Polishing the Duke (Suddenly a Duke Book 3) by Alexa Aston

Author:Alexa Aston [Aston, Alexa]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Romance, Historical
Publisher: Dragonblade Publishing, Inc.
Published: 2023-04-26T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Thirteen

Nalyssa awoke to thunderstorms and went to the window, seeing the ground drenched. She wondered if the duke would insist upon holding the funeral in such terrible weather. If he did, she would insist that Amanda and Penelope remain at Stonecrest.

Crossing the room, she pushed aside the curtain and curled up in the chair beside the window, watching the rain fall at a steady pace, knowing further sleep would be impossible. As she sat staring out across the lawn, she brooded over the last few days and came to a decision.

She would leave Stonecrest.

It would mean returning a good portion of what the previous Duke of Stoneham had given her since she would not be completing her assignment, but Nalyssa realized she wasn’t needed all that much. The new duchess, though a lowly clergyman’s daughter, was quite refined. Nalyssa could write out a few instructions to help Amanda manage the household. They had a gem in Mrs. Pugh, who was competent and efficient. The housekeeper would make certain the duchess would not go astray.

As for the duke, he didn’t truly need lessons from her. Generations of nobility had been bred within him. It was obvious because he had risen to the top of his former class without help from anyone else. He had an excellent steward here at Stonecrest and would learn what he needed to of estate management from Mr. Dixon. Once the duke toured his various estates throughout England, he could decide whether to retain or hire new stewards for each of them as he saw fit.

For the rest of it? The duke would cut a swath through Polite Society in his own fashion. He might not always toe the line as to what the ton expected because even with her sharing the rules he should follow, Stoneham would always be his own man. He did not really need her help to launch himself into society, confident as he was. He would easily land a bride on the Marriage Mart since he would have his choice of any single woman within the ton. Since she would be a lady of excellent breeding, his new duchess could put the final finishes upon him.

Pinchel would continue the riding lessons and since the duke had picked up dance steps so easily, Nalyssa would merely have a dance master come in for a few sessions while they were in town seeing to the wardrobes. Although she knew the duke had impeccable taste, she did want to be there to guide his choices and that of his mother and sister. Once the wardrobes were completed, they could return to Stonecrest.

Without her.

It would mean tightening bootstraps on her part since she had no other clients this Season. Once word leaked out that she’d had a hand in preparing the Duke of Stoneham and his family for taking their places among the ton, however, she hoped it would bring a future client or two for next Season. She would spend conservatively. Already, Jenny had made over many of Nalyssa’s gowns from previous Seasons.

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