“We exchanged a few polite words the day of the carriage accident.”
They’d exchanged more than a few words. He was gallant, charming, handsome. He was every woman’s dream and Taylor’s ultimate fantasy. Her father’s assertion that the duke was going to call made her the happiest of women. It was only later, when she found out that he was impoverished, that Taylor realized her mistake and started running.
“Since our first meeting,” she continued, “I’ve evaded the meetings my family has engineered. When he was invited to dinner in Edinburgh, I dashed off to the Borders. When a messenger from my father arrived to tell me they were coming and to remain where I was, I bribed the man and fled to Fife to visit your sister Phoebe. And there were other occasions that I narrowly escaped. Still, the earl has managed to keep the duke on the hook. Last word was that he hasn’t given up on me.”
Millie rested her palms on her round belly and gazed critically at Taylor.
“So, you’ve avoided him. You don’t know him, but you’re dead set against him. Do you truly believe this man has nothing to offer? There’s nothing about him that interests you?”
Millie the peacemaker. Millie the organizer. Millie, who was known for her wisdom and ability to set any wrong to right and formulate remarkable suggestions, was frowning at her.
“It’s not that Bamberg has nothing to his credit.” Taylor considered how to answer. How could she convey, without sounding like an idiot, that the mere thought of the man was enough to make her insides flutter like a country lass at her first ceilidh? That this was a nobleman with unexpected compassion. A man who was not afraid to get down in the mud to help others. A man with the face and body of a god. Even now, she still felt herself growing warm deep in her belly at the recollection of their bodies pressed against each other as he helped her after the fall. “He certainly has qualities that would make him attractive to some.”
“Such as?”
This was also the Millie she knew. Line up the positive virtues. Then line up the negative traits. Then decide.
“In terms of his looks, he is striking, I’d say. Impressively tall. His voice…well, I never knew how charming an accent could sound. And we must credit him for his integrity. He’s announced publicly his financial hardship. No woman who marries Bamberg can accuse him of having an ulterior motive for the marriage. His Grace is not searching for love. He’s looking for an economic arrangement.”
Perhaps if they’d met somewhere else, without her family present. Maybe if he’d come to her rescue when she’d been traveling alone. Or if there were no coercion by her father involved. And he had no knowledge of her wealth. Maybe then, Taylor would have been receptive to…no, excited about his pursuit. She shook her head and turned her attention back to her friend.
“A union with him does seem to offer something,” Millie said quietly. “Even if it’s not a love match.”
“Your union has far more. Your marriage has it all.”
“Mine has.” She smiled, patting her belly absently.
Since marrying, Millie and Dermot had settled here in the Highlands. And Taylor knew how important this baby was to her friend. She’d survived the trauma of surgery and recovered as quickly as one could expect after having a breast removed because of cancer. This child would be proof that she could live a normal life. No one wanted that for her more than Taylor.
“The prickly relationship you have with your family should be considered, don’t you think? They constantly chastise you for everything, regardless of all you do for them. That hasn’t changed, has it?”
Millie had witnessed some of that treatment over the years, in London and in Edinburgh and at their estate in Fife. Millie’s family presented a far different picture. Taylor never knew such affection and respect could exist between siblings…and now between their respective families. And she knew the Pennington family values could all be traced directly to Lord and Lady Aytoun.
“My father and brother will never change. How is that relevant?”
“I can’t help but think that snaring this duke might be the relief you need from your family. Imagine if you never had to live with them again. Unless there are real points against the duke. Are there?”
Not to have to hear her family’s daily complaining or be mortified by their self-interest was a dream, but there was a reality about the situation that Taylor had to face.
“Bamberg is a world traveler. An adventurer. I have no interest in marrying, only to be stuck in some cold, empty castle in Bavaria—knowing no one and having nothing to do—while he traipses about the world.”
That was important, she told herself. A point her friend could understand. Millie and Dermot were here together, building a future. One was not off in the wilds while the other sat at home doing nothing.
She strode to the window and gazed out at the golden fields spreading east. Beyond the stables, a series of fish ponds descended in the direction of the River Don, and cottages and farm buildings snuggled between heather-covered knolls. She loved it here. What would life be like in the forests of Bavaria?
Also, there was Taylor’s own insecurity about how she compared with all the women who must constantly be throwing themselves at someone with his looks, his title. She would never stand for infidelity. She didn’t want the pain that was unavoidable with such a husband. She wouldn’t be made to play the fool. No, even when she’d been young and gullible enough to hope for marriage, she’d wanted it to be for love. Not for some tawdry financial arrangement. Not for some empty title. What could Bamberg possibly offer her in return for her hand in a marriage of convenience such as this?
She looked over her shoulder at Millie. “I can’t do it. I can’t marry him.”
Her friend sat in silence for a moment. “Then say no to him, Taylor. But speak to your father first. He’s the one that started all this.”
“But that’s the problem! I can’t openly defy him. I can’t tell the duke no when my father is hounding me to say yes. He’ll make my life miserable. He’ll remind me at every opportunity how I ruined a connection for him.” She wrung her hands. “The answer lies in Bamberg backing away and withdrawing his offer. I still believe if I continue to hold him off, refuse to see him, he’ll grow tired of the chase. He’ll find another heiress. Please allow me to stay here.”
A pained look creased Millie’s face, and Taylor rushed to her, wondering if the moment had come. “Shall I run for your husband? Is it time?”
Her friend shook her head. “He…he’s coming.”
“Who is coming?”
“The Duke of Bamberg.” She took Taylor’s hand, stopping her from running to the door. “Dermot received a letter from His Grace this morning. He mentioned you by name. His message said he would need to impose on our hospitality for a short visit.”
Her father knew that she was coming to the Abbey, but Taylor never imagined he would be so indiscreet as to send the duke this way.
“When will he be here?”
Millie shrugged and shook her head. “A few weeks? A few days? Today? I honestly don’t know.”
Chapter 3
How to Ditch A Duke
– Step 3 –
Employ Trusted Friends as Allies
* * *
The Duke of Bamberg stood with his back to Dermot McKendry and scanned the grounds below. A dozen men, whom he assumed were patients of the hospital, were visible in the garden walkways, accompanied by attendants. Some were walking without assistance, but some were in chairs equipped with wheels. The object of his search, Lady Taylor, was nowhere to be seen.
“McKendry, we have been friends since our days at the university,” he said, turning to the doctor. “You know everything there is to know about me. About my family. About my life.”
“Perhaps a wee bit too much, Your Grace.”
“That’s very funny. But if you ‘Your Grace’ me one more time, I shall be compelled to toss you from this window.”
“Odd you should say that, Bamber
g.” Dermot laughed. “Because I hear the exact same threat from my partner, Captain Melfort, quite often. I’ve actually been considering moving my office to the ground floor.”
“Don’t try to change the subject.” He glared at his friend, sitting in the only chair not piled high with books and papers. It didn’t matter. Until he was able to see the lady and resolve the issue between them, his restlessness wouldn’t allow him to sit. “The fact is, you know me. You could have offered some testament of my good character.”
“Believe me, I would have wracked my brain to come up with something positive to say about you if I’d known that’s what you wanted.”
“If you’d known? We corresponded about this five or six months ago.”
“Did we?”
“Ja. If you recall, I expressed my deep joy regarding your news. You told me you were married and your wife was expecting.”
“I remember now. Your exact response was, Good for you. I too need to be married. It’s time. Your joy positively leapt from the page.”
Bamberg didn’t recall wording it precisely that way, but it did sound like him. “And I sent another letter of congratulations, along with a case of the finest Sylvaner wine Bavaria has to offer.”
“Well, of course, I remember that.”
“And in that letter, I told you I was attending a number of functions in London and Edinburgh. That I planned to choose a wife.”
“Planned. You mentioned no name, my friend. And at that time, no one had drawn your interest,” Dermot reminded him. “I invited you to come and visit us in the Highlands.”
When Bamberg left Bavaria, he’d imagined a month or two of attending rather dull social events, meeting eager and delicate heiresses, and having occasionally uncomfortable conversations. He knew he wasn’t approaching the process with the right attitude, but he’d been tired of it before he started. All of that changed, however, the moment he’d come upon the Earl of Lindsay’s stranded carriage.
He saw her from a distance as he approached. The bows of the servants and their concerned attention told him she was a lady of rank. It wasn’t until later that he learned her name.
With the rain streaming down, she wore no cloak. No hat. No gloves. Golden ringlets of hair danced and lit the grey scene. Her hands were fisted, her stride confident. She was Athena, inspiring her heroes at Troy. She was Boadicea, rallying her fellow warriors. She was Joan of Arc, joining the battle.
Nothing attracted him more than a strong woman. One who knew her mind. One who wasn’t deterred by any foolish constraints imposed on her sex.
Lady Taylor Fleming was that woman.
He paid no attention to the milksops cowering under the tree. He went straight to her. Working beside Taylor to free the carriage, he was deeply impressed by her determination not to give up.
Bamberg’s heart melted when she fell and slipped into the ditch at her moment of victory. His compassion quickly turned to anger, however, when he saw neither man move from their place of relative comfort. When he approached to assist her, she held back for a moment, but he would have crouched there for an eternity until she took his outstretched hand.
His attempted rescue was anything but smooth. But it was hardly a disaster. Her curves filled his hands. Her voluptuous body pressed against him. In the confused clutching and grappling that ensued, he was touching places he shouldn’t have. And his body reacted. Unexpected desires flared. A moment later, she stood before him. And regardless of the mud on her face and hands and clothing, everywhere he looked, he saw beauty. Her lips were full, made to be kissed. Her eyes were blue as the morning sky above the Amazon. Her neck was uncovered, and he imagined running his lips along the delicious length of it. Her breasts strained to break free. Wicked possibilities flashed into his imagination. He thought of the two of them, rolling naked in the mud in some tropical jungle, the sweet, warm fragrance of brilliantly colored flowers surrounding them.
His body’s response to hers was as astounding as it was immediate. He’d transformed from gentleman to rake in an instant. And there was something in her brief glance that told him he was not alone. Taylor saved them both, however, when she turned and left him standing there, gawking at her like a schoolboy.
When he learned a few minutes later that Taylor was an earl’s daughter, and wealthy in her own right, it didn’t matter at all. She could just as well have been the carriage driver’s daughter. Bamberg was entranced. He wanted to know more about her. He wanted to spend time with her.
After that, however, she avoided him at every turn. She was never present at any event her father invited him to attend. Other men might have considered her actions outright rejection of him. Not Bamberg. He’d already spent enough time in the company of the earl to know he was a dreadful man. She was simply reacting to family pressure and her father’s oafish attempts to treat her like a commodity. The pompous ass didn’t deserve her.
A little distance was needed. He would separate himself from Lindsay and seek out Taylor on his own, when the time was right. London beckoned, with its academic lectures and its invitations from societies of explorers and scientists. Then, about a fortnight ago, he returned to Edinburgh. He could no longer stay away. A visit with Dermot in the Highlands was in order, but he wanted to see her. When he called on Lord Lindsay with the hope of finding Taylor there, the man sorrowfully told him that his daughter was away visiting friends in the Highlands. At a “blasted asylum” called the Abbey.
Bamberg turned to his old friend. “Some might think it’s a coincidence that Lady Taylor is here, but I think it’s fate.”
Dermot crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair. “Do you mean fate, as in being struck by lightning on a clear day, or fate, as in finding a gold sovereign in your coat pocket after a week of drinking and carousing?”
“You joke, but I’m serious. Do you not find it strange that she is your wife’s best friend and I’m yours?”
Dermot cleared his throat and gave him a thoughtful look. “Actually, I wouldn’t say you’re my best friend. Or second. Perhaps third.”
Bamberg shook his head. He was more than familiar with the other man’s sense of humor. “When did my most recent letter reach you?”
“A few days ago. And that was the first time I learned of your interest in Lady Taylor.”
“She’d made no mention of me to Lady Millie?”
“None. And when my wife confronted her about an attachment, she vehemently denied it. She doesn’t want to have anything to do with you. Which shows good judgment on her part, I’d say.”
Bamberg frowned, but he wasn’t surprised. The earl’s maneuvers were incentive enough for her to refuse him. “She’s your wife’s friend. Couldn’t she say a few words in support of me?”
“You’ve met Lady Taylor once, but you don’t know her. Not the way my wife does. She is an incredibly intelligent woman. And she’s headstrong. You must already know, she’s rich. She doesn’t need you. From what I gather, she doesn’t wish to marry, regardless of the earl’s persistence.” He cocked an eyebrow. “By the way, why does she think you’re poor?”
Bamberg waved a hand. “A rumor I started myself. I’d hoped to dampen some of the enthusiasm of parents throwing their daughters at me.”
“Has it worked?”
“Not at all. I underestimated the irresistible combination of my charm and my title.”
Dermot laughed, but then grew serious. “She’s not impressed by titles either. And to be honest, because Millie doesn’t know you well, she would consider it a betrayal of her friend’s trust to recommend you.”
Bamberg understood. He’d only met Millie a few minutes ago. How could she endorse the character of someone who was little more than a stranger to her?
“You’re here now,” Dermot reminded him. “You can do your own talking. Your own convincing. Your own winning of her affection. I’m sure that irresistible combination of whatever it was you said will win the day.”
“Exactly. I’m here, and s
he’s here. Finally, we can walk in the gardens or sit across the table from each other at breakfast and have a normal convers—” Bamberg paused, worried by the scowl on Dermot’s face. “She is still here, is she not?”
“She’s here. My wife, at least, did you the favor of coercing her to stay. But the bad news for you is that Millie’s entire family is descending on us at any moment.”
“Of course. For the birth of your first child.”
He knew from one of Dermot’s letters that his wife was the youngest of five siblings. And the family was very protective, especially after a health scare Millie had survived the year before.
“My two brothers-in-law and their wives and children will be arriving soon, as are Lady Phoebe and Captain Bell and their infant. Captain Melfort, my partner here, is married to the eldest sister, Lady Jo. They live at the Tower House, a short walk from here, with their son. And of course, the Earl and Countess Aytoun will be here too. And in addition to all these guests, there’ll be—”
“I understand. You invited me, and now you have no room for me.”
“I’m so happy you understand, Bamberg.”
He smiled. “That’s no problem at all. I can stay in the village. I believe I saw a deserted hovel there as I rode through. I can ride over here and call on Lady Taylor—”
“There is an inn, but you don’t have to go that far. We have a small cottage on an island in the loch just beyond the Tower House. It would merely involve a pleasant walk and a very short boat ride. It’s much nearer than the village. And another thing in its favor, it lies in the direction where Lady Taylor takes her daily ramble.”
In Bavaria, Bamberg lived in the manner that was required of a nobleman of his standing. While in London or Edinburgh or one of the capitals on the continent, he kept a handful of servants. But when he traveled like this, he went alone. No servants. No carriage. He’d learned, as an explorer, that traveling unencumbered was often the best way. And though he was teasing Dermot, he’d roughed it many times. The thought of staying in a cottage sounded perfect.
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