Callie Hutton (4 page)

“Another surprise at the breakfast table,” Penrose mumbled.

“My dear,”
t
he
young man
spoke
as he
took the chair next to her,
“
I’m enthralled you are with us. Y
ou must tell me all about America.
Is it true the savages run amok, killing people at will?”

Merry’s smile vanished. The misconceptions she’d run into
during
her time in England amazed her. She thought of Boston, with its maze of streets, hundreds of shops
, as
much a bustling city, if perhaps a bit smaller, than London.

“No, my l
ord, the savages do not kill at random. In fact, I come from Boston, which is a thriving city, even more so since we drove out your Redcoats.”

The
duke
’s
head jerked up, his
lips tightening.
Lord Brandon
choked on a bit of food, and the dowager duchess grinned.

“Miss Chambers, you are indeed a breath of fresh air,” the dowager said, patting her lips with a
serviette
. “I shall enjoy meals all the more in the days to come.”

“
W
hen you are through entertaining my family, perhaps you will join me in the library?” The
duke
addressed
Merry
as he stood, and then
turned on his heel, not waiting for her
reply
.

Indeed,
why would he
wait for my response
?

Merry
decided to eat her breakfast as slowly as possible.

*

Kitty’s gaze followed her son as he left the room. Yes, he was definitely affected by this young woman.
She watched Miss Chambers and
Lord Brandon
as they conversed about horses, which apparently Miss Chambers was most knowledgeable about. The girl was very pretty. Soft blond curls resting against her face brought creaminess to her skin. A light blush on her cheeks and full red lips gave her just enough color. Her son could certainly do a lot worse.

Once
Lady Eleanor had accepted Bedford years ago, Penrose had taken himself off the market, and named
Lord Brandon
as his heir. Kitty was never sure
if
Penrose’s feelings were
so
engaged,
or
his pride was stung more than anything
else
. Her son didn’t like to lose.
Over the years, m
any young ladies
and their eager mamas
had tried to attract his attention, but he held himse
lf aloof.
And
when he’d
told her younger son
he expected him to marry and produce the heirs
to the
duke
dom
, Kitty
had been
enraged.

As much as she loved both her offspring,
Brandon
did not possess a single attribute to be
a
duke
. Penrose was born and bred into the role, and only
his
son would be an acceptable heir. But her stubborn eldest refused to listen to reason, and instead attempted to make
Brandon
into
the sort of
man he could never be. This American woman might very well be his salvation, and her dream come true.

Her son needed to be shaken up, challenged. Everyone deferred to him, did his bidding without thought. As lovely as Lady Eleanor had been, she would
never
have
been
an acceptable mate
for Penrose
. Too
blasé
and conciliatory, he would have despised her weakness after a few years.

But this woman, who apparently had a mind of her own, would have him dancing to her tune. Not right away, of course. Arrogance was too deeply bred in her son for a sudden change. But change he would.

“We
shall
arrange for a
mount while you are visiting us.”
Brandon
wiped his mouth and leaned back in his chair.

“Oh,
thank you, but
I need to spend my time
here
with the girls.”

“The
duke
has hired another governess, I understand, which should leave you with quite a bit of free time.”

“I certainly appreciate the offer,
Lord Brandon
, but if I’m to help the girls with the transition to a new governess, I won’t have time for much else.”

He
shrugged
. “Nonsense. Even though my older brother is an ogre, I doubt even he would object to you taking a half hour or so to ride. We shall plan to
venture out
each morning before breakfast. Certainly he doesn’t expect you to begin your duties at the crack of dawn.”

“If I am able to
obtain
his permission, I will be more than happy to accompany you on a ride.”

Kitty regarded them with pursed lips.

***
*

Penrose strode back and forth in front of the fireplace, his anger growing. Where the devil was the woman? All she had placed on her plate was a piece of toast. How long did it take to eat that? He checked his timepiece again. Almost twenty-five minutes since he left the
breakfast
room with instructions for her to
attend him
in the library.

Just as he moved to ring the bell to have a servant summon her, the door opened and Miss Chambers floated in like a queen ready to address her subjects. However did an American develop th
e
haughtiness
the aristocracy took centuries to achieve?

Her blue and white striped morning
gown
hugged her figure a little too well for his taste. Although he had to admit she presented
an inviting picture, he knew the minute she opened her mouth, the image would shatter
like so much broken glass
.

“Miss Chambers. Please take a seat.” He motioned to one of the chairs in front of the fireplace, and
sat
across from her.

She smoothed her skirts over her plump derrière and sat. Fascinated at the movement, he didn’t realize he stared until she addressed him.

“Your Grace?”

What was the matter with him? He mentally shook himself and cleared his throat. “
I think it would do us well to outline your duties as regards my wards so there is no confusion when the new governess arrives.”

She dipped her head slightly.

Expecting an argument of sorts, he found himself at a loss as
to
how to
go on
. He jumped up and leaned on the fireplace mantle. “Miss Sarah
Jennings
will arrive today. She will take over the duties you’ve held until now. The
girls need to be instructed in appropriate
decorum, how to conduct themselves in
P
olite
S
ociety, and the proper
forms of address
.”

He clasped his hands behind his back, and staring at the carpet, paced
in front of her.
“It’s obvious their education to this point has been seriously lacking. Why Lord and Lady Bedford saw fit to allow such behavior on the part of their daughters will always remain a mystery to me. However, that will end today…” He glanced at Miss Chambers, who had risen from her seat, hands fisted at her sides, her face flushed a bright red.

“How dare you!”

Penrose stiffened his shoulders, his eyes wide. “I beg your pardon.”

“You should. Beg my pardon, that is.” She rested her hands on her hips. “You are the most arrogant man I have ever met.”

“Madam, please remember to whom you are speaking.”

“Excuse me? I know precisely to whom I am speaking. And I have this to say. Lord and Lady Bedford understood the importance of a happy childhood for their daughters.
They allowed them freedom, the opportunity to be little children.” She raised her chin. “Despite what you think of me, I do know the importan
ce
of the
position
Lady Charlotte and Lady Clare were born into. I also understand they will need to be taught how to conduct themselves. And, perhaps with my limited knowledge of your world,
Your Grace
, I am not the best person to continue with governess duties. But I will not allow you to malign their wonderful parents who loved their girls very much, and wanted the best for them.”

As if all the air in her let out,
she collapsed into
a
chair
in front of the fireplace,
and touched the corner of her eyes with her knuckle.

Is
she crying?

Penrose returned to his seat behind the desk, allowing Miss Chambers time to compose herself. After a minute or two, she rose and joined him at the desk. The tip of her nose was bright red, as were her cheeks. Tears clumped on her eyelashes, giving her a look of being
barely
older than her charges.
“I
’m sorry
for my outburst.”

He raised his eyebrows. The last thing he expected from her was an apology. Deciding to be gracious, he bowed his head. “I fail to understand Lord and Lady Bedford’s reasoning, but I didn’t mean to distress you. If I did, then I also apologize.”

A slight smile tilted her lips. “You say that as though you rarely
offer apologies
.”

“I rarely find it necessary to do so.”
He smiled back at her, annoyed that her smile lit up her countenance so, turning a pretty face into a beautiful one. Small lines at the edges of her eyes crinkled, making him wonder at her age. Obviously out of the school room for
years,
he couldn’t help but dwell on her lack of a husband.

Although he found her bra
sh and outspoken, her beauty and feminine curves had definitely caught his attention. And that little bit of vulnerability when she cried over her employers had touched his heart. The heart he’d had under lock and key for years now, ever since Lady Eleanor had spurned his suit and chose Bedford as her
husband
.

He and Bedford had
both danced attendance on
the young debutante
for the Season. She
’d been
named an
I
ncomparable that year, and no one was more surprised than him
when she decided on an e
arl
instead of a
duke
. In retrospective, he often wondered how they would have gone on, had they married. Certainly her strange ideas on
raising
her daughters would have
become a point of contention
between them. But then, it would have been his decision in the end, anyway.

A knock at the door drew both their attentions.

One of the footmen stood in the doorway. “Your Grace, Miss Sarah
Jennings
has arrived. Sh
all
I send her in?”

Penrose glanced at Miss Chambers. “The new governess. I would prefer to speak with her alone at first. If you would please leave us,
and wait in the drawing room,
I will summon you when needed.”

A bright smile lit up her face. “An apology and
please
all in the same morning. This must be a record for you, Your Grace.” She dipped into a slight
curtsy
and left the room just as the new governess entered.

Chapter Three

The
duke
eyed the woman the footman ushered in. He nodded in approval. Here was someone, who by her presentation alone, would be much better for Lord Bedford’s daughters than the vixen who’d arrived with them.

Definitely of an age considered ‘on the shelf
,
’ Miss
Jennings
marched into the room, her spine as stiff as a board. Her high buttoned
gown
, severe
knot
, and no nonsense attitude reassured him of the
agency’s
choice. He couldn’t imagine for one minute this woman allowing her charges to sit on the floor in the presence of a
duke
.

“Your Grace,” she curtsied gracefully.