Chapter 10
Lightning illuminated Roderick’s face as he lay in bed.
Sleep was not coming easily to him. It was not just the wind and rain outside, although that did not help.
Any time he closed his eyes, all he could see was the duchess.
He recalled the moment she raced out into the storm, her hair whipping around her as she rode away, and the panic that shot through him as lightning streaked the sky.
It had been reckless, foolish… and magnificent. He had never met another person, let alone a woman, who would rather break than bend. Lightning flashed through the windows again, and all he could see was her, riding away on her mare. His heart thundered in his chest.
I did not know that women could be such magnificent creatures.
Eventually, sleep claimed him. Not by choice, but necessity. His dreams were filled with rain and thunder, and the thudding of hooves on sodden grass.
When the morning light came, meek and pale, it found Roderick red-eyed and frustrated. He did not understand how a woman had stolen his sleep, and how he could face her over breakfast. She was likely furious with him.
Do I really deserve her ire?
Roderick ran a hand down his face.
I do not believe I will enjoy the answer to that question.
He rolled out of bed, his bones and muscles complaining. Finding his shirt and britches, he quickly dressed for the day. If he was to handle the duchess, he needed some semblance of his intellect and wit.
He stopped a valet in the corridor as he stepped downstairs.
“Has the duchess ever stocked coffee on the estate?” he asked, craving the energy the bitter drink would bring.
“I apologize,” the valet said. “Her Grace has only ever stocked tea.”
“I understand,” Roderick sighed. “Which black teas do you have?”
“Congou and Souchong,” the valet answered.
“Please have a pot of strong Congou tea sent to the breakfast table,” Roderick said.
The valet nodded and headed back toward the kitchen to deliver the request. Roderick continued toward the morning room and stood outside the door for a moment.
He could hear Miss Cavendish and the duchess talking together.
Leaning his forehead against the warm wood, he tentatively entered.
The two women seemed to hush as he walked in. Roderick took his place at the table, quietly picking up a piece of bread. Neither the duchess nor Miss Cavendish said anything. The only sounds were the distant noises of the kitchen and the crackling fire behind the grate.
“Good morning,” the duchess said coolly. Roderick blinked in surprise, convinced for a moment that he had hallucinated.
“Good… morning,” he replied. She nodded and turned back to her breakfast. He glanced at Miss Cavendish. She did not meet his eye, drinking her tea. A servant came in and placed the teapot next to Roderick.
Roderick looked between the two women, neither of whom seemed interested in interacting with him further.
“I believe Mrs. Lotrum is having a tea party next week,” Miss Cavendish said gently.
“Are you planning to go?” the duchess asked.
“I am,” Miss Cavendish replied. “I believe that, if nothing else, it will be an interesting day. Although I do hope that she will not have Mr. Fenton there. He is such a bore.”
“Oh, he is,” the duchess agreed with a sigh.
“At least he is not a rake like Lord Fitzwilliam,” Miss Cavendish continued.
“That is true,” the duchess nodded.
Roderick watched their interaction, feeling lost in his own home. He opened his mouth and then closed it again, not quite certain what to say.
“Your Grace,” he finally managed. The two women suddenly went quiet. “I wanted to apologize for last night.”
“Apologize?” the duchess said, surprise evident in her voice.
“Yes,” he nodded. “It would appear that my suggestion last night was perhaps… indelicately phrased.”
She looked at him coolly, her teacup frozen in mid-air.
“I appreciate your acknowledgment of the situation,” she said. Her tone caused a shiver to run up his spine. “I am also glad that the subject is now closed.”
“Closed?” Roderick asked. She nodded and picked up her toast. His shoulders fell. He had been earnestly attempting to help her situation, and the easiest avenue had been closed off to him. Miss Cavendish was looking between the two of them as if she was witnessing a fascinating experiment.
***
After breakfast, Roderick made his way to the study. He had been spending most of the time when he was not with the duchess in there, trying to understand the estate and the tenants. The study was dark, the furniture made of rosewood and covered in deep colored leather.
At least the furnishing matches my temperament.
As soon as he sat in the main chair, a knock came at the door. The estate steward, Mr. Cuthbert Naylor, stepped inside. He was a stern-looking man with graying hair and weathered hands.
“Sir,” Mr. Naylor said. “There is an issue on one of the tenant farms.”
“I see,” Roderick said. “And why are you not going to Her Grace for this?”
“I have not been able to find her,” the man explained softly. “And I understand that there is the possibility you may be taking over the dukedom. As I cannot find her, and this is a pressing issue, I thought it best to speak to someone as opposed to letting this issue fester.”
Roderick nodded slowly. He had been reviewing the written details of the house. He was sure he had the knowledge to handle it. For a split second, he considered finding the duchess himself, but he pushed it down.
“What kind of an issue?” Roderick asked, leaning back in the seat.
“The Dalloway family cottage has a leaking roof. In truth, the roof is in a state of total disrepair,” Mr. Naylor said firmly.
“How expensive will that be to repair?” Roderick asked.
“It could be as much as thirty pounds,” Mr. Naylor replied.
Roderick winced at the cost.
“Can we not use some of the money they have paid over the years to cover some of the repairs?” Roderick asked.
“I am afraid they are also behind on rent,” Mr. Naylor replied.
“How far behind?”
“Several months, almost a year.”
Roderick closed his eyes and ran a hand down his face.
“What do you suggest?” Roderick asked.
“I see two options,” Mr. Naylor said. “Demand payment of their arrears or evict them.”
Roderick’s heart sank. Neither of those options were ideal in his mind.
“And there is nothing else you believe I should do?” he asked.
“I do not believe so,” Mr. Naylor said. “Her Grace may have more understanding of the situation.”
“I do not wish to speak to her today,” Roderick said, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Send a firm letter demanding the arrears to be settled within the month. If they cannot pay, then I will have to think about another option.”
“Understood,” Mr. Naylor said, leaving the office.
Roderick looked up at the ceiling, his heart hammering in his chest. He did not know if he had made the correct decision, but if he was to take over the estate, he would need to make more of those decisions.
Roderick spent the rest of the afternoon going through the estate ledgers. He was absorbed in one when he heard thundering footsteps approaching the study.
“Mr. Vale!” the duchess shouted as she burst into the study.
“Your Grace, how may I be of—” Roderick started.
“How dare you!”
“What do you mean?”
“You made a decision about my tenants without consulting me!”
“They are my tenants,” he replied.
“Nothing has been handed over to you,” she growled, stepping closer to him. “And not only that, the Dalloways have worked this land for three generations.”
“The length of time—” he started.
“Let me finish!” she interrupted. “The father fell ill last winter. The eldest son has been managing the farm on his own. I have already arranged for the roof to be repaired and agreed to defer their rent until the harvest!”
Roderick’s eyes widened, and his heart sank.
“I did not know,” he whispered. “I was only told that the two options would be to evict them or to demand payments.”
“Mr. Naylor told you that?” she asked, her eyes blazing. “He did not know because he was unwell for two weeks and has been catching up on all his work. The reason you did not know…”
She nearly loomed over him in his seat, her eyes flickering with fury, her voice a viscous whisper. “Is because you did not ask me. You swooped in, looked at a ledger, and made a decision about people you have never met. I am beginning to sense a theme during your time here.”
“That is hardly fair—” he started.
“You had your greatest resource at your fingertips, and you completely ignored it. I have lived here for two years. I know every tenant by name, every family, and every struggle on the estate. If you wish to take over the dukedom, then you had best learn the estate first.”
Roderick looked into the duchess’ eyes, his heart thundering against his ribs.
“I did not intend to cause problems,” he said, his voice shaking.
“And yet that is still the outcome of your actions,” she replied, standing up straight. “I will leave you to contemplate your failings.”
She turned on her heel and stormed out of the study. Roderick’s chest ached, his cheeks flushed with humiliation and something else he did not wish to acknowledge. He leaned forward, placing his head in his hands.
Infuriating woman…
Even as he thought that, he could not ignore the reluctant admiration for her blooming in his chest. He had previously assumed that she only wanted the estate for security or money. She was proving him wrong.
She is not just protecting her position. She genuinely cares for the people. I had not considered that she would act in their best interest…
For one, sickening moment, he thought of his father.
The tenants had known only his father’s ire for decades, and the duke had never struck Roderick as a man to learn people’s names or circumstances.
In that moment, he had acted just like his father, and the tenants would surely feel the echoes of the past. That was not how he had wanted to be seen.
He would need to rectify it… Eventually.