Page 33 of The Artisan and the Duke
The man ignored Lady St Claire’s angry gaze with practiced ease and gave Miss Kelley a smile. “I am enchanted to meet you, Miss Kelley. I thought for sure that Gregory would never settle down enough to marry,” Mister St Claire said with an oily smoothness that made Gregory’s hackles rise.
“You would know, Uncle,” Gregory said with the utmost of care, “how many wives is it that you’ve had now?”
The older man glared at his nephew with coldness before he turned his gaze back on Miss Kelley. “Where are you from, my dear? I have heard so little about your parentage,” Gregory’s uncle asked as he smoothed his graying blond hair back.
Miss Kelley cleared her throat as Lady St Claire gave her an encouraging smile. “I was born in the colonies. My upbringing is somewhat dull in comparison to all of yours; we were a humble family,” Miss Kelley said with a voice that brokered no lies. Gregory gave her an appraising look before his Uncle spoke again.
“Yes, that’s pretty much all I have heard,” the man said with dissatisfaction.” Surely there is more to the girl than a birth?” Gregory’s uncle asked Lady St Claire.
Lady St Claire nodded. “Oh, yes, of course, but Miss Kelley is simply too modest to talk of herself,” Lady St Claire said as her eyes disapproved of the graying man across from her. “She was raised in the colonies by her artisan father and her seamstress mother. Miss Kelley even studied the artisan trade herself and became quite accomplished at it before my Gregory caught her eye.”
“Is her family well-endowed?” Gregory’s uncle asked with eagerness.
Lady St Claire frowned. “Her father worked himself up in society if that’s what you are asking. However, with her father’s unfortunate death, Miss Kelley and her family were struggling with the debts left behind.”
“So, they want money?” Gregory’s uncle asked as his expression grew most unpleasant.
Gregory spoke just as Miss Kelley’s fists tightened. He knew the woman would stand no ill-words towards her father or her remaining family. “They are our family now, and we will take care of them as such, Uncle Lawrence. You understand the sanctity of family, do you not?”
Miss Kelley looked between the younger and older St Claire males. There seemed to be tension there that she did not think was merely posturing. She took a step closer to the Duke and saw the man’s eyes go to her momentarily before he looked back at his uncle.
“Family is a most precious thing, Gregory,” the grey-haired man said as he rose. “I will take my leave to my room. I am most tired from my early trip this morning.” The man bowed to Miss Kelley and Lady St Claire before he swept out of the room grandly.
Lady St Claire rubbed her forehead and complained, “Why did your father have to have such a horrible brother?”
“Makes you grateful that Fred and I are such gentlemen, Mother?” Gregory asked jovially. He hated the anger that his uncle brought out in him. Miss Kelley had already seen too much of his anger, and he did not need her to fear him more.
Lady St Claire gave her son a smile. “Of course, darling. Now, why don’t you and Miss Kelley have some breakfast and then perhaps take a nice stroll in the garden? The roses are blooming beautifully.” Lady St Claire said the last part directly to Miss Kelley.
As soon as his mother was out of the room, Gregory sat down at the table with a sigh. “Do please sit, Miss Kelley,” he said as he gestured to the chair that was already pulled out on the other side of the table.
Gregory watched the young lady drop down into the chair gently. “Pastry?” he asked as he held out a platter with some of the breakfast pastries that his mother loved so dearly.
Jules took a napkin and a pastry with a soft, “Thank you.” She bit into the pastry and exclaimed, “Is this fig?”
“Yes, my mother loves figs,” Gregory said. “Is there something wrong with the pastry?”
Miss Kelley shook her head. “Quite the opposite,” she assured him. “My grandmother when I was very little had a fig tree outside of her house. She used to make the most wonderful cakes with them.”
Gregory smiled. At least the woman liked the pastries even if she probably was not too keen on him at the moment, he mused to himself. Aloud he said, “I would like to extend an apology to you, yet again it seems. My behaviour was deplorable earlier.”
“I did say some things that were bound to ignite your temper, Your Grace,” Miss Kelley said quietly. “You did give me a fright, however, but I understand that you were already under stress.”
They sat in silence for a moment before Gregory cleared his throat, “About the calling off of the engagement.” Jules looked up at him with wide eyes as Gregory continued gently, “I would prefer not to at this time. I understand, of course, if you insist on it.”
Jules looked at the half-eaten pastry in her hand. “I do not wish any ill to befall my family because of hasty words, Your Grace,” she said hesitantly.
“Do you really think that I would toss out a mother and her children because I got slighted? Is that honestly what you think of me?” Gregory asked. Try as he might, he could not take all the hurt out of his voice. He had tried so hard to be forthright with the woman, yet at every turn, she treated him no better than the lowest scoundrel she had ever encountered.
Jules shook her head. “I just have to make sure. You have to understand, Your Grace, that this is my family we are talking about. They are people that you have only known for a week and that you have no connection to other than through me.”
“I see,” Gregory said as he nodded his head. “That is a reasonable point of view, Miss Kelley, and I find that I cannot take offence to that way of thinking.”
Jules looked at him hopefully, “Does that mean that my family’s welfare is not hinged on this betrothal between us?”
“No,” Gregory said firmly. “I hired your mother to be part of our staff. Her staying in my employ only has to do with her willingness to stay and do the work. However, I would appreciate your giving me time to make arrangements if you want to break the engagement. There should be some paperwork to allow you a living allowance at the least.”
Jules seemed dumbfounded. The dark-haired young woman stared at him with her big brown eyes as if she was working out what he had just said. “So you do mean to break the engagement?” Her enquiry was a soft one.
