An Earl Like No Other

by Wilma Counts

Genres: Regency Romance

Synopsis

A handsome earl discovers his new housekeeper is full of surprises in this Regency romance by the author of Rules for an Unmarried Lady.

When all seemed lost . . .

Katherine Gardiner, a young English widow, has only one dream: to protect her son—a future duke—from her merciless father-in-law. Determined and desperate, she has no option but to take the guise of a housekeeper and escape to Yorkshire where the only hope is the enigmatic Earl of Kenrick . . .

. . . love saved the day

In all his years spent roaming the world, Jeremy Chilton never braced himself for the burden of a much-damaged inheritance. Now, the new Earl of Kenrick must save his family legacy and raise his motherless young daughter as a proper English lady. His only salvation is his beautiful housekeeper, Kate. But as her secrets unravel, much that is puzzling about her falls into place. No wonder the Earl has caught himself imagining her more wife than employee. Clearly she belongs at Kenrick—safe in his arms. Now, if only he can convince her to agree . . .

Release date: September 1, 2014

Publisher: eKensington

Print pages: 320

Sample

May, 1815

Mr. Thomas Logan wore a battered top hat and other remnants of the conservative, plain dress of his position as a London solicitor. His clothing, appropriate for a very junior associate in a large law firm in that great European city, was decidedly out of place in the frontier town of St. Joseph in the Louisiana Territory of the New World. Logan’s wardrobe had taken a beating during a journey of several months’ duration to this center of the fur trade. In the latter stages of his trip, he had been acutely aware of the sniggers of white men and open curiosity of Indians he encountered.

St. Joseph, a port on the Missouri River, was crowded now with mountain men gathered to sell the pelts they had accumulated over the winter. He recognized accents from Europe—French, German, and Spanish. Who would have thought so many men from civilized parts of the world would have chosen this life? Admittedly, he used the term civilized rather loosely, for he possessed the true Londoner’s sense of superiority. He could not distinguish either languages or dress of the natives, whom he thought of with a shudder as mere savages. He quelled these thoughts as he had done for some weeks now. Thomas Logan was a man on a mission. Mentally bracing himself, he went about his task of locating a fur trapper named Jeremy Michael Chilton.

Logan’s ordeal had included a two-month ocean voyage, then another two months trekking across nearly half of the North American continent by stagecoach, horseback, riverboat, canoe, and now horseback again. Having finally arrived in St. Joseph, he found locating his quarry easier than he had anticipated. The town was a frontier outpost, but saloons, brothels, and mercantile stores abounded to serve fur traders.

“Chilton? Yeah, I know him,” a grizzled, unkempt man said in the fourth or fifth establishment Logan visited. “He’s with a tribe of Arapahos ’bout a mile and a half north of here.”

“Arap . . . uh—what?”

“Arapahos. Plains Injuns.”

“I see . . .” Logan did not see at all.

“We’ll find ’im fer ya, Mr. Logan.”

This assurance came from Bill Hansen, one of the five experienced mountain men Logan had hired in Kentucky to guide him into the deeper wilderness. At first, his new comrades had been wary and faintly contemptuous of the fastidious Londoner. Gradually, though, his perseverance in the face of the hardships of the trail had won them over. He supposed the turning point had come as he took a dunking when a canoe capsized. He had also endured hours and hours on horseback. No London cabs in the wilderness, he reminded himself.

“Lead on then, Mr. Hansen.”

Half an hour later, they entered an Indian camp full of tepees, women bending over cook fires, and men idling in the late afternoon. The smell of wood smoke blended with that of roasting meat; adults called out to each other or to reprimand noisy children. Logan could see little to distinguish this from any of the other heathen encampments he’d seen. His group’s horses and pack animals were immediately surrounded by a gaggle of scantily clad brown-skinned children who giggled and pointed. “Impolite, uncouth little monsters,” Logan muttered to himself. Hansen asked directions in a guttural native language and they were pointed toward the edge of the camp. Logan’s anticipation rose. Was it possible that he at long last could discharge the duty that had brought him so far?

Among the tepees Logan spotted a proper English tent such as a soldier might have used on the Iberian Peninsula—indeed, it was not unlike Logan’s own traveling accommodation. Well, perhaps the man has not gone entirely native, he thought.

As they neared the tent, a tall man, probably roused by the mayhem in the wake of Logan’s arrival, emerged and pinned up the opening flap. Logan noted dark brown hair and blue eyes. Hansen and Logan dismounted and pushed forward as others of their party held back with the animals and packs.

“Are you Chilton?” Hansen asked.

“I am.”

“This here’s Mr. Logan. He’s done come all the way from England lookin’ fer you.” Pride and amusement showed in Hansen’s voice as he gestured toward his smaller companion, who maintained the aura—if not the semblance—of a proper English gentleman. Logan stepped aside, clutching a leather attaché packet, and sought to ignore several mongrel dogs sniffing and growling at his feet.

“Thank you, Mr. Hansen,” Logan said. “Perhaps you and the others could set up our camp while I convey the message I came to deliver.”

“Sure thing, Mr. Logan.”

Logan lifted his battered hat and tried to maintain his dignity as he shook a foot at a particularly impolite dog. He bowed. “I am happy to find you at last, my lord.”

The tall man smiled, apparently amused at this incongruous scene. “I’m afraid you miscall me, sir. It’s just ‘Chilton’ here.”

“Ah, but in England, my lord, you are now the Earl of Kenrick.”

Chilton drew in a long breath. Color drained from his face. He looked as though someone had landed a solid punch to his midsection. “I’m what? You can’t be serious. My father? My brothers—Charles, Edgar?”

“Deceased, I am sad to say.” Logan’s tone was somber. “Your brothers drowned in a boating accident in the Irish Sea. Your father succumbed to complications from illness—his liver, you know.”

“When?”

“Your brothers a year ago and your father some three months later.”

Chilton shook his head, clearly overwhelmed. His expression was grim, but color was returning to his face.

“I’m sorry, my lord. I’m sure this news comes as a shock.”

“Indeed it does.” Chilton’s voice caught. “All this time I’ve thought of them as alive and well and . . .”

“Your older brothers were lost at sea, but your father was laid to rest in Kenrick chapel,” Logan said gently.

“Others of my family? I’ve been away for nearly ten years and have had only a few letters.”

“They are well. Your stepmother remained in London after your father’s death. His sister, Lady Elinor, chooses to remain at Kenrick. You surely know your sister Margaret married the Honorable William Talbot six years ago.”

Chilton nodded and Logan went on. “She has twin sons and a daughter, so you’re an uncle, my lord.”

Chilton grinned. “A girl as well, eh? I knew of the boys. And Bobby?”

“Your younger brother, Robert, was still in Belgium when I left London.”

“He is still in harm’s way, then,” Chilton said. “Even here we heard of Napoleon’s escape in March.” He looked off into the blue sky, his gaze focused on something within. “Hard to think of Bobby as a seasoned soldier. He was only sixteen when I left. My father—Charles—Edgar . . .” He shook his head again.

Logan shifted from one foot to another. “Is there some place we can talk, my lord?”

“Of course.”

With a gesture, Chilton invited him into the tent and let the flap down. Soon they were seated on what Logan thought of as very civilized camp stools. Logan, holding his attaché case primly on his lap, started to speak again in a formal tone. “I represent the Phillips law firm handling Kenrick business affairs. When your brothers drowned, your father was most anxious to have you return to England. When we received no response to our letters, Mr. Phillips prevailed upon me to make this journey. That would be the younger Mr. Phillips—Mr. Walter Phillips, that is. His father passed on in 1812.”

“I know Wally very well. So he’s in charge now, eh?”

“Yes, my lord. Mr. Walter instructed me to find you—no matter how long it took. It has been a most interesting adventure, I must say.”

Chilton gave him what seemed to be a sympathetic smile.

“I am pleased to have found you, my lord,” the lawyer said, drawing some papers from his packet.

Before he could continue, however, the tent flap whooshed open and a child of perhaps four years bounced in, uttering something in the heathen language and sounding highly excited. The child, who appeared to be female, ran to Chilton and clutched at his knee.

Chilton put a hand on her shoulder and turned her toward Logan. “Cassie, you are being rude to a guest.” He looked at Logan. “My daughter, Cassie—that is, Cassandra Margaret.”

The child stamped her foot. “Little Willow, Papa.”

“Ah, yes. Also known as Little Willow.”

“Your daughter?” Logan murmured. The London man was shocked as he examined the child more closely. No gentleman of his acquaintance would parade his by-blow quite so blatantly. The little girl was a comely creature, her hair in two long shiny black plaits; she wore a buckskin dress and a beaded headband. She glanced up shyly and Logan looked into very clear, very intelligent, very blue eyes.

“Greet the gentleman properly, Poppet—and in English,” Chilton said with a light push at her back.

“How . . . do?” She bent her knees in a shy curtsy, then hugged herself closer to her father, but never took her eyes from the stranger.

“I—I am pleased to meet you, my—uh—lady,” Logan managed, pleased with himself at having controlled his shock—even to the point of according the child a title he was not at all sure was rightfully hers.

Chilton gave the little girl a gentle shove. “You run out and play now, Cassie. And tell Running Fox I said to behave himself.”

She skipped away and Chilton met the lawyer’s gaze directly, but with a hint of defiance.

“H—her mother?” Logan asked, unable to contain his curiosity.

“Dead,” the new Lord Kenrick said flatly. “My wife, Leah—or Willow—died giving birth to our daughter.”

“Y—your wife? But she was . . . she was—”

“Half Arapaho. My wife’s mother is white—lives in St. Louis. And Willow was my wife. First by tribal ceremony and then by a Christian ceremony in St. Louis where the marriage was registered. So, yes, it appears that my daughter is, as you say, Lady Cassandra Margaret.”

“Y—yes, my lord.” Logan digested this information, then asked, “Are there—uh . . . any others?”

Chilton chuckled, apparently amused at Logan’s discomfort. “No. Only Cassie. Believe me, she’s enough.”

“Yes, my lord.” Logan sat even straighter and began to shuffle through his papers. “As your brothers left no legal heirs, you, my lord, became heir to the earldom when they died. As I said, we tried to contact you then.”

“Communication is no easy matter in the wilderness, Mr. Logan.”

“You have the right of it there, my lord,” Logan said ruefully, then he continued. “In any event, when your father too left us, it became crucial that we locate you, for you, my lord, are now the Earl of Kenrick, and there are certain matters of a rather urgent nature.”

“I shouldn’t think there’s much left of the Kenrick earldom,” Chilton observed. “Is there even enough to merit the name?”

“Well, yes. A good deal of movable property has been sold off—paintings and some other art pieces, many of the horses, a carriage or two. The real estate, no longer entailed, as you know, has been heavily mortgaged.”

“I surmised as much. The process started long before I left England.”

“The elder Mr. Phillips had more or less given up on the matter,” Logan explained, “but Mr. Walter thinks that, with proper management, the earldom might thrive again. To that end, he secured extensions on the loans.”

“Wally always was an optimist.”

Logan smiled politely. “He seems confident that you will agree to take on the task of saving Kenrick.”

Jeremy Chilton, new Earl of Kenrick, saw Mr. Logan settled into the camp Hansen set up, and he agreed to Cassie’s urgent pleas that she be allowed to spend the night with her cousins, Running Fox and his sister Butterfly. Their mother had been a half-sister to Cassie’s mother. Finally, he had time to consider the full impact of the lawyer’s message.

As a third son, Jeremy had never entertained any notion of inheriting the title. Nor had he harbored any envy or regret that there were two brothers in front of him. Early on he had faced several important facts: his father’s profligate habits were depleting an already floundering earldom; his older brothers were likely to finish it off; and there was nothing—absolutely nothing—a third son could do about it. Not only would there be no inheritance for him from Kenrick, but there was no rich relative, no fairy godmother lurking in the wings. He would be on his own, a fate that was often the lot of younger sons.

As a boy he had dreamed of running away to sea to make his fortune as a pirate. As an adolescent, his ambitions were nobler: He would join the army and fight the Corsican monster trying to subdue all of Europe. In the end, he had been persuaded by a fellow Trinity College student—another impoverished younger son—to go adventuring in the New World. Jeremy had lost track of Walthorp, who had lasted in the wilderness only one year, then taken a desk job with Astor’s American Fur Company in New York. Jeremy, however, had taken to the rough frontier life, though initially he thought of it as a temporary sojourn. He would one day take up a more settled way of life, but probably in America rather than England. Before settling down, though, he must add to his savings in the St. Louis bank with another year or two out here in the fur trade.

Now—suddenly—he was no longer “just Chilton” but Earl of Kenrick! He could stay where he was—let those creditors collect on the debts his father had amassed. Let an empty title eventually fall where it would—perhaps to his younger brother Robert. Let the tenant farmers, mill workers, and others fend for themselves. They would probably have had to do so anyway if either Charles or Edgar had inherited.

Memory conjured up faces from the past: A stable hand who taught him how to ride. Farmers who taught him the value and rewards of hard work. A gamekeeper who shared secrets of nature with a lonely boy. The vicar who instilled a love of Homer and Marcus Aurelius. Not just faces. People—families—all dependent on the fate of the Kenrick earldom.

One of his reasons for leaving England was not wanting to see such people reduced to penury or sent to workhouses. While his father and brothers lived, he could have done nothing. But now? Wally Phillips had always been a sensible sort and he seemed to think one Jeremy Chilton could turn things around.

But what about Cassie? How would she react to being uprooted? Well, children often adapted to change more easily than adults did. His daughter was resilient; she blended easily with her cousins in the Indian village—and with her white relatives in St. Louis. Since her birth and her mother’s death, he had been determined to see that she had the best he could offer, including a decent education that would allow her entrance to any society of her choice. To that end, he had a good deal of money saved—not a fortune, but a start. But—did he dare require that Little Willow become Lady Cassandra?

Could he live with himself if he failed even to try to save the earldom—to preserve a heritage that his daughter had a right to? And what about all those others? Did his very name not carry a responsibility to them?

He wrestled with the dilemma for three days, but in the end he saw little real choice in the matter. He would have to take on the task of trying to save Kenrick.

Katherine Emma Newton Gardiner arrived one evening in late March on the doorstep of her husband’s solicitor, gripping her son’s hand in one of her own and clutching a large traveling bag in the other. The boy carried a smaller bag and the mother had a guitar slung across her back.

“Oh, please, do be at home,” Kate prayed as she set the bag down and lifted the door knocker.

After some time, the door opened a crack and an imperious male voice said, “Ye-s-s?”

“I am Lady Arthur Gardiner and I wish to see Mr. Phillips. It is a matter of some urgency,” Kate announced.

The butler seemed unsurprised by the anxiety she could not quell. He gave her a penetrating look that also took in the boy standing quietly at her side. The servant weighed her words, then opened the door wider and motioned them in. He took their bags and the instrument, set them inside the door, and motioned mother and son to a nearby bench.

“Wait here. I shall see if Mr. Phillips is in.”

Presently, Phillips himself appeared along with the butler. Phillips was a sandy-haired man in his thirties.

“Lady Arthur. What a pleasant surprise. Come in. And Lord Spenland. How nice to see you.” Phillips greeted the child in an adult manner, giving him a slight bow, which the little boy returned politely and expertly.

“I am not at all sure you will deem it such a pleasure once you know why I am here,” Kate said.

“A crisis, I take it?” Phillips responded. “Well, let us deal with it over tea. Martin, another pot of tea, please—and some of those ginger cakes for young Lord Spenland.”

“Right away, sir.”

Kate removed her cloak and her son’s outer coat and handed them to the butler, who then promptly went to do his master’s bidding.

Phillips ushered mother and son into a drawing room containing furniture that appeared to be valued for comfort as much as style. A fire burned in the fireplace and a lamp on a side table between two winged chairs splashed warm light into the room. One of the chairs was occupied by a plump, pretty blond woman.

“You remember my wife, do you not, Lady Arthur?” Phillips said.

“Yes, indeed.” Kate smiled at the other woman, who immediately stood and curtsied politely.

Mrs. Phillips held a book she had been reading, her finger marking the place. “I shall ring for more tea.”

“Already taken care of, my dear,” Phillips assured her.

“Oh. Then, as I presume this call involves some legal business, I shall excuse myself,” Mrs. Phillips offered.

“I would not drive you from your own drawing room!” Kate said. “I came because Mr. Phillips was a particular friend of my husband—as well as his solicitor.”

“Never mind, my dear. It happens all the time. But if you prefer that I stay . . .”

“By all means,” Kate said politely.

“Perhaps you would rather your son had his tea in the kitchen?” Mrs. Phillips had apparently noted a degree of anxiety about their guest. “We have a new family of kittens next to the cooker,” she said warmly to the little boy and laid aside her book.

“Thank you, Mrs. Phillips. Ned would like that, wouldn’t you, son?” Kate nudged the child to accompany the woman to the kitchen.

When the door closed behind them, Phillips pointed to a place for Kate on the sofa, sat himself on a chair nearby, and said, “Now. What is it that has you so upset?”

“Does it show that much? I thought I had calmed myself during our long coach journey.” The sympathy and concern in his voice nearly undid her careful control. “Oh, Mr. Phillips, I made such a terrible mistake in taking Ned to Wynstan Castle.”

“I feared as much,” Phillips said, “but we all hoped it would work for the boy’s sake, his being the heir and all.”

“That’s precisely why I agreed to go, despite Arthur’s careful plans. His grace offered such a plausible argument. Since Ned will eventually become the duke, his grandfather insisted that it would be best if he grew up on the land he would one day inherit. I had misgivings, but I was persuaded to that viewpoint.”

Phillips nodded. “At the time, I must admit I was inclined to agree with you. I mean to say, Arthur could not have foreseen that his older brother would die within months of his own demise. With young Ned now heir to the Wynstan dukedom, it made perfect sense to all of us.”

“Still—I should have remembered Arthur’s stories of his childhood. I should never have given in to my father-in-law’s arguments,” Kate said. “Nor should I have pestered you and Captain Lawrence to agree.”

“I do not recall such a deal of pestering, Lady Arthur,” Phillips replied with a smile. “Captain Lawrence—it’s Major Lawrence now—and I readily accepted our joint guardianship of young Ned, but we both knew that your husband would have made you sole guardian—were one allowed to name a woman to such a position.”

Mrs. Phillips returned, followed by the butler bearing a tea tray. “I left your son happily consuming ginger cakes and playing with the kittens.”

“Thank you,” Kate said, accepting the cup of tea Mrs. Phillips offered her.

“We were discussing the boy’s guardianship,” Mr. Phillips explained. “You recall the case, I am sure.” He turned to Kate. “My wife has a fine hand—and a fine mind—and she often copied documents for me until recently.”

“I see,” Kate said.

Mrs. Phillips settled herself on the sofa next to Kate. “I do recall the case. I distinctly remember questioning why a duke’s son would take such extraordinary measures to eliminate members of his own family as possible guardians.”

“My husband spent an unhappy childhood under his father’s iron hand,” Kate explained. “The duke was not just strict with Arthur. He was decidedly cruel at times.”

“Good heavens!” Mrs. Phillips said. “His own son?”

“Arthur was under the impression that his father thought not,” Kate said quietly.

“What are you saying?” Mrs. Phillips wore a frown of consternation and her husband too focused a curious gaze on Kate.

“Arthur thought perhaps he was not Wynstan’s son, though the duke never publicly questioned his paternity and certainly his brother Frederick and his sister—both some years older than Arthur—were the duke’s children.”

“But the duke told Lord Arthur this?” Mrs. Phillips asked in an appalled tone.

“I do not think he said it very precisely, but that was the impression Arthur had from some things the duke did say and, of course, from his rather bizarre behavior toward Arthur. The duke favored the others inordinately, especially his heir, Frederick,” Kate said. “That much was clear in the time Ned and I were at Wynstan Castle. The duke’s treatment of Ned and me was, I think, an extension of his treatment of Arthur.”

“Oh, you poor thing,” Mrs. Phillips murmured sympathetically.

Phillips broke in matter-of-factly. “So what happened? What brought you here?”

“I—I knew of nowhere else to turn.” Kate took a swallow of the hot tea, savoring its warmth, then set the dish down. “And I wished to discuss the funds Arthur left.”

“Give us the whole story,” Phillips said. “After all, I have neither seen nor heard from you since you left my office nearly a year ago.”

“It is not pretty,” Kate warned. “Once Ned and I removed to Wynstan Castle, we became virtual prisoners. I did not mind so much for me.” Her hands in her lap, she twisted the wedding ring she had never removed and cleared her throat. “I am somewhat embarrassed to tell you this—but without Arthur, it really made little difference where I was.”

“But you had your son,” Mrs. Phillips said gently.

“Yes. And a blessing he is. I honestly thought he might thrive in the country.”

“Did he?” Phillips asked.

“He would have done so. He did—at first. But the duke kept demanding more and more of him. And Ned tried so hard! The duke required that he learn fencing and boxing. When Ned did not immediately take to swords and fisticuffs, Wynstan accused him of being a silly female and a mama’s boy. Ned has only eight years!”

“Good heavens!” Mrs. Phillips said again. “What did you do?”

“I tried to reason with the duke, but he said I had ‘coddled the boy long enough. The future Duke of Wynstan should be made of sterner stuff.’ ” Kate tried to affect the duke’s cold tone.

Phillips shifted in his chair. “Somehow, I doubt this is the whole story of why you are here.”

Kate sighed. “No. It is not. He . . . he insisted that Ned learn to shoot and hunt. Ned is terrified of guns. Even now he occasionally wakes up with nightmares in which he relives hearing guns in battle—especially that last battle at Toulouse.”

“Go on,” Phillips urged.

“The duke forced Ned go on a rabbit hunt. There were several men and boys and a pack of dogs.” She closed her eyes against the memory.

Mrs. Phillips, perched on the edge of the sofa, turned toward Kate. “You were there too?”

“Oh, no. This was a men-only affair. I just heard about it afterwards. It was terrible, though. This was not a hunt to rid farmers of pests. It was only for sport. There were loud shots. And blood. A great deal of blood. Ned was sick and vomited. The duke insisted Ned try shooting, but he couldn’t—in part because the duke’s gun was far too large for a small boy. But Ned was also terrified, you see?”

Again Mrs. Phillips gave a sympathetic murmur and reached to place her hand on Kate’s.

Kate went on. “The duke was embarrassed in front of his friends.” Even now, in the retelling, she felt herself trembling at what was coming next. “He—he was so angry he picked up the bloody carcasses of two of the rabbits and draped them around Ned’s neck and made him carry them home that way.” She stifled a sob.

“Good grief!” Phillips said.

Kate nodded. “Ned was nearly hysterical. He kept saying to me later, ‘That was how Papa died, Mama. I know it. In a field with blood everywhere.’ ” Now, weeks later, remembering the utter despair in her son’s voice, Kate felt tears on her cheeks.

“No wonder you wanted to leave,” Mrs. Phillips said, motioning to her husband, who eventually understood that he should hand over his handkerchief to their visitor. “I cannot imagine how Mr. Phillips and I might react if such a thing happened to one of our sons!”

“Oh, there’s more,” Kate went on bitterly after wiping her eyes. “Later, the duke called Ned down to the library. I went with him, but Wynstan would not allow me in. However, I stood outside the door—and I heard it all.”

“Heard what?” Mrs. Phillips asked in an appalled whisper.

“The duke shouted that he would teach Ned a lesson he would not forget. Ned was, he said, just like his father and needed the same treatment. Then . . . there was a horrible slapping sound. He was using a leather strap on my little boy! Ned screamed. I screamed too, and pounded on the door. Finally, it stopped. The duke jerked open the door and cursed at me, but I shoved past him to Ned, who was cowering over a chair, sobbing hi. . .