“Get out, and ask my valet to bring me bathwater immediately.” He would thank Colebrook properly later. When the entire British army wasn’t marching through his head.
Duncan was closer to normal by the time he finished bathing and dressing, but he had no desire whatsoever to eat. As instructed, his valet had his curricle readied and he took off toward Gilmanton Place. If need be he would kidnap Madalene, and this time he would take her to Gretna Green. For now, he would pretend that he hadn’t considered and then dismissed that option the previous day.
As he approached the house, he looked for ways he might be able to get in if he was refused entrance. There was a trellis on the west wall. Perhaps he could climb up and enter through a window. If all else failed, he would break in. He would not leave without seeing Madalene. As soon as the curricle came to a halt, a footman emerged from the house to hold his horses. He leapt out and lost no time getting to the door.
“My apologies, my lord, but Lord Gilmanton is not at home.”
“I don’t want to see him anyway.”
The butler’s brows rose a fraction of an inch.
“Please inform Lady Gilmanton that I wish to speak with her.” He knew Madalene would not agree to see him, but perhaps if he could sway her mother she would be convinced of his sincerity.
“Very well. You may wait in the morning room while I determine whether Lady Gilmanton is at home to visitors.”
“Please persuade her that I must speak to her on an urgent matter.”
He returned almost immediately. “Lady Gilmanton will see you now.”
Duncan followed the butler and stepped into the room, not knowing what sort of reception he would receive. Thankfully, she was alone, so he wouldn’t have to grovel in front of an audience.
He bowed. “My lady, thank you for agreeing to see me. I must speak with Madalene.”
“I’m afraid that isn’t possible.”
“My lady, I know she is upset, but if I can speak with her I will explain.”
“That is impossible. She isn’t here.”
His blood heated and he bit back an inappropriate retort. “Where is she? Did Gilmanton force her to marry one of those dolts he had waiting?”
“No, I’m afraid it’s much worse than that. She’s run away.”
For the first time, he noted her pale countenance and clasped hands. “Where did she go?”
“I don’t know. When her maid went to wake her this morning, she was gone. And she took Oliver with her, so she isn’t planning to return.”
“Oliver?” She left with a man?
“Her cat.”
Lady Gilmanton was right. If she took her cat with her, she did not plan to return. Upon closer examination, it appeared that Lady Gilmanton had been crying. She dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief.
“She will be ruined. No one will marry her now.”
That wasn’t true. He was going to marry her. Taking the seat next to her, he reached for her hand. “Lady Gilmanton, do you have any idea where she may have gone?”
“No. We checked with Anne and her aunt and uncle and grandparents. There is no place else she could have gone. She has simply disappeared.”
Too restless to sit, he paced to the window. “Did she have any favorite places? A park or museum she liked to visit?”
“No, and she could hardly expect to stay at either of those places.”
A little girl holding a doll passed by the window, and suddenly he knew where she was. “Lady Gilmanton, you needn’t worry. I believe I know where she is. I will send word as soon as I find her.”
He tore from the room and out into the street. He kept going until he reached a crossroads and came upon a Hackney. Where he was going, his curricle would raise unwelcome attention.
Now that she and Oliver were settled, Madalene began to question every decision she had made in the past twenty-four hours. Duncan had never given her a reason to doubt him, and yet she had. She at least owed him the courtesy of letting him try to explain. But she had no idea where his rented accommodations were, and the only way to find him would be to return home, which she would not do. Perhaps she could go to Anne.
The gravel outside crunched and she tensed, certain no one had seen her enter the cottage. She had left before dawn with only Oliver in his basket accompanying her. Her pulse raced. The door creaked open so quickly she had no chance to hide.
“Duncan? How…how did you know I was here?”
“I called on you and your mother told me you had run away and she had no idea where you had gone.” He took a deep breath before continuing. “On the night we met, you said you wished you could live here, so I thought it likely that I would find you here.”
His bloodshot eyes held her gaze, further torturing her beleaguered heart. It needed a reminder that he might not love her anymore.
“Why are you here, Duncan?”
“Because I wanted to explain what you overheard yesterday. I don’t believe you heard the whole conversation.”
Turning her back to him, she said, “I heard enough.” He was the one person she thought would never hurt her, but he didn’t even think she was worth the price of a small piece of land.
“No, you didn’t.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “I am asking you to please consider what I have to say. If you still don’t believe me after I explain, I promise I will leave. But please hear me out before you make your decision.”
“Very well. Get on with it.” Refusing to give an inch, she tapped her foot impatiently, afraid she would give in to him if she was near him for too long.
He paced across the small cottage, his head bent to avoid the beams. “You accused me of choosing my land instead of you, but it wasn’t an either or situation. I had always intended to have you as my wife and keep the land that was rightfully mine.” Oliver butted his head against Duncan’s leg and he picked him up. Madalene could hear his purr from across the room. Even her cat trusted Duncan.
“I don’t understand.” Madalene plunked herself on the tiny settee, afraid her shaky legs would fail her.
“Your father wants access to the river. I learned from my solicitor that he had challenged my cousin for the land on more than one occasion, but was never able to prove a claim of ownership. The land has always been part of Alstead and I have the documentation to prove it, though I hope you will take my word for it.”
After gently placing Oliver on the settee, he knelt in front of her and clasped her hands. Neither of them wore gloves, and the contact made her shiver with need.
“Madalene, your father is the one who wanted to force me to choose between you and the land, but I never intended to make that choice. The land belongs to me and you belong with me, and I intend to have you both. I planned to offer your father an easement so he could access the river, but then you started flinging accusations at me and I lost my temper.” He caressed her knuckles with his thumbs. “I’m sorry I didn’t force you to listen to me yesterday, but I’m here now, and I’m still willing to offer your father the easement if it means you will marry me.”
Madalene sat stunned, too upset to think properly. It was her fault. At the first test of their love, she had doubted Duncan and ruined everything.
“Oh, I almost forgot.” He leapt up and went back to his satchel, producing a set of papers, which he unrolled beside her on the settee. “I had an architect draw up plans so we could build a duplicate of this cottage at Alstead.”
It was further proof that he had wanted to marry her. Hardly able to believe her good fortune in finding him, she placed her hands on either side of his face. “Oh, Duncan. Can you ever forgive me for doubting you?”
“I already have.” He captured her lips in a bruising kiss that she returned just as vehemently.
Wanting to be inconspicuous, she had borrowed a gown from her maid. It had simple ties down the back
which took Duncan no time at all to locate and undo. Her shift was the next to go, then he pushed her back against the settee and his mouth closed over her nipple. She thought no more of clothing.
Excitement built in her and she wanted to feel him inside her again. The first time he had made love to her, he had been slow and gentle, but there was an urgency in him this time that made her wild with need.
She yanked his shirt over his head, aching to touch him, and he growled out, “I want you now.”
“I’m yours. Now and always.”
Lifting her skirts, he brought his hand immediately to the juncture of her legs. “You’re so warm and wet. I need you now.”
Eager to oblige, she undid his breeches and shoved them down as far as she could. He glanced at the tiny settee, then lay back on the floor and pulled her on top of him. Intrigued by this new position that left her with more freedom of movement, she leaned down to kiss him while tentatively rubbing herself against his manhood.
“Ahh, you’re killing me, darling.” With a twist of his hips, he drove himself deep inside her. Clasping her sides, he helped her set the rhythm as she moved over him.
“Yes, that’s it, my darling. Don’t stop. Let yourself fly.”
Each movement kindled the flames within her, and she moved faster and faster until she shattered around him and he joined her in release.
Too tired to hold herself up, she relaxed against his chest and he enclosed her in his arms, holding her tight.
“I don’t think I can move. Maybe staying here forever isn’t such a bad idea.”
She smiled against his neck. “I suspect we’ll get hungry at some point.”
“I’m already hungry to have you again.”
After kissing his neck, she said, “Though I don’t object, I meant that we’ll eventually need food. I really didn’t think my plan through. I thought only of getting away.”
“Yes, I suppose we will have to leave at some point. It would be difficult to explain if we were caught by the Miltons.”
She managed to find the energy to push herself up on her elbows. “It is a bit naughty of us to do what we just did in a children’s play house.”
“No, what’s naughty is you shaking your gorgeous breasts about in my face.”
Her face filled with heat. “Duncan!”
He lifted his hand and caressed her nipple. “Don’t be embarrassed. I will never grow tired of looking at you.” Sliding his other hand behind her head, he pulled her down for a slow, lingering kiss that made her want him all over again. He grew hard against her and she pulled back in surprise.
“You can do it again?”
He laughed loudly. “I can do it as many times as you want. As I said, I will never grow tired of having you. But you, my darling, will be sore if we do it again now.” Gently pushing her to the side, he stood and pulled her up.
They both began dressing, and as he turned her to retie her gown, he said, “I don’t know how I’m going to survive without you until we are able to wed. As much as I would like to thumb my nose at your father and steal you away to Gretna Green immediately, I don’t think that would be conducive to maintaining good relations with your family. It could be months before we can marry.”
“What about a special license. Isn’t that faster?”
“Yes,” he agreed as he fastened his breeches, “but I’m not sure I’ll be able to secure one.”
“I imagine my father can.”
Duncan raised a brow. “I can’t see him doing me any favors.”
“If I hint to Mama that I could already be with child, I’m sure she will find a way to make it happen.”
“Do you want him to kill me?”
Madalene laughed at his pained expression. “Mama has spent most of her life learning how to manipulate him to do what she wants. She will find a way without letting on that we have, um…”
“Exactly.”
He pulled her in for a quick kiss and picked up the rolls of documents from the floor while she put Oliver in his basket. After handing her the plans for the children’s cottage, he secured the other papers in his valise.
Clutching the plans to her, she said, “I can’t believe you had these drawn up.”
“Why not? This is where we became engaged…well, sort of. And it’s the place where I fell in love with you. I can think of no better improvement to add value to Alstead.”
Craving the warm assurance of his embrace, she went to him and kissed him thoroughly. When she finally pulled back to catch her breath, she held up the plans. “I’m not sure if you’ll ever be able to top this.”
“Yes, I do seem to have set the standard impossibly high. The next thing I know, you’ll be asking for the moon.”
“Will that be a problem?”
“With you at my side, anything seems possible.”
Acknowledgement
To my editor, Gwen Hayes, for helping me make this book the best it could be.
To Stacy Reid, for doing most of the heavy lifting to get this book out into the world.
To my family—my foundation for everything.
To my friends, family, critique partners, beta readers, and everyone else who helps turn my books into something worth reading.
And if you are reading this, thank you. I wrote it for you.
About Ally
Ally has worked as a horse trainer, director of marketing and development, freelance proofreader, and a children’s librarian, among other things. None of them were as awesome as writing romance novels (though the librarian gig came closest). She lives in Texas and is convinced her house is shrinking, possibly because she shares it with three kids, four dogs, a cat, a rabbit, and assorted reptiles. Oh, and her husband.
Ally likes to curse in Russian because very few people know what she’s saying, and spends most of what would be her spare time letting dogs in and out of the house and shuttling kids around. She has many stories in her head looking for an opportunity to escape onto paper. She writes historical romance set in Regency England and Imperial Russia.
You can find Ally on her Website, Facebook, and Twitter, though she makes no claims of using any of them properly. For information about contests and new releases, join her Mailing list.
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