Charming the Duke (12 page)

“And you’re sure you don’t care to come in, Thornsby?” Millicent said in the hallway of her home, near four in the morning.

“Not this evening. But I would be pleased if you would join me at Winterbourne for luncheon tomorrow. I have something of the utmost importance to speak to you about,” Thornsby said as his stomach rolled.

Millicent smiled up at him. “Of course,” she said breathlessly.

Her lips were inches from his. Her breasts flattened on his chest. She was gorgeous. Thornsby leaned down to kiss her. Her lips were soft and she mewed. He felt nothing. Millicent reached around his neck and pulled his head closer. Thornsby had a feeling he was an actor in a play. That this was all rehearsed. Thornsby pulled Millicent’s arms from around his neck.

“Tomorrow, then my dear,” he said softly.

Millicent’s eyes flared for an instant in surprise or anger, he was not sure. She schooled her features quickly.

“I can hardly wait,” she said.

* * *

Matilda had been thinking far too much about the kiss she and Thornsby shared. It was interfering with everything. Even now, in the kitchen of the orphanage, she hadn’t a clue what Mrs. Brewer was saying.

“. . . then we’ll have to get the beds changed and, well, you know, how many things there are left to do,” Mrs. Brewer was saying.

“Pardon,” Matilda said.

“Miss Sheldon! You were the one come in here a moment ago all atwitter that the minister wants us to take these children today.”

“Oh, yes,” Matilda said just remembering the mess she’d gotten herself into. “I can’t believe it. He just left them. We’re not ready.”

“Just what I was saying, Miss,” Mrs. Brewer said as she stirred in a pot on the stove.

Matilda walked back into the room where she’d left the children. Bill and Davey were certainly the dirtiest things she’d ever seen in her life. And not just today’s dirt. Their clothes and bodies were caked with last month’s grime. Greasy, stringy hair as well. The taller of the two, Bill, had said he was nine-years-old. He thought. Davey wasn’t sure, but thought he might be seven. Both were thin to the point of emaciation.

“Gentlemen, it’s time to clean up,” Matilda said. They both straightened swiftly, stuffing their pockets and mouths with the cold sandwiches she’d put out for the minister.

Reverend Bywell had told her he found them sleeping in the alley after he’d been preaching on a street corner. He had no real home of his own to offer the boys, but someone had told him a new orphanage was opening in this section of town. Matilda could hardly refuse when she opened the door and saw the three of them standing there.

Matilda marched the boys to a bathing room recently installed in the house. She handed Mr. Small some towels and clean clothes.

“Never said I was going to be bathing boys of this ilk, Miss,” Jem Small said.

“You would deny those two boys clean clothes and a hot meal?” Matilda asked.

Mr. Small glared at her and opened the door to the bathing room. He slammed it shut.

Matilda smiled. Jem Small, for all his gruff ways, was softhearted. He didn’t allow her or Mrs. Brewer to lift a thing weighing more than three pounds. He was a retired groomsman from a great estate and had come to London to live with his daughter. His grandchildren’s rambunctious nature prompted him to look for work to fill in the days.

Matilda set off to the bedroom that Bill and Davy would sleep in. She added quilts to the bed and straightened the rug. Matilda ran a hand over the pillow. What would it be like to fuss and care for children of her own? On her present course she would never know. She’d heard her mother fretting to her father about just that subject. With the opening of the orphanage and Thornsby’s stolen kiss, gossip about Matilda was raging. She didn’t care . . . really, but Matilda understood that when she thumbed her nose at conventional wisdom she’d cut it off as well. She was lonely. There. She’d admitted it.

Matilda Sheldon was lonely. Was the result of peering down her nose at most of those around her. She had her sisters and brothers, her mother and father, but well, sensible talk with anyone in her family, save Ethel, was difficult. Matilda had never even tried to make friends with other young woman her age. She just never felt like she had anything to say to them. In truth, her sixty-eight-year-old grandmother was her closest companion. How woefully sad.

Matilda hadn’t minded talking or rather arguing with Thornsby. At least she felt compelled to respond or question him. And she was curious about him. He didn’t appear to her to be as dangerous as the gossip surrounding him. Quite the opposite in fact. When he affected his dark looks meant to frighten, it was sometimes all Matilda could do not to laugh. Unless of course he was goading or insulting her, and then she got so angry she saw stars. His kiss was heavenly, of course. And for that brief flash in time, she hadn’t felt alone at all.

* * *

Jonah had succeeded in smearing his shirt with every breakfast item on the buffet. Mrs. Plumsbly had him by the arm and was dragging him upstairs to change. Alice was tallying up a line of numbers while seated at his desk. Thornsby watched over her shoulder. She was really very good at mathematics even with her limited or rather non- existent education. He heard Withrow admit Millicent Marsh.

Thornsby had told Jonah and Alice that morning as they ate their breakfast with him that his bride-to-be would be arriving for lunch. As usual, Mrs. Plumsbly railed at him allowing the children to dine at the table every morning and evening. She had rattled on about setting them up for disappointment since they’d certainly be going into service in the future. Thornsby knew she was right. But he also hated the thought of eating alone. In any case, Jonah had listened starry-eyed to Thornsby’s description of Millicent Marsh. Alice, however, seemed content to reserve judgment.

“Millicent, so glad you could come,” Thornsby said as he bowed low over her hand. She was dressed fashionably, of course, in a navy velvet morning dress complete with a wide brimmed tilted hat.

“Thornsby. How could I refuse such an invitation? I’ve been half mad trying to decipher what it would be that you would want to talk about.” Millicent tilted her cheek for a kiss.

Jonah came down the vast marble stairway with Mrs. Plumsbly trailing behind. He skidded to a stop beside Thornsby and stared in awe. Millicent did make quite a picture, Thornsby admitted.

“Jonah, make your hellos to Miss Marsh,” Thornsby said.

“Hello, Miss Marsh,” Jonah said as he bowed.

Millicent blinked her eyes. Alice came out of the door of the library at that moment carrying a long slip of paper and scratching her head.

“I can’t get them to add up the same,” Alice said as she approached him.

“Let me see, Alice. I believe you’re carrying your tens incorrectly. Miss Marsh is here.”

Alice looked up with a start. “Good morning, Miss Marsh,” she said with a curtsy.

Millicent blinked again. “Whose children are these, Thornsby?”

“Martha Gilbert, an employee of mine passed away recently. I was named as their guardian. I’ve been trying to find a suitable orphanage, but . . .”

“Let us to our luncheon, Thornsby,” Millicent said with a smile as she hooked her arm through his and led him down the vast hallway to the dining rooms.

Alice and Jonah followed, and Withrow reminded them of their manners. Jonah climbed up on a chair, and Alice walked around the table to her seat.

Millicent looked from one child to the other as a footman helped her into her seat. “Certainly, Thornsby, you don’t wish them to dine with us.” Thornsby stared at her. “I just meant, well, you did say you have something to discuss with me. You hardly would do it with such an audience.”

What had he been thinking? Millicent Marsh, good
ton
that she was, would firmly believe children should be seen and not heard and kept ensconced in a nursery until a suitable age.

Thornsby looked at the children. “Miss Marsh is correct. I do have something to talk to her about. Why don’t you go and see if Mrs. Plumsbly’s eating in the kitchens? You could have luncheon with her and Withrow.”

Jonah jumped from his chair, made a quick bow and ran to the door. Alice, however, walked slowly down the side of table, staring at Millicent all the while.

Thornsby felt as if Alice and Millicent were circling each other as Alice left the dining room. Then Millicent whispered something and Alice hurried to the doorway. Alice glanced back at him as if her last hope were fading as the footman opened the door.

“Finally, Thornsby, we are quite alone,” Millicent said with a sweet smile. “Do tell. What is it you wish to talk to me about?”

Thornsby felt the noose slip down over his head. He smiled in spite of it. “There is, of course, no need to be coy, Millicent. We are of an age and have been friends for a long while. I was hoping you would do me the honor of becoming my Duchess.” Thornsby’s tongue felt thick and huge, and he gulped a great drink of wine. Then he prayed she would say no. Having said the words and made the commitment was a far sight more unappealing than merely thinking them.

“Oh, Thornsby,” Millicent said with a sniff and a touch to the corner of her eye. “You have made me the happiest of women. Yes, I will marry you.”

Thornsby didn’t know if it was the smell of the salmon on his plate or Millicent’s words in his ears, but in any case he felt nauseated. He smiled in spite of the roll and pitch of his stomach.

“I do believe there is one piece of business we must resolve, though, Millicent. I am well aware that often society looks a blind eye to the wandering of a partner. We are both sophisticated enough to understand marriage amongst our set. However, I find it hard to imagine how these husbands know their heirs’ true parentage. I will want to be certain of my mine,” Thornsby said.

How odious a proposal, he thought to himself. He, couching a request for a brief length of fidelity in tame words, and she, shedding crocodile tears, and batting her lashes as if she cared on iota about him. It was distasteful.

“Thornsby,” Millicent said and produced a blush. “Really. I can hardly imagine any woman tiring of your charms.”

Thornsby picked up his fork. Enough of that business. Millicent understood what their marriage was to be as well as he did.

“Although, I beg one favor of you,” Millicent said with a smile. “As your newly betrothed.”

“Fair enough, Millicent. How can I accommodate you?”

“Well, it is quite out of the norm. And I really don’t know how to approach the subject in a ladylike fashion. But I will try,” Millicent said coquettishly.

Thornsby had seen Millicent parade naked in a most unladylike fashion. He didn’t doubt for one moment there was something that she could not broach.

“Go on, Millicent.”

Millicent picked up her wine glass and raised her stony gaze to Thornsby. “I won’t have you raise your by-blows in this household. Any children of mine, ours, must be insured their proper position as heir. Although they may be yours, their mother was a servant.”

Thornsby was astounded. “You think Jonah and Alice are mine? That I would sully a maid under my roof? Under my protection? My God, woman, give me some credit.”

Millicent’s eyes opened wide under Thornsby’s assault. “Well, what else was I to think? They eat at your table. You said they were an employee’s children. Why else would they still be here?”

Thornsby narrowed his gaze. “And if they were my children what would you have me do with them?”

“An orphanage. A distant cousin’s. I don’t know,” Millicent said. “Are they yours? You’ve yet to deny it.”

“No! Of course not. I am a gentleman after all, and gentlemen do not impregnate their servants,” Thornsby said. Millicent raised her brows as if what he had said was drivel.

“Then pray explain why they eat at your table, Thornsby?”

He sat back in his chair. How did he explain that? Admit that he was lonely and enjoyed their company?

“Alice and Jonah have had quite a shock losing their mother. Although unconventional, I was merely trying to make their adjustment less tedious.”

Millicent smiled. “Well, it is good then I become your Duchess and handle such mundane household matters. You needn’t be concerned in the future. You are the Duke of Thornsby after all.”

He wondered exactly how Millicent Marsh would handle such mundane matters as two homeless children. He was still wondering as Millicent explained how their wedding would be announced, where it would be held, and what color flowers she would order. Thornsby rose when Millicent announced she needed to consult with Mrs. Plumsbly about menus. He sat alone a long while. He dreaded when Athena returned and found out the name of her future sister-in-law. He wondered briefly when he’d become so jaded as to marry a woman like Millicent Marsh. Worse yet, he wondered if Matilda Sheldon would care that he was marrying.

Millicent Marsh found Jonah and Alice Gilbert in their room. Mrs. Plumsbly had quite innocently revealed the information without Millicent having to ask. She cracked the door open and saw the two sprawled on the floor, playing a game. Both of their heads turned when she entered. Jonah jumped up. Alice rose slowly.

“I will be shortly in charge of this household. I have not intentions of coddling orphans. The Duke of Thornsby and I will soon have children of our own. I will not tolerate your presence or your interference.” Alice’s eyes widened and she scowled. “Do not suppose to question the Duke. I will handle these matters with his blessing,” Millicent said. “Do you understand?”

“We understand just fine,” Alice said. Jonah nodded and looked at his sister’s grim face.

Millicent left the room smiling, one matter resolved. The changing of Thornsby’s staff may have to wait until after their wedding she conceded to herself. Perhaps not. But things would change, most definitely.

Chapter Ten

A
week after Thornsby requested Millicent’s hand in marriage, his stomach finally settled. She was handling the business of the wedding with little trouble on his part. He supposed they would suit eventually. He even conceded that under the circumstances, he understood why Millicent had thought Jonah and Alice were his. Millicent was at his home often, consulting with Mrs. Plumsbly and the chef. He wandered to his club or stables and occupied himself otherwise.