His Michaelmas Mistress Page 15

  “Where are your walking boots?”

  “I can handle it myself. I am not completely helpless. Now, you go downstairs, and try to be nice to your father.”

  “If you stop calling him that, mayhap, I will try to be cordial, and attempt to give him a tree branch.”

  “An olive branch.”

  “That, too,” he murmured. “It would be so easy for me to shut that door and take you, Julia.”

  “You keep making promises you know you can’t keep. Your Papa is downstairs waiting for you to return, and if you don’t do that in a timely manner, he will report to my Mama. And I can tell you that you wouldn’t want my Mama to catch us in such a scandalous situation. We would never ever live it down.”

  “I will do anything to keep from having your Mama come in here like a bat out of hell,” he shuddered. “One can’t possibly fight that woman. We could have used a few like her when we were fighting Napoleon. He would have known he was beat if he saw an army full of women like Lady Tisbury marching toward him. ” Sighing, he left the room, making her feel as she always did when he left—empty inside.

  Chapter Fifteen

  They had all climbed the two hundred some odd steps of the King Edward Folly Tower. Julia felt a bit winded, but both Freddie and his father seemed rejuvenated by the physical exercise.

  They drank from the flask of water they had carried with them. Sighing, she moved to look over the beautiful view of Wiltshire that being up this high afforded them. They had a clear view of the River Avon, and the swans on the River painted a quaint little scene. Boats and barges could also be seen, as they traveled the waterways.

  “I never thought that England was any prettier than Scotland, but the views from here are quite breathtaking, and it was well worth the climb.” The Duke grinned at Freddie and Julia.

  “I can’t imagine living anywhere else,” she said softly. “I have spent most of my life here. Mama likes London, but I have always preferred country life.”

  The Duke nodded his head. “I, too, have always enjoyed life away from London. The Highlands are quite rugged, compared to the life you enjoy here. We are pretty much isolated where we are. And our winters are colder and harsher than the ones you enjoy here.”

  Julia listened to the Duke’s words with hope leaving her heart. From the sound of it, she wouldn’t be able to abide Scotland, and what would they think of her there?

  She was an English lady.

  “Still, I can’t see why the two of you wouldn’t be able to split your time between here and the Highlands, and as it is right now, I have no intention of dying anytime soon.”

  Relief swelled through her. She could live with that. Being away from Wiltshire some of the time, instead of all of the time, was preferable to uprooting and living there for the rest of her life.

  “Wiltshire will always be here waiting for us,” Julia said, sighing heavily. “And my family might be inclined to take a holiday there. Still, Wiltshire will always be home for me.”

  “Aye. And what a beautiful place to call home,” the Duke said.

  Encouragement shone in his eyes. His eyes were so like Freddie’s, and for that reason alone, she was endeared to him.

  “Freddie? What do you think?” she asked softly.

  “I am thinking I can’t change my spots so quickly. I was raised as an Englishman. I don’t know how those up where you live in the Highlands shall view me. I might be a…what do you call them...Sissy...Sassy…oh, hell what do they call us English?”

  “Sassenachs,” the Duke said.

  “That’s it,” Freddie said. “They’ll call me that name, and I have to tell you…I have a temper. I will lose it, if they push me too far.”

  “And I wouldn’t blame you. No, they will welcome you back as the lost son who has returned. They will not call you a Sassenach. Not if they know what is good for them.”

  “And what about Julia? She has not one drop of Scottish blood in her.”

  “She will be your wife. Thus, they will treat her accordingly. We are not savages…or barbarians, Freddie. Once you are a part of our family, we will fight tooth and nail for our kin.”

  Julia smiled. “At least that much we share in common. My family feels the same way. We might not always show it, but we are deeply devoted to each other. That’s not the way it is for most families in the ton. Most families are strangers to each other…and in the past, I have felt so sorry for some of my bosom chums, back when we were on the marriage mart together, and their mothers and fathers pushed them into matrimony. I have watched too many of my girlhood friends marry men they despise. Mama has always encouraged me to marry, but she’d never actually force me into it.”

  “I find it hard to believe that an independent woman such as you could ever have placed herself on the marriage mart,” the Duke said.

  “Oh, but I did,” she laughed. “I danced, and I flirted with the best of them. During those terrible years we were at war, I was a silly young chit thinking only of balls, love letters, dancing, riding in Hyde Park, and being welcomed at Almack’s. I found, after a few dizzying Seasons that the quiet life such as it is here, suited me so much better. Wiltshire is my safe haven. It is the place where I have always been able to be myself.”

  “And I won’t take that away from you, Julia. Don’t fret, love,” Freddie said softly.

  “I shan’t. I won’t ever worry again, as long as you are with me, Freddie. I won’t flinch or flee. I shall be stalwart. Home will be wherever you are.”

  “And with your stubbornness, I am quite certain you will be able to handle anything that the Scots throw at us,” Freddie said.

  The Duke laughed. “I wouldn’t be so certain of that, but you are right. The two of you shall survive anything that comes your way.”

  Her eyes went to the barouches, curricles, one phaeton, a landau, a pony trap, and a one horse gig that made their way toward Castleton Court.

  “Freddie, what time is it?” she asked nervously. They’d been having such a good time that she feared it had quite gotten away on them.

  “Uh, oh,” he said, looking at his watch. “We have let the time slip away from us, Julia.”

  “Those are the ladies arriving, and I am going to be late, and look at me, I look an absolute fright!”

  She was about to dash away, and Freddie stopped her before she could make her escape. “You are flustered. Haste makes waste, remember that, dear? Now, you will walk sandwiched between my father and me. I don’t want you taking a tumble down the flight of steps.”

  “And you think you are more surefooted than me?” she snorted.

  “Aye, I do. I have had a lot of practice scaling various buildings, and mountains. So aye, I am better on my feet than you are, and you look a little peaky.”

  She would have argued with him, but as it was, they had precious little time to spare. She didn’t really want to have her meeting, in the state she currently enjoyed. She was hot and sweaty. Her hair was a mess, and she was altogether too flushed looking for most of the ladies that were in her Society. They were bluestockings, despite that, they were not rebels.

  “Why don’t you simply tell everyone that you’re going to have your meeting outside today?” the Duke said. “It’s unseasonably warm, and the sun is out…and a little bit of fresh air never did anyone harm. You could have the tables and chairs set up in the Roman Temple Folly…that way if the heavens did open up, no harm would be done.”

  They were nearly at the bottom, and Julia was glad for it, because her feet and legs ached terribly.

  “That is a good idea, Your Grace. And my appearance shall be explained. We shall tell them we were all enjoying the lovely weather.”

  “Capitol,” the Duke said.

  “Aye, splendid,” Freddie said sullenly. She wished he would snap out of his perpetual state of being in high dudgeon. He had to accept the fact that he was the Duke’s son. Besides, wasn’t it an improvement compared to the wretch he used to think was his father?

&nb
sp; “I shall have to tell the servants to get it ready,” she said, gratefully accepting Freddie’s hand, as he helped her alight the last few steps.

  “I think you should go and sit over there on that stone bench, Julia. You look quite worn out. I will go and tell the servants what they need to do. I will have them bring some bread, cheese and some fruit with the brandy as well, as I’m feeling a tad bit peckish.”

  “But Freddie…” she began, before he cut her off.

  “I assume there is no rule against men attending these bluestocking meetings?” Freddie asked.

  “I suppose not,” she said thoughtfully. “Men have been considered bluestockings as well…so I guess it wouldn’t do any harm. And I am quite certain that the ladies would love to meet your father, as long as he has no objections?”

  “Indeed not. I know how gossip spreads in these little villages. We should put any rumours to rest. I wouldn’t want any fudges to start,” the Duke said.

  “Oh, heavens no,” Julia said.

  Freddie silently left. She and the Duke strolled toward the stone bench that Freddie had urged her to go and sit on.

  “I don’t think I will ever win him over. He is as stubborn as I am, and he resents me terribly,” the Duke said.

  She sighed. “Give it time, sir. You have only just arrived. He hasn’t had time to get used to you being in his life—and Freddie is awfully stubborn. A character trait I assume, he inherited from you. You must forgive him acting so harshly—he’s had a difficult last few weeks…as have I.”

  These last few weeks had been a little too dramatic for both she and Freddie. She had been faced with a ghost of her past, and he had been faced with a ghost of his past except there was one difference, this ghost wouldn’t go quietly.

  “Aye, the wedding that wasn’t…isn’t that what the two of you call it?”

  “Yes. And Freddie won’t stop worrying because the man who came back and objected to it is still in the area. He has had a hard time believing me. I keep telling him I shan’t ever have my head turned by Lord Charles, but when Freddie gets one thing in his skull, it is terribly hard to convince him of anything else. I think I have finally put his concerns to rest, or at least I pray I have.”

  “I hope you have. That lad has a hard time trusting people. I take it from what we talked about last night, the only group of people he trusts with his life, are the men that were a part of The Angles of Death with him. I met two of them, they are good men.”

  “Oh, indeed, they are. They are the best. They are his mates for life. He knows they won’t ever betray his trust. There are very few people in this world that you can trust with your life, and he trusts them explicitly. They educated him by teaching him how to read and write, and they gave him the social manners he needed to get by.”

  The Duke’s eyes hardened. “He should have had all of that before he entered the Army.”

  “You can’t keep bemoaning what he missed out on. I think that is part of what is placing the wedge between the two of you. He feels as if he isn’t good enough to be your son, and that is through no fault of his own. Freddie thinks you are only reuniting with him because you have no other recourse. Your line is dying out—and he is your only hope. Mayhap, if he didn’t think that…if he thought that you wanted him for what and who he is…and not just to be his heir—that might make him feel differently.”

  “Freddie runs things a little like he is still in the Army. I have never seen servants move with such haste,” he mused.

  “Oh, aye, he has that effect on people. They are a little afraid of letting him down. His size assists him in many of his endeavors.”

  “I hear he rescued you the first time you met?”

  Julia laughed. “My Cousin Rose and I were a little in need of rescuing. Although, I fancied at the time that I had it all in hand. I did not,” she chuckled. “He showed up with Tiny and well, he was carrying his axe on his shoulders, and they both said, Boo. There was lightning, thunder and rain, so they had the perfect ambiance for such a thing. They caused the travelers that were harassing us to flee in terror, and saved us from a grim fate. My uncle was on his way. However, there is no telling if he would have arrived in time.”

  The Duke smiled. “I wonder how many times in his life he has struck terror in other men’s hearts.”

  “Freddie isn’t a man to trifle with, Your Grace. Not by a long shot.”

  “It does my heart good to see that my son has turned into the proper kind of man. He has honour, compassion and loyalty, to those he holds dear. That is in such scarce supply these days. I have seen many of my Scottish friends look upon the dandies they have raised with remorse. At least I can look at my son with pride.”

  Rose and Iris led the women out to where they were. Julia and the Duke moved to the Folly, and settled themselves on the chairs that the footmen were still bringing out and arranging.

  “It is a lovely day to spend outdoors,” Iris said. “Mama decided not to come today. She was still a bit tired from last night. She decided to send Ruby in her stead…now, where did she get off to?”

  Julia laughed. “She is probably hiding somewhere, or attempting to blend in with the wall hangings.”

  “She does like to become one with the wallpaper,” Rose said. “There is nothing to fear here. Well, except for Tiny. He and Lucky are back from Devizes, and they saw us on the road to Castleton Court, and decided to join us. That’s probably another reason why we won’t see Freddie. He has reunited with almost all of his mates. We saw him as we made our way out here. He looks to be in high dudgeon, and since Micah insisted in coming with me, he is probably in the house talking to him.”

  “Lewis is here as well. He was interested in our meeting. So, I expect we shall see him soon,” Iris said.

  “I hope Lewis brings him to his senses,” Julia said.

  “Oh, aye, he might. But as they all back together again, I don’t think we have much hope of seeing them out here. Their voices were booming through the Ladies Long Gallery, as they started gabbing away,” Iris said. “They tend to gossip more than we women do. Apparently, Enoch Smith and his wife attempted to get away from Tiny and Lucky several times during their journey to New Bridewell. The Parish Constables were afraid of Enoch and Madge, and told them that they were leaving all responsibility to them. They left them before they even reached the prison. I only hope that Papa serves them with a fitting punishment. For Freddie’s sake, mayhap, he will send them to Australia, for a few years. That would get them out of Freddie’s hair altogether. We heard that you had a bit of a difficult time with Lord Charles yesterday.”

  Julia looked around. “I shall have to tell you more later on this afternoon, once the other guests leave. Right now, it seems as if I have the duty of introducing the Duke to everyone, as Freddie shan’t show hide nor hair of himself now that his mates are back.” She smiled as all of the women finally gathered around, and looked out of the corner of her eye at her two cousins, “This should be fun. Ladies, let me introduce you to His Grace, The Duke of Bowdon and Lydney. He has been kind enough to grant us with his presence today.”

  She looked at the book of Shakespearean Sonnets they were going to talk about.

  “Ah,” the Duke said, “The Sonnets of Shakespeare…I think I might enjoy this meeting,” he said, winking cheekily at the women who let out titters. They were all charmed by the Duke. Everyone save for her, Rose and Iris.

  She wanted to know why Freddie couldn’t come out here with his mates in tow. Instead, he left her to do everything. He couldn’t seek to hide away from them forever. Chewing on her lip, she started pouring the brandy, and handing it out to the women while their talk went to the Sonnets.

  If Freddie sought to stay away from them during the entire meeting, she would be sore at him!

  *****

  Freddie stood with his mates, admiring all of the portraits in the Ladies Long Gallery, whilst telling Tiny and Lucky about everything that had happened while they were away.

&n
bsp; “I’m still stunned. I can’t believe that this old bastard is a son of a duke—not just a son, but his legitimate heir,” Tiny exclaimed. “It blows me over it, does. To think you were the same man I used get into all sorts of hellish scrapes with, and one of these days, I’m going to have to call you, Your Grace. Well, don’t be getting any airs about you, Freddie, you’ll always be little old Mouse to me.”

  “Little?” Lewis scoffed. “That’s something Mouse will never have to worry about being.”

  “I’m just saying we’ve seen each other at our best—and at our worst. I’ve got a few dirty tales to tell about you, should I ever think you’ve ever gotten too big for your britches,” Tiny warned.

  “Freddie, staying in here with us, isn’t going to rub Julia the right way. She will be furious with you,” Micah said.

  “She won’t be. Once I charm her a bit.”

  “Oh, mate, charming ain’t going to soothe that beast. Womenfolk are mighty hard to soothe once they are vexed. Now, me, I’ll stay in here. I don’t know how to act around a duke, let alone the duke who is your natural father,” Tiny said.

  “That’s my problem, too,” Freddie admitted. “I don’t even know how to act around him, and he looks so much like me, I can’t keep denying it. I’m a simple man, and every time I look at him, I think…this can’t be happening…it will all vanish into thin air. And sometimes, I think the same thing when I look at Julia. The one thing I never have to worry about is her being sore at me. She gets irked with me, but she never stays angry at me for long.”

  “Freddie, if you want to marry her, you have to learn that sometimes, we men have to compromise with our women in order to keep them happy,” Lewis said.

  “I wouldn’t say that with Iris within earshot, mate,” Micah said. “That’s a really good way to put yourself in hot water,” he chuckled.

  “Why not? He is right. We men do have to humour the ladies. I know that Julia has a frightful temper, and she can be moody,” Freddie mused.