The Duke smiled, and dipped his head in appreciation of her words. “Thank you, Miss Jones.”
The silence between them returned, but it was no longer awkward. No longer a barrier between them. For this, she was immensely grateful. But, it wasn’t enough.
“You still haven’t answered my question, Your Grace. Is there anything I can help you with?”
He turned and smiled at her, shaking his head in surrender.
“The wheelwright discovered that our axle had been cut. Once again, someone has tried to kill me. Perfectly understandable. But, the thought that you might have been hurt. Unacceptable.”
Rebecca gasped. Here she had been worried about her silly feelings, and he was dealing with serious matters of life and death.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” she asked before she could stop herself. “I am sorry, Your Grace, that was unbecoming. Do you have any idea who might have done such a thing?”
He chuckled and sat back in his seat. Now that the secret was out. He seemed to relax a little. She wondered if his prior pensiveness had been his fighting with himself whether to tell her or not.
“No idea, Miss Jones. I can promise you, it wasn’t a jealous husband. Tomas assures me, only the people of Pine Crest had access to the coach.”
“Surely you don’t suspect the servants.”
“I don’t know. But, one thing we do know. We can eliminate Tomas and James from the list of suspects. No man is going to ride on a carriage they know is in danger of going over a cliff.”
Rebecca thought about it for a moment, then said, “Along with Mr. Scruggs, who never left the dining room before the fire. If this goes on, eventually, we will eliminate everyone until only the culprit is left.”
He barked a heavy laugh. “Unfortunately, Miss Jones, they may very well succeed long before we get to the last person.”
She blanched at the idea. The Duke could have been killed. She could have been killed. For some reason, though, it was the thought of losing the Duke that was the most disturbing to her.
Glancing over at him, she had the thought that he was thinking the same of her. It sent a happiness through her to know that he cared about her. Even a little. She felt sure that it was more than a Duke caring for his wards’ governess. He cared about her because of her. Granted, it wasn’t a lot. But, it was something.
The both of them settled into quiet contemplation as they considered possibilities and options.
Rebecca tried to focus on the news the Duke had provided. However, her mind continually wandered back to their encounter. He had enjoyed it. He had found her desirable. The thought sent warm shivers throughout her body.
She might be sore inside, both physically, and a little mentally. She might worry about this new awkwardness between them. But, she would always have the memory of what it had felt like to be made love to by Devlin Beaumont. To be held in his arms. If even only for a short moment. It was more than many women would ever experience.
Smiling to herself, she held onto that.
No regrets, she reminded herself, and for the first time, she actually believed she might be able to do it.
.o0o.
Devlin woke with a start as the coach rocked to a halt.
Rebecca, he thought. She would always be Rebecca, now. Even if he did have to call her Miss Jones.
Rebecca was straightening her clothes and adjusting her bonnet. Even after a long road trip, an afternoon of love making, and the discovery that someone had tried to kill them. Even after all that. The woman looked impeccable. Not a wrinkle in sight. Not a hair out of place. How did she do it?
Shaking his head, he caught her eye. She smiled back at him. They shared a look for a moment. This was their last time alone together. They were returning to the real world.
“Thank you, Miss Jones,” he said.
“For what?” she asked, her brow narrowing prettily in confusion.
“For being you. As simple as that really. For being Miss Jones. Never shaken, a steady rock in a chaotic universe.”
She paused, then blushed. He liked that blush. He liked the way it traveled down her chest when she became excited. Liked the moan she crooned when she was aroused. He liked everything about her he realized.
But, life had returned. Reality waited for them once they stepped out of the carriage.
James opened the door and stepped aside. Holding out a hand to help Miss Jones.
She stepped onto the first step, then turned to look at him over her shoulder. She feels it too, he realized. This sadness at going back to normal.
The thought pleased him. She didn’t hold their actions against him. She didn’t despise him. What is more? She didn’t expect anything more from him.
The thought sent a bolt of shock through him. He wanted more he realized. He wanted to see her eyes sparkle when he showered her with gifts. He wanted to hear her call his name when in the throes of ecstasy.
He wanted so much more.
She said, one time only, he reminded himself. No one must know. Her reputation was everything to her. He could not, would not, allow anything to threaten that. Even if that meant he must go without the pleasure of her company again.
What a shame. It would have been enjoyable to seduce Miss Jones one more time. Or even, several more times.
Laughing to himself, he followed her out of the carriage and back into the real world.
Chapter Twenty
Devlin continued to pace in his London parlor while he waited for his friends to arrive. He had sent them a note that morning. He and Miss Jones had arrived too late the previous evening. And knowing his friends, they would sleep well past noon. He had informed them he had arrived in town and would look forward to seeing them this evening.
I should probably go upstairs and get dressed, he thought. One of the footmen had been instructed to lay out his clothes. Michaels would probably cringe at the idea of someone else seeing to his needs.
Smiling to himself, he stepped into the main hall just as the front door opened.
James held a dozen packages and stepped aside to allow Miss Jones into the house.
Her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes sparkled. Lincoln had informed him this morning that Miss Jones had left early that morning to obtain things for the girls.
“Alone?” Devlin asked with worry.
“Both, Tomas, the coachman, and James are with her, Your Grace. She assured me that you had agreed to allow her use of the carriage.”
“Yes, of course,” he said. His worry surprised him. Shouldn’t he be focusing on returning to the life of a rake? He should be making plans for a night of debauchery. Whiskey, trouble, and women, he reminded himself.
Instead, he was worried about a governess.
“I want you to make sure that Miss Jones is always escorted while she is here in London,” he told the butler. “I don’t want her out in London alone.”
“Of course,” Lincoln had said with a confused look. Obviously wondering why the Duke was so concerned about a governess.
Devlin didn’t care what the butler thought. Miss Jones’ well-being was much more concerning to him than his butler’s worries about the proper social niceties.
“In fact,” Devlin continued, “I want both Tomas and James to be armed. See that they are. If we need to purchase firearms, then do so. If they need to be trained how to use them. Let me know and I will teach them.”
The butler frowned. “Tomas and James are always armed when they are with the carriage, Your Grace.”
Now it was his turn to be confused.
The butler registered his confusion and smiled. “You are a Duke of the realm, Sir,” the butler said as that explained everything. “I assure you, your safety is always a concern. Tomas has carried a coachman’s gun on the box since the day he learned to drive. And, James was a soldier. I assure you, they both know what to do if necessary.”
Devlin hid his surprise and merely nodded. “Good, see that it stays that way. Especially when Miss Jon
es is traveling alone.”
The butler assured him he would, then exited quietly, but not before Devlin saw a knowing look cross the butler’s eyes.
Damn, he needed to be careful. He could not allow the servants to think there was something between him and the governess. Even now, he knew they were curious about the woman who had traveled all the way to London with him.
Devlin smiled as Miss Jones stepped into the house. Her arms almost as loaded as James’. The realization that she was safely home sent a warmness through him. The sparkle in her eyes made his world whole again.
Seeing her struggle with a round hat box, he jumped to assist her.
“Here, Miss Jones, let me help. It appears that you have emptied half the shops of London.”
She glanced up at him with a worried expression, as if afraid she had spent too much.
“I assure you, Your Grace, the girls need these things. Especially if they are going to come to London this fall.”
He chuckled. “That is perfectly all right,” he said as he took the last of her packages from her hand. Piling them up in front of him, he indicated to James that they should start up the stairs to her room.
The footman looked at him strangely. Probably surprised at the sight of a Duke carrying packages up the stairs. Not a thing you saw every day.
Devlin smiled to himself. He didn’t care. It felt good to be doing something for Rebecca. He followed her up the stairs. His eyes tracked the sway of her hips with each step. He felt himself focusing on the sight in front of him instead of where he was going and almost tripped.
She turned quickly to see if he was all right. He smiled reassuringly while he tried to hide his embarrassment. He was acting like a besotted school boy. This was ridiculous.
Once they had deposited her purchases safely in her room, he turned to leave.
“I should be finished tomorrow, Your Grace,” she said. “Have you been able to find the things you need for your study?”
He had forgotten the entire reason for coming to London. He would have to check with Benny to learn where to go for the perfect desk.
“Not yet, Miss Jones.”
Her lips formed a pretty pout at his words. Obviously, she was disappointed in him. She probably wanted to return to Pine Crest and the girls as soon as possible.
“Are you in a hurry to leave London?” he asked. “I would think you would want to explore the museums, the galleries, perhaps the book stores?”
She shook her head. “Of course, Your Grace, it is just that I am worried about the girls. They have never been left alone.”
He laughed. “They are not alone, Miss Jones. They have a dozen servants to see to their needs.”
She looked up at him as if his words hadn’t registered. It didn’t really matter, he realized. They needed to get back to Pine Crest to find the person who was attempting to end the Hampton Line.
“We will return at the end of the week, Miss Jones. Will that be soon enough?”
She smiled, as her shoulders relaxed. “Yes, Your Grace, of course.”
He smiled at her. Pleased with himself that he had made her happy.
“If you will excuse me, Miss Jones. I must get ready.”
“Oh, do you have plans for the evening, Your Grace?”
“Yes,” he said. “I’m meeting Sudbury and Claremont.” Was that a look of concern on her face? he wondered. Did she worry that he was going out for a night of carousing and revelry? Was she jealous? Perhaps afraid he would wind up in another woman’s arms.
No, she couldn’t be. It was impossible to imagine Rebecca being jealous. More likely, she was worried that he would do something to bring discredit to the Beaumont name and scandal to his wards.
He left her there and began the long walk to his room in the other wing of the house.
What was he going to do tonight? He wondered. His friends would want to hit the town hard. He should have wanted to join them. Lead the way to a night of debauchery and great memories.
But, he felt no desire to do so. Strange, he thought. Why not? What had changed? Surely, it wasn’t the title that made him hesitate.
Later that evening when his friends arrived he had Lincoln pour each of them a drink. They raised their glasses together and toasted his return.
He smiled. That was so like them. Should he tell them about the coach axle? Lord Warwick’s concerns?
“Where would a man purchase a desk?” he asked Benny instead.
The Earl of Claremont’s brow furrowed. He looked back at him as if the Duke had asked him where to find a unicorn.
“Seddon’s,” the Earl said. “On Adlegate. They can make whatever you desire. Why? Are you looking to redecorate? Whatever you do, don’t tell my mother. She’ll have me paying for a complete revamping of the London Estate.”
“We had a bit of a fire at Pine Crest,” Devlin said.
“Really,” Tony said. Stepping away from the wall that he had been leaning against.
Devlin waited until Lincoln had left the room, then told them the entire story. Lord Warwick’s concerns about the previous Duke, the fire, the axle partially sawed. Even about the men who accosted him that night after leaving Madam DePaul’s
“Really,” Tony said as he shook his head. “You didn’t tell us about that incident.”
“I didn’t think it was important. It wasn’t until Warwick raised the issue that I put two and two together.”
“And you were in a carriage accident,” Benny said with raised eyebrows. “And you weren’t injured. I’d have been ground to a pulp.”
“Yes, well, Miss Jones very nearly was injured.”
A silence fell over his two friends as they glanced at each other.
“Miss Jones was with you. The pretty governess?”
Devlin could see that he had prodded their curiosity. He should have been more circumspect.
“You brought your governess to London?” the Earl asked. “Alone? Left your cousins at Pine Crest?”
“Yes,” Devlin said as his stomach began to worry. His friends were not reacting as he had expected them to. “What of it?” he asked. “I am bringing the girls to London this fall. Miss Jones is here to make sure everything is ready for them.”
His two friends didn’t say anything. Instead, they looked at each other with a quiet smile.
Devlin’s back tensed. How dare they think less of Miss Jones? He could read their minds. Hell, he would have thought the same thing in their situation.
But no. They could not be allowed to think of Miss Jones that way. A strong protective urge flowed through him. But, he well knew, if he said the wrong thing, or made too big a deal about it, his friends would never let it lay still. They would pester and tease. All the while, never knowing how close they were coming to getting their heads knocked together.
“It doesn’t make sense,” Benny said with a frown.
“I assure you Benny, Miss Jones was needed here in London. The girls …”
Benny laughed and shook his head. “No, not that. Although, now that you mention it, that doesn’t make sense either. No, I meant the attacks. They don’t make sense.”
“What do you mean?” Tony asked as he poured himself another drink.
“The title,” the Earl said. “You have no heirs. Someone may have killed the previous Duke and has made several attempts on your life. The only thing you have in common is the title. Yet you have no heirs. No one to gain with your passing.”
Devlin’s brow furrowed as he tried to think what other aspects he might share with the previous Duke. Other than the family name, he couldn’t think of a thing.
“If you were to die,” the Earl continued, “the title and estates would revert to the Crown. Yet, if the Crown wanted this, they could easily strip you of your title. It might cause a little trouble in Parliament. But, it could be done. You don’t yet have the political clout to create a huge problem. No need to resort to murder.”
“The title and estates would revert to the Crow
n?” Devlin said with a concerned frown. “What of the girls? What would happen to them?”
“Technically, they would become wards to the Crown. The King, or the Prince Regent, would be responsible for their living. They would probably be shipped off to some school. Maybe to be brought in as Ladies in Waiting for the Queen once they come of age.
Devlin’s insides hitched with a bolt of pain. The thought of Isobel being sent away to a school. Pine Crest reverting to the Crown. Johanna serving at court. Elizabeth’s art scrutinized by those German upstarts at St. James. The thought was enough to make a man rather concerned.
“You need an heir,” Tony said with a smirk. “Fortunately, you have enough money to attract the best of matches.”
The Earl of Claremont shuddered. “I must remember to thank my cousins. I won’t have to sacrifice myself on the marriage altar to save my family.
“My future marriage prospects are not the subject of discussion,” Devlin said with a firmness that let his friends know he was serious.
A cold dread passed through Devlin. This title was becoming an anchor around his neck. Expectations and obligations continued to mount. Someone was trying to kill him. And the woman he wanted had said - one time only. It was enough to make a man turn to drink.
He finished his whiskey and poured another.
“So where to, tonight?” the Duke asked. Better to change the subject.
Tony shrugged his shoulders. “We assumed Madam DePaul’s. You have been stuck out in the wilds for the last month.”
Devlin’s heart sank a little. He didn’t want to go to Madam DePaul’s for some reason. It just didn’t interest him. The thought shocked him. But, it was true. The idea was unappealing.
“How about White’s instead? I’ve been gone so long. I need to make contact with some of the members. I am going to be joining them in Parliament in a few months. Best that they begin to get to know me.”
“They know you,” Benny said. “You’ve taken enough of their money over the card tables. Believe me, they know you.”
“Not as a Duke, they don't.”
“Oh, so that’s the way it is to be,” Tony said, “now that you have a title. Madam DePaul’s is beneath you?”
A Rake's Redemption Page 14