Wish Upon a Duke

by Jamie Salisbury

  Vincent sniffed like a young aristocrat. “Don’t be silly, Mama. The duke would never be seen in anything but one of his carriages.”

  “He may have made an exception for you. How else would we get to where he’s taking us?”

  Her son rolled his eyes. “We could ride.”

  “That is true. Why don’t you see where that wagon is now?”

  He bolted out of the room. Savannah sighed, thinking of how much her son had changed over the past few months. The boy he’d once been had all but disappeared. Though he maintained a facade of seriousness, Vincent would forget and let the rambunctious young boy loose.

  A few minutes later, he returned. This time, Gabriel followed, a corner of his mouth curved up. It was obvious he enjoyed spending time with Vincent. Without fail, he always brought something with him for the boy. The two were bonding, Vincent and the duke would have nonstop conversations about whatever caught her son’s interest. It didn’t matter if the subject matter was childish or boring to an adult, Gabriel would listen attentively, contributing to the conversation as was appropriate.

  “Mama, it was the duke in the wagon!”

  “So it was,” she replied, smiling at Gabriel.

  “Good morning, Mrs. Dawson,” he said. His hair was already disheveled, a stray lock charmingly covering one eye. “I took the liberty of having my cook prepare a luncheon for us, which is why I needed the wagon.” He winked at Savannah, then turned his attention to Vincent.

  “Where are we going, Your Grace?” Vincent asked.

  “I thought perhaps you’d like to go fishing. There is a lake I’m going to take you and your mother to. You and I can fish.”

  “Are you sure there are fish in this lake? Sometimes lakes have no fish.”

  “I can assure you, Master Vincent, this lake has plenty of fish. Your father, uncle, and I used to fish there quite regularly when we were home for the summer.”

  Satisfied with Gabriel’s answers, Vincent ran in front of them to the drawing room door. “Come on!”

  Gabriel chuckled and turned to Savannah. “I believe he’s excited. If you’re ready, we’ll be on our way.”

  “Yes, let’s, or Vincent won’t quit pestering us until we’re in that wagon and on our way.”

  Vincent was a nonstop bundle of energy, running up and down the stone stairs to the house, prodding his mother and Gabriel to walk faster. After making sure Vincent was put into the back for the ride, the duke helped Savannah into the wagon. Vincent had let it be known he wasn’t going to ride in the front with two adults on either side. He was not a baby and refused to be treated as one. Savannah had to hide a smile when her son made that announcement.

  “I enjoyed last evening, even if Lady Dorset was there,” he remarked once they were all settled.

  “I did too.” She smiled and stared up at the blue sky. It was one of those rare, perfect English summer days. Blue sky dotted with the occasional puffy white cloud, a slight breeze in the air. “I suspect she canceled her plans once she heard you were coming for dinner.”

  “I thought as much. So you haven’t been able to speak with her about moving into the dower house?”

  “Trust me, Gabriel, when I have that conversation with her, you’ll probably be able to hear her reply all the way to your house. That’s how insulted she’s going to act.”

  He smiled and focused on the horses and the path leading to the lake. “I’m afraid you’re right about that.”

  “I don’t understand her. One would think she’d be ecstatic to have her own household as she did when she was lady of the house.”

  “The blame lies with Timothy. He allowed her to stay on and manage the household after the earl died.”

  “Well, I plan to talk with her as soon as I can.”

  They were interrupted by Vincent, who had caught a glimpse of the lake as it came into view. “Look at the size of the lake! There must be lots of fish in it.”

  “It is beautiful. Pity the dowager countess doesn’t make use of it.”

  Gabriel nodded. “It is beautiful, but Lady Dorset has never liked it, and unfortunately, it shows.”

  The grass was overgrown. It would take gardeners a solid day to even bring the place back. It appeared as though it hadn’t been used in years.

  “I plan to change that,” Gabriel said. “It’s too beautiful a spot to be allowed to sit in ruins. I’ll speak with the master gardener about sending men down to mow and clean it up.”

  “Thank you.” Savannah smiled at him.

  Due to his enthusiasm, Vincent had to be reminded not to jump out of the wagon while it was coming to a stop. When Gabriel did bring the wagon to a halt, Vincent was the first one out, jumping out the back. The first place he took off to was the shoreline.

  Savannah inhaled, holding her breath as she watched Vincent playing next to the water. She felt the gentle touch of Gabriel’s hand on hers. “He’s fine. Boys simply need to explore.”

  “I know, but I’ve never allowed him too close to water before.”

  “I’m here. I’ll supervise him. He’ll be fine, Savannah.”

  “I’m being silly, I know.”

  He shook his head. “No, you’re not.”

  After jumping out of the wagon, Gabriel helped Savannah to the ground. His hands encircled her waist, and for a moment, she flushed at his touch. Gabriel felt it too as it took him a moment to release her. She was sure if Vincent had not been present, he might have kissed her.

  He walked to the back of the wagon and removed a blanket and a basket, then led Savannah to an old oak tree. He spread the blanket out before removing his jacket and rolling up the sleeves of his white shirt.

  “Are you going to be all right here?”

  She smiled and nodded. “Oh yes. I’m looking forward to the two of you fishing. Or at least you fishing. I’m afraid Vincent’s going to be too excited to stand still.”

  He cast his gaze over to the shore, where Vincent stood throwing stones into the lake.

  “If he keeps throwing stones into the water, he’s going to scare off all the fish,” he said with a lopsided grin. “But that’s part of being a young boy, too, I suppose.”

  “Yes, young boys are all about stones, sticks, and things like frogs and fish.”

  Before he could answer, Vincent came running up to them. “Can we fish now, Your Grace?”

  Gabriel chuckled and tousled the young boy’s hair. “Yes. Let’s get our poles from the wagon. Worms too.”

  “You’ve got worms and poles?” He turned to his mother. “Did you hear that, Mama? His Grace brought poles to fish and worms too.”

  “Yes, I heard.”

  Gabriel began to walk back toward the wagon. “Come, Vincent. Your mother will watch, and remember, we must be quiet, or we’ll scare the fish away.”

  The youngster nodded and skipped ahead of Gabriel toward the wagon and his fishing pole. Savannah watched the pair from her vantage point under the tree. She wondered how long she and Gabriel were going to have for their clandestine meetings. The dowager duchess probably had servants watching them, but how would Lady Dorset continue once she was asked to move to the dower house, a talk she’d yet to be able to have with the countess? She probably had loyal servants who, while they stayed behind in the main house, would continue to spy for her. Which was exactly why she needed to quit allowing the servants to run to Lady Dorset instead of her. She was the earl’s mother and had more leverage than she chose to use. Yes, she needed to have that talk with the dowager countess. Things wouldn’t be right until she did.

  The day had presented itself much like it had when she met Gabriel at the tower. She leaned against the oak tree and watched in amusement as Vincent walked next to Gabriel, proudly carrying his fishing pole.

  For a brief moment, she wondered what it would have been like if Roland were still alive. Would he have taken the time to teach his son, or would he have left it to others? Vincent had been only five when his father died, still too young for some
things. She would like to think he would have done just as Gabriel was doing and would take Vincent to the river that ran near their house and showed his young son how to fish.

  Gabriel was bent down, explaining the art of fishing. She was sure he would have a thousand questions for him. Vincent loved to talk, especially to Gabriel, and it would prove interesting to see whether he would be able to be quiet.

  She marveled at how patient Gabriel was with him. Roland had trouble with that, especially when he was tired, which was one of the reasons he believed children should be seen and not heard.

  Savannah sighed. She’d always wanted Vincent to have a brother or sister, but it never happened. Did she dare let her mind wander, to daydream about where her fledgling relationship with Gabriel might end up? Would he ask her to become his duchess, or would their relationship simply fall back into the comfortable, warm feeling of them just being friends? He was the talk of the ton. Women practically threw themselves at his feet. Every one of them wanted to become the next duchess of Clevedon. She herself didn’t care about his title. She was drawn to the man. In spite of his reputation of being a rakehell and scoundrel, he was also known for his kind and giving spirit. As annoying as she had originally found him, Savannah still felt herself drawn to the real man. The one he revealed only to close friends and family.

  She waved at Vincent, who, standing next to Gabriel, proudly showed off a worm he was holding in his hand. This experience would be forever embedded in her son’s mind. His life had changed so radically since moving to England that it was the little things like learning how to put a worm on a hook that made it all worthwhile.

  The two stood at the water’s edge, each with a pole and trying to catch an elusive fish. As he was a seven-year-old boy, Vincent’s mind soon moved on to other things. He fidgeted, struggling to stand still like Gabriel. Soon Gabriel said something to him, and Vincent pulled the line out of the water, dragging it behind him as he turned and headed in Savannah’s direction.

  “The fish don’t like the worms, so His Grace said we should eat lunch,” Vincent announced.

  He started toward the basket, anxious to open it and see what Cook had packed for him. Savannah quietly reprimanded him, reminding him that he should help Gabriel with their fishing equipment.

  As he went scurrying back to Gabriel, Savannah opened the basket and began pulling out their meal. Roasted chicken, apples and pears, along with bread and cheese would make for excellent fare. Lemonade for Vincent and a bottle of wine for the adults.

  She began to put food onto a plate for Vincent when he quite adamantly reminded her he was able to do it for himself. She smiled and handed him a plate as Gabriel sat on the blanket.

  “Vincent says there aren’t any fish?”

  “They’re there. We’ll try again after we’ve eaten.” He winked at her and poured her a glass of wine as she finished making sure Vincent was taken care of.

  “You have more patience than I would have thought.”

  A few minutes later, with most of his meal finished and growing restless, Vincent asked his mother if he could explore. After she told him to stay where she and Gabriel could see him, he scampered off leaving the two adults on their own.

  “You’re quite beautiful,” Gabriel said as he poured them both another glass of wine. “That color becomes you.”

  Savannah glanced down at the pale yellow day dress she’d chosen to wear and smiled. “Thank you.”

  A moment passed in silence.

  “My sister Frannie should be here soon.”

  “Yes, and I’m sure you’ll be happy to see her.”

  “Yes, I will, except for the times she gets on me about finding a wife. Which she seems to do at least once every time she visits.”

  Savannah smiled. “It sounds like she worries about her brother.”

  “Needlessly.”

  “Says the handsome single gentleman.”

  This time, he threw his head back and laughed. It came from deep in his chest, and Savannah found she rather liked hearing him laugh. “The two of you ought to get along quite well.”

  “You wish me to meet your family?”

  “Of course I do. I want to introduce you to everyone I know. I thought you understood the feelings I have for you. They’re not fleeting, Savannah.”

  “I know.”

  “Then what’s the problem?” He reached out and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

  “I’m feeling out of my depth here in England, and you’re a man of means, while I’m a nobody.”

  He arched a brow. “You’re somebody to me.”

  She shifted her gaze from him. “I also never gave much thought to ever meeting another man to take Roland’s place, so I’m still a bit startled about it.”

  “You mean you’ve never given thought to remarrying?”

  She nodded and smiled. “Yes, that’s exactly what I mean.”

  “Perhaps I need to be a little more transparent about courting you.”

  She felt herself once again feeling hot and flushed at his words. It was as though she were a schoolgirl and not a woman who’d lost her husband. This man was truly serious about courting her, and she had no intention of ruining it. He was a good man, and she wouldn’t find a better husband or father for Vincent.

  She gazed around, searching for her mischievous son. Her face must have shown panic when he was nowhere to be found, because Gabriel squeezed her hand and rose to his feet.

  “I’m sure he’s close,” he assured her as he began searching for her son. He called out to Vincent, and not hearing a response, Savannah jumped to her feet to join him.

  After a few minutes of calling and searching, Gabriel found him at the water’s edge trying to catch a frog. Startled, Vincent fell back into the sand, and the frog jumped off, out of sight.

  “He’s right here,” he called to Savannah.

  She came running, and as much as she didn’t want to scold the boy in front of Gabriel, she couldn’t help herself. “Don’t you scare me like that. Weren’t you told to stay in sight?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  She bid him to go sit on the blanket while she regained her composure.

  “He’s just a boy. I’m sure he meant no harm. He was chasing a frog,” Gabriel said softly.

  “Which is fine, except that he was practically in the water. He doesn’t know how to swim, Gabriel.”

  “Then we’ll teach him.”

  “Teach him? You and me?”

  “Yes. We can come another day, and I’ll start teaching him.”

  She nodded and smoothed her dress. “Thank you.”

  He cupped her chin. “You don’t need to thank me.” His lips found hers, and she kissed him back, until she realized Vincent could see them.

  She slowly pulled away. “We shouldn’t. Not in front of Vincent. Not yet.”

  “We need to talk with him about all this.”

  “Agreed, but you know how excited he is about you spending time with us. I’m afraid he’ll blurt something out in front of his grandmother.”

  He smiled and led her back to the blanket, where Vincent was waiting on them. “I believe there’s a piece of chocolate cake in the basket, Vincent.”

  His eyes lit up, and he leapt toward the basket. Once he got settled with his dessert, Savannah scolded him, just enough for him to know he’d scared her.

  “You know better than to play around water.”

  He nodded, and Gabriel joined in. “I’m going to teach you to swim.”

  “You are?”

  “Yes. We’ll begin in the next day or two. Do you think you’re up to it?”

  “I am!” he crowed.

  A short time later, Savannah had everything packed back in the basket. She folded the blanket and watched as Gabriel and Vincent tried one more time to hook a fish, without success.

  Vincent fell asleep on the way back to the house, tired from the hours spent outside. The adults talked quietly between themselves as Gabriel mane
uvered the wagon over sometimes rough terrain.

  “It’s been a lovely day, Gabriel. I hate to see it end.”

  He covered her hand with his as the manor house came into view. “It doesn’t have to end. Join me for dinner. I’ll send my carriage for you.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Of course I’m sure.”

  Gabriel brought the bays to a halt, and he had just jumped down to help Savannah descend from the wagon when he heard her scream. Alarmed, he put his hands on her waist and helped her down. All the time, she pointed at the stairs and the man coming toward them.

  “Roland?” Savannah asked breathlessly, while Gabriel steadied her.

  The man certainly appeared to be Roland Dawson. He had the same hair color as Vincent, light brown, and the Dawson blue eyes. Gabriel’s instinct kicked in, and he was about to ask a question of Savannah.

  That’s when Savannah fainted in his arms.

  Chapter Nineteen

  “I apologize,” the stranger said as he approached. “I don’t usually have that effect on people.”

  “You must be Roland and Timothy’s cousin,” Gabriel surmised as he carried Savannah toward the stairs and into the house. “See that Vincent is taken to the nursery—without seeing Mr....Mr.?” he barked to the footman standing around in disbelief.

  “Dawson, Mortimer Dawson, and yes, I am their cousin.”

  Lady Dorset appeared at the door. “Oh my,” she said. “I see you’ve met Mortimer.” Her eyes twinkled with sinister glee.

  Ignoring the dowager countess, Gabriel pushed past her and up the stairs to the drawing room, where he carefully set Savannah down on a settee. She was coming to, and squatting next to her, Gabriel patted her gloved hand.

  “Savannah.”

  “What? Did I fall asleep? I had a dream or something. I thought Roland was here.” Her voice was low and weak.

  “Remember you telling me about seeing a man in London you thought looked like Roland? Well, he is here. He’s a cousin.”

  She opened her eyes wider and put her hand on her forehead. “So my mind wasn’t playing tricks on me?”

  “No, not at all.”

  “Vincent. He must be so confused. Where is he?”