Of Dukes and Deceptions (3 page)

“Aye, but she’s lived in this house all her life. Her mother died giving birth to her, and her father never remarried. It was just the two of them until five years ago, when her father contracted a fever and died.”

“And the uncle inherited.”

“Yes. There’s a small legacy for Miss Woodley, which becomes hers on her twenty-fifth birthday, six months from now. The rest went to the uncle in its entirety.”

“Hmm, that must have been difficult for her. To see someone else take over the house that had always been hers, I mean.”

“The servants all feel for her. Most of them were here when her father was still alive and they say the bond between them was something to behold. She was devastated by his death and quite went to pieces for a while. But she has an old witch of a maid who saw her through the worst of it and protects her like she was her own daughter. Duke or no duke, you’re gonna have yer work cut out if you think you’ll be able to get past her and have yer way with her mistress.” Gibson grinned. “Under the circumstances I’ll release you from our wager, if you like, and we’ll say no more about it.”

“Thank you, Gibson, but that won’t be necessary.”

“Hah, you wouldn’t say that if you’d seen the maid.” Gibson shuddered. “I think you’ve met your match this time.”

“Hmm, perhaps.” Nick, who didn’t believe it for a second, straightened the hem of his blue-and-green silk waistcoat. It was flamboyantly embroidered with peacocks, the only splash of colour to relieve the otherwise severe black of his evening dress. “What do the servants make of the uncle and aunt?”

“They speak about them in guarded terms. I got the impression that every one of them would die for Alicia Woodley, whereas they merely feel loyalty toward the current master and mistress.”

“I see. Anything else?”

“Miss Woodley’s father was the one who started the stud here. Her uncle was a merchant and lived very modestly when his brother was alive. The word is that he knew nothing about horses when he inherited this place.”

“That would explain Alicia’s interest, I suppose.” Nick recalled the professional manner in which she’d looked over his team.

“Aye, she helped her father build up the stud. She refused a season in preference to taking an active role in running it and knows the business backwards.”

“Did she indeed!” Nick had never encountered a female who didn’t live in expectation of balls, fabulous clothes and as much flirting as could be artfully contrived under the gimlet gaze of an attentive chaperone
.
His interest in Alicia Woodley, up until then merely trifling, gained momentum.

“The uncle don’t hold with females getting involved apparently and prefers to rely upon his managers for guidance.”

“How very provincial of him.” But Nick knew Woodley’s attitude was a common one. “It must be upsetting for Alicia to be here on a daily basis and have no input. No wonder she seeks alternative ways to fill her time.”

Gibson screwed up his eyes and regarded Nick’s appearance critically. “You’ll do.” High praise indeed coming from Gibson. “Miss Woodley might be the poor relation now, by the way, but she’s much better born than her cousins.”

Nick raised a brow. “How so? I’ve never heard of the Woodleys, other than in connection with horses.”

“Maybe not but you’ll have heard of her connections.”

“Are you going to enlighten me, Gibson, or are we to play guessing games?”

“All right, no need to get uppity.” Gibson found something to straighten in the room and took his time explaining. “Her mother was the Earl of Lancaster’s daughter. It was her maternal grandmother as wanted to give her a season.”

Nick permitted his surprise to show. “Quite a comedown for the lady then, marrying a nobody like Woodley.”

“It was a love match by all accounts. The lady was past her prime and I guess Lancaster was starting to think he wouldn’t get her off his hands. Anyway, it seems she was determined, Lancaster took a liking to Woodley and the match went ahead. Turns out Alicia’s father had a natural way with horses, and his father-in-law helped him to establish his reputation.”

“All very interesting.” But there had to be more. “Keep digging, Gibson. Talk to the grooms. See what you can find out about the running of the stud. Is it all on the up-and-up?” Nick impatiently pushed a thick curtain of curly hair out of his eyes and turned toward the door. “I want to know all you can find out about Woodley’s reasons for getting me here. Nothing will be said at dinner tonight, not with the ladies present. But I want to be prepared for him when he finally broaches the subject tomorrow.”

Upon his arrival at Ravenswing Manor, Nick had been greeted by his host alone with a predictable degree of deference. He entered the drawing room now, resigned to the fact that he could no longer postpone his introduction to the female members of the family. Five faces turned in his direction but the only one of interest to him wasn’t amongst their number. Hiding his disappointment, Nick inclined his head toward Mrs. Woodley and raised her from her curtsey.

“Allow me to present my son, Frederick, Your Grace,” Woodley said.

Nick hadn’t known there was a son. The young man seemed to find it an almighty effort to rise to his feet and bow. That he was a dandy was immediately obvious from his apparel. The points of his collar were so high that he was in danger of impaling himself if he turned his head too quickly. There was a foppish air about him which irritated Nick, but when he troubled himself to smile he possessed a certain puerile charm. Nick could envisage his helpless demeanour appealing to females of all ages. Indeed, his mother could scare conceal her pride in her only son’s outlandish appearance.

Next came the two daughters, Maria and Elsbeth. Both were exquisite creatures, if one’s fancy tended toward petite blondes with blue eyes and helpless demeanours. They boasted alabaster complexions with none of the freckles that beset their cousin’s features. Like their brother, they were dressed in the latest fashion. They put him in mind of Lady Isabel, which did little to further their cause.

“Your servant, ladies.”

Maria Woodley immediately put herself forward. It ought to have been her mother who spoke first but Maria didn’t give her the opportunity.

“I long to hear all about Dorchester Park, Your Grace.” She fluttered her lashes above her fan. “Papa has told us something of its splendour. Oh, how I’d love to see it!”

“And I,” agreed her sister.

“Is that so?”

Nick didn’t see how his host could presume to know anything about his ancestral home and regarded that individual censoriously. Woodley coloured, coughed behind his hand and looked away. Satisfied that he’d made his displeasure plain, Nick answered the girls’ barrage of questions in the broadest of terms, withstanding their exclamations of delight with stoic indifference. He’d been obliged to fend off many similar opening salvos in the past and devoted less than a tenth of his attention to this particular one. Instead his eyes were drawn to Mrs. Woodley. She was half attending to the conversation whilst drumming her fingers impatiently on the arm of her chair. Clearly she was vexed about something. When the door opened a few minutes later and Alicia stepped in, it became apparent that her absence had been the cause of her aunt’s anxiety.

“There you are, Alicia,” she said. “It is unforgivable of you to keep us waiting upon your pleasure.”

“I beg your pardon, aunt. I lost track of time, it’s true, but I didn’t think I was late.”

“You’re not, my dear,” Woodley said. “The rest of us were early in our eagerness to greet our guest. Your Grace, allow me to make my niece, Miss Alicia Woodley, known to you.”

Nick bowed and honoured Alicia by taking her gloved hand in his as he raised her from her curtsey. It was a courtesy he’d not afforded to either of her cousins. A flash of annoyance passed across Maria’s countenance when he deliberately held on to Alicia’s hand for a fraction too long. Perhaps it wasn’t wise to display his partiality in such an obvious fashion, but Alicia only had herself to blame. In her shimmering changeable silk she was unrecognisable from the unruly hoyden who’d termed him an idiot that very afternoon, and infinitely more compelling too. One-dimensional women bored him rigid but this creature clearly had hidden depths. Nick fully intended to discover just how firmly entrenched they actually were.

This time she was corseted, and her already remarkable figure was greatly improved through the good offices of that garment. He could see the outline of her slender limbs as she moved. The line of love-knotted lace guarding her décolletage drew his eye. He was still holding her hand and a frisson ricocheted through him when their eyes clashed. From her heightened colour and quizzical expression, it was apparent that she felt it too. And was confused by it. Nick turned his back on the rest of the company and audaciously winked at her. She gasped, snatched her hand violently from his grasp and moved away.

Nick smothered a satisfied grin, pleased to have set the parameters for the game he intended to play with her. He was perfectly relaxed, content to bide his time and admire her elegant deportment as she traversed the room. Her hair was styled so that long wispy curls fell about her face, and he infinitely preferred the effect over the elaborate coiffures favoured by her cousins.

Renewed determination coursed through him. Since no ladies were
ever
indifferent to him, her disinterested attitude had to be a ploy. A clever means of engaging his attention. Well, it was working better than she could have supposed. He was intrigued and would tame this disrespectful creature if it was the last thing he ever managed, guardian maids be damned.

Nick returned his attention to Mrs. Woodley, who was addressing a remark to him. As he responded, images of Alicia—docile and subservient in his arms, begging him to pleasure her—flooded his mind. He cursed beneath his breath when his body reacted in the time-honoured fashion. It wouldn’t do for her to guess at his stratagem too soon and, in his tight-fitting inexpressibles, the evidence would be impossible for her to miss should she happen to glance downward.

“Looking exceptionally well this evening, coz,” Frederick Woodley drawled.

Alicia didn’t acknowledge her cousin’s compliment. Since the youth hadn’t bothered to stand up when she entered the room, Nick didn’t altogether blame her. Even so, the remark he’d just addressed to her was the most trouble he’d taken to engage anyone’s attention thus far. And there was something in his eyes as they roved impudently over Alicia’s body that caused warning bells to ring inside Nick’s head. Master Woodley wasn’t a serious rival, but Nick had gauged his interest in his cousin and would keep him in his sights.

“Do you reside here, Miss Woodley, or are you merely visiting?” Nick asked, determined to make her talk to him.

“Oh, Alicia’s been here forever,” Maria said with a dismissive shrug. “It was her home before we all descended upon her.”

“Indeed.” Nick adopted a polite expression of enquiry.

“When my father died five years ago, my aunt and uncle inherited the estate and me with it.” Her smile appeared strained. “They were kind enough to invite me to live with them. Which is why you find me here.”

“I see.”

She spoke lightly but Nick detected a flicker of pain behind her remarkable eyes. He was sorry to have distressed her by raising such a sensitive subject.

“And how have you occupied your day, coz?” Frederick asked. “Been rescuing more animals in distress?”

“Indeed, yes. Uncle, the poachers are even setting their traps on the riverbank now, hoping to catch the creatures when they go there to drink. They get bolder by the day. You really must ask Andrews to keep them in better check.”

“Yes indeed, my dear. Perhaps I’ll have him set up some spring guns if that would put your mind at rest.”

“Oh, no! They might discharge and accidentally harm one of the animals.”

“They’re designed to hit a man’s head, coz,” Frederick said in a patronising tone. “Your beasts’ll be quite safe.”

“I’ve precious little time for the poachers, Frederick, but I understand they have to feed their families somehow. I wouldn’t wish them dead, in spite of their cruelty. No,” she added firmly, “no spring guns, Uncle. There must be another way.”

“I don’t know how you deal with poachers on your estate, Your Grace, but we’re plagued with the devils here. I turn a blind eye to their snaring the odd rabbit but take great exception to their making free with my deer.”

“It’s an ongoing problem on any large estate.” Nick resisted the urge to tell Woodley to employ a more efficient gamekeeper.

Dinner was announced. Maria looked expressively at Nick but he had no intention of exciting her expectations by escorting her in. Much as he’d have liked to proffer his arm to Alicia, he did what was expected of him and offered it to Mrs. Woodley instead. He tried not to scowl when Frederick took up a position beside Alicia.

The meal was remarkably good. One course followed another, each more sumptuous than its predecessor. Nick suspected that a special effort had been made for his benefit but that hardly came as a surprise. It was ever thus wherever he went. Gibson often wondered aloud why he wasn’t the size of a house, what with the amount of food ambitious hostesses forced upon him.

Woodley and Maria between them dominated the dinner table conversation. Maria was clearly her father’s favourite. She was greatly indulged and seldom checked when she spoke inappropriately. It couldn’t have mattered to him less. Only the sound of Alicia’s voice held his attention. She spoke sparingly, somehow managing to temper the more embarrassing comments made by her cousins, demonstrating a delicacy and maturity that belied her years.

Nick wondered how she could bear her position here with such apparent stoicism. To have been replaced as mistress by her aunt and two very silly female cousins must be difficult to take. He would dedicate himself whilst here to making her feel better about herself. It was the very least he could do. And given the passion he detected in her eyes whenever she spoke about her animals, the task was likely to prove as rewarding as it would be challenging.

“We must arrange for His Grace to see the full extent of the estate tomorrow.” Woodley glanced significantly at his favoured daughter.

“Oh, yes indeed!” Maria clapped her hands.

“That’s hardly necessary.” Nick struggled to keep his tone convivial.

“Oh, but it is,” Maria cried. “The park is quite splendid at this time of year and ought to be seen in its entirety. And nothing could be more easily arranged. Elsbeth and I will give you a tour, if you will be so good as to drive us in the curricle, Your Grace.”

Nick felt a trap closing about him every bit as firmly as Alicia’s blasted rabbit must have that afternoon. Father and daughter had planned this, obviously. But why? Did Woodley really think that one drive in a curricle with his silly daughters would make him fall head over ears in love with one of them? It hardly seemed plausible but then there was no accounting for the ambitions of a doting father.

“And you, Miss Woodley.” Nick leaned across the table, resigned to the fact that the outing couldn’t be avoided. “Will you be a member of the party also?”

“Well, I—”

“Oh, no, Alicia won’t be able to spare the time.” Maria cut impolitely across whatever Alicia had been about to say. “She helps the village beadle in the school every morning.”

“An admirable occupation, Miss Woodley. Tell me, what part do you play in the education of the local children?”

“I teach those who show an inclination to learn their letters. And I try to find positions for those with promise. Several are employed here and have given exemplary service. I have one such in the stable yard,” she added with a ghost of an impudent smile. “A young man named Will, who has great aptitude with animals.”

Nick returned her smile. The hussy was deliberately provoking him, trying to get him to admit that he’d already met Will, and therefore her. Her reason for doing so was less easily discerned but, whatever it was, he had no intention of playing into her hands. “It sounds as though the lad is fortunate to have found such a generous patroness.”

“I’m the fortunate one, Your Grace.”

“You intrigue me, Miss Woodley, and I look forward to making the young man’s acquaintance.”

Maria stared at him, open-mouthed. “But he’s a mere orphan, Your Grace. There are hundreds of such scapegraces in every village.” She shuddered. “I don’t see why you’d wish to concern yourself with Alicia’s lost causes. There are much more agreeable ways to pass the time.”

“Maria.”

Alicia spoke mildly but Nick could see that she was acutely embarrassed by her cousin’s forwardness. Fortunately Mrs. Woodley chose that moment to lead the ladies from the room, saving Nick from making any answer to Maria’s ill-bred assertion.

Alicia was the last to leave the dining room. The duke rose fluidly to his feet and she could feel his eyes boring into her back. The realisation that he’d deliberately singled her out made her nervous, especially since it was the last thing she’d expected. She attributed her awareness of him to nothing more than embarrassment. Her cheeks burned scarlet as she recalled the manner in which her family had behaved during the course of the evening. Whatever must he think of them all? She didn’t care for His Grace any more than she approved of him. But her family had just given him ample cause to look down on them, and that made her uncomfortable.

That her uncle and cousin could devise such an obvious ploy to get the duke alone defied belief. Anger had flared in his eyes when Maria suggested the scheme. Her cousin had undoubtedly already figured out a way to lose her sister during the course of the outing. What stratagems her ambitiously determined relative then proposed to instigate in order to compromise the duke she preferred not to think about. But she did consider it her duty to warn His Grace to be on his guard, if an appropriate opportunity could be contrived.

She’d made the best of her life at Ravenswing Manor in the aftermath of her father’s death. She enjoyed a congenial relationship with her family and busied herself with occupations that filled her time and gave her considerable satisfaction. And if she ached to be involved with the stud again…well, she didn’t permit her disappointment to show. She kept her concerns at the way the operation was now being managed to herself. She’d been told that it was no longer anything to do with her, and any advice she offered was blithely ignored.

No matter. In six months’ time she would receive her inheritance and remove to a small cottage in the village. She’d already picked out the establishment which would suit her needs perfectly. Janet and Will would go with her, and she’d be her own mistress. Her aunt had made no objection to her plans, and Alicia suspected she’d privately be pleased to see the back of her. The few household restraints she currently exercised out of respect for her parents’ memory would then become unnecessary since Alicia wouldn’t be there to appreciate them.