Page 34 of The Trouble With Her Duke
The footmen arrived, and the woman stood, pushing them back. “You degrade me, Damon.” She looked around and peered up at Lydia, catching her looking down. “You have not heard the last of me.” She raised her hands to slap him, but the duke caught them in a vise grip.
“Jeffries and Nicholas will escort you to the street,” he seethed, stepping back to allow the footman to see her out.
“Are you all right, Jenkins?” Lydia heard the duke ask as the heavy front door closed.
“Yes, Your Grace. She tripped me and pushed in, knocking me down,” Jenkins said, standing. “My pride is hurt; that’s all.”
“Step up security around the property,” the duke bellowed. “She’s not to come onto it again. Whatever it costs. I hope the children didn’t see her.”
“Father, why did that lady have a big stomach?” Mandy asked from the third floor.
Lydia looked from the father to the daughter.
Damon rubbed his hand through his hair and blew out a deep breath. “Amanda, I will be up in a few moments, and we can discuss it.”
“Come on, children. It’s time to break your fast, and we are going to do it together. Your father will be up here soon,” Lydia said, deciding to make her introductions.
“Are you the new governess?” Michael asked, standing taller.
“I am. Let’s make a deal. You tell me about you, and I’ll tell you about me.”
Chapter 12
The following day
Hudson pulled Damon’s dark green curtains open, and bright sunshine streamed into the room. As much as Damon would have preferred to lie there and pretend to sleep, he couldn’t. He was expected for tea with the Golden Duchesses.
“You appear well-rested, Your Grace,” the valet said, stepping from the dressing room with clothing. “Your boots are polished, and your clothing is ready.”
An audible groan escaped Damon’s lips. He sat up and stretched. “Yesterday started with so much promise—but that lasted about an hour.”
“I heard, Your Grace,” Hudson said candidly. “May I express an opinion?”
“Yes.”
“For some time, I suspected the woman of feeding The Tattler stories. Often, you had been home on the dates in question or out of town.”
“I suspected her myself. Having dissolved our relationship, I had thought to never see her again,” Damon agreed. He appreciated Hudson’s candor. Many of his peers preferred their staff not to give opinions, but he had encouraged it with some of this staff, finding their perspective informative. His former mistress created a loud disruption in the entry hall. He couldn’t expect the servants not to talk.
“Shall I give you a fresh shave?”
“I’d like that.” Damon leaned back in his chair and relaxed, allowing Hudson to shave his face. “I wouldn’t want to descend upon the Golden Duchesses looking unkempt.”
Hudson chuckled. “I’m not sure a whiskered face would phase those ladies. They are full of merriment these days.”
Awkward introductions between his children and Miss Hammond followed the disastrous intrusion from Lady Naomi Withers and, finally, breakfast. Not at all what he planned. Despite that, things seemed more than tolerable.
Afterward, the twins had shown Miss Hammond around the nursery, pointing out small animal or reptile skeletons they had collected and slyly measuring the effect on their new governess. Damon noticed the governess maintained perfect control and even had the children sharing jokes they had read in their books.
Miss Hammond had met the children in the stairwell during Naomi’s disturbance. After introducing herself, she followed them to the nursery and engaged them in conversation about their favorite subjects, games, and the like. This was what the children needed. He noticed Michael had already taken a fancy to her, although Mandy appeared unenthusiastic.
Damon shook his head to clear it. Here he was—getting dressed—and he was thinking about Miss Hammond again. Why did she have to be so distracting? It’s not that he preferred a houseful of dowdy servants, but he was unused to having a servant catch his notice with such intensity. I’ll have to be careful.
“Your Graces, The Duke of Danforth has arrived,” the butler announced.
“Thank you, Charles. Please show him in,” the Duchess of Featherly said.
The butler stepped aside to reveal a room full of four bejeweled women, all dressed in colorful dresses in the very latest style.
