Esmeralda didn’t know her heart could beat so fast. “It’s not hard when the teacher is a master.”
“I could teach you many things, Miss Swift.”
“Right now, all I need to know is when you plan to tell the twins.”
He smiled. “For now, I don’t plan to tell Sara and Vera at all.”
“What? You can’t mean that?”
“I do.”
“Why?” she questioned. “I’m sure, as they get to know other young ladies at the balls and parties, they will hear this gossip. They’ll be asked about it. I think they’ll be upset you didn’t share this with them.”
“Probably, but I think it will upset them more if I tell them there is a rumor that someone is out to make mischief.”
Forgetting her earlier determination to be more cautious with her words, she said, “I’m sorry, Your Grace, but that simply doesn’t make sense.”
“That’s because you don’t understand,” he said calmly, appearing unruffled by her bold statement. “My sisters have been sheltered at Griffin for most of their lives. If I tell the twins about this rumor before the Season starts, they will assume I’m worried that something terrible will happen to them. If they think I’m worried, they’ll be frightened. I don’t want that. I know they’ll hear about this gossip. When they do, they’ll ask about it. I’ll say that I heard the vile talk and that I think it’s rubbish. I have dismissed it as scandalmongering and paid it no mind, and neither should they. I’ll expect you to say the same should they come to you. That should calm their fears and allow them to continue to enjoy their Season.”
She understood his reasoning, but still didn’t agree with it. “I’ll abide by your wishes, of course.” She hesitated, then added, “Not to argue your point.”
“But you will,” he said before she could finish her thought. “I expected no less from you, Miss Swift.”
She ignored his sarcasm. “Good. It’s a valid one. And I know you didn’t ask my opinion, but I’m not sure it’s wise to keep this from your sisters. I agree that it’s rational thought that they will take their cue from you and act as you do, but there is that old adage that says forewarned is forearmed.”
He quirked his head and straightened, though his gaze didn’t leave her face. “You make too much sense, Miss Swift. Your point is valid too.”
“Then perhaps you should listen to me,” she said without any qualms she was going too far.
An attractive grin lifted the corners of the duke’s mouth. “I can see you are used to giving orders around the employment agency. It’s no wonder Mr. Fortescue thought you the best person to manage it for him. But your instructions and commands will not work on me.”
She had no idea if that was a compliment or a slight, so she chose to disregard it and say, “I only have your sisters’ best interests at heart.”
“And that is why you are here.”
“Do you have any idea who these men might be?”
“Only suspicions at this point.”
“Don’t you think you should let me know who you think they are so I can be aware if I see them with your sisters?”
He blew out a scornful breath. “If the number was smaller, perhaps so. There were twelve young ladies that we sent letters to that Season. Of the twelve, five have older and younger brothers. Some of the others have only younger or older brothers. Seven have fathers who are still living, and all twelve have numerous male cousins and uncles. So narrowing the field is not going to be easy until I have more information.”
“Oh my. I can see that. Perhaps there is other information you can go on.”
His brow furrowed with interest. “What has crossed your mind?”
“I would assume that if the young lady is married and happy with her life, none of the male family members would be bent on rehashing that unbecoming story to seek retribution. Do you have any idea how many ladies fall in that category?”
“No, but you may have something there. That should be easy enough to find out, and I do believe it would narrow the field considerably.” He smiled. “That’s very sound reasoning, Miss Swift.”
She acknowledged his approval of her assessment with a smile of her own. “If a lady hasn’t married these ten or so years, then perhaps her father or brother or whoever takes care of her would be more inclined to blame you, and the stunt, or scheme”—she paused—“I’m not sure how to refer to what you did.”
She watched a flicker of something that looked very much like unease cross his face before he said, “I wagered on a prank. That’s the way I thought of it at the time.”
“Yes, well, others didn’t feel that way.”
“I know that now. I was young and foolish. The wager was never meant to harm anyone.”
