Chapter 17

CHAPTER 17

S tanding in the shadows of the front hall, where most of the candles were left unlit due to the late hour, Theodosia attempted to replay the events of the evening.

My poor head. Maybe I should not have left my bed, after all. But blast it if I tell Lloyd—I know he’ll give me that stern look in return.

Except she hadn’t had a choice in the matter. While she wished to trust her nephew with her heart, and she liked to believe he was more than capable, she also understood that sometimes proof was necessary.

And the proof was very needed now.

She sighed to herself while she rubbed her temples with one hand. The plans for this evening had been carefully arranged. Charlotte’s first ball with Adrian at her side. It was bound to be a success so long as the two of them remained on their best behavior.

Very unlikely, yes, but not impossible. They’re capable of more than they let on. I know it.

And it had been going well; Theodosia had seen the two of them interact before Charlotte was swept away to the dance floor. She saw her smile dim after leaving Adrian. And she saw the way Adrian continued to search for her.

His wasn’t the gaze of a chaperone, but something more genuine and intense. He had tried to ignore it when Theodosia greeted him. She saw how he fought his own heart. And she’d let him go off when they weren’t even finished talking.

Everything went fine until then. I know it. Except they returned inside as morose, pathetic souls. Useless little pups don’t know what they are doing. It’s frustrating when people do not follow my plans.

“How were the gardens?” she had asked Charlotte during supper. “Were they lovely?”

“The gardens?” Charlotte had hesitated as if she had never seen a garden in her entire life. She had cupped her wine glass in both hands before stammering out a response. “I don’t recall. I was only there for a moment.”

A moment only, but that was still enough for something strange to have happened.

When Theodosia went to Adrian to ask about the matter, he only rolled his eyes. “Nothing happened,” he explained in exasperation. “You heard nothing about a scandal, did you? No shouts and no tears. Everything is the way it should be, Auntie.”

Everything was not the way it should be, based on their odd behavior. Theodosia didn’t like it, but she could see that it wouldn’t be as easy as forcing them to answer her questions. No, she would have to figure out something else. Perhaps find a way to trick one of them into telling her what happened.

Their behavior changed during their time out. It was clearly no rendezvous. The two of them seem more uncomfortable with one another now than they had been before. If only they would tell me. I do know everything, after all, and I can surely tell them what should be done.

“Your Grace?”

She turned to see Lloyd already closing the distance between them. His lips were pursed in concern as he raised his candle higher to ward off the darkness. Warmth flooded her body when his gaze roved over her, and she dropped her hand from her temple.

“Your headache, isn’t it?” he asked without waiting for an answer. He offered her an arm. “Come, Your Grace, I shall take you to your rooms. There is already a powder and glass waiting for you there.”

A helpless smile crept up her face. “You take very good care of me, Lloyd. Almost too good. You are not my physician—I hope you will remember that—and I will not retire just yet. There is thinking to do here. Is anyone still in the kitchens? I always think better with some tea and biscuits.”

The butler hesitated before he finally nodded. “Yes, I believe we shall find a few servants. Cook and Tricia should be preparing dough for the morning. Might I lead you to the dining room?”

“And be all alone?”

“It was worth the attempt,” Lloyd pointed out with a twinkle in his eyes.

Theodosia told herself it was the light from the candle.

I cannot possibly be getting charmed all over again by my butler. Focus on the matter at hand, Theodosia.

“Then perhaps you do not know as well as I assumed.”

“Think of no such things. We are preparing sticky pudding for tomorrow,” he added after a heartbeat. “For the horse anniversary.”

“Lloyd!” A short chuckle escaped Theodosia’s lips before she could stop herself. “I do not need a butler who memorizes my many odd anniversaries. It is mine and mine alone.”

He tsked. “Very well, I shall ask the cook to remove the sticky pudding.”

Unable to help herself, Theodosia huffed. She could see him smiling out of the corner of her eye. Something told her he was teasing her. Still, the man had a way of raising her blood pressure and making her heart beat faster unlike any other.

The anniversary of the only gamble I’ve ever won. A ridiculous anniversary, one that I marked down and teased Lloyd about one year. Lud! He should have forgotten. I could have surely forgotten. Winning a prize horse in the races was a grand moment, but never did I expect to keep receiving reminders of it.

Those who knew Theodosia knew that she could not turn away sticky pudding. Nor did she gamble often. The sweet treat was a simple reminder of her youth that she could not put away. She enjoyed nearly ten versions of her cook’s sticky pudding during the various anniversaries she liked to celebrate. Each of them gave her the strength to keep pushing forward.

The silence that fell between her and the butler had turned into something else. Something more. A precious gift that she shouldn’t have accepted.

“You are a ridiculous man,” she said with a scowl. “I shall need my tea for the energy it will take to scold you.”

He nodded. “Very good, Your Grace. Right this way.”

They made their way through the hall before he opened a door that led down half a floor to the kitchens. He extended his hand to ensure she remained steady on her feet on the uneven stairs.

“The ball, Your Grace. Was it another brilliant occasion?”

“It’s a ball,” she reminded him. “No one thinks it was a brilliant occasion. Nonetheless, it will suffice.”

“I am glad to hear it. You should have something to appreciate even with your head aching as it does. Shall I have the powder fetched for you while you eat?”

She shook her head. “No, I need my mind clear. I have things to mull over after what happened tonight.”

“What happened tonight?”

“That is the question,” Theodosia responded with a wry glance in his direction. “Those two children are out of sorts and won’t say a word. I only have so much patience, I fear.”

Lloyd glanced behind them as though he might see the Duke and Charlotte. But then he sighed and led Theodosia further into the kitchen. “Cook, Tricia, might we have the room?”

“That’s not necessary,” Theodosia started.

It wasn’t a surprise when the two servants decided to obey Lloyd over her. She would certainly speak with them later, when she had more energy to scold them for paying no mind to their mistress. But right now, she didn’t mind as much as she should have; it felt nice on occasion to have this sort of support.

That is what happens when one is widowed. I have always been able to take care of myself. And I should never say it out loud, but sometimes it is a great relief to have someone else take the lead. I shall entertain Lloyd for now and scold him on the morrow for his outlandish behavior.

As the two servants retreated to the adjacent room, Lloyd helped her into a seat. It was a hard wooden chair that lacked arms and only carried a small cushion for the back. Theodosia wondered how the servants bore it; she would have to purchase more cushions soon.

“Here you are.”

“Oh, you naughty man.”

She brightened at the sight of steaming-hot tea and biscuits on a plate. Some were plain and some were chocolate. Seeing the steam curling up from the teacup, she gave him a stern look, indicating that she knew what he had done.

He must have known she would need this tonight and had prepared accordingly.

Lloyd nodded but could not hide his smirk. “Go on. Eat up.” He took out a small bottle of headache powder that was usually kept in her rooms.

“It belongs upstairs,” Theodosia pointed out while pulling the teacup closer.

“This one I carry with me for times like this.” Lloyd remained standing as he prepared her a small dose in a teaspoon. “You’ll want to take this before we speak about what happened between His Grace and our lady.”

Nearly dropping the spoon in surprise, Theodosia shot him a glare before swallowing the bitter medicine. Down it went with a chocolate biscuit.

He offered her a napkin before she asked, “We have only just returned home. Surely the gossip hasn’t spread so quickly among the servants?”

“I know half the servants over there and already had one of your footmen collecting the recipes from the cook in case you liked something she made,” he stated matter-of-factly. “He learned it from another footman, and, fortunately, was able to determine the source and stop rumors from spreading.”

“Yes, yes, the recipes and––” She caught herself. “Rumors? Oh, Lloyd, how awful was it? I don’t have the time for scandals. I explicitly told my nephew that I required a break from such drama. And do sit, I cannot keep craning my neck to look at you. You’ll make my headache worse.”

He nodded, sliding down into a chair two seats away from her to keep a proper distance.

That annoyed her. They didn’t need to keep a proper distance. She had known Lloyd now most of her life, since marrying her husband. Lloyd had already been working in their country stables. After her husband passed, she brought most of the servants to London because the countryside reminded her too much of the man she had lost. London’s many entertainments and constant noise helped her to be distracted and deal with her grief.

She had grown used to this place and got on well with her servants. Lloyd’s strong work ethic and charm earned him several promotions until he became her head butler. Now, she couldn’t imagine this house or London or even her life without him.

“Perhaps this should wait until morning.” He furrowed his brow in concern while he studied her face.

Could he count every wrinkle in it? Lloyd was around her age, but she swore he looked just as handsome as he had been the day she met him. Just married that morning, she had met Lloyd in the last minutes of the evening before making her way into her new home in the country, the two of them young and already smart enough to ignore whatever connection they felt between them.

“No. Don’t.” She pointed her third biscuit at him. “Tell me everything at once, or I’ll let you go.”

A regular threat that was more of a tease at this point.

Lloyd grinned before straightening up with a sober expression. “Lady Charlotte and her suitor must have finished their dance and gone outside for fresh air. His Grace came upon them. The details are not clear, but His Grace was heard warning the suitor to stay away from Lady Charlotte. He was quite angry, and Lady Charlotte spent some time on the terrace until they were both calm. I cannot say about her virtue, but I don’t believe it was long enough for anything to have happened,” he added carefully.

Theodosia pursed her lips and then took her time sipping the calming tea. She needed to think. Even if there wasn’t enough time, the threat remained.

Who had Charlotte danced with? She would have to check. As for her nephew, Theodosia was profoundly grateful to him for intervening quickly. It was a good thing that he watched Charlotte so closely.

Still, there is no denying the fact that he would have let her go without a second thought if he wasn’t interested in her. I haven’t seen him look at anyone the way he looks at her.

“Who do I need to pay off to bury this rumor?” she inquired.

Lloyd shook his head. “It has been handled.”

“You paid from your own pocket?” Theodosia put her cup down. “Lloyd, I told you this before—I have the means, and you’re still my employee. I insist on paying you back.”

The corners of his lips quirked up. “It has already been handled.”

“But I must repay you.”

“Then send it to my grandchildren, for you know I do not need the money.”

Huffing, she shook her head. This man was a stubborn rascal whom she could never entirely control even though she paid his wages. They both knew this was the situation, a careful dance that they performed with secret glances and the occasional touch of their hands. Still, she could not expect him to take care of matters such as these on his own. This was her family and thus her responsibility.

“Fine, but you will receive a raise for the new year, one that shall greatly annoy you,” she said threateningly.

He chuckled. “I cannot stop you, I suppose.”

Tsking, she shook her head and told him, “Don’t start complaining now. I don’t need another item on my list of things to worry about.”

“Don’t worry,” Lloyd promised. “Of all the people and of all the responsibilities you worry about the most, Your Grace, you will never need to worry about me.”

I know this. I know he means it, and I know he wishes to shield me from my concerns. Most of the time, Lloyd manages to solve my problems before they even arise. And yet why can’t I help but worry about him more than I should?

“A good man,” she muttered. “What a good man you are.”

Better than most of the gentlemen she had known in her lifetime, she wanted to tell him. But the compliment would embarrass him. So she would save it for another time when she could savor the moment more.

“Your Grace? What else is on your mind?”

Everything and nothing was on her mind at the moment. She stirred her spoon gently in the teacup without making a sound. Then she lifted her head and asked, “Why is it that when life grows easier for us, it directly becomes more complicated for those around us, thus creating more complications for us?”

“That is a big question. I am afraid it comes with a big answer,” he said apologetically.

They exchanged looks, his more good-natured than hers, before smiles spread across their faces. He had been in her life longer than anyone else by now, she noted. Her butler was her one constant. Sweeping her gaze over him, she found warmth flooding her cheeks even as the urge to yawn overpowered her.

“It appears it is time to retire for the evening.” Lloyd cleared his throat, rising to his feet as he straightened his clothes. “Your Grace, might I escort you to your hall?”

“It’s always to the hall and not my chambers. You know you can come closer,” she pointed out.

She told him this nearly every night. Still, she accepted his hand when he offered it.

As he helped her to her feet, he gave the usual response. “Thank you, Your Grace, but I know how independent and capable you are. Your maid will be waiting for you there when we arrive.”

The remnants of their late-night tea were left on the kitchen table while they took their leave. Slowly, they made it back onto the main floor before reaching the front hall, needing to walk to the wing on the opposite side of the house. It was ghastly big. She’d never needed something so grand, but her husband had insisted, and it was quite beautiful. She hadn’t changed a thing since her husband passed nearly forty years ago, though the urge occasionally arose.

“Change. It’s needed,” she said when they turned down the hall.

Turning to look at her, Lloyd asked, “Is it change for you or change for someone else?”

“Any change at this point would be appreciated,” she huffed. “I don’t need it. Everyone else does. The young don’t realize how much it is necessary. There is still so much for them to learn. That devious boy, for example, doesn’t know what is good for him.”

Lloyd gave a slow nod. “I thought you might have a plan in place. Well, Your Grace, what do you have in mind?”

“Of course, I have a plan,” Theodosia said, a touch of scorn in her tone. Though she might be growing older and slower, she wasn’t a fool. “I expect to see results before the end of the year. I just pray that the weather doesn’t attempt to disrupt anything I intend for those two. Charlotte should be the next Duchess of Wakefield.”

“What of your nephew?”

“Well, Adrian needs her like the flowers need the rain. The trick is to make sure he believes this is all his idea. It’s the only complication I expect. Boys can be such trouble.”

Lloyd let out a short chuckle before bringing her to a stop at the bottom of her hall. The door to her bedchamber was open. There was movement within, confirming what he had said earlier—her maid was ready and waiting for her.

Theodosia reluctantly stepped back from her butler, watching him offer a stately bow. “Don’t tell Adrian. He doesn’t need the extra attention.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it.” He tapped his nose and winked.

For some reason, the gesture made her blush as if she were a young lady all over again. Sometimes, she wished she was. Especially at times like these with Lloyd.

“Good evening, Your Grace. Don’t lose hope.”