by Burke, Darcy
Edmund nearly laughed. If only he hadn’t left the hunting lodge! But how would he have known to find her in nearby Lancaster? “I’ll get there.”
“You’ll need a new horse,” Kendal said, moving toward the door. “I have just the one to get you there quickly.”
“Thank you.”
Kendal stopped in the doorway and turned to face him. “I’d be pleased to count you as family.”
Edmund smiled at him, but only nodded in response.
“It is, however, up to my stepmother.” He pivoted and continued out of the room.
Yes, it was. Edmund followed quickly, eager to find out.
Chapter 11
The rain started just after Genie arrived at the Bell and Whistle in Lancaster. She cursed the sky, then begged it to stop. Wet, muddy roads would add at least a day to her journey. She wanted to get to Edmund now.
What if he’d ended up pursuing one of the other women at the party? Perhaps he was even now contemplating marriage to Mrs. Makepeace, or Genie’s friend Lettie. No, Lettie would have told her. She’d written recently, and there’d been no mention of Edmund.
Mrs. Makepeace, however, was a distinct possibility. Or another woman who’d been at Blickton. There was no telling what had happened after Genie had left early. Actually, there was, because Cecilia and written to her. There’d been no mention of Edmund matching—or being interested in—anyone.
Genie’s stomach growled, reminding her it had been some time since she’d nibbled on something in the coach. Her maid had gone downstairs to check on dinner. Hopefully, she would eat soon. Then sleep, then get back on the road to Edmund.
A knock on the door of her room startled her. Why would her maid not just come in?
Genie rushed to open the door, a question on her lips. “Why—”
The words died on her tongue as she took in the welcome—but quite sodden—form of Edmund.
“Good heavens, Edmund! You’re soaked!” She pulled him into the room and steered him toward the fireplace.
“Good evening, Genie. It’s good to see you too.”
She heard the humor in his voice. “You need to warm up.” In reaching for his coat to help him take it off, she froze. There could be only one reason for him to be here, couldn’t there? “How did you know I was here?”
He took off his hat and sailed it toward the corner. In its rather damp state, it didn’t go very far. His gloves, already removed from his hands, followed the hat.
Edmund shrugged his coat over his shoulders and stripped it away. “As it happens, I have been at Rotherham’s hunting lodge the past few days—it’s rather near here.”
“Oh.” So this was a coincidence? She took his wet coat and went to hang it on a hook near the door. Turning, she saw that he’d sat in a chair by the fire and was removing his boots.
“This morning, I rode to Lakemoor. I arrived this afternoon. Unfortunately, you were not there.”
Her heart sped as she picked up his boots and stood them near the hearth. “Why did you come?”
Edmund clasped her hand. “You think I need an heir, but I don’t really. I have one, and I’ll educate him to be the earl.”
“But—”
He squeezed her fingers. “I don’t need any children of my own, not if it means not having you. I’m hoping Titus won’t mind having a stepfather.”
Genie’s throat constricted. She wasn’t sure she could speak. “You want me as I am?”
“Yes. The question is whether you want me, childless as I am.”
“I have been a mother and a wife. Anything else—especially you—is a gift I’m not sure I deserve.”
He stood and caressed her cheek. “Why would you think that? Everyone deserves love, even a second time.” He grazed his thumb along her jawline. “You especially. You’ve lost so much.”
The ache in her chest seared for a brief moment before changing into something bright and beautiful. “I’ve also gained a great deal. I have a wonderful stepson. I take it he told you where to find me?”
“He surmised you would stop in Lancaster for the night. I am pleased to find he was correct. He said you were on your way to see the gentleman you preferred, or something similar. I am fervently hoping that is me.”
She nodded, pressing against him. “It is.”
Edmund put his arms around her. “He also told me about Sterling. Poor chap.” He shook his head pityingly.
“Do you really feel sorry for him?”
“Not in the slightest. God, Genie, when I think you might have said yes…” He tightened his hold. “Why didn’t you?”
She twined her arms around his neck. “Because I love you. Having married for love once, I find I cannot do it again without the same depth of emotion.”
“You can’t love me the way you loved Jerome,” he said quietly, with perhaps a touch of sadness.
Genie cupped the back of his head. “Not the same way, no, but just as fiercely. You’re sure about not having a child of your own?”
“You are what I need.” He looked into her eyes, his lips curling into a wry smile. “I was a fool not to tell you that at Blickton. Twice a fool, actually. I saw you when I was twenty, and I was instantly smitten. But I was a young buck on my way to travel the continent, and you were the toast of the Season. I didn’t think I had a chance of winning you.”
“You didn’t even try?”
He let out a low, sharp laugh. “I told you I was a fool. Then, when you arrived at the house party, I was overcome with surprise and joy. It was as if Fortune had given me another chance. I should have told you then what I am here to tell you now, that I love you, that I have loved you, that I will love you until the end of time.”
Genie couldn’t breathe. For a moment, she felt as though she was betraying Jerome, to love this man before her as keenly—but differently—as she had him. “Oh, Edmund.” She kissed him, pressing her body into his and realizing she was now becoming damp from his wet clothes.
Laughing, she pulled back. “You’re getting my dress wet,” she said, laughing.
“Then I shall just have to remove it.” He lifted his hands to her face and gently held her. “Will you marry me, Genie? I realize becoming a countess is a step down, but—”
“Shh.” She put her mouth on his and kissed him soundly. “Now you’re being silly.”
He smiled against her lips. “Perhaps.”
She could hardly believe their fortune at finding each other. “You can truly accept me as I am?”
“I am honored to have you exactly as you are. Just please tell me that I will be enough, that you’ll give me the chance to make you happy.”
Impossibly, love filled her heart, joining with the love she still held for Jerome, for Titus, for Eliza. “You already have.”
Epilogue
February 1811, London
Genie reviewed the names on the guest list for her annual start-of-season ball. Old friends, new friends, family—it was the only Society event Titus attended. He’d become reclusive and unapproachable in the years since his father’s death. Not to her and Edmund, of course. To them, he was a loving son and still the light of her heart.
“Pondering the guest list?” Edmund asked as he came into the sitting room that adjoined their bedchamber. He brushed a kiss against her temple.
“Just looking to see if any of the eligible young women will catch Titus’s eye. It’s my only chance to see that he meets someone.”
Edmund chuckled as he sat down at the table opposite her and picked up the newspaper. “You mustn’t pester him too much. He thinks he’s on a timetable to match me. Which means he has another nine years in which to find his true love.”
Genie looked over at Edmund sharply. “He didn’t really say that, did he?”
“Years ago—when I went to Lakemoor to propose to you.”
“But I wasn’t there.” Genie recalled how he’d arrived at the inn in Lancaster, soaked from the rain. “Do you remember when you found me?”
> He peered over the paper at her, his eyes narrowing seductively. “Which part?”
“I had to warm you up, if memory serves. It was a terrible sacrifice.”
Laughing, he set the paper down. “You didn’t seem to mind at the time. Until your maid arrived to announce dinner. That was a trifle awkward.”
“She understood. She’s still with me, after all.”
“That she is.”
It wasn’t entirely related, but thinking of her maid provoked an idea. “I wondered if I should hire a companion this Season.”
Edmund had picked up the paper again, but he didn’t read it. His dark eyes fixed on her, one brow arching. “Why would you need a companion when you have me?”
“You detest shopping.”
“More than anything.” He shuddered. “You shop with your friends.”
“Yes, but wouldn’t it be nice if I hired a young woman, someone whom I could help find her place in the world?”
Edmund set the paper down and stood. He circled the table and took her hand, turning her in the chair so she could face him while he knelt before her. “My dearest love, if you want to hire a brood of young women, you have my full support. Mothering and caring come naturally to you.”
Over the years, they’d discussed adopting a child or two, but they never had. At first, they’d been enthralled with each other. Then they’d had young family members come to stay—Cecilia’s children and Edmund’s presumptive heir so he could learn about the estate he would one day inherit.
It never bothered Edmund that he didn’t have a son of his own, a fact Genie couldn’t entirely understand but for which she was grateful. They’d made a good life and had a wonderfully happy marriage.
“You don’t mind?” she asked, referring to the companion she wanted to hire.
“I don’t. But,” he hesitated briefly before continuing, “if there is something lacking—with our marriage—you’d tell me, wouldn’t you?”
She brushed her palm along his jaw, her thumb stroking his cheek. “Of course I would. There is absolutely nothing lacking in our marriage. I am full to the brim—with happiness, contentment, and love.” She leaned forward and kissed him.
“Your mentioning the night in Lancaster has quite distracted my brain, and now I’m consumed with thoughts of how I might fill you in a more…physical way.” He stood and pulled her up from the chair.
Genie laughed deep in her throat. “We just got out of bed a short while ago.”
“So?” He put his arms around her and trailed his lips along her throat. She cast her head back to give him more access. “When has that ever stopped us?”
“Never.” She clasped his nape and brought his mouth to hers, kissing him wildly.
He pulled back. “Hmm, I do have an appointment soon. Perhaps we should wait.”
She dug her fingers into his head. “Edmund, if you leave me now, I will never forgive you. We’ll be quick.” She flashed him a brazen smile, then tugged him back into their bedchamber. “Just toss up my skirts, and we’ll be on our way.”
He tugged her back against him as they crossed the threshold. “Have I told you lately how grateful I am to your cousin for inviting you to that house party?”
“It’s been some time, but since you send her a gift every year on the anniversary of the occasion, your point has been well made.”
“So long as you understand just how much I love you.”
She put her mouth near his and whispered, “No more than I love you.”
Want to find out what happens when Titus goes to his stepmother’s ball and why he’s been a recluse? Read THE FORBIDDEN DUKE!
Read on for a collection of additional scenes and stories featuring your favorite characters from The Untouchables set during the holidays!
The Forbidden Duke Yuletide Epilogue
Haven’t read The Forbidden Duke yet? Grab your copy today and discover how Titus and Nora met and fell in love!
Yuletide 1811
Lakemoor, Lake District, England
“I’m so pleased the weather cooperated with us,” Lady Satterfield remarked as she gazed out the window at the clear blue sky. It had rained so much of late, so this was a welcome change. Particularly today.
Eleanor St. John, Duchess of Kendal, flicked a glance toward her mother-in-law before turning from the window. “Yes, I’m so relieved. I’d hate to have to postpone today’s activities.”
Lady Satterfield pivoted with her. “You’re certain Titus has no idea?”
A smile crept over Nora’s lips as anticipation welled in her chest. “If he does, he’s excellent at concealing it. He specifically said he was looking forward to a cozy day inside. Since the baby started kicking, he enjoys trying to provoke him.” Nora caressed her growing belly.
“Or her,” Lady Satterfield said, her eyes sparkling.
Nora chuckled. “Or her.”
Lord Satterfield entered the drawing room at that moment, rubbing his hands together. “Ah, here you are. Everything’s arranged.”
Nora nodded. “Titus is in his office with the steward attending to a few things. I will interrupt him shortly.”
“Excellent.” Lord Satterfield grinned, looking between them. “I admit I’m quite looking forward to this.”
“Me too,” Nora agreed. “I’ve never been on a Yule log hunt before.”
“Even if you had, I doubt it would compare to this” Lady Satterfield said. “My former husband made sure to include as many of the tenants and retainers as possible.” Her gaze glowed with love as she recalled the previous duke who’d died almost a decade ago. She moved toward her current husband and clasped his hand. She’d been lucky enough to find happiness a second time with the Earl of Satterfield.
Lord Satterfield squeezed her hand in return, and Nora felt a lump in her throat. Goodness, strong emotion came so easily since she’d become pregnant.
Nora coughed and blinked lest tears decide to pool in her eyes. “I’m quite excited for the feast afterward.” An affinity for food, particularly sweets, was another side effect of carrying the babe. “Keeping the feast planning secret from Titus has been the most difficult piece.” They’d enlisted everyone in the household to help with today’s surprise for Titus. It was astounding that no one had said anything to him—or at least Nora hoped they hadn’t.
She so hoped he liked what they’d planned. He missed his father and had felt guilty for many years about not spending more time with him when he was ill before he died. Nora hoped that this hunt would remind Titus of happier times as well as help him feel as though he could truly carry on his father’s legacy. The previous duke had been beloved by his retainers and tenants and Nora wanted the same for Titus. He was very dedicated and worked hard, but he didn’t always allow himself to relax and simply enjoy. It was a characteristic that had added to his reputation as the Forbidden Duke. He seemed unapproachable and aloof, and for the most part he was content to embody that role. Nora, however, knew a different Titus. Her husband of the past several months was warm and loving, and she wanted everyone to know it.
“I suppose I should go get him.” Nora looked expectantly between her in-laws, and they gave her encouraging smiles.
She made her way to Titus’s office and knocked softly on the door, which stood ajar.
“Come in,” Titus called.
Nora stepped inside as the steward stood from his chair. “I didn’t mean to interrupt,” she said.
Titus got up from behind his desk and smiled warmly at her. “You’re not, we’re finished.” He nodded at the steward who turned and started toward the door. He exchanged a knowing glance with Nora as he departed.
Nora focused her attention on her handsome husband, and her breath caught, as it often did. They’d married last spring, but her heart still beat wildly when she was with him. She smoothed her skirt over her belly as she moved farther into the office. “I thought we could go for a ride in the barouche today. It’s so glorious outside after all this rain.”
Titus came around his desk and approached her, his brows pitching down. “I wanted to stay inside and snuggle with my beautiful wife.” He slipped his arms around her and nuzzled her neck.
Nora giggled. “We do that every day.”
He kissed the flesh beneath her ear, his lips warm and soft. “Is there a limit?”
A sigh escaped her mouth as he trailed his mouth along her jaw. “No. But I really would like to go out while we can. Please?” She pulled her head back forcing him to stop and straighten.
He frowned slightly as he stared down at her. “I’d rather not. Truly. I think we should stay in. Especially in your condition.” He patted her belly and turned away from her to return to his desk.
Nora tried not to feel slighted. “That’s absurd. I can go for a ride in the barouche.”
He shook his head. “It’s far too cold.”
Frustration grew in her breast. “It isn’t. The sun is out, and it’s quite fair. Besides, I’ll have a blanket.”
“I’m afraid I insist we stay inside.”
“You insist?”
He sat down in his chair. “Yes. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a few letters I must respond to before we can commence snuggling.”
As if she wanted to snuggle with him now. He was ruining everything! “What if I insist on going out?”
He narrowed his eyes at her. “I’ll give strict instructions that the vehicles are not to be taken out.”
Nora resisted the urge to stamp her foot. Or throw something at his stubborn head. “You’re being beastly. I just want to go for a simple ride.” And restore a long-held tradition. As well as create a memory they’d cherish forever. It was their first Yuletide season together after all. It was also Nora’s first away from her sister, a fact she tried not to think about. Today’s festivities would help with that.
Titus leaned back in his chair and looked up at her. “It’s not simple. The ground is saturated. It would be too easy for the barouche to get stuck in the mud. Why don’t you read for a bit, and I’ll join you shortly in the drawing room?” He gave her a bland smile before looking down at his work.