“They have a good foundation now upon which to build. Miss Birmingham is also going to teach them a bit of ancient Grecian and Roman history, along with English history.”

  Win laughed. “That, in itself, is bloodthirsty enough. Charlie has a bit of a weak stomach, though Freddie enjoys that kind of thing. Bluebeard is his favorite of the fairy tales in a book I gave them.”

  They talked a bit about some of the land he had seen on the estate that day during his ride and Win said, “If you wish, Kepler has room in his diary tomorrow afternoon to meet with you and answer any questions you have. He said two o’clock would be convenient for him if it were for you.”

  “That suits me well. I wish to go into Marston tomorrow morning and see the tailor Larson recommended to me.”

  Devin held a finger up to silence the duchess, who opened her mouth to protest. “I do wish for my own clothes, Your Grace. Don’t deny me that pleasure. I can only wear Win’s hand-me-downs for so long before I need something of my own,” he joked.

  She laughed. “I can understand that. Minta and I shared our entire wardrobe growing up and during our time in Upper Canada.”

  He looked at her with interest. “You lived in Upper Canada? In North America?”

  “Yes, Papa is with the government and was assigned to be second-in-command to the Administrator in Ontario. Minta and I went with him, thinking we would only be there a few months before returning for our come-outs. Unfortunately, the Americans had other ideas in mind.”

  Devin whistled, low. “You were stuck overseas when the war broke out.”

  “We were. It wasn’t all that bad. We met some lovely people while living in Ontario and then came back to England when the conflict with our American cousins ended.” She chuckled. “I never did make that come-out. A certain duke swept me off my feet.”

  Win took his wife’s hand and laced his fingers through hers. “I promise to introduce you to the ton someday, my love. This next Season would not be the best time, however.”

  Devin realized that the duchess would be heavy with child when next spring came around, especially since Win had mentioned she was due to deliver near the end of May.

  “I don’t mind,” she said. “A come-out is made to secure a husband. I have done so. If we never went to town, I would be perfectly happy. I understand that you will need to go from time to time, both to handle your business interests and take your seat in the House of Lords. Give me the country—and our children. Polite Society truly doesn’t interest me.”

  Farmwell entered the drawing room. “Your Grace, one of your tenants wishes to see you. Would it be convenient for you to do so after tea?”

  Win drained his teacup and rose. “I can do so now. Sera, if you will entertain Dev?”

  “Of course. I will learn all his secrets and then blackmail him for extra pin money,” she teased.

  Her husband chuckled and brushed a swift kiss across her lips before exiting the room.

  Immediately, she turned to him, eyes bright. “Do you have any secrets to share, my lord?”

  He held out his arms, palms up. “I am afraid I am an open book, Your Grace. There is not much to tell. As a soldier for the last decade, my life has been regimented. I am actually looking forward to a bit of freedom now that I have left the army.”

  “Then I will be nosy. Please tell me if I am overstepping. Why did you come to us and not your family?”

  He sighed. “My parents are long dead. I was close to neither of them. Prentis, my brother, is three years older than I am and the current Marquess of Bedford. All I shall say is that I have had strangers treat me better than he did. No communication has passed between us since I left university and entered the military. I doubt I will ever see my brother again.”

  “I am sorry to hear that.” She covered his hand with hers briefly in comfort. “Then I am glad you came to us. Win—and Percy—think the world of you.”

  “They have been good friends to me. You know Win has offered me Kepler’s position.”

  “Yes, we discussed it at length. I hope you will give the offer serious consideration.”

  “I plan to do so,” he said, thinking of the work that lay ahead if he were going to learn to write again.

  “Whether you do or not, leaving the army will give you the chance to have a different kind of life than one always on the move, going from post to post or even marching to war again, though I pray that does not happen for many years. Have you thought of marrying and starting a family?”

  “No,” he said quickly. “Marriage is the last thing on my mind. I want to find what I wish to do with the rest of my life and settle into that occupation.”

  “I thought you might have an interest in Miss Birmingham,” she said, surprising him.

  “Why would you think that?” he asked, his annoyance obvious.

  She shrugged. “Women notice the small things, my lord.”

  He wondered what she had observed that led her to conclude he was interested in Miss Birmingham. He had no interest in the woman.

  Beyond wanting to kiss her. Once. That would be enough to satisfy his appetite.

  “I don’t know what you think you saw,” he said, tamping down the feelings rushing through him. “You are wrong, Your Grace. Yes, I did spend quite a bit of time in Miss Birmingham’s company today simply because I was asked to share with Charlie and Freddie things about my military career and the wars. Other than that, there is absolutely nothing between us.”

  The duchess smiled serenely. “You sound like Gertrude to me.”

  Her words baffled him. “Who on earth is Gertrude?”

  “Shakespeare’s Gertrude. Mother to Prince Hamlet. The lady doth protest too much, methinks,” she quoted.

  Devin knew exactly what she meant. “You are suggesting my strong denial means there is something between us, after all. At least on my part.”

  “Yes,” she said, her gaze steady on him. “I like Miss Birmingham quite a bit.”

  “She certainly is a proud woman. A bold one, too, for having told a duke in plain English that she would not dine at his table on a nightly basis.”

  The duchess cocked her head. “I don’t believe proud is the word. I think Miss Birmingham is confident in who she is and knows her place. It is obvious to me that she is a woman of good breeding.”

  “What do you know of her?” he asked, hoping he could quell his curiosity.

  “Not much,” she admitted. “We were looking to hire a governess for the boys because Win and I were about to wed. We knew they needed someone full-time to help look after and educate them. We met Miss Birmingham’s cousin at the employment agency we visited and he spoke quite highly of her. We met briefly with her in Hyde Park and saw her with Lord Pelham’s two sons. You know how when you meet someone, you simply get a good feeling? That is how we felt about Miss Birmingham. She was experienced. Good with children. And so we engaged her services.”

  “You know nothing of her background? How she came to be in service?”

  “No, and I would not ask her about it,” Her Grace said firmly. “It is her business.” She studied him a moment. “Now, if I were a man and interested in her, naturally, I would wish to hear something of her background to help me decide whether or not to pursue a relationship with her.”

  He shook his head. “I am not pursuing any relationship with your governess, Your Grace. I dd not mean to give you that false impression.”

  “We’ll see,” she said, sipping on her tea.

  They spoke a few minutes and then she said, “I know you were in the library. Have you found a book to interest you?”

  “I have,” he said, even though he hadn’t.

  “That is good. Would you mind terribly if we did not retreat to the drawing room after dinner and you read your book instead?” Her cheeks pinkened slightly as she said this.

  That clued Devin in to what she really wanted. Time alone with her husband.

  “Just because I am a guest in your home does not mean I must be entertained every minute of the day, Your Grace. If you wish to spend private time with Win, please do so.”

  She smiled. “I am glad you understand, my lord. Thank you. The boys take up a great deal of our time, as well as our own responsibilities toward the estate and the household.”

  “No explanation is needed. I see how in love the two of you are. Your time together is precious and I won’t steal any away from you.”

  That night as they dined upon their last course, Win said, “I hope you don’t mind not indulging in cigars and port after dinner, Dev. Sera and I usually go to the drawing room after dinner. She is not fond of the smell of cigars and so I have given them up.”

  “They stink,” the duchess declared. “And they taste . . .” Her voice trailed off and she turned bright red.

  Win chuckled. “What my lovely wife is saying is that when she kisses me, she doesn’t like the taste of cigars on me.”

  “Win!” his wife admonished.

  “That is not a problem,” Devin said. “I have never been one for cigars. As for port, if I want a glass, I can simply have one in the library while I am reading my book tonight. I think I’d rather do so instead of joining you in the drawing room. I hope you don’t mind if I take a bit of time to myself.”

  “Not at all,” she said, smiling at him.

  They left the dining room and he did go to the library to find a book. He perused the shelves for a bit and found a novel that might be of interest. Taking it to a seat, he tried to concentrate on it and found himself too restless to do so. He moved to the window and looked out it, spying the gardens. Taking a walk in the cool evening air sounded just the thing. Or perhaps an evening ride on Domino.

  Then he saw Miss Birmingham approach them and knew she planned to do the same thing. His idea of a garden stroll suddenly seemed infinitely more appealing than a ride.

  Devin quickly made his way downstairs and out of the house, heading toward the gardens.

  And what he hoped was finally a kiss with Miss Birmingham.

  Chapter Eleven

  Julia pushed aside the dinner tray, the meal half-eaten. She had no appetite. A restlessness filled her.

  And far too many thoughts of Lord Devin Hunt filled her head.

  She cursed under her breath, a bad habit she had picked up from Papa, who habitually cursed—but only in front of her. He had told her never to tell her mother he did so, else she would blister him with a good tongue-lashing. Julia had done as he asked, asking in return if she let her good manners slip upon occasion that he also keep that to himself. He had laughed aloud and readily agreed, her co-conspirator in that and so many other things they did together.

  She knew to curb her tongue when in the presence of others, especially the children she taught. But when alone and especially if she were frustrated or upset?

  Julia let the curses fly. Very softly, of course, because one never knew when some servant might be lurking nearby and overhear, thinking it his or her duty to report such goings-on to Their Graces. She hadn’t used a single profane word since she had arrived at Woodbridge.

  Until now.

  Once again, she blamed Lord Devin. The man was far too wickedly handsome for his own good and as a woman, albeit a servant, she should be immune to his charms. She must never let him know that she wasn’t—else he would try and take advantage of her. Yes, he had been born a gentleman, the son of a marquess, but Julia believed the former army officer had more than a bit of a rogue within him. She had vowed never to fall prey to any scoundrel’s misbehavior when she first went into service, knowing young, attractive, female servants sometimes attracted the attention of the master of the house. She had not wanted to lose her good name and reputation, much less compromise herself in any way. Though Mama had never had any kind of what the birds and the bees do talk with her only daughter, Julia spent enough time out on the land and with the animals to have a rudimentary knowledge of what might go on between a man and a woman. And those goings-on could result in a child. Since she had only herself to rely upon, she could not think of compromising herself—or her principles—and lay with a man. No matter how attractive he might be or how interested he appeared to be in her. If a child did result from such a union, she would not be able to continue to hold positions either as a governess or a companion. Neither would be allowed to bring a child with her. Julia couldn’t imagine if she ever had a child how she could possibly give it up.

  That led her back to square one. If she never coupled with a man, this problem would be nonexistent.

  But, oh, how she still would like to venture into a single kiss with Lord Devin. The handsome devil surely knew how to kiss. Since Julia had never been kissed before, she wished she could try it at least once. With him. It would satisfy her curiosity, then she never need do so again.

  She laughed—and cursed once more, this time a touch louder. Asking a man who was practically a stranger to kiss her one time would be a recipe for disaster. She doubted a man like Lord Devin Hunt would be willing to stop after one kiss. Besides, she was not a tease. If she started something, she always finished it. She simply knew not to start anything with this man.

  That would keep her safe.

  Lonely, perhaps. Yearning, certainly. But her reputation would remain intact.

  Julia laughed heartily. Long ago, in her other life, her reputation had been her utmost concern. She was to keep it pristine. Above reproach. Mama had told her never to be alone with a gentleman when they went to the occasional assembly in the nearby village, saying by doing so, it could lead to her ruin. She never really understood how stepping outside for a breath of air with a gentleman could be so scandalous but she had honored her mother’s wishes.

  Stepping outside now seemed the thing to do. A breath of fresh air was called for because her room felt stuffy. The boys were already in bed. She had finished what dinner she could get down. The evening was cool and the Woodbridge gardens beckoned to her. She had twice taken a stroll in them after dinner, enjoying the solitude they offered.

  Since it was late October, she slipped her shawl about her shoulders and ventured downstairs. The house was silent as a clock struck eight. She supposed Their Graces entertained their guest in the drawing room or possibly they had retired early themselves. It wasn’t a secret how much in love the couple was and she had heard they often went straight to the quarters after dinner and even sometimes ate dinner in their private suite.

  The thought caused her feet to falter a moment. She was not jealous of the duke and duchess. Julia was actually happy they had found one another and were living their own love story. They were good people and would always be held in her esteem, especially because His Grace had sought out the by-blows his older brother had abandoned, bringing them to Woodbridge and giving them as much an air of legitimacy as possible. Freddie and Charlie would be educated at the best schools and the duke would see that the boys were afforded every opportunity available to them, thanks to their uncle being a duke. That alone endeared the couple to her, along with the attention they lavished upon the boys.

  It did, though, make her a bit wistful, knowing she would never have any kind of relationship with a man, much less a loving, caring one. As long as she remained in service, she would be relegated to a place somewhere between upstairs and downstairs, hovering in a netherworld of her own.

  Unless she ever decided to take advantage of the legacy.

  Julia didn’t think she would do so for a good number of years. It was something she rarely thought about. It did, however, give her the freedom to leave a position if she ever grew uncomfortable in it.

  She stepped outside and the cool breeze enveloped her. It was light and refreshing. She allowed her shawl to drop from her shoulders to her elbows as she moved across the back lawn and toward the gardens. A group of lanterns sat on a stone bench at their entrance, for the convenience of anyone wishing to inhabit them after dark. This time of year, it grew dark at half-past five so she would certainly need a lantern to move through the paths.

  Gathering her shawl about her shoulders again since it was rather cool, after all, she lit a lantern and picked it up, stepping into the lush gardens. She took her time, meandering down the path, soaking up the quiet. She treasured moments such as these, when it seemed as if she had the world to herself. For a moment, she pretended she was home again, a young girl exploring her family gardens, with no cares or the burden of any responsibilities upon her shoulders.

  She paused when she came to another stone bench. Several had been placed strategically throughout the gardens and she took advantage of this one now, sitting on it as she placed the lantern to the side. Closing her eyes, Julia let her mind wander.

  Then she sensed a presence. She caught a whiff of orange. The spice of cologne she had picked up from Lord Devin.

  He was here . . .

  Forcing her eyes to remain shut, she held her breath a moment. If he came upon her and saw her sitting peacefully, he might continue on his way or even turn back. Surely, he wouldn’t disturb her.

  When she felt him sit beside her, she chastised herself. A man such as Lord Devin wouldn’t consider the feelings of others, especially a lowly governess. He would only think of himself.

  “Miss Birmingham?” His voice was like silk, a soft caress in the dark.

  Julia kept her eyes closed. Let him think she had fallen asleep. Or that she chose to ignore him. Make him go away.

  “Miss Birmingham?” he asked again, so quietly she barely heard him.

  “I was here first,” she said, her voice a whisper. “Please find your own bench, my lord.”

  He chuckled, the sound low. “Do you often sit on benches with your eyes closed?” he asked, intrigue in his voice.

  “When I wish to be alone,” she said firmly, keeping her voice even and neutral.

  “What if you only think you wish to be alone?” he countered. “What if you actually crave the company of another?”

  She did not reply.