The Danger of Dukes (4 page)

Rats and Rags

Settling in was not as hard as I imagined it to be however it was tiring so with the order from Millie to go and explore our new surroundings in the town house at King’s Crossing, I went out for a walk and to get some fresh air.

I made it into a small square where the street was lined with shops on all sides and others selling their wares outside at stalls. I paused long enough to take in the sights of a few artists, some ribbon and a bakery. After a good hour of wondering I walked back and was greeted by two short beautiful women on our doorstep.

One was a reed thin redhead with lips a little too thin, but was pretty, however it was her blonde friend who called the eye. Her honey gold ringlets framed her perfect doll like face and her clear blue eyes were sharp with wit. Both gave me a once over and dismissed me.

The redhead asked, “You there, girl, is this the home of the Duke of Ravenbrood?”

Confused, I nodded. “Yes, it is but I don’t see why you would need know.”

“The nerve of you!” she gasped. “Of course we need to know! Every young woman of the Season shall be trying to catch him. Myself included,” she added with a smirk.

“Amy, please do not gloat, it is not very lady like,” scolded the blonde, her tiny perfect mouth in a frown.

Footsteps sounded behind me and I turned to see the Duke himself, walk up to us. Only when he stood behind me did they notice. In their rush to meet him I was knocked sideways losing my balance and I fell the sidewalk. I was unlucky as I hit the side of my head and scraped a hand trying to save myself.

When Lord Draco reached toward me the redhead said scornfully, “Don’t mind the rude servant, she got what she deserved.”

Lord Draco’s eyes flashed as he picked me up and to their shock began to dust me off.

“She is no servant, Madame,” he said coolly, “She is my ward, Lady Isadore. I do not take it kindly when one of my own is hurt.”

Hands fluttered over their hearts.

“I am most sorry-”

I dusted off my hands and pushed my way between him and the women. “Begone you harpies! We have no need of you gathering around as we have a house to set up, you shall see him at the balls.” I placed fisted hands on hips and glared.

This truly shocked them into speechlessness and they stumbled down the steps. Before they left the redhead turned around.

“I wouldn’t be able to tell her from a servant in those rags,” she sneered and then with her friend left in a great hurry.

With a satisfied huff I turned around to see Lord Draco looking at me with raised brows. I winced.

“I am sorry?” I tried.

He shook his head and then whistled. “Already in Town one day and you snob both a baroness
and
her friend the widow Countess of Rowling. You have guts.” He rubbed his chin, looking me over. “And she was right you will need new clothes. All the dresses I have seen you in either don’t fit right or are too short and show your ankles.”

My cheeks burned with shame. “That is because all of my gowns are secondhand that Millie has fixed up for me. Cook wouldn’t allow me anything so fine when I had to work. Used to tell me that I was none better then herself and shouldn’t act so uppity.”

His eyes turned steely and he nodded, jaw tight. I opened the front door and in we went.

“No longer,” he vowed.

…

Apparently his ‘no longer’ vow meant for me to be stuffed into blue and white frilly lace and muslin, adorned with all sorts of fine things. After a few adjustments to the waist and glace from his sweeping eyes and I nod, I was good as new.

Upon stepping out of the shop he offered me his arm. He looked smug, “Let those old biddies tell you now that you do not look as someone your age should.”

“I did like my old gowns, there was nothing wrong with them,” I protested yet again.

“You cannot be serious, you looked like a servant in those gowns,” he said aghast.

“You left me for little better, my lord,” I sniffed.

His grasp on my hand tightened. “I regret my past actions, and will promise to never do that again. Your ball gowns shall be ready by the opening ball the week after next.  It is being hosted by good friend of mine, the Duke of Bedford and his new wife Alanna. She will welcome you and you shall be accepted by everyone in the
ton
. She is the mother of society, you could say. No one wants to disappoint the American Duchess,” he chuckled. “I met her once coming to Town for the Season. She is quiet the woman.”

“So I hear,” I murmured.

“And so shall you be, you will steal the Season and be the belle of the ball. We shall see to it. You will have only the best of suitors.”

I pulled back slightly. “I am yet unsure if I shall marry. I will only marry for love, mind you, nothing less.”

Something passed in his eyes, but he nodded. “It is what all young women want, but it does not always end that way.” Absently he patted my hand and led us on.

We walked along the market street gazing around, but soon we returned to the house, there was nothing to do however so I sat down with one of the books I brought with me.

Lord Draco tried to be as hard as a rock, but sometimes when not paying attention his emotions slip to the surface.

Shall I not dance

“What do you mean you cannot dance?” asked a stunned Lord Draco after teaching me the lessons one must use at a ball.

              So far I had learned not to give more than three dances to a single man in one night, to never wear bright colors and to be charming and polite. Then had come the question of which dances I knew and of course the answer was none at all. Cook had never approved and it hadn’t made it on my list to do between chores.

              “I never had the time,” I said simply and he looked at me as if I were the daft one. “I had too many chores to do to think of such silly things.”

              He shook his head and scowled at me. “We have two weeks until the ball. If you are going you must learn. We shall start right away, I have an old friend who can help. Do not leave this room until I return.” He turned on heel and strode from the room slamming the door behind him. As the door bounced against the wall then closed I winced. I had made him mad. Again.

              A good hour later Lord Draco came back in the room and a taller slender man followed him in. The man was dressed in simple pants and a loose white work shirt, perfect for long hours of dance practice. I groaned inwardly. He had white blonde hair, a beautiful face saved from being too beautiful by a hawkish nose, and he was indeed a fine tall man to look upon.

              Lord Draco beckoned me forward with his hand, I bit my lip against the urge to tell him to go to hell. The man was so arrogant!

              “Meet my friend, Drake, he is a dance teacher among other things. I shall leave you in his care for the next two weeks.” He glared at me. “Don’t disappoint me.” Then he looked over at his friend who was smiling slightly, “This is Isadore, Lady Isadore, and you will do well to only do what you have been asked to.”

              Drake nodded. “But of course, what else shall I do? She is in good hands as you know, now you may proceed to leave so I can begin my teachings, your dukeness.”

              Lord Draco’s jaw tightened until I thought it would snap and with a low growl he left the room.

              “Goodbye,” I called cheerfully after him.

              Drake looked at me with a puzzled glance. “You do not like him?”

              “No, I do not,” I said shortly turning away from the door to face him.

              “May I ask why?”

              “He left me to rot here for ten years while he went to gamble and whore around the world. What care have I for a man that leaves me in the hands of a cook who used to beat me every day,” I asked tartly.

              “Beat,” he echoed.

              “I am so glad you can hear. Yes, beat, as in within an inch of my life. Can we proceed please? The only reason I am doing this is to teach him a lesson, the arrogant beast. He thinks he can just walk in after ten years and everything is going to go his way? I should think not!”

              Drake’s lips turned up in a small smile, it seemed he didn’t have a sense of humor.

              “I wish you the best in your mission, however dancing is not an easy thing to learn so fast. You have a great deal of work to do.”

              I grinned at him. “Then show me how.”

…

Four days have passed since his last check in on her and he waited outside the door peering in the crack between the doors as Isadore was taken up in Drake’s arms and spun around the room. They were waltzing and Drake had her pulled too close, making his ire rise. But then he focused on just Isadore and she was floating around with a fluttering smile on her face, laughing at the pure joy of the world. She said something to Drake and they both laughed.

              He drew back into the shadows, she hadn’t even laughed once while near him and the sound echoed in his mind.

…

              “Excellent, my dear you are a natural. You shall do fine tomorrow night.”

              I blushed under the praise of Drake and let my hand lingering in his. “Thank you, this means a lot to me. It is only a shame it came at the cost of His Grace. You are a wonderful man.”

              Something twinkled in his eye as he glanced to the door and back to me. “I have a plan, my dear, and it involves making him look like a daft molly. Are you game?”

              Catching on I nodded and playfully swayed so Drake could catch me. Playing his part to a tee he gasped. “Are you alright? Isadore?”

              I faked a faint and let my head roll to the side, eyes closed, lashes barely parted so I could see the door. The door burst open as Drake leaned in to whisper in my ear. “I think we have him.”

              “Get away from her, you rogue, I should have known better then to trust her with you!” Lord Draco pushed Drake out of the way and caught me up in his arms, rising he glared at Drake. “Don’t you dare come near her again.”

              Suddenly I was jostled as Lord Draco took the stairs two at a time muttering, “Hold on, girl, just a little longer.”

              I smiled slightly, this was going to be fun. He laid me out gently on his bed and looked worried as I laid there. Slowly I opened my eyes and reached out a hand to touch his.

“Lord Draco,” I whispered in question.

His eyes jumped to mine and he let out a longwinded sigh. “I am glad you are alright. If you are feeling faint you may stop, I would not force it upon you.”

“Why you haven’t forced me to do a single thing yet. I want to go to Town for the Season and to do so I must know how to dance.”

“But not at the cost of your health,” he snapped then apologized right away.

I scowled at him. “So Millie told you, huh?”

He hesitated but nodded in the end. “Yes, she explained to me how you have not the strongest health. She said you take fever easily, and get dizzy quickly.” He took my hand and squeezed it tightly. “Why did
you
not tell me?”

I sighed and looked away from him. “It is not important. I was born with a weak body, my mother almost lost me twice as a child before I came here. But Millie has over stepped her bounds again. Tell her she is released from being my maid and she may work in the kitchens.”

“I will do no such thing.”

My head whipped sideways to gaze at him. “What did you say?”

“I said no. The woman raised you, loved you, and is still caring for you. I asked her to let me know if anything that could happened to you and she did her job. I pay her wages, not you, and she stays where she is.” His eyes flashed, “Understood?”

I pushed myself up into a sitting position with a huff, doing so with a corset was hard. “I wish you hadn’t come back for another three years, then I would have my inheritance and could be free of you!”

“You shall not be free of me until you marry or turn twenty and one! And if you wish to marry you will need my permission to do so!”

“My father was a cousin to the king! If I go to him surly he will find a place for me in his court away from
you!
You monstrous brute!” I slid off his bed and ran for the open door. Thanks to my slippers and skirts he caught me about the waist and tossed me back onto the bed, where he followed pinning my hands above my head.

“You think to call me that after all I have done for you?” he rasped.

“You left me alone! I was a child who had lost everything and you left me here with nothing more than servants. I was lucky Millie tried to raise me.” A sob rose in my throat. “Why did you have to come back? I was fine after you left.” Tears streaked my cheeks. “Just go away, why try acting like a family now after it is
too late?
”

I turned my head to the side to look away from his gaze, tears siding sideways down my cheek. It was a long moment that I felt his eyes searching my face and slowly he released me and sat on the side of the bed, he head in his hands.

“Leave me,” he said quietly. It took no more to send me flying from the room, skirts clutched in each hand.