‘I’ll get a couple of hours and then go to the house late.’ John accepted the glass and threw the spirit down his throat, feeling it burn all the way down.
‘Very good, Your Grace.’ And Masters went to turn down the bed. John stood up in the bath and scrubbed himself from head to foot, rinsed himself off and then dried himself before flopping face down on the crisp clean sheets of his own bed and drifting off to the usual picture of Jessica Gordon’s innocent face.... She smiled at him and licked her lips, making him groan as lust spiked through his cock. He was astonished as her eyes dropped to his groin and her smile widened. “Who’s a big boy, then!” she murmured and he watched in fascination as she dropped to her knees and opened his britches, one sensual button at a time, each time stroking the backs of her fingers over his swelling manhood. He watched his cock lurch free as the front of his britches slowly folded open and Jessica gasped as he was revealed for her delectation. “Oh! My! You are big!” she panted in awe and looked up at him with her innocent eyes and licked her lips again causing his shaft to throb. “Do you want me to suck it?” All he could do was nod at the nymphet kneeling before him. Her hair was loose, cascading down her back like a dark waterfall and she was wearing some sort of white gossamer gown that her body glowed through. It was being blown about in the breeze like her hair. “Do you?” she asked again and her hand was small and gentle as she clasped his shaft firmly, before her pointed tongue flicked out and touched the head of his cock, sliding over it in such a sublime way that John almost shot his seed all over her face. His knees almost gave out as he watched her cherry lips slide down over his shaft until he could feel the reflex of her throat, as she gagged on his large member. “Yes!” burst from him as her tongue slid up the length of his cock as she pulled her mouth up and then slid it down again. She sucked him right at that moment and he couldn’t stop his fingers from clutching her hair and he lost all sense of himself as he stroked his engorged shaft in and out of her wicked mouth. Her fingers stroked and tweaked his testicles, driving him to the brink. His orgasm was so sudden that he couldn’t pull out of her mouth and he cried out in ecstasy as his penis pulsed and his seed shot down her throat.... John jerked awake from the erotic dream to find his fist clenched around his cock and it spilling his seed over the sheets. He felt like an adolescent after his first wet dream and wondered why he always saw Jessica sucking him off in his dreams. He turned over and dozed off again, eventually.
‘Good morning, Your Grace.’ Master said brightly as he pulled the curtains from over the windows. ‘It is now nearly ten o’clock and you need to get ready to go to the house.’
‘How many hours have I had?’ John mumbled as he opened his eyes and squinted against the bright sunshine pouring through the window.
‘About four hours, Your Grace.’ Masters said from the dressing room. ‘Lord Edward has only just come home with his pockets hanging out again.’ He sighed. ‘He seems most disgruntled this morning.’
‘Well, make sure you help Butcher keep an eye on the silver.’ John said firmly. ‘I don’t want any of it to go missing.’
‘Yes, Your Grace. Will you take breakfast in your suite?’ Masters asked as he held a dressing gown for the Duke.
‘No I think I’ll go down to the breakfast room after I’ve stopped by the nursery to see Elizabeth.’ John replied as he tied the gown about his body and went to the washstand, where there was hot water waiting and Masters was busy stropping his razor.
‘Yes, Your Grace.’
John turned his face over to his valet and sat back to enjoy a close shave. Masters was particularly deft at shaving and had been well trained by the old Duke’s valet. John swilled his face in hot water and patted it dry on a thick towel, remarking again that Masters hadn’t drawn any blood. He didn’t recollect Masters ever cutting his face in all the years he’d been the Duke. He dressed quickly in the sombre clothes that he wore most of the time. Although his official mourning had been finished for over a year, John still wore the dark clothes as a reminder at how life can change in the blink of an eye. He’d never loved Victoria, but he had married her and she was his wife, so he showed the respect due to the deceased Duchess. He yanked his boots on and stood for Masters to help him into his superfine jacket.
‘There, Your Grace. Ready to face another day.’ Masters said happily.
‘Yes, that’s right. It’s just another day.’ The Duke muttered as he moved away from the mirror and strode out of the door.
On the same floor at the other end of the landing was a huge nursery and as John opened the door he heard squeals of delight as his young daughter was running around the main school room, being chased by her Nanny.
‘Good morning, Nanny!’ he said loudly and Elizabeth’s head almost span off her shoulders she turned it so quick.
‘Daddy!’ she squealed and ran to him. John grabbed her under the arms and threw her up in the air, before catching her and settling her wriggling body on his hip. She had his blue eyes and her mother’s blond curls, they jiggled and jounced around her face and gave her an impish quality that her mother had lacked.
‘And how is my little princess this morning?’ he asked and kissed his child on her rosy cheek.
‘I’m fine, Daddy.’ She said and smiled like an angel. ‘Can I have a puppy?’ she asked brightly.
‘Not yet, you’re still a little young for one. But I’ll ask if the grooms have one for you to play with in the yard.’
‘Oh!’ she huffed and pouted. John felt a flare of anger, because she looked just like Victoria when she pouted like that and she hadn’t realised that it was a useless tactic to get what she wanted. ‘Are you going to play with me this morning?’ she asked innocently and his heart turned over.
‘No. I’m afraid I must go to the House of Lords today and see what is happening in the war.’ He kissed her again and stood her on the floor and immediately she rushed off and started running around the school room again
‘Didn’t we just win a big battle in Spain, Your Grace?’ the nanny asked softly. Mrs. Beaton was a very soft spoken woman, with a firm disposition who wouldn’t take any nonsense from Elizabeth.
‘We did. The siege at Badajoz. The first casualty lists are supposed to be arriving today along with Lord Wellington’s dispatches and the Lord Chancellor thinks they should be read to the house. I think Liverpool is behind this and is trying to jerk the old peers out of their brandy haze to release more funds for the army.’
‘Perhaps it will work, Your Grace, and those young men won’t have died for nothing.’
‘They won’t have died for nothing if we can actually beat Napoleon.’ He responded. He smiled at Elizabeth and took his leave, before going into the breakfast room and eating some tea and toast and then calling his carriage and travelling to the House.
As he strolled into the Central Hall of the House, which separates the Lord’s from the Common’s, John was surprised to see members gathered around a pillar displaying lists. He sauntered over and stood next to the Duke of Norfolk.
‘Robbie? What’s all the fuss?’ he asked softly.
‘Morning, Johnny. These are the lists of the dead from Badajoz. Lord Liverpool thought it would be a good idea to display them where everybody could have a look. You can see they’re popular!’
‘I can. Are they in alphabetical order?’ he asked and pushed his way to the front as Norfolk said yes. He scanned down the list looking for Carruthers and was disturbed when he saw the name Major David Carruthers, Household Cavalry.
‘I see Carruthers bought it. The old Earl will not like that.’ Norfolk said jovially, not realising John was distressed for Jessica’s sake.
‘I knew his wife.’ He muttered. ‘I hope somebody tells her gently.’
‘Never met her.’ Norfolk grunted. ‘But I remember there was some scandal surrounding it. She was packed off to the country before the ink was dry in the register and Carruthers rushed straight to the docks to sail for Portugal.’
‘Did
they never consummate the marriage?’ John asked in surprise.
‘Not as far as I know. His brother Anthony is rather touchy about her. Apparently the old Earl treats her as a nurse.’ He sighed. ‘And she’s not been seen in London since.’
‘What about her family?’ John asked frowning. ‘I knew her father quite well, before I was saddled with a dukedom.’
‘As far as I know she hasn’t seen them since she left the church. They don’t talk about her.’ Norfolk was distracted by somebody else and John moved away. He could see the Lord Chancellor and went to stand beside him.
‘My Lord? Can you find out for me how David Carruthers died?’ he asked softly.
‘Why would you want to know about that?’ The Earl of Eldon asked abruptly.
‘I knew his wife and thought I might write and send my condolences.’
Eldon said incautiously ‘One of your mistresses, was she?’ and laughed raucously.
‘No.’ John said coldly and in such a way that it didn’t brook any misunderstanding. ‘I saw her the first time she attended a ball when she was a debutante and I haven’t seen her since. But I’d heard she was forced to marry Carruthers and now she’s a widow.’ He looked at his boots. ‘I just wondered what happened to him.’
‘I’ll find out.’ Eldon said and turned to a secretary who bustled off.
By the lunch break, Eldon’s secretary had found the report of the action in which David Carruthers had been killed. He had died in the ditch in front of San Maria fort, his body riddled with canister shot. John wondered why a cavalry officer was in a ditch riddled with canister shot. He debated the issue during the afternoon session and could only come up with the conclusion that somebody had probably killed him and dumped his body in the ditch. He knew well enough David Carruthers reputation, the women he’d beaten and terrorized, as well as the gambling debts. John could only assume he’d made enemies in Spain and they had taken advantage of the siege to rid the world of a profligate like David Carruthers. The man gave Rakes a bad name! John had never liked him and was glad that Jessica would never have to face his attentions.
John left the house and retired to his study to write the letter of condolence. He tried four times to write the letter and each time he threw it on the fire, because he couldn’t stop the missive from turning into a tome, for the purging of his own grief. In the end he drank half a bottle of claret and gave up, going to White’s for dinner instead and gambling until the early hours to banish unwanted longing for something he couldn’t have.
~*~*~*~
A week later, Richmond accosted Jessica on the stairs. ‘His Lordship would like you to go to the study.’ He said coldly.
‘Thank you, Mr. Richmond.’ Jessica said politely. She had always spoken to Richmond with care. Especially after cook had regaled her with stories of his debauchery and cruelty with the old Earl.
She knocked on the door and heard the “Come in” opening the door carefully, because sometimes the Earl forgot he’d told you to enter.
‘Ah! There you are.’ The old Earl’s eyes twinkled and she was warned. This would be a difficult interview for her.
‘You sent for me, My Lord?’ she said with due deference for his title.
‘I did. I’m afraid I didn’t tell you about David. I’ve had a little time to think about this now and have decided on a course of action.’
‘What about David?’ she enquired politely.
‘He’s dead!’ the old man snapped. He sounded angry, but Jessica didn’t know if he was angry at her or David for dying.
She drew in a sharp breath of shock, but not because David meant anything to her. ‘I’m sorry for you loss, My Lord.’ She said softly.
‘You can be as sorry as you like.’ He said viciously. ‘But I have decided to annul the marriage. I wrote to the Archbishop of Canterbury a week ago and have received acknowledgement and permission for the marriage to be dissolved. All he needs is an affidavit from you swearing you did not consummate the marriage and one from Anthony confirming that.’ He smiled like the evil old man he’d become. ‘I don’t suppose you’ll be sorry about that?’
‘Not really, but I would ask you what you intend to do with me, when I am no longer your daughter in law?’ she asked coldly. Firm and cold was the only way to cut through the old Earl’s viciousness. He flicked a document across the desk and Jessica read it quickly before signing it.
‘I’ve found you a place as a Governess for the Viscount of Malvern. He has a young family and I thought it would suit you better than staying here.’
‘So, in effect you are withdrawing your responsibility for my care and throwing me out into the world with nothing?’ she asked harshly.
‘That’s it exactly!’ He spat. ‘I didn’t want you as a daughter anyway, so this settles everything.’
‘Seeing as you have used me as your personal slave for the last two years, can I have some wages to take with me?’ Jessica asked pointedly, the old man cackled again as he opened a draw and withdrew a coin purse. He extracted two golden guineas and flicked them to Jessica. She stood still and watched the coins bounce off her breasts and land on the desk.
‘Take them, lassie, for you’ll get nothing else from me.’
‘My Lord?’ Jessica said coldly as she swept up the two coins. ‘Your generosity has astonished me. I will make sure every body knows how well you pay!’
‘Don’t give me any of your cheek, girl. Go and pack your bags for you are leaving on the mail coach at four o’clock.’ And as Jessica turned for the door. ‘And don’t be using the Carruthers name any more, because you’re not entitled to it!’
Jessica slammed the study door on the old man’s last word. For the last six months Jessica had taken to carrying the knife Anthony had given her for her first Christmas in her boot. As the door trembled in the frame, she reached down and grasped the hilt of the knife, yanking it out of her boot. With it concealed in her hand she slowly went to her room, where Mary was already packing a small trunk with bare essentials.
‘Oh! Your Ladyship. I was just packing some things for you, as Mr. Richmond told me to.’
‘Don’t call me that any more. I’m just plain Miss Gordon again.’ Jessica said hollowly.
‘What’s happened?’ Mary asked gently.
‘That old buzzard has had my marriage annulled!’
‘But why?’ Mary said in shock.
‘Because David was killed in Spain.’
‘Oh, My Lady.’ Mary said sadly. ‘I’m so sorry.’
‘He never did tell me why he caused me so much trouble.’ Jessica muttered as she looked out of the window. She shook herself and put David from her mind again. He was dead, the matter was closed. ‘Mary, make sure you pack all my linens when you finish and send the trunks on.’
‘I will make sure My Lady.’ Mary said confidently.
‘You’re not supposed to call her that any more!’ Richmond said harshly from the doorway. A footman stood just behind him.
‘Get out of my room, Mr. Richmond.’ Jessica lifted the knife and made it flash in the light.
‘I came to tell you that the mail coach is here.’ He said in a surly and provocative way, but he didn’t take his eyes off the knife.
‘Thank you, Mr. Richmond. But you should knock next time, or you might just get a knife through your throat.’ She watched until the door was closed and then she snapped the bolt on. She went to the armoire and removed a coat, bonnet and gloves. Mary helped with these things, until she was presentable and then she accompanied Jessica downstairs, followed by the footman with the trunk.
Richmond was waiting in the hall. ‘This is a letter of introduction from the Earl and the direction to the Viscount’s house.’ He said coldly.
‘Thank you, Mr. Richmond.’ She looked up into his piercing blue eyes. ‘I don’t suppose we will miss each other. So I’ll say goodbye and be gone!’ She turned for the door and he dropped a hand on her shoulder.
‘It’s a good job he’s sent you aw
ay today, I would have had you tonight otherwise.’ He whispered viciously in her ear, making her shiver with the blatant threat.
‘Then I’m glad I’m leaving.’ She snapped and sliced the back of his hand with the knife that was still clenched in her fist. He released her with a curse and she strode purposefully through the door and down to the large coach that would take her to Gloucester. The footman was securing her luggage and Jessica hugged Mary before stepping in the coach and beginning another journey to another new life.
Well, I hope this one is better than the last one. She thought as the coach pulled away from the portico of The Earl of Dean’s residence. She sat back and rested her head against the cushion. At least I won’t have to wash that utterly disgusting body again and I won’t have to put up with that old goat trying to make me play with him. She thought in relief as she thought about the last time the old Earl had shaken his manhood at her and asked her to suck on it. She felt her gorge rise again at the thought of even touching that appendage without a flannel over her hand. At least the male body doesn’t hold any mystery for me anymore. She thought and then pushed the old Earl out of her mind. She reached down and placed the knife in her boot again, straightened her skirts and folded her hands in her lap.
The journey to Gloucester was fairly short and the Viscount actually had a carriage waiting for her at the coach house.
‘Miss Gordon?’ a male voice called as she stepped down. Jessica looked up and saw a groom coming towards her. ‘I’m Andrew Gough, the head groom for the Viscount.’ He smiled kindly, ‘and I’ve brought a curricle for you.’ He looked up at the footman of the post coach. ‘Is that your trunk?’ he asked.
‘It is, Mr. Gough. Thank you.’ Jessica said softly.
‘Please, call me Andrew or Drew.’ Andrew said with a smile. ‘After all, were not nobles, are we?’
Jessica sighed. ‘I was until four o’clock this afternoon.’ Andrew looked at her sharply. ‘I’ll explain it on the way.’ She finished and smiled.
Andrew hefted the small trunk onto his shoulder. ‘Is there more luggage to follow?’ he asked and Jessica nodded.
The Duke and The Governess Page 6