Page 6 of Tempting a Lonely Lord (The Rakes of Mayhem #6)

Later that day

Bridgewater Manor

Dover, Kent

“Welcome, my lord. The ladies are in the drawing room,” the butler said, showing William and Michael the way.

“This will be fun, won’t it, Will?” Michael said, hopping from one foot to the other as they followed the butler.

“It will,” William said. “Michael, remember what we talked about?”

“Oh, yes. I’m sorry,” Michael said, settling immediately into a cordial walk and no longer hopping.

William smiled—the simple instruction confirmed he had influence with his brother, which would be important.

He recalled the first time he’d accompanied his father and mother on a social call at that age, and he was just like Michael until his parents gave him a gentle reminder about his behavior.

“And remember what I said… you can have as many biscuits as you like, but one at a time.”

“Yes, Will,” Michael said with a grin stretching across his face, displaying two missing teeth in the front.

William gave Michael’s hand an affectionate squeeze, realizing again how glad he was to have his little brother with him.

“My ladies, Viscount William Dudley has arrived with Master Michael Dudley,” the butler announced.

Bella gracefully approached. “Lord Dudley, it’s our pleasure to have you and your brother join us for tea,” she said, her smile warm and welcoming.

William blinked, once again struck by her beauty—her soft green gown shimmering faintly in the afternoon light, accented her slender figure and the subtle glow of her complexion, the striking brilliance of her emerald-green eyes, and the gentle waves of her golden-blonde hair.

His attention shifted, and he noticed the faint limp in her step. A rush of protective instinct surged within him, and for an instant, he longed to sweep her up in his arms, remembering what it felt like to hold her. He quickly reprimanded himself, forcing his focus back to the moment.

“Allow me to introduce you to my grandmothers,” she continued. “This is Grandmère, the Dowager Viscountess Elise Harrington.”

The short, gray-haired woman gave a gentle nod and extended her hand.

William took it and bowed over it. “It’s very nice to make your acquaintance, my lady.”

“It’s nice to meet you, my lady,” Michael said, first looking up at William and then taking the viscountess’s hand in his chubby one and kissing it.

“Thank you both. The pleasure is all mine,” she said with a soft French accent, smiling down at Michael. “Please, I would be honored if you would call me Grandmère.”

“ Gwand-mare ,” Michael pronounced carefully.

Fleetingly, Bella wondered why Michael mixed up the R and W sounds; it seemed to occur whenever the young boy was excited or flustered.

“Yes, darling boy,” she said graciously.

Bella’s lips twitched as she started to introduce her other grandmother. “This is Grandmama, the Dowager Countess Anna Bridgewater.” She nodded at the taller woman.

Before she could say anything, William’s younger brother took the dowager’s hand into his and kissed it. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Gwand-mama,” he said. Then he looked up at William. “Why does Lady Bella have two gwandmothers and we don’t, William?”

“Michael, that happens in some families.”

“I wish I had a gwandmother.”

“You sweet boy!” Lady Bridgewater exclaimed. “We would be pleased to be your honorary grandmothers. Isn’t that so, Elise?”

“Oh, I agree wholeheartedly, Anna,” the viscountess said. “Consider us your grandmothers, young Michael.” She turned to her friend. “He is so charming,” she whispered loudly.

Lady Bridgewater nodded. “Angelic. He reminds me of a cherub.”

Bella smiled as her eyes met William’s. William thought she looked like an angel. “Lady Bella, I’m very glad to see you looking well. How is your ankle?”

He noticed Bella blushed at the question, which made him want to talk her into his arms and kiss her.

“Much better. Thank you,” she said. “I don’t know what I would have done if Lacey hadn’t found you. I certainly couldn’t have held on too much longer.”

Hearing her name, the long-haired black dog trotted into the room and immediately took position at Bella’s feet.

“You have a dog?” Michael asked. “I love dogs.”

“We do,” Bella said while her fingers absently combed Lacey’s soft hair between her ears. As she did that, the animal leaned into her affectionate ministrations.

“My goodness! If she were a cat, she’d be purring,” Lady Bridgewater said. “Listen to her. She almost gives a guttural hum, just like a cat.”

“Very true,” her other grandmother agreed.

“Forgive me, where are my manners? I forgot to give you this. Lemon bars, baked by the cook of a dear friend,” William said, handing the tin to Bella.

“Thank you, my lord,” she said with a soft smile.

“Wonderful, we can enjoy them with our tea,” Grandmère said, nodding at Garrett, the butler.

A minute later, a maid pushed a tea cart laden with biscuits, finger sandwiches, and tea into the room. The butler opened the tin that Bella handed him and added the lemon bars onto a plate.

“Michael, our cook, Mrs. Bisque, prepared some lemonade. Do you enjoy lemonade?” Lady Harrington asked.

“It’s my favowite,” the little boy said, accepting the glass and selecting one of the lemon bars. “I love them almost as much as pirates. Is that a painting of a pirate ship?” he asked with awe.

“What a sharp eye you have, Michael,” Lady Harrington said. “It does look like a pirate ship, but it was painted by my son Stephen, Bella’s uncle. As far as I know, it’s not a specific ship. He painted it with several images in mind.”

“It’s jolly good,” Michael said, “even if it’s not a pirate ship.”

“Ah, so you love pirates, yes?” Grandmère asked. “Have you ever hunted for lost treasure?”

“No, but finding tweasure is a big dream of mine!” Michael exclaimed, his voice bubbling with enthusiasm as everyone chuckled around the table.

William already knew his brother’s imagination was easily captivated by tales of swashbuckling rogues and buried treasure.

It was precisely the kind of topic that sparked his enthusiasm.

He was heartened by the kindness of their neighbors, particularly Bella’s grandmothers, who proved to be warm-hearted women with a natural affinity for children.

Their evident delight in Michael’s presence reassured William that bringing his eight-year-old brother to live with him had been the right decision.

He had a feeling that Bella and her grandmothers would have a most positive influence on the boy.

“This is good,” Michael said with his mouth full of powdered sugar. “Is there pirate treasure to find here?” Lacey’s ears perked up, and she trotted over to sit at Michael’s feet.

“Perhaps…” Grandmère’s voice was tinged with excitement as she spoke excitedly to the small boy. “I heard a story in town that might interest you.”

“Elise, perhaps we shouldn’t…” Lady Bridgewater began hesitantly.

“Poppycock! I think it will be a splendid adventure,” Lady Harrington declared with a twinkle in her eye.

“What sort of adventure?” Michael asked eagerly, his curiosity piqued.

“A hunt for buried treasure, mon cher ,” Lady Harrington said with dramatic flair. “They say that many, many years ago—perhaps a century or more—a pirate landed on these very shores and concealed a most precious treasure. There’s an old woman in the village who knows the story in all its details.”

Lady Bridgewater chuckled warmly. “Of course, we cannot be certain if it’s true or merely a fanciful tale, but I happen to know someone who might. Perhaps tomorrow we can organize a small adventure, visit the village, and ask Grandmère’s friend about this mysterious legend.”

Michael turned to William, his eyes wide with an almost irresistible plea. “Oh, please, Will, may I go to town tomorrow with my new grandmothers?”

To strengthen his case, Michael patted Lacey on the head. The loyal dog sat up immediately, wagging her tail as though she wholeheartedly endorsed the idea. “See? Even Lacey thinks it’s a good idea.”

William hesitated, his gaze shifting from Bella to her grandmothers. The three women were smiling, their expressions so warm and inviting that it was difficult to refuse.

“We would be delighted to have you join us,” Lady Bridgewater said with a gracious nod. “We can stop by the tea shop for chocolate and scones.”

“It will also give you and Michael a chance to become acquainted with the town and meet some of the local artisans,” Bella suggested with a charming smile. “Especially since you plan to refurbish your estate.”

William sighed, the corner of his mouth tugging upward as he realized he might also enjoy the opportunity to spend more time with Bella. “Unfortunately, I cannot attend because I’m meeting with stonemason about a crumbling outer wall.”

“Well, we will be glad to take Michael. He would be no trouble,” Grandmère said.

William turned to Michael. “Do you promise to behave?”

“I do, I pwomise.”

“Arf!” Lacey barked approval.

“Very well. Since Lacey’s given her approval, the matter is settled, Michael. You shall accompany the ladies to town and uncover more about this buried treasure.”

Michael whooped with delight, his excitement bubbling over in an uncontainable burst of energy.

“What’s this about buried treasure?” a tall, dark-haired man asked as he strode into the room, a curious glint sparking in his eye.

A hint of gray at his temples lent an air of distinction to his otherwise youthful features.

His gaze landed on the dowager countess, and his tone shifted to one of polite stiffness.

“Mother. My apologies for the intrusion—I wasn’t aware we had guests for tea. ”

“Uncle Stephen, we have visitors,” Bella exclaimed, rising from her seat with a touch of nervous energy.

A faint strain in her voice caught William’s attention, though she masked it with a smile.

“This is our neighbor, Viscount William Dudley, and his younger brother, Master Michael Dudley,” she continued, her tone a trifle stiff.

“Lord Dudley, may I present my uncle, the Earl of Bridgewater.” She turned back to the older man. “Uncle, would you care to join us?”

The earl surveyed the room with an aloof air, his smile clearly forced. “Ah. I’ve heard of you, Dudley. A hero, I believe? Thought it seems fate has deprived us of a proper introduction—until now,” he said, his voice clipped.

“Yes, we have just taken up residence,” William said as he rose, extending his hand to the earl. “My sincerest condolences on the loss of your brother, Lord Miles Bridgewater. As I understand it, it was a very unfortunate accident that took his life.”

As William spoke, he couldn’t help but notice the tension radiating from the earl—a simmering unease just beneath the surface. The earl’s gaze flicked sharply, first toward his mother, then toward Bella, carrying a shadow of barely restrained anger.

Despite the undercurrent of hostility, he accepted William’s hand and nodded curtly. “And what of this so-called buried treasure?” he asked in a surly tone, his skepticism evident.

“Oh, Grandmère mentioned a fabled story about a treasure in the area,” Bella replied quickly, her tone calm. “Michael is simply fascinated by anything to do with pirates—that’s all.”

“So, it’s nothing more than an old wives’ tale,” Bridgewater said dismissively, his irritation cutting sharply in Bella’s direction.

“Not an old wives’ tale,” his mother interjected firmly. “We are going into the village tomorrow to make some inquiries.”

The earl let out an impatient huff. “Well, when you’re done with your inquiries ,” he replied, his tone laced with sarcasm, “perhaps you should take your granddaughter to the modiste’s shop while you’re in town and see that she’s fitted for a proper ball gown.”

“And why would Bella need a new ball gown?” Lady Bridgewater said, with narrowed eyes.

“We’ve just received an invitation. Baron Darkmoor is hosting a ball in two weeks, and we shall all be attending,” the earl announced, his tone curt.

Turning to his mother, he added, “Mother, dear, please ensure Bella has a proper gown for the occasion. Baron Darkmoor is a significant figure in the area, and it would be prudent to cultivate his goodwill.”

His gaze flicked pointedly toward William before he continued.

“Regrettably, I won’t be able to join your little tea party, Bella.

I have pressing estate matters to attend to,” he said, his tone cool and devoid of the familial warmth one might expect from an uncle.

With that, the earl strode from the room, leaving a tangible tension behind.

William couldn’t help but notice the matching expressions etched on the grandmothers’ faces and the flicker of unease in Bella’s lovely eyes.

He had yet to make Baron Darkmoor’s acquaintance, but he resolved to learn everything he could about the man and why the earl seemed determined to court his favor.

~*~