The Duke's Decision (The Reluctant Duke Book 2)

by Fenella J Miller

  The Reluctant Duke

  Book Two

  The Duke’s Decision

  By

  Fenella J Miller

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any method, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of The Author - Fenella J. Miller

  The Duke's Decision © Copyright Fenella J. Miller, 2020

  This e-Book is a work of fiction. While references may be made to actual places or events, the names, characters, incidents, and locations within are from the author's imagination and are not a resemblance to actual living or dead persons, businesses, or events. Any similarity is coincidental.

  COVER DESIGN BY JANE DIXON-SMITH

  Chapter One

  June 1810

  'Sarah, the carriage is waiting. Why are you loitering in here?' The Dowager Duchess of Denchester said sharply.

  'Mama, I don't wish to live at Radley Manor. No Sinclair has ever lived there and I would much prefer to remain here at the Dower House.'

  'Poppycock! Your sister cannot hold her wedding breakfast here as everything is constantly covered in the dust from the demolition of the old house. Radley is twice the size of this and far more suitable for a family of our consequence to reside in.'

  She could hardly tell her mother the real reason behind her reluctance to leave. Cousin Richard, now the head of the family, had intended to take Amanda to live there when they were married at the end of the month. It didn't seem fair that Mama, their younger sister Beth, and herself, plus their various maids and companions, should be living with the newly-wedded couple.

  When she got married the very last thing she would wish for was having her family accompany her to her new home. She turned and smiled.

  'I'm coming, I apologise for keeping you waiting.'

  It was scarcely half an hour’s drive and as the weather was clement they were travelling in the brougham. The journey was most enjoyable despite the fact that her mother continued to harangue her for her tardiness.

  Something that was said finally registered. 'We could not remain here once Richard and Amanda moved as there would have been no gentleman to oversee matters.'

  'Mr O’Riley could have done that.'

  'What fustian you speak, my dear. It is high time that we found you a suitable husband. As you are so determined not to return to Town next year and have your Season then I am obligated to find you someone from the locality. With that in mind I have invited several gentlemen to the wedding breakfast who might well be of interest.' Mama intended to have her own way.

  She hated to argue with her redoubtable parent but summoned up the courage to state her feelings clearly. 'I have no intention of getting married this year or next. And when I do, it will be for Cousin Richard to take charge of the search. I intend to inform him that you have sent invitations, without either Amanda’s or his permission, to these families.'

  Fortunately, the carriage turned onto the drive and there was no further opportunity for her mother to berate her. Fond as she was of her parent, she was forced to admit that since Mama had been obliged to abandon playing cards for money she was in a permanent bad temper. Amanda was no longer her mama’s concern as she was about to be married to the duke, therefore she took her spite out on the one daughter who had no option but to suffer in silence.

  Therefore Beth, who at seventeen was a year younger than herself, and had the mental capacity of a six-year-old child was usually exempt from any unpleasantness. Miss Westley was now employed as Beth’s governess but Nanny remained in the nursery to take care of her sister’s every day needs.

  The Manor, although not of as recent construction as the Dower House, could not be more than one hundred years of age. Papa had had the building renovated and refurbished and she was assured by Amanda that they would be comfortable there until the new house was built on the site of their ancestral home.

  Her sister was waiting in the turning circle to greet them. There was no sign of her future brother-in-law. 'I was beginning to wonder what had happened to you and Mama. Beth and Miss Westley are already exploring their new domain.' Amanda laughed. 'I've no idea where Richard is, he and Mr O’Riley are somewhere about the estate.'

  'I hope you do not intend to keep us waiting on the doorstep, my girl, I am eager to see my apartment. I sincerely hope that it is commensurate with my station in life.'

  Sarah exchanged a smile with her sister. 'I'm sure you'll be satisfied with your new accommodation, Mama. Amanda, I assume that I'm not to be sharing with you.'

  'We are to share an apartment until I'm actually married to Richard in four weeks' time. Come in and look around your new home.'

  The entrance hall was spacious, twice the size of the one at the Dower House and had a remarkable painted ceiling and a wide oak staircase festooned with intricate carvings of beasts, birds and plants.

  'I love this. It's quite beautiful. I can see why Richard and you wish to live here for the next two years.'

  'I'm glad that you like it, Sarah, as it will be your home too.'

  The housekeeper stepped forward and curtsied and then escorted their mama up the stairs. They could hear their parent speaking and none of what she said was complimentary.

  'I don't know how you and Richard are going to tolerate her living under your roof when she has been so curmudgeonly since we returned from Town.'

  'I have allocated her a delightful drawing room overlooking the garden at the rear of the house where she can sit and entertain her friends. Her apartment is directly above it and in the opposite direction from ours.'

  'Do you mean yours and Richard's or the one that you and I are to share until you marry?'

  Her sister slipped her arm through hers. 'You must come at once, my love, and see for yourself how I have managed things. Richard and I will have his study for our own use, and there is a music room and the main drawing room for family gatherings. There are also two dining rooms, one for formal occasions and one for breakfast and informal evenings.'

  The more Sarah saw of her new abode the better she liked it. 'The rooms are handsome, well-appointed and furnished. I cannot credit that the previous tenant, an old gentleman, had such good taste.'

  'Do you not recognise the furniture? Look more closely, my dear.'

  'It's from our original home, isn't it? I do recognise a few items but then there were so many rooms it would be hard to recall everything. Wherever it came from, it looks perfectly splendid here.'

  She admired again the carved staircase, her bedchamber and shared sitting room, and then they ascended to the nursery floor where Beth, Miss Westley and Nanny were now residing.

  Their sister heard them coming and burst out from the schoolroom clapping her hands. 'Isn't this the best house you've ever seen, Sarah?' She pointed to the dolls' house and rocking horse that had accompanied her from the Dower House. 'I have all my favourite things to play with. My room is ever so big. Miss Westley has a bedchamber and a sitting room all to herself. Shall I show you?'

  'No, sweetheart, Miss Westley's apartment is private and only for her use. Where is Nanny sleeping?' Amanda put her arm around Beth's waist and guided her back into the chamber that had once been the schoolroom but was now a pretty playroom ideal for their sister’s needs.

  Sarah was admiring the view which from this height allowed her to look across the park to the woods and farms that accompanied it. She could even see the church tower in the little village nearby.

  'Good heavens, come and see, Amanda. There are three red-coated soldiers cantering down the drive.' />
  'Oh no! Quickly, we must go downstairs. Richard feared that Mr O’Riley would be discovered and that they would send the Provost Marshals for him. I was so hoping that he was now safe, but his five years are not finished until the end of the month.'

  Sarah's heart was thudding uncomfortably behind her bodice. 'What do we do? Are we to pretend that we don't know him?'

  'We do know Patrick O’Riley, an English gentleman of Irish descent who is employed as the duke's man of affairs. We don't, of course, know anything about the common fellow called Riley who was a sergeant major in the military.'

  *

  Captain Paul Marchand had not asked for this assignment and wasn't looking forward to confronting the former Major Sinclair, now Duke of Denchester, about his mysteriously vanished sergeant major. 'I think it would be better if we arrived at a more decorous pace, gentlemen,' he told his two companions firmly.

  'Yes, sir,' they replied smartly and all three reined back to a sedate walk.

  'Remember to whom we're speaking. His grace has a formidable position in society and we cannot question him aggressively.'

  Ensign Robinson grinned. 'From what I hear, captain, one wouldn't want to have upset him before his elevation. He had a fearsome reputation as Major Sinclair.'

  The other member of his small party remained silent as was only appropriate for an enlisted man.

  'I don't understand why Horse Guards is so determined to reclaim Riley. Good God – he has less than a month to go on his five years. There has to be more to this than we know.'

  ‘Did you ever meet either of them, sir?'

  'I never had the pleasure. However, Riley will not be hard to identify as he has red hair and is as tall as me.'

  They were approaching the handsome building but there was no sign that they had been seen. The front door remained firmly closed against them. Either the family were out or intended to make things as difficult as possible. He smiled wryly. If he was in Sinclair's shoes, he would be equally uncooperative.

  The information he had about Riley was that he had been with his grace for several years and they were good friends now. Therefore, it would hardly be surprising if the duke refused to cooperate. One thing that was not in doubt, as far as he was concerned, was that Riley had most likely remained with Sinclair.

  This was not the career Paul had intended or hoped for. The price of a captaincy in a regiment had been beyond his means and when this was offered, he had transferred from the light infantry to the Provost Marshals with alacrity. He was now sincerely regretting his decision.

  Rounding up mutinous soldiers, searching for deserters, arresting enlisted men who ran rampant in a captured city would have been a worthwhile and respectable way to spend his time. Being sent here to arrest someone like Riley, who had served his country faithfully for years, did not sit well with him.

  It had been made abundantly clear to him that if he failed in his first assignment he would be immediately demoted, if not cashiered. Why the hell was General Boyden so insistent that Riley return to his regiment? It didn't make sense. By the time Riley was returned to Horse Guards he would have completed his five years and be a free man.

  Tarnation take it! Riley could still be hung as a deserter but would be offered the alternative of signing on for a further five years and would have no option but to take this or die. General Boyden must think very highly of this man to go to such lengths to have him re-enlist. The man had been a professional soldier most of his adult life and Paul was certain, even if he was forced back into the military, he would serve with the same dedication he had previously.

  Walking the horses the last half a mile had been sensible as they were now cool and could be fed and watered immediately. He dismounted smoothly and tossed his reins to the third member of their party, Private Brown. This man was a surly individual and he didn't trust him.

  'Take the horses around to the stables and see to them. You can make enquiries there about Riley, but do it politely. Is that understood?'

  The man nodded but didn't respond. There was going to be trouble with him if Paul couldn’t deal with his insolence. Their overnight baggage had been left with the packhorse, and the spare mount for the prisoner, at a decent hostelry in a village a mile from here.

  'Knock on the door, Ensign Robinson. I'll remain here. I've no wish to appear too eager to apprehend this so-called deserter.'

  Robinson hammered on the brass dolphin-shaped knocker so enthusiastically that it startled the doves from the trees that bordered the drive. There was no danger that the occupants wouldn't know someone wished to be admitted.

  He had the distinct feeling he was being observed but had no intention of gawping at the windows to see who it might be. Instead he straightened to a military position, put his shako under his arm, and remained eyes firmly front.

  There was a considerable delay before the door opened and a frosty-faced gentleman in the garb of a butler enquired their business.

  'Captain Marchand wishes to speak to his grace at the earliest opportunity.'

  'His grace is not here. He has not deigned to inform me as to his whereabouts or when he intends to return.'

  ‘Then we wish to speak to Mr Riley.'

  'There is no one of that name residing here.' The wretched man nodded and closed the door firmly in Robinson’s face.

  The young man raised his fist prepared to demand entry but Paul called him back. 'No, there's no need to pursue this. If the duke's away from home then you can be certain that Riley is with him. We shall remain here until he returns.'

  *

  Sarah moved away from the window certain she hadn't been seen. 'The two officers are wandering off towards the stables where the other one took their horses. I don't think they’re leaving.'

  'Neither do I. I just hope that Richard and O’Riley have the sense to remain away from here until tomorrow. The soldiers cannot stay after dark and I've no intention whatsoever of inviting them to come in.'

  The strident tones of their mother interrupted the conversation. 'To whom are you referring, Amanda?'

  'The Provost Marshals have come to arrest Mr O’Riley. They are lurking about in the grounds in the hope that Richard will bring him back before nightfall.'

  'And if he doesn't? Pray, what do you intend to do about the officers?'

  'I assume they will return from whence they came and try again tomorrow.'

  'I think you should invite them in. At least that way, my dear, Richard and Mr O’Riley will not be caught unawares. I'm sure that you and Sarah can keep them distracted.'

  Sarah had been about to suggest the same thing. She couldn't believe the handsome officer who had remained ramrod straight, looking neither right nor left, was anything but a pleasant gentleman. There was something about his bearing, his wide shoulders, his long lower limbs, and especially his open features and dark hair, that engendered a feeling of trust within her bosom.

  'I think you might be right, Mama. They will be royally entertained and no doubt when Richard and O’Riley do return they will be warned…'

  'What is it, Amanda? What has distressed you about this suggestion?'

  'We can hardly invite the common soldier into the house, Sarah, so he will remain out there and raise the alarm.'

  'Fiddlesticks!' Mama said firmly. 'I do not know much about enlisted men but one thing I am quite certain of is that if they are offered hard liquor, they will imbibe far more than is good for them.'

  'Thank you, I should have thought of that myself. The man must be invited into the servants’ quarters downstairs and plied with brandy.'

  Sarah wasn't sure this was going to work. 'Surely, someone as lowly as he would never be offered brandy? He would immediately suspect something was amiss.'

  Her mother snorted inelegantly. 'My dear girl, I was hardly going to suggest that the housekeeper handed him a decanter of Richard's best brandy. The man will be invited in to eat with the stable hands and given the opportunity to steal a decanter.'

&
nbsp; It was now her sister's turn to interrupt. 'That will not work, Mama. And even if it would, I'm not going to put the private soldier in such an invidious position. Good heavens, he could be transported or worse for such a crime.'

  Their mother's lips pursed, she tossed her head and marched off without another word obviously displeased by the fact that both of them had disagreed with her.

  Sarah held her breath until they were once more alone and able to talk freely. 'Getting him drunk seems a good option, but I cannot see how it might be done without alerting him or getting him put on a charge for drunkenness.'

  'Then we must come up with another scheme before we invite the officers into the house to dine with us. I think I might ask for two chambers to be prepared as having them under our roof would be safer than allowing them to wander about the countryside. There is a distinct possibility they might come face-to-face with Mr O’Riley.'

  'You cannot do that, sister, as they do not have their overnight luggage with them.'

  Amanda laughed. 'How very observant of you, my love. Is there anything else you wish to impart about the appearance or behaviour of the officer?'

  Sarah's cheeks were hot. 'I am discovered. He is a prodigiously attractive and I would dearly like to meet him despite the reason he's here.'

  'I have come up with something that I think might work. What if we invite them in and then let slip that Richard and Mr O’Riley have gone to Ipswich on business? Do you not think the senior man would then send one of his men to investigate?'

  'Indeed, I think that would work perfectly. Do you actually know where your betrothed has gone?'

  'I have no notion, but I think his unexpected and rapid departure has something to do with the arrival of these men. It's highly unlikely either of them will return until these unwanted visitors have given up and gone to look elsewhere.'

  'Something has occurred to me. We're assuming that they already know for certain that Sergeant Major Riley and Mr O’Riley are the same person. Surely, this would be the first place they would look? After all the two of them served together for years.'