Page 10 of Claiming His Lost Duchess
“As do I, my love. As do I.”
The next morning, Georgina asked her again, as though she was trying to make sure Joan had not found a way to dissuade herself under the cover of night.
“Are you ready to chase a new beginning in London?”
Joan looked down at Sophia, who was busy with her breakfast, her auburn hair held back by a pretty pink bow, and smiled.
“As ready as I’ll ever be.”
CHAPTER FOUR
“The estate has been running smoothly for a while. Your business partners have expressed interest in drafting more contracts with you, but they have expressed … concerns about how you relate to the public. And as such, I think it is important that you interact more with your tenants. You do not have to go about, asking them questions about their well-being, but when there are any events, gracing them with your presence might cause them to look upon you more favorably.”
Graham Lennox sighed tiredly, casting his gaze aside to take in the view of the brightly colored flowers that added to the beauty of the park.
As he recalled, his younger sister loved such colorful flowers. Perhaps he ought to send her a basket soon, with another done specially for his mother, along with those sweets she liked?—
“— You listening, Your Grace?”
Graham groaned and glared at his solicitor, trying not to scoff when the man flinched and stepped aside to put some distance between them.
“Is all of that necessary, Andrew? I am holding my end of the bargain and keeping their lands protected and caring for them. There is no need for us to fraternize,” he huffed irritably.
“It is beyond that, Your Grace. They need to see you and know that you are as reliable and as responsible as you have proven to be. As far as they know, you are merely buttering them up to put them in difficult situations later on. I know that is not the case, Your Grace – believe me, I know what your motivations are and how you work, so I know better than anyone that –”
“Spit it out, Andrew.”
“Yes, sir! I mean – Your Grace. My apologies… but you must understand that the tenants do have a reason to be wary… given the circumstances behind your assumption of this role.” Andrew Clarke explained patiently.
Five years ago, a letter had summoned Graham to London to what he had believed to be a business proposal. It was only after he had met with Andrew that the solicitor had explained that one of Graham's distant relatives had passed away, and he was next in line to take on the title he had once held.
Graham had not expected much because he felt he would have heard beforehand somehow, if it was something high-ranking. He was in for a shock when a dukedom was bestowed upon him.
Firstly, Graham had to handle whatever affairs his father had left unfinished as a result of his passing, then he shifted his attention to assuming his role as the Duke of Rutledge. However, it appeared that despite the effort he had put in the last few years, he had yet to win over theton— not that he cared to do so.
“It had been long enough. They would do well to get used to the idea of a man such as myself holding such a title. I see no one else contending for it, despite their complaints,” Graham said as they continued to walk.
“Do not say such a thing, Your Grace. It would be utterly foolish to try such a thing when the law and rights have already stated that you are the sole heir to the dukedom of Rutledge. However, having a more favorable appeal to thetonwould work nicely on your behalf. Despite all your contributions to businesses and the economics of the city, they still view you as an outsider. High society is quite fond of gossip, and a Scottish Duke does get tongues wagging from curiosity. Perhaps —”
“I do not care at all. I have never been concerned with the opinions of others, and I will not start now. As long as my family is all right, I do not need to care about anyone else. My family is living comfortably — two of my sisters are happily married, and I am quite content with the state of things,” Graham stated with an air of finality.
Andrew perked up at the mention of marriage, moving closer once more to broach the new subject matter.
“Perhaps you should take a wife for yourself, Your Grace. This will help your image in the eyes of the ton! There is nothing better than a man who has built a family of his own. You'll need a respectable woman, of course, and I have plenty to recommend — all from good families,” he said eagerly.
But the idea only reminded Graham of an issue that had weighed on his mind for a few years now.
Graham hadn't had any room in his life or his mind for any woman lately because it had already been occupied by a woman he met five years ago. Despite the time that had passed since then, he had been unable to forget her, and no matter how hard he had tried, he had been unable to find her.
“What about the woman I had tasked you to find? Do you have anything to report on that?” Graham enquired, stopping again as a dark look of disappointment took over his face.
Fear struck Andrew deeply at the sight of his employer’s expression, forcing his voice to be as steady as it could be, although it started to quite at the end of his report.
“U-Unfortunately, the search is not going too well due to the lack of information on the woman. All we have is her first name and well… you wouldn’t believe how many women bearing the name ‘Joan’ live in London, Your Grace. I think – I only want the best for you, Your Grace and that is why I feel inclined to make this suggestion… perhaps it is time we cease the search.”
“Absolutely not. Keep looking for her. I do not care how much must be spent to give me what I seek. Ask whoever you must, but do everything you need to do to find that woman,” Graham insisted sternly.
Andrew knew better than to argue with the Duke, so he sighed and nodded, “Yes, Your Grace.”
