Page 12 of Lavender’s Lost Duke

Before she knew it, Lavender’s mother and Ash were back in their carriage and on their way to Eton. Her mother’s last words rang in Lavender’s ears. “Don’t make your father suffer more than he has to. Find yourself a husband quickly, someone respectable, mind you.”

As soon as the carriage pulled out of the drive, the duchess took Lavender’s hands in her own. “I know this might be forward, but as Rose is my dearest sister-in-law, I feel claim to you as well. I know how demanding your mother can be and that this will be a difficult few months for you. But I am determined to make it fun as well. Every young lady should have a Season she can look back on with fondness.”

“Thank you, Your Grace.” Lavender fiddled with the lace of her skirts.

“Oh, and none of that Your Grace in the house,” the duchess pronounced. “I’ve been waiting for your mother to leave because I know how she feels about titles, but you are to call me Miriam.”

“I couldn’t presume—”

“You have presumed nothing. We are to be the best of friends this Season, and I cannot put up with being treated like an old matron with a bad knee.” She winked.

The smile that came to Lavender was as natural as the sun rising. “Then you must call me Lavender.”

A young girl poked her head through the doorway, dark curls framing a mischievous grin. “Did he leave?”

“Yes, Lord Winberg had to go,” Miriam answered the girl. “Come in Juliet. I’d like you to meet Lady Lavender Gardner. She is staying with us for a while.”

Lady Juliet came fully into the room. “It’s good to meet you, Lady Lavender.” She curtseyed flawlessly.

Lavender returned the gesture. “Thank you for having me.” She pushed her lips to the side. “How old are you, Lady Juliet?”

Juliet held up both hands to show on her fingers. “I’m six, but I’m bigger than Daniel. He’s only three. And Colin is just one.” She squeezed her hands together in front of her. “Colin is so cute. Probably the cutest baby you’ve ever seen.”

Lavender smiled. “I can’t wait to meet them as well. And you are the oldest sister. My, that makes you very important. Older sisters are such wonderful examples to their siblings.”

Juliet tipped her head to the side. “Oh, Daniel doesn’t listen to me.”

Miriam bent down so that she was face to face with Juliet. “Daniel doesn’t listen to anyone.” She rubbed noses with her daughter. “Is he taking his nap?”

Juliet nodded. “He got tired after playing with Lord Winberg. Nurse Bonnie is trying to help him sleep.”

Lavender felt her eyebrows raise on her forehead. She was happily surprised that Ash had decided to play with the smaller children. Perhaps there was hope for him yet.

Miriam and Juliet showed Lavender up to her rooms on the third floor. A servant was depositing Lavender’s trunks at the foot of the bed. But not just any servant. Lavender knew that man’s large form. It was the one who’d kissed her hand. Her body hummed with awareness anew. She tried to stomp on her feelings. He wasn’t doing anything other than leaving her things in her room and then leaving again.

And then he looked up. His gray eyes reminded her of a storm preparing to unleash its anger. She wondered—just for a moment—if she could calm it. Then his gaze softened a moment before he looked back down at the floor.

How could a person’s gaze send a bolt of lightning through her? She swallowed as he stepped around her, bowing respectfully. Surely, she would become accustomed to his presence about the house as she did with all the other servants.

Chapter 6

It wasn’t that dukes weren’t allowed to get dirty. They were. They were allowed to do whatever they pleased. But for his entire adult life, Thomas hadn’t been truly dirty. He’d never had an opportunity for it. As he ran the palm of his hand across the bumpy soil, he recalled his youth. There had been time and plenty to play in the dirt. He grabbed hold of the nearest weed and pulled at it until the leaves snapped off. He set them in the small pile of weeds he was forming.

“What do you think you’re doing, Tom?” Jack’s voice made Thomas jump.

“I’m pulling the weeds, like you asked.”

Jack’s pinched his lips between his teeth and tried not to laugh. “Call me a salmon! Mrs. Bitters must have it out for me. You’ve never weeded before, have you?”

Thomas motioned to his pile of weeds. “I found a weed, I pulled it. You said to pull weeds.”

“You’re not wrong.” Jack knelt beside Thomas. “You see that small spade in the bucket? Would you hand it to me?”

Thomas did as he was asked, feeling like a child more than a grown man of five and twenty.

“Pulling at the tops of weeds doesn’t make ’em go away. You gotta dig down and pull out the roots.” Jack showed Thomas how to loosen the root from the soil and pull it out. The root was longer than Thomas expected it to be—far larger than the weed itself.

“Of course it’s harder than I expected,” he grumbled. Everything he learned seemed to be following the same pattern.