Charming the Duke (9 page)

Matilda hurried down the steps, her mother and sisters dogging her heels. Her mother was insisting she quit cleaning, and Juliet was begging Alexandra to get a spider off her sleeve. Matilda threw open the door. She could not have been more surprised when she saw The Duke of Thornsby on her stoop, two children beside him. Matilda stepped back.

“Lady Bisset. Miss Sheldon. Miss Sheldon.” Thornsby nodded to her mother and sisters and then focused on her. “Miss Sheldon! What have you done to yourself? You look like a wash woman.”

Matilda had a vague sense of similar insults gleaned in another doorway. She turned without a word and marched back up the steps to the room she was cleaning. She could hear her mother and sisters huffing and furious behind her. The Duke could not resist insulting her. Matilda was tired and she still had much to do and had no need of jabs from that pompous, arrogant, gorgeous man. She wrung out her washrag and attacked a pane of glass with fury.

“Well, I never . . .” Frances Sheldon began as she, Alexandra and Juliet swept in behind Matilda.

“Miss Sheldon?”

Matilda turned in a hurry. Thornsby was coming into the room dragging the two children with him. Juliet flew at him.

“You can just leave you . . . you Duke of Thoroughly. We don’t want you here.”

“It’s Thorny we’re to call him, Juliet,” Alexandra said. “Our sister is not a wash woman. And she doesn’t have to draw your bath.”

Thornsby gestured Matilda’s way. “Look at her! Her apron is dirtier than the wheels on my carriage. She’s got a rag around her head. And her face is filthy. And why would I want her to draw my bath?”

Frances Sheldon squared her shoulders and drew the sleeves up on the gold satin gown she wore. She marched to Matilda and withdrew a rag from the bucket. Her mouth tightened in distaste as she wrung it dry. In a swish of petticoats, and the patter of leather soles on the wood floor, Frances Sheldon wiped down the window frame her daughter was washing.

Juliet picked up a broom, staring at Thornsby all the while. She swept furiously, causing the green velvet of her skirts and clouds of dust to fly.

Alexandra drew a rag from the clean stack on the floor and draped it atop the pile of black ringlets on her head.

“Miss Sheldon. May I speak to you?” Thornsby asked.

Matilda turned and silenced her sisters with a hand. “What do you wish to speak to me about?”

“This is Jonah and Alice Gilbert.”

Matilda looked at the children and smiled. They were darling. The girl was dressed in a pink satin gown completely covered with bows of white organdy. The boy wore a black suit the exact replica of the man holding his hand.

“How do you do? Jonah, Alice. My name is Matilda Sheldon.”

The girl picked at the neck of her gown with one hand and drew the other down the front. Her lip quivered. Tears rolled down her face. The Duke knelt down beside her.

“What is it, Alice? Why are you crying?” Thornsby asked.

Alice flung her arms around his neck and Thornsby held her close.

“My dress will be ruined. I’d have brought one of my old ones if I knew we’d be scrubbing today. I woulda.” Alice hiccoughed.

Thornsby stood up holding Alice. Jonah was firmly attached to one leg. He stroked Alice’s hair and shushed her. He glared at Matilda.

“See what you’ve done? You’ve gone and made Alice cry,” Thornsby said. Jonah sneezed, and both Thornsby and the boy snapped monogrammed hankies from their jacket pockets at the same time.

“Now, now Alice. Don’t cry. I’m sure there is a reasonable explanation for all of this. Miss Sheldon?” Thornsby said with a pointed look at Matilda.

“I have nothing to explain. I’m readying the house. But I wonder what you are doing here?” Matilda said.

“Jonah and Alice’s mother was a servant in my employ. She passed away nearly a month ago. I was named in the woman’s will as their guardian. I need to find a home for them,” Thornsby said and laid his hand on the boy’s head.

“As you can see, my orphanage is not ready,” Matilda said. Odd, she thought how these children clung to him. “Raise them in your home. I have clergymen from every parish in the city begging me to take charges they’ve nowhere to place.”

“Miss Sheldon. My life has been disrupted sufficiently these last two weeks. I have important things to attend to. These children need a safe, comfortable home, and someone to love them,” Thornsby said. The girl snuggled in the Duke’s arms.

“You possess, no doubt, a safe comfortable home. Or perhaps there is another orphanage that is larger. I’m sorry, Thornsby, but these clergymen are bringing me children who are now living in the streets,” Matilda said.

“That will not do, Miss Sheldon. Alice and Jonah do not wish to be separated, and without knowing the persons in charge of another orphanage, I would worry that is exactly what would happen,” Thornsby said.

“Calm your fears then and raise them yourself,” Matilda said.

“As I have told you, I have important matters to attend to,” Thornsby hissed. He juggled Alice onto his other arm and covered the boy’s ear with his palm.

“What could be more important than the welfare of a child, Your Grace?” Matilda said. “Tell me?”

Thornsby put Alice down beside Jonah and led Matilda by the elbow to the far side of the room. Her sisters were staring daggers at the Duke, but Mother had the strangest smile on her face.

“Miss Sheldon. These children have enough grief with their mother’s death without you rejecting them.”

“My rejecting them . . .” Matilda began in a whispered fury.

“I must marry, Miss Sheldon. I must very shortly. I cannot do it with orphans clinging to my legs. What woman suited to be my Duchess would entertain my court with the chamber maid’s children hanging on my arms?” Thornsby asked.

“Perhaps then you should reconsider who is suited to be your Duchess,” Matilda said. “But in any case this orphanage will not be ready for two more weeks. You will have to make other arrangements or keep them yourself until then. I will notify you if I have space available.”

Matilda had no intentions of soothing the Duke’s guilty conscience. She was still angry that he had followed her and frightened her father half to death. But she was curious.

“Why must you marry shortly?” Matilda asked.

“Pardon?” Thornsby asked.

“Why must you marry immediately? Have you run out of virgins to seduce?” Matilda asked.

Matilda’s eldest brother had confided to Father many of the Duke’s escapades. Matilda just happened to be outside of her father’s office door when Franklin had done so. It seemed that the man staring at her spoke little, danced less, and had managed to gain a reputation as silent, aloof rake running through eligible misses and bored wives at an alarming rate.

“There will always be an abundance of feather-headed misses to succumb to my charms, Miss Sheldon,” Thornsby shouted. “But according to my father’s will, if I do not marry shortly, I will not have the funds to purchase the trinkets required to accomplish the task.”

Matilda stared. The Duke was trying to frighten and shock her, she was sure. He was doing a sorry job of it. “Your fortune is at risk? What will the Duke of Thornsby do without a valet to tie his cravat? Indeed, you are in a quandary.”

“Marry Matilda, Your Grace,” Frances Sheldon piped up.

“Mother!” Matilda shouted.

Frances Sheldon had a smile on her face, and her hands were neatly locked at her waist although a dripping towel hung from her fingers. Just the time, Matilda thought, for her mother to lose her last connection to reality. Alexandra and Juliet were wide-eyed.

“He seems clever enough, Matilda. We did discuss your requirements for a husband, and he does fit the bill. Wouldn’t you say?” Frances added.

Matilda was appalled.

“What is this about a husband?” Ethel said from the doorway.

Jonah and Alice scampered to Thornsby. Alexandra slowly pulled the rag from atop her head. Juliet stilled her broom. Frances batted her eyes and squeezed her lips together in a nervous smile.

“Why Mother Sheldon! We weren’t expecting you,” Frances said at last.

Ethel made her way across the floor to face her daughter-in-law. Frances backed up a small step.

“What is this about a husband for Matilda, Frances?” Ethel asked.

“Nothing,” Matilda began.

“Quiet, Matilda,” Ethel said without turning to face her. “Frances?”

“It seems as though the Duke of Thornsby needs a wife to gain his fortune. Well, you and I both know Matilda’s husband must be someone she feels an equal. Someone she could actually talk to. And the two of them were having the most splendid argument and the idea just popped into my head.”

“First thing to pop into your head in quite I while, I imagine,” Ethel replied.

Ethel tapped her cane across the room to Thornsby. She looked up at him, down at the children now hiding behind his legs and back to his face.

“The Wilcoxes. Knew your mother and father both. Honorable. Kept to themselves mostly. Weren’t hiding any family secrets, were they?” Ethel asked.

Thornsby shook his head. “Not that I’m aware of, however . . .”

“The sister’s the smart one, I’m told. But then rumor is lately she ran off to Scotland with a man. Fortune he has, but title, no,” Ethel said, not dropping her gaze for an instant.

“Smithley . . .” Thornsby said.

“That’s right. Smithley. Family made their money in lamp oil, if I recall.” Ethel dropped her eyes to the children hanging onto Thornsby’s legs. The boy was wiping his nose on the Duke’s trousers. “But as for you, I hear nothing but wild exploits and sullied maids. Speak up, Thornsby. What gives you the notion that you are a suitable husband for my favorite granddaughter?”

“He’s better than her. Better than all of you,” Alice said.

“And who’s this child?” Ethel demanded. “A by-blow, no doubt.”

“Ethel!” Matilda shouted. Her sisters and mother were wide-eyed in shock. Frances walked to Alexandra and placed her hands over the eighteen-year-old’s ears.

“That is quite enough,” Thornsby bellowed, picked up Alice and spoke to her. “Thank you very much for defending me, but I am quite capable of handling this.” He turned to Ethel. “You are apparently where your favorite granddaughter inherited her sharp tongue and disagreeable manner,” Thornsby said as he grabbed Jonah’s hand and headed for the doorway. “I won’t countenance Jonah and Alice’s brains diluted with stupidity or unpleasantness. I would not leave them at this orphanage if Hell were to freeze over. We will take our leave. Good day.”

They all watched the Duke and his entourage make their exit.

Ethel Sheldon suddenly laughed uproariously. She sobered and turned to her daughter-in-law. “However much it pains me to admit it, Frances, I believe you may be right. The Duke of Thornsby may be infinitely matched to Matilda.”

“Ethel, how could you?” Matilda shouted. “And mother to suggest marriage! I’ve never been so embarrassed in all of my life.”

“But Matilda, if you care so little for the Duke why are you embarrassed? You care naught for his opinion,” Juliet asked.

“There may be hope for you yet, Juliet,” Ethel replied.

Matilda pulled wildly at her apron and threw it to the floor. She needed air desperately and distance from her family. She ran down the staircase, nearly tripping in her skirts, and flung open the front door. Matilda ran until her lungs burned, and when she stopped, she gulped in great breaths of fresh air. This was undoubtedly the most humiliating scene in her wretched life.

Matilda wandered along and replayed the scene over and again in her head. Never before had any man’s opinion of her mattered. But Juliet was right. The Duke’s opinion did.

And when did that unfortunate realization occur? Maybe while he allowed Juliet and Alexandra to go on about bows and pastries ad infinitum. Or when she saw him watch Jonah as the boy struggled for his breath. Perhaps when Alice defended Thornsby to Ethel and his chin hardened in gratitude. In any case, it had crept up on her like a late day shadow.

* * *

The ride to Winterbourne was silent although Thornsby caught the children smiling at each other. For himself he was still too angry to talk. Marriage to Matilda Sheldon? Of all the preposterous notions! They’d disagree constantly. And the grandmother and her interrogation! Good God. But it had been the mother who first aired the idea.

He took a deep breath to clear his head and concentrate on his current dilemmas. He needed a wife and a home for Jonah and Alice. Thornsby tapped a finger on his chin. He hated to admit it, but Matilda Sheldon would solve both of his problems.

There was nothing soft about Matilda at all, though. He’d always imagined his Duchess to be gracefully waiting at the door when he arrived home from his club or wherever and waiting for him in her bed at night. Softly directing the servants and making his life settled and sure during the day. On his arm, beautifully attired and refined when he entered society’s doors. Quietly disappearing into the woodwork when it suited him.

Athena screamed in his head as if she were sitting next to him. “Not some silly chit who’s splendid to behold for a brief time . . . someone to fill my shoes.”

Although filling Athena’s shoes would be a gargantuan task, he doubted Matilda Sheldon was not up to it. He could hardly say the woman warmed to the idea though, when her mother presented it. She’d looked as if mice were climbing her legs under that horrid rag she wore as a dress. Certainly there was some woman out there who was pleasing enough to look at, bright enough to question him, and bred well enough to know her place. He would find her, orphans or not.

Chapter Eight

A
grand ball was being held at Ruthershire. The Hollingberrys were all high society could ask for, and Thornsby was certain that if there were any women suited to be his duchess, they would be in attendance. All his latest forays into society had left him with no candidates. Perhaps this evening would be different. He dressed with his valet’s help while Jonah sat on a chair in the corner of his dressing rooms. The boy followed him around as if attached to him by the ribbons from his coach.