The Notorious Nobleman (5 page)

She gave his promise some thought. “Very
well. I shall allow you to take me to your home, but only if you
agree to send for a surgeon immediate upon our arrival so your arm
may be properly examined.”

For the first time since their acquaintance
she heard him laugh softly.

“
My dear young woman, you are not
exactly in a position of power to demand anything of me.”
Tightening his arm meaningfully about her, he added softly, “But I
could demand a few things of you.”

“
You promised to be a gentleman!” she
reminded him.

“
And so I shall be.”

But he didn’t ease his hold of her until they
reached the front steps of the great house. Gavin drew his horse to
a halt before the front entrance of Merrifield and leapt gracefully
down to the ground.

A stable groom appeared from nowhere to catch
the reins and hold the horse steady and two more grooms stood on
hand, at attention, awaiting their master’s pleasure and staring
unabashedly up at Julia.

She looked down at the Duke’s hand,
held expectantly up toward her, and a niggling of conscience caused
her to hesitate. “This is really most improper
and

And I should not stay
alone here with you!”

“
You may suit yourself, of course. But
you shall have an even farther walk to the vicarage now than
before.” She hesitated still and he frowned up at her. “Do you
truly believe all the stories your friend whispers about me, Julia?
Are you convinced I have no honor at all?”

“
Oh, no! There is honor in everyone,
even

!” She stopped short,
aware that she had almost blundered in her reply; and to make
amends, she reached down to place her hands on his
shoulders.

In the next moment her feet were on the
ground and she was beside him, with his hand at her elbow to guide
her up the steps.

At the front door, the duke’s butler watched
them ascend the steps. His expression showed his astonishment as
his gaze traveled from Julia to the Duke and back to Julia
again.

“
What in heaven’s name has occurred? I
beg your grace’s pardon,” he said, quickly recollecting himself,
“but you look as though you’ve been set upon! Were they footpads? A
band of brigands?”

“
A thunderstorm,” said Gavin over his
shoulder as he ushered Julia into the great hall. “Hennings, this
is Lady Pettingale, who will be with us for a time this evening.
Have Mrs. Crabtree attend her and

Hennings, are you listening?”

The butler, who had been staring at Julia
with an expression of curiosity mixed with stunned surprise, heard
the sharp tone in his master’s voice. “Yes! Yes, of course!” he
said, pulling himself together. “I beg your grace’s pardon!”

“
Summon Mrs. Crabtree and have my valet
attend me here in the hall.”

Julia stepped forward. “And be so good as to
send for a surgeon,” she said, and she found the Duke’s eyes upon
her. “You promised,” she reminded him.

“
So I did,” he said, softly. “Do as
Lady Pettingale asks, Hennings. Ah, Mrs. Crabtree! Take Lady
Pettingale upstairs and see to her comfort, will you?”

But instead of following the housekeeper,
Julia moved toward the Duke, her attention fixed upon a fresh stain
on the sleeve of his coat. “And you?” she asked, quite concerned.
“Will you be all right?”

“
I shall be upstairs myself in a
moment, as soon as I have my valet attend me here. I want these
boots off before I trek mud throughout the entire house. Go with
Mrs. Crabtree, Julia. I shall see you presently.”

Julia obediently followed the housekeeper
upstairs to a very elegantly furnished apartment. As soon as she
stepped across the threshold of that large, spacious room, she
caught sight of her reflection in the pier glass hanging on the far
wall. Stopped her in her tracks and stood for a moment, staring
back in astonishment at her reflected image.

Even to her own kind eye she looked quite
done up. Her hair had come loose from its pins in places and
tendrils of her red curls hung tangled and willy-nilly down her
back. A smudge of candle soot adorned her chin and there was mud
caked across the toes of her riding boots.

But her green velvet riding habit had
suffered the worst damage. Pock marks speckled the shoulders and
back of her velvet jacket from when she had run out in the rain to
fetch the bowl of water; and the Duke had left some very visible
mud prints along the lush fabric where his boots had scuffled on
her skirt.

“
Oh, dear,” she said, sorrowfully. “My
beautiful riding habit! It—It’s ruined. Absolutely
ruined.”

Mrs. Crabtree stepped up behind her. “Begging
your lady’s pardon, but it’s not so very bad. A good brushing will
take that mud off the hems and a gentle toweling might lessen those
marks on the jacket, I think.”

Julia looked doubtfully at the pitiful image
that stared back at her from the mirror. “No wonder everyone was
looking at me so,” she murmured. “No wonder all the servants were
staring! I look a horrid fright!”

“
Oh, my lady, anyone can see you are a
beautiful woman,” said the housekeeper, kindly. “You’ve just been
through a hedgerow backwards, as the saying does go. But you’re
still quite lovely, if I may be so bold.”

Julia shook her head slightly. “You’re very
kind, but I know a look of shock when I see one. And every servant
who has seen me thus far has worn that very expression!”

Mrs. Crabtree’s generous brows knit into a
single, furrowed line. “I was hoping you would not have noticed the
stares, my lady. You must forgive us, but we were so surprised when
you did arrive. You see, you are the first woman our master has
brought to Merrifield since our pretty little duchess died.”

Julia turned quickly to look at her. “Pretty
little duchess? Are you speaking of Lord Warminster’s mother?”

“
Oh, no, my lady! I speak of his
grace’s wife. Such a beauty she was and dearer than breath. My
master was only married to his pretty little duchess a little more
than a year before she was taken from this world.”

Julia felt her chest constrict a little. “I
didn’t know the duke had been married,” she said, a good deal
surprised.

“
No? Then you have not heard the rumors
about my master! Or, if you have, you know them to be untrue!” She
smiled upon Julia in an approving manner. “That would explain my
master’s behavior in bringing you here. You do seem the sort of
fine lady who would never listen to horrid gossip!”

“
You are very loyal to the Duke,” said
Julia, trying to make sense of the housekeeper’s words.

“
And why should I not be? There isn’t a
tenant or servant or pensioner on this estate who doesn’t think the
world of my master, him being so kind to us all, despite his
loss.”

“
I had no idea.” Julia was having a
difficult time equating the gentleman of Mrs. Crabtree’s
description with the surly and rude wastrel she had met at the
cottage.

“
No, and how could you, for I don’t
believe he speaks of his duchess any longer. My master is a man who
won’t have his wounds touched, you see.”

“
But I never dreamed

There are all those stories about him, you
see

”

“
Bah! Stories!” said Mrs. Crabtree,
contemptuously. “I know how the villagers do speak ill of his
grace, and let them, I say. We at Merrifield know the truth! His
grace may not be the perfect gentleman when he is out in the world,
but when he comes home to Merrifield, my master is as kind and good
and thoughtful a man as ever walked the earth. Surely, my lady, you
are acquainted a little with that side of him.”

Was she? Every whispered story Julia had
chanced to overhear about the Duke pointed to a man of wickedness.
Even her friend Harriet had repeated in hushed tones stories that
cast the Duke of Warminster in the light of a man of decided
evil.

But now that she came to think of it, Julia
realized that a truly wicked man would have pressed his advantage
during the time they were alone together in that little cottage. A
ruthless man would have ridden away after the rain had stopped,
leaving her alone to fend for herself.

But most importantly, an evil man would never
have lifted her up before him on his horse to wrap his wounded arm
so securely yet gently about her.

“
I suppose I am acquainted a little
with that side of his character,” said Julia, and she was
immediately rewarded with a smile from Mrs. Crabtree. “I wonder how
the duke ever came to be so misjudged?”

“
How do any such stories ever come to
be?” countered the housekeeper. “Now, my lady, if you will allow me
to help you out of that jacket and skirt, I might be in a way of
setting some of the damage back to rights. Leave everything to
me!”

As Mrs. Crabtree set to work on repairing
Julia’s riding habit, the duke’s valet, John Newley, was attempting
to restore order to his master’s dress. He had assisted the Gavin
out of his clothes and had examined and then rebandaged his wounded
arm, pronouncing that it probably did, indeed, require sewing, but
if his grace would allow him, he could no doubt stitch the thing up
himself.

“
You’ve stitched more of my wounds and
set too many of my broken bones for me to trust anyone’s skill but
yours,” said Gavin, “but not this time, I think. Hennings has sent
for a surgeon to do the business.”

Newley stiffened. “A surgeon? Begging your
pardon, your grace, but who gave Hennings leave to do so?”

“
I did. We thought the wound required
expert treatment.”

“
Begging your pardon again, but
we
decided nothing of the sort,”
said Newley, with dignity.

“
No, of course not. It was Lady
Pettingale who made the suggestion that I have a surgeon
in.”

“
And may I be so bold as to ask, why?
If your grace doesn’t think I have the touch for this sort of
business, may I remind your grace that it was a physician who set
that broken collar bone of yours at half staff; and a cripple he
would have made of your arm, too

not to mention a hunchback!

had I not come along after and reset the whole
business!”

“
Yes, yes! I recall that very
well

!”

“
And may I also remind your grace that
no one has tended after your scrapes and scratches but me from the
time you were well nigh a boy?”

“
Yes, I know that, too. I need no such
reminder, in fact, but the thing of it is, I made a
promise.”

“
It will take me only a moment to
gather up everything I need,” said his valet,
stubbornly.

Lord Warminster hesitated. “No, we’ll do it
later this evening when the physician arrives. For now, help me
finish dressing so I may be on my way.”

“
On your way?” echoed Newley, once
again roused to great feeling. “Your grace is in no condition to go
anywhere!”

“
Nonsense!”

“
You’ve lost blood,” he said, with a
frown, “and you’ll be weak as a kitten in not too much time if you
don’t rest.”

“
Stubble it! I intend to go no further
than my own drawing room. Now, drat you, help me finish
dressing!”

But instead of the finely tailored evening
coat the Duke intended to wear, his valet held up a length of black
silk that had been fashioned into a sling.

Gavin’s dark brows came together. “What the
devil is that for?”

“
It is for you to wear so your arm will
be held still. To prevent further injury, your grace.”

“
Have you gone daft? She’ll think I’m
an infant to be molly-coddled.”

“
Who shall think such a thing, your
grace?”

Gavin pointedly ignored that question,
saying, forcefully, “I won’t wear it! It’s a sign of weakness.”

“
I should have thought it was a sign of
common sense,” said Newley, impudently.

“
Curse you, man! Do you want her to
think I’ve been brought to my knees by a simple sword wound? Take
that thing away and help me with my coat.”

Later, when the Duke entered the drawing room
to join Julia, the offending sling had been disposed of and he was
attired to his liking in a finely tailored evening coat and
vest.

But Julia was not awaiting him in the
drawing room at all and he entered to find the room empty. For a
moment

But only a moment, he
assured himself

he felt a
pang of disappointment.

A great fire had been set to glowing in the
hearth and candles had been lit about the room to lend it a soft,
warm glow. On a side table he helped himself to a tray of wines and
had just finished pouring out a glass of claret when the door
opened and Julia entered the room.

She was still in her green riding habit,
which, under Mrs. Crabtree’s ministrations, showed considerably
less damage than it had a mere hour before. On her feet were a pair
of borrowed slippers; and her hair, having long since lost the
majority of the pins needed to hold its heavy length in place, had
been simply brushed out and tied with a ribbon to cascade in waves
down her back.

The effect, he thought, was charming. She
looked young and lovely and very beautiful; and again he wondered
how on earth he had ever thought differently before.