“As you wish, sir.” Ever the soldier, Collin clicked his heels together, saluted his commanding officer, pivoted sharply, and marched out of the office. He turned right toward his own office instead of left toward the building’s exit.
“Hunt!” came Treadway’s voice from behind his desk, as though the man could see through the walls. He knew Collin too well. “Do not stop at your office and get paperwork. Leave. Now!”
Damn it. Collin turned once again and marched past Treadway’s open door in the opposite direction, refusing to spare the man another glance.
Jamming his hands in the pockets of his coat, Collin left the building and walked toward St. James, where his apartments were located. For once, he strode with his head down, staring at the sidewalk, lost in thought. A bloody fortnight? Without working? He’d never be able to stand it. He’d been serving his majesty in the royal army since he was a lad of sixteen. He’d fought in the wars, rescued prisoners, and foiled plots against the government while working as a spy. Now he was a general assigned to the Home Office. And while the paperwork he was forced to do these days was not nearly as exciting as his time on the Continent, fighting Napoleon’s best, he still felt as if he was making a difference, protecting and defending his country. Something his family had essentially dedicated their lives to. Even Adam used his printing press to further the cause of the military and recruit new soldiers.
Collin scrubbed a palm against the back of his neck and kicked at a stone in the dusty roadway. A fortnight without working? Was that possible? Who was he without his work? More importantly, what in the bloody hell was he supposed todo? He could go to Brighton and visit his mother. She would like that.
But Brighton brought back memories he didn’t relish, and he could only be in his mother’s company for so long. She tended to talk incessantly and ask him repeatedly when he meant to settle down and produce grandchildren. It didn’t matter that his brother Derek already had two children, Mary and Ralph, while Adam had two sons, Frederick and Allan. Mothers had a habit of wanting grandchildren fromallof their offspring.
Collin was already in a foul mood. Visiting Mother and being nagged wouldn’t help his disposition. No, he had to find something else to do.Aholiday, Treadway had said. What, take the waters in Bath? Collin would be bored stiff. Travel to Dover and take a packet to Calais? He’d seen plenty of France during the wars, thank you very much.
There was only one thing he could think to do. Only one thing that wouldn’t drive him completely mad. His brother Derek, the duke, usually retired to his country estate this time of year. The house was large and comfortable. Collin adored his niece and nephew, and was quite fond of his sprightly sister-in-law, Lucy. He appreciated his older brother’s company and wise counsel. Besides, Derek was always up for talking about politics. At least Collin would be able to enjoy that, even if he couldn’t do actual work.
Turning onto St. James Street, he made his way to the building that led up to his second-floor apartments, opened the door, and jogged up the stairs. He pulled his key from his inside coat pocket and blew out a deep breath. Fine. He had little choice. He would take a bloody holiday, at Derek’s country house.
Chapter Three
Erienne Stone smoothed a hand over her middle, took a deep breath, and lifted her other gloved fist to employ the brass knocker that rested on the front door of The Duke of Claringdon’s town house.
She hadn’t expected to be chosen for an interview for this particular position, and now that she was here, staring at the black-lacquered entrance of the imposing town house, her insides were a mass of nerves. She briefly considered turning and hurrying all the way back to Mrs. Griggs’s offices.
Mrs. Griggs was a nice, efficient woman, and she’d promised Erienne she would help her find suitable work as a governess, but Erienne had no clue the lady would submit her credentials to the illustrious Duke of Claringdon’s household.
Erienne’s last place of employment had been in Shropsbury, taking care of two darling children for Baron Hilltop, a friend of her father’s. It had been a lovely time, the last fourteen years, but the children had grown up, as children tend to do. Lady Hilltop had tried to assist Erienne in finding a new position, but there hadn’t been anyone in the area in need of a governess.
Finally, Lady Hilltop had helped Erienne pack her small trunk for London and had given her an excellent reference to present to Mrs. Griggs. Mrs. Griggs owned an employment office in town, and Lady Hilltop’s friends had recommended the woman’s services. Erienne had taken off in a midday mail coach to London. That had been barely a sennight ago, and now here she was, going for her first interview at the town house of none other than the renowned Duke of Claringdon.
She might not have been so nervous if she didn’tknowthe Duke of Claringdon. Or, more correctly, had known him in her youth. But she doubted very much if Mrs. Griggs would believe her if she’d said to the lady, “I cannot possibly interview with the Duke of Claringdon because I was once madly in love with his brother.” It sounded insane even to her own ears, and she knew it was true. Besides, even if Mrs. Griggs did believe her, the woman might just question Erienne’s sanity for allowing a duke’s brother to slip through her fingers.
At any rate, that had all been an age ago, and Erienne needed work. She wasn’t about to mark herself as particular and troublesome by refusing her first interview. Besides, she highly doubted the illustrious Duke of Claringdon, the war-hero duke, the Duke of Decisive, as he’d come to be called, would even remember a young lady from Brighton who’d been in the company of his brother Collin a time or two. It was presumptuous of Erienne to think the duke would remember her name or her face, especially if she arrived on his doorstep in an attempt to gain employment from him. Besides, the lady of the house, the duchess, would most likely be the one interviewing a governess for her children. Erienne had little to worry about.
So why was her stomach tied in knots as she waited for the front door to open?
When it did, a distinguished-looking butler stood there, staring down his nose at her. Baron Hilltop’s home had been small and far less imposing. The servants had all been friendly and relaxed compared to what she’d heard about the servants in the houses of the upper crust in London. Why, precisely, had she thought it was a good idea to come to London again?
“Yes?” the butler intoned, staring at her as if she were a chimney sweep with a sooty nose.
“I …” She swallowed the lump in her throat and tried again. “I’m here to see the Duch…ess of Claringdon, her grace. I have an appointment,” she hastened to add.
“Your name?”
Drat. Of course she should have given her name first. She has was a complete ninny. “Miss Er…Erienne Stone.”
The butler blinked at her slowly, his face registering neither recognition of the name nor the intention to send her packing. Servants at the finest households were apparently trained to show no emotion whatsoever. She’d do well to remember that for her next interview, because she had no intention of actually securing this particular position. Even if she were offered it, she’d be a fool to take it. She’d come here to please Mrs. Griggs, to gain some practice in the art of the interview, and because the sum of money Mrs. Griggs mentioned as the pay for being the governess in the house of a duke and a duchess was an amount that would more than pay for Peter’s surgery.
And very well … If she was beingcompletelyhonest, she’d also come to see if there was any possibility whatsoever of learning the slightest piece of news about … Collin.
The thought had stolen the breath from her lungs, but she couldn’t help herself. She simply couldn’t. It was wrong and it was madness, but she hadn’t been able to keep herself from coming here today. The papers often held news about the duke and his dashing wife, but she’d found little about Collin over the years. She couldn’t help her curiosity. Not because she still cared for him. Never that. Their involvement with each other had been a lifetime ago. But merely because she … wondered about him from time to time. Was he happy? Was he married? Did he have a son with his own dark hair and green eyes?
The butler stood to the side and opened the door wider, scattering Erienne’s thoughts. “Come in. Her grace is expecting you, Miss Stone.”
Erienne nearly doubled over with relief. She stepped inside the grand marble-lined foyer and tried not to gawk at the exquisite room. A double staircase made entirely of marble and sleek, polished wood snaked its way up on either side of the cavernous space. White, shining marble floors spread in front of her as far as the eye could see. Highly polished wood tables sat on either side of the room with elaborate golden candelabras gracing the centers of both. The place smelled like lemon and costly wax, and a huge crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling between the two sides of the staircase.
The interior was sparse, but gorgeous and tasteful, a far cry from the tiny cottage at the end of the lane where Derek Hunt and his two brothers had grown up in Brighton. She’d always known the Hunt brothers were special, but Derek’s success made tears sting her eyes. She quickly blinked them away.
Aware of her gawking, Erienne snapped her mouth shut. She wasn’t certain she was dressed well enough toenterthis house, let alone apply for employment within its magnificent walls. Shewascertain the butler’s livery cost more than the entire fourteen years of pay she’d received while working for the Hilltop family. She clutched at her simple white cotton reticule and glanced down at her serviceable white cotton gown and light green woolen pelisse. Her kid slippers were also white and also serviceable, but just last week she’d added small satin ribbons to the tops to make them more stylish. Now she’d never been more relieved that she’d taken the time to do something so frivolous.
