Bewitching the Duke (2 page)
Read Bewitching the Duke Online
Authors: Christie Kelley
Colin stopped for a moment. She’d heard him and yet continued on as if she hadn’t. The nerve of that insolent girl! No man or woman ignored him. He strode ahead until he came to the cottage she’d walked into. Without a thought, he entered the house.
“Miss . . .” his voice trailed off as he realized his mistake. Seeing the multitude of dishes on the table and the children playing on the floor, he knew this was not Miss White’s home.
“Yer Grace,” a large woman said with a quick curtsy. She walked toward him with a deep frown and her lips pressed into a thin line. “W-Welcome to my home.”
Oh, good God. He had no idea who this woman was. “Thank you, Mrs. . . .”
“Godwin, Yer Grace. My husband works the land for ye.”
He wondered briefly at the cold tone of her voice. “Of course.”
Glancing about the room, he wondered where Miss White had disappeared. “Pray excuse me, madam. I was looking for Miss White. I thought I saw her enter this cottage. I must admit, I thought this was her home.”
The woman laughed soundly. “She is tending my five-year-old, Yer Grace. He got a nasty bee sting yesterday.”
Why would the wise woman care about a child’s bee sting? He’d been stung a few times as a child and nothing happened. A long silence stretched out.
“Very good, then. I shall wait outside,” Colin finally said. He walked outside and waited for Miss White to emerge. As he leaned against a tree, he had to admit that Mrs. Godwin’s attitude seemed quite odd. She hadn’t even offered him tea, or the chance to wait for Miss White inside. Perhaps she was preoccupied with the children.
After almost an hour, Miss White finally opened the door.
“Good Lord, you’re still here,” she muttered as she noticed him standing by a tree.
“You must have known I was out here waiting for you.” She’d deliberately kept him cooling his heels. Did this woman not realize who he was?
She shook her head. “I’d hoped you would grow bored with the wait.” She took a step down the path as if their conversation had finished.
“I need a word with you, Miss White.”
She rolled her green eyes and then turned her back to him. “Indeed. I do hope you shall attempt to keep your clothes on this time.”
Colin walked closer to her as his fury ignited. The woman was walking around with her hair unbound as if she were still a child, not to mention she had the nerve to chastise a duke! “Keep my clothes on? You entered my bedchamber unannounced and yet you criticize me on good form?”
“You arrived early.”
“Which has nothing to do with you being in my bedroom.”
“What do you wish to speak to me about, Your Grace?” she asked with a sigh.
What did he want to speak with her about? He could not remember. There had to be a reasonable explanation for following her and then waiting for nearly an hour. “What were you doing in the cottage?”
That was not what he wanted to know. Dammit! This little hoyden had disturbed his thought process.
“Little Raymond was stung by a bee yesterday. I was just making certain everything was all right with him. His brother died of a bee sting a few years ago.”
A bee sting could kill a person? He’d never heard of such nonsense. “Was he all right?”
“Yes. The mark is still a little red but he shall be just fine.”
“Excellent.”
An uncomfortable silence filled the air around them. He had no idea how to broach the subject. “Miss White, I do hope you understand—”
“Of course, Your Grace. You did not expect someone to disturb your peace while you slept. It is completely reasonable that you might have been irritable this morning.”
Did she actually think his petulance had something to do with lack of sleep? “I believe you misunderstand me, Miss White.”
“Oh?”
“I don’t want you here,” he said quietly. Shame heated his cheeks. But he had no reason for embarrassment. Her mother, with her assorted herbs and nonsense, had caused his sorrow. Colin had never thought that the dreadful woman’s daughter would still be here on the estate. As Kate had told him, it was time to grow up and take charge of his life. It was strange to hear such a mature speech from a woman ten years younger than him.
“I understand, Your Grace. I shall stay away from your bedchamber.” She started to walk away again.
“Miss White,” he called out.
She stopped and looked back at him. “Are we not finished, Your Grace?”
“No.” He waited until she turned to face him. “I don’t want you in my home.”
“Very well,” she replied tightly.
“I also don’t want you here any longer.”
Her mouth dropped open. “I don’t believe I understand, Your Grace.”
“I wish for you to leave your cottage while I’m here.”
“Leave?” she repeated.
“Yes. I’m quite certain you realize why I would like you to depart. I’m not asking you to leave Northrop Park permanently, only until after the wedding. Obviously, the tenants appreciate your work here. But I . . .” Dear God, she had him babbling like an idiot! “I don’t want the reminder of what happened.”
“My being here or not being here will not change your memories, Your Grace. The only one who can do that is you.”
Colin felt his anger stir again. “It matters not. I do not want the remembrance of what happened here. And you are only a reminder of that pain. Do you understand?”
“Yes. I believe I do.”
“Very well, then.” He turned away believing everything was settled. She would leave and perhaps he might be able to stand living on the estate for the next two months until the wedding was over.
But as he looked up at the ancient house, all the painful memories returned.
As Selina strode away from the irksome duke, she couldn’t help but glance back at him. She’d be damned if she let him chase her from her home. She had two women about ready to deliver, an elderly man who was losing his mind, and a woman sick with the wasting disease. Nothing and no one would keep her from doing her job.
Not even the Duke of Northrop.
Colin walked through the house the next morning, frustrated by the condition of his ancestral home. Wallpaper was pulling away from the walls, the rugs were threadbare and covered in dust, and, based on the buckets on the third floor, he assumed there were leaks in the roof. He blew out a long breath. This was his fault. Guilt spread over him as he walked toward his study.
He had no one to blame but himself for the dreadful state of disrepair. His steward had informed him of the needed repairs but he’d ignored those letters. He’d wanted no reminders of this place. Being here now brought back all the horrific memories.
How could he have returned to this godforsaken place? Even now, he felt on edge. He’d spent most of yesterday out of the house, unable to face the memories that remained locked in these walls. It was as if it had only been a few days, not years since that March night.
Already, it felt as if the house was closing in on him. He could still hear her screams of agony, and her pleas with God to save their baby. He entered his study and his gaze focused on Mary’s portrait above the fireplace. She’d been stunningly beautiful with her auburn hair and blue eyes. The longer he stared at her picture, the more his guilt ate at him. He had to get out of here . . . out of this damned house.
He should have insisted the wedding take place in London.
“Roberts,” he shouted, “tell Mr. Sellers I want a horse saddled.”
“Yes, Your Grace.” Roberts replied from the hall.
Colin paced his room. Dust and cobwebs covered every table and corner. Of course, if he had sent more notice of his impending arrival, the house would have been immaculate. Or at least as immaculate as his elderly staff could make the decrepit place. He needed to hire more staff as quickly as possible. And workers too. The house needn’t be perfect but at least respectable enough for the wedding.
It was only two months. Then everything would be fine and he could return to London. Then he would never come back to this godforsaken house again. He’d let it rot until the next duke took over. His brother, Thomas, or Thomas’s son, Richard, could handle the renovations it would need then.
He strode from the room and the house to escape the memories that plagued him. A ride would ease his mind. Once he reached the stables, a fine mare was waiting for him. At least his stables had been maintained.
“Thank you, Mr. Sellers.” He mounted and took the reins from the groomsman.
“Thank you, Your Grace. Aphrodite needed some exercise today.”
“Then I’ll make certain she gets it.” He flicked the reins and headed out to the flat pasture. He’d forgotten how beautiful the Midlands were at this time of year. The sheep grazed on green grasses near a meadow of heather. The tilled fields had wheat rising from the ground. He smiled slightly as he remembered racing across the fields as a child.
He breathed in deeply, allowing the thickly scented air into his lungs. Finally, he brought Aphrodite to a halt at the rise of a hill where his property intersected with the estates of the Earl of Harstfield and Viscount Middleton.
Colin closed his eyes for a moment only to picture the little witch who had angered him yesterday. With curling blond hair and green eyes, Miss White was not the girl he vaguely remembered meeting when she was only about ten. Now she was a beautiful woman who irritated the hell out of him. She had to be in her middle twenties now. It was highly improper for a woman of her years to walk about with her hair unbound. And why hadn’t she married? Surely, she didn’t mean to remain a spinster and live in that tiny cottage for the rest of her life.
He opened his eyes, annoyed with himself for even thinking about her. Her mother caused his pain. Her mother was the reason he was miserable here. Her mother killed his wife and heir.
The sound of a horse galloping turned his head toward the earl’s estate.
“So the rumors are true,” Hart said as he reined in his horse. He glanced to the east and then back at Colin with a frown. “You have returned. I guess the sun will now set in the east.”
“Good morning to you too,” Colin said stiffly.
“Excuse me, Your Grace,” the Earl of Harstfield said in a condescending tone.
“What do you want, Hart?”
Hart gave him an easy laugh. “Just making sure the rumor was true. After all, your exact words were the sun would set in the east before you ever set foot in Northrop Park again.”
Colin shook his head. He had said those words and meant them until a month ago. “Kate wishes to marry here.”
Hart nodded. “And you can’t refuse her anything, can you?”
“No.”
“She knows what happened. Why would she insist on having the wedding here?”
Colin jumped off his horse and took the reins. Slowly he walked along the knoll with Hart following him. “She has no desire to marry in town.”
“You have three other estates at which she could marry.” Hart stopped for a moment. “There’s more, isn’t there?”
“She believes having a happy memory here will help me get over Mary’s death.”
Hart shrugged. “Perhaps it will.”
“Highly unlikely.” He stopped, picked up a rock, and hurled it down the hill.
“How is she? It’s been months since I’ve seen her.”
“She is in love. Nothing could make her unhappy now,” Colin said in a sarcastic tone.
Hart laughed. “Love isn’t such a terrible thing, North.”
Colin glared over at his childhood friend. “Love is nothing but pain and agony.”
“So when does the happy bride arrive?”
“She and her mother will arrive in a month. I believe they wish to refurbish the house so it is in perfect condition for the wedding guests.”
“Is there that much to do?” Hart asked with a frown.
“The house is a disaster,” Colin admitted. “The roof leaks, the wallpaper is falling down, and the garden’s overgrown. It will cost me a fortune to get this house up to snuff for a wedding.”
“True, but at least once it’s done the house will be ready for you to live in again.” Hart paused for a moment. “It would be pleasant to have a neighbor out here again . . . even if it is you.” He let out an easy laugh. “After all, Middleton is rarely at his home. I feel as if I’m the only one who enjoys country life.”
Colin shook his head. “Once the vows are said, I will leave. And I won’t be back.”
“You have a responsibility to your estate, North,” Hart said quietly.
“Do not attempt to tell me how to manage my estates or my duty. I performed my duty and look where it got me. Thomas or his son can inherit this bloody house and the memories that go with it.”
Colin picked up another rock and heaved it down the hill. This would be the longest two months of his life. He just wanted this wedding done now so he could return to London. Why hadn’t he disregarded Kate’s wishes? She and her mother could have hired all the help they needed without his assistance. But he’d never been able to ignore Kate’s pleas to assist them. She’d told him she didn’t feel comfortable making changes to his home without his permission.
He could do this. It was only for two months. He closed his eyes for a quick moment only to see Miss White again. Why couldn’t he forget her today?
“Who do you think was the first tenant to greet me?” Colin asked as frustration rolled through his body. He wasn’t about to tell Hart the circumstances surrounding the incident.
“I have no idea.”
“Miss White.”
Hart glanced back at the house. “But North, she’s not the same woman. That was—”
“Her mother. I realize that.” Colin blew out a long breath. “But it changes nothing. I’m tired of these women believing they are the reason our lands are fertile. That they are the cause of our wealth. They actually believe they know more than the physicians and surgeons.”
Hart shrugged and glanced away. “Perhaps they do.”
“How can you believe that?”
“Miss Featherstone and her mother saved my mother’s life a few years ago. The physician said there was nothing he could do because she was dying from cancer. But with their herbs and loving care, three years later, my mother still lives. Not only that, but my mother is healthier than she’s ever been.”
Hart went quiet for a long moment before finally saying, “I owe them both everything.”
Colin wanted to rail at his friend for his foolishness. It was God’s will that his mother was still alive, not some damned women with their infernal herbs.
Selina paced the small confines of her cottage. The fury of meeting the duke yesterday had not diminished. How was she supposed to leave the estate, even if it was for only two months? There were two tenants who would deliver in the next week or two. She had to be here for them. Besides, where was she supposed to go? She’d never met her father’s family and knew of no way to contact them. Her mother, like Selina, had been an only child. That left her twin friends, Mia and Tia. Although, Selina knew neither of them had room at their cottages.
She walked to the window and looked out at the gray day. She’d lived in this cottage all her life. Her mother’s ancestors had lived either in this cottage or on this land somewhere. Why should she be forced to leave because he couldn’t forget the past?
As she stared out the window, she noticed Mr. Sellers arrive with a horse. Selina grabbed her things and rushed outside.
“Come on, miss,” Mr. Sellers said with a grin. “We don’t have that much time.”
“Thank you, Mr. Sellers.”
He nodded to her and then assisted her onto the mare. “Just doing my part.”
They rode quickly to the stables. She glanced up at the house and her heart started to pound against her chest. If the duke discovered her here today, she had no idea what he might do. There were still several rooms she needed to cleanse and it might take days to complete. But this was what she’d been raised to do. She wouldn’t let one insufferable duke stop her.
After Mr. Sellers helped her down, she ran for the house. Mr. Roberts opened the door for her.
“Do hurry, miss,” Mr. Roberts said. “He used to ride for at least an hour, so do what you can during that time.”
She removed her short boots and dropped them by the door.
“Miss, you really shouldn’t walk around in your stocking feet,” Mr. Roberts admonished.
The dear old man was always trying to drum some propriety into her head. He should know by now it would never work. “I won’t come in and track mud all over, causing you even more work.”
Mr. Roberts only shook his head. “Very well.”
“Have the footmen open the windows in the study, salon, and library. I will work there first.” She couldn’t go into his bedroom today. The idea of working in his bedchamber again sent an odd sensation to her belly. Far better to ignore that room for now.
“Yes, miss.”
While the footmen readied the room, Selina breathed in deeply to calm her nerves. She lit the sage and blew it out. A long line of smoke billowed up from the herb. Slowly, she walked into the library and moved counterclockwise through the room, taking a few extra moments in every corner.
“No dark spirits are allowed in this room,” she mumbled as she walked. “Only good will remain in this room.” The smoke scented the room even with the windows open. She passed the bookshelves and looked up at them in envy. If only she had access to some of his books.
Once finished in the library, she made her way to the salon. Repeating the same actions, she concentrated on her words and not the ticking clock. With two rooms finished, she moved to his study. She had at least fifteen minutes left.
Before she started, she glanced about the room. Everything in this room was meant for him. A large, cherry desk took up one end of the room. She could picture him sitting in that leather chair working on bills and plans for the estate. At the other end, a large fireplace would keep the room warm in the cold winter months. She could imagine curling herself up in the blue velvet chair by the fireplace, reading a wonderful novel for hours, while the duke worked at his desk.
“I must be going mad,” she whispered with a shake of her head.
She resumed her cleansing. But she lost her concentration due to a commotion from the back of the house. Loud voices continued to come closer until she realized it was the duke. Not knowing what else to do, she snuffed the sage and slipped behind the gold velvet curtain. Hopefully, he wouldn’t notice her feet sticking out. Fear of discovery caused her heart to pound against her chest.
She took a deep breath to calm herself and listen as he came closer. His footsteps sounded different today. His gait was uneven as if he wasn’t walking correctly.
“Why do I smell goddamn sage?” he shouted.
“Now, Your Grace, it’s just left over from what she did yesterday,” Mr. Roberts replied. “You must sit down and get off that ankle.”
“My ankle is fine,” he rasped.
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