Page 3 of The Duke and his Muse
“You’re smiling, Miss,” her maid Maisy commented softly. “I haven’t seen you smile since your father passed.”
“I believe Mr. King’s clerk wanted to ask me to marry him.” She let out a chuckle. “Oh my! He is not best pleased with me.”
“Ahh… Yes, I’m sure your feelings were on your face.”
She shrugged. “Shall we proceed to the tea shop? Oliver should be fine alone for another hour or so. Perhaps there will be ginger biscuits today.”
Maisy adored ginger biscuits, and Jane was in no hurry to return to the home she’d shared with her father the last five years. Other than a man of all work from the village who would help with repairs around the cottage when needed, and a girl who that helped with the cleaning once a week, it was now just Jane and Maisy in the house.
* * * * *
Graham had sent Mr. Binns packing as soon as he handed over the estate ledgers. A footman watched the man box up his belongings and escorted him off of the estate. With no reference.
That afternoon he wrote and posted a letter to his mother advising her that she was a grandmother. Graham had received word of Caroline’s death while in London and departed for Bartlett House straight away. The dowager was still at the estate in Norfolk; he imagined she would leave there immediately upon receiving his news.
Despite his surprise arrival, Cook made a delicious meal for him and he enjoyed it alone in the small dining room. He’d looked over the estate finances and saw nothing disquieting in the manager’s work. He would find a new estate manager in hisown good time. He’d been brought up to manage the estate and he could do so when necessary.
As for Daniel… He had no reason to believe the child wasn’t his. His wife had despised his attentions, and he couldn’t believe she’d allowed anyone else the liberty of touching her intimately. He wouldn’t dwell on the past as the present had enough for him to be getting on with.
After he’d eaten, he made his way upstairs to the nursery. All was quiet in the corridor outside the set of rooms that comprisedthe nursery and a bedchamber for a nurse. Would Mrs. Blight now occupy that room?
He knocked lightly at the bedchamber door and waited.
When the door opened, it was to a sleepy-eyed nurse. “Your Grace!”
“Is the child awake?” he asked softly, realizing that it was nearly nine o’clock and possibly past when the child would go to bed.
“He has had a restless day but is finally asleep.”
The woman no longer wore a disgruntled look. There were circles under her eyes, and he felt awful for disturbing her rest.
“Perhaps tomorrow we can discuss my son’s future. I will leave you until then.”
Graham departed, strangely wishing the child had been awake so he could have spent time with him.
Although his own father had died when he was nine years old, his mother had shown him much love and care growing up. He had no idea how to be a father, but he would do his best by the little boy.
Despite the unpleasant creature his wife had turned out to be, she had given him a gift. Tomorrow, he would begin his journey as a father, whatever that might entail.
* * * * *
Jane addressed the tradesman standing on the single step leading to her cottage, “Why would you need to speak with my man of all work?”
“He might want to purchase some of my supplies. I overheard him mention he was working on a fence for you.” The man smiled widely.
“As I am the landowner here, I would be the one to discuss any purchases for my home.”
The man replied apologetically, “I wouldn’t wish to burden you with such transactions, Miss.”
“I do not currently require anything you might be selling.” She took a step back. “My man of all work does not either. Good day.”
She closed the door in his face and turned to see Maisie blinking at her.
“The tradesman insisted on speaking with James.” The employee in question lived in the nearby village of Matford and would start work on repairing the fence on the morrow. “He isn’t from the local area. By now, all the local tradesmen know to deal with me.”
It was true. James was happy to leave the bartering over supplies to his employer. In fact, she thought he liked watching her haggle over prices with shopkeepers. He was an older gentleman in his 50s, but he never cautioned Jane on her behavior in a man’s world.
“Your father always included you when he dealt with the villagers,” Maisie reminded her. “As if…”
