The Orphan and the Duke (14 page)

Chapter 13

With trepidation, Amelia made her way down the hallway to the room where she’d met with the duke on her first day in his home. She didn’t relish the thought of the conversation she would be having and surely didn’t wish to betray any confidences, but she thought it imperative to let him know their plans.

The poor dears have it so wrong.
Saffron and Jonquil were only three years younger than Amelia, but she’d lived a much harder life than they, and it matured her beyond her years. She’d had to protect herself for so long it was second nature to try to protect the girls from themselves.
They could each be making a tragic mistake by marrying the first man to ask.
The thought of the horrors they could bring upon themselves in the name of making their brother happy sent chills down her spine.

She hesitated as she held her hand up to knock on the door.
Am I being too bold?

“May I help you, miss?” Swinton asked.

“I was wondering if I might have a word with the duke. If he isn’t busy, that is.”

“I can check. Wait here, please.” Swinton tapped on the door twice.

A voice called, “Come.”

Swinton opened the door and poked his head in. “Miss Mandeville—Miss Amelia Mandeville—would like a word.”

Allowing her to enter, Swinton stepped back. “Please.”

Amelia moved past him and into the room. It looked the same as it had the first day except that Archimedes was sitting on the duke’s desk licking a paw intently.

She smiled at the cat and, in an attempt to make the duke smile, said, “Is that a new desk ornament?”

“You could say that. For some reason that infernal creature has taken a liking to my company. I guess I should be grateful someone wants to be around me.” The duke held up a crystal glass in a kind of salute. “Other than your cousin, that is.”

“Has she been here?” Amelia didn’t doubt it. Susan was persistent, if nothing else.

“Tried. I heard her opening the door and speaking quite rudely to Swinton. Warned by her voice, I hid.” He took a deep swallow of the liquid in his glass. Amelia took a closer look at the man. His neck cloth was wrinkled, and his eyes were bloodshot. He looked as if he’d not slept all night.

“I guess I should be grateful you didn’t feel the need to hide from
me
.” She looked around. “I don’t see a good place to go that you wouldn’t be discovered.”

“Come. I’ll show you.” He stood but wobbled a little.

“Maybe later. I came to talk about your sisters.”

“Ahh. My sisters. Yes. The two who hate me.” He pointed his glass in her general direction. “May as well be seated.”

She sat in a plush chair across from his desk. Since he was drunk and seemed more approachable than he had before, she leaned forward and put her elbows on the ledger that was open in front of him.

“Archimedes, are you ready for this? It looks as if we’re in for a lecture from the charming Miss Mandeville.”

“No lecture, Your Grace. Just an observation I think you should know about.”

“Did you see the gossip column this morning, Miss Mandeville?”

“I did, sir, but that is not why I’m here.”

“Would you like some refreshment? I’m being a terrible host. But I guess that’s to be expected, isn’t it, Archimedes? An awful man who embarrasses his family and is no good at being a duke surely cannot be a good host, can he?”

“Now you’re speaking nonsense.” Amelia knew she shouldn’t address the duke in such a manner, but enough was enough.
He can’t live his life feeling sorry for himself. If I can make do with my circumstances, surely this man, with all the wealth and health he desires, can do as much.

“What do you mean? I
am
a lousy duke.” He flipped the edge of the open ledger. “Half the time I don’t know what I’m doing with this thing, and the other half I’m trying to do the best by my sisters and failing there as well. I should’ve been the one in the carriage with my parents. Roger wouldn’t have made a mess of everything as I have.”

“As far as I can see, you’re doing all right.”

“No. You don’t understand. I was never taught any of this. My father was the duke, my brother the heir. I wasn’t ever supposed to be in this chair. Father never even sat me down to learn the running of an estate.”

Amelia stood and walked around to Basil’s side of the desk. “Let me see this.” She leaned over the ledger and read some of the entries.

“What are you doing?”

“Checking your figures.”

“What do you know about figures?”

“More than you, I see.” She marked through a couple of figures and added them again in her head. “Here’s a small mistake and . . . here’s a slightly larger one.” She totaled the numbers at the end of the page.

“See? I told you. I’m no good.”

“Actually, these numbers are excellent. Is this all since you took over from your father?”

“Yes, this and several previous pages. Why?”

“Under your stewardship, there are profits.” She pointed to the new total. “And more than you thought. You forgot to carry a one in several places.”

“How does a girl like you know numbers?”

“A girl like me? What does that mean?” She smiled to let him know she wasn’t mad but merely curious to know what he meant.

“Pretty, charming, sweet, and with a dusting of freckles across her nose.”

Deciding the man was drunk, Amelia ignored his words. “If you’d like me to go over these for you to see if I can find any more money for you, I’d be happy to.”

“Did you have some sort of tutor?”

“I was allowed to learn with Jane and Susan, but numbers are a gift. We weren’t taught much more than how to count coins, but one day I picked up the book their governess left on the table. I understood it immediately, and my uncle put me to work assisting him with his accounts.”

“Amazing. I’ve never known a lady who understands it. What a talent for you to have.” He looked at her with what she could only describe as awe.

“Thank you, but I didn’t interrupt you in order to discuss your ledgers. I came to talk about your sisters.”

“I know, and I realize I’ve been what I feared they would be—a disgrace to the Staunton name. Will they forgive me for putting them in the papers before they were out for more than two hours?”

“I think they will. Eventually.”

“Oh Lord.” The duke placed his head on his folded arms on top of his desk.

Amelia returned to her chair at the same time Archimedes moved to sit beside the duke. The cat curled up by his arm. Amelia could hear it purring loudly.

“At least the cat likes you.” She laughed.

“I think we already established that.” He looked up at her balefully. “What did you want to say about Jonquil and Saffron?”

“They have this plan, and I want you to promise me you won’t tell them I told you. I want to keep their trust, but I also want you to work on changing their minds about their idea.”

“I can make no promises until I hear the plan.” Basil sat up straight in his chair as he said the words.
Maybe he’s sobering up.

“For some reason, they think you resent being their guardian. They say you’ve changed a lot since your parents and brother died. It makes them feel guilty, and they are each planning to marry the first man to come along and offer for them so you can return to your prior ways. They want to release you from the burden. I find that distressing. They could be making horrible life decisions in the interest of giving you what they perceive as your freedom from a duty to them.”

“I was afraid of something like this, and Longthorne has threatened to woo one of my sisters—he didn’t care which one, by the way—and marry her because he wants to get his hands on my country estate.”

Amelia gasped. She finally understood the reason Basil had been so upset the prior evening. “That’s horrible. Why haven’t you told them this?”

“Would you want to tell a sixteen-year-old girl a man is only wooing her to get her property? Or I should say, her brother’s property?”

“Oh my goodness.” Amelia laughed so hard tears streamed down her face and into her décolletage.

“What’s so funny?”

“What happens on the marriage mart every single year? Men woo girls for their dowries and property. Telling your sisters that is like telling them they will be coming out in society. It’s the same thing.”

“I see your point, but won’t it offend them anyway?”

“Maybe so, but if they are set on finding love, then it’s better for a moment’s distress than a lifetime of regret.”

“How did you get to be so wise?”

“An unsheltered life, Your Grace. The reality of how I could end up on the streets or at the workhouse have been thrown in my face since I was a child.”

“I am sorry about your aunt and uncle. They have no idea the jewel they have in their midst.”

Uncomfortable with the direction the conversation had taken, Amelia changed the subject. “I have an idea how you can try to make amends to your sisters.”

“What’s that?”

“Give them their own ball. It will be something exciting for them to plan and look forward to. They will most assuredly cover you with hugs and kisses, and all will be well again.”

“I was planning to do that anyway, and I hope you’re correct. I can’t abide them being angry with me.”

“I’d suggest you tell them about Mr. Longthorne as well. And you might want to try to behave more like you did in the past so they won’t be tempted to run to some unacceptable man’s arms.”

“I’ll think all that over. I appreciate you letting me know about their plan, and I
will
keep your confidence, Miss Mandeville.”

“Thank you for that. I’d hate to lose their friendship, but I thought it more important for you to know their plans.”

“Where are they now?”

“I think they’re in Lady Jonquil’s room. They walked out on me when I tried to defend you.”

“Even if they didn’t listen”—he held his hand up—“no need to pretend they did. I appreciate your efforts.” The duke pushed back his chair and, with both palms pressed flat on the desktop as if to give himself leverage, rose.

Archimedes let out a sound of protest at his nap being interrupted.

“Please excuse me while I go see what I can do to cheer them up.”

“We should be going anyway. I’ll see if your butler knows where my cousin is, and we will leave you in peace.”

The duke opened the door and let Amelia pass him into the corridor. He took her hand and bestowed a kiss on her knuckles. “Thank you for all you’ve done. In fact, you should know this. In my life, you bring peace when you come, not when you leave.”

Amelia felt her face heat at his kindness. No one had ever said such words to her before. Tears of gratitude pooled in her eyes, but they didn’t blind her to the sight of Susan coming around the corner as she held hands with the duke.

Why does my life always turn out this way?

The next morning, after having spent the prior evening discussing the ball he planned to give for his sisters and working on the guest list, Basil met them at the breakfast table. “I thought we might return to the dressmaker’s today. Unless, as I suspect, neither of you would want a new gown for your ball. After all, you could wear any old dress, couldn’t you?”

He was delighted by their squeals as they came around the table to hug him.

“Thank you, thank you. We will look so nice. You’re the best brother ever,” Jonquil said.

Basil was taken aback.
Are they so shallow that new gowns can buy their devotion?
He hoped not, especially in light of what Amelia had said about their intentions toward suitors.

When they were back in their seats and chattering about what colors they wanted for their new clothing, Basil cleared his throat.

“What is it?” Saffron asked. Both sisters looked at him.

“I want to ask Miss Amelia to attend your ball, but I don’t know how to arrange it so she may do so without her cousin. It’s a dilemma.”

“She probably doesn’t have a suitable gown either. You can’t help but notice how her cousin is always in expensive fabrics and the latest ribbons and poor Amelia looks to be wearing someone else’s gowns that have been taken in to fit her.” Jonquil shook her head. “If you invite her, you will have to be sure to order her a gown as well.”

“That’s a wonderful idea, Jonquil,” Saffron said. She turned to her brother. “You must do that. We cannot have Amelia here at the ball feeling embarrassed. It would be kinder not to ask her at all if we can’t give her a gown to be proud of.”

Basil agreed with his sisters. “Do either of you have any suggestions as to how we can do this? First, we have to get her away from the cousin, and then we have to find a way to have a dress made to fit her,” he said as he spread marmalade on his bread.

“I think we can get her away from Miss Susan by sending the carriage to meet us at the dress shop. It’s clear Miss Susan only wants to come here to try to see you. If we put in the note we send that you have gone to—I don’t know—the country, a race, or something, I am sure she will allow Amelia to come alone.” Saffron nodded. “Yes, I am certain that will work.”

“How do we get her measurements for the dressmaker? We’d have to tell her, and I’m positive she will say she cannot accept such a gift.” Basil took a sip of his tea as if that would help him think better.

“I know!” Jonquil snapped her fingers. “We tell her we have a cousin from the country coming up for the ball and she is almost the same size. We talk her into being measured in the cousin’s place and tell her it’s a gift for this cousin.”