Page 34 of The Mistletoe Duke

“Please do.”

“Shall I inform the dowager?”

“Oh. An excellent suggestion.” Let Mother deal with this. “And can you make up a room next to Christian’s for me?” It wouldn’t hurt to have a little extra protection.

“At once, sir.”

Rodgers melted away and Jonathan took a moment to massage the bridge of his nose. What had he been thinking, coming to a house party filled to the gills with predators?

The answer was clear.

He had not been. Thinking. Not at all.

It seemed to be an ongoing condition of late.

And it continued when, after a few more drinks with his friends, he trudged up the stairs and had the wild notion of going to Meg’s room to finish their conversation. Before he had a moment to reconsider such insanity, he turned left instead of right at the landing and made for the governess’s chambers.

It was right next to his daughters’ room, poorly sited for a seduction, but it was his only intention to talk to her. Right?

He scratched at the door, pulse trilling as he waited for her to answer. It seemed to take forever. Finally, he heard a rustling and soft feminine footsteps nearing the door. His heart thudded in his chest and—

The door opened and a young woman peered out at him through the crack. She wore a mobcap and a lawn nightdress and her eyes widened at the sight of him. She was definitely not Meg.

His mood deflated.

“Your Grace?” she whispered. “Is something wrong?”

“Ah… no. Miss…?”

“Miss Ainsley.” Ah yes. Susana’s bloody governess. Why hadn’t he realized Meg would have changed rooms when a real nanny had arrived? But where would she have gone? Blast it all to hell that his house was so large. He could hardly go scratching at fifty doors looking for her.

Blast and drat.

But Miss Ainsley was staring at him. He had to say something. He certainly couldn’t ask where Meg was sleeping. That wouldn’t be proper in the slightest. “I…ah, was wondering how my daughters are doing.” All right. That would work.

The tension in her face melted away and she smiled. He realized she was quite pretty when she wasn’t horror-struck to find a duke at her door in the middle of the night.

“Oh, Your Grace. They are fine. We had our own little party in the nursery tonight. They dressed up and wore tiaras and everything. They do love their tiaras. It’s so nice to have girls for a bit,” she added shyly. “Not that I don’t love the boys, but it’s a whole different thing with girls, you know?”

He nodded though he had no earthly clue. “Very good,” he said in his dukiest voice. “Please know we’d like the children to attend the musicale tomorrow at two.” A brilliant idea, because having his girls there would provide him the opportunity to shield himself from the predators.

Miss Ainsley nodded. “Would you like them to perform?”

A wicked smile curled on his lips. Subject his onerous guests to his daughters’ caterwauling? “Yes, please.”

“Very good, Your Grace.”

He nodded to her and turned away, but then had another thought. “And Miss Ainsley?”

“Yes, Your Grace?”

“Let’s have them wear those tiaras, shall we?”

Chapter Eight

Meg awoke well rested the next morning, which was a minor miracle, because she and Susana had stayed up half the night talking. She was also excited for the day. The dowager had asked her perform at the musicale that afternoon, but she hadn’t decided yet what she might sing. So she was thrilled when Vicca and Lizzie burst into her room and jumped on her bed, announcing they were to sing as well and could they please do a trio?

The girls were followed by Susana, who had a wide smile on her face. “Good morning,” she said as she plopped down on the bed as well. “I suppose you’ve heard the news. The girls are to sing this afternoon.”