The Marquess’s Ward

Title Page

Copyright Page

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Further Reading: The Viscount's Gamble

Also By Elizabeth Reed

‘W
hat do you think you are doing!?’

Victoria turned slowly, with a shiver, in response to the deep, rich, but angry toned voice of the Marquess. She panicked, not knowing what to do. She had been caught red-handed!

‘I...I was just looking at something?’ She said the first thing that came into her head, but was annoyed at herself for not being able to come up with a more convincing lie!

‘You mean inspecting my family’s silver collection,’ he said sarcastically. Victoria had no doubt that he did not believe a word that she spoke. ‘And, pray tell, what is in the bag you are holding so tightly to you?’

‘What bag?’ Victoria’s mouth went dry.

‘That bag!’ He dragged the large brown bag roughly from her shoulder, not taking no for an answer.

A silver candlestick fell out and landed on the ground with a loud thud! As the walls echoed, Victoria prayed for the ground to open up and swallow her, so she could disappear. She looked up into some very dark eyes that stared straight at her disapprovingly, after noting the other valuables that were in the bag that she had once been holding.

‘I am so sorry,’ she sputtered. ‘I needed the money! That is why I took those things! I would have paid you back...eventually!’

‘Paid me back? You would have needed to save up for many, many years till you could even think of replacing those valuables. I have a good mind to report you to the law courts! Perhaps a stay in jail for a period of time will teach you a good lesson!’

‘You wouldn’t....would you?’ Victoria’s bottom lip started to tremble as she looked up at the Marquess in shock, now realising the full extent of the possible consequences to her foolish actions.

‘Why do you need the money so badly that you resort to such a shameful action of robbing me blind in the middle of the night?’ The Marquess did not relieve any of Victoria’s fears as he further questioned her.

‘I...I...wanted to leave...I cannot stay here anymore!’

‘I don’t quite understand. Why are you saying that you cannot stay here anymore? Is there something I don’t know about? Is someone treating you badly? Do you not get enough food to eat, or appropriate clothing to wear?’

‘Yes. I want for nothing materially, and no one has directly mistreated me.’ Victoria found it hard to explain to the Marquess her predicament. She had everything she could want to survive: food, drink, clothing, a magnificent shelter over her head for comfort and protection, and perhaps this all should have been enough—but it wasn’t, not for her!

She felt like a ghost in the Marquess’s grand house. No one said a bad word to her directly; everyone was always polite to her and well behaved, but neither did she receive a friendly or kind word. The servants stayed mostly to themselves, not knowing where to place her position within the household since her arrival but a month ago. And sometimes she even sensed that when her back was turned they gossiped about her, as if they knew the story behind her stay with the Marquess. That made her most uncomfortable!

And the Marquess was not any more amicable towards her. On the one hand, she was relieved to find that he did not get involved in her day-to-day affairs, as he gave her freedom to manage her days. But what was the point of managing your days when you had nothing of importance to do?

On the other hand, the Marquess did not try to hide from her that he had very little interest in her as a person and what she got up to. She often wondered if he felt annoyed somehow that he had been saddled with her against his will.

She supposed that she should be grateful that he had even kept his word and followed through on his father’s request for him to look after her when he passed away. She knew that many men in his position wouldn’t have kept that promise. He had provided her with a magnificent shelter, but that was almost all that he provided her with. She could see that he cared very little for her actually being there, as he hardly spoke any words to her, apart from greeting her and acknowledging her presence on the few times they bumped into each other, which wasn’t often in a house filled with so many rooms and halls.

He also was often out on some excursion or another, including his visits to London to catch some of the Season’s events and attractions. When he did come back to stay at his country retreat, he often brought back some of his boisterous, pompous friends for his entertainment and amusement, and it surprised Victoria to see that he indeed had a fun light side and a sense of humour, just not with her. At these times, when his friends would visit, Victoria would keep mostly to her rooms. The Marquess not offering any formal introductions; no doubt he was ashamed of her presence, which stung Victoria and made her feel even more strongly about her plans to leave his home as soon as possible!

‘So if you have all you need, why then are you in such a hurry to leave?’ The Marquess’s words were confused.

‘I just don’t belong here, that is all!’

The Marquess looked at her with interest, as if he were analysing something in his head. ‘Ok, let me put it another way: Do you have a plan for where you are going? How are you going to survive, especially now you no longer have my valuables in your possession?’

‘I hadn’t quite worked that out as yet. I am sure I will land on my feet. There are many opportunities.’

‘Come on, Victoria. You cannot think I am just going to just let you leave this house in the middle of the night without a good reason. You are my ward and a made a promise to my father and your mother: a promise I intend to keep to the best of my ability.’

‘What is the point of you keeping to your promise? They are both not here anymore. Your father’s dead and my mother is on her extended travels—where is anyone’s guess! I don’t know why you even bother to pretend to care about my welfare. Surely it would be an easier life for you and myself if I just went!’

She thought she suddenly saw the Marquess’s face soften. Any trace of anger he once had gradually started to disappear.

‘Look,’ he said. ‘I know I haven’t been great at helping you settle in here. My mind has been preoccupied with adjusting to my father’s departure as well as having to adjust to taking on my new role and duties. But that is no excuse... I know you must be grieving too. My father was like a father to you also, even though he wasn’t your birth one, and I know, as you say, your mother is now currently on her extended travels, so you must feel like you have no one left who cares for you!’

Victoria listened to his words, holding back her tears, as he pretty much summarised what she was desperately feeling.

‘I guess what I am trying to say,’ he continued, ‘is that I do care about you, and you are not alone. But I understand you need your independence also. Your mother wanted me to turn you into a lady, so you could take a different route to the one she had to take.’

‘I care nothing for becoming a proper lady. That is my mother’s wish not my own,’ she said stubbornly.

The Marquess walked up to her and lifted her heart-shaped face with his one finger. She was conscious that he was getting more visibility of her face and was able to look directly into her eyes.

‘It was my father’s wish too,’ he said. ‘My father stated that you had agreed to do it, did you not?’

‘Yes,’ Victoria said nervously, feeling now rather flustered as she looked at his sensual full lips and his penetratingly beautiful dark eyes. ‘I told him I would....He was on his deathbed. I felt compelled to say it. How else could I respond to his request?’

‘Then you must keep your word, as I will mine!’ He dropped his finger, but continued to stare at her, his eyes deepening as he moved his gaze down her face to her lips.

Victoria could feel herself blushing in response to his painstakingly keen observation of her features. She nodded, knowing that the Marquess was right: She had to keep the promise she had made. His father had been like a father to her, and she had loved him as such. He had always looked after her mother as well as herself, constantly showering them both with love, affection and presents. He had meant so much to her; the least she could do was keep her promise. It would be an insult to his memory to do otherwise! ‘My Lord I will keep my word, as you have reminded me!’

‘Ok, then, we will start with your lessons for tomorrow to turn you into a lady, and you have my word that I will make sure that I will be very involved with your development, as well as getting you more settled into your new home here. And when you have become a lady, we can then discuss the next steps that you would like to take for your future. Does that seem fair to you?’

‘Yes, My Lord. Thank you for your help,’ Victoria agreed, now feeling more positive about the days ahead. She had not expected to get the warm response that she had gotten when the Marquess had caught her red-handed stealing his silverware!

‘If you don’t mind, My Lord,’ she added, ‘if will you excuse me, I will bid you good night and go to my bed.’ She felt nearly overcome by tiredness with all the drama of the past hour, and wished to go to her room to think about the turn of events at more length.

‘Yes, that is fine,’ he responded. ‘It is very late in the day. Best that you seek rest now, so you can be up and early for the start of your lessons tomorrow.’

Victoria turned to leave, happy that their conversation was at an end and she could escape.

‘Actually, I wanted to mention one thing,’ he added.

Victoria turned back to look at him in surprise.

‘You can call me Nicholas,’ he stated. ‘I want you to use my name. We should be on more familiar grounds. You are not one of the servants!’

‘Familiar...like brother and sister?’ Victoria automatically responded to his words.

‘No, not like brother and sister. Your mother was my father’s mistress. I was glad she was there to give my father comfort when my own mother was no longer in existence and he came finally to his own deathbed. But I did not view your mother as my own, and I definitely do not see you as a sister! I wish you goodnight!’

Victoria saw the Marquess hold her gaze, as he looked at her with an intensity conveying in his eyes. She hesitated and then spoke. ‘Goodnight ...Nicholas.’

She walked back to her room in real confusion. She did not know how she should feel about the Marquess’s blunt statement about them not being like brother and sister. She wished she’d had the bravery to ask him directly: If he did not see her like a sister, how he actually did view her in his mind?

‘G
et your grubby paws off me!’ Victoria yelled.

‘Come on, Victoria, I saw you giving me the eye earlier on, at our group walk. Don’t tell me you’re not interested.’

‘You silly little man! I was just trying to be polite to you by giving you a mere friendly smile, since you are what I thought to be Nicholas’s good friend. Now get your hands off me and get out of my way, or you will be very sorry!’ she threatened, as she gripped her parasol tightly in her hand, ready to use it as a weapon if pushed any further.

‘Bertie, the lady asked you to take your hands off her. I would do so immediately unless you want this day to be your last!’

Victoria turned to see Nicholas, looking like what could be only described as furious; she had never seen him so angry in all the time she had known him.

‘Nicholas, calm down, old boy!’ Bertie replied. ‘We were just fooling around! It was just a joke!’ He released Victoria and then staggered back awkwardly. It was clear he had had a little too much to drink, but this did not stop him from being cautious upon Nicholas’s threat!

‘Well, from where I was standing, it didn’t look like Victoria appreciated your joke!’

‘Come on, Nicholas! Why are you acting so stern? I just thought, from what you told me about her mother, that she might be in the same business too, and might be up for a bit of fun!’

Victoria would have belted him with her parasol for his open insult had Nicholas not stepped in at lightning speed to place a hard, heavy punch right in the middle of this friend’s face. Victoria looked on in shock as Bertie crashed to the ground with a thud, and then looked up at them in a daze moments later, using his handkerchief to wipe his bloodied nose.

‘I am giving you ten minutes to pack your belongings and leave my house,’ Nicholas said. ‘How dare you come into my home and insult Victoria! By insulting her, you have also insulted me, your host and
former
friend!’