The Guardian Duke

Available for Preorder ~ Out on 4/22/25

With the death of his uncle, Henry Simpson, Duke of Eldridge, became guardian of his five female cousins. Given that they were raised by a strict vicar who allowed them no freedom whatsoever and forced pious prayer while warning that London was full of sin, Eldridge expected that they would wish to quickly wed and settle into stable domesticity after experiencing one Season. At least that was his hope until they fell under the influence of a most independent lady.

Having reached her majority, and able to enjoy certain freedoms that are only allotted spinsters, Lady Penelope Johansen is in no hurry to wed. She has also learned much in her five and twenty years and when she meets the five sheltered sisters, new to London and enjoying their first Season, Penelope takes it upon herself to make certain they know which rules to follow, which rakes to avoid, and how to enjoy their first Season to the fullest. All would work out perfectly if not for their overbearing guardian.

If only Lady Penelope would assist in seeing his cousins married instead of encouraging independence, Henry would welcome her interference. Instead, her presence is a torment and she does not like him very much.

Chapter One

London – May 1818

Henry Simpson, the Duke of Eldridge, had only stepped from the ballroom for a moment, but upon his return, and hearing the shriek from a woman yet to be identified, he knew the cause—Damaris! She was one of his five cousins—ages eighteen to six and twenty—who were now his responsibility.

To think, when they first arrived on his doorstep, Henry wasn’t certain what he was going to do with them. They’d spent their entire life in a small market town under the constant supervision of their stanch vicar father who saw sin everywhere, forced them into pious prayer, granted no freedom, and only considered courtships from the most devout men of God.

The death of his uncle had also been a shock. According to the cousins, their father had been giving an impassioned sermon with voice booming, face turning red over sins in Society when he suddenly stopped then he fell over dead. As his own father had no intention of attending his brother’s funeral, nor supporting his five nieces even though they had become his responsibility, Henry had attended then visited with his cousins as he arranged for financial support, made certain they had pin money for necessary purchases, that the servants received wages, and took over the ownership of the house they lived in so that the five did not lose their home.

It was just as well that Henry had been the one to assume the guardianship because his own father was dead a month later and Henry had gone from being the Marquess of Broadridge to the Duke of Eldridge and became the official guardian of the Simpson sisters.

When his cousins had unexpectedly arrived on his doorstep, Henry had assumed they had come to him to seek guidance in person instead of simply writing.

That had not been the case. They wanted to experience London and spent the six months they deemed was enough time to mourn their father, planning, saving the pin money Henry had provided, and budgeted from the household accounts until they had enough to purchase passage on a mail coach to London. They had not informed him of their plans ahead, nor did they ask permission because they were afraid that he would insist that they remain home and hoped that once on his doorstep it would be harder for him to turn them away.

Had he known they wanted a Season, Henry would have brought them to London but it never occurred to him that they would want one, but he was happy to provide a Season and had assumed that they would be no trouble at all. Not like ordinary misses who came to Town excited for the balls and entertainments with hopes of finding love or securing a title. He also had no intention of pushing them into a courtship because this was the first time any one of them had enjoyed a breath of freedom. Yet, he also expected that before the Season was complete they would be ready to settle into domestic bliss given this was not the world they were used to.

Those first few weeks had been pleasant. The five sisters stayed together on the far side of any room with all the other wallflowers quietly observing and taking it all in. They were shy, quiet, and mostly went unnoticed, which gave him peace. Therefore, Henry had no fear that they would get up to mischief or that he would have to rescue them from foolish decisions.

They were also quite agreeable. Bernice, the second born, had even assisted in pretending to be courted by Mr. Peter Storm so that Storm could win the woman he loved without the woman’s grandfather knowing what was truly happening.

However, as his cousins became more comfortable moving about in his home as well as in Society, Henry soon came to learn that Damaris, the middle daughter, tended to suffer far more mishaps than the average person. He wasn’t certain if it was because of a nervous condition or if accidents simply happened in her presence, such as the fan currently held by a countess, that now smoked after having caught fire before Damaris doused the flames with water from a vase she now held. Henry did not know if Damaris had any part in the fire, but she was responsible for the ruined flower arrangement now a discarded pile on the floor and the contents from the vase soaking not only the fan but the countess as well.

With a sigh he started toward them only to be joined by the Duke of Claybrook. “Miss Damaris again, I see.” He chuckled.

“You are a menace and should be returned to whatever village Eldridge plucked you from,” the countess yelled at Damaris who started to shrink into herself.

“I fear that people are going to start avoiding her out of fear,” Henry whispered as they drew to their side.

“I am so terribly sorry, but your fan was on fire,” Damaris explained.

“It would not have been if you had not fallen into me.”

“Again, I apologize.”

“Do something with her, Your Grace.” The countess sniffed. “I find I must leave now that your cousin has ruined my gown.”

“Oh, Cousin Henry, I truly did not mean to cause any harm, or a fuss, nor did I mean to trip.”

That was just it, Damaris never meant to do anything, and it wasn’t as if she was reckless. He had witnessed occasions himself where she was simply walking and would stumble or turn suddenly and her hand happened to connect with a small statue and send it crashing to the ground or upset a teapot.

Each time it happened she became more nervous, and then more accidents happened, so making certain that she calmed down was the most important thing to do.

“I will take her to the retiring room,” Judith, the eldest offered as she gently took her sister by the elbow.

“We will all go,” Jael announced. She was the youngest.

Henry simply nodded then stepped out of the way as servants came forward to clean up the mess caused by his cousin.

“It could be worse,” Claybrook said with a chuckle as they watched the sisters make their way to the stairs. “All five of them could wreak havoc on Society.”

He nearly groaned. “I need something stronger than wine.”

“The library it is.”

“Guests usually do not stray from the public rooms of the host.”

“They do when the host is my cousin’s husband.”

“Are you certain Ellings will not mind?”

“I am positive and we might even find him lurking in there,” Claybrook assured him.

“He is currently dancing with his wife,” Henry nodded to the dancefloor.

“Come along, I promise that Ellings will have no objection.”

As Henry was in need of a brandy, he accepted Claybrook’s assurance.

This also gave him the opportunity to speak with Claybrook on a private matter.

“Perhaps there is something else that you could assist me with, though I am certain that what I am about to say should remain a secret. I also truly hope that you can answer my inquiry.”

“If it is to remain a secret, it goes no further than me, I promise,” Claybrook said as he poured two glasses of brandy.

“While I am in London, the servants are seeing to the renovation of the duke’s set of rooms back in the country and preparing five chambers for my cousins for when they return with me.”

Claybrook nodded and handed Henry a glass.

“The butler has sent to me some of the items that they found tucked away, not certain as to the importance or if I even want them.”

“I had the same situation when we started going through my father’s chambers.”

“Among my father’s private things was a signet ring with instructions. Not a ring with the ducal crest but different, with a…”

“‘W’,” Claybrook offered.

“Yes!” Thank goodness Claybrook knew what he was talking about because Henry had been extremely curious about the note and the ring that had arrived earlier in the day. “Do you know what it is all about?”

“I do but what did your father tell you?”

“I did not even know that it existed until a servant found it at the back of a drawer with a letter to me stating that he, and now me, is part of an alliance of dukes or heirs and that it should be used when I am in need of assistance.”

“That is what it is for. I do not understand the question, unless you need our help with your cousins.” Claybrook chuckled.

“No. What my father failed to include was the type of assistance I might need to offer or even ask for, or a list of names who are part of the alliance. How can I seek help if I do not know who they are?”

Claybrook laughed again. “I will provide you with one, though I hope you never have need of it.”

“I cannot imagine that my father ever asked for assistance from anyone.”

“He did not,” Claybrook lost some of his humor. “He was also rarely asked, or so I have been told. I am not even certain why he was included, except perhaps he learned of the alliance and it was easier to include than risk his retaliation.”

The response was not exactly a surprise to Henry. Few men liked his father and fewer still would seek him out unless it was under the direst of circumstances. “What help has the alliance given?” He had been quite curious ever since he received the note and ring.

“Trouble with mistresses, poor business deals, attempts to trap a duke in marriage, a missing wife.” He shook his head and chuckled. “I believe Ellings considered asking for help so that I would cease interfering in his life when I had only wanted to see him protected and not trapped into marriage.”

“Would they have assisted him?” Henry asked.

“It is doubtful.” He shrugged then took a drink of his brandy. “However, he did refuse me when I needed his help.”

“He did?” Henry asked in surprise.

“I found myself in a compromising situation with my wife, though we were clearly not yet wed at the time, or even courting. Due to circumstances beyond my control, we were stuck in the same room of an inn while I recovered from injuries. I sent for Ellings. He in turn refused because he believed I was exactly where I needed to be and with the person that I was meant to be with.”

Good God! If one could not count on assistance from a member of the alliance then why bother to ask?

“He was correct.” Claybrook chuckled. “Had I not been a stubborn fool, or my wife, because I was not the only one at fault, we would have wed long before the matter was forced upon us.”

Yes, well that was all well and good, but Henry hoped that if he ever did need assistance that the person he asked wouldn’t make a decision as to what was best for him, which might be in contrast to what he wanted. “Well, I am certain that I will need no assistance, but I am here if needed,” Henry promised.

***

Lady Penelope Johansen had watched the entire incident from the moment Miss Damaris walked past Mr. Clark Summers to dousing the flames with the water from a vase of flowers.

It seemed that no matter how careful Miss Damaris was, something always happened, and it was a true shame.

Penelope became aware of the five sisters the first time they appeared in a ballroom nearly a month ago and had taken great interest in them since. The fact that they were the cousins of the Duke of Eldridge made her even more curious.

His Grace was a rake who enjoyed all the usual bachelor entertainments. Or, he had until this spring when his cousins came to live under his roof. Now he appeared almost proper, a guardian of the innocent, which gave her a chuckle.

He had been tamed, but not by choice and no doubt His Grace would see his cousins married quickly so that he could return to the pleasures he enjoyed prior to their arrival.

Oh, she remembered well the first time she had heard his name, which had been Marquess of Broadridge at the time. It had been her first Season and in no time the whispers by ladies and misses hoping that he would decide to take a wife reached her ears at her very first ball.

Given her inquisitive nature, Penelope was determined to find out exactly who he was and observe his character for herself. Not that she had any intention of marrying so young, but the sighs and silly excitement that erupted around her whenever there was hope that he would appear would make anyone curious.

Oh, he was definitely handsome and charming, and when she first saw him step into a ballroom, even her heart did a stupid palpitation, but she did not succumb to falling in love at first sight, unlike others. She had never understood how any of her friends could be in love without ever having spoken a word to the object of their desire.

But she also had to admit that there was something about him that had given even Penelope pause, and she made a point not to bring herself to his attention. She had never been able to identify that something, but it was almost as if he frightened her, which was ridiculous because there was nothing cruel or unpleasant about Broadridge, nor was there any gossip that claimed he was a disagreeable person.

It was also easy to go unnoticed by Eldridge back then. There were enough silly chits around him, and willing widows, that he did not need to seek anyone out, which allowed Penelope to continue her observations. Sometimes it was intentional, other times it was not. But the one certainty was that whenever he stepped into a room, whether he had been announced or not, she knew instantly.

It was the awareness of him that she would never understand. Or perhaps she didn’t want to accept in herself that she was just as silly as the misses who flirted, blushed and fluttered their eyelashes at him.

She was also certain that Eldridge had not even known of her existence until they had both been invited to the same house party three and a half years ago. But even then, their conversations had been few. That was also when her dislike began. It lasted until last spring when she learned that he had been innocent of any duplicity of his sister in the past. Her opinion softened and she came to appreciate that while he was a handsome rake, he had matured into a gentleman who was not discourteous and never encouraged an innocent. In fact, he remained standoffish. Often, she had seen him at the side of a ballroom, his dark hair, nearly black, tall and lean, confident as he sipped wine and spoke to male companions. He was a handsome devil, with his blue eyes, high cheekbones and full lips that often quirked to one side as if he found humor in something that only he noticed. And, if she were of a mind to give up her independence for marriage, he would be the type of man she would want.

Thank goodness she was not so foolish and intended to enjoy the freedom she found as well as a comfortable place on the shelf beside other spinsters who decided that marriage was not for them either.

However, Eldridge was not her concern tonight, and should not be at any time, but his cousins were and she could no longer stand by and simply observe their awkward wallflower status disrupted on occasion by a mishap involving Miss Damaris. That she did blame on Eldridge for doing the very least of his duty. Not the mishaps because she did not think anyone could prevent those, but it was his fault they had become wallflowers. While he saw to it that they were received in ballrooms, he did nothing more, and with those thoughts, Penelope followed them to the retiring room where she found the five, quite alone except for two servants who silently sat away, waiting to be of assistance.

“I wish to go home,” Miss Damaris insisted. “I should have never come to London.”

“Nonsense,” Miss Chloe insisted. She was the fourth born sister.

Penelope may not have been formally introduced to the sisters, but she had learned all that she could and knew their names and ages.

“I thought these…mishaps were over,” Damaris nearly cried.

“They had disappeared with the passing of Father,” Bernice reminded her.

“There had been none until we came to London,” Damaris admitted. “But tonight was the worst of all.”

From what she had heard, their father, the former Reverend Franklin Simpson was firm and exacting in his demand for perfection from his obedient daughters, much like his older brother who had been Eldridge’s father. Such strictures could make anyone nervous and thus Damaris likely suffered from such a condition that caused her to be maladroit.

“You are making more out of this than necessary,” Miss Judith admonished.

“You are not the one causing people to catch fans on fire or tripping over the feet of gentlemen,” Damaris rebuked.

“That was Mr. Clark Summers and he tripped you on purpose. The incident was not your fault.”

The five women turned with wide-eyed astonishment at Penelope’s proclamation.

“Are you certain?” Miss Bernice asked.

“Yes,” Penelope answered and settled on a seat before them. “He is an arse!” she proclaimed then quickly apologized when she noted their wide-eyed, shocked stares. “Please excuse my description, but he is young, foolish and takes pleasure at the expense of others.”

“Why me?” Damaris asked.

“He is young and foolish,” Miss Chloe echoed the already answered question.

“I understand that this is the first Season for the five of you.” Penelope knew it to be a fact but would rather they enlightened her.

“Yes,” Miss Judith answered. “Our father died nearly eight months ago. His Grace is now our guardian…or their guardian since I am too old but I have no means by which to support myself.”

“And Eldridge agreed to give you a Season?” she asked. “And secure all the proper invitations.”

The sisters nodded.

“Has he provided any guidance?”

The five looked at each other as if not certain how to respond. They likely did not even know what kind of assistance they needed.

“What of seeing that you were outfitted properly?”

They pulled back and glanced at their gowns, concern and worry filling their eyes.

She certainly had not meant to insult. “Your gowns are lovely,” she quickly assured them. “I am simply wondering if His Grace has prepared you properly for London. Being outfitted is simply the first step to a successful Season.”

“He is very busy and we are grateful to him for taking us in and allowing us new purchases,” Judith responded.

It was likely Eldridge did not know what a miss would need for a Season, nor did the sisters.

They needed her.

“We have been very careful in our purchases because we did not want to take advantage of His Grace,” Bernice assured her. “Or what we thought would be necessary, though I am to understand that it has been noted that I have worn this same dress to five other balls.”

Penelope had noticed the same but would never be so rude to mention that fact to them or anyone else.

Jael leaned forward. “Is it really necessary to have so many ballgowns?” she asked quietly.

“How many do you have?” Penelope returned.

“Three for each of us,” Miss Chloe answered. “Just as we have two walking dresses, three morning gowns, two visiting gowns and two evening gowns.”

“The dresses we each have now is more than we have possessed in a lifetime, and the fabric is much finer than we have ever owned, but I do fear spilling, straining or tearing the cloth,” Damaris worried.

The increased worry most likely led to more accidents, and while their gowns were nice, they were not as fine as wards of a duke should be wearing, but Penelope would not mention that fact as she did not want them to become even more self-conscious than they might already be.

“Our father believed in one Sunday dress and three simple dresses for the remaining days of the week and only to be discarded as rags and replaced when it was too frayed or faded for public use,” Judith explained.

Penelope had difficulty hiding her shock. Had the reverend been so poor that he could not afford to outfit his daughters?

“These are the first dresses that we did not sew ourselves. Not that any of us have the talent as the dressmakers in London,” Chloe explained.

Penelope blinked as she began to understand more about the sisters. “You have only worn clothing you sewed yourselves?”

Miss Chloe nodded. “She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff.”

Miss Judith groaned.

“That is familiar. Where is it from? I cannot place it,” Penelope admitted.

“Proverbs 31:19,” Judith answered with a sigh. “Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies.”

“Yes, now I remember. It is a warning from a mother to her son, a king, I believe.”

“King Lemuel,” Bernice answered. “Verses ten to thirty-one were taken to heart by our father who expected us to be virtuous women.”

“Including making your own clothing?” Penelope asked.

“Yes, though not so far as spinning,” Judith chuckled. “Even though we are no longer in Biblical times, these lessons are easily translated into today and it is what our father expected of us.”

“And why no gentleman was worthy enough to court us,” Bernice added.

“Why is that?” Penelope asked.

“They needed to be as devout as father or we would be led to sin.”

Penelope blinked again.

“We are just thankful that Father never found one of whom he approved,” Damaris quickly assured her.

“Now, we can…”

“What?” Penelope asked when Damaris said nothing further.

“I suppose, enjoy life. See what we have missed,” Bernice answered.

“We are just not certain how to go about doing so,” Judith offered quietly. “For all my maturity and being the eldest, I am honest enough to admit that we are quite lost in London.”

“How often do you attend balls and other entertainments?” Penelope asked.

“Practically every evening,” Jael answered. “In the day, we sometimes walk in Hyde Park, but we have not called on anyone, nor has anyone called on us.”

That was because they had not been noticed nor had they made friends. Except, she was surprised that dozens of mothers and daughters hadn’t called on them simply to extend a friendship in hopes of gaining Eldridge’s notice.

“Has your cousin offered no guidance whatsoever?”

“He has been so good to welcome us into his home, provide us with a generous wardrobe, and include us in entertainments. We do not want to be bothersome or seen as unappreciative.”

The wardrobe was not generous, nor did she believe Eldridge even noticed what his cousins wore, but he may be concerned if Society started whispering about him being tightfisted.

It was likely that he had no idea how to present or chaperone five misses and since they were no trouble…well…other than Damaris and her mishaps…had thus let them be. “Are the five of you ready to shake off your wallflower status and enjoy what is left of the Season?”

She thought they would be excited by the prospect but they appeared more worried.

“What is wrong?”

“We have been told that London is full of sin. Who do we trust?” Damaris asked.

“How do we know that we can trust you?” Chloe questioned.

“Your cousin knows me and no doubt will vouch for my ability to take you from wallflowers to desired guests at any entertainment.”

Jael brightened with excitement. Chloe matched her enthusiasm with a grin. Damaris worried her bottom lip. Bernice glanced at Judith for guidance. Judith studied her then gave a nod.

“We would be grateful for any assistance, assuming our cousin is in agreement.”

“I have no doubt His Grace would welcome my aid,” Penelope promised cheerfully, though she was truly not so certain what his reaction would be.

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