Duchess by Chance (18 page)

      “Thank you, Daniel, for everything.” Eva watched Reggie step forward and embrace the duke, which surprised him at first but he soon wrapped his big arms around the boy and squeezed him hard.

      “Remember we are brothers now, Reggie. I will come if you need me.”

      “I will remember.”

      Eva bit her lip as Reggie turned to hug her. She would not cry; he did not want that. “Please write to me regularly, brother.”

      “I promise.”

      She cupped his cheeks and looked into his eyes. He was healing and this journey would finish that process. “You know I love you?” 
      Color stole into his cheeks as she held him still.

      “I know it and you know your love is returned, sister.”

      She released him and smoothed his lapels. “Go now while I let you.”

      He kissed her forehead. “Thank you for being my sister. Without you, everything would have been so much harder.”

      Eva sniffed as he released her and climbed inside. Daniel closed the door and then he was gone. She watched the carriage until she could see it no more and then the tears began to fall. Arms came around her and she fell on the warm, hard chest and sobbed.
 

...

      “The Dowager Duchess of Stratton,” Wernham said in his deep baritone.
 

Startled, Eva looked up from the letter she was writing as Daniel’s grandmother walked in. The room instantly seemed smaller – just as it often did when her husband was near. Eva had met the Duchess once before; however, she had not known then that she was to become related to such a formidable woman. Rising to her feet, she knew her morning of letter writing had drawn to an abrupt halt. Shooting a quick look at the clock above the door, she was relieved to realize Daniel would be returning soon from his business appointment.
 
He had not wanted to leave her, no matter how briefly, yet she had urged him to do so, she was safe here with their servants behind closed doors.

“Well, girl, it is long past time you showed your face in society,” the duchess boomed as she took the seat opposite Eva’s.

“Tea, please, Wernham.” Eva smiled at the butler, who hovered in the doorway looking anxious. She then sat on the edge of her seat. Something told her that with Daniel’s grandmother in the room, she needed to be ready for any eventuality.

“Although looking at that rag you have on, it is just as well you have not been seen in public.”

“Good morning, your Grace, I am most pleased to meet with you again. This time it appears you are playing the part of your true self.” Eva’s cheeks were beginning to ache with the effort of smiling.

“Backbone. Excellent,” the duchess said, her thin lips curling slightly at the corners.
 

Eva wondered if this constituted a snarl or a smile.

“We won’t have time for tea now – there’s much to be done!” she suddenly announced, regaining her feet.

She was very agile for an elderly woman, Eva thought, standing, too. It was all very strange. The woman had insulted her and then complimented her (she thought) and now she appeared to be leaving. Or did she have something else in mind?
 

“Come, girl, collect your things and I will wait in my carriage! Ten minutes, mind, and no more,” the duchess added, giving Eva a gimlet-eyed stare which was disconcertingly like her grandson’s. She then stomped toward the door she had only minutes ago entered.

“Uh, I seem to have missed something,” Eva said. Dear Lord! Did Daniel’s grandmother expect Eva to accompany her somewhere? Just the thought of the two of them spending time together sent chills down her spine.

“Shopping, girl! For pity’s sake, have I not just explained it all to you? Not hard of hearing, are you?”
 

“I soon will be,” Eva muttered, touching her ears as she watched the old woman leave the room.

“May I be of assistance?” Wernham appeared as if by magic before her.

“I appear to be going shopping.” Eva knew she sounded dazed.

“I will inform the duke upon his return, your Grace.” The butler looked grave.

“Thank you,” Eva said, walking out of the room. She thought frantically of feigning a headache or having Wernham tell the Duchess she had fallen down the stairs and broken her ankle. But then she would have to stay inside for several weeks, which appealed to Eva but would hardly be fair to Daniel. She pulled on her pelisse and bonnet and prepared to leave the house.

“Hurry up, girl!”

Eva ran down the stairs as the loud voice reached her. Closing her eyes, she prayed silently for a safe return.

Two hours was all he’d been gone and in that time the old besom had swooped in and taken Eva away.
 

“Why did you let her go?”
 

Wernham did not flinch in the face of his master’s anger.
 

“Of course you could not have stopped her. Bloody woman. A brace of beefy prize-fighters would struggle to subdue my grandmother,” Daniel snarled.

“I will bring you some refreshments, your Grace,” Wernham said. “Also, the Duchess’s piano arrived today, and I had it placed exactly where you stated.”

As if he could eat or drink! Just thinking of Eva in the hands of his grandmother and out on the streets of London without his protection made Daniel feel ill.
 

He had not taken Eva into society yet because he was giving her time to adjust to life in London. Then there had been Reggie and his needs, which had taken up more time. He had decided that this week they would attend their first engagement and now his grandmother had swooped in and taken her shopping. What must she be thinking?

“Lord Kelkirk has called, your Grace,” Wernham said, re-entering the room minutes later.

Daniel nodded. At least Simon would take his mind off his wife. In truth, he knew his grandmother would never harm Eva, but he felt protective of her - too protective, he thought with a wry smile. The problem was, she occupied far too much of his thoughts. Over the past two weeks they seemed to have grown comfortable with each other and at night when he came to her bed, she was heaven in his arms. She was open and honest in what she felt, her responses to him were unguarded and she had him hotter than hell in seconds.

“That smile at best could be called licentious.”

Daniel grunted, then climbed to his feet to shake the hand of his friend.
 

“How does Eva fair, Daniel?”

“If my grandmother does not force her to flee London then I am sure you will see her soon.”

“You let your grandmother get her hands on her?” Simon had astonishment written all over his face. “Dear God, she’s only been in London two weeks. What the hell were you thinking?”

Normally Daniel would have come to his grandmother’s defense in the face of such an obvious insult, but Simon had firsthand knowledge of her acid tongue. The Dowager Duchess of Stratton usually took him to task whenever the opportunity presented itself.

“I should never have left her alone.” Daniel dropped his head into his hands.

“I was not earnest, Daniel. While your grandmother may strike the fear of God into me, I know she never means any harm. Well, nearly never means any harm.”

Daniel climbed to his feet and began to pace, his grey eyes becoming cloudier with each step. “She is not used to the ways of society, Simon.”

“I came by to tell you there is talk. Eva has been in London for over two weeks, yet no one has actually seen her. It’s time for her to make her appearance, my friend, before the rumors escalate.”

“Who’s talking about her?” Daniel lowered his brows. “And what are they saying?

“That your duchess has an eye on her forehead and ten fingers on one hand.” Simon sat back, watching his friend pace.

“I should have realized society would conjure up several nasty inflictions for her if she didn’t make an appearance straightaway.”

“So you will go to the next ball?”
 

“I believe so.” Daniel moved to the window and looked down at the street below.

“A carriage has arrived, your Grace,” Wernham said, bringing a tray into the room.

“About bloody time!” Daniel declared, stalking from the room, leaving Simon behind, grinning.

Daniel saw Eva leaning on the now closed door with her eyes shut as he reached the front entranceway. “Did she upset you?”

Opening her eyes, she watched him approach.

“I am fine. Just tired, Daniel.”

“You must have been terrified when she demanded you accompany her. Old Besom. I’ve always said the English were not using their strongest weapon against the French.”

She tried not to laugh but her eyes twinkled. Daniel looked her over, just to check she was in one piece.
 

“It would be untruthful of me to lie so I will say that your grandmother was initially terrifying, yet I did enjoy myself once we established a few rules.”
 

“Rules?” Daniel took the three packages she held against her chest and then, slipping a hand around her waist, he guided her toward the stairs.

“I realized straightaway that if you don’t stand up to your grandmother, she will stomp all over you.”

He laughed at that.
 

“She told me she would not clothe her servant in my dress.”

Looking her over again, Daniel disagreed. The pale blue was perfect with her dark hair and creamy complexion.

“Simon has called.” Daniel directed Eva into the front parlor where Simon was seated, or rather, lounging, in a comfortable chair. In one hand he held a cup of tea and in the other a huge piece of cake.

“Make yourself at home, Kelkirk,” Daniel drawled, lowering his wife into a seat before taking the place beside her.

“Always have excellent cake here,” Simon said. “Hello, Duchess, you are looking fetching today.”

“Thank you, Simon.”

They drank and talked and Eva told Simon about Reggie going away to school and what they had seen since she arrived in London.

“So London is not the horrible city you envisaged it to be, Duchess?”

“I shall reserve judgment until I meet some of its inhabitants.”

“Fair enough,” Simon said, standing. “And now I am full, I shall leave you. Goodbye, Duchess.” He gave Eva a kiss on the cheek, which made her blush.

“Lord Kelkirk is a very nice man, Daniel,” she said when he had left.

“He has his moments.” Daniel got up to shut the door.

“I’m glad he’s your friend.”

Taking her cup, Daniel placed it on the tray and then he opened the buttons of her pelisse and slipped two fingers into the neckline of her dress to caress her soft flesh.

“Daniel!”

He took her lips for a thorough kiss that left Eva breathless and wanting more. He then buttoned her pelisse back up and placed her on the chair opposite his.

“Tell me of your shopping exhibition, Eva,” Daniel said, drawing in a deep, steadying breath. The woman was a walking siren.

“Sh-shopping?”

He laughed as she struggled to compose herself. It was no different for him - just breathing her scent had him hard as a table leg.

“With my grandmother…today,” he prodded.

“Oh, yes, of course,” Eva smoothed her hair and skirts. Daniel had never touched her like that in daylight. She wondered why he had now. “Your grandmother told me I had a responsibility to the dukedom and dressing like a maiden aunt was not taking that responsibility seriously. She then dragged me from shop to shop until she was satisfied I would be dressed as befitted a duchess.”

“Did she? Never has had any tact. Half of London is terrified of her, you know.” Daniel swallowed a small piece of cake and immediately reached for another.
 

“She talked of balls and dances and what I would need to learn.” Eva sighed. “And corrected me constantly over my bearing and address.”

“Shall I tell her to leave you alone?”

“Of course not!” Eva looked indignant. “It was rather sweet having someone care about those things, even if she is a little brusque.”

Daniel choked on his cake.

“A small, rosy-cheeked child is sweet, Eva, not my grandmother.”

“She is my grandmother now, too,” Eva picked up her parcels, preparing to leave the room. “And as I do not have another yardstick with which to measure her, I will call her sweet if I wish to.”

“That is, of course, your prerogative, however misguided.” Daniel rose as she did. “I will be in my office with my man of affairs for awhile, Eva. Apparently I have been neglecting things since my return to London.”

“Then I shall finish the letters I started before your grandmother descended and will see you later, Daniel.”

He watched her leave the room. The changes in her over the past two weeks were vast. She now felt comfortable around him, she laughed more freely and he believed she no longer feared him. However, it was only because of her upbringing that she could believe his grandmother was sweet.