Punishing His Ward (Domestic Discipline 3)

Knocking on the door, she held her chin up high. She'd dressed to help her confidence today, although she'd been steadily gaining in the commodity since being married. Today she'd needed the little boost of her favorite bronze and ivory dress with its dark green trim; she knew she looked particularly well in it, and even if she wasn’t as fashionable or sophisticated as Lady Grace, she almost felt like it in this dress.

When the door opened, Irene blinked. Had she knocked on the wrong door? "Peters?"

The man at the door looked rather startled, the first time she'd ever seen such an expression on his face. She hadn't seen him in years. This was certainly the last place she'd expected to find him, and was probably the last place he would have expected to see her. Although he'd never said it, Irene had always thought Peters knew more about what went on in the Brooke household and the extent of her feelings for Alex than anyone else. Of course, he’d been a footman then and not a butler, but she was sure he’d make a good one. His surprise was only evident for a moment, and then his face assumed the usual blank expression of the best butlers.

"Viscountess," he said with a bow.

Somehow it didn't surprise Irene that, even though he was working in Lady Grace's house where she doubted her own name was ever spoken, that he knew of her marriage. Servants gossip, of course, the most reliable network of gossip that existed.

"Is Lady Brooke at home?" she asked, smiling warmly at him.

For the first time since knowing him, she saw Peters hesitate. "The lady is still in residence although she is scheduled to go out this afternoon, but... may I inquire as to the nature of your visit?"

Irene smiled, tilting her head. "Why Peters, that almost bold for you. I'd just like to speak to Lady Brooke."

"I hesitate to inquire further, my lady," Peters said, every inch of his body managing to give off the impression of being both deferential and apologetic, yet protective. "Lady Brooke has had several visitors at times who wanted nothing more than to speak with her, but their visits were rather distressing to her ladyship."

Despite herself, despite knowing that, in many ways, Lady Grace deserved to be distressed for her behavior and treatment of Alex, Irene couldn't help but feel a surge of sympathy for the woman. It was one thing for her to be cut in public or be excluded from a guest list, but to hound the woman in her own home just seemed to cross a line. Yet it didn’t surprise her that there were those among the ton who would do so.

Irene shook her head.

"Nothing distressing, I promise, Peters," she said, looking up earnestly at the man she'd known since she was a child, when he was a footman on the Brooke estate. A man who’d, more than once, help her sneak a pastry or tart from the kitchen. "In fact, I'm hoping to relieve some distress that I may have caused her."

Peters studied her, as if trying to decide on her sincerity, and she realized that if he thought she was misleading him, she wouldn’t make it through the doorway. In fact, if he hadn’t known her for so very long, that very well might have been the case.

"Very well then, my lady, please come in."

"I didn't realize you were working for Lady Brooke," Irene said, hoping that Peters might give her some more information. Circumspection was part of his job, but perhaps he might give her a hint as to his change in loyalties.

"The lady needed someone to watch over her," Peters said, his expression blank, but his voice sounded sympathetic towards his mistress' position in Society. Considering his devotion to the Brooke family, Irene found it rather curious that he would choose to work for a woman who had betrayed Alex. Then again, perhaps his devotion extended to the entire family, including Alex’s wife whether she was estranged or not, or perhaps he had seen something while working for Alex that caused him to choose Lady Grace over the Brooke family.

The idea was not a comfortable one for Irene, because it made her wonder what she didn't know about her childhood friend and his estranged wife.

Peters showed her to a beautifully decorated drawing room before retreating to see if Lady Grace might have time to see her before going out. Irene couldn't help but wonder where the other woman was going. During her own social rounds they'd never been at the same event. Then again, Irene was accepted by the high sticklers of Society and Grace certainly wasn't, so it really wasn't that surprising that they didn't run in the same circles.

Grace wouldn't be welcome there.

Even if Irene wasn't enamored of the social scene, at least she never feared being turned away from someone’s home. No one turned up their nose at her or whispered behind her back or refused to acknowledge her. In fact, many of the women seemed to be envious and slightly in awe of her, since it was a well-known fact that her husband was a former rake, their marriage was arranged, and yet he was - to all observers - quite reformed. Sometimes Irene was a bit in awe of herself. Lady Grace wouldn’t even have the protection of Lord Brooke’s name.

Although it did beg the question why she was received at all, in any homes.

The door opened again and Lady Grace swept in, beautiful and regal as ever. Irene had her usual reaction of feeling inferior in the face of such striking good looks, but then again, what had her looks gotten Lady Grace? She was on the edge of being an outcast, living alone, and her husband was publically unfaithful to her – as she was to him. Whereas Irene not only had a wonderful husband, she also has his devotion and the respect of the ton.

It was impossible not to feel just the slightest bit of pity, although she doubted Lady Grace would appreciate such an emotion on her behalf.

Standing, Irene nodded her head in greeting at the other woman. "Lady Brooke."

Crystal blue eyes, enhanced by the ice blue dress she was wearing, blinked in surprise. She was absolutely stunning in that light colored dress, which made her cheeks look even paler and her hair even darker; a vision of ice and beauty. It was the very first time in Irene's life that she'd called Lady Grace by her proper title.

"Viscountess."

Had that brittle wariness been there in the lady's manner before? Was it new, or was it just that Irene was finally noticing someone other than herself? Perhaps it was all her new thoughts about the woman that made her more attuned to her emotional state.

Despite their past, despite their recent contentremps, Lady Grace's manner seemed hesitant but civil. Rather like a puppy who was hoping to be petted, but had no reason to expect anything other than a kick. Irene felt another wave of shame and sympathy, and was shocked at her own reaction. Had she never seen Lady Grace clearly before, through the bias of her own determination to have Alex and to be angry at Lady Grace’s treatment of him, or was this a result of Lady Grace's time in town and her position in Society? Irene had the unsettling feeling that it was more likely the former. She’d always taken Lady Grace’s haughty ways at face value and poured dislike upon the woman for them. Now she was starting to see the other woman in a new light and it was making her notice things that she hadn’t before.

Even more than before, Irene was determined to make things right. The woman in front of her may have betrayed her marriage vows, but Irene was starting to realize she couldn't possibly know the whole story. What kept Lady Grace going, despite the disapprobation of Society? What made this wary, imperious woman continue on her course when all she had to do to be welcomed back into Society was act the part she'd been given to play? Why didn’t she just go to Alex and give him an heir, so that she could resume her currently life as normal afterwards?

And why had Irene never wondered these things before?