Page 40 of A Virgin for the Duke of Depravity
It would not do for the girls to see firsthand what a monster he was. Not when he was making a huge effort to show them that he cared.
When he went downstairs, he found Joan pacing around the hall.
“The girls are not up and ready yet, Your Grace,” she said with a frown. “I will attend to them shortly. It is just that I had to?—”
“I will tend to the girls this morning,” he said confidently.
Joan eyed him with surprise, her eyes round and her cheeks bright pink. If he could manage to surprise the governess, maybe he could surprise Margaret as well.
Leo walked down the hall to the girls’ rooms, taking his time to think about what he would say to them when he arrived. When he got to the door, he realized he did not know how to start a conversation. They were still in bed, asleep.
How should he wake them up without frightening them?
Instead of entering their rooms, he stood in the doorway and cleared his throat. The first time, it did not elicit a response, so he tried again, louder. This time, the girls stirred beneath the covers.
Encouraged, he tried again, and Annie poked her head out from under the duvet. She nudged Kitty, and then he was faced with both girls. All alone with them for the first time when they were not in trouble, he had a difficult time starting a conversation.
“Our guests are going to Hyde Park with me today,” he announced.
“Margaret asked us not to hide from you today,” Kitty said sadly.
Both girls watched him as he tried to find the words that would make up for his shortness with them the night before.
“Actually, I came to tell you that you may join us if you like,” he said, embarrassed.
He pictured the flush that so often crept into Margaret’s cheeks and wondered if his looked the same.
“And Margaret will be there?” Kitty asked, her eyes brightening.
“Yes, Margaret will be there with the Duke of Blackwell and his wife. But you must promise to behave yourselves at the park.”
Annie and Kitty exchanged a look he wished he could decipher. He did not know whether they were plotting something that would cause him to raise his voice at them again or if they were merely excited to see their new friend.
“Would you like to accompany us?” he asked confidently this time.
He was unsure how to interact with the girls, but he knew that he would never improve without practice.
The girls nodded and jumped out of bed to get ready. They threw open the doors of their wardrobe and began pulling out dresses. Joan could have a leisurely morning. There was no doubt that the girls would get ready on their own, as excited as they seemed about a trip to the park.
“Very well,” Leo said, turning on his heel. “We will be in the drawing room when you are ready.”
When he stepped out, he spotted Margaret at the far end of the corridor. She must have heard the entire exchange.
He flushed at the fact that he had had an audience for his first attempt at connecting with Annie and Kitty. But she merely nodded at him with a small smile.
It made his heart soar that he had managed to do this one thing right. The only benefit was that Margaret had noticed his effort and seemed to think that he had done something right.
She turned around and walked away, allowing him to bask in his small victory.
When Margaret arrived at Hyde Park, she realized anew just how wonderful the ton could be when she was not afraid of running into her grandfather. Something about being with Leo gave her the confidence to venture out into the city and make the most of her last few days of freedom.
The girls were in high spirits as they tumbled from the carriage and out into the park. Joan walked slowly after them as she tried to corral them into acting like the young ladies they were.
“Annie, watch where you are going,” she chided as the girls almost ran into a man enjoying a walk through the park. She nodded to the man and mumbled an apology on Annie’s behalf.
“The girls are excited to be here,” Margaret said to Leo with a smile. “It was good of you to invite them along.”
“I hope they will remember to be ladies.”
