Page 6 of Devoted to the Duke (The St. Clairs 1)

Chapter Three

Jeremy found hisgrandmother in her sitting room, sipping a cup of tea as she composed a letter at her desk. He observed her for a moment before making his presence known. Her abundant silver hair was swept off her face, showing the delicate bone structure. Dark blue eyes, ever inquisitive, dominated her face. Though she would be seventy next year, only a few wrinkles appeared about her eyes and mouth, the rest of her face unlined. If she didn’t laugh so much, she wouldn’t possess any wrinkles at all.

His grandmother had been a mother to him since his own passed away in childbirth. The second and third wives his father took tried to mother him briefly but Jeremy hadn’t taken to either woman. Luke’s mother saw Timothy and Jeremy as a threat to any future sons she would bear the duke and kept her distance after those first few weeks. Rachel’s mother was flighty and quite dense—though beautiful to look at—but not much for children. Since both women had also died in childbirth, Jeremy had an odd fear of women giving birth, which made him reluctant to wed. The point of marriage in the upper classes was to procreate so that he would have sons to pass his title and lands to, yet the thought of his wife giving birth made him ill. No law said he had to marry. Once his father was gone and Jeremy inherited the title, he could do as he pleased. If that meant no wife, so be it. Luke—or his son—could become the heir.

He cleared his throat so that Cor would look up. When she didn’t, he entered the room and leaned over her shoulder, pressing a kiss to her cheek.

She turned slowly and gave him The Look, one servants and society alike knew.

“Did you think I didn’t know you’ve been staring at me for the last five minutes, Jeremy?” she accused, though he knew she wasn’t angry.

He wrapped his arms about her. “You are still the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen, Cor. No one holds a candle to you.”

Her graying brows rose. “Not any woman you met in your travels?”

“You are still first and foremost in my esteem,” he replied smoothly. “Come and sit with me and let me tell you some of what I did during my travels.”

“Let me ring for another cup of tea first.” She appraised him. “And something to eat. You look famished.”

He helped her rise and she rang the bell before he escorted her to a settee and joined her. A servant appeared and received instructions, soon bearing a new tea tray with a delightful assortment of treats. He stacked his plate high as Cor poured tea for them both.

“Your letters were wonderful, you know,” she confided. “They were always the highlight of any day in which I received them. You have quite a way with words. Your descriptions were so vivid. Of the people. Streets and shops. The music and food. It reminded me of my wedding trip when your grandpapa took me to Paris.”

Jeremy had never known the man but Cor always spoke of her husband fondly. He regaled her for an hour about places he and Matthew had visited, including some of the businesses they stopped at.

“You’ve always had a head for numbers,” she noted, shaking her head. “I’m afraid your brother only has a head for women.”

He frowned. “Has Luke gotten some girl into trouble?”

“Trouble seems to find Luke wherever he goes. He was in a good deal of it during his Christmas holidays.”

He sighed. “What has he done now?”

“I had to dismiss one of the maids at Eversleigh.”

“Was she with child?”

“No, fortunately. She was almost twice his age. I caught them in a compromising position in the conservatory. It seems Luke started paying her three years ago to... teach him... things.”

Shock filled him. “Paying her? What kind of lessons did she offer?”

Cor sniffed. “Kissing lessons, to begin with, starting when he was twelve. They had progressed from chaste kisses to more... friendly ones. Luke pressed her—”

“He didn’t force her?” Jeremy asked quickly.

“No, nothing of the sort. Luke merely encouraged her to help him expand his horizons as time passed. They’d never engaged in relations, thank the heavens. All but that. She admitted to me that Luke was most likely the best kisser in the county and beyond. He confessed to me that he’d learned how to appreciate a woman. How to worship her body. How to please her in small ways. He said it was all quite useful information that would benefit him in the future.”

Jeremy shook his head. “The audacity of that boy. Father should take a firmer hand with him.”

Surprise filled Cor’s face. “You think your father would chastise him? For all I know, my son encouraged this maid to take Luke under her tutelage. It wouldn’t surprise me if he also paid the woman to educate Luke in the ways of the flesh.”

“You’re right,” Jeremy admitted. “I never told you before but Father took me to a bawdy house when I was around fifteen. It was mortifying. He wanted us to share the same tart. He forced me to watch them couple and then wanted me to do the same as he observed and offered advice. I refused and walked out. He never mentioned it after that.”

She shuddered. “Now that you’re home, my darling, it would be good for you to take Luke under your wing. He needs a good example of what it means to be a true gentleman. I can think of no one finer to guide our Luke than you.”

“I will do my duty, of course, Cor. What happened to the maid?”

“Luke begged me not to dismiss her. He claimed everything had originated with him and that she’d gone along in order to keep her position. While I doubted it, I didn’t have the heart to turn her out without a reference. She is quite a good maid and they can be hard to come by. In the end, I sent her to a property I inherited from my family. It’s isolated, with only a small village nearby. She won’t find much to do there but she still has work.”

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