The Dare-Devil Duke Read online

  “Good evening, Miss Watson,” he said, “if that is your real name. Will you sit down?”

  Kasia looked at him, but she did not speak and he went on,

  “Now I think we should ‘get down to brass tacks’. Why are you here? Is it blackmail? Or perhaps just a flattering desire to meet me?”

  Kasia looked up at him in sheer astonishment. Then she said slowly,

  “I cannot imagine why you should think it is for either of those reasons.”

  “You must give me credit for having some intelligence,” the Duke replied. “Why should anyone as beautiful as you, dressed extremely expensively, want to be a Governess to a boy who is completely out of hand, unless the reason is that he is my nephew?”

  Kasia realised that, although he was speaking pleasantly, he was insulting her.

  “You are very mistaken, your Grace,” she said, “if you think I came to the Castle because I wanted to meet you.”

  She stopped speaking for a moment, then continued,

  “When I answered the advertisement which your Secretary had put in the Morning Post I had no idea that you were in any way connected with the boy who needed a Governess.”

  “In that case of course I apologise for the second suggestion. But the first remains.”

  Kasia could not help thinking it was rather funny, seeing how rich she was, but she simply said,

  “I can assure your Grace that I have no intention of blackmailing anyone.”

  “Then we get back to the basic question, why are you here?”

  There was a pause, then Kasia said,

  “I think, without meaning to be rude, that that is my business.”

  “It is also mine,” the Duke retorted, “as you are in my employment to look after my nephew.”

  As she did not answer he said,

  “You came from London and you were therefore interviewed by Mr. Ashton. Surely he took your references?”

  Kasia was aware that this was a weak point in her case, and she said after a moment,

  “I offered him one, but it would have taken time for him to take it up, and I wished to be in the appointment immediately.”

  “Why?” the Duke asked.

  “I had to leave the place where I was staying.”

  “Did they dismiss you, or did you leave of your own free will?” the Duke asked.

  “Of my own free will,” Kasia replied.

  There was silence. Then he said,

  “I do not seem to be getting any further in this.”

  “Why should you want to?” Kasia asked. “You can see for yourself that Simon has accepted me, and may I say, your Grace, that I think he has been very badly treated and is still neglected in a way I find incredible!”

  “Neglected!” the Duke exclaimed.

  He was obviously, she saw, genuinely surprised at what she had just said.

  “Of course I have only just arrived,” Kasia said, “but from what I have heard, he has been pushed ‘from pillar to post’, unloved and not considered as a living, breathing human being by anyone who has looked after him.”

  The Duke stared at her.

  “You astound me, Miss Watson,” he said. “I cannot believe that this has been happening here.”

  “Well it has,” Kasia answered, “and I am more sorry for Simon than I can possibly express in words.”

  She thought the Duke did not believe her and she said,

  “Did you know that everything he has asked for has been denied him? He has not been allowed to ride, except on a small pony led by a groom, and the way he is fed is quite appalling.”

  “What do you mean by that?” the Duke demanded.

  “I discovered this evening that he was given for his supper bread and milk, and a rather nasty spoonful of pudding. Had you not ordered lemonade for him, he would have had water.”

  “I cannot believe it!” the Duke said. “Surely he could have asked for what he wanted?”

  “Judging from the way he has been refused everything else that has interested him, I am quite certain no notice would have been taken. He, however, enjoyed my supper which I shared with him.”

  The Duke sat down on a chair before he said,

  “Are you really prepared, looking as you do, to stay here in the Castle and turn Simon from what I have been told is a monster into a decent human being?”

  “That is what he is, with me,” Kasia said.

  The Duke looked at her, then he said,

  “Then I can only apologise for what I have been saying, and ask you to continue to look after my nephew and make him, as I have just said, into a human being who will, I hope, be able to go to Eton.”

  Kasia did not reply and after a moment he went on,

  “You must be aware that I am consumed with curiosity. I find it extremely frustrating not to know why you are here, and also why you are so different from anyone else I have ever met.”

  Kasia smiled.

  “I hope that is true, your Grace, and if you will trust me to do what I want to do with Simon, I feel sure that he will soon be very different from what he has been in the past.”

  “I simply cannot believe all this!” the Duke said. “You cannot look like you do, appear very young, and yet be so wise and intelligent.”

  Kasia laughed.

  “That is the nicest compliment I have ever had! Thank you!”

  “That is another thing I find it impossible to believe,” the Duke said. “If you have been in London you must have been overwhelmed with compliments.”

  She did not say anything, and he looked at her for a long moment before he went on,

  “Where did you get that gown?”

  Because it was a question she had not expected at that moment, she replied after a little pause,

  “It was a – present from a – friend.”

  “That is what I rather suspected,” the Duke said.

  She did not understand the sarcastic note in his voice and after a moment she said,

  “I know that you are in a position, your Grace, where you are entitled to ask me questions, and I would answer them if I could. But I am asking you to let me keep my secrets to myself for as long as is necessary.”

  “So you admit to having secrets!” the Duke took her up quickly. “Now that you have said that, I suspect you are hiding from something or somebody.”

  She thought he was being cleverer than she expected and she held up her hands.

  “Please – please,” she begged, “everything is for the moment – going well. Do not – spoil – it.”

  As she spoke she thought she might be speaking to Simon.

  “Very well, Miss Watson, you win!” the Duke conceded. “We will just have to wait and see what happens.”

  Kasia smiled at him.

  “Thank you,” she said. “Now instead of talking about me, which I find very boring, could we please talk about you? There are so many things I want to know.”

  *

  Looking back later at their conversation the Duke thought it was very different from any conversation he had ever had with a beautiful woman.

  Kasia had said she wanted to talk about him. But it was not about him as a man!

  It was about the battles in which he had fought, the situation in France with the Army of Occupation, and his impression so far of the peace.

  The Duke thought he might have been talking with one of his male contemporaries.

  When he remembered what had been said, he was aware that the questions Kasia had put to him were extremely intelligent.

  Never once had she looked at him with that inevitable invitation in her eyes.

  Never had there been an unspoken desire for him on her lips.

  In fact as far as he was concerned the whole evening might have been a part of his imagination and not real.

  *

  Kasia awoke very early.

  Having dressed herself in her riding-habit, she went through the school room into the bedroom occupied by Simon.

  She woke h
im up.

  Ten minutes later they slipped down the back stairs and went towards the stables.

  It was so early that only the two grooms who were on night-duty were there.

  Without any comment they bridled and saddled the horses Kasia chose.

  Simon was mounted first on Princess.

  Kasia was aware that he was thrilled and excited at being allowed to ride a horse.

  She longed to choose for herself one of the new arrivals which had come from Tattersall’s. They were very spirited.

  But she thought that might upset Princess.

  Instead she chose a well-bred older horse which she guessed had been in the stables before the Duke came into the title.

  Because she did not wish them to be seen by anyone at the Castle they left the stableyard by the back entrance.

  It took them as Kasia hoped, into the paddocks.

  She trotted onto the smooth ground, encouraging Simon to ride quite fast.

  She saw with relief that he seemed instinctively to know how to handle a horse.

  She was quite certain that the Duke was a good rider.

  Therefore his brother, Simon’s father, would also have been good.

  By the time they had ridden all round the paddock she was satisfied that Simon was confident enough to go further afield.

  They rode off along some level ground which had a stream running through it.

  Only when they were quite a long way from the Castle did Simon say,

  “I can ride! You see? I can ride, Miss Watson! Now no one can stop me from riding a big horse like Princess.”

  “Of course not,” Kasia said, “and I am sure your uncle will be delighted.”

  She was not surprised when they turned for home to see in the distance the Duke coming towards them.

  She felt sure that he would ride before breakfast, just as her father always did when they were in the country.

  He would have been told in the stables that she and Simon had already gone out.

  “There is your uncle, Simon,” she said. “Now go towards him, so that he can see how well you ride.”

  Simon set off and she deliberately hung back.

  This was the moment when the Duke must think only of his nephew and be impressed by him.

  She was not mistaken, for as she rode up a few minutes later, it was to hear the Duke saying,

  “That was very good, Simon. Your father, if he were here, would be very proud of you.”

  “Miss Watson says I am too old to ride a pony, and be led about,” Simon said.

  “And she is of course quite right,” the Duke answered.

  He looked at Kasia as he spoke and his eyes were twinkling.

  “I have learned that lesson,” he said, “and I will not make the same mistake again.”

  She laughed.

  “It was not entirely your fault, and there are an awful lot of stupid people in the world.”

  “If you are counting me amongst them,” the Duke said, “I shall be extremely annoyed!”

  “I do not think anyone could say that you were stupid,” Kasia replied, “but perhaps just rather ignorant about young boys.”

  “I was one myself once.”

  “And I expect you were very adventurous and continually in trouble!” Kasia retorted.

  The Duke laughed.

  Then he told himself that the most extraordinary thing about this young Governess was that she was not in awe of him.

  In fact, she behaved as if she was his equal.

  He had been watching the way she rode and decided she was used to riding well-bred, expensive horses.

  “Why did she come here?” he asked himself for the thousandth time.

  They did not see any more of the Duke that morning.

  Kasia was informed that she and Simon were expected to have luncheon in the dining room. That was, she knew, correct.

  Simon said he would rather have luncheon alone with her, but she made him brush his hair and wash his hands before they joined the Duke.

  “Be careful what you say you have done this morning,” she warned him as they went downstairs. “We should have been doing lessons.”

  She thought with a smile that was exactly what they had been doing!

  But definitely not the sort that appeared in any school curriculum.

  She and Simon had gone to see the picture gallery.

  They made notes there about a large number of the pictures which needed cleaning, and some which had damaged frames.

  She told Simon interesting stories about some of the artists.

  They had then gone into the library.

  Kasia had exclaimed in delight at the enormous number of books it held.

  “I hate books and I do not want to read!” Simon said angrily.

  “I do not want you to read anything,” Kasia said, “but you remember that story I told you last night about William the Conqueror? I thought it might be fun to try to find a picture of him. After all, he was the first great King of all England.”

  She saw a look of interest on Simon’s face and said,

  “I will race you to see who finds a picture of him first, and the prize will be a four-penny piece.”

  Simon reacted to this.

  With a little bit of pushing books in the right direction, she made him find King William the First.

  Simon was delighted.

  “That was clever of me, was it not, Miss Watson?” he asked.

  “Very clever!” Kasia agreed, “and here is the four-penny piece. You can spend it with your other pocket-money, when we go shopping this afternoon.”

  She had seen Mr. Bennett immediately after breakfast.

  He had agreed to give Simon sixpence pocket money every week.

  She had then ordered a pony cart which she found to her surprise did exist in the stables.

  “You can have a carriage, if you want one, Miss Watson,” Mr. Bennett said.

  “No, thank you, I would rather have the pony cart,” Kasia said. “I am sure Simon will want to drive back.”

  Mr. Bennett looked at her and smiled.

  “They have come to the conclusion below stairs, Miss Watson, that you are a witch!” he said. “We have never known Master Simon behave so well before!”

  “If I am a witch, then I hope I am a white one!” Kasia said. “I do not wish to end up being burnt at the stake!”

  “I sincerely hope that will not happen!” Mr. Bennett replied.

  Simon was delighted with his pocket-money, with which he could buy the sweeties he wanted.

  When he had done so, Kasia deliberately bought a number of items for herself.

  She asked Simon if he would jot them down on a little note-book she carried in her bag.

  She chose several pieces of soap, a new toothbrush, some hair-pins, and a few yards of pretty pink ribbon.

  As the shopkeeper wrapped it all up for her, she said to Simon,

  “Please, Simon, will you add it all up for me?” She gave him a warning look in case he should refuse in front of the shopkeeper.

  She was quite certain that everyone in the village had heard about Simon’s behaviour with the Tutors.

  Simon was astute enough to realise he must at least pretend to add up the figures he had written down.

  Actually he did it correctly.

  Kasia thanked him.

  As she picked up her parcels she said,

  “Please will you open my bag, Simon? You will find some money in the purse.”

  Very carefully, Simon counted it out and the shopkeeper took it, coin by coin.

  When they got outside and were back in the pony-cart, Kasia said,

  “That was very clever of you, and now it will go all round the village that you can do arithmetic!”

  “I thought that was what you wanted me to do,” Simon said.

  “You have been brilliant, and now I have a surprise for you!” Kasia said.

  “A surprise?” Simon asked.

  “I have found out fro
m Mr. Bennett that only a month ago your nanny was given a cottage at the end of the village!”

  “Nanny!” Simon exclaimed.

  “I thought you might like to call and see her.”

  “Of course I want to see Nanny!” Simon answered.

  When Kasia had asked the question of Mr. Bennett, he had said,

  “It is strange that you should ask that, Miss Watson. It was only three weeks ago that the old woman wrote to me saying she was desperate. I learned to my consternation that she received no pension after she had been dismissed by one of Master Simon’s relatives.”

  “No pension?” Kasia questioned.

  “It must have been an oversight,” Mr. Bennett said in an apologetic voice, “but she has come to the end of her savings and, as you can understand, was afraid that she might have to go to the workhouse.”

  “How could something like that happen to a nanny, of all people?” Kasia asked.

  “I knew what his Lordship would say, so I did not tell him,” Mr. Bennett explained. “There was a cottage empty at the end of the village, and Nanny moved into it.”

  “And you did not tell Simon about it?” Kasia asked.

  Mr. Bennett looked uncomfortable.

  “I was hoping he would settle down with his Tutor. I was afraid that Nanny might somehow interfere in his lessons.”

  Kasia did not say anything.

  Mr. Bennett had been, she thought, as stupid with Simon as everyone else.

  What he needed was affection and love.

  It was something that had been missing in his life ever since his mother had died.

  Then, when he most needed her, his nanny had been taken from him.

  They drove towards the cottage which Kasia was told was at the end of the village.

  She thought Simon was trying hard to contain his excitement at the thought of seeing his nanny again.

  But he was unpredictable.

  She could not help praying that she had not made a mistake.

  “Rose Cottage”, as it was called, was thatched and pretty.

  At the same time, like a great many other cottages in the village, it needed paint.

  There were also cracks in several of the windowpanes.

  As Kasia drew up the pony cart Simon jumped out.

  “Shall I knock and see if Nanny is inside?” he asked.

  “Yes, of course,” Kasia said. “I will see if I can find somebody to hold the pony.”