by Gayle Callen
She blinked at him. He was leaving? She told herself she would be alone, at peace, in one of her favorite places.
But it wasn’t hers anymore. Her mother had taken care of that. Her family wasn’t here, and she suddenly felt a loneliness that took her by surprise.
But his home would be full of people—more of his family, whom she wanted to meet. It was the seat of the duke of Madingley, a palace, so she heard, with at least a hundred servants, and grounds that stretched out as far as the eye could see.
Daniel had grown up there, with two happy parents, until a tragic accident. Then he’d been thrust into a world of mean little boys and rumors he’d had to defend against.
He could have turned out to be a much different man, colder, cynical. And on the surface, that was the image he let people see. But she saw below that, to a man who defended his mother, who helped a friend in a desperate situation. Perhaps she could better understand how to redeem him by meeting the rest of his family.
Daniel smiled at her. “You have no comment about my leaving?”
“I am…simply surprised. I will think on it and come up with the perfect response.”
“Of course you will. Or perhaps you wish I wouldn’t go.”
She realized that she didn’t want him to go without her. “I think you may go, but I will go with you.”
His smile faded, and he studied her as if looking for a motive.
“You don’t need to be so suspicious,” she said. “Why would I not want to see where you grew up, now that you’ve seen the same about me?”
“I will consider it, but only if you tell me about your family and living here.”
“And why would you care about that? It’s not as if I can tell you anything about running a small country manor. I’m sure you already own dozens.”
“Not quite,” he said dryly.
“Then how many?”
With a smile, he said, “Five, including this one.”
“And did you win them all?”
“Only this one. The rest were honestly purchased. So now I’ve answered your questions, and you need to answer mine. How old were you when your father died?”
“Nine.”
“And that made your brother…”
“Eight. Not old enough to learn much from my father, but still, we were able to benefit from his influence. The memories are good ones. Edward wasn’t able to go away to school, but he was tutored. Perhaps you’d think he wasn’t missing much.”
“I made valuable friends at school, which I’ve always appreciated,” Daniel said neutrally.
She didn’t ask him about the enemies he’d made. “Edward’s tutoring led to my own education. He always made sure I could learn anything he was.”
“And your mother didn’t interfere?”
“No. I don’t think she much cared, one way or another.” She hadn’t meant to say so much about her mother’s shortcomings as a parent.
But at least Daniel didn’t give her a look of pity, only interest. Though both of them had lost their fathers at a young age, their mothers had handled their grief in vastly different ways.
“Edward is still educating himself,” Grace quickly said to change the subject. “I even saw him reading a book on the railways.”
“Good, he’s doing his assignment.”
“Assignment?”
A brief look of annoyance crossed Daniel’s face, and she knew it was directed at himself. She was beginning to know him well. “Too late, Daniel. You’ve already revealed it. What is going on between you and my brother?”
“Just some advising. I’m teaching him about wise investing, and I recommended he read up on the railways because that’s where so much money is being made right now.”
She put down her fork and stared at him in surprise. “You’re trying to help my brother?”
“‘Guide’ would be a better word. You don’t have to look so surprised,” he added dryly.
“And why shouldn’t I be surprised? Most people would be.”
“Because you—and everyone else—seem to think I’m only out for my own betterment.”
“You don’t show the world much else, Daniel,” she said gently. She felt…a softness deep inside her when she thought of him helping her brother. It wouldn’t affect her relationship with Daniel, so surely he didn’t do it because of her.
“I don’t have to show the world such things.” He wiped his mouth with a napkin, as if he suddenly couldn’t wait to leave her.
“You encourage people to think the worst of you. You seduce young ladies,” she admonished him.
“Every man does that.”
“They do?”
He gave her this gentle smile that made her feel…strange, and then he lightly cupped her cheek. “You are an innocent, Grace.”
He did not know the truth about her innocence. She pulled away. “What time are we leaving?”
His smile faded. “What if I don’t wish to escort you?”
“Then I guess I’ll have to return to London alone. Perhaps Edward has discovered the identity of the man watching the town house.” She gave him a bright smile, knowing that he would not want her where he could not watch over her. It was a safe feeling, and it had been a long time since she’d felt safe.
He narrowed his eyes. “Your education held you in good stead. We’ll leave in an hour, so that we can make it to Madingley Court before dark.”
She pushed back her chair and rose as well. “Then I better hurry. Poor Ruby will have already begun to unpack.”
When Grace would have turned away, he caught her arm and pulled her closer. She nervously glanced at the entrance to the kitchen corridor, but the door remained closed.
“No one is coming,” he said softly, his breath lightly touching her ear.
She shuddered. “Why would you say that?”
“Because I am a duke’s cousin, and they’re all hoping that I’m courting you.”
He was, but for the wrong reasons. She felt a sadness she didn’t want to examine too closely.
“I think you just can’t bear to be away from me,” he said.
Then he nibbled her earlobe, and though she trembled, she didn’t pull away.
“I think I’ll be even safer under your mother’s roof.” She wished her voice were steadier.
“It’s a big house.”
“More places to escape from you.”
“But you still owe me a private dance. I have not forgotten.”
She looked up into his dark brown eyes, full of a warmth that made her feel too good. “Then I suggest you release me, so that we can get on with the chase.”
Chapter 16
That evening, just after the sun had set, the carriage turned down a lane guarded by imposing stone columns on each side, signaling the entrance to Madingley Court.
Grace watched Daniel’s face, but he betrayed no expression. He’d been almost reserved on the drive to his home, as if he were regretting bringing her. She had known this would happen. After all, his family might think that he was interested in marrying her, which was far from the truth. But perhaps she could use this to her advantage. How could Daniel be truly redeemed if not in the eyes of his family? She would let them think what they wanted about her, let them think that he was actually considering marriage. It would give them hope for his future. And perhaps he would see that his marriage would give his mother so much pleasure.
“So what should I know about your family?” Grace asked.
Daniel turned his impassive gaze from the window and back to her. Ruby was ignoring them, staring at the grounds of the ducal estate. Grace figured it must be so huge that it would be a while before the mansion came into view.
“Many of my family will be in London for the Season,” Daniel said.
“But not your mother.” She felt excited and nervous, and didn’t understand why. But she would be seeing a side of Daniel that he’d kept hidden from her, and she was looking forward to it.
He tilted his he
ad. “No, not my mother. You seem most curious about her.”
“Of course! I’ve admired her symphony for much of my life—but I will not mention it,” she added before he could speak. “Who else will be there?”
“My aunt Isabella, the duchess. She is not one for London.”
Grace remembered that she was a Spaniard, and not of royalty. Her life could not have been easy among the ton.
“Her daughter Elizabeth is just out of the schoolroom, so she’ll be with her mother. My aunt Rosa and her husband Professor Leland have just emerged from a year of mourning for their son, so they, too, are in London with both their daughters and daughter-in-law.”
“You have a cousin who died? I am sorry.”
“Matthew was killed in battle in India. They never found his body in the midst of a fire, so my aunt has had a difficult time worrying that he is not at peace. When I last saw them in town, I thought perhaps it was still too soon for her, for she had accepted only a few invitations.”
“So only your mother, an aunt, and a cousin will be at Madingley Court.”
“Disappointed?” he asked, while his mouth tilted in a half smile.
“Of course not. Fewer names for me to remember.” And it was his mother whom she most wanted to meet. “Will they be bothered that you bring a woman home? Or is it a regular occurrence?”
He chuckled. “Not so regular, but you already know that. It’s why you wanted to come.”
She wished she didn’t blush so easily. “Do not take for granted my curiosity. So how will you explain my presence? You’ll of course want to make clear that you are not courting me.”
“I’ll make it clear,” he said easily.
She felt a bit disappointed. “How?”
“We were looking over your property. How could I not visit my own mother when I’m nearby?”
She sat back, feeling satisfied. Though his face became shadowed in gloom as the light faded, they did not bother to light a lantern. When they took another turn, the woods on either side suddenly seemed brighter with a faint glow. Grace frowned and let her window down.
She couldn’t hold back a gasp as she saw Madingley Court. It was a towering castle of pointed turrets and battlements and hundreds of windows, many of which were lit from within. The castle stood out against the blackness of the night, as if it had always protected Cambridgeshire from the dawn of knighthood.
“Rather large, isn’t it?” Daniel said with amusement.
“Surely you must have gotten lost in there.” Grace was unable to tear her gaze away.
“Only a time or two. Then I discovered it was far more fun to pretend to be lost.”
“And worry your mother unnecessarily.”
“Remember, she grew up here, too. She was not easily fooled. But others were.”
“Your father.”
He didn’t answer, although his faint smile remained in place.
It took a long time for the carriage to drive past the castle, and then they turned into a courtyard and pulled up beneath a columned portico.
Daniel helped them out, and he must have seen Ruby gaping upward at the many floors, for he said, “Do not worry about finding your way around, Ruby. The housekeeper will take good care of you.”
The entrance hall soared two stories above their heads, with statues in recessed alcoves along the walls, and a marble inlaid floor.
An older woman in a black dress, white apron, and a lace cap waited for them, and her plump face broke into a smile at the sight of Daniel.
“Master Daniel,” she said, “it is so good to see you.”
“Mrs. Townsend, you look radiant, as always.”
He took her hand and kissed her knuckles, and her face went as red as an apple.
“Master Daniel, you are too cheeky.” She turned to Grace and didn’t bother to hide her curiosity.
“This is Miss Grace Banbury and her maid, Ruby,” Daniel said. “We had business in Hertfordshire, and she agreed to allow me to visit my mother before we returned to London.”
That hardly satisfied the housekeeper, who looked between them with interest. And that satisfied Grace. Let the staff believe that Daniel was finally settling down.
“When we saw the approaching carriage,” Mrs. Townsend said, “I informed the family, who agreed to delay dinner. Now they’ll be happy they did. It will be served in an hour. Miss Banbury, will that give you enough time to prepare?”
Grace looked past the housekeeper to the next room, a great hall with groupings of furniture scattered about and swords and shields decorating the walls. “Surely it will take us that long to reach a bedroom.” She smiled.
“Not at all, miss,” the housekeeper said. “By the time we reach a guest room, your luggage should already be there. Master Daniel, you can see yourself to the family wing.”
“Of course. Miss Banbury, I shall see you soon.”
Daniel was almost expecting his mother to appear in his bedchamber, but somehow she contained herself until he reached the drawing room. He paused in the doorway before she saw him, and he was glad that she seemed unchanged in the three months since he’d last seen her. But the mourning gown she’d been wearing since her husband’s death always made her look more pale and drawn. She was alone in the grand room, and she gazed pensively into her wineglass. Probably wondering what he was up to by bringing a woman home with him.
At last she saw him, and her loving smile was the same as always. He went in and kissed her cheek, and she pulled him down beside her for a hug.
“Oh, Daniel, it has been too long,” she said, smiling up at him.
“You only have to come to London, Mother. It is not far.”
She waved a hand. “I don’t miss it a bit. There is always too much going on here. I was going to tell you about Miss Wadsworth, who has just come out this Season, but I guess I don’t have to now.”
“You would deprive me of gossip?”
“As if you cared about that. But no, I can see you’ve managed to find a lady all by yourself. Will wonders never cease.”
“She is not my lady, Mother,” he explained patiently. “Her name is Miss Grace Banbury, and she was showing me the property I recently purchased from her family.”
Something flickered in her eyes. “Oh, Miss Banbury. The duke mentioned her.”
“What did Chris have to say?” he asked warily.
“Only that she seems taken with you. I hope you are not leading the girl on.”
“I’m not, Mother.” He wondered what Chris had really said.
Before he could say more, his aunt Isabella entered the room with his cousin Elizabeth. They both gave glad cries upon seeing him, and he was hugged and kissed thoroughly. Though Aunt Isabella was a duchess, she dressed in the conservative clothing she preferred. She was never one to draw attention to herself, probably because her dark Spanish skin and black hair, now touched with silver, did it for her. She had never blended in with pale English beauties, and he had always felt a kinship with her.
Elizabeth had her mother’s deep black hair, but her skin was the paler color of a peach, and she blushed with happiness on seeing Daniel.
When Grace entered the room, she stopped uncertainly in the doorway, staring at the happy reunion. The immediate family was already so much larger than hers that she had a hard time imagining what it must be like when they all got together.
An older woman dressed in mourning was the first person to notice her and sent a curious, subdued glance her way. At first Grace thought that Daniel’s aunt, the one mourning her son, must have been in residence, but then she realized that this must be Lady Flora, Daniel’s mother. She was a tall woman, like her son, and there was a resemblance in the cheekbones and the same chocolate-colored eyes.
“You must be Miss Banbury,” said the woman suddenly, and the other three people all turned to look at her.
Daniel came to her, and she found herself absurdly grateful that he would not leave her to explain herself. He held out his elbow, and sh
e put her hand on it, letting him lead her into the largest drawing room she’d ever seen. She tried not to gape at crystal chandeliers spaced over her head amidst classical paintings, or the intricate carving along the hearth she could have stepped into.
“Mother, Aunt Isabella, Elizabeth, this is Miss Banbury,” Daniel said, “Miss Banbury, meet my mother, Lady Flora, my aunt, the duchess of Madingley, and my cousin, Lady Elizabeth.”
Grace curtsied to the ladies, almost surprised when they all did the same. She had never met such a group of exalted people before, and she felt like the simple country girl that she was. How had Daniel kept from laughing when he saw her small manor at Maran Park?
Lady Flora smiled although Grace still saw the reserve shadowing her eyes.
“Miss Banbury, how good to meet you. I understand that you grew up near our part of the country.”
“Not a day’s journey away in Hertingfordbury, my lady. Although that property now belongs to your son.”
“Ah yes, how good of you to show it to him.”
Though Daniel’s mother was the height of civility, Grace sensed that she was being weighed, and knew that traveling with Daniel had not helped her in their eyes. She calmed herself by remembering that if Lady Flora knew what her son was truly doing with her, he would be the one suffering her censure.
Daniel led her into the dining room, and Grace tried not to gape at the table, which stretched down the length of the room to seat at least fifty people. They all sat at one end, the women grouped around Daniel at the head of the table.
Everyone was so polite to her, and Grace was able to relax and watch the interplay between mother and son. Though this was a different Daniel than the relaxed man he’d been at Enfield Manor with Viscount Wade, there was still an ease, a comfortableness about him now that he was home. He had been raised much as his cousin, the duke, who was also born of scandal; why had Daniel turned his life so differently? She was getting glimpses of the depths of him.
“Miss Banbury?” Lady Flora said after the bowls of Julienne soup had been taken away.
Grace smiled at her. “Yes, my lady?”