The Dare-Devil Duke Read online

  Inside the stall Simon was patting a mare which Kasia could see was well bred.

  The animal was obviously pleased with the boy’s attention.

  Kasia made a note that that was the one she would ask to be saddled for him in the morning.

  She did not however say anything about riding.

  She just went from stall to stall, finding the new animals that had arrived from London were some of the finest horse-flesh she had ever seen.

  Simon however, kept going back to the mare, who was called ‘Princess.’

  “She likes me!” he said excitedly.

  Kasia thought he was thrilled that the horse liked him simply because no one else had shown him any love.

  However, time was getting on, and knowing it would be a mistake for Simon to be late for tea with his uncle, Kasia insisted they must return to the Castle.

  “I will come back and see Princess tomorrow,” Simon said when they were alone.

  “And, if you like, ride her,” Kasia said.

  Simon’s eyes lit up.

  “Can I do that?”

  “I am sure you can, but do not talk about it just in case anyone says no.”

  “They are sure to say that,” Simon complained. “Everybody says no to everything I want to do.”

  “Well, you said yes to me, when I asked you to help me to hide,” Kasia replied. “So be careful to behave nicely at tea, otherwise they might send me away.”

  “I will not let Uncle Darcy send you away!” Simon said fiercely.

  “I want to stay,” Kasia said, “so, Simon, please be very polite, and let him think you are going to work hard at your lessons.”

  She thought Simon was going to protest at the word ‘lessons’, and she added,

  “Your Uncle and Mr. Bennett and everybody else thinks I am too young to be your Governess, so we have to be clever and persuade them that I am teaching you lots of things you ought to know.”

  Simon nodded his head and she thought he understood.

  They went upstairs to the school room and she persuaded him to change into a different suit.

  There was a maid to help him change, and she went into her own room.

  There were dirty marks on her gown where she had climbed the tree.

  She quickly changed into a fresh one which she knew was far too expensive for a Governess.

  But it was the simplest of those she had brought with her.

  She and Simon went downstairs to find the Duke in an attractive room which overlooked the rose garden at the back of the Castle.

  The furniture was mostly French.

  Kasia saw at once that there were several beautiful pictures by French artists on the walls.

  The Duke was reading the newspaper when they appeared.

  He put it down and rose to his feet to say,

  “Tea has just arrived, so you are commendably punctual after your walk.”

  “We went to the top of the hill, your Grace,” Kasia said, “from which there is the most wonderful view I have ever seen!”

  “It is what I have always enjoyed myself,” the Duke said, “and what do you think it taught Simon?”

  She thought he was testing her and she answered simply,

  “I think it made him feel that he was looking down from Heaven on human beings, and that we should all, in some way, try to guide and help them.”

  The Duke looked at her in astonishment.

  Then he said,

  “Will you pour out, Miss Watson?”

  There was an impressive silver tea-pot, kettle, cream-jug, and sugar-basin on the table in front of a sofa.

  Kasia sat down to pour out the tea into the china cups.

  As she did so, she said without thinking,

  “We have the same Chamberlain Worcester service at home, and every time I see it, I think how pretty it is.”

  Only after she had spoken, and because the silence was embarrassing, did she remember that a Governess was not likely to own such expensive china.

  The Duke said nothing, but accepted the cup and saucer she handed to him.

  Kasia turned to Simon.

  “Do you like tea, Simon?” she asked, “or would you prefer milk, or perhaps lemonade?”

  “They will not give me lemonade,” Simon said, “because there are no lemons, so they said.”

  The Duke laughed.

  “I expect, if that happened yesterday, they will have some by now.”

  He pulled the bell and when the door opened he said,

  “Master Simon would like some lemonade instead of tea. Please see it is available for him in the future.”

  “Very good, your Grace,” the butler replied.

  “That is very kind of you,” Kasia said.

  She looked at Simon as she spoke and made a little movement with her eyes.

  He understood and said,

  “Thank you, Uncle Darcy. I like lemonade.”

  “I liked it too when I was your age,” the Duke said, “and I would certainly have enjoyed it if I had been able to have it during the war.”

  “Oh, do tell us about the war,” Kasia begged. “I know you did great deeds and won lots of medals, but I am sure no one has told Simon about it.”

  The Duke looked surprised.

  He would have thought it an ordinary topic of conversation in the Castle, if nowhere else.

  “They would not talk to me about the war,” Simon said, “because when I was staying with Cousin Amy I said I was going to be like Uncle Darcy and shoot everyone who was an enemy.”

  The Duke laughed.

  “I am not surprised you frightened them.”

  “I was trying to be like you,” Simon said.

  “I will tell you some stories about the war,” the Duke answered, “but just now I have to cope with the peace, and that means there are a lot of things to be done here in the Castle and outside.”

  “I am sure Simon would like to help you,” Kasia said.

  She realised as she spoke that it was an idea that had never occurred to the Duke.

  He wondered quickly what the child could do.

  “Of course,” he said aloud, “I shall want all the help I can get. In fact, it would be a good idea if Simon and you, Miss Watson, wrote me a list of everything that you see in the house that wants repairing, painting or attending to in some way. Then you can add what you find outside in the grounds.”

  Kasia realised he was inviting his nephew, who had refused to have any lessons, to write.

  “That is an excellent idea,” she said. “Simon and I will have a competition to see who can have the most items on our list.”

  The Duke’s eyes twinkled.

  “In which case,” he said, “I suppose you will expect me to provide a prize at the end.”

  “But of course!” Kasia answered. “It would be no fun without one!”

  She saw that Simon was thinking it over.

  Because she was afraid he might refuse to do anything which involved him in writing, she said, “This is a very beautiful room, your Grace, and I am thrilled to see that you have a Boucher amongst your collection of pictures.”

  “I was thrilled myself when I first saw it,” the Duke said, “but as I am sure you are aware, it needs cleaning, and the same applies to nearly all the paintings in the picture gallery.”

  “That is a place I especially want to see, Simon,” Kasia said turning towards the little boy.

  She felt he should not be left out of the conversation and Simon replied,

  “You said you would explore the garden first.”

  “Yes, I know,” Kasia said, “but there is so much to explore, and for me it is very, very exciting.”

  The Duke talked a little more about the pictures.

  Kasia was amused at his surprise that she knew so much about the artists.

  She was well aware that he was looking at her contemplatively as if he was not quite sure that she was genuine.

  He suspected that someone so young and well dressed
coming to the Castle as a Governess must be some sort of joke.

  As soon as Simon had finished his tea, and had said very little while he was eating, Kasia rose to her feet.

  “I think, your Grace, Simon and I should leave you as I am sure you have so much to do. And as I have only just arrived, I have to find my way about and have a lot to learn about how things are managed here.”

  “I am sure, Miss Watson, you will soon have them managed to your satisfaction,” the Duke said with just a touch of mockery in his voice.

  Kasia was aware that Simon was already walking towards the door.

  As she was about to follow him the Duke said,

  “I would like to talk to you, Miss Watson, about my nephew’s education.”

  He paused for a moment, wondering whether it would be possible to ask her to dine with him.

  Then he knew that the household would think it very strange.

  He was thinking back to when he was Simon’s age and younger.

  He remembered that the Governess or Tutor who taught him came down to luncheon.

  But she always had dinner in their own quarters.

  It was one of the unwritten laws which he was sure was still adhered to.

  Miss Watson was certainly a very unusual Governess, and quite obviously a Lady.

  Yet it would be a mistake for her to be gossiped about below stairs.

  “I think the best time,” he said in a somewhat lofty manner, “would be after dinner. As I shall be dining alone, I should be free at about a quarter to nine so will you join me either here, or in the library?”

  “Yes, of course, your Grace,” Kasia said in a subservient tone.

  She curtsied, then followed Simon to the door. She was well aware as she did so that the Duke was watching her, and, she thought, suspiciously.

  Simon ran up the stairs, and she followed him.

  When they reached the school room, he said,

  “I was good, Miss Watson! I did not do anything bad!”

  “You were very, very good, and it was a splendid piece of acting,” Kasia said.

  “Why do you think Uncle Darcy wants to see you after dinner?” Simon enquired.

  Kasia sat down in one of the armchairs.

  “I am sure he is going to give me a long list of all the things I have to teach you,” she answered.

  “History, Geography, Arithmetic, and lots more!”

  Simon gave a shout.

  “I will not – I will not do it! I will not learn!”

  “I am only teasing,” Kasia said. “And do not worry. Whatever your uncle suggests, I will agree to, and I will just pretend to do what he wants.”

  “That is a spiffing idea!” Simon said. “I was afraid you might be frightened of him and carry out his orders.”

  “I am not a soldier,” Kasia replied, “so I do not have to. In fact you, and only you, know I am a fugitive, hiding in the Castle so that no one will find me.”

  “You do not think Uncle Darcy will suspect you are not what you pretend to be?” Simon asked.

  Kasia thought this was indeed very likely, but it would be a mistake to let Simon think so.

  “We must be very careful and act cleverly, so that he believes I am just a Governess from whom you are learning lots and lots of things, which he believes are important.”

  “He may be very angry when he finds out we have been deceiving him,” Simon said.

  “Then we must be careful that he does not find out!” Kasia said. “And if the people from whom I am hiding are looking for me, they must never think that the Governess at the Castle is the person they have lost.”

  “We must deceive them too,” Simon said.

  There was a note of excitement in his voice. Kasia knew he was finding all this pretence and acting unexpectedly thrilling.

  “You have been very clever up to date,” she said, “and I am sure your uncle did not expect you to behave so well at tea, or be so polite, and that is what you must go on being to everybody!”

  “And that will make them think you are a very good Governess,” Simon said.

  “Of course it will,” Kasia replied.

  She walked to the table on which she saw had been left a number of pencils and a few sheets of paper, besides exercise-books.

  “You must not forget,” she said, “that we have to make the lists for your uncle.”

  She thought Simon was going to refuse to do it and she said quickly,

  “I wonder what he will give us as a prize? What would you like to have if he asked you?”

  Simon thought for a moment before he said,

  “I would like some money.”

  “Money?” Kasia questioned in astonishment. “Why money?”

  “Because they never let me have any.”

  “Do you mean you do not have any pocket money?” she asked.

  Simon shook his head.

  “I had some when I was staying with one aunt, but she was angry because I tried to go to the shops to buy some sweeties.”

  “You mean you tried to go alone?” Kasia asked.

  “They were old and said they were too tired to walk to the village,” Simon explained.

  “And you have never had any pocket-money since then?”

  “It is no use my having any pocket-money if I have nowhere to spend it,” Simon replied logically.

  “Well, prize or no prize,” Kasia said, “I will ask for you to have some pocket-money every week, and then you and I will go shopping. You shall buy what you want, and I am sure there are lots of things I forgot to pack into my trunk.”

  “That would be fun!” Simon said. “I would like that very much!”

  “Then that is what we will do,” Kasia said, “and we might even buy a present for your uncle. That would surprise him!”

  “I want to buy some sweeties,” Simon said.

  “Of course you do, and I used to buy them every week with my pocket-money,” Kasia said, “but I also saved up and bought presents for my father and mother at Christmas, and they were very pleased with what I gave them.”

  There was a little pause. Then Simon said,

  “When I have some pocket-money I will buy you a present!”

  Kasia clasped her hands together.

  “Oh, Simon, how kind of you! I would love a present, I really would! But it must be a surprise, so you must not tell me what it is before you give it to me.”

  Simon looked pleased and after a moment she said,

  “Do not forget that we are going to win a prize from your uncle, and that too will be a surprise.”

  “I do not want to write, and I said I would not write!” Simon said as if he had just remembered.

  “That is what you said to Mr. Jackson, who was obviously a silly man,” Kasia said. “But you and I will be writing things which will help your uncle and make the Castle even more exciting than it is at the moment.”

  She put her fingers up to her face as she said,

  “I have just been thinking that you are a very lucky boy to live in such an exciting, thrilling place.”

  She paused a moment before she went on,

  “I will tell you a story tomorrow about a Castle nearly as big as this one, where they fought against the Vikings when they came in their big ships across the North Sea to steal cows, sheep and women.”

  “What happened?” Simon asked.

  “The people in the Castle were so brave and fought so gallantly that the Vikings went away without any of the booty they had expected to steal.”

  She saw that Simon was listening, and said,

  “That is what you have to do here, and make your Castle so strong that if anyone attacked you, you would be able to drive them away.”

  “Can I have a gun?” Simon asked.

  “Of course if you are fighting you will want a gun! But you would have to learn how to use it first.”

  Simon thought about this and after a moment Kasia said,

  “I can see what your uncle means when he says there is
a lot to be done. There are bricks that need pointing at the front of the Castle, and I expect the reason why they did not want you to go up on the roof is that it needs repairing.”

  Simon had obviously never thought of that and now he said,

  “Shall we put that down on the list?”

  “I think we ought to,”. Kasia said, “and tomorrow we will look everywhere we go to find things that need doing.”

  “I want to start now,” Simon said.

  “Very well,” Kasia agreed, “bring a pencil and a piece of paper and we will do this corridor first, and all the windows on it, then gradually work down, day by day, to the front of the Castle.”

  She glanced at the clock and said,

  “If we do that for half-an-hour, that will give me time to tell you a very exciting story about the invasion of England by William of Normandy before you go to bed.”

  “I would like that, I would like it very much,” Simon said.

  As he spoke he picked up a pencil from the table and took one of the sheets of paper.

  “I think it would be easier to write it down in an exercise-book,” Kasia suggested. “We must put an ‘S’ against the things you. find, and a ‘K’ against mine.”

  “ ‘K’?” Simon queried.

  “That is for my Christian name, which is Kasia,” she answered.

  She spoke without thinking, then put her fingers up to her mouth.

  “Oh!” she exclaimed. “I had forgotten, and that is another secret.”

  “What is?” Simon asked.

  “My name. I told Mr. Bennett that my Christian name was ‘Kate’, but actually it is ‘Kasia’!”

  “I like that! It is much prettier than Kate!” Simon said.

  “That was what I thought, but you must not tell anyone, and I only told you by mistake.”

  “I will tell no one,” Simon said. “‘Cross my heart’!”

  CHAPTER FIVE

  After dinner Kasia went downstairs.

  She was wearing what was one of the prettiest of her evening-gowns.

  It was beautiful but, she was well aware, far too elaborate for a Governess.

  When she walked into the drawing room the Duke was standing in front of the fireplace, obviously waiting for her.

  He watched her as she moved towards him.

  He was thinking that she was exceedingly graceful, as well as, he admitted to himself, very lovely.