Jeremy was taken aback by the man’s tone. “Look, you had better mind your own business and get on with it. Lady Rivers would not be pleased to learn I’d faced an inquisition from you.”
The fellow smiled slowly. “Will you tattle on me?”
Jeremy looked the man up and down. “No, but…”
“Lady Rivers is easily taken advantage of,” the fellow announced.
“You could say that of everyone.”
“And yet you have your hand out to her.” The fellow drew close. “Just another attention-seeking fop intent on spending a fortune on fine hats from Lock’s and frequenting the very best tailor her money can buy. Weston, I believe you’re wearing.”
Jeremy brought his face within inches of the fellow’s, his hands curling into fists. “Hold your tongue unless you want trouble from me.”
“Oh, do you see yourself as a buck then? Do you attend Gentleman Jackson’s, too?”
The fellow didn’t even look alarmed that he was still being glared at, but the other servants had all paused to watch the confrontation. They seemed alarmed.
Jeremy quickly got his temper under control. “No. I’m only an actor, and Lady Rivers my patroness. She is a great lady and spoken of with respect. Especially by those who’ve known her longer than I probably ever will.”
“Got you under her thumb already, has she?” The fellow suddenly grinned. “She’s a persistent minx, my daughter. I’ve yet to meet a man who can say no to her when she gets an idea in her head.”
Jeremy blinked several times. “What did you say? Daughter?”
The other servants snickered but the duke shushed them. “Enough of that now. Back to work, all of you.”
“Oh, my God. I thought you were…” Jeremy bowed deeply, his face flaming as the realization dawned that he was actually standing before the Duke of Stapleton, Lady Rivers’ esteemed father. “Forgive me for not recognizing you, your grace.”
Stapleton chuckled. “You thought I was talking out of turn, obviously.”
“Yes,” Jeremy assured him quickly. “I would never had spoken to you that way if—”
The duke cut him off. “She’s impossible, that daughter of mine. Takes after her mother in that respect. Well, it was fun while it lasted, but I suppose introductions must be made. Nicolas Westfall, Duke of Stapleton. Father of the exquisite Lady Fanny Rivers. A woman whose honor you defended admirably, I must say, with so little provocation.”
Jeremy bowed again, face flaming still. “A pleasure, and I am sorry for the lack of respect when I spoke to you. I should never have…”
“Spoken your mind? Of course, you should have leaped to my daughter’s defense. I did my best to bait you, after all. I assume Fenton was similarly rude. My idea but I’m sure he went along with my request with great enthusiasm. My daughter has told me all about her increased interest in the theater, and while I disapprove of her habit of taking in strays, I am prepared to make allowances during your stay for the sake of peace. But be aware that your time among us is limited.” The duke strolled to the door as he continued, “You will be subjected to worse interviews when the family gathers together again. Dinner will be served at seven o’clock. I’ll send a servant to fetch you, so you don’t lose your way. Wear the navy-blue wool Weston tonight.”
When the door swung shut behind him, there was silence for a moment before the servants burst out laughing again. “At least you didn’t ask him to stir the coals like Lady Rivers’ last stray did,” one said.
Jeremy glared at the men around him. “Does he do that to all his daughter’s new acquaintances?”
“Oh, frequently. Says he can judge a character better if they think he’s ordinary.” They all tugged on their forelocks, grinning. “Happy to be of service to you, Mr. Dawes. If there’s anything you need, just ring the bell beside the fire.”
Jeremy shut his eyes as they filed out. He had imagined the Duke of Stapleton as a remote, grandiose man who would look down his nose at those he considered beneath him—which should have been everyone. Jeremy had actually been dreading the introduction. Lady Rivers had promised Jeremy would be welcomed at Stapleton, but he had never imagined the duke would be the one to show him to his room…or out-act him in his first scene.
Chapter 3
Fanny hurried toward the east sitting room, skirting around other guests in her father’s home, keen to be reunited with Jeremy Dawes. She had returned too late last night to find him still awake, but she had enquired about him and been assured he had been given every consideration for his comfort. He had even dined with her father, who had not attended Lord Rafferty’s home due to some sort of emergency on the estate.
“Lady Rivers!”
“I cannot stop,” she protested, one finger raised toward Lady Eastwick, who was a dear friend. “I am late for a very important meeting.”
Fanny hurried on, knowing curiosity would be stirred by her unseemly haste. What better way to stir interest than to be seen rushing to meet a young man?
In the hall outside the manor’s smallest sitting room, she paused, took a steadying breath, and smoothed her hair. She was strangely nervous, or perhaps excited was a correct term. She was about to embark on a bit of deception that would guarantee she remained undistracted for the next two weeks.
Fanny knocked and then slipped into the sitting room where Jeremy was supposed to be. A stranger with dark short-cropped hair stood before the window with his back to her. “Oh, I am so sorry,” she murmured, apologizing for blundering into the wrong chamber.
“Lady Rivers?”
She turned back as she recognized the voice. “Jeremy?”
“In the flesh,” he promised, spreading his arms wide and grinning.
Fanny managed to close her mouth with some effort and pushed the door closed behind her. She stared at him, more astonished with every step she took in his direction. He was almost unrecognizable from when she’d last laid eyes on him. If not for the green of his eyes surrounded by long lashes and the flirtatious quirk of his lips, she might never believe they’d ever met. “What happened to you?”
His smile faded and he glanced down at his attire. “Weston, Lock, and Hoby, and the valet you sent to dress me every day, I suppose.” He raked his hand over his shorn head. “Was I wrong to heed to their suggestions?”
“No,” she hastily assured him, moving for a closer inspection. He was the same height, only now he appeared much more muscular. And now that his exceedingly long dark hair had been trimmed away from his face, he seemed a completely changed man. Older, more self-assured. The difference in his presence was remarkable, and it might take her a while to grow accustomed to the change herself. She’d thought him pleasing to look at before, but now…well…ladies would swoon.
He absolutely looked the part of a gentleman of the ton. “You look exactly right to me.”
“I’m glad. For a moment I was afraid you were unhappy.”
“No indeed.” She prowled around him, inspecting him from head to toe. The perfectly fitted Weston coat accentuated his wide shoulders and the rest revealed his trim physique. She bit her lip, liking what she saw very much. “Thank you for coming.”
“Of course,” he said and then offered a courtly bow. “Lady Rivers, you are as ever the most radiant woman in all of England.”
She extended her hands, blushing at his words. “Mr. Dawes, always such a flatterer.”
“Not a word I say is untrue,” he promised.
Fanny steadied her smile. She was as susceptible to flattery as the next woman. But she was his patroness first and they had business to discuss before her play began. “Won’t you sit and talk with me.”
“Until the end of time,” he promised with a teasing smile.
The first time they’d met had been at the theater. She’d not been there to meet him but another, more popular actor who had asked for an introduction. The actor had turned out to be arrogant and far less interesting than the understudy’s understudy, lurking in the shadow
s and mimicking the man she was speaking to. Jeremy, once she’d dismissed the leading man, had come up and started flattering her outrageously, making her blush and laugh while he juggled pork pies for her amusement and made them disappear.
To this day, she’d no idea what he’d done with them.
Fanny considered herself a good judge of character. Jeremy Dawes had interested her from the start and still did. She had watched for him in later performances, and she’d quickly decided to champion his ambitions for bigger roles. And when a more pressing need had arisen outside the theater, Jeremy had been easily won over to her cause.
She gestured to a pair of elegant chairs nearby and seated herself. “Did you have a comfortable journey, sir?”
Jeremy Dawes flicked out the tails of his coat before slowly lowering himself to the edge of his like any well-bred man might. “As well as one can on the mail coach, I expect.” He sounded so proper now, compared to the way he’d once spoken when he’d been acting the part of a sour, grumbling merchant. He reached down beside the chair and presented her with a leather satchel. “This is yours, I believe.”
“Oh, thank you. I cannot imagine why I left this behind.” Fanny quickly checked the contents were as she remembered—papers relating to a recent acquisition. All seemed in order, and she closed the clasp again. “Have you eaten today?”
Jeremy grinned. “Always thinking about my stomach, my lady. Yes, I have. A servant brought a tray to my room with the duke’s compliments. I was very disappointed there wasn’t a single pork pie to be seen, though.”
“My father doesn’t know about your passion for a pork pie, though I am glad he’s taken an interest in you. That will help solidify your reason for being here. He was quite surprised by our arrangement.”
Jeremy shrugged. “I’ll give him no reason to regret my coming.”
“Good. I will make sure you are introduced to everyone as soon as possible, and then we can go on as…”
“Sweethearts? Would-be lovers?” Jeremy’s grin spread slowly on his face as Fanny blushed anew. “I must admit I’m looking forward to expanding my part as far as it can go, my lady. But I do have a few questions.”
“I’ll answer if I can.”
“May I occasionally forget the formalities and refer to you by your given name? I think it will more easily convey our growing familiarity than any overt physical contact. Not immediately, of course. We shouldn’t beat our audience over the head with the suggestion.”
“I suppose you could, provided the situation calls for such intimacy between us.”
“Good.” He leaned close. “Where shall we begin?”
“With introductions, but unfortunately they will have to wait. I have a pressing need to make a call to a neighbor’s home this morning.”
“Might I have the honor of escorting you?”
“Why not? We can continue our conversation on the way there.” She stopped to look at him. “Oh, had you made any plans for the day yet?”
He shook his head. “I have no intention of making plans without speaking to you first for the next two weeks.”
He’d promised he was all hers to direct for the next few weeks. A boon no other man had ever given her so easily. “I had so wanted to see you last night, but I returned so late. You must have been very tired from your journey.”
“You could have woken me. I wouldn’t have objected.”
“That might have been too obvious, and I don’t want everyone thinking that I lack sense.”
“Nor do I.”
“It is one thing to seem involved without providing proof that we might be.”
“Well, I am available for any scene you deem necessary.”
Fanny let her eyes drift over him again. There was far too much to admire now in that handsome package. He was just here to flirt with her and seem like they might be involved. “Thank you. Are you ready to go with me now?”
“Indeed. I already have my new hat waiting over there for just such an excursion.” Jeremy stood, collected his hat, and carefully fitted it to his head. He extended his hand to Fanny when done. “My lady.”
She smiled and collected her bonnet and shawl, too. Jeremy helped her don the shawl, his fingers lightly brushing her shoulder.
She looked back at him. “I must say the time you’ve dedicated to your role has been time well spent. Your manner of speaking and poise are exactly right for the setting. Do you agree?”
“I am sure the gentlemen I’ve studied as inspiration for my role would have found at least three things wrong with my performance.”
“They’ll never know,” she promised. Fanny had invited several male friends to a dinner one night and had asked Jeremy to pose as a servant to observe them in action. He’d said the conversation at port had been rather coarse, but the rest had been worthwhile viewing.
They stepped outside into the bright sunshine and immediately heard screaming. Fanny sighed. “My nephews are at it again.”
“I am surprised they’re not shut up in the nursery,” Jeremy murmured quietly.
“T’would be impossible to keep them locked in given their adventurous natures.” Fanny’s nephews might be described as mischievous by those outside the family. The family knew better. The pair were the devil’s spawn. Angelic of face but possessed with inexhaustible imaginations. “You’ll likely see them everywhere. Come quickly before they see me and try to follow us.”
The journey to the Hawthorne estate was a pleasant stroll when one did not hurry, and Fanny slowed their steps once they reached the safety of the trees, well beyond the sight of Stapleton Manor’s many windows.
“Who are you going to see?”
“Mr. and Mrs. Hawthorne. Neighbors on the other side of these woods.”
“Wonderful.” He looked at her, frowning. “We need to talk about how we greet each other, too.”
“I don’t understand.”
“To play the part of a smitten lady, you’ll need to behave a certain way. Do you remember your favorite performances at the theater where characters first meet each other?”
“A few,” she said.
“When you appear in a room, I will most likely try to catch your eye. The degree of welcome in your response will need to grow as time passes. But too much enthusiasm at first will seem false. The danger will be in allowing our enthusiasm to spoil the performance. Usually it’s worked out during rehearsals, but we have little time for that I suspect. Let me show you.”
He took up her hand, raised it and lifted his shoulders as he declared gushingly, “My lady, it has been too long.”
Fanny giggled.
“See? Utterly false.” He repositioned himself a few yards away. “Now this…”
He met her gaze and a soft smile turned up his lips. His steps were unhurried as he crossed to her a second time, and he never looked away. “My dear lady, it has been too long.” He caught her outstretched hand and the degree of warmth in his smile increased a little. “Now you respond,” he whispered out the side of his mouth.
“Oh, yes,” Fanny replied, doing her best to come up with something suitable. “Mr. Dawes, how I have missed you, sir,” she promised, doing her best to mimic the inflections of a lovestruck woman.
“A little too strong, perhaps,” he suggested. “Remember we’re not trying to beat them over the head with the suspicion. A hint of partiality is all we need to make it seem a romance is in the air.”
He brought her hand to his lips. Although it might seem so to anyone observing them, his lips never once touched her gloves. He raised his eyes to her and winked.
Fanny fought a blush.
He dropped her hand without kissing it. “Now that was a well-played scene, I should think. A pity there were no witnesses.”
Fanny nodded, suddenly aware of the warmth of her cheeks and the rapid beat of her heart. She dropped her gaze from his. “There should be at least one next time.”
“And one is all we need to begin a suspicion.” He held out his arm to
her. “Shall we continue?”
“Indeed.”
He looked down on her with a cheeky smile. “London was quiet without you.”
She looked up at him concerned. “Was there still no word when the new play will begin rehearsals?”
“None,” he promised. “And I am grateful, too, because I will have more time and energy to devote to you. I promise to put all my effort into making this performance as realistic as possible and not being an embarrassment.”
“Mr. Dawes, I could never be embarrassed by you.”
“Thank you. I do hope you’re right.”
She smiled at the young actor by her side, encouraging him, she hoped, to be more optimistic. Her play would be a success in her eyes if the fortune hunters left her alone, and if it didn’t exactly turn out as planned, she’d make adjustments accordingly.
Every now and then a beam of light would strike him, revealing the odd copper strand in his hair. He was quite dashing now. But Jeremy didn’t need training in turning a woman’s head. He had an agile tongue for flattery which was so useful in society. “You do look the part, and sound it to my ear.”
“I’ll consider that the highest compliment of my life,” he promised placing his free hand over his heart.
Fanny laughed, clinging to his arm. The man was outrageous.
They strolled along side by side, Mr. Dawes peppering her with questions about the family and her childhood home. But he was constantly looking about them. “Is something wrong?”
“It’s eerie under so many trees.”
“I’ve always thought trees romantic. I had my first kiss in these very woods,” she admitted with a laugh.
Jeremy looked at her with one brow raised high. “May I ask who the lucky man was? Or was it your late husband?”
“A lady never tells,” she said with a coy smile.
“Not your husband then,” he guessed, correctly too. “So is the fellow at liberty still, or did your father lock him in his dungeon for his daring?”
Fanny laughed. What would he say if he knew Fanny had been the one to take liberties? People always assumed she had been a good girl, which was a mistake on their part, really. “My father isn’t a tyrant, and he doesn’t have a dungeon, either. Papa never knew about that kiss and he never will.”
The Lady Tamed Page 3