Callie Hutton (5 page)

“Miss
Jennings
,” he nodded. “Please take a seat.”

Penrose picked up the paper in front of him and perused it. “You come with high recommendations.”

“Thank you, Your Grace.”

He leaned back, and cupped his chin with his thumb and index finger, resting his elbow on the arm of the chair. “Your charges are my wards, Lady Charlotte Spencer and Lady Clare Spencer. They are the daughters of Lord and Lady Bedford, who passed away recently.
The girls
are
twelve
and
nine
years of age.”

She nodded.

He pushed his chair back and stood.

“I’m afraid your charges have not been schooled in proper etiquette or demeanor thus far. I would say your arrival is most timely.” He crossed his arms over his chest and regarded her. “The woman who has been their governess for the past five years is an American.”

Miss
Jennings
sniffed.

“My thoughts exactly. Lord Bedford was my close friend, but for
a
strange reason, he and Lady Bedford allowed their daughters to run amok, with Miss Chambers
−
their present governess
−
the leader.”

Miss
Jennings
tsked.

“I
expect you to school
the girls in feminine pursuits
,
preparing for their station in life, and eventual marriage to a peer. At the
present time the girls
are
only
prepared to marry a chimney swee
p.”

Miss
Jennings
shook her head
, her lips pursed
.

Penrose returned to his seat. “I have agreed to allow their present governess to remain, for a brief time, in order to help my wards adjust to their new surroundings.” He leaned forward. “However, I wish to make it perfectly clear that you are to supervise their daily routine, and Miss Chambers is to hold no further influence over them.”

Miss
Jennings
inclined her head
in acquiescence
.

“Do you have any questions?”

“None, Your Grace. I will take charge immediately so the poor young dears can start on the correct path.”

The
duke
nodded. “Then I will ring for someone to show you to your room.” He crossed the room and rang for a servant.

Miss
Jennings
stood as a
young maid entered.

“Take Miss
Jennings
to the governess’s room. If Miss Chambers has not yet been
relocated
elsewhere,
do so immediately. Also, Miss Chambers awaits me in the drawing room. Tell her I am ready to see her.”

The girl bobbed. “Yes, Your Grace.” She addressed Miss
Jennings
. “If you will follow me, m
iss
, I’ll accompany you to the nursery.”

Miss
Jennings
turned to the
duke
. “Your Grace, I am pleased to be here, and sure we can undo whatever damage the American has done to
the poor little girls
.” Two bright spots rose on her cheeks, and her long nose twitched. Straightening her already stiff shoulders, she exited the room.

Penrose moved to a chair in front of the blazing fireplace, waiting for Miss Chambers. After several minutes, a footman entered the room.

“Your Grace,
the downstairs maid
indicated you wished to receive Miss Chambers here. However, she is not in the drawing room.”

“Not there?” Where the devil did she hie off to now? He distinctly told her to wait there to be summoned. “Have you any idea where she is?”

“Cook said she went out the back door a bit ago, with the young ladies, and seemed to be heading to the gardens.”

The
duke
frowned, his jaw tightening. “Thank you. That will be all.”

The woman dared to defy him again? He slammed his chair back and strode from the room. This situation would not continue. His long legs ate up the distance through the house and out the back door to the garden. Cook jumped in surprise when he sailed past, n
ot
having seen him in the kitchen since he’d outgrown his short pants.

Off in the distance, Miss Chambers
, Lady Charlotte and Lady Clare
strolled along, hand in hand. They chatted, livelier than he’d seen them until now. Just the sight of her meandering along, without a care in the world, had his heart thumping. They stopped and examined one of his mother’s prized roses. Miss Chambers
pointed excitedly
as she spoke to the girls.

“Miss Chambers.” The voice that had caused grown men to shake in their boots reached the wanderers. All three turned. Their joyful expressions collapsed.

“Did I not tell you to await my summons in the drawing room?”

“How pleasant to see you in the gardens, Your Grace. Perhaps you would like to wish a good morning to your wards?”

Penrose jerked at the distinct reprimand in her voice. Good God, the woman had audacity. To think she’d take
n
him to task. He opened his mouth with a rejoinder, and glanced at the two girls clinging to Miss Chamber’s skirts. The younger one slipped her thumb in her mouth. Both looked up at him, eyes wide in terror.

This would not do. The woman
caused
him
to
upset the girls again. Drawing in a deep breath, he attempted to put a smile on his face. “Good morning, Lady Charlotte, Lady Clare.”

“Answer His Grace,” Miss Chambers urged.

They buried their faces deeper. Helplessly, he glanced at Miss Chambers, who regarded him with raised eyebrows. His blood coursed through his body, no doubt a precursor to the apoplexy she would soon cause him.

“Miss Chambers,” he began.

“Yes, Your Grace.” She smiled at him as if in possession of a great secret.

“Miss
Jennings
, the new governess will now be in charge of the young ladies
’
daily routine. I demand, no,
request
,
you to escort them to the nursery so they may make her acquaintance.
”

“Very good, Your Grace.” She smirked and turned the girls toward the house.

What the devil did that mean? Was she obeying his command, or complimenting him on his wording? If he didn’t get Miss Chambers out of his house soon, he would be a candidate for Bedlam.

Penrose inhaled deeply to recover his control as he watched them return to the house. Miss Cha
mber’s hips swayed gracefully, causing
a different type of roaring blood
to race
through him. The creamy skin of her elegant neck begged to be kissed and nibbled. Wisps of golden hair teased her face, released from the not-so-neat topknot. Even if his body recognized a beautiful, sensual woman, his mind put an immediate stop to that nonsense. The sooner she packed her bags and left, the better for his frame of mind. He adjusted his breeches and
followed them
.

****

The Dowager Duchess
of
Penrose greeted Merry as she started up the massive staircase to the
first
floor with the girls. “Miss Chambers. When the young ladies are settled, may I have a word with you, please?”

Merry curtsied. “Of course, Your Grace.”

“Excellent. I will be in the morning room. You may ask any of the staff to direct you.”

What was that all about?

If she hadn’t witnessed the dowager’s pleased expression and mirth-filled eyes, she would expect another dressing down. Whatever Her Grace had to say, it didn’t appear to be of an unpleasant nature.

The three chatted as they ascended the stairs and headed down the
corridor
. Plush carpet under their feet silenced their journey. They passed through the main part of the house, and climbed another flight of stairs to where the nursery rooms were located. The girls grew quiet as they approached the end of the
corridor
.

Once more she had to almost drag the
m
into the room to meet the new governess. Merry’s heart bled for her charges. Prior
to the carriage accident that had taken
their parents so abruptly, they’d both been happy, lively young girls. After the tragedy, Merry comforted them, sang them to sleep, and held them when they sobbed. They had just reached a point where their normal exuberance for life had returned when the summons from the
duke
arrived, and the girls were
yet again
thrown into chaos.

Now they would be forced to accept a new governess, who from the look of her, had all the softness and warmth of an iceberg. Miss
Jennings
stood erect, hands cupped together in front of her body as if she stood on a stage about to sing an aria. Her lips were pursed in disapproval, and her
hair
so tight it pulled her eyes back, giving her an oriental
appearance
.

Miss
Jennings
eyed the two girls, but her stare displayed a strong censure for Merry. Her dislike was palpable. Goodness, what had the
duke
told her that
caused
the woman dislike her so upon sight?

“Miss
Jennings
?” Merry smiled, attempting to make this easier for her charges. Her stomach muscles clenched. Wrong. No longer her charges.

Miss
Jennings
inclined her head.

Merry decided not to extend her hand since
the woman
would probably view it as
a bre
a
ch of manners. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Indeed.”

The governess’s gaze scanned Merry from the top of her head to her shoes, tightening her lips
all the while
.

Merry felt her face flush. Who was this woman to judge her? Drawing herself up, Merry said, “May I introduce you to Lady Charlotte and Lady Clare.”

Both girls peered at Miss
Jennings
from Merry’s skirts.

“They are a bit overwrought at the moment. All the changes.”

Under Miss Jennings’ relentless gaze,
Merry’s anger grew. “Perhaps if you read them a story to start, it would ease them a bit.”

Much to Merry’s amazement, Miss
Jennings
walked up to the girls and bent. “Would you like to hear a story? I see His Grace has plenty of books to choose from.”

“May Miss Merry read it to us?” Charlotte
mumbled
.

Miss
Jennings
smiled tightly. “Of course. Why don’t you both pick a book from the shelf, and Miss Merry and I will join you at the table.”

The girls released their grip and hurried to the bookcase. Miss
Jennings
turned to her. “Perhaps it would be of assistance if you read them a story. It’s important for them to adjust to my direction since His Grace wishes to make the transition quickly and smooth.”

Merry nodded, the pain at losing her girls tugging at her. If she had not argued with the
duke
,
perhaps he would have allowed her to remain their governess. But then she remembered he mentioned having engaged a new governess before she’d had a chance to even meet him. She sighed and wandered to the table, then pulled out one of the child
-sized
chairs and sat.

Two stories turned into four, but eventually the girls seemed to relax enough to allow Merry to leave them in Miss
Jennings
’s care.
Merry
assured them she would be in the house, and would join them for luncheon.

The young maid she summoned escorted her to the
morning
room. The dowager sat be
hind an escritoire, a stack of pressed paper
at her elbow. The soft ticking of a delicate china clock on the corner of the desk was the only sound in the room.

As Merry entered, the dowager put her
quill
pen down and smiled. “Thank you so much for joining me, Miss Chambers.”

Merry curtsied. Her Grace
caused her to
feel welcome, so unlike the
duke
, who made no secret that he couldn’t wait until she left.

“Please, have a seat.” The dowager
indicated
a chair near the fireplace, where a low table held a teapot, flowered cups and saucers, and a plate of biscuits. Rising gracefully, she left her desk and joined Merry. The bright sunlight reflected off the rings on Her Grace’s fingers as she poured tea. “
Milk
and sugar?”