Page 70 of Daisy and the Duke
Chapter 19
Needless to say, life changedimmediately for Daisy, who was now formally Lady Margaret once again, just as she’d been expected to be when she was younger. Lady Weatherby, who had become quite motherly toward her, insisted that Daisy must rest after the ordeal. So she went back to the Weatherbys’ home and sat with Mrs. Bloomfield as she tried to digest all that she’d learned that day.
“Papa always meant for me to be his heir,” Daisy said wonderingly. “He expected me to become baroness and take on Rutherford Grange and run it as he did.”
“You did run it,” Mrs. Bloomfield reminded her. “You acted as owner and estate manager and scullery maid, doing whatever was needed to keep things operating well. I’m sure your father would be very proud…after he got done being furious at your stepmother for cheating you.”
“I still can’t believe she really did that. Papa was going to take care of her! A thousand pounds a year, plus a home for life. And of course she could have married again, and Bella is going to make a splendid match no matter what. Orwasgoing to.”
“Perhaps your stepmother feared you’d take her funds away…just as she did to you. People always seem to think that others are like them. Good-hearted people think everyone is good-hearted. Greedy people think everyone is greedy.”
“I shall tell her that she may stay at the Grange if she likes, when we go back tomorrow.”
Mrs. Bloomfield frowned. “You’d let her stay, after what she did?”
“Well, it was Papa’s intention to give her a home. And I may soon find myself moving to Lyondale.” Daisy smiled, recalling Tristan’s kiss after he requested the right to court her. When he escorted her to the carriage, he whispered that their courtship would be proper, but not a day longer than necessary.
“Yes, you and your duke do seem cozy together,” Mrs. Bloomfield said. “Your mother was never able to sit you down and tell you the sort of thing mothers tell their daughters when it comes to courtship and marriage…and the night of the wedding. Shall I take some time soon to do that with you?”
“Um…it would not be strictly…new information at this point,” Daisy whispered, blushing furiously.
Her sometime teacher raised an elegant eyebrow. “I see,” she replied. “Well, no doubt that fact will hasten your suitor’s proposal.”
“I do hope so.”
Mrs. Bloomfield chuckled. “Oh, to be young again. Now you rest, dear. Lady Weatherby and I shall deal with any callers. I thought we should have Poppy to dinner tonight, so she doesn’t have to dine alone at an inn. And tomorrow morning we’ll go to Rutherford Grange and settle things with the dowager baroness.”
The next morning, Tristan came to Lady Weatherby’s in his own coach. Daisy and Mrs. Bloomfield climbed in, and the driver started down the road that led to Rutherford Grange.
“Are you ready to go home, my lady?” Tristan asked her.
Daisy nodded. “It will be good to see the Grange again, and see Elaine and Jacob and the others. And to speak to Lady Ru—my stepmother, that is. I have many questions for her.”
“And you’ll have reinforcements should you need them,” Tristan assured her, leaning across the coach to take her hand for a moment, “though you are a force all on your own.”
“Well spoken, your grace,” Mrs. Bloomfield said, with a smile at Daisy.
When the coach arrived at the Grange, the place was strangely quiet. But the moment Daisy stepped out of the carriage, the servants and local farmers seemed to pop up like mushrooms. Everyone bowed or curtsied toLady Margaret…except for Elaine, who enfolded her in a hug and sobbed with joy to see her.
“Stop now, wife,” Jacob muttered, though he was trying not to laugh. “You’re spilling your tears all over our rightful baroness.”
“Oh, I’m just so relieved to see you again, child! And so happy to hear that right will be done and the true heiress will be in charge of the Grange, just as it ought to be.”
“I do hope that everything will go smoothly,” Daisy said. “But first we must speak with my stepmother.”
“I’ve been in the kitchens all morning,” Elaine said. “Where’s the girl who sees to the upstairs? Eliza, come here!”
A slender housemaid with dark hair and a worried expression hurried up to Daisy and Tristan. “I’m here, my lady, your grace.”
“We are here to speak with the dowager,” Tristan said. “And I am not in a mood to wait. Show us to her immediately.”
“I cannot do that, your grace,” the servant said nervously.
“Whatever she may have ordered you to do,” Tristan said, more kindly, “ignore it. I will see to it that you suffer no punishments for disobeying her.”
“Oh, sir, that is not what I meant.” Eliza looked tormented. “You must understand, I cannot show you to her ladyship because her ladyship is not here!”
“What?”
