The Duke and the Dressmaker (The St. James Series) (3 page)

Then he noticed how she guarded her arm
. Unable to stop himself, he strode over to her and carefully grasped her wrist. She winced in pain just as he spotted the swelling in her finger.

“Philip!”
his mother exclaimed. “What has come over you? You are being improper. You have no right to grab Lady Downey’s hand.”

He turned her arm
over, tugging the sleeve of her gown up until the bruises on her arm assailed his vision.

His mother gasped
and wrapped her arms around Emma before she teetered off the platform.

Lady Downey
glared at him, yanked her arm back, and pulled her sleeve down.

He raged.
Someone had assaulted her.

Blood
hurtled through his body at an alarming rate, his breathing sped up. He fisted his hands by his side. He had to do something. Who would dare to beat her?

He
stared into her eyes but couldn’t control the gruffness in his voice. “Who?”

Who would hurt this beautiful creature?
He would kill whoever it was. He swore to rip him apart slowly.

Sara
lowered her lashes. “I am sorry, Your Grace. What exactly is your question?”

“Who did this to you?
Who assaulted you? Who twisted your arm?” He waited a moment, glaring at her. “I demand an answer,” he whispered.

“I don’t know what you are talking about.
I fell. I fell down the stairs this morning and my finger caught on the railing.” Her chin came up as she returned his glare.

His mother ushered Emma into the back.
“Lady Downey, perhaps we will take a look at those bolts of cloth now.”

Philip stepped closer to Sara.
She did not back down. He ran his finger softly along her cheek. “Someone did this to you. I would know who, please.”

He caressed the pulse in her neck.
Tears formed on her lashes. He was close enough to pick up her scent. Inhaling her aroma, his body reacted.

“You are wrong,
Your Grace,” she whispered. “It was an accident, just an accident.” She lowered her eyes and turned away from him. She let her breath out. “It is not your concern.”

“
I just made it my concern. I will find out, Lady Downey,” he promised.

Chapter Five

Sara turned the sign around immediately after the St. James’s departure. She could not bear to see any more customers. Her hands shook as the pain traveled up her arm from the small movement. Truth was the Duke of Brentwood totally unnerved her. She really wanted to hate him, yet he was so handsome, and the more she knew him, the more she grew to appreciate him. Glancing out the window, she stared in awe at the regally gilded carriage they rode in. Expecting him to be as distant and cold as their first encounter, she had been surprised at how sweet he had been with his sister. When he talked to Emma, the blue in his eyes glowed, not appearing cold, as they were when he spoke to Sara. Even the gentleness of his touch had shocked her.

She
dragged herself over to the chair in her work room. Her good hand came up to hold her head in frustration. She didn’t like the duke because she didn’t understand him. Whenever he was near, her stomach churned with butterflies, probably because he was a duke. No one had ever done such to her before, not even her husband, so her feelings were no doubt caused by the duke’s rank. When he had stepped closer to her, she had been able to feel her blood pulsating through her veins. After her face flushed so deeply, warmth had washed through her entire body.

Even when he had stood close to her
, demanding answers, she didn’t fear him, unlike the stinky man. Confused by her emotions, she found she enjoyed the fact that he towered over her. She had spent much of her life hating her own height, but she matched the duke perfectly. She actually had to gaze up at him.

She had so wanted to tell him the truth.
How wonderful it would have been if she could have leaned into him and allowed him to hold her, to let her tears flow and pour out her heart, all the while being wrapped in his warm embrace. If only she had someone to share her pain and her fears, someone stronger than she was. What was she to do? The dirty man had been clear with his threats. Shuddering at the thought of being touched again by that disgusting man, she knew she had no alternative but to try to pay him off. Unfortunately, he had not told her how much her foolish husband owed him, and she had been in too much pain to ask.

Sara sighed and
shuffled upstairs to rest on her couch. She was fast asleep in minutes.

***

After they arrived home, Philip broke away from his mother as quickly as he could. He gave Emma a quick peck on the cheek with the hopes of exiting his estate in due time.

“Philip, are you all right?”
his mother queried.

Ah, but it was not meant to be.
He turned to his mother. “Of course, Mother, I am fine. Why wouldn’t I be?” he asked.

“You were very upset in Lady Downey’s shop.
That poor girl! What she has had to deal with, too much for someone of such a tender age. She seems all alone as well. I don’t know any of her family.” The duchess shook her head in confusion. “She looks familiar to me, but I can’t quite pinpoint why.”

Philip leaned ove
r and kissed his mother’s cheek. “Mother, I really must be going. I have an estate to run. I am going to my solicitor’s office,” he said on his way out the front door, silently wishing his mother would allow him to depart.

He couldn’t fault his mother’s interference. The
duchess believed it to be her responsibility to make sure her husband’s property was kept in the family. Being the first male child, it was his duty to have male sons of his own to carry on his heritage. Nobility thrived on the firstborn males reproducing at least one and preferably two sons. An heir and a spare, as the saying went. But after Caroline, he had no desire to marry again, thus no legitimate male heirs. His mother was not happy about it.

As he climbed into his carriage, he
let out a deep sigh. His mother’s intuition was right, as usual. She would notice when any woman unsettled him. He had been very upset. Why had he become so angry about the chit’s bruises? She was nothing to him. What did it matter? But it did, and he could no longer deny it. Much as he wanted to hate Lady Sara Downey, he couldn’t. She stirred too many feelings in him, feelings that he hadn’t experienced in a long time.

***

Philip left early for White’s the next morning. He needed to speak to his friend Ardleigh. After a sleepless night, he’d made a decision. The time had come for him to find out all he could about Sara Downey. After spending half his night dreaming about how it would feel to lie between her creamy white thighs, Philip had decided to take some action.

Twice last night, he had awakened with an erection, memories of chestnut curls and pert breasts fresh in his mind.
The other two times he’d awakened because of a dream: a man was beating Sara, and Philip had been unable to reach her. Both circumstances left him so frustrated he was forced to take action.

He
strode into White’s with a stern look on his face, and found Ardleigh in the corner reading the newspaper.

“
Brentwood,” Ardleigh announced. “What brings you out so early this morning?”

“
I cannot sleep for one thing, but I am here because I need information. I require someone who will discreetly ascertain some facts for me. But no one can know what I am doing, especially my target.

Ardleigh
chuckled lightly. “Sounds like another female has gotten into your head, Brentwood. The only question is, who is she?”

“None of your concern
,” Philip said, his tone sharp. “And you are a good example of why I need someone that can be discreet.”

“Ah, but you know I cannot wait to see you with another woman
. Brentwood. But this time, I encourage you to choose someone of better character,” Ardleigh said with a smile.

“Worry about your own woman, not mine.
I have a woman that meets my needs, Lady Montrose.” Brentwood strode to the window and stared aimlessly.

“Oh, I do worry about my woman.
But then you know how much I adore my wife. It is because of Phoebe that I am always after you. You need a wonderful woman at your side. I would be lost without Phoebe. You have to forget about that bitch and find yourself a real wife.” Ardleigh stared at Brentwood with a serious expression. “I am not jesting; I mean what I say.”

“It isn’t that easy,” Philip said as he shook his head.
“Back to my original purpose, can you help me? Do you know someone I can employ that I can trust to be discreet?”

“Yes, as a matter of fact, I do.
Just tell me why you need him, and I will give you the name.” Ardleigh peered over the newspaper.

Brentwood
’s fist came down hard on the table. “Give it up, Ardleigh! It is none of your concern.”

“Bloody hell,
Brentwood. Calm down. What has you in such a state? All right, I will give you his name.” Ardleigh wrote the name on a piece of paper and handed it to Brentwood. “But you are to inform me if there is trouble.”

Brentwood
grabbed the paper from Ardleigh’s hand and spun on his heel. He stormed out the door without another word.

Chapter
Six

Sara sat at her table counting her coins. Almost a week had passed and she didn’t have as much money as she’d hoped, but then again, she didn’t really know how much she needed. How was she supposed to guess that? Why hadn’t Stinky told her how much money he needed? She smiled at her name for him, wrinkling her nose at the memory. She didn’t know his name, but there was nothing more appropriate, since he had such an odor about him.

The
frightful memory of his invasion into her life kept her up at night. She slept restlessly, and during the day, she jumped at every little sound. The fear she had that he would return before the end of the promised week churned in her belly. Sara placed her money back into the box and hid it.

Fortunately, her business
had been successful. With the St. James’s order, she almost had more work than she could handle. She stayed up late many nights working on Emma’s gowns, even though the duchess was very reasonable about completion time. Of course, she would not get paid until the gowns were delivered. That money would certainly help her, but she could not ask for it in advance. She needed to build her clientele, not drive any away. If the dowager duchess was satisfied with her work, it would go a long way to help establish her business. Many of the
ton
followed the duchess’s lead.

S
ara checked her image in the looking glass. Her eyes remained red and droopy from exhaustion. She yawned. There wasn’t much she could do about it until after Stinky was paid off and promised to leave her alone.

He would leave her alone, wouldn’t he?
She cringed at the thought, but fortunately, her mind was distracted by the ring of her front bell. She pinched color into her cheeks and forced a smile as she walked into her front room.

Miranda Montrose stood in the middle of
the front room with her hands on her curvy hips. Miranda was built like any man’s dream. Voluptuous curves adorned her body and she knew how to use them. Her dark hair framed blue eyes and her skin was a beautiful shade of olive. However, no one admired her beauty more than Miranda did. In Sara’s opinion, Miranda’s vanity only fed her tendency to be difficult.

“Well, if it isn’t the mousy girl that spends all her time trying to be part of the
ton.
You can no longer act that way, Sara.” Miranda eyed her viciously.

“Act what way, Lady Montrose?” Sara asked innocently.

“Stop playing the martyr. I know your kind. You are trying to find some rich nobleman. Who could possibly be interested in a homely girl that spends most of her time on her knees, pinning hems?” Miranda’s chin tilted in the air as she glared at Sara.

Sara’s blood boil
ed. She counted to ten, reminding herself Miranda was a customer, and she needed to be polite to her.

“How can I help you today, Lady Montrose?”
Sara asked, her head held high.

“Stop acting like you
are something special, Miss Sara. After all, whose husband took off after only six months? You must have been wonderful in the bedroom. Six months. You couldn’t even keep a man happy for six months.” Miranda sneered at Sara, perusing her up and down.

Sara blushed but
refused to back down from Miranda.

“You better keep your eyes off my man, Miss Sara
. If I even see you talking to him, you will regret it. Of course, I am not worried, he knows a real woman when he sees one.” Miranda stood with her hands on her hips, tapping her foot rudely as she studied Sara.

“Lady Montrose, I do not know who your man is.
But do not worry, the last thing I am interested in is another husband.”

“Who said anything about a husband?
You will never get another husband.” Miranda leaned over and peered into Sara’s face with an expression of sheer hatred. “But you better stay away from the duke. You better not even look at him. He is mine.”

At that moment, the door opened
, and the bell tinkled.

“Why, who
are you talking about, Lady Montrose? Who is yours?”

Miranda spun around
, straight into the expectant gaze of the dowager duchess.

“Good morning to you, Lady Downey
.” Mary St. James peeked around Lady Montrose and smiled at Sara.

“Oh! Your
Grace,” Miranda sputtered. “I didn’t realize you were there.”

“Well, of course not
. I just walked in. But it seems that you were taking issue with Lady Downey over something. Can I be of any assistance, Lady Montrose?” The duchess stood squarely in front of Miranda, staring at her with amusement in her eyes. Her small frame did not detract from her presence. Mary St. James could cast an intimidating air with just a glance when she wanted to. Presently, that look was directed at Miranda Montrose.

Miranda squirmed. “No, everything is fine, Your Grace. Actually, I believe it is time for me to depart.” Miranda hurriedly walked toward the door. She opened it, turning to glare at Sara one last time before slamming the door closed behind her.

The
duchess smiled at Sara. “Why a woman of such beauty would be so nasty is beyond me. Do not allow Lady Montrose’s threats to frighten you, Lady Downey. She enjoys hearing her own voice at times.”

Sara’s relief
was immediate. “How can I help you today, Your Grace? I am sorry, but I don’t have any of Emma’s gowns ready yet, but I will have the first two as promised next week.”

“Oh, that is not why I am here, Lady Downey.
I so enjoyed examining all your new bolts of fabric that I have decided to order a few new gowns for myself. Would you have time to take my measurements?” she asked with a smile.

“Oh, of course.
Please come right this way.” Sara ushered her into the measuring room.

“Please, Lady Downey, call me Mary.
We need not be so formal. May I call you Sara?”

“Of course,
Your Grace, I mean, Mary. Of course you may call me Sara. May I ask what types of gowns you are interested in?” Sara smiled at the lovely woman. Emma was so lucky to have such a thoughtful and caring mother. Although, how the duke fit in with the other two, she wasn’t quite sure.

“Well, take my measurements first,
then we will look at the cloth again. Does that sound acceptable to you?” Mary asked.

“Certainly
. Step right up here, and we will get started.” Sara led her to the center of the room.

“Sara, do I know your mother?”
Mary asked.

“No, I don’t think so.
My mother died when I was young. I was raised by my father, and he died about nine months ago.” Sara bustled about picking up her tape and paper to write on.

“Oh, child, I am so sorry!
Do you have other family in London?”

“No, I don’t have any other family I am aware of.
My father never spoke about family much. We were alone, but happy. I miss him very much,” Sara said quietly. She set to work taking the duchess’s measurements.

“You have had a tough life for someone so young
.” Mary shook her head. “I think you should come to our house for dinner sometime. By the way, how is your arm faring? You say you fell down the stairs?”

“Yes, I fell.”
She peered at her finger anxiously. “But my finger is fine. No reason to concern yourself, Mary. It is easily kept out of the way.”

“
Oh, you poor thing. Your husband left you right after you lost your father. That is terrible. How are you managing?”

Sara’s eyes misted slightly, but she refused to give in to tears.
How she craved the opportunity to share her fears with someone, but Mary was a duchess after all. She had many more important things to do than to listen to Sara’s troubles.

“I am getting along just fine.
I enjoy sewing, and business has picked up. I am too busy to feel sorry for myself.” Oh, how she wished that were true. Well, it used to be true. But ever since she met Stinky, she’d begun to think the world set fate against her. She just wanted someone to share her troubles with. Was that too much to ask?

“Now you listen to me, young lady. I know it is none of my business, but I am going to make it my business. I see a very proud young woman in front of me trying to keep a good front while her world has tumbled around her. You probably feel very alone but
will not ask anyone for help. You mind my words, Lady Downey. When you have troubles that are too much to handle, you need to come to me. No one should be alone in this world. In fact,” Mary St. James implored, “I want you to promise me that you will come to me when you need help.”

“Mary, that is very kind of you, but I am fine,” Sara insisted.

“I can see it in your eyes, Sara. You may not be ready to ask for help yet, but when you are, will you promise to come to me?” Mary’s eyes never faltered.

“
Really, there is no need.” Sara blushed as she stared at the paper in front of her.

“That is not what I asked. Will you promise?”
The duchess reached down and tugged her chin up until she raised her gaze to hers.

Sara didn’t think she had much choice in the matter, so she promised. “All right, if
you insist, Your Grace.”

“Thank you. Now, do you know how to get in touch with me?” Mary asked.

“Yes, I know where you live, thank you.” Sara was shocked. How wonderful it would be to actually be able to contact Mary St. James if she was ever in trouble.

“Well, then, now that you have finished with my measurements, I will let you pick out the materials for three
walking dresses for me. I am in no hurry. And here is partial payment for all the work you have to do for me.” She picked up her reticule, paid Sara, and strode toward the door.

“Oh, Sara, and I will expect you for dinner at four o’clock on Sunday.” Mary closed the door with a smile on her face before she could refuse the offer.

Sara stared after her, stunned.