The Duke's Reform (15 page)

     
Swinging her thickest cloak around her shoulders she found her muffler and mittens
and was ready to brave the morning. Her early appearance caused two of the
maids, on their knees scrubbing the floor, to look up in surprise. With sacks
tied around their waists they were barely recognizable as the smart girls one
saw about the house during the day.

     
'Good morning, Eliza, Annie, pray don't disturb yourselves, I shall walk around
your pails.'

     
As there
were
only two dozen staff employed in her domain
she knew each and every one of them— which was how it should be in her opinion.
Her dogs, which slept in front of the fire in the drawing-room, bounded out to
greet her.

     
'Get down, you silly things. Yes, you're quite correct, we are going outside
for your morning constitutional.'

     
It had been her intention to exit through the boot room door but the sound of
the bolts being drawn back behind her meant one of her footmen must have heard
her voice and come to open the front door.

     
'Good morning, Isobel, I did not expect to see you abroad so early. I wake at
dawn nowadays and take a brisk walk before I break my fast.' Alexander bent to
stroke Ebony's ears. 'I should like to join you, but will fully understand if
you would prefer to walk alone.'

     
It would be churlish not to let him accompany her when he had spoken so
charmingly and given her the option to refuse. 'You may come with us, if you
wish, but I'm afraid the excursion will be far from brisk. More a stroll, as I
find I can't dash about the way I used to.'

     
He offered his arm and she took it, relieved she did not feel the slightest bit
flustered by the contact. The dogs circled around them barking and he took the
hint and found a suitable stick to throw. Thus the walk progressed, when one or
other of the dogs returned with a piece of wood she released her grip on his
arm so he could throw it again.

     
'There's really no necessity. They are perfectly content just to sniff and
chase anything that moves.'

     
Laughing, he wiped his hand on his breeches, ignoring Othello. 'I enjoyed it; I
had forgotten the pleasure of playing with dogs. Do you wish to walk as far as
the lake? It will be spectacular when the sun rises in the next few minutes.'

     
She nodded, finding his
behaviour
most disconcerting.
The man she knew would never have ruined his pristine appearance as he had just
done, neither would he have risked tearing his jacket by throwing sticks. Was
this a genuine change, or was he dissembling in order to ingratiate

himself
?

They were returning to the house when a figure
on horseback cantered into view. She recognized the rider; this was Reynolds,
the estate manager. He was unconscionably early. Did he really expect Alexander
to be so eager to see him?

'Reynolds is upon us, my dear. I sent a message
for him to come first thing. I wish to spend a full day examining the
improvements and arranging for anything further that needs to be done. I've
been delinquent in my
duties,
I shan't be so in
future.'

'So you're not going to ring a peal over both
of us? That's a great relief, I can tell you. I feared that you might …' her
voice trailed away and she swallowed the bile that rose in her throat. Just
thinking about that awful night made her feel unwell.

'Isobel, what I did to you was unforgivable. I
know that, but I’ve given you my word that whatever the provocation, I shall
never be unkind to you again.'

She glared at him.
'Provocation?
It is
I
who is more likely to be provoked.'

He grinned and raised his hand as if he thought
to touch her, then thought better of it as she frowned. 'I know—you're perfect
in every way. How could I think that there was even the remotest possibility
you would do anything to irritate me?' He released her arm, nodded, and
strolled across the turning circle to greet his visitor.

Mollified by his good
humour
she went in, her optimism renewed that somehow they could get through the next
few hours without unnecessary aggravation. However, the quicker his business
was completed the better. For all his protestations she was not entirely
comfortable in his company. He would not manhandle her; whatever he had been in
the past he was not untruthful or given to making false promises. The danger
lay in his ability to soften her resolve by his charm and lively wit.

     
He was out all day and returned only as darkness fell. To hear him chatting
companionably to the footmen he met in the vestibule was a revelation. If he
continued to improve in this way she would no longer recognize him as the man
she'd married. Perhaps she would make more of an effort to be civil; after all,
only Mary and Sam knew why she had left him. She had no wish for her staff to
believe she was being curmudgeonly.

     
She reached the door as he prepared to ascend the heavy oak staircase. 'Alexander,
I shall join you for dinner tonight, I would dearly like to know what you
thought of the improvements.'

     
'I shall look forward to it, my dear. Do you wish me to put on my evening rig?'

     
Surprised he should ask for she could not remember an evening when he hadn't
appeared in formal attire and she had always worn an evening gown. 'I should
much prefer to eat in the small dining room and not have to change at all.' She
smiled wryly. 'In fact I don't have anything suitable to wear at the moment. I
haven't bothered to alter my grand ensembles.'

     
'Excellent.' He pointed at his mud spattered clothes and laughed. 'However, I
can assure you that I shan't reappear in disarray.'

     
He took the remainder of the stairs two at a time. How could she not be aware
that his physical appearance had improved over these past months? His eyes were
clear and no longer bloodshot. His toast-brown hair was shining with health and
he moved with a
vigour
he'd not displayed before. She
giggled at the thought that he was becoming thinner and trimmer as she was
doing the exact opposite.

     
Mary appeared in answer to her ring. 'I wish to have dinner served in the small
dining room. Make sure Cook does not serve an elaborate meal, we are not
dressing for dinner.'

     
'Do you wish to eat at the usual time, my lady?'

     
'No, we will dine at half past five; that will allow the duke plenty of time to
bathe.'

Bill,
now
referred to as
Mr
Brown by all the staff, rang the
gong at precisely the appointed hour.

Isobel walked towards the door. She was hungry
and didn’t wish to waste further time dawdling in the drawing-room. Alexander
hurtled down the stairs obviously as eager as she to get to his meal. He was
dressed as before, but this time in a dark-blue, superfine jacket, navy blue
waistcoat and skintight unmentionables. Her eyes were held by the muscles in
his thighs. She could not drag her gaze away.

     
Aware of her scrutiny he paused and his eyes blazed with that all too familiar fire.
This would not do— she would not let herself be bamboozled into acquiescence.
She was made of sterner stuff nowadays, was her own woman, and had no intention
of allowing him to breach the walls she had erected around herself.

     
'I am famished, my dear. You might remember I did not come in for breakfast and
had no time to stop for mid-day refreshments.'

     
'Good heavens! I'm surprised you did not come to grief galloping all over the
countryside with nothing inside you.'

     
He laughed. 'As I keep telling you, Isobel, I am not the man you married. That
degenerate is no longer me. I am returned to the fellow I once was. I am hoping
that you'll one day come to see me as my true self.'

     
She stiffened. Did he really believe his reformation could possibly remove the
scars of that night? 'Dinner is waiting, my lord. I don't as a rule, serve
wine, but I've asked Brown to fetch some claret from your wine cellar next
door.' She waited for him to tell her he no longer drank, instead his eyes
twinkled.

     
'I am reformed, but not become a Puritan, my dear. I drink in moderation as any
gentleman should.'

     
'I did not know that imbibing alcohol was a prerequisite for being a gentleman,
my lord. However, I am always ready to learn from an expert.'

     
Content in his company she led the way to the small dining room that she used
in preference to the larger chamber which seated more than twenty around the
oak table. The evening passed without discord and she returned to her chambers
pleased she had been able to enjoy his friendship without being beguiled by his
charm.

 He had assured her he was leaving the day
after tomorrow and would remain in town for the season. Whilst he was there he
would speak to his lawyers and have them arrange the settlement. Her family
would think this a disgraceful arrangement, even her aunt and uncle would be
shocked to the core by her desertion.

In May, two months before the baby was due, he
would reopen Newcomb and take up residence next-door. Everything was working
out as she'd hoped, and when the baby was six months old she would be able to
take her leave and move to whatever small estate Sam had found for her. She
must also arrange for Sam dispose of Home Farm; she would never return there.

     
Her digestion rebelled the following day and she was unable to leave her bed
chamber. Alexander sent his commiserations and hoped she would be well enough
to speak to him before he left the next morning. Sam asked to see her that
afternoon and, as she was now sitting in her
parlour
,
she agreed.

     
'My lady, his grace has just called me in to speak to him; he told me I’m to
start looking for a suitable estate for you. Have I mistaken the matter? Are we
not to stay here permanently?'

'No, my life is no longer here. Once Newcomb is
occupied by the duke it will be untenable to remain here. It's far better I
make a new start somewhere else.'

     
He looked away and his cheeks
coloured
. 'I beg your
pardon for questioning your decisions, your grace. I believe there are more
than a dozen estates held by his grace, do you wish me to visit all of them?'
His tone was formal, his expression sad.

     
Should she tell him he was mistaken, that the estates he was to look at were
not those owned by her husband? It might be better to leave him in ignorance.
'I haven't thought about it. You can be sure I shall inform you in good time.
Do you know if Rochester has approved all the changes made on the estate these
past few weeks?'

     
'His grace did not see fit to discuss the matter with me.'

     
'Thank you for coming to see me, Sam. If there is nothing further you wish to
speak to me about, you may go.'

She must get accustomed to disapproval. If even
her dear Sam thought she was wrong she might find it difficult to re-establish
herself elsewhere. She would be obliged to be known by her title and not revert
to
Mrs
Baverstock. Abandoning her husband was beyond
the pale, to do the same to her child would not be forgiven by Society. It
would break her heart to do so, but Alexander would never allow her to take the
baby with her. No doubt he was relying on her maternal instincts to make her
change her mind.

     
Feeling more the thing next morning she was up and about in time to take a
walk. She half expected him to join her and was disconcerted to find herself
disappointed he did not. At a little after eight o'clock she returned.
Breakfast would be waiting and, after her enforced fast yesterday, she was more
than ready to eat.

'Good morning, Isobel, I'm glad to see you're fully
recovered. Why don't you sit down and let me serve you?' Alexander put down his
cutlery and stood up at her entrance.

     
'Thank you, I am famished. Tell me, what's under the covers this morning?'

     
The meal was accompanied by light-hearted banter. How pleasant it was to have
someone to talk to, especially when her companion was so amusing. 'What time do
you intend to leave?'

     
'My horse is being saddled. Duncan will follow with my baggage in the carriage.
Promise me, my
dear, that
you'll send for me if you
have a problem of any sort.'

     
'Of course I will. Perhaps you'll come down and tell me when matters have been
arranged by your lawyers?'

     
'I shall write to you.'

     
She was tempted to ask him to leave things to her, but he was smiling at her
openly, was making a kind gesture nothing more. 'That would be most helpful, I
thank you, sir.'

****

Alexander
forced himself to eat heartily. He was damned if he would let her see how much her
formality was hurting. He pushed his plate aside and stood up. 'Pray don't
disturb yourself, my dear, finish your meal. Remember— send a message to
Grosvenor Square if you need me.'