The Earl stopped smiling and patted her hand. “Do not worry, my dear. It will all come back to you.”
Chapter 28
Dinner and a Show
“Don’t worry. You look fine,” Alexander said to his wife, who was fussing with the burgundy confection the Duke had sent to their suite of rooms earlier in the day, together with a suit of clothes for Alexander. They were staying in the Duke’s manor, at least until after the dinner. It was quite harrowing. Servants kept appearing with water for them to wash or drink, platters of fruit in case they were hungry, a little boy had taken his shoes away to be shined. It was all quite overwhelming.
His wife, Noella, was taking it all in much better spirit than he could. She had already struck up a conversation with several of the servants who had come by for various reasons and was glad to report that the Duke was generally well-thought of. Adelia, too, was quite popular with the staff as she had taken care of the late Dowager Duchess with dedication before they had discovered who she really was. But even after her elevation to a lady, Adelia had not changed at all, according to the gossip.
That Adelia was well-regarded and unchanged from who she had been did not surprise him at all. She was not one to play up to people or change her ways according to company. She had always very much been her own person at all times.
He did entertain himself with how she would handle being kowtowed to as a duchess. He had a feeling that would be challenging for her. He would pay good money to have a bird’s eye view of the first time she had to mingle with the hoity-toity ton.
But for today, he was simply nervous to see her because she would already be under quite a bit of stress from being the center of attention, and then on top of that to have him watching…he did not want her to feel either embarrassed or ashamed because of something he might do or not do at dinner.
There was nobody, really, to whom he could confide his fears. Nobody who could help, anyway. He would just have to be attentive and follow the Duke’s lead.
A knock on the door had him getting to his feet and beckoning his wife over. One of the ubiquitous staff opened the door and peered in. “His Grace sent me to show you to the parlor if you’re ready,” she said.
“Er, yes, we are. Thank you.” He offered Noella his arm and she took it and they walked out, following the maid. His wife threw him an excited glance—she had yet to meet his cousin and it was simply another layer of stress for him—and he tried to return her smile. They were ushered into a plush room full of velvet covering and wood paneling. It was a very warm room in all senses of the word, including the roaring fire in the grate. The Duke was there, a drink in hand, looking tall and distinguished.
He smiled as they came in, pointing to the drinks tray, “May I offer you an aperitif?” he asked.
Both he and Noella nodded and soon they were holding quite good brandy, very different from the moonshine available in Cheapside. Alexander savored the drink, trying to go slowly the way he saw the Duke doing. Noella followed his lead, taking small sips as they sat side by side on the loveseat.
“How are you settling in? Is everything to your satisfaction?” the Duke asked. It was such an inane question that Alexander did not know what to say. Of course, everything was to their satisfaction.
Is it really even possible for anything not to be?
What with being waited on hand and foot, new clothes, and a comfortable abode…
“Y-yes, everything is excellent.”
“Good, good.” The Duke smiled as though he was truly pleased that they were happy. Alexander refrained from rolling his eyes.
The butler came in and announced the advent of visitors. Alexander took a deep breath, got to his feet and turned toward the door even as the Duke did. Noella remained seated.
First in through the door was a portly gentleman dressed in a brown jacket, a gold fob hanging out of his pocket and a quizzing glass at his eye. He smiled when he saw the Duke but then his smile disappeared as he turned and saw Alexander, as his eyebrows rose. The Duke stepped forward, welcoming them all into his home. Last to step in were Adelia and her sister. Alexander was taken aback at how similar they were—the resemblance was indeed striking.
The Duke greeted Lady Cornhill and then turned to the ladies. “Lady Adelia, Lady Dorothea, I am pleased to welcome you once again to my home,” he said.
One of the girls smiled. Alexander thought it must be the sister. Then the Duke turned and gestured toward him, “And look who I’ve brought for you.”
The lady turned, an expression of incomprehension on her face. The other girl turned as well, her brow furrowing as she laid eyes on him. Alexander smiled at her. “Adelia, it’s me,” he said.
The lady shook her head. “I’m Dorothea,” she said with a tentative smile.
“Oh,” Alexander looked toward the other lady and smiled. “I didn’t think that I would confuse you two.”
The other lady, Adelia, was still looking puzzled. “Uh…yes well…it’s been a while. P-perhaps we should sit and g-get reacquainted?”
Her voice was smooth and refined-sounding; different than when she came to the city to see him. He frowned but nodded his agreement and they sat down on two armchairs. The other people took seats as well. The Duke looked a little perturbed. He had probably expected that Adelia would recognize him right away.
Frankly, he had expected that, too.
Perhaps, she too had lost her memory.
The other lady, Dorothea, kept staring at him and he wondered if she had never seen a member of the lower classes before. He turned back to Adelia.
“Tis good to see you again. Did you find your Ma and Pa yet?”
“Ah, no, I have not. There has been so much going on you know.”
Alexander nodded, and leaned in toward her, “I talked to the parson,” he whispered.
Adelia frowned as if in confusion. “What do you mean?”
“Parson Johns! He told me that your Ma and Pa were selling the farm and moving away, permanently.”
“Is that so? How strange.”
Alexander frowned. He had expected that Adelia might be a little more emotional about it. “Yes, very strange. Especially as they did not leave a forwarding address. I wonder how they expect us to find them.”
“Well…I expect they have heard about my…good fortune and know that they cannot offer me more than my…real family.”
Alexander pulled back, feeling a little hurt at her words. “I did not know you felt that way. Are we not your real family anymore?”
“Well…” she shrugged, “It’s not the same anymore, is it?”
Alexander turned away, his face pale, to find the Duke watching them with wary eyes. He looked toward Noella, who was having an animated conversation about children with Lady Cornhill. He wanted to stand up and leave but he did not want to cause a scene.
This is not the Adelia I remember.
He shot to his feet. “Excuse me,” he said to the room before hurrying out into the corridor. He looked down the hallway for a way out and saw the glass doors of the verandah. Straightening up, he headed that way. Once he was outside, he took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
A soft step alerted him to the presence of someone else and he turned to see the other sister, peering cautiously out at him.
“Er, excuse me for intruding but I told your wife that I would bring you back. You left rather abruptly.”
Alexander paled. “I’m sorry. I just needed some air.”
She took another step closer, clasping her hands. “I expect it can get close and hot in there.”
“Yes.”
They stood in surprisingly comfortable silence.
“Did my sister upset you?” Lady Dorothea asked at last.
Alexander shook his head, “No. Not really. I was just…expecting something else.”
“I imagine she must be as confused as you are. And she was certainly not expecting to see you.”
“I suppose that’s it.” Alexander nodded
his agreement, though he doubted it. Adelia had changed. There was a coldness in her eyes that had not been there before.
“Will you be all right? Only, the Duke means to propose tonight, I think, and that must be why he brought you here.”
Alexander turned to her and smiled. She was a lot more like he expected Adelia to be. “I shall be fine. Come, let us go back in before you catch your death. I don’t imagine that confection you’re wearing is meant to keep out the cold.”
Dorothea laughed. “No, it is not.”
She allowed him to lead her back to the parlor and soon the butler announced dinner.
* * *
Something is wrong.
Harry could feel it in his belly although he could not pinpoint what exactly it was. This should have been the happiest day of his existence. He was finally going to make an offer for a woman for whom he felt not just great regard but one who he had given his heart to. His mother would be so pleased for him if she were here.
And yet, his gut was churning with anxiety and doubt. He didn’t know if he was disappointed because of the less than enthusiastic reaction Adelia had to the presence of her cousin. Maybe it was the distress she’d caused him and then seemed quite unconcerned about. Lady Dorothea, of all people, had been the one to go after the man and speak with him.
It was all sorts of confusing.
Most of all, it was how Adelia hadn’t seemed to recognize a man who she’d called ‘brother’ for years.
What is going on?
He was seated between the Earl and Mrs. Raby and was therefore obligated to keep up his side of the conversation. Still, he found it difficult to do so when his mind was all sorts of distracted.
Maybe I am looking for an excuse to put off the engagement.
The voice in his head sounded like that of his mother. He shook his head involuntarily, not really believing that was the case. The love and companionship that Adelia had shown him, her compassion, her gentleness, the sharpness of her mind, and the strength of her spirit had all made him desirous to make her his—and as soon as possible.
Has that changed?
Harry did not know. He was inclined to think it had not but his Adelia was not really herself. Not that he had expected her to always be the same. People were not one-dimensional and she had gone through a lot in a small amount of time. One could not blame her for turning inward for a time. Perhaps she did not realize that she had hurt her cousin’s feelings.
She was speaking quite amiably with him now at the other end of the table, while casting expectant glances his way. Dorothea was uncharacteristically quiet, only speaking when she was spoken to and watching Alexander as if he were a puzzle she was trying to solve.
The only person at the table who was at relative ease was Mrs. Raby, who declared that she was eating for two and proceeded to have two helpings of everything. Harry was relieved to have her joy at the table, lightening the mood.
The Earl leaned toward him. “When do you plan to do it?”
Harry started a bit, not having expected the whisper. “I don’t know. I thought I would wait until after dinner, while we have a digestif.”
“Ah yes, then we can toast to the happy couple. That is a good plan.” The Earl nodded with satisfaction and then went back to his beefsteak.
Harry sighed internally. Without a good reason, it was really too late to back out now. He could not do it to this family again.
I am sure I am simply overreacting.
* * *
Dorothea listened in on the conversation between Mr. Raby and Adelia, wondering at how stilted it was. He mentioned someone named Clotilda from Adelia’s past but her sister did not seem to remember her. Or she did not want to speak of her, more like. In any case, she quickly changed the subject. Mr. Raby sounded increasingly frustrated with Adelia. Dorothea was not sure how she knew that for he did not raise his voice or speak sharply. But somehow she knew he was not happy with his cousin at the moment.
She turned to her other side to find her mother smiling worriedly at her. “Are you all right?” she asked sotto voce.
“I am fine,” she whispered back and even smiled so her mother would see that it was true.
She finished the food on her plate and soon it was time for the ladies and gents to separate. The gents to go for brandy and cigars while the ladies freshened up and had some coffee in the music room. Dorothea was just glad to get through dinner without a proposal.
Dorothea followed her mother out of the dining room with Adelia just behind her. Suddenly, Mr. Raby appeared to the right of Adelia and hissed in her ear. “May I have a word?”
Dorothea watched as he took her arm and led her toward the verandah. She paused, wondering if she should follow them or not.
“Dorothea?” her mother called and she turned to face her. “This way.”
She hesitated a moment longer and then followed her mother and Mrs. Raby to the music room.
* * *
Adelia sighed in resignation as she followed her cousin to the verandah. She had been friendly at dinner but all she wanted really was for the Duke to propose. But he seemed to want her to speak to Alexander so that was what she did.
The man whirled on her, looking into her eyes. “So, Adelia, I have a few questions for you.”
Adelia reared back in surprise. “Questions?”
“Yes. I would like you to clear up some things.”
“What things?”
“Well, for one thing, can you tell me what my middle name is?”
Adelia frowned in confusion, “And why would I do that?”
“Because I asked.” He was looking at her with a hard expression and Adelia did not know what was going on. She looked back to see if anyone was in sight but they were alone.
“I don’t remember,” she said.
“You don’t remember? Or you don’t know?”
She put a hand on her chest, taking a step back. “What are you talking about?”
“I’m talking about the fact that you are not Adelia.”
Chapter 29
Seeing Through the Cracks
Dorothea had followed Adelia out of her chambers and as they walked toward the stairs, a strange buzzing was in her ears. Hearing Adelia speak about her feelings for the Duke and what they had done together…it somehow became more real to her. She had harbored some sort of hope that the Duke would see the error of his ways and realize that it was actually Dorothea he wanted.
Instead, he was getting deeper and deeper embroiled in Adelia’s web.
How can I let it continue? I have to do something. I have to save him from himself.
No sooner had the thought occurred than the solution presented itself. Adelia put her hand on the stairs and slipped. There was some sort of wetness on the hardwood floor and she made an exclamation of surprise. Dorothea reached out an automatic hand to steady her but then instead, her hand drove forward and before she knew it, Adelia was slipping and sliding down the stairs, her head making a loud thunk as it connected with the wood, and then she was rolling head over feet and landing at the bottom with a thud.
Dorothea stared, in utter shock, unable to comprehend what had happened. Then she was tripping down the stairs herself and looking down the unusually empty corridor. She realized that most of the footmen were outside, where the guests were, and the house was almost deserted. She turned Adelia around and it suddenly occurred to her that she might have the solution to her problem. Her twin looked almost dead, so what did it matter if Dorothea took her place?
Quick as a thought, she began to unhook Adelia’s gown just enough to take it off her heavy body. Then she took off her own gown and pulled it onto Adelia’s body. Finally, she wore Adelia’s gown, thanking the heavens that they were the same size.
Then she began to scream in horror.
She did not know how her story came together so seamlessly. She certainly hadn’t planned it. Once Adelia was carried to her chambers to be looked over by the surgeon, Dorothea had har
dly left her side. She made sure she was around all the time so that when Adelia woke, she would be the first thing her sister saw.
If she wakes up at all.
The loss of memory was simply an unlooked for blessing and all she had to do was continue the pretense that Adelia was actually Dorothea.
“You see that the Duke is perfectly happy to propose to me, don’t you?” she told Mr. Raby at the end of her explanation. “It’s not Adelia he was in love with. Just the novelty of some maid elevated to a lady, that was fueling his fantasies.”
A Vixen For The Devilish Duke (Steamy Historical Regency Romance) Page 24