The Grace of a Duke (3 page)

It was Joshua’s turn to be shocked. “I am giving you the opportunity to gracefully bow out of this arrangement!” he stated, his voice growing in volume.

“And I am refusing to take it!” Charlotte countered, her voice still a loud whisper.

At some point during their verbal volley, the footman had opened the door for the housekeeper. Mrs. Gates, carrying an ancient silver tray with a tea service, hurried to where Charlotte and Joshua sat. “Your Grace,” she said as she curtsied in his direction, well aware that she had interrupted a discussion that was becoming somewhat heated.

“Mrs. Gates,” Joshua acknowledged with a nod, his lips set in a thin line. How can Lady Charlotte continue to look so damned composed after that bit of disagreement? he wondered, unable to tear his gaze away from her perfect oval face, her lips – the bottom one plump and quite kissable –, her straight nose that ended quite prettily (not nearly as long and hooked as some of those other women of the
ton
, he thought), and her clear green eyes, in which he was getting quite lost at the moment. 

The round, older woman, all dimples and grins, set the tray down on the tea table and began pouring for the suddenly quiet couple. She wore her gray hair in braids that had been wrapped around her head several times to form a silver coronet. A white apron, newly ironed, covered her long-sleeved black gown. Her happy grin was accompanied by a wink – a
wink!
– upon giving a cup of sugared tea to Charlotte. “Lady Charlotte! ’Tis so good to see you again!” she said in an excited voice.

The earl’s daughter felt a flush of color creep up her face at the gesture and the comment. Again? She’d only been to the estate one other time in her entire life. When I was three! And how much of their discussion had the woman overheard?

When Mrs. Gates turned to give a cup to Joshua, after she had added a lump of sugar and a bit of cream, she frowned at him as if he were some recalcitrant schoolboy. Aware he was being watched, Joshua tore his gaze from Charlotte to stare back at the housekeeper. He attempted to make his indignation apparent to her in the hopes she would leave. Instead, the older woman put a hand to her rather imposing hip and waved a finger toward his face. “What would your mother say?” she whispered in disgust before stepping away, bobbing a curtsy and then taking her leave, her skirts swishing about the legs of the furniture in her haste to leave.

Joshua turned to watch the housekeeper hurry away. When his attention returned to Charlotte, he found her with a hand in front of her mouth, attempting to hide an embarrassed grin. “She winked at me!” Charlotte said suddenly, her eyes bright.

The tense atmosphere that had grown between the two of them suddenly shattered as Joshua rolled his eyes and allowed his own grin. “She is a ... formidable woman,” he explained finally, finding it easy to keep from laughing when reminded of his mother. Indeed, what would Grace Wainwright say if she discovered her son denying his betrothal? “I think Mrs. Gates has been here since the house was built,” he added before he sighed loudly. “I apologize for my ... and her ... behavior,” he said, barely able to get the words out before Charlotte smiled that brilliant smile that took his breath away.

“As do I, Your Grace,” Charlotte said, trying hard to school her features back to some semblance of seriousness. The housekeeper was obviously a long-time fixture of the estate; there could be no reason her familiar behavior would be tolerated otherwise. With there being no mother to chastise Joshua for his obviously angry outburst, Mrs. Gates had taken it upon herself to do so. And with her wink, she had obviously sided with Charlotte in the disagreement.

The light in Charlotte’s eyes seemed to dim, though, as she realized the other reason for her visit. “I am very sorry for your loss, Your Grace,” she finally spoke, chastising herself that she hadn’t mentioned it earlier. “Please accept my condolences.”

Joshua took a deep breath, the humor gone as quickly as it had come. “Thank you,” he replied with a nod. He wanted to scrub his face with his hand but forced himself to keep it on the arm of the chair. He might have mourned his family’s loss for six months, but the pain of their deaths was still fresh. “I think I miss my sister the most,” he said quietly. “I teased her mercilessly, but she would have had her coming out in a couple of years, and I was quite prepared to play the role of older, protective brother.”

Charlotte took a sip from her tea cup. “That, I can imagine you doing,” she said quietly. “But I understand she was already betrothed. To an earl, wasn’t it?”

Shifting in his chair, Joshua shook his head. “Henry Forster, Earl of Gisborn,” he announced, apparently none too pleased with the choice.

Paling suddenly, Charlotte swallowed. She knew a Henry Forster from her youth, but he certainly wasn’t an
earl
. Nor was his father. A pleasant man, well dressed and obviously now educated, Mr. Forster had conversed with her at only a couple of society events in London. From the snippets she recalled, Charlotte thought his interests centered on farming and inventions. He was a gentleman, to be sure, but if he was a member of the aristocracy, he did not let on as he used no title when introducing himself. He had, in fact, insisted that she call him ‘Henry’, perhaps in the hopes that she would allow him to call her ‘Charlotte’. She had never given him permission to do so, but in her defense, she hadn’t had the chance since they were interrupted several times by others during the evening he made his request. As she thought about Mr. Forster, she realized she had never seen him at a society event during the past Season and wondered why.

As for the Earl of Gisborn, her father had mentioned that name – threatened her with it, actually. “Isn’t he quite ... old?” she queried, thinking that perhaps Jennifer was better off having died in the fire. And then she chastised herself for thinking such a morbid thought.

“His uncle was nearly seventy when he died a month or so ago, so Forster has just come into his inheritance. Late twenties, maybe thirty, I think, but, yes, he would have been far too old for my sister by the time she was of an age to marry,” he agreed with a sigh.

Charlotte considered the information, marveling at the thought of Henry Forster as an earl. Her father ... well, she would have to think about him later. Joshua was regarding her with a look that suggested he might be changing his mind with respect to her future. She did her best to appear as if she were already his duchess even though she feared he would dismiss her.

Joshua took a drink of tea and considered their discussion from earlier. They had come to a bit of an impasse. Charlotte was quite willful, he decided, and was obviously stubborn about fulfilling her obligation. And he was just as certain that he did not wish to take a wife and subject her to ...
him
, in his current state at least, even if he did require an heir. The duchy would survive as long as he did, and then it could pass to the nearest relative, whoever that was, and if there wasn’t one, it would go back to the Crown.

Certainly nothing would be decided this afternoon.

He could offer Charlotte hospitality indefinitely, of course, and would do so for no other reason than to have a female presence in the household. “Have you any ... plans, other than matrimonial, in the foreseeable future?” he wondered aloud, setting his tea cup on the silver tray.

Charlotte followed suit with her tea cup as she considered the implication of his question. “I do not,” she finally answered, trying to hide her sudden nervousness. She was sure he was about to dismiss her. Where would I go? she wondered, knowing she could not return to London. One of her family’s country estates was in Oxfordshire, but she had no desire to go there, especially before summer.

“Then I would ask that you stay on here at Wisborough Oaks,” the duke offered, leaning forward, his elbows braced on his knees. “I believe you have a maid that could act as your ... chaperone?” he suggested, knowing that offering hospitality to an unmarried woman could be construed by most in the
ton
as wholly inappropriate. But if she were seen as his hostess, available to receive callers and to act as if she might one day be his duchess, perhaps his own standing as a duke would be improved. He knew there were those who did not consider him suitable for the role of a duke. He had spent his life being the second son and a gambler and sometimes a rake, after all. But in the course of six months, Joshua had given up the life of a gambler, and his wounds had prevented him from even wanting to bed a woman. He felt his groin tighten now, though, as he realized Charlotte might actually agree to stay and oversee the household. Whatever am I thinking in asking her to stay? he wondered suddenly.

Straightening on the settee, Charlotte regarded Joshua and allowed a brilliant smile. “I would like that very much, Your Grace,” she replied with a nod. “Thank you.”

Joshua nodded, a bit uncertain as to what to do next. “You must be ... exhausted from your travels,” he remembered then, aware that he had spent far too long with her given the amount of work he still needed to complete that afternoon. “I will have Gates show you and your maid to your rooms.” He held out a hand in an effort to assist her up from the settee. She took it, unaware of the shiver her touch sent up Joshua’s arm. “And then I will see you in the library for walnuts and coffee at seven,” he added, remembering the menu she had recited to Gates. He was suddenly nervous at the thought. At least Garrett would be there, too. Perhaps Charlotte wouldn’t be quite so stubborn in the presence of his estate manager.

“Thank you, Your Grace,” she said again as she curtsied and left the study. She followed Gates to her bedchamber on the second floor.
How could the man be so insufferably stubborn?
she wondered as she made her way up the staircase.
He should be ... thankful ... there is someone who wants to marry him.

But a rather humbling thought occurred to her as she reached the landing.

He no doubt thinks the same about me.

Chapter 4

His Grace, Mr. McElliott and Lady Charlotte in the Library

Garrett eased himself into the chair closest to the fireplace and let out a low moan. “I am so ... saddle sore,” he complained, stretching his legs out in front of the chair and crossing them at the ankles. Gates had just given him a glass of whiskey, and he was tempted to down the contents in a single swallow. The medicinal effect might take a few minutes, and his throat would burn like the dickens, but it was tempting.

“I almost wish I were,” Joshua lamented, tossing the remains of his glass into his mouth. He held it for a moment before allowing the amber liquid to burn down his throat. “I have been sitting on my damned arse most of the day, but I finally have February complete. I can finally start on the numbers for this month tomorrow.” He had worked on the estate’s books most of the day and felt a good deal of satisfaction on having completed the accounting of all the bills and rents.

Garrett lifted his head from the back of the chair. “And?” he wondered, anxious to learn if his management had resulted in a bit of black ink for the dukedom.

Joshua furrowed his brow, misunderstanding his friend’s query. “Well, I only took a few moments with her,” he said defensively. “I knew I could not afford to spend more than that, especially today.”

His eyes widening, Garrett wondered if there was, perhaps, someone else in the library with them. “Whatever are you talking about? Did Mrs. Thomas show up a few days early?” he asked in surprise, knowing the vicar’s sister had requested an audience with His Grace, apparently in an attempt to gain his approval for a village festival. But the woman was punctual and precise and would never get wrong the day of a visit to Wisborough Oaks.

“No ...,” Joshua answered carefully. “Wait. What were you thinking I was talking about?” he asked then, enjoying the numbness that was settling into his joints. For the first time that day, his face didn’t hurt.

“The books,” Garrett replied, a bit too harshly. “Are we ... solvent?”

Joshua grinned and sat up straighter in his own chair. “Very. In six months, this estate has managed to clear over three-thousand pounds,” he said with some satisfaction. “Thanks to you, of course,” he added with an approving nod. He certainly hadn’t contributed to the good fortune; he’d been laid up in hospital for a month of that time and recuperating in their Grosvenor Square terrace for another three months before returning to Wisborough Oaks.

“Cheers, then,” Garrett answered smartly, holding his empty glass aloft and nearly missing the sound of a knock on the door.

“Enter,” Joshua called out, and then belatedly realized who the knocker would be.

Lady Charlotte Bingham, dressed in an apricot silk confection that appeared to float about her when she moved, entered the library slowly and deliberately, not at all sure what – or who – she would find. “Good evening, gentlemen,” she said, intending to curtsy to their bows. Ah, Garrett McElliott! she thought happily, relieved that Joshua’s guest was someone with whom she was familiar. She’d spent many afternoons with the man at hospital, apprising him of Joshua’s condition when he came to visit his employer.

Joshua was up in a moment, his entire being suddenly aware that Charlotte Bingham was a duchess embodied. And a beautiful woman. Her perfect coiffure, blonde curls amassed atop her head with spiral tendrils spilling down around her temples, was an ornate style one would usually see at a ball. The color of the gown showed off her creamy complexion and its cut hinted at a pleasing figure beneath. The white kid gloves, buttoned up to just above her elbows, were well-made and a snug fit on her slender fingers.

Staring at her as if she was an apparition, Garrett did not immediately get to his feet. “I must have had entirely too much to drink,” he said in a voice that suggested he was surprised at how coherent he sounded. “I could swear Lady Charlotte just walked into this room,” he added as he looked over at Joshua and found his friend already standing and bowing in the direction of the apparition.

Charlotte performed a curtsy worthy of an audience with the king. “At your service, Mr. McElliott. ’Tis very good to see you again.” If she was miffed that he hadn’t risen upon her arrival, she did not show it in her features. Instead, she seemed to be suppressing a good deal of amusement at Garrett’s expense. And a knowing smile as she regarded him. He was every bit as handsome as she remembered him, and sitting before her in that relaxed, devil-may-care way he had perfected during his days as a gambler only emphasized his tall frame, the muscles of his thighs straining against his buckskin breeches, his wide shoulders barely contained in the dark green superfine topcoat. If he’d been wearing a cravat, there was no sign of it now, but his linen shirt was snowy white against his bronzed skin.

Garrett jumped to his feet and bowed, the quick movements a sign he at one time had fenced for sport. “I beg your pardon, Lady Charlotte,” he said in a quiet voice. “This is most ... unexpected,” he said in awe and a bit of embarrassment. He did a mental calculation and then decided it probably wasn’t so unexpected. Charlotte must be almost one-and-twenty, he figured suddenly. Which meant she was here to ... His features hardened as he looked back at Joshua. “You could have said something,” he whispered to his friend. Returning his attention to their guest, his gaze softened as he said, “Welcome to Wisborough Oaks. Please ... have a seat.” He waved a hand toward a velvet upholstered chair. “May I get you some ... wine?” he asked, wondering if there was any such drink in the library’s collection of spirits.
And just where was Gates when drinks needed to be served?

As if he could hear Garrett’s thoughts, the butler entered the library and hurried to the sideboard with a pot of coffee and a plate of walnuts. He poured three cups of the steaming brew and was about to deliver one to Charlotte, only to find her at his side. “I will see to this, Gates. I’m sure you have more important duties this evening.”

Gates’ eyes widened, but he gave Lady Charlotte a nod and a, “Very good, milady,” before he bowed and left the room.

Charlotte placed a cup and saucer on the table next to Joshua and another on the tea table in front of Garrett, bending down a bit as she did so. Without even looking at Garrett, she was aware of his eyes on her as they took her in décolletage. She wondered if Joshua would be as appreciative of seeing so much of her. Although she did not often wear low cut gowns to dinner, she thought that tonight’s dinner called for one. She’d spent the last few hours contemplating how she was going to convince Joshua that marriage – marriage to her – was in his best interest. Showing a bit of cleavage was at least a start.

As she returned to the sideboard to get the plate of walnuts, she was doubly aware of the two men staring at her. “Now, you two must tell me all about the dukedom,” she suggested, holding out the plate to each of them in turn. “I have much to learn if I’m to become its duchess.”

A slow smile spread over Garrett’s face. She certainly knows how to get to the point. He deliberately ignored the look of shock that had appeared on the part of Joshua’s face not covered by his mask.

He’s doomed,
Garrett thought happily. And he would have continued to allow Joshua his state of shock, but thought instead to throw the duke a lifeline. “Of course, Lady Charlotte,” he said instead. “Where should we start?”

Charlotte took a seat in a wingback chair that afforded a view of both men’s profiles. “Why, at the very beginning, of course,” she said before she took a sip of coffee and waited for their replies.