The Orphan and the Duke (10 page)

“Me, too. I plan to have it hang on the front of my wardrobe so I can admire it every time I walk past.”

The carriage rattled on, and the more his sisters went on about their gowns, the angrier Basil became. They didn’t seem to care at all about what happened in the café.

He noticed Amelia was quiet and sat beside him without making any remarks. She didn’t try to engage in the conversation with Saffron and Jonquil. He wondered if she was as offended by their behavior as he was or if she was merely being quiet because she was in his employ and didn’t want to seem overeager for a personal relationship.

Wondering anew about Amelia’s story and how she ended up with the family she did, Basil thought about trying to find out more about her. Once the idea passed through his mind, he shoved it aside.
No need to make the lady nervous by making her think I am investigating her.
He had the feeling she would immediately suspect him of wanting to use anything in her past against her.

One thing he’d picked up so far was she tried to make herself invisible around people, as if to be noticed was to be harmed. He’d seen that firsthand with the way her family treated her.
If I can do more to assist her from having to return to them, I will.

It suddenly dawned on him what she meant in the dressmaker’s shop when she asked him to refer her to some others of his acquaintance. She was planning to set herself up to aid in the presentations of young ladies.

He wanted to applaud her for such ingenuity. He was determined to help her. Knowing that Susan made Amelia’s life hard, he wanted to assist her in escaping.
Who knows, maybe she can advise me on how to get away from Vonda as well.

The carriage came to a stop. They were home. Basil opened the door and stepped down. He assisted Miss Mandeville first and then his sisters. He knew he couldn’t stay angry at them forever, so he figured he may as well do his duty.

“Thank you, Basil,” Jonquil said as she stepped onto the sidewalk in front of the house.

Saffron used his hand to aid her but didn’t say a word. She moved toward the front door, followed by Jonquil.

Amelia hung back and walked beside Basil. “Sir, Your Grace, may I say something?”

“Of course you may.” He looked down at her, noticing her freckles again in the sunshine.

“Please don’t continue to be angry at Lady Saffron. I know it seems to you that she doesn’t care that she hurt you back there in the café, but she does. She cares deeply.”

“She has an odd way of showing it, Miss Mandeville. I think you misunderstand. She openly defied me and appears to have no remorse about it at all.”

“When you weren’t looking at her, in the carriage, she was peering at you from under her lashes. I could see she wants to apologize but has no idea how to do so.”

“I think you’re wrong.” Basil shook his head. “I wish you were right. The truth of the matter is, I wish it had never happened, but it did. If she wants to make things right between us, she knows how to find me. What she did was unacceptable.”

“No disrespect meant, sir, but as someone who many times gets the brunt of anger—whether justified or not—directed at her, please consider making the first move toward forgiveness. It’s a hard step for anyone to take, let alone a sixteen-year-old.”

Basil couldn’t believe Amelia had the presumption to speak to him thus, but he did admire her for it. He decided to ask the question that rose to his lips. “Tell me this, then, Miss Mandeville, if you find it so easy to talk to me, a duke, in this manner, why do you allow your family to treat you the way they do?”

She looked into his eyes. For a split second. Long enough for him to see the tears that formed in her own. They welled up but didn’t fall.

Amelia then surprised him by returning to the carriage and speaking to the driver who was climbing down from his perch. “Would it be possible for you to return me to my family home earlier than normal? I need to go . . . right now.”

The driver glanced over to Basil for permission. He nodded slightly.

Amelia reentered the carriage.

Why did I say such a thing?
He couldn’t figure out why he would lash out at her when he was angry at his sisters, not her. Then he knew why.
I am a louse.

He turned back toward the vehicle and moved forward to apologize. The irony wasn’t lost on him. Amelia had just told him he needed to apologize to his sister who certainly deserved it less than his employee did, and now he needed to make things right with her instead.

Before he could reach the carriage, it proceeded down the street and was out of range to call it back.

Chapter 10

Amelia stayed home the next few days. She usually didn’t go to the duke’s home on Saturday and Sunday, so that didn’t change, but she also refused to go on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. The duke had hurt her feelings, and she knew she was being unreasonable. That wasn’t the issue. The man owed her nothing, and she had overstepped the bounds of propriety when she was impertinent upon exiting the carriage.

I can’t bear to face him since he made it clear he believes my situation to be my own fault. It certainly isn’t, but he doesn’t understand how a person like me could be a prisoner of her circumstances since a person of
his
rank and wealth never would be. Money is something he’s never had to live without, so how can he relate to a person like me? A poor relation never has a choice. The possession of coin means a different world and life.

Susan screamed and berated Amelia, but she held strong and didn’t give in about not returning to the townhouse. At times, Amelia feared being struck again, but it seemed her cousin took to heart her mother’s admonition not to leave marks on Amelia. For the first time in a long time, Amelia didn’t have to be on constant alert from physical harm. It was a relief to her, but since Susan wouldn’t let up on her demands to return to the duke’s home, it wasn’t as nice as it could have been.

Her aunt and uncle also pressured her on the issue, but she told them the sisters were ready for their presentation and that she wasn’t needed until after that event took place. They seemed to accept that since they didn’t keep nagging her about it the way Susan did.

On Thursday morning, a note was delivered, addressed to Amelia. The butler brought it to her as she ate her breakfast alone.

When she saw the thickness of the envelope and the opulence of the stationery, Amelia had no doubt it would be from one of the sisters.
Probably Lady Saffron. I
wonder what it says
.

Glad that Susan and her mother had gone to the millinery shop, Amelia stared at the note for a few minutes before opening it. She ran her hand across the sumptuous paper and enjoyed the richness of it under her fingers.

As soon as the paper was unfolded, Amelia’s eyes made their way to the bottom of the page to see the signature. She took a deep, shuddering breath. It was from the Duke of Darnley himself.

Though she was almost afraid to read it, she knew she needed to do so, but she wanted to go where there would be no chance of anyone walking in on her and perhaps snatching it away. So, she swiftly moved up the staircase and down the corridor to her quarters.

Once safely inside, Amelia sat on the bed and, with her feet dangling off the edge, read the note.

Miss Amelia Mandeville:

I owe you a heartfelt apology. The words I spoke to you were unkind, and even as you dashed away in the carriage, I tried to catch the conveyance in order to make things right between us.

My sisters are bereft at the loss of your company and cannot understand why you have not returned. Even Archimedes seems to be searching for you on occasion.

If there is anything I can do or say to have you return, please reply to my man whom I have instructed to wait outside your home for a response. He is to wait for a period of one hour. If he does not see you by then, he shall return to my home, and we shall respect your wishes to be left alone. I will then forward your wages and not trouble you again.

I pray you don’t refuse to send a reply. Please accept my apology and consider returning to where you are missed by two young ladies.

Sincerely yours,

Darnley

Stunned, Amelia leapt off the bed and snatched a piece of paper from her desk. She started to scrawl an answer but decided not to waste the time. She would give a verbal answer. Even though the duke hadn’t mentioned that he missed her, she decided she wanted to go back since Saffron and Jonquil did. The truth was, she missed those two girls as well as their cat. The fact that the duke included Archimedes in his note meant a lot as well. Since the duke was usually so serious, adding the animal made her smile.

Being at the Staunton home was the happiest time in Amelia’s life, and she knew she would regret it if she didn’t return. She’d agree to work there as long as they would have her.

Taking a second to hide the letter in the same spot where she hid her other prized possession, she held on to the reticule and made her way so quickly down the stairs she almost twisted her ankle.

Hoping the duke’s man was still outside, Amelia passed the butler in the foyer and, without waiting for him to perform his duty, opened the door herself. She stepped out on the small porch and looked both ways.

She was disappointed when she didn’t see anyone in the livery she’d come to recognize. She almost returned to the house, but as she stepped back, she saw the duke’s carriage approach.

Was he keeping a discreet distance to be sure none of my relatives would notice the conveyance?
That’s likely to be the case
. She knew the duke would not want to alert her uncle or aunt that he was sending her a letter. She wasn’t sure it was actually proper for him to write to her, but she had that note in her possession and would always hold on to it. It made her feel important and valued.

The mere thought of the duke saying his sisters missed her made Amelia’s heart swell with love for the two young ladies.
How many ladies can boast of an apology letter from a duke? Not that I’d crow about it. It’s not as if I have anyone to do so to, in any event.

The carriage came to a stop, and the man in livery seated beside the driver climbed down and walked over to Amelia. “Do you have a response for the Duke of Darnley?”

“In lieu of a written response, I’d like to be taken to the home of the duke if that would be possible.”

“Please.” The man stepped aside and allowed her to precede him. When they arrived at the vehicle, he handed her in.

Within the space of a few heartbeats, the carriage moved forward. Amelia presumed the man had retaken his place beside the driver since he didn’t join her inside. She leaned back and pulled the note out of her reticule. Reading it again made her smile, and happiness flooded her spirit.
Lady Saffron and Lady Jonquil truly like me, and maybe the duke’s words mean he misses me, too. Wouldn’t that be wonderful?

Before she knew it, the carriage came to a halt. Amelia refolded the paper and hurriedly tucked it away. She barely had it replaced when the door opened.

As she was assisted out of the conveyance by the duke’s servant, the front door to the house opened. Saffron and Jonquil came out at a dash, followed by the duke.

The sisters surrounded Amelia and hugged her so much she felt as if there were four of them.

“Where have you been? Why didn’t you come? Were you ill?” Amelia was hard-pressed to answer all of Saffron’s questions.

Jonquil merely hung on to Amelia’s arm and stared at her as if on the verge of tears.

“Won’t you come in and have some refreshment, Miss Mandeville?” the duke asked.

“Oh no. I am fine. Thank you. I have just this minute finished breaking my fast, so I am quite full.”

“Then at least come in and have a seat as we discuss the next steps in the education of my sisters.” The duke turned as if he expected them all to follow him inside the house.

And of course they did. Jonquil still held on to Amelia as if to let her go would make her disappear.

The duke stopped in front of the door to the parlor.

Before anyone entered, Amelia said, “I’m sorry, sir, but since I’ve been absent, I am sure the young ladies haven’t had a chance to practice with the veils they are required to wear. We should add those to the trains and the feathers they’ve already mastered. After all, the presentation is in a few days.”

“So you have no desire to waste time being entertained in the parlor?” he asked.

“That’s the gist of it, sir,” Amelia said.

“Then allow me to accompany you and assist, as it seems we may be in dire circumstances.” The duke turned to address his sisters. “It appears to me you two need to get up to the ballroom and follow Miss Mandeville’s lessons in order to make the best impression at your presentation.”

“We have been working hard, Basil. Even when Miss Amelia wasn’t here, we kept working. You’ll see. She’ll be proud of us.” Jonquil let go of Amelia’s arm at last and led the way to the ballroom.

Saffron skipped ahead as well.

The duke lightly touched Amelia’s elbow as they followed the younger ladies down the hallway. His hand was warm on her arm. “Thank you for returning. I am really very sorry about what I said, and I’m so grateful you are willing to forgive me and keep moving forward to help my sisters.”

“I’m happy you wanted me to come back. I’ve enjoyed my time with your sisters, and I
do
still want to do the same in future seasons with other girls. It would be a way for me to find something useful to do rather than continue to live on the largesse of my relatives.”

“Meaning no disrespect to your uncle and aunt, but it doesn’t seem to me, a stranger, that they are giving to you freely and abundantly. It seems as if they begrudge you everything they provide.”

“You’re probably right, and I’m ashamed that you have come to that conclusion on such short acquaintance.”

“My dear girl, I hesitate to tell you the kind of man your uncle is, but he made it abundantly clear in just a few sentences that he has no filial affection for you at all. I would like someday, if you wish to share the information, to learn how you ended up in these circumstances.”

Saffron poked her head out the door to the ballroom. “Come along you two. You’re taking too long. Jonquil and I already have on our practice trains.”

“I’m not sure what Uncle said to you that day when you called upon him, but I will share my story with you some time if you share with me why you broke his nose.”

“So it really broke?”

“Oh yes, he went to the physician the next day. I have to say, he was more than a little upset that you sent a doctor to check on me when I was unharmed but sent none to set his nose.”

“Why does that not surprise me?” The duke laughed. He pointed down the corridor where Saffron and Jonquil stood with their veils on. They both appeared impatient to begin. “It seems your protégés are anxious to get started with today’s lessons. Should I leave you to it?”

“No. Come and watch. I know they want you to be proud of them. How about cheering them on and letting them know they’re going to be fine?”

“I will. Thank you for asking me to attend. I know their success at the palace will all be because of your assistance.”

Amelia followed him into the ballroom, hoping he would remember that when it was time for references. And hoping the sisters would do her proud so other families would want her to serve them.

Basil watched the rehearsal for a while. As Jonquil and Saffron moved around the ballroom, he thought about all the balls they would be participating in and realized he needed to assess their dancing skills.

“I say, Saffron, what about the dances? Did you and Jonquil have enough lessons so that you’ll be ready to perform the intricate steps of the latest ones?”

“I think we have, but maybe we could use some practice. Will you dance with us?” Saffron asked.

“I’m not sure of them myself. I haven’t been to a ball in a long time. Last season was too soon—” He stopped himself from saying more, but the look on his sisters’ faces let him know they’d caught his meaning.

“I happen to know them. I can show you,” Amelia said. “My cousin Susan insisted on learning all the steps to anything that might be played so she could be sure to take full advantage of her dance card each evening.”

Basil refrained from sharing his thoughts about her cousin’s likely-to-be-empty dance card. He satisfied himself with a small smile. “I’m glad you have the steps. Let’s make a foursome, and you can teach us all.”

Amelia’s face registered shock. “Oh, no. Surely Your Grace doesn’t need a lesson from one such as me.”

“What does that mean, Miss Amelia? Surely you don’t believe Basil thinks he can’t learn from you because you don’t have a title? He’s never been one to think he’s better than others. He treats everyone the same. Always has,” Saffron said.

“No, of course I didn’t mean that. I meant that most men of his rank and age had dance masters when they were younger, and as they matured, the latest dances weren’t so important to them.”

“I say, Miss Mandeville, how old do you think me to be? It sounds as if I am in my dotage.” Basil couldn’t help but be amused at the look of alarm on Amelia’s face as she realized she may have committed a faux pas.

Her hand flew to her mouth. “I am so sorry. I meant no offense.”

“Don’t be silly, Miss Amelia. Basil is teasing you. He’s not offended.” Jonquil reached out to Amelia with her left hand. “He
does
sometimes act as if he’s older than Moses, but he’s not angry. I can tell. Come. Make a square and show us some steps.”

“I confess, Miss Mandeville, Jonquil is correct. I was merely teasing, but in case you were wondering, I’m twenty-seven, and I did have a dancing master at Eton.” He bowed. “Come and be my partner while Saffron and Jonquil partner each other.”

“It would be better for each of us to partner one of your sisters. Remember, I told you I learned the dances in the male part since I was partnered with my cousin.”

Disappointed in her words and choice of partner, Basil nodded his acquiescence. Why it bothered him was something he didn’t have much of a chance to think about as Amelia immediately started the lesson.