby girl some twenty-one years ago. He scanned the rest of the certificate. He turned the page over and glanced through the third page, which certified in writing that the mother had died upon the birth of the child.
Carter picked up the small stack of papers and again leaned back against his chair. The caregiver assigned to dispose of the body was a name that was familiar to him. Duke Andrew Huntington. Carter looked up and over the papers in his hand, going over the Huntingtons in his mind. There were two of them, Anne Marie’s employer and the Earl of Sinclair County, David Huntington. David was all of 30. It was unlikely that he’d fathered a child when he was ten years old. Carter dismissed him from his mind.
That only left Duke Thomas Huntington. Carter tried to remember the name of Thomas’ father. He supposed it could be Andrew, but when he thought twice about it, Earl David Huntington had had a father as well. He didn’t know the name of either man.
He flipped over the third page. When he read the beginning of the fourth page, the blood ran out of his face. He could feel it pooling at his feet.
The fourth page was a letter outlining the details of the case of an illegitimate child. The child, a girl, was reportedly the daughter of the unmarried Abigail Burlington and the very married Duke William Montgomery.
The news that Sir William Montgomery, his very own uncle, had fathered an illegitimate child and then abandoned it made him sick to his stomach. Moreover, the very notion that a woman he had been attempting to court could be his cousin made it worse. If she had been a “he,” Carter’s inheritance would have easily been taken. As it was, she had no rights to it, even if this information came out in the light of day.
Abruptly, Carter’s mind moved in a different direction. The young lady was a delightful woman, charming in every respect he could think of. She had a solid, upstanding reputation, but was a governess and not a true member of the elite society. She was invited to the dances by her employer and while there, never ceased to amaze others by her class and dignity. Many ladies had whispered behind their hand jealously while men had remarked openly that she carried a look about her. She seemed to have a natural air of nobility.
Now he knew why.
What would he do with this information? If he made it public, it would shame his uncle, who had been so good to him, and it would shame Anne Marie’s mother. It could reflect badly on the Worthingtons, which was completely unacceptable to Carter. It may also have an effect on his own family name, and the Huntington’s as well.
He threw the small packet of papers onto the desk surface and steepled his fingers in front of his face, thinking. This was quite a dilemma for him. What if the best thing for him to do would be to marry Anne Marie so that she would be taken care of, have the title of Countess, which she rightly deserved, and have access to money she didn’t even know was rightfully hers?
Jillian’s face passed through Carter’s mind. He had been leaning in her direction over Anne Marie in the past few days, simply because she was a beautiful woman who came highly recommended and it meant he would have access to the Worthingtons, the most prestigious
family in Fairbanks. That would have been reason enough without Lady Jillian’s personal attributes. The Worthingtons were well-respected by all accounts. He personally cherished the friendship that he had with Duke Shawn, and desired his advice and counsel before anyone else.
Nevertheless, he couldn’t let Anne Marie remain in the position she was in, no money and no title. She deserved better.
He closed his eyes. This was not going to be easy. He was already regretting it and he hadn’t even made a solid decision yet. He would have to talk to Shawn.
With a heavy heart, he stood and gathered the random papers on his desk into a pile. He set aside the packet with the damning information about his uncle. He needed to prepare for his carriage ride with Anne Marie.
He went out into the hallway to stare in the mirror as he had done this morning. Suddenly, he felt like he looked haggard and old, drawn and pale. His mind was swimming with anxious thoughts. His brow was furrowed, creating deep lines in his forehead. He widened his eyes and tried to relax his muscles. His entire body was tense.
“You made a big mess of things, Uncle William,” he murmured. He suddenly remembered private meetings between his father and uncle, when he would follow them but they would close the door before he could enter, saying they needed to talk about something that was none of his business. They were never impolite about it, but they were firm in keeping him out of the conversations.
Now he knew why.
And he almost wished he didn’t.
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“Is it because you have no feelings for him or because you felt disrespected by his advances?”
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CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
CHATTING WITH ANNE MARIE
Carter watched as Anne Marie stepped up into the carriage, holding the hand of his driver. He smiled at her as she sat across from him. He noticed when her smile was hesitant. “How are you today, Miss Anne?” he asked.
“I am well, and you?”
“I cannot complain. My circumstances are the same as they were yesterday and will remain the same for a time. It is a lovely afternoon. Would you care to have tea on the lawn?”
“Yes, that would be fine.”
“Tell me, Miss Anne, if it is not too personal, what do you remember of your childhood?”
Anne Marie was taken aback by the question. In all the time she had been with the Duke, he had never asked her about her childhood. Nor had any of the men she had talked to in the past with the possible intention of courtship. “I…I was raised in a small house outside the city, with an older couple. I don’t remember my parents.”
“Were you ever informed of their whereabouts or who they were?”
“No. My mother died giving birth to me. I did not ever find out anything more about her.”
“Did you want to?”
Anne Marie gazed at him directly. He was rooting around in her background to find out how worthy she was of him. It made her feel somewhat resentful, but she masked the feeling with an outward smile. “I may have as I was growing up, yes. But since I became a woman, I have ceased to worry about it. I enjoy my job and have no trouble finding friends and people who wish to care for my well-being. I don’t feel unsafe or insecure in any way.”
“You have a strong personality.” Carter nodded.
She raised her eyebrows. “I would not have said that about myself, my lord. You must see something in me that I do not.”
“You have a reputation, you know. The many people I have spoken to about you have nothing but good things to say about you. There are a few of the women, I daresay, who are jealous of you.”
She sniffed. “Jealous of me? Whatever would be their reason? I have nothing to be jealous of.”
“I believe it has to do with the fact that you are comfortable with yourself. No matter your station in life, you would feel comfortable with yourself. You don’t need fancy gowns and make-up, men hanging off of your skirt or a large bank account. You have something that they don’t have.”
“And what would that be, my lord?”
Carter smiled. “You have confidence. You have a strong sense of well-being. You are, as you say, secure in who you are and where you are at all times.”
“I would hesitate to agree with the latter part of that statement.” Anne Marie could feel herself blushing and wished she could stop it automatically. “I am not secure at all times. I have doubts like everyone else. But I enjoy my job as governess to Thomas Junior and Claire. They are delightful children.”
“And how does Duke Huntington treat you?”
“He is a fine gentleman. I have never had any trouble with him in any way.”
“He does tend to treat you like a member of the family rather than a servant.”
Anne Marie recoiled at the word “servant”. Governesses were not servants. Jocelyn came to mind and she realized that in many homes, the governess was indeed a servant. “I have never thought of it that way but yes, I suppose he does. He treats me with a great deal of respect.”
“Has he ever proposed more to you than just being your employer?” Carter could see the answer in her face without her speaking. She dropped her eyes to her folded hands, which were clutched in her lap. “Ah, I see that he has. And you have turned him down?”
“Yes, my lord.”
“Is it because you have no feelings for him or because you felt disrespected by his advances?”
“I…it was neither of those things, my lord.” She was becoming extremely uncomfortable. Carter was drilling her with questions that she was unprepared to answer.
“So you do have feelings for him?” Carter sounded intrigued and sat forward, staring at her. Her blushed cheeks darkened. “You didn’t feel disrespected? Why did you turn him down, if it was neither of these things?”
“I…I didn’t feel it would reflect well on his reputation.”
Carter tilted his head to the side. “You are concerned about Duke Huntington’s reputation? That is surprising.”
“Why do you say so, my lord?”
“Because, my lady, you do not realize your own worth in the matter. You say that you are a secure person, but I see you taking a second guess at something that could potentially lift you out of the mire.” He raised one hand when it looked like she was going to object. “I don’t mean the mire in that way. You are certainly not living in the mire, nor do you act as though you are. However, you would position yourself as Duchess with a husband and two children whom you have been caring for since their early years. They love you, as I see it, and you love them. It would be a grand match.”
It was Anne Marie’s turn to tilt her head. “I thought it was your intention to court me, my lord. Am I mistaken?”
Carter couldn’t help chuckling. “You are correct, as a matter of fact, my dear. I was fully intending on courting you and will still consider it. Nevertheless, I do not want to get in the way of your happiness and prosperity. There have been many arranged marriages that turned into a life of hell for both parties. I do not want that to be our downfall. We must be secure that it is what we want to do. I will tell you that it was a part of my uncle’s will that I be married within six months of his death in order to inherit his fortune.”
Anne Marie nodded. “This is why you have suddenly come back to the dances for the season. I noticed that you attended very sporadically last season, but this one, you are a part of it all.”
“Yes. I must find a bride.”
“And you are considering me for the job?”
Carter laughed. “I would hope that marrying me would not be considered a job.”
Anne Marie flushed. “Oh my, that isn’t what I meant at all…I should not have phrased it that way. I apologize, my lord.”
Carter shook his head. “Do not feel embarrassed, Anne Marie. It was simply a slip of the tongue. I understand what you are saying and yes, of course I am considering courting you. That i
s why we are here in the carriage, about to have lunch on the lawn.”
“That is what I had thought, my lord.”
“Let us talk about more amusing things, shall we?”
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“Do you think I should tell Anne Marie? My concern is that she will be resentful and angry.”
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CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
ADVICE FROM DUKE SHAWN
As soon as he left Miss Anne Marie back at the Huntington estate, Carter went directly to the Worthington manor. There was a possibility that Duke Shawn would not be there, but he was willing to take the risk. The Worthington manor was only there for the Duke and his family to use when they were visiting. He rarely stayed there for a length of time. Carter also knew, however, that Duke Shawn had taken an interest in his personal dilemma. He had offered to assist Carter in any way he could, so it was likely that he had stayed in Fairfield to help out.
The Huntington estate was not far from the manor. Carter found his carriage pulling into the dirt pathway that led to the house fairly quickly. He’d barely had time to collect his thoughts. His lunch on the lawn with Miss Anne had been fruitful and fun, once they both decided not to think about the past and start talking about the future. He learned of her dreams and hopes, the futures she wished for the Huntington children and all of the antics the children put her through. He told her his concerns for the house and plans for its renovation. He was very excited about the prospect of making the mansion his own, updating it and refurnishing it. She seemed impressed by his plans.
Regency Romance: More For A Duke (The Fairbanks Series - The Familial Adventures) (CLEAN Historical Romance) Page 17