Page 11 of Duchess By Accident (The Matchmaker’s Scheme #5)

Chapter Eleven

“ A nd that tree is my favourite. Her name is Martha.” Melody pointed to an old oak tree.

Natalie and Melody were walking in the grounds of Blackwood castle together. It was a few days since her altercation with the Duke in the music room, and Natalie was still feeling rather pleased with herself.

Even in her little war with the Fox, Natalie had not forgotten why she was at Blackwood. In between her little defiances, she had spent time getting to know her daughter, and the more time they spent together, the more Natalie felt her heart melt.

“Maybe it is silly to give a tree a name.” Melody bit her lip.

“It is not silly. Trees deserve names. I have always though each of them have their own personality, and though they cannot speak, there is something comforting about sharing secrets with them.” Natalie smiled encouragingly at the girl. “There was a weeping willow at Emberly who I spent many hours with. She listened to all the comings and goings of my life, my hopes, my dreams. I like to think she still keeps them safe.”

Melody’s eyes widened. “Then you do not think me strange?”

Natalie shook her head. “I think that the most interesting people are delightfully strange. And I would far rather be an oddball than the kind of person who makes paint drying seem interesting.”

“I had never thought of that. The village children tease me for being unusual.” Melody’s face fell, and Natalie could tell that she was remembering some unpleasant interaction.

Something dark coiled within her chest, and she resisted the urge to draw Melody to her. The Duke had explained that his daughter did not like to be touched unexpectedly, and Natalie had seen just how nervous and uncomfortable even the suggestion could make her.

She knelt on the ground beside Melody so that they were eye level. “People who tease you for being you, are not people worth being around.”

“That is what father says.” The girl did not sound convinced.

“And he is right.” Natalie was grateful the Duke was not around to hear her. I do not need to give him anything to gloat about.

Melody looked away from Natalie, staring at the tree a little way from them. “It does get lonely. Being strange.”

Natalie’s heart twisted in her chest. “I understand that. People are quick to judge and that can make things rather hard.”

Natalie thought of the way people had treated her as a child. The rumours they had believed about her brother and the way they had shunned her. She remembered the way women had whispered in streets once the vile Lord Bolton had plastered her scandal all over the Morning Post.

She clenched her fist. With any luck, that was all behind her. She looked at Melody, and the slump of her shoulders. How could anyone judge someone so sweet?

“It is why I need to be perfect. Maybe then I will have more friends.” Melody tugged on a strand of her hair, almost pulling it from her head.

Natalie made to reach for her, to stop her, but caught herself just in time. She hugged her hand to her chest, and fished about on the ground for a leaf.

She handed it to the girl. “Tear that. It will help the big emotions travel through you. And if you need another, simply pick one up.”

Melody took the leaf, absently shredding it between her tiny fingers.

“You need to know, that you are wonderful, just the way you are. You do not need to be perfect for anyone to like you.” Natalie’s voice was soft, but firm, even as her heart broke for the small girl in front of her.

Melody shook her head, and picked up another leaf to tear. “That cannot be true. If I was perfect, then people would like me.”

“People do like you.” Natalie replied.

“They do not.” Melody sounded defeated, as though this were a fact she had accepted long ago.

Natalie pointed to herself. “I like you. In fact, I utterly adore and love you. And your father loves you, and many of the servants do too.”

“But you all have to love me.” Melody frowned.

Natalie shook her head. “We have to be nice to you, but there is no obligation to feel any attachment to you. We love you because you are you.”

“But perhaps you would like me better if I was perfect.” Melody’s bottom lip trembled.

I wish I could hug her. Natalie moved closer, beckoning to Melody and glancing over her shoulder. “Would you like to know a secret?”

Her eyes widened and she inched towards Natalie. “Yes.”

“There is no such thing as perfect. If you spend your life trying to be perfect, you will just be miserable.” Natalie gestured around them. “My sister-in-law, Rose, spent her whole life trying to be perfect. She spent so long trying to be what someone else wanted her to be, that she forgot who she was. Until she married my brother.”

“But if I am not perfect, you might leave. Or father might leave.” Melody’s voice became so quiet that Natalie almost did not hear her over the rustle of the wind in the trees. “Like mother.”

“Your mother did not leave you. She died. And the fact that she did… That is not your fault. These things happen.” Natalie did not know much about the late Duchess; none of the staff would talk about it and she had not been brave enough to raise it with the Duke.

The only thing she knew was that the woman had died whilst Melody was still very young. It made Natalie think of her own father, who had been murdered when she was just a baby. Something her brother, Alexander, had blamed himself for for years.

“I swear, you had nothing to do with your mother’s death. And I am sure she would not have chosen to leave you, not if she could help it.” Natalie reached out a hand to Melody, offering, rather than forcing physical comfort.

Melody placed her small fingers in Natalie’s hand, letting her hold it gently. “But maybe she would not have died if I had been better. The village children say she died because it was a punishment from God. So it must be my fault.”

“The village children are not priests. Her death was not your fault. And you being perfect would not have prevented it.” Natalie gently squeezed Melody’s hand in her own. “I promise. Neither your father nor I want you to be perfect. We just want you to be happy.”

“What if what makes me happy makes others sad?” Melody asked, slipping her hand from Natalie’s.

“Is it murdering people?”

“No.”

“Is it hurting a living soul?”

“No.”

“Then why would it make us sad?”

“Because it is not proper.” Melody hung her head.

“There is a time for propriety and for being proper. When you enter society you will need to behave a certain way to keep yourself safe. There is etiquette and such, but you should not be afraid to be yourself.” Natalie knew that it was more complicated, but she wanted Melody to understand that though the world might try to dim her light, she need not let it. “My dearest friend, Emily who is Rose’s younger sister, frequently rides out to hunt with her husband.”

“She does?” Melody’s eyes widened and she clutched her latest leaf to her chest.

“Yes. And her older sister, Jane, fences with her husband and children. My oldest sister, Olivia, has done some truly unladylike things as have I.” She continued in a conspiratorial whisper. “My twin, Peter, and I frequently have shooting competitions, and I almost always win.”

“Could I learn to shoot?” Melody moved closer to her, and Natalie could see the excitement in her body.

“I do not see why not. Though, perhaps when you are a little older – I was not allowed to touch a gun until I was fourteen, and only under strict supervision. They are not toys, after all.” Natalie pressed a finger to her lips, and added, “We could always try archery, that is a little safer and just as enjoyable.”

“Really?” Melody beamed at her.

“I shall arrange to have a bow made to suit your size. Though some I used when I was a child may work for you. Or perhaps one of Jane’s. The Pembletons are not as tall as us Rokesbys.” Natalie made a mental note to write to Jane and ask if she had any of her old bows still or if she knew someone who would make one for her. I suspect the Duke will be furious.

Irritating Duke Blackwood whilst making his daughter happy seemed like a winning situation as far as Natalie was concerned. Besides, while archery was unladylike, he did not seem to care about such things when it came to his daughter. And the ton need never find out.

“I wish I was tall.” Melody’s wistful voice broke into Natalie’s thoughts.

“You are still young, I am sure you will sprout up in no time. Besides, it is much more enjoyable to be a shorter woman than a taller one. Few men enjoy a woman who can look down on them.” Natalie had spent most of her life slouching, she hated being as tall as she was.

Melody nodded. “It is lucky that father is so tall.”

“Indeed.” Natalie agreed.

Melody studied her curiously and then asked, “Do you have a big family?”

“Yes. Especially now that most of my siblings are married. Peter and I are the youngest, and he is the last one of us unmarried.” Natalie wondered if Peter was still pining over his latest lady friend or if his heart had already moved on. I miss him, even his dramatics.

“Do you have nieces and nephews?” The excitement and nervousness were clear in Melody’s voice.

“Many. Would you like to meet some of them? There are rather a lot, and some of them are still babies.” Natalie thought of her various nieces and nephews, smiling.

“Perhaps not everyone at once. I do not think I have ever met a baby.” Melody pursed her lips thoughtfully.

“Well, I think it would be best if we invited them to visit us at the castle. If we visit them at Emberly there is a chance everyone will turn up announced, and that may be a little overwhelming.” Natalie knew just how likely her family was to pop to the castle and a full Emberly gathering would be a lot for anyone.

“Do you think they will like me?” Melody tugged on Natalie’s sleeve.

She smiled at her. “I am sure they will adore you. Just as I do.”

“Melody!” a voice called from the house. “It is time for your lessons.”

“Coming!” Melody called back before turning to Natalie. “Will you apologise to Martha for me? And tell her I will come back after my lesson?”

Natalie looked at the oak tree and nodded. “Of course. I shall see you later.”

Melody paused, and then to Natalie’s surprise, through her arms around her. She hugged her back, and then the child was sprinting off, towards the house.

She felt the warmth of the girl’s trust spread through her and she walked towards the oak tree. Natalie touched a hand to it, and whispered Melody’s message. The rustle of the leaves made her feel like perhaps it was listening, and reminded her of Emberly.

“I will write to Rose and Alexander. Their children are closer in age to Melody, and I know they will be kind to her. And then I can see Peter.” Natalie nodded to herself.

The sun was high in the sky and Natalie decided to take the long way back to the castle. Although her battle with the Duke was amusing, it was doing very little to make her feel less lonely.

She began to walk through the Eastern garden, and spotted a flash of pink in one of the flower beds. Moving closer, she recognised the familiar spires of pink bells. Her heart began to beat faster.

“Surely I must be mistaken?” Natalie moved closer to the plant, but there was no mistaking that shape.

It was foxglove. She slipped on her gloves, then got on her knees and began pulling the flowers from the bed.

“Your Grace!” a panicked male voice called. “What are you doing?”

“Fetch the head gardener at once.” Natalie barked, refusing to stop pulling up the flowers. “And fetch me a trowel!”

She heard retreating footsteps and continued her work. Soon the pristine flower bed was a mangled mass of earth, the plants piled beside her.

“And just what do you think you are doing?” The Duke’s voice sounded from behind her. “I was willing to tolerate your little rebellion so long as it did not upset the staff, but you have gone too far.”

“This is not some act of rebellion. These flowers cannot remain here.” Natalie gestured to the pile of plants.

“Well, they definitely cannot remain here now you have uprooted them. If you think ruining the view on my morning walks will mean that you win this game between us, you have miscalculated indeed, Little Thief.”

“Not everything is about you.” Natalie retorted still pulling up the flowers.

“Is it not? Why else would you tear up perfectly good flowers? They have been here for years.” He gestured to the pile of detritus. “Melody loves when they bloom.”

Natalie felt her heart sink, panic flooding through her. “Then that is even more reason that they must be destroyed. They are-”

“- I will not let you harm my daughter. You will not take what little joy she has-”

“-I am trying to save her life!” Natalie was on her feet, blood roaring in her ears. “If you are too bullheaded to listen to me, then get out of my way.”

“You are being dramatic. Do not cross me.” His voice was cold and menacing. “I have been patient thus far, but I am not a saint. And I will not have you vandalising something that brings my daughter joy just to make some stupid point.”

“I am the one being dramatic? You are the one who is too stubborn to listen to a word that I say. I am trying to keep your daughter safe.” She made to turn towards the plants and resume her work, but he grabbed her wrist.

“You are lying to me.” He growled. “And do you know what I do to liars?”

Natalie saw red. She pulled her wrist from his grasp and prodded him hard in the chest. “I do not know, and I do not care. I do not care what you do to me, scream and shout and threaten me all you like. Lock me away and throw away the key, I will bite and kick and scream. You will not stop me from destroying these plants.”

At that moment the head gardener arrived, and Natalie turned to him, the anger flowing through her lending her strength even as she felt the Duke loom beside her.

“Your Grace?” the gardener bowed. “The lad said you wished to see me?”

“Do you know what this plant is?” Natalie gestured to the plants on the ground.

“It is foxglove.” The gardener looked puzzled.

Natalie gaped at him, shock and fury warring within her. “Why have you allowed it to remain here?”

“Well, it’s a very useful flower. It can be used in the treatment of some maladies in little doses.” The gardener gave the Duke a nonplussed look.

“You see? There is noth-” The Duke began a satisfied smile on his face, but Natalie would not let him finish. “For adults. It is still in its infancy and it is safe in very, very small doses for adults. It is deadly to children.”

She clenched her fist, tears forming in her eyes as she said, “A little girl died last year, in the village near my brother’s estate. We attended the funeral and watched her parents fall to pieces. All because someone decided to plant foxglove in their garden.”

“What do you mean?” Adrian’s voice was soft.

“She was playing with the foxglove. Pretending there were fairies in the flowers. She had a little friend with her, and it is a miracle the other girl survived. It is almost always little girls.” Natalie wrapped her arms around herself. “And I refuse to let Melody be one of them.”

There was a beat of silence. The gardener’s face lost all of its pallor.

The Duke turned to him, his voice dangerously quiet. “Did you know this could harm a child?”

“Only if they were able to play with it.” The gardener took a step backwards.

“How much would it take to be fatal?” The Duke demanded.

“Very little.” Natalie gestured to the plants. “It is why I did not touch it without gloves. Why I will ensure I wash before I see Melody and instruct the servants to wash my clothes as well. To be honest, I would burn them if I thought it safer.”

“I see.” The Duke did not look at her, his eyes were fixed on the gardener who was starting to shake. “If I understand my wife correctly. You have allowed these plants to remain here, knowing they could kill my daughter.”

“With respect, your Grace, Lady Melody is rarely without supervision. She is a sensible child.” The gardener took another step back. “I do not think I have ever seen her without an adult by her side.”

“She is still a child.” The Duke clenched his fist, fury emanating from him. “That you did not even think to inform me of the danger they posed is concerning enough. Allowing them to remain planted for years... She might have died.”

“Your Grace, I-” the gardener stammered.

“I have half a mind to treat your life with the same disregard you have treated my daughter’s.” The Duke stepped towards the gardener, his fingers flexing, every movement promising violence.

Natalie reacted instinctively, putting herself between her husband and the cowering man on the floor. “Do not do this.”

“Get out of my way.” The Duke hissed, his eyes narrowed.

All of the cool, calculated control had vanished. This rage was primal. The fox had been replaced by a panther that had sighted its prey.

“You do not need to harm him. Yes, he has been thoughtless. But you need not harm your own soul for his foolishness. That will not help Melody.” She pressed a hand against his chest as he took another step towards her. “Think. He is not worth losing control.”

She could feel the thunder of his heart beneath her fingers, the tenseness of his muscle. His eyes were wild and furious, but she did not move.

They stayed, locked together while the gardener cowered behind them.

“Please, Adrian. Do not do this.” She said his name softly, hoping it would shock him enough to come back to reality.

Grey eyes met hers. The fire faded away. He shook his head and his chest practically vibrated beneath her hand as he forced his anger back under control.

Natalie released the breath she did not realise she had been holding. The Duke took a step backwards, his fists clenched tight. Natalie turned to the head gardener.

“Your services are no longer required.” She said gesturing to the man. “See that your things are packed at once.”

“Your Grace – please, she cannot –” the head gardener began, looking at the Duke.

“- she is the Duchess. She has every right to do exactly as she has done. Do not add disrespecting your betters to your list of crimes.” Adrian moved to stand beside her. “Unless you wish for me to take this to the magistrate, then you will agree to ending your contract. You will have a month’s pay, under the condition that you are to take yourself as far from my lands as possible. You will have a reference as well.”

The head gardener nodded, white as a ghost. Natalie saw beads of sweat trickling down his face.

“His Grace’s proposal is more than fair. You are not a bad man, but you have shown a disregard for the safety of Lady Melody that cannot be forgiven.” Natalie quietly felt that the man should not get a reference at all, but decided this was not the time to contradict her husband.

“If I find out that you are working for a house with children, do not think I will be as merciful again. The fate that will befall you would make the angels weep.” The Duke gestured to the young boy who had fetched the Head gardener. “Bring him to the Butler and explain the situation. I expect him to be removed from the premises by tomorrow morning.”

“Yes, Your Grace.” The boy nodded and tugged the gardener towards the house. “And I will send someone to get rid of the plants at once.”

Natalie watched as they disappeared into the distance. The Duke turned to her, his face still dark with rage. Natalie swallowed. Am I about to pay the price for that little intervention?

“Are there any other plants I should be concerned about?” his question took Natalie by surprise.

“There are plenty of things that are poison. I will write a list and have it given to the garden staff, requiring the immediate removal and destruction of anything that could pose a threat to Melody.” Natalie began compiling a list in her head.

“How do you know so much about plants?” he asked.

Natalie smiled ruefully. “Let us just say certainly family events have resulted in a rather in depth knowledge of the ones that are poisonous.”

“Remind me never to eat or drink anything you serve me.” Adrian muttered.

She ignored the discomfort she felt at his jibe, trying not to think of Lord Bolton. She could see a brittleness in his stature that she had never seen before.

He stood tall, straight, but there was a tightness in his jaw, and a faraway look in his eyes. He reminded her of Alexander, the way he had stood when he still thought he was responsible for their father’s death. Shame and guilt.

She took Adrian’s hand in hers without thinking, squeezing it gently, her voice soft. “Very few people know about foxglove. Especially men of a certain rank.”

“But you did.” He pointed out, but did not move his hand away from hers.

“Yes. But I am unusual in that respect. I am just relieved that no harm has come to her.” Natalie pushed away the image of the small coffin. She is safe.

“No thanks to me.” The bitterness and anger in Adrian’s voice cut to the core of her heart.

“None of this is your fault.” Natalie murmured.

“How is it not my fault?”

“You trusted in your staff – they are supposed to be the experts in such things. And I am not going to stand here and watch you beat yourself up for something few people like us would even bother to think about.” She turned to stand in front of him and prodded him in the chest. “If Melody sees you like this, she will think it is her fault, and I will not have her bear that weight.”

“She is my world.” Adrian shook his head.

“Then pull yourself together. You made a mistake, learn from it and do better.” Natalie prodded him hard in the chest. “She is safe now, and you scolding yourself ‘ will only irritate me.”

The Duke said nothing, and Natalie let out a sigh. She had no intention of allowing him to wallow in some self-inflicted pity party.

“To be honest, it is something of a relief to learn that there are limits to your knowledge after all.” Natalie teased him gently.

The Duke ran a hand through his hair, his usual smug amusement vanished. “I am her father. It is my job to keep her safe.”

“It is our job to keep her safe. And we will do that together.” Natalie glanced at the plants. “If you have gloves, you could help me pull these up. Although, I have been told you do not kneel.”

The Duke arched an eyebrow at her, his grey gaze shooting through her like a dagger. “Is that a joke, Natalie?”

“Simply an observation, Fox.” Natalie shrugged, and began to pull up the flowers.

“We are back to Fox? Do not think I did not notice you call me by my name.” He grinned at her.

“That was a necessity. Nothing more.” She pointed a finger at him. “Besides, I rather like calling you Fox. But perhaps I will use a mix of the two just to keep things interesting.”

“Well my life certainly has been far from dull since you entered it.” The Duke squatted beside her, gloves on his hands and pulled up the other plants. “Thank you.”

Natalie felt her cheeks flush at the sincerity in his voice. “Perhaps next time, you will listen to me when I tell you something needs to be done.”

“That depends.” The Duke gave her a look.

“On what?” she asked as the smell of his cologne washed over her.

“On whether your little rebellions are at an end.” His eyes flashed with the ghost of his usual amusement. “It is rather hard to trust your word.”

Natalie paused, the desire to show the Duke that she would not be bullied warring with the fact of his words. If she continued to goad him, then of course he would not trust her. What would have happened if the gardener had not arrived when he did?

Melody was more important than Natalie’s ego. “If it will keep Melody safe, then fine. But I will not blindly obey you. And I will be redecorating the castle.”

“Then it seems we have reached a truce.” Adrian inclined his head towards her.

“Apparently.” Natalie agreed.

“I shall leave you in charge of hiring the new gardener.” The Duke gestured in the direction of the house.

Natalie knew that staff appointments usually fell to the mistress of the house, but until that point, she had not been sure he would let her.

“You will not intervene?” Natalie asked.

“No. I trust you will do the right thing for Melody.” He gave her an amused smile. “Besides, we have already agreed to a truce. Though I am sure you would have found a delightful way to try and irritate me.”

Natalie rolled her eyes and returned to pulling up the flowers. The silence spread between them as they worked together, but it was not charged. The part of her that wanted to constantly needle him was quiet.

He had thanked her. That was a victory. Melody would be safe. Perhaps that was enough for the moment.