Page 20 of A Duchess of Mystery

The girl who’d dared to peek at him looked up, her eyes wary. “Ethel, Your Grace. And these two are Betsy and Maud.” Not quite so afraid now. Good.

“I trust that you will find me a fair master,” Richard said. “And the water will do me well. You may all go now, back to whatever chores you were about before I disturbed you. I thank you again.”

With more hurried curtsies, the three housemaids hastened away, no doubt to report back about their new master to the servants’ hall.

Baxter tipped the water into the bathtub. “Your cousin must have been a tyrant. Those girls were fairly quaking when I asked ’em to bring up the water for your bath.”

Richard kicked off his boots. “He was, I can assure you. But I never remember seeing the maids afraid of him when we were boys. Not like that. No doubt they thought that, as his cousin, I might be cut from the same cloth.”

“It’s a rum spot you’ve brought me to,” Baxter said, picking up the discarded boots. “Something’s odd about it, I’m not afraid to say. Seems to me like everyone here’s a-walking on eggshells.”

Richard pulled his shirt over his head. “You’re right, of course. And I can only conjecture it must have more than a little to do with the death of my cousin. As far as I can see, every person here within the castle walls seems to have had a motive for wanting him dead, from the maids upwards. I would not be at all surprised to find rumor is correct and he was murdered, but by whom it would be hard to say.”

Baxter opened the large armoire. It was full of clothes. “If he was the same size as you, though, these should suffice to smarten you up enough to look the part of duke. At least until you can visit a tailor.”

“You want me smart?” Richard took off his breeches and stepped into the bath. It could have done with more water in it, but at least what was there was still hot. “I’m a soldier, Baxter, and dressing like a dandy doesn’t come naturally to me. As you should know.” He grinned. “Unless you wish to transform me into Beau Stourbridge?”

Baxter was rifling through the contents of the armoire, a faint sneer on his face, probably at the array of finery. “I’m sure we can find something a bit plainer that would meet with your approval.” He glanced over. “Your Grace.”

Richard sank down as low as he could into the water, which wasn’t anywhere near enough to be covered. “And you can stop calling me that. I’ve always just been ‘Major’ to you, and I’d like to continue in the same way.”

By the armoire, Baxter grinned as he pulled out a pair of buff-colored breeches and a clean shirt. “These aren’t too bad, I suppose. He was a bit larger around the waist than you are, but braces will hold these up. And they’re plain enough. Don’t want to turn you out looking like the fop I saw downstairs in the hallway. Never seen the like of it. Nor sniffed it. He were wearing perfume.”

Richard chuckled. Baxter must have crossed passed with the fragrant Sir Rupert Wyndham. “I suppose you’ll want a raise in wages now you’re to be my valet. And a new suit of clothes yourself.”

Baxter also chuckled as he laid the clean clothes on the bed. “Wages at all would be a step up. I don’t believe you’ve paid me since we quit Portugal.” He glanced down at his faded Rifle Brigade uniform. “And I have to own to being fond of these duds.”

“We’ll put all of that right tomorrow. And we shall rub along well enough here. I should warn you that there’s a footman here who was my cousin’s valet, and he can either stay a footman or leave for other employ. He’s bound not to like you stepping into his shoes, as that’s how he’ll see it, so it might be best if he goes. I don’t want a man nannying me as if I were a child in petticoats. You know what I like, and that will do for me. Something of a change since our army days, but I’m sure it’ll work out.”

Baxter picked up the boots again. “I’ll get these polished for you.”

Richard laughed. “No need. We’ve always had a boot boy here. You need to learn to delegate a bit yourself, and get him to do them. Like I said, it’s going to be a bit different to the army.”

Having a valet to attend to his every need, not to mention a boy to polish his boots, was going to take some getting used to, as was having the luxury of a bath at his daily disposal. Perhaps no longer being in the army was going to turn out not to be so bad. And if he could find out a bit more about Isabella, that would also be good. Although it didn’t look as though anyone here was going to tell him. He’d have to get it from the horse’s mouth and ask her. He’d do that tomorrow. Clearly she liked to ride early every morning. Well, she’d find she had a companion tomorrow.