Chapter 3
The young woman’s jaw was upon the floor. It was a delightful jaw, as was her whole person, though he quickly made note of the fact that she likely had not had a new coat in at least three years.
Quite frankly, his butler’s jaw was also upon the floor.
Pierce was amused by it. How could he not be? It was a far better feeling than irritation that his privacy had been invaded.
“Excuse me, Everett,” he said. “Is this the young woman we expected today?”
Said young woman snapped her mouth shut, held her reticule before her as if it were some sort of Roman shield, when really it was only about six inches long and on the edge of being frayed.
And before the butler even had a chance, because the man was clearly stunned to such a degree that his brain had run off to Coventry, she sputtered, “I am Miss Nancy Stillbrooke. You did indeed expect me—”
“Good. Good,” he cut in. “It’s a pleasure to meet the young woman that the Duke of Rivers has extolled so extensively about.” He paused and said quite honestly, “I’m glad you’re here.”
But then he smiled ruefully, cleared his throat, and added, looking about his sparse room, “But what are you doing here?”
He couldn’t help it. He looked her up and down, which was quite funny because she was also looking him up and down.
He was not at all embarrassed about the fact that he was only in his breeches and boots. After all, it was his house and his room, and he was a man who was accustomed to being in various states of undress before many, many people.
His travels had taught him that a body was, well, a body, and he rather hated how repressed the English were.
And they were repressed, terribly so. He wondered if she was repressed, and suddenly he wondered if it would be fun to take her bonnet off and see how she did if she was allowed to dance and frolic about without the restrictions of the current society, which seemed to be getting stricter rather than less so as time went on.
She licked her delectable pink lips and rushed, “I asked if I could see your chambers. I did not know that you would be in them.”
“Nor did I, Your Grace,” his butler, Everett, said quite quickly, as if he had suddenly woken from a stupor. “You are usually out during this time.”
“I say, Everett,” Pierce teased, “does that mean you go snooping about my things?”
Everett looked as if he had been accused of witchcraft, being a traitor, or stealing a horse.
“Everett,” Pierce said quickly, for he dearly admired the man, “forgive me. You are the best of butlers and have put up with a great deal over the years. I should have spoken more kindly. I am jesting.”
Everett sucked in a breath. “Thank you, Your Grace. I would hate to think you thought so little of me. I would never go through your things.”
“Quite clearly,” Pierce said. “No one ever went through my father’s.”
“He did forbid it,” Everett said.
“Yes, I know,” he said. “But this young lady is going to go through them, aren’t you?”
She nodded swiftly. “Oh yes,” she said. “It will take some time and, quite frankly, with your permission, I might need to hire a few other young ladies to assist me. Or I could be here for years, and I’m sure that would be most annoying to you.”
“I don’t know,” he said slowly. “You look like the best ornament added to this house in a long time.”
Her cheeks bloomed red, and he realized in that moment that he really should not have said this to her. This wasn’t France, after all.
He let out a sigh. “Everett, do you think you could give us a moment?”
Everett looked from her, then to him, and let out a bleat of alarm. “I’m not sure if I should, Your Grace. After all, she is a young lady.”
“She is a young lady who’s going to be going from room to room in my house. Are you going to be her chaperone all the hours of the day?”
“No, Your Grace,” Everett peeped, even as he straightened quite bravely. “But still—”
“Oh, it’s quite all right, Everett,” she said, giving a firm nod, which caused the pale blue ribbons tying her bonnet to dance.
“I am very capable, and I do not think that His Grace is the kind of person to accost a young lady.” She turned to Pierce and arched a dark brow.
“Are you, Your Grace? I think it best you make your intentions known now.”
“Accost a young lady?” he said. “Why would I have need of doing that?”
She cleared her throat. “I can see your point of view. You are a most unique specimen, Your Grace, and undoubtedly ladies throw themselves at you. But sadly, a gentleman’s handsomeness or lack thereof does not usually indicate whether he is a morally good person or not.”
“You would like me to give you a resume of my moral character?” he teased, though he realized quite quickly that she was the sort of person he admired. She stood up for herself, and she spoke her mind.
And he would provide her with whatever it took to assure her she was safe in his company.
She sniffed. “Yes.”
“I have never hurt anyone that I am aware of in such a way and will never do so,” he promised quite seriously, “because such a thing would be a terrible reflection upon my humanity, my devotion to the study of philosophy, and the fact that everyone on this Earth, male or female, deserves respect. Does that suit you?”
“Yes,” she said. “It’s most helpful.” And she looked at Everett. “I will be perfectly well with His Grace, but I do appreciate the fact that you stood up for me in front of a duke, your employer. You, sir, are worth your weight in gold. He should pay you more.”
And then she looked terrified by what she had said, as if the words had escaped her lips without permission.
Pierce laughed. “Blazes, I think I’m going to like you a good deal. You are bold, aren’t you? Bolder than most,” he said.
She was silent for a moment, but then she laughed, clearly relieved. “Yes, I suppose I am, but that comes with being given the responsibility of making strong choices about other people’s things.”
“You’re right.” Pierce folded his arms over his bare chest. “Everett? What do you say to a five-pound raise? I’m sure my father should have given you one years ago.”
Everett swayed, his eyes going wide. “Five pounds, Your Grace?” he whispered.
It was a very large sum. But the man deserved it.
“Yes, and a pound for everyone else in the house with a review in six months, and I shall increase it then.”
“An increase in six months?” Everett echoed, clearly afraid he was dreaming.
The duke gave him a kind look and then an appreciative look at Miss Stillbrooke before continuing.
“She is quite right. You deserve it, Everett. I should really give you all a fortune. Perhaps I will for Christmas,” he said, and it was a good idea to give each of the five servants a pension.
“And then you will all run off to the sea and live happily without me. But that is quite alright, for you all have earned it,” he said, smiling though he felt rather sad.
And he knew that she caught that sadness, which he hated. And so he blinked, drew himself up, and said, “Everett, you do have permission to go.”
Everett smiled. “Yes, Your Grace,” he said.
“And I don’t think any of us would leave you or this house.
Odd as it is, it has become our home over the years.
Thank you, miss,” Everett added, turning to her.
“Thank you a great deal. I’ve always liked the young master here, but now it is clear what a good fellow he is.
Thank you for going ahead and making that even clearer. ”
She smiled. “Happy to help,” she said.
Everett pattered away quickly.
“He’s a unique fellow,” she said. “You’re lucky to have him.”
“He is. And I am.” He tilted his head to the side, considering her and the way she had argued on behalf of herself and his servants. “The two of you are like peas in a pod, being bolder than most servants would ever dare to hope.”
She cleared her throat. “I am not a servant.”
“An important distinction to you,” he queried. “Because you are better than a servant?”
“No, because I have more responsibility than a servant.”
“I see,” he said, narrowing his gaze, curious.
She pursed her very kissable lips. “I say, would you mind putting on a shirt?”
“Why?” he asked. “I rather like being free.”
“It’s distracting,” she pointed out.
“Why?” he asked, knowing he was being deliberately obtuse, but unable to stop himself.
“Because I am not accustomed to the naked male form.”
“I’m not entirely naked,” he said.
“That is true,” she said, clearly suppressing a sigh. “But you are without your shirt, and I am accustomed to men wearing shirts, so I would prefer that you put one on.”
He dropped his arms to his sides. “Anything to please you,” he said, and for a moment, he was absolutely certain that he meant it.
There was part of him that was pleased that she found him distracting, and from the color of her cheeks, he was rather certain that he was distracting her in a good way.
“Now, what is your plan?” he asked as he did as she bid him to do and grabbed the linen shirt from his bed that he had taken off earlier. He pulled it back over his head. “Since I have you, I suppose I shall ask. You wish to hire more people?”
“Yes,” she said, her eyes following his every movement with appreciation, whether she was aware of it or not.
“Just having a quick glance at the room that you wished me to see first as an example of the house, I realized that if I do this by myself, I will be with you for years. And I shall be old and gray, and you will be old and gray too, before any meaningful dent is made in the vastness of the house. And so, well…”
“You mean you and I shall grow old together,” he teased.
“Something to that effect.” She laughed and half winced at her inference.
“Maybe that wouldn’t be such a terrible thing,” he drawled softly, feeling compelled to lean towards her. “Perhaps I need an organizer in my life always.”
She clearly missed his meaning and said quite simply, “I am happy to stay on with a retainer, Your Grace, if that is what you prefer.”