A Nursemaid for the Brooding Duke (Preview)

Chapter One

1814

Fairfax Estate

Hampstead

Edmund Fairfax, the Duke of Northfield, stood at the top of the staircase in all his imposing
glory, his gaze directly planted on the young woman below. She had entered through the main
door before walking into the hallway, her roaming eyes surveying the manor with unconcealed
curiosity. Edmund did not mind her eyes, even if the surprisingly happy smile on her face was
slightly unsettling. He did not remember the last time he had seen someone smile in such an open
manner for no precise reason, and he could not comprehend the emotion. Despite that, the
happiness of the young lady, who could potentially be the new nursemaid for baby Charlotte,
was none of his concern. He was only here to interview her and make sure she was perfect for
the position of taking care of his sister’s daughter who was just a few months old.

He could not deny that her blonde tresses and radiant smile seemed to reflect a light of their own,
making the deeply somber surroundings of the manor brighter than usual. She skipped ahead,
entering the foyer just as Edmund stepped downstairs. Since her back faced him while she stared
at his large portrait on the wall, Edmund knew she could not see him standing right behind her.

“Mis-,” he began to speak but the woman he knew to be Miss Eliza Hart had a sharp intake of
breath, suddenly forcing Edmund to stay silent.

“My goodness, he is extremely handsome.” Her whisper was loud enough to reach Edmund in
the completely empty foyer, a strange feeling taking over his lower belly. He stared at the
portrait, unsure of what Miss Eliza had found handsome about his stoic, expressionless face
trapped underneath a head full of dark hair and hidden behind dark eyes, but he did not care.

He coughed loudly, garnering her attention.

“My goodness,” Miss Eliza exclaimed, turning around at once.

Edmund continued to stare, arrested by her ocean blue gaze, unable to understand the sudden
allure she had over him. Despite being mostly immune to women and their ways for a while
now, an unfamiliar emotion simmered in his heart as he stared at Miss Eliza, her beauty
consuming him. She was a goddess with her gold hair and blue eyes, her features those of a
perfectly carved doll. From up above, Edmund had failed to realize how small she truly was, but
now he could see she was at least a foot shorter than him, and extremely petite. The joy in her
stunned gaze unsettled him, and he immediately shook his head, forcing himself not to stare.

“Miss Eliza Hart, I assume?” he asked, his tone stern. The shock on her face was enough to tell
him that he should perhaps be kinder, but he had no desire to soften his voice.

He had already been caught staring, and he did not wish to give the young woman any wrong
ideas. It was true she was the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on, but he was here to
judge her on her competence as a nursemaid and see if she would be a good fit for the job
position. In more natural circumstances, his sister, Lady Amelia, would have been the one to
interview her, but Edmund knew that following the death of her husband and his best friend,
Captain George Howard, in the war in France, Amelia was in no position to conduct interviews
or even care for her own child. Hence, a nursemaid was extremely necessary for the household,
and that was all that mattered.

“Yes, Your Grace,” she replied with a smile, her earlier shock disappearing completely from her
face. Without wasting any more time, she curtsied gracefully, standing before him with complete
confidence. Something about her smile told Edmund that she simply never stopped being joyous,
and even though he did not understand the emotion, he admired her courage to feel happy even
in the drabness of the Fairfax Estate.

“Please sit down, Miss Eliza.” He motioned toward the large sofa in the middle of the room, and
Miss Eliza quickly complied.

Once she was settled, Edmund placed himself in front of her on the single, tall sofa, his dark
gaze colliding with hers. Any other person, when subjected to an interview with him would
appear slightly terrified, but Miss Eliza appeared completely at ease.

“If I am right you reside in East London?”

“I do, Your Grace,” she nodded easily despite Edmund’s sharp tone, and he could not help but be
surprised at her undaunted courage. He wondered if anything in life ever ruffled her, but he
highly doubted anything could.

“So why do you want this position of a nursemaid for a three month old little girl?”

“I have always been fond of children, Your Grace, having a little sister of my own. My father
passed away right after my sister was born, who is about eight years younger than I am and my
mother had to work to make ends meet. That left me in charge of caring for my sister, and I have
always found the task both rewarding and happy. It makes me feel as if I am doing something
right, and bringing a positive change in the life of the child I am caring for.”

Edmund was struck with fascination at her openly honest answers and strangely joyful,
conversational tone. Her bright smile accompanied with the warmth in her eyes conveyed her
honesty to Edmund in precise detail.

He could see she meant every word. Her manner of speaking was starkly different from that of
any other servant he had ever come across. She was neither scared nor guarded, her answers
more elaborate rather than simple. If he had not been focused on maintaining his stern attitude,
he could have easily been swept away in her enthusiasm for the conversation.

“Once I was old enough, I had to begin working after my younger sister Patsy became very sick.

My mother stayed home to care for her but due to the struggles of financial instability, I took up
governess and nursemaid positions in our village at various households. I have cared for many
children of all ages, and all of them have always loved me. The last family I was working for
was that of Baron Hawksridge, who lived right by our village, and the baroness recommended
me for this position, hence I applied.”

“So you understand that being a nursemaid requires hard work?”

“Of course, Your Grace.” She nodded quickly. “My mother has taught me the value of hard work
and compassion since I was very young, and I have always valued that lesson. Hence, whenever
I have worked, I have worked with great care and complete courage. I believe I have a natural
ability to care for children. I enjoy helping those in need and bringing a positive change in their
lives. That was what first urged me to become a nursemaid as well. I have ample experience, as
you must have already seen in the application I sent prior to arriving here.”

“I saw, yes.” Edmund nodded, his tone matter of fact, “So your drive for working is simply
earning well and supporting your family I suppose?”

He watched as Eliza’s gaze widened at the question, her happy smile disappearing. Her forehead
creased as a frown momentarily took over her expression, but she immediately wiped it off. He
could see she was excellent at controlling or perhaps hiding her emotions. He stayed silent,
anticipating her answer to his rather direct question, but Eliza jutted out her chin in the air, her
smile returning.

“Your Grace, it is completely true that I began working to support my family, and I am not going
to act high and mighty by saying I do not work for money. I believe every servant in your
household has responsibilities that need to be met and forces them to work, and so do I. The only
difference is that I have never felt as if I am forced to work because being a nursemaid and
caring for children brings me genuine happiness. I am motivated by a genuine desire to make a
difference in the lives of those who might require my help. The charge to care for a newborn
little girl falls under that for me since I know I will be able to take care of her excellently due to
my values of compassion and service. I am the right fit for this position, and baby Charlotte will
be well taken care of if I am hired.”

Edmund stayed silent for several seconds, simply staring at her.

Her response to his question had been more than perfect, making him second guess the harshness
of his tone throughout his conversation. He almost felt a need to apologize, but he knew he was
not going to do that. Instead, he stood up from his seat which made Eliza spring out from her
position as well, her brows furrowed.

“Follow me.”

Without any further explanations, Edmund led Eliza out of the foyer and up the stairs where the
nursery was situated. He did not turn around to see if she was following, but her almost noiseless
footsteps were enough to tell him that she was. He quickly walked through the deserted corridor
and tapped slightly on the door to the nursery, pushing it open. To his surprise, his younger
sister, Lady Amelia, was seated right beside baby Charlotte’s cot, and the child was wailing
loudly. It was not the first time Edmund had seen his sister sitting helplessly behind her crying
child, reminding him how removed Amelia was from Charlotte’s life. Despite being her mother,
Amelia had failed to give Charlotte any motherly affection since she had been too consumed by
her own grief of losing her husband.

“Sister?”

Amelia looked up, blinking quickly, and stood up from her chair.

“Edmund,” Amelia called his name just as Eliza entered the nursery and quickly curtsied to
Amelia who managed to smile in response.

“Miss Eliza, this is my sister Lady Amelia and Charlotte’s mother,” he said, “And Amelia, this is
Miss Eliza. She came to interview for the nursemaid position.”

“It is good to meet you, Miss Eliza.”

Eliza nodded, her silence making Edmund slightly uncomfortable. After hearing her talk
constantly in the past few minutes, he was certain she enjoyed speaking. He turned to look at her,
noticing her troubled gaze was trained on Charlotte who was still crying, her little hands and legs
moving in the air. Both Edmund and Amelia were ignoring the baby, accustomed to these loud
cries. No one in the entire house had been able to cater to the child with love and affection and
Amelia had never even tried.

“May I?” Eliza asked Amelia, making her way toward the cot.

Amelia stayed silent but nodded, her eyes trained on her child.

“You are such a beautiful baby, Charlotte,” Eliza’s smile returned as she softly whispered to the
little girl, her arms extending to pick the baby up. Eliza easily held the child in her arms, cradling
Charlotte’s small body in her hands as she continued to stare at her troubled expression.

Edmund’s eyes widened when Charlotte suddenly stopped crying, her loud wails turning into
soft sniffles. Amelia, too, looked surprised but remained stationary at her spot. He could not
decipher what Miss Eliza was singing, but he was certain she sang Charlotte a lullaby as she
rocked the baby in her arms, walking from left to right in the spacious nursery. To both
Edmund’s and Amelia’s surprise, the sniffles also disappeared until Charlotte was completely
asleep.

Eliza breathed in deeply, carefully holding the baby’s head with her palm as she placed her back
on the cot. She stayed put for a few seconds, diligently staring at the little girl, but Charlotte
remained asleep, a calmness over her expression that Edmund had never seen in the past three
months.

How did that happen?

He really could not understand.

Eliza finally looked up at him, their gaze meeting each other’s, and Edmund felt a strangely
electric pull toward her. He felt as if she was beckoning him over, but he shrugged the feeling
away. He was deeply affected by the genuine compassion in her eyes and her actions, which had
made it so easy for her to interact with Charlotte. It had almost felt as if she had been taking care
of Charlotte for days now. Her bright presence made the bleak nursery he had stayed away from
religiously suddenly more appealing, and he could not understand what it was about Eliza that
she had managed to achieve so much in just a few minutes.
He knew he had to offer her this position because he would never be able to find a better
candidate.

“Would you be willing to take this position and start immediately, Miss Eliza?” he finally asked,
keeping his voice at a low whisper so as to not wake up Charlotte.

Eliza’s eyes widened, a huge smile filling her face.

“Absolutely, Your Grace.”

***

Eliza could not believe her ears. She had walked into this interview today, unsure if she would
even be considered for the position given her young age and limited experience. She was only
twenty years of age, and even though she had worked in the houses of two barons, she had never
interacted with the nobility anywhere else.

She knew fully well that the Duke of Northfield, given the excellent pay he was offering to the
nursemaid for hire, could have the best person for the job. Hence, she had been sure she would
never get the position, but she had been willing to take the chance. She had been both scared and
surprised when the duke himself had appeared to conduct the interview instead of the
housekeeper or some other head servant. What was even worse was the rumors she had heard
about the duke himself, Edmund Fairfax. Everyone had told her how the Fairfax Manor was
somber and bleak following the death of the duke’s best friend, Captain George Howard.

The captain had been married to Lady Amelia, the duke’s sister, who was consumed with grief,
and there was no one to take care of baby Charlotte, the daughter of Lady Amelia and Captain
George. Moreover, she had also been told that the duke was imposing, angry, and much too
stern. Even though she agreed with all those assessments after finally meeting him, what shocked
her the most was how handsome he was. His large portrait in the foyer had already told her that,
but seeing him before her in person had been even better.

She was awestruck by his royal, imposing manner.

It was true he scared her, but his intimidating presence was extremely attractive at the same time.

Eliza had been certain she would never be able to pass his sharp gaze but she had not only passed
it but he had also agreed to hire her for the position. She still could not believe it.

“Are you absolutely certain, Your Grace?” she could not help asking once they stepped out of
the nursery, her bright smile conveying her happiness at the prospect of being accepted.

“I am.” He nodded. “Do you not wish to work here, Miss Eliza?”

“Of course I do, Your Grace.” She nodded quickly, not wanting to portray her shock in front of
him. Her mother, Agatha Hart, had advised her to appear confident and act as if she fully
deserved the position, even if she was young and had lesser experience than what others might
have. She could not let anyone see her own doubts of herself.

Moreover, with just one glance, Eliza had fallen in love with baby Charlotte. She was the
sweetest little girl Eliza had ever seen, and almost as beautiful as her mother, Lady Amelia. Eliza
could see the sadness in Lady Amelia’s eyes and had certainly wanted to embrace the poor
woman but that would have been highly inappropriate considering their difference in station.

Despite that, Eliza wished to help her in whatever way she could, and if caring for her little girl
was the one way to do it, Eliza would do it wholeheartedly.

In all truth, she was extremely excited to work in this position.

“Well then, Miss Eliza, I will send you back to your home in East London in one of my
carriages. I advise you to pack your trunks and bring your belongings within a day or two, and
move into the servants’ quarters. You can begin working right away.”

“I am extremely thankful for this, Your Grace.” She sighed deeply. “I promise I will work
wholeheartedly and will take care of Baby Charlotte with everything that I have.”

“I am hoping for just that, Miss Eliza,” he replied shortly, his replies still stern. Eliza did not
understand the need for his sharp tone but right now, her happiness could not be dimmed by the
duke’s grumpy personality. “I advise you head home immediately and return at once. All right?”

“Of course, Your Grace. Thank you.”

Eliza saw him walk down the stairs and she followed after him shortly. Her gaze landed back on
the large portrait in the foyer as she was heading out, once again arrested by the intensity of the
duke’s eyes. His dark features were masculine in the most beautiful way possible and Eliza had
been stunned by how tall he was, almost towering over her. Any other person would have been
terrified of his personality, but Eliza knew she had impressed him with her confidence.

Perhaps that was what had gotten her the job.

Whatever the reason might be, she was glad of her success, unable to wait to get back home. Her
mother had prayed for this position, knowing they needed money since Patsy’s condition was
worsening with every passing day. Now Eliza would finally be able to help her family and her
little sister. Although, the only thing which troubled her was how was she ever going to work in
a household with the duke himself.

She truly needed to learn to maintain her distance from him or else she would always only be
caught staring. And right now, she needed to get home and celebrate.

She finally had the position she had been hoping for.

Chapter Two

East London

“You got the position?” Eliza’s mother, Mrs. Agatha Hart, stood with a happy smile at the door,
ready to receive her daughter back. Eliza knew the fancy carriage she had arrived in would give
her away at once, and she laughed at her mother’s surprised question, immediately nodding.

“I did!” Eliza laughed loudly, hugging her mother at once.

The two of them hugged for several moments, finally parting as Eliza stared at her beautiful
mother. Eliza had inherited her mother’s blonde hair, but her blue eyes had neither come from
her mother, nor her father. Despite that, the two of them shared some levels of resemblance and
whoever found them together could easily identify they were related by blood. More than that,
they were bonded by love, because if there was anyone Eliza loved more than anything in the
world, it was her mother and Patsy.

She had loved her father just as much as well, his sudden parting leaving her grief-stricken.

Although now, she had accepted the loss and was coping with it every day.

That was what made Eliza empathize even more with baby Charlotte, who had also lost her
father. However, Eliza had been lucky enough to spend her childhood with her father while
Charlotte would never even know hers. It pained Eliza and made her wish to give Charlotte all
the love in the world.

“Come inside.” Her mother moved away from the open door, and Eliza walked inside the small
cottage that had been their home since before she was born. After being surrounded by the
bleakness of the Fairfax Estate, followed by the elaborately overwhelming carriage, her house
felt like an escape.

It was bright and beautiful, sunlight filtering into the living room from the open windows. Eliza
breathed in a sigh of relief as her gaze swept over the familiar flower pots decorating the kitchen
and the worn-out sofas placed at one end of the room. Despite being small, this was home, and
Eliza loved the place with everything she had. It was hard for her to imagine leaving her house
and moving into the Fairfax manor, but it was a small sacrifice she was ready to make for her
mother and sister. Moreover, she could visit home whenever possible.

“Sister!” Patsy’s excited exclamation, which had escaped her mouth in a weak whisper, made her
turn around as her little sister extended her arms toward Eliza from the sofa she was resting on.
From the checkered blanket on her legs, Eliza could see how sick Patsy appeared to be.

“I got the job, Pats!” Eliza giggled, running to the sofa to hug her little sister with as much
warmth as she could muster.

“I always knew you would! You are the best nursemaid any noble house can have,” Patsy
replied.

“Thank you, my dear,” Eliza said wholeheartedly, realizing how Patsy was getting thinner with
every passing day.

No physician from the village or the town had been able to diagnose her condition, but everyone
was certain whatever afflicted her was extremely severe. Patsy had always been a weak little girl
even when she was just a child, but as she had grown older, she had never gained much weight.

Both Eliza and her mother had often skipped meals several times just to make sure that Patsy
was eating and her medicines were always home. She was feverish and cold all the time, and
hardly had much strength in her body.

Someone had suggested they take her to London where a very famous physician practiced, and
he might be the only one to be able to help Patsy. However, going to London, living there, and
being able to afford her treatment required for them to have ample money. Now, with Eliza’s
job, they would finally be able to save, and Patsy would certainly get the treatment she needed.

“Would you like to eat something, my darling?” her mother asked, but Eliza shook her head
immediately.

“Maybe later, Mama.” She smiled. “Come sit with me.”

Now that she knew she was not going to be seeing them for weeks or perhaps even a few months
on end, her heart was growing sadder. Even when she had worked for the baron, she came home
every other day since the village was very close to the baron’s house. Although now, she would
not be able to visit home, which pained her.

“Are you feeling all right, Eliza?” her mother asked, coming to sit with both her daughters.

“I am,” she said with a smile, but her smile faltered. “I am just upset that I will no longer be able
to see the two of you every day from now on.”

“Then don’t go, Sister,” Patsy said immediately, taking both of Eliza’s hands in hers. “You were
already working in the village earlier, and you can simply continue doing that. I am sure you will
be able to find another job here. You don’t have to be away from us.”

“She is right, Eliza,” her mother chimed in. “It is hard for us to be away from you as well. If it
pains you too much, you don’t have to go at all.”

“I do need to go, Mama.” Eliza smiled. “This might be our only chance to make sure Patsy gets
proper treatment, and baby Charlotte really needs me. No one in that house is taking care of her,
and her mother, Lady Amelia, is grief-stricken. I will be able to bring a change in all their lives if
I help out with Charlotte.”

“But we will miss you too much,” Patsy said, a sad smile on her face.

“It’s all right,” Eliza replied enthusiastically, regaining her former composure. She had no desire
to sadden her mother and her sister, and wanted to part on a happy note. “I will try to visit as
often as I possibly can, and we will write to each other. I am expecting separate letters from both
you and Mother, Patsy. Don’t you dare add a line or two to her letters alone! It is about time you
write letters of your own, since you are a big girl now.”

“I promise I will.”

Eliza breathed in deeply, thanking god in her heart to have blessed her with such a beautiful
family who loved her so much. She knew they loved her and cared for her, and would rather
have her than the money which could be earned by the job at the duke’s household. Despite that,
she wanted to take the job and work as hard as possible.

“Did you love the little girl? She must be really small,” Patsy asked.

“She is a beautiful child, Patsy.” Eliza sighed, remembering how small Charlotte had felt in her
arms. “I have cared for babies before, but Charlotte is extremely young and very delicate. I am
sure she will grow up to be a beautiful young lady like her mother is.”

“You met with Lady Amelia?” her mother asked.

“I did.” Eliza nodded. “She appeared really sad, and my heart went out to her. I cannot even
imagine what it must feel like to lose your husband to war. As per the rumors, the two of them
had quite the love story and were madly in love with each other. Captain George was the duke’s
best friend as well, but the duke was completely expressionless. I could not read a single emotion
on his face.”

“You met the duke?” Patsy was shocked, her sunken eyes displaying the emotion in great depth.

Even Eliza had been stunned when she had found out that the duke himself was taking her
interview. She had imagined Lady Amelia or the housekeeper to take the interview but the
duke’s presence had been entirely unexpected. Despite that, she understood his need to be sure of
his choice, considering Eliza was going to be spending endless hours with his only niece. His
concern for Charlotte made her feel even warmer toward the duke, her face turning red as she
remembered how handsome he was.

“I did.” Eliza nodded. “I was staring at his portrait, and I loudly said how handsome he is, and to
my horror, he was standing right behind me. It was preposterous.”

“My goodness, Eliza.” Her mother stared at her in shock. “One is allowed to think such things
but do not utter them out loud.”

“He was a thorough gentleman, Mama, and did not even bring it up or comment upon it. He
simply conducted my interview, which was rather stern, and he was extremely guarded
throughout. Despite that, his questions were precise and necessary, and he immediately led me to the nursery, where I met with Lady Amelia and Charlotte. He offered me the position after that,
and I accepted.”

“I am sure he is a kind and respectable man.” Her mother sighed. “But you must remember he is
your future employer, and you must not offend him in any way. You have a bad habit of
rambling and often not thinking before you speak. You must tread very carefully and make
friends, so you have company while being in the house.”

“She has always been excellent at making friends, Mother,” Patsy said with a laugh. “I wonder
how you are so kind, funny, and outgoing. Everyone who meets you, falls in love with you right
away.”

“That is not true!” Eliza chuckled, but she knew what Patsy meant.

Eliza had a way with people, but she always believed it was her openness of manner, the
genuineness of her heart, and her kindness which led to such reactions from others toward her.
Even in the village, everyone knew they could reply upon Eliza for help and anything they might
need because Eliza was always there for people. That was simply how her parents had raised her,
and she enjoyed being this way.

“It is true, Eliza.” Her mother smiled. “My daughter is the kindest, most beautiful person in the
entire village. I am certain it will not be a problem for you to make any friends in the household.

Everyone will love you there just as they love you anywhere else you go.”

“I truly hope so, Mama,” she said with a sigh. “I am extremely excited yet nervousness is settling
in.”

“You will be great, my darling. Trust me.”

Eliza nodded, feeling better at knowing how much faith her mother and sister had in her abilities.

She had faith in herself as well but it often faltered, but she had to take care of herself. She knew
she was mostly terrified of being in the intimidating presence of the duke, but she would grow
accustomed to that. Especially if she worked well, no one would have any problems with her.

“Thank you for having such immense trust in my abilities.” She laughed, standing up from the
sofa they were sitting on. “Now, the two of you must help me pack my trunks so I can head back
to the Fairfax Estate and begin working. The duke asked me to head back as soon as I possibly
could, and I would hate to keep him waiting.”

“I will pack your trunk!” Patsy immediately tried to get up, but Eliza held her hand, making sure
she was careful. After she was finally off the couch, Eliza stared at her sister until she was safely
inside the bedroom, realizing how slowly she had walked, given the weakness of her body. Eliza,
too, began to make her way toward the room, but her mother stopped her, holding her hand
affectionately.

“Are you really happy, Eliza? With this job?”

“Mama, of course, I am. With this job, I will be able to help our family, Patsy, and the duke’s
family. You already know how passionate I am about helping those who need help. I can’t wait
to bring happiness to whomever I can.”

“If you ever feel troubled, return home at once.”

“I am sure nothing will go wrong, Mama. Have faith in me.”

“I do.”

Her mother quickly took her into a hug, and Eliza hugged her back, her mind on the days which
lay ahead of her. She did not know if things would go wrong or not, but she simply needed to
make sure that she did her best.

After all, she was just a nursemaid, and taking care of baby Charlotte was a prospect she was
looking forward to.

Nothing else could go wrong anyway.