Chapter 4

Henry slightly turned his body, making sure the nursemaid was following him. She seemed the defiant sort, which wouldn’t do for him. However, she had already proven herself capable where his nephew was concerned.

Henry had heard people talking about natural mothers, women who radiate love, tenderness, warmth, and motherliness. Seeing his usually crying and frustrated nephew calm and quiet in the woman’s arms momentarily took him aback. He had even smiled! Henry could not have imagined a more perfect thing than his nephew in Miss Barnes’ arms at that moment.

Henry turned away once he was confident the nursemaid was following him. She was looking around, likely taking in her surroundings. Part of him wanted to know what she thought about his home, surprising him. Henry wasn’t the type to worry about the opinions of others. It was a waste of time for him.

However, Miss Barnes intrigued him. Women quickly obeyed him willingly, but she looked ready to fight him every step of the way. It was different and odd, considering their statuses. A commoner shouldn’t be defiant before her betters, but he felt she didn’t care about his status beyond what was polite.

Henry was still annoyed with her behaviour, especially when she had not bothered listening to him speak to her. She had even looked at him as though he was the odd one. Henry couldn’t stand it when people failed to carry out the simplest tasks.

It showed a lack of attention and willingness to do the right thing. However, he wasn’t as irritated as he should be. If anything, he begrudgingly found her adorable and amusing. She had been sweet with his nephew, but her manner changed the moment she had to talk to him—it was oddly amusing.

Henry was tempted to look behind him again but continued walking towards his study. A little part of him wanted to see what was so intriguing about the nursemaid. She wasn’t a raving beauty like Lady Ruth or the other women in his circle, but she was pretty in her own way. Miss Barnes’ golden-brown eyes, surrounded by long, dark eyelashes, were likely her most striking feature. The tip of her nose was a tad too bulbous for his liking, and her lips a touch too full to be considered pretty.

Rather, they were sensual and belonged to someone practised in the art of seduction. He doubted Miss Barnes was that sort of woman. She appeared too innocent and unaware of the world. Juliana never told him how old the nursemaid was, but he guessed her to be around twenty-three.

That would make her twelve years younger than him, which seemed excessive. However, Lady Ruth was also twenty-three, and he intended to marry her one day. He frowned, suddenly uncomfortable with the thought of marriage.

Henry had spent a long time searching for the right wife. He needed someone who would fulfill the role of being his duchess perfectly. It wasn’t about love or passion but duty for him. Once, many years ago, he had given in and fallen in love.

The girl had been everything he had wanted at the time—lively, always laughing and optimistic—but she eventually proved fickle when she married someone else. Henry later discovered the woman he loved had fallen pregnant with another man’s baby, and her parents forced her to marry him to save face. So, she had given herself to another while he believed their feelings were mutual. It was enough for him to give up on love there and then.

Perhaps the only reason he fell for her was because she had given him what he had missed growing up. Henry had been forced to mature quickly and take over running the estate when his father grew ill.

It was all about responsibility and being the head of the family. When he came across someone who showed him everything he had missed growing up, it appealed to him and drew him in quickly. Now, he still regretted giving his heart to someone who obviously did not deserve it.

They finally arrived at his study, stepping back to let her walk inside. Henry caught a waft of her perfume, alarmed when he found himself leaning towards her. He quickly straightened, glad she hadn’t noticed anything.

“Please, take a seat,” he said, closing the door behind him.

She swiftly complied, tucking her dress against her legs. Henry briefly caught the outline of her body, surprised to see curves under her plain, brown muslin dress. A stab of attraction made him momentarily dry in the mouth until he realized how ridiculous the situation was. She was his sister’s nursemaid! This was hardly the woman to suddenly feel attracted to.

Clearing his throat, Henry rounded his desk and sat down. Miss Barnes’ floral scent was still in his nose, tickling his senses. He rubbed his nose, trying to get the smell out of his nostrils, but it continued to taunt him. He sighed, lightly slapping his palms on his desk as he pulled his chair forward.

“Is something wrong, Your Grace?” Miss Barnes asked.

“No,” he said, meeting her golden eyes. “Why do you ask?”

“Forgive me for saying so, but you seem disturbed.”

Of course, he was! She was doing the disturbing. Henry had noticed her the moment he spotted the women with his nephew, which was odd considering she wasn’t the type of beauty that turned heads. However, she seemed to shine brightly, like she was radiating sunshine. It was ridiculous but true. Miss Barnes was a flower among weeds and would likely be so even in the presence of beauties.

Frowning at her, he tried to put his finger on why he felt so strongly about the woman. She was just different somehow. Now, if he could see her with her hair loose and—

“Your Grace?” she said, snapping him out of his thoughts.

Henry coloured, almost in disbelief at his thoughts. “Yes, Miss Barnes?”

“You’re staring at me rather quizzically,” she pointed out. “If you have any questions for me, I would be happy to answer them. There is no need to be so confused.”

Henry’s eyes widened. He didn’t know whether to be insulted or amused. He couldn’t see any hint of an attempt to be rude, but he couldn’t have her thinking she could speak to him however she wished.

“Perhaps I can formally introduce myself,” she said before he could speak, smiling at him. “My name is Rebecca Barnes, and I’m happy to be working at Dorchester Place.”

She sounded sincere, which took him aback. She was even smiling at him ever so sweetly. It was like a kick to the gut, rendering him momentarily speechless.

“Your home is lovely, and I’m thankful for my rooms,” she continued. “I especially like the old part of the house, and your housekeeper was kind enough to tell me the history of it. It fascinated me.”

She was fascinating to him at the moment. Miss Barnes was just so cheerful despite her earlier frostiness. Her eyes were even sparkling, and he could hear she meant every word of what she said. Henry almost caught himself smiling. Almost. That was indication enough that he needed to take control of the situation.

“It’s from the Tudor reign, isn’t it?” she asked, leaning towards the desk. She was really getting into the conversation. “The third duke—”

“Miss Barnes,” he interrupted, leaning back in his chair when he caught another whiff of her perfume. “You should know I never had a say in your presence here.” The back of his neck prickled in guilt as she tensed. “My sister hired you without my knowledge. She probably didn’t give you a list of rules to follow.”

Juliana didn’t even bother giving him the necessary information about the nursemaid, so he didn’t know what to expect. The devil take it, but this was his house. His word was law, and Miss Barnes needed to understand that.

“I have no qualms with following your rules, Your Grace,” she said, her voice slightly clipped.

“Good,” he said, although his remorse for being so abrupt and rather rude made his stomach churn. “The rules are very simple. Keep to the rooms specified, never go into my private rooms, never ask unrelated questions, especially anything to do with the family—I do not tolerate gossipers.”

“Noted,” she replied stiffly. “Is there anything else?”

“Yes,” he said, clasping his hands on the table. “Keep your personal and professional life separate. I’m sure you understand that means I expect you not to bring any men near the house.”

Miss Barnes’ eyes had darkened significantly by the time he stopped talking. He had undoubtedly offended her.

“Perhaps I should hand you my list of references, Your Grace,” she said, her voice cold. “That might set you more at ease than my word. Shall I go and get them?”

She made a move to get up, but he raised his palm, stopping her. “That is not necessary,” he said. “Not yet. I’ll simply take your word for it now and trust you will keep it. I only give my trust once, Miss Barnes.”

“I feel the same way, Your Grace,” she said. “Once someone breaks my trust, I tend to remove them from my life.”

“Then we’re the same in that regard,” he said.

“I suppose so. Is there anything else you wish to add to those rules? I’ll make sure to write them out and stick them to my wall. I wouldn’t want to forget them.”

Henry’s eyes widened. Her mocking tone should have angered him, but he was only amused and regretful that he had upset her. Still, it was necessary because he had an estate and a family to protect. He wouldn’t let his unexpected reaction to the nursemaid affect his duty as duke.

“I have one more request,” he said. “Do not take advantage of my sister’s vulnerability. She is a widow struggling to adjust to her life. I do not take kindly to anyone hurting my family.”

Miss Barnes meshed her full lips together, likely to control her emotions. She probably wanted to give him a tongue-lashing, and he probably deserved it to a certain extent, but he would have been uneasy if he had not spoken his mind.

“I understand that you love your family,” she began, her gaze steady as she stared him down. Her eyes were flashing with anger, but her voice remained calm. “These rules are to protect them, and I will gladly follow them. However, I do not appreciate your assumption that I do not understand the needs of the people who hire me. I was hired for a reason. I would never take advantage of someone’s vulnerability. It goes against everything I believe in.”

She surprised him. Miss Barnes was angry because he cautioned her not to take advantage of his sister—he hadn’t expected that. He had thought she would argue the other rules, but this apparently was her breaking point.

“I’m glad to hear that, Miss Barnes,” he replied.

She nodded curtly and stood up. “If there is nothing else, I’d like to leave. I need to bathe his lordship and give him a massage.”

Part of him wanted her to stay with him in the office for a little while longer, but she looked fed up with him. He would only anger her more.

“Yes, you may leave.”

Miss Barnes curtsied and left the room, her dress whipping around her legs. She couldn’t get away quick enough. Henry caught a brief glimpse of her curvaceous body again, wondering how she managed to hide it. Her dress wasn’t particularly loose, but it did appear to have layers that hid her shape.

“What sort of creature are you, Miss Barnes?” he said, clasping his hands under his chin.

He was unimpressed by how she tried to escape him as soon as possible. She didn’t want to be around him, which was a foreign situation for him. All women flocked around him, wanting to get as close as possible and attract his attention. He was a duke, after all. Unfortunately, that was the reason he didn’t want them.

Henry didn’t want a woman who wanted to become a duchess just to have the title and prestige. A duchess had duties, and if a woman thought she would just attend tea parties and look pretty, well, then they were not fit to be his wife.

Sighing, he shook his head and pulled some books from his drawer. He needed to adjust the budget for one of his farms. It didn’t do well in the last quarter, which affected wages and supply. However, Henry couldn’t keep his mind from shifting to the nursemaid.

He was only trying to defend his family, but he couldn’t shake off his guilt for offending her. Usually, he could go about his day because he had done the right thing, but this woman had a strange hold on him. Henry didn’t like anyone having that kind of influence on him, especially a stranger. It made him uneasy. Unfortunately, part of him liked the feeling.