by Amelia Grey
The most stimulating had come from his father. For as long as Rath could remember, he knew he’d be a duke one day and in charge of lands, companies, people, and wealth. But it wasn’t until his father had challenged him to be proficient in all the inner workings of the entailed property’s businesses after he left Oxford that he’d set his mind to learning about them all.
And he had.
Rath caught on quickly as he and his father traveled the estates, met the tenants, and surveyed the lands. Often his father had praised him for his intuition, cleverness, and financial skills in all the ventures that kept the estates prosperous. Learning the holdings of the farmlands and the mining companies had pleased his father. The knowledge of all that was easy for Rath to absorb but managing his neckcloth, his time, and his social pursuits was not.
That was where he and his father had parted ways and no amount of challenge could change Rath’s mind. He cared little for high fashion and it showed. No amount of pleading from his father had convinced him to keep his neckcloth properly tied or his coat and waistcoat matching. As soon as Rath was old enough to do so, he’d refused to have a valet dress him or have starch in his collar. Rath wanted to be comfortable, not trussed up like a dandy attending his first ball. His father had never forgiven him for that lax attitude in his clothing, or for the fact that he’d chosen the life of a rake over a gentleman.
At the time, Rath was too eager to taste what was afforded to him. He was only interested in what gave him pleasure and not what his father demanded. Rath felt a sense of peace that his father knew, even though he lingered for months with a broken body after being thrown from a horse, before he died that Rath could manage the dukedom well whether or not his neckcloth was properly tied.
Looking out the carriage window, he tapped the papers against his leg for the second time. Right now, his challenge was the responsibility of taking care of Marlena. It wasn’t coming as easy to him as learning about his estates. Women were capricious. Estates were not. But looking after Miss Fast was giving him an unexpected and immense sense of pleasure.
When the carriage finally stopped at Marlena’s house, Rath stepped out into the bright sunlight of a cool afternoon with the ends of the sheets of vellum and newsprint fluttering in his hand. He started up the stone path but his steps slowed as he noticed the patches of blue sky. Without really thinking about it, he changed direction from the front door and headed around the corner to the back of the house.
Tut heard his approach and raced to the fence barking. The little dog made it to the wooden gate before Rath. Just as he’d suspected, Marlena was in the garden wearing her straw hat. A wine-colored shawl was spread over her slender shoulders and knotted perfectly between her breasts. Tut continued to jump on the fence and bark until Miss Fast made it over to unlock the gate.
Stepping inside, Rath swiped off his hat and shoved it under his arm as he reached down to pet the excited dog. He looked up at Marlena and said, “Good afternoon, Miss Fast.”
“Your Grace,” she answered with a curtsy.
Oh, yes. She was as lovely as the first day he saw her. Maybe even more so. Usually he’d rather a young lady not wear a hat or bonnet to cover her hair, but with Marlena, the hat seemed to flaunt how stunning she was.
“I thought I’d find you out here on this sunny afternoon,” he said while Tut danced on his hind legs, begging for more attention.
“Much preferable to being inside. And it is the warmest day we’ve had in quite a few months.”
Her gaze strayed to the papers he held in his hand. He sensed by the gleam in her eyes she was anxious to know what he had. That left him even more intrigued than he was before. If they were so important to her, they were important to him, too.
“Actually,” she continued, “I should have said it’s wonderful for me to be outside. I know you prefer to be indoors so we can go into the drawing room. I’ll have Mrs. Doddle make some tea. We’ll leave Tut outside so he’ll stop jumping on you.”
“I’m good out here, Miss Fast,” he said, giving the head of the small dog another friendly pat. “And Tut isn’t bothering me.”
“Tut, behave,” she admonished. The dog looked at her and gave her a quarreling bark. “Go,” she said and pointed toward the back of the garden. Tut wagged his tail and looked at her but didn’t move.
Marlena turned her attention back to Rath. “He’s not well trained. My fault, I have to admit. If you’ll stop showing him attention, I’m sure he’ll leave you alone and go find a grasshopper to chase or something to sniff in the grass.”
“I don’t mind a welcoming dog or a watchdog.”
“He’s certainly both,” she answered, always willing to talk about Tut. “I’m indebted to Justine for allowing me to accept him from a child on the street who was trying to give him away. He’s brought me immense pleasure since I’ve been in London.”
“That was kind of her.”
“Tell me,” Marlena said, “were you able to find some information for me?”
Nothing like getting right to the point of the matter. Rath couldn’t help himself. He had to grin. She was polite enough to ask and not assume what he held was for her.
“You were very specific in your note to me, Miss Fast. Any and all information, you directed.”
She moistened her lips nervously. “Yes, I believe I said that, but I hope it didn’t sound like a demand.”
It was on the tip of his tongue to deny it, but then he knew she’d want the truth, so he said, “It did.”
“I didn’t mean my words how you read them. It was a request.”
Her eyes were caressing his face, and Rath was taking in the way she was appealing to him. He didn’t mind her fighting spirit. It was fascinating and he even encouraged it, but he wanted her to look at him with her softer side, too.
He held up the papers. “And it was accomplished.”
“Thank you. That’s wonderful. I’m most grateful to you.”
Marlena held out her hand to him. Her eagerness to get the material intrigued him more than it should. He’d had no plans of getting wrapped up in his ward’s life until he met her. Now she was all he could think about. He had to know what her interest was in the famed Buckland and the unknown Wentfield.
Rath’s grip tightened on the pages he held by his side and his arm didn’t move. “I’m afraid I need more information from you before I can give you these, Miss Fast.”
It was slight but she lifted her chin and stiffened. “What do you mean?”
He rolled the sheets, pushed aside his cloak, and then stuffed them into the side pocket of his coat. “To begin with,” he said without any hint of annoyance, “I’d like to know why you thought to use me as your researcher, and ask me to gather this information for you.”
“You’re my guardian,” she answered without equivocation.
He couldn’t argue with that. “But not your personal secretary.”
“No, of course not. I never thought—I mean it would be very difficult for me to do it myself. I needed your help.”
His stomach tightened. She needed him. That washed over him as soothing as watching the sun melt into the water in the late afternoon. But he couldn’t let those feelings disturb his inquiry.
“Why is that? All of this is available to anyone willing to look through old issues of newsprint, journals, and pamphlets.”
“Yes, that’s true, I’m sure. But rarely am I allowed to go anywhere without Justine.”
“So you wouldn’t want her to see this?” He touched his side where the papers were.
“I wouldn’t. Not because it’s something inappropriate. If I made her privy to the fact I wanted the articles on the men, she would want to know why.”
He could only assume that if she didn’t want Justine to know why she wanted the information, she probably wouldn’t want him to know, either. So why ask him to do it? That only made him more determined not to leave until he found out.
“It might not be a bad idea if she knows,” Rath ad
ded.
“I’m not sure she would have allowed me to go about getting the information even if I had told her why I needed it. She doesn’t always place value on the same things I do. I thought to avoid any confrontation with her about this. Since you are my guardian, I decided to ask you to do it for me.”
She was unbelievable. “And you didn’t think I’d want to know why you required this?”
She pulled on the edges of her shawl and tightened it around her. “Not really. It was, as you said, a simple thing to get and maybe not even interesting to most.”
Rath felt a twitch between his shoulder blades. He wondered again if she might have designs on the men. That irritated him, and made him ask, “Did it dawn on you that I might have more important things to do with my time than chase down gentlemen for you? Such as taking care of problems and issues that arise with my lands, tenants, and businesses. Meetings with members of Parliament who are forever seeking my favor as well as my advice and a host of other things.”
“Including a card game or two, several rounds of billiards I’m sure, and a few tankards of ale at White’s or some other club that is happy to have your membership no doubt,” she said tartly.
Oh, she was quick and tempting beyond what he thought possible. Rath folded his arms across his chest and smiled. He liked that she refused to be intimidated by him.
“That, too,” he agreed.
“And truth be told,” she added, obviously not enjoying the conversation as much as he was, “I never expected you would go searching for the particulars yourself but have someone do it for you.”
Which is exactly what he did. “What is your reason for wanting this information?”
She remained silent. The breeze blew through his hair and fluttered the ribbons under her chin. She pushed her hat farther up her forehead, and a golden-red strand of hair fell from underneath it. The sun made it shimmer as if it were winking at him, enticing him to touch it.
Without thinking, he asked, “Are you interested in making a match between yourself and Buckland or Wentfield?”
“What?” she gasped. “That’s absurd. Of course not. I’ve never met either man. They could both be married for all I know about them.”
The passion in her voice and expression of denial on her face told him she was being truthful. Her answer pleased him and he asked, “Then why?”
Rath received only silence from her again, but he could tell she was thinking seriously. But what about? Was she thinking to continue eluding his questions or saying less than the truth?
“If you don’t tell me, Miss Fast, I can refuse to give you the information. I saw the gleam in your eyes. You’re most eager to get your hands on these articles.”
“I am. Why would I ask for it otherwise, Your Grace?” She inhaled a long deep breath and then folded her arms across her chest. “I suppose there’s no reason I can’t tell you, except for the fact it’s not my story to divulge. But if I make you aware of this problem, you must promise to stay quiet about it.”
That surprised him. “I must stay quiet about it?” That word, must, didn’t sit well with Rath. “You certainly demand a lot for someone who is at my mercy.”
“Perhaps that’s because you are a troublesome guardian and I must strive to continually be a step ahead of you.”
She had more pluck than the King’s army, but he supposed she’d have to have been strong to have followed five boys around a country estate before the age of ten. “I do appreciate the fact you don’t mind your words when you are talking to me. Apparently, Mr. Olingworth never asked you any questions about the things you wanted him to obtain for you.”
“He trusted me.”
Rath nodded. “So do I, but I’m also curious. Perhaps we would work well together on this if you were only trying to stay equal with me rather than ahead of me.”
She tapped her foot, Tut wandered away, and Rath waited. He didn’t mind that she was taking her time to think it over. It not only showed courage, but showed strength and intelligence, too. And it showed him she was a lady to be regarded for her abilities.
“All right,” she finally said, her eyebrows furrowing. “I want to know what Mr. Buckland and Mr. Wentfield have to say about Megalosaurus eggs.”
“What in the hell—” fire, he finished silently, as Marlena’s brows shot up in surprise.
Chapter 12
He could be a rake if all he has to do to seduce you is look into your eyes.
MISS HONORA TRUTH’S WORDS OF WISDOM AND WARNING ABOUT RAKES, SCOUNDRELS, ROGUES, AND LIBERTINES
Rath truly had to watch his language more closely around her and try to be more gentlemanly as his father would have expected him to do. Most of the women he had extended conversations with didn’t mind if a hell or damnation or two slipped past his lips—or any other disrespectful words for that matter.
“What kind of eggs are they?”
“Fossilized eggs from a gigantic reptile that once roamed the earth—thousands of years ago.”
Rath eyed her carefully. She seemed to be serious about what she was saying. “I’ve not seen or heard of this reptile, and there’s no mention of it in the papers I have.”
“I would hope you haven’t seen one.” A smile twitched her lips. “I’d hate to think we had a creature that large walking the earth today but are you sure there’s no mention of it?”
“I’ve read every word.”
“I suppose that’s because Megalosaurus isn’t the official or scientific name for the ancient reptiles. They don’t have one. Not yet anyway, but Mr. Buckland hopes they will soon. He recently found the giant bones and is still doing his examination of them. It was Mr. Herbert Wentfield who discovered the creature’s eggs and the dragon bones.”
“Dragon bones?” Rath asked in disbelief as he stepped a little closer to her.
“Yes,” she answered truthfully.
“Miss Fast, I’ve read that big bones were unearthed a few years ago up north, and some believed them to be from dragons. Scientists determined those bones were actually from ancient Roman military elephants that were brought over here long ago. There never was such a thing as a dragon.”
“I’m not saying I believe there are such bones in existence from legendary beasts such as dragons, Megalosauruses, or unicorns that might have lived long ago,” she argued. “Only that some people do. Mr. Portington and Mr. Wentfield do.”
Another man?
Rath was doing his best to follow this conversation. “And who is Mr. Portington?”
She moved her hat even farther up her forehead. Rath knew such action was why she usually had a golden glow to her cheeks.
“He’s my neighbor and Eugenia’s brother-in-law. She lives with him and her sister, Veronica. All three men are collectors of fossils, bones, and various other artifacts from all over the world. As for the bones of a dragon, all I can say to that is what Mr. Portington told me when I questioned him about them. He said there was a time when some people thought the world was flat and that a balloon filled with hot air couldn’t possibly take people into the air, fly them around as if they were birds, and bring them safely back to the ground again.”
The more she told him, the more interested he became in this outrageous story. “You seem to know many things about these men already, so I’m wondering why you wanted to know more.” He looked around the garden and saw a small bench under a barren tree. “Why don’t we sit down over there and you can explain what all this is about?”
“I’m not sure Justine would approve of me sitting alone in the garden with a gentleman.”
“I am your guardian. I can be alone with you, and call you Marlena by the way. I see your eyebrows go up sometimes when I do.”
“It feels inappropriate.”
“What did Mr. Olingworth call you?”
She studied on that for a few seconds before saying, “Marlena, but I was a still a girl with braids in my hair and freckles across my nose when I went to live with him.”
R
ath gave her an expression that would surely let her know he’d gotten the best of that conversation, and said, “I’m willing for Mrs. Abernathy to be out here while we talk. Where is she?”
Marlena smiled at him and shook her head. “She is riding around town in the extravagant carriage you had delivered yesterday. She’s quite pleased to have it and wants everyone she knows to see her in it. I don’t think she’ll ever walk anywhere again.”
“Now she doesn’t have to. You didn’t want to go with her?”
Marlena’s softened gaze stared into his eyes, and that warm feeling washed over him again. “I’ve told you before that I like being outside. I’ve missed living in the countryside, first with my cousins and then Mr. Olingworth. I also prefer walking to riding in a stuffy coach.”
He didn’t know why but it pleased him that fancy trappings didn’t interest her. “And do you believe me when I say Mrs. Abernathy will not mind us being out here together because I am your guardian?”
“I suppose that does make it acceptable. I was often alone with Mr. Olingworth. Except, of course, for the servants. But he wasn’t—” She hesitated and her gaze fell softly on his again.
He was fairly certain he knew what she started to say, and he should be a gentleman and let it pass. The rake inside him wouldn’t allow that. “What? You are not shy, Marlena, finish your sentence.”
She gazed into his eyes without wavering. “Not as young and handsome as you are. Not as…”
“Desirable?”
Marlena inhaled deeply. He’d told her what she was thinking. What she was too embarrassed by her womanly emotions to say out loud?
“Mr. Olingworth was a gentleman at all times.”
“Ah, a gentleman. Which was a good thing. I’m glad.”
Rath extended his hand toward the bench and they walked over to it. He took off his cloak and spread it on the seat before they made themselves comfortable. It wasn’t a long bench so there wasn’t much distance between them. Rath took the papers out of his pocket and laid them beside him with his hat on top so the breeze wouldn’t blow them across the garden.