Page 8 of Only a Duke (Ladies Who Dare #6)
A term that should be as clear in its definition as the cloudless sky, yet much like the sun rising within its domain, there were various degrees to it.
It was a term that didn’t quite suit Oliver in many ways, and yet he himself could claim innocence in certain areas.
Like dealing with crafty females such as Lady Louisa.
No, dealing with crafty females was not the same as dealing with Lady Louisa.
His mother could be considered crafty. In fact, all the females in his family could be considered so.
Lady Louisa was something altogether more .
He was out of his depth here.
His gaze dropped to her plump lips and quickly whipped up again. What the devil was that? An “innocent” glance? His mind filled with curses. He blamed the kissing scene he had just witnessed.
The corner of his eye ticked.
He retreated a step, averting his gaze. “Should the leaves be trimmed a bit?” He supposed he ought to snip a few so as not to draw too much suspicion to him. “I don’t have a tool with me, though.”
A scoff. “Forget my earlier comment. Trimming my weeping willow leaves would be blasphemy. You are not a very good gardener.”
Oliver couldn’t blame her for wanting the tree to remain untouched.
He would also be reluctant to do anything that would ruin the shelter of this magnificent tree, much like the shelter he had found in the ruined cottage on the ducal estate in Kent.
He would retreat there as a boy whenever he wanted a moment of quiet, a moment to collect his youthful thoughts. They had this in common.
He looked over to her. “Do not worry; I shall try not to be so obvious in my lack of skill and try to live up to my disguise.”
“I think it best if we change your position.”
Curiosity filled Oliver. “Change it?”
“Why be a gardener when you can be a footman?”
A footman? She would let him into the house? While this surprised him, the prospect was undeniably intriguing. However, “I don’t think that will work.”
“Why not?”
“I won’t have much freedom as a footman.” And he needed freedom. Eventually he would have to slip away with the book while drawing as little suspicion as possible. Servants tended to notice servants, and he would never go unnoticed.
How one woman could be so forgetful, and create a situation that required his presence in the first place, still baffled him.
However, he also knew how exhaustion clouded the mind and slowed the body.
She’d said last night she needed to search the study and the library, and she’d already been working at least on the study, apparently.
He would allow her more time to complete her search of those two locations.
He could pretend to be a gardener for a while longer.
If the book wasn’t found there ...She would not be able to convince him something else wasn’t afoot.
Her brows scrunched in thought. “What about my personal footman and a driver? I shall make it clear to Mr. Hall, the butler, that you only take orders from me.”
Her brother’s words came back to him. “You truly do like bossing people around, do you not?”
She flashed a grin. “I do.”
“Be that as it may, most of the servants likely already saw me in the garden.”
She waved a dismissive hand. “Well, I , your employer, have decided you are not gardener material. You are much better suited to be my right-hand man of sorts.”
“And why would a lady need such a right-hand man of sorts?”
“Good question...” She tapped her chin with a finger, a glint sparking in her eyes. “Oh, I know—I have a harasser.”
“Are you referring to me?” Oliver said flatly.
“Well, that I cannot say. I only know that someone broke into our home. There are also the wagers.” She smiled at him. “I’m afraid I have a shadow pursuer who harbors unknown intentions.”
Oliver’s jaw ticked. “To be clear, you don’t really have a shadow pursuer who harbors unknown intentions, do you?” That would not only be concerning, she would also require actual protection.
“Who is to say I have, who is to say I haven’t?”
Crafty female.
“Very well.” He didn’t waste time considering the complications of his decision, only that he would feel more comfortable searching alongside her. “I shall act as your footman, driver, protector, right-hand man.”
“Very good, I shall have some livery procured for you.”
There was still one thing... “What will your father,” and stepmother, “do when he learns of this?”
“I daresay Papa will applaud me for my foresight.”
“The foresight of handling matters on your own without informing the head of your family that you are in trouble?”
“How patriarchal of you.” Her tone turned sour. “Why are you siding with my father before he’s even had the chance to say a word?”
“I’m merely pointing out minor flaws in your plan.”
“Well, I can handle my father. Anyway, why should it bother you what he thinks? Aren’t you supposed to be mortal enemies?”
“We have our differences.” To say the least.
A loud snort of disbelief. “I believe it’s more than that.”
“What about you, Lady Louisa? Are you my mortal enemy?”
“You have not given me a reason to be, Duke.”
He nodded. “That is good to hear.”
She stepped up to him, forgetting her earlier outcry against closeness, and said in a low voice, “I find this all rather thrilling if I’m honest.”
Oliver’s brows furrowed. Were all women so impossible to comprehend? “Do you mean consorting with the enemy?”
She flashed her teeth. “Of course.”
He thought so. Nothing about the heiresses this season was normal . Oliver thought of his mother. Just last month she had helped a lady escape marriage merely because the chit didn’t wish to be leg shackled so soon. Yet at the same time, she scolded him for not yet taking a bride.
How was he to understand this logic? He didn’t want to marry so soon either.
Perhaps in another twenty years or so he would revise his thoughts.
Presently, the very word “marriage” held nothing but notes of suffocation.
Why were mothers so interested in their children’s prospects, anyway?
Oliver knew his duty, knew what needed to be done.
But there was still plenty of time to do it.
And if he did, for whatever reason, fail to see his duty of producing an heir through, well, there was always his cousin who could rise to the occasion.
Apparently, he was actually quite fond of rising.
Besides, he had a mission at the moment: to put a stop to this secret organization.
He also wasn’t so arrogant as to believe that cutting off the head of a snake like this was enough to prevent another from appearing.
If all went to plan, his goal was to capture the head and shed light on the body, ensuring they could long longer operate in total secrecy.
There would be eyes on them.
Watching, waiting.
Perhaps after this hunt, if a bloody miracle were to change his mind, he would give his mother what she wanted most. A daughter-in-law followed by a grandchild. But such a thing was hardly likely.
His gaze flicked to Lady Louisa.
She reminded him a bit of his mother. Not in a strange way, but she had the same pluck only a few women possessed.
Only a scarce few ladies, in his view, were bold and brave enough to stand upon their own views and stick to them.
It didn’t mean they all rebelled against society exactly.
But they knew what they wanted, and they didn’t compromise.
He admired that in Lady Louisa.
But the book had become problematic. Since he’d captured Lady Ridgeland, who was still being detained at the moment and out of communication with her associates, he had assumed that because one of the heiresses possessed the book, it would remain safe, for the time being at least. No word should have reached the Duchess of Talbot about the finer points of his actions or his aims. But the moment his role was revealed, the moment his mission came to light, who could say what the secret organization would do to thwart him?
He had to be smarter from here on out.
“Shall we start today then?” Oliver asked Lady Louisa. “The role of footman, driver, protector, and right-hand man.”
She nodded. “Follow me.” She parted the curtain of leaves and strode across the grounds to the door she had exited from earlier, Oliver following in her wake. The moment he stepped over the threshold, a sense of foreboding skittered down his spine.
A warning.
Of what, Oliver couldn’t say.
But he had entered the lion’s den with the lion’s cub. There were sure to be consequences.