A Second Chance for the Broken Duke: A Clean & Sweet Regency Historical Romance

by Fanny Finch

  Once she reached the door, she could hear a voice inside and recognized it as The Duke of Thornwall’s. He was speaking with someone. She could not tell who it was but she stopped and listened to what he was saying. His voice was not booming, commanding, or angry.

  He almost sounded like a little boy.

  The woman with him sounded pleasant but even by her voice, Lady Elizabeth could tell she was quite older. She pulled her brows together. She was ashamed for eavesdropping but something about the Duke of Thornwall’s voice made it hard for her to turn away.

  Lady Elizabeth was once again surprised by the tone the Duke of Thornwall was using. It was gentle and loving. It was not stern and demanding.

  It seemed that was his way of dealing with his sister’s accident. He was immediately in charge, watching out for her the very best he could. He used a firm voice with everyone besides his sister.

  “I worry so much about her, Ursula,” she heard the Duke of Thornwall say. “I am certain something else will happen to her. I adore her, you know.”

  “I know you do, Your Grace.”

  Lady Elizabeth could hear the woman’s concern for the Duke of Thornwall in her voice. She wondered if the old woman could be a relative. But would Lady Agatha not tell her there was an older relative in the house? Why would they keep her hidden? Ignoring her feeling of guilt for eavesdropping, Lady Elizabeth continued to listen.

  “You must understand that she is a grown woman and needs her friends. She has been at Damara for so long now. She is still adjusting. And now she is bedridden.”

  “I regret having to make her stay in bed, Ursula. I am not trying to punish her. I do wish she would have listened to me and purchased a better horse. That thought will never leave my mind.”

  Lady Elizabeth lowered her head. Her shame for listening in overcame her and she moved away from the door.

  Chapter 8

  The Duke of Thornwall flushed, his cheeks burning red.

  Ursula was standing by his side, one frail hand rested on his shoulder. “You are a good brother. You must remember that.”

  The Duke of Thornwall covered her small hand with his and patted it. “Thank you, Ursula.”

  He suddenly heard a noise and his eyes snapped to the door, but dismissed it immediately.

  “Is there anything else I can do for you, Ursula?”

  “I was asked to tell you dinner will soon be ready, my lord. Are you eating in here or shall your place in the dining hall be set? I am to report back right away so it will be ready for Your Grace.”

  The Duke of Thornwall nodded. “I see. I have some paperwork to do in here. I do not wish to eat where I work this evening. I will come to the dining hall when I am finished.”

  “I will inform Hetty. Have you an idea where her ladyship might be?”

  “I do not know.”

  Ursula smiled at him, warmly. “You are a hard worker. I want you to know how proud of you I am.”

  The Duke of Thornwall felt a sharp sense of surprise at her praise. He was not often complimented twice in nearly as many minutes. He was unsure how to react to it. He gave Ursula a shaky grin and thanked her in a deep voice. She shuffled toward the door on the other side of the room that would lead to the library after passing through a small hallway.

  He sat back down once the door closed behind her, leaning forward to hold his chin in his laced hands. He regretted that whenever he saw Ursula, it brought Lady Sophia to his mind like a fierce wind. He let memories drift through his mind and it was only the growl of his stomach that reminded him he needed to finish his work before he went to the dining hall.

  He stood up and moved to his desk.

  With a heavy sigh, he began leafing through the short stack of papers left on his desk, removing the pen from the holder next to his right hand. He signed his name at the bottom of several after running his eyes from the top to the bottom. He wasn’t really reading what was there, though he probably should have been.

  After reading back through a document for the third time, he set the paper down and pushed them to the side, sighing. He could not keep his mind on his work.

  He sat back, resting one elbow on the arm rest and spidering his fingers around his chin.

  Something seemed different about Thornwall Castle. The more he thought about it, the more it seemed brighter to him, the atmosphere lighter somehow. He had not realized until now how heavy the air itself had been.

  It compared easily to the difference about the castle when Lady Agatha had returned. The two previous years since the passing of his mother had been the worst years of his life. He had never felt so isolated and alone, with only the servants as companions.

  His business was handled through messengers and for those long two years, he might have visited the town of Thornwall a dozen times at the most. He’d stayed within the castle walls, barely going out into the courtyard nearly all the time.

  He thought about those months of dismal loneliness, feeling plagued with guilt and shame. He had himself nearly convinced he was cursed somehow, that anyone around him is doomed to perish earlier than their time.

  His father, his beloved Lady Sophia, his mother. Almost immediately after her return from Damara, his own sister had suffered a terrible injury because of an accident. She could have been killed. He was surprised she was not.

  He closed his eyes, feeling the heavy burden of sorrow on his shoulders when he thought of Lady Agatha’s accident. She assured him often that it was not his fault. But somehow, in the depths of his soul, the Duke of Thornwall was sure it was.

  It was part of the curse.

  His mind went to the night before Lady Elizabeth’s arrival. He was in his sister’s room, having brought her a dinner tray. He could still feel the pain he’d felt that night, knowing he was responsible for her accident, even though he hadn’t been there and now was forced to eat alone. He had eaten alone in the large dining hall for two years and loathed the idea of having to do so again.

  For nine weeks, he had the pleasure of enjoying his dinner with his sister, who was bubbly and fun, full of stories and laughter.

  And then the accident.

  Suddenly, everything was almost the same as it had been before Lady Agatha returned.

  “Malcolm,” his sister said, pushing herself to a sitting position. He set the tray on her side table and pulled a nearby chair closer so he could sit in it.

  “Yes?”

  “I have to tell you something and I do not want you to be angry with me. I did not mean to deceive you. I was unsure how you would feel. I am ashamed and I beg your forgiveness.”

  Thinking back on it, the Duke of Thornwall felt the same chill he had that night. He did not like to be deceived and wanted an immediate explanation.

  “What have you done?” he asked her.

  “I invited a friend to come stay with me during my recuperation. She will be here on the morrow. I should have told you sooner, brother, but I did not. It was childish.”

  The Duke of Thornwall was momentarily confused. The idea that Lady Agatha would have friends she would invite to the castle had never crossed his mind. He had never invited any friends to the castle, as he had no friends to speak of.

  Everyone the Duke of Thornwall considered a friend had disappeared after the death of Lady Sophia. Some had tried to stay in contact with him but everyone dwindled away in the last two years. It was probably not their fault. He had isolated himself. He was fully aware of what he had done.

  “Malcolm?”

  He realized Lady Agatha was staring at him, an amused but slightly fearful look on her face. “You invited a friend and she will arrive on the morrow.” The Duke of Thornwall repeated back to her, nodding his head. “I see.”

  “I am sorry I did not tell you sooner. In truth, I did not know if she would be allowed to come. I did not want you to worry about it if it did not happen.”

  The Duke of Thornwall nodded, just as he had that night, and said aloud to the empty room around him, “A
nd what an entrance your friend made.”

  He suddenly heard the same noise, he had heard earlier only this time it was different.

  It sounded like a door closing in the distance and a voice mumbling outside his door.

  He stood up and crossed to the door. He pulled it open, his large frame taking up much of the space as he gazed out, but he saw no one. It was probably the servants fulfilling the duties.

  Chapter 9

  “Lady Elizabeth?”

  Lady Elizabeth’s cheeks were burning when she spun around to look directly into Milla’s eyes. She could tell the young maid knew she was standing there listening in on the Duke of Thornwall’s conversation. “Oh! I did not see you there!” she cried.

  Milla smiled. “Yes, my lady. I’ve been instructed to tell you a few things.”

  “Oh? What are they?”

  “I will take you to your rooms soon, if you like. Your companion has taken a walk through the garden. And Hetty, the cook, will prepare you foods that you desire, that you like to eat. I need a list.”

  Lady Elizabeth nodded. “I would appreciate that.”

  Lady Elizabeth went back up the stairs, ashamed she had been caught eavesdropping on the duke. She went up the staircase, breathing steadily to calm her nerves. She had known about the fire that burned at the Argyle estate and that the Duke of Thornwall lost his betrothed to it, she had heard rumors.

  Listening to the smooth, friendly tone the Duke of Thornwall used with the woman, Ursula, made Lady Elizabeth feel odd. She now wanted Lady Agatha to tell her more about him.

  She had not truly believed the rumors, so she did not know what really happened. It must have affected the Duke of Thornwall to a great degree.

  She wondered if that might have been what caused his bitter, stern behavior. He was protective of his sister but he was not mean to her. His love for her was quite obvious.

  She pushed open the door to Lady Agatha’s room quietly and peeked in to see if her friend was still awake.

  Lady Agatha looked up from the book on her lap. “Come in, Lizzie!” she called happily. “Did you find Milla?”

  “I did. She… she found me, actually, when I was looking for the parlor. I did find the parlor but she was not in the room. She found me as I was looking elsewhere.”

  Lady Agatha watched her as she came back to the bed and sat down.

  “You cannot feel comfortable on the edge of the bed like that, Lizzie. Get that chair over there. Bring it here. I want you to be comfortable.”

  Lady Elizabeth turned to look at the chair Lady Agatha was waving at. She dragged it over to the side of the bed and plopped herself down, smiling at Lady Agatha. In her friend’s presence, she felt much better, despite her shame for eavesdropping.

  She wondered whether she wanted to tell her what she had heard. It would mean confessing that she had been listening in. She wanted to know who Ursula was. Who had the nerve to call the duke by his Christian name other than his parents and sister?

  Lady Agatha raised her eyebrows. “It looks like you have something on your mind, my dear. Confess. I want to know what you have on your mind.”

  Lady Elizabeth hesitated, not wanting to upset Lady Agatha. She pulled in a deep breath. “I have been thinking. I promised you that I would reconsider my opinion of the Duke of Thornwall. Something… something leads me to believe that I may have been mistaken about his behavior. Tell me a few more things about him.”

  Lady Agatha’s letters had only described her brother in vague terms. She had never gone into depth about him. It was not until Lady Agatha’s last letter, asking her if she would be able to visit and help her after the accident that Lady Agatha even mentioned the possibility of a courtship between the Duke of Thornwall and her.

  She pictured the Duke of Thornwall in her mind. The deep scar that ran from his temple to his chin. His glaring brown eyes that looked so lovingly at his sister. The sweep of dark hair falling almost to his shoulders.

  He was truly a handsome man. But it was not good looks and wealth that Lady Elizabeth sought. Her family was already wealthy and did not need financial assistance. Lady Elizabeth cared less about the outer appearance than what was on the inside.

  She wanted to love the man she married. Marrying a man she did not love would only lead to disaster in her mind. She would have a miserable life.

  A bit of excitement ran through her at the thought that maybe she and Lady Agatha would be sisters someday.

  She told herself not to jump ahead. She had no way of predicting the future. As far as she knew, the duke was still upset that she was even in the castle. He wanted her to go home. The only reason she was still here was because of Lady Agatha.

  Lady Elizabeth gave her friend a gentle smile.

  Lady Agatha’s smile stretched from ear to ear. “Well, that is a change of attitude. There is a great deal to tell about my brother, though you will have to spend more time with him to really understand him.”

  “I do not know if he will allow that. I am under the impression he wants nothing to do with me at this point. Did you tell him we might be a good couple?”

  Lady Agatha looked sheepish. “I may have neglected to inform him that I mentioned it to you.”

  Lady Elizabeth giggled. “It is all right, Aggie.”

  “Malcolm is a good man. I know I have told you that before but he is truly a gentleman. He takes his duties to the village very seriously. He has been the Duke of Thornwall for six years now and the villagers have prospered. I know some of them had doubts that he would recover from the fire at the Argyle Estate but he has shown what a strong man he is for four years.”

  “I can understand why he would have misgivings, Aggie,” Lady Elizabeth said, softly. “He still pines for his lost love?”

  Lady Agatha gave her a questioning look. She then raised her eyebrows. “I am surprised you know about that. I did not think I mentioned Lady Sophia to you in my letters. As for your question, I am not sure. He does not speak of her or the fire. I have been here three short months. In that time, he has never once mentioned any of it.”

  “It is a shame that he still harbors such pain. He must have loved her greatly.”

  Lady Agatha pushed herself up in the bed a little more with her good arm. Lady Elizabeth leaned forward to fluff her pillows but Lady Agatha waved her away. “I am fine, Lizzie. Thank you. Yes, he did love her very much. They courted for two years before they were to be married.”

  Lady Elizabeth widened her eyes. “Two years? That seems like an excessive amount of time.”

  Lady Agatha shrugged, pulling the blankets straight around her waist and smoothing them out. Lady Elizabeth thought how awkward it looked, seeing her use one hand to do it.

  “I suppose to most it would be. But they were in love and thought they had time. They spent as much time together as they could. They were good friends.”

  Lady Elizabeth was surprised by a gentle sense of jealousy. She had no idea where that came from and she did not like it. She pushed it aside, a little angry with herself. She certainly had no right to feel such a way. She did not even like the Duke of Thornwall.

  They were not very compatible, at least not from what she had seen so far.

  But could that be changed?

  “There is so much more to it than just losing her, though,” Lady Agatha continued, looking at Lady Elizabeth.

  “Oh?”

  Lady Agatha nodded. “Oh yes. My brother is a complex man. A good man but a complex man. His emotions run deep. They always have. The only way you will discover what he is truly like is to spend time with him.”

  Lady Elizabeth nodded. “I will try, Aggie. But I do not think your brother will make it easy for me. I do not think he likes me at all. If he did, perhaps he would not have wanted to send me home so quickly. After all, he did not even want to let me in.”

  Lady Agatha shook her head. “You must be willing to have patience with him, Lizzie.” She sat forward, holding her hand out to Lady Elizabeth, wh
o leaned forward and took it. “I know you have only just arrived and it may seem like I am asking a lot from you. I promise you, my dear, he is worth it. He truly is.”

  “I believe you, Aggie. And I am willing to be patient. I will stay as long as I am allowed. I want to see you get better. I really do not think you should be bedridden. You do not have a broken leg.”

  Lady Agatha gave Lady Elizabeth an exasperated look. “I know. Of all the things I have not been able to convince Malcolm of, that is the most frustrating. I have practically insisted that I need fresh air and to walk around the garden but he simply refuses to let me.”