Winning The Indecisive Duke: The Fairbank Series

by Bennett, Jessie

  Jonah nodded. “I know. And if Alexa knows, or even thought it was a possibility, there is a good chance she has said something that would make Elizabeth give up all hope.”

  Daniel stared. “Elizabeth does want to marry me, doesn’t she?”

  Jonah had the sudden urge to laugh but held it in. “My lord, how can you ask me that question? Of course, she does.”

  Daniel swallowed. “How can you be sure?”

  “I know Elizabeth,” Jonah said grimly. “I know too well what she might do in the depths of despair.”

  As they walked to the stables, through the strangely-warm garden, the sky lit up with a bolt of lightning, followed by a crack of thunder. They both looked up, concerned. If they did not find her soon, they would be soaked through with rain, their lanterns extinguished. And any tracks would be washed away. She would be out there all alone in the cold and rain, possibly wounded. There had not been wolves in the woods for many years, but there was always that possibility. The men looked at each other and quickened their pace.

  “Alexandra could have told her one of two things,” Daniel said as they rode through the gates, shouting to reach Jonah against the rising sounds of the wind as it soughed in the branches above their heads, making eerie whispers on the night breeze. “Either she has told her I wish to marry her, or she has told her I did not. I saw Alexandra earlier today and she did not seem as if she would give up what she set her heart to gain. I want Elizabeth, and I cannot turn my back on her, however wretched I feel about causing pain to her sister. I want to marry her and have her by my side forever.”

  “I know you do, my lord. We will see it happen.”

  “You are not at all bothered by this marriage?”

  Jonah gave Daniel a direct glance. “My lord, why would I be bothered? We have already spoken of this. I informed my father and mother earlier that I will under no circumstances marry Elizabeth. How can you doubt my sincerity in support of you? Or my devotion to pursue my Julia, the love of my life?”

  Daniel nodded. The sounds of the storm were growing all around them. He felt the first drop of rain touch his hand. He looked up worriedly. If they found Elizabeth quickly, they might be able to avoid the torrential storm that was headed their way. If not, she would be in more danger. He pictured her in the woods, separated from all that would keep her safe. His heart ached, setting him in motion.

  “Should we dismount, my lord? The woods are dense and I fear we will have to search far afield.”

  “Perhaps,” Jonah said. He led the initiative, sliding down from his horse's saddle to land with a soft thump on the grass. “We can leave them in the shelter of the paddock there. Come, I will lead yours.”

  The duke nodded and slid down to the ground, grateful to be on his feet. He wordlessly handed the reins to Jonah, who took them silently and headed the few paces to the paddock gates. He returned directly.

  “I am glad you were able to come to an understanding with your parents,” the duke remarked.

  “Yes,” Jonah said shortly. He coughed, trying his best to hide the fear that slid through him at the thought of the impending storm preventing their rescue attempt. If the lanterns could not be kept lit, they would be lost in the dark woods. They would not be able to rescue her if they could not even see where they were going.

  “How can we find her in these dense woods, without light?” the duke asked, seeming to sense his thoughts.

  “We will find Elizabeth. I know these woods better than anyone. Anyone other than Elizabeth.”

  “I do hope so, Lord Macefield.”

  “My fear is that Elizabeth does not know what has happened. If she is at the pond, there is another choice she might make that would devastate us all.”

  A chill ran through the duke. “You do not mean…”

  Jonah lifted one hand just before pulling himself up on his horse. “We will not speak of it, my lord. Elizabeth is a strong woman. She will not give in to such thoughts.”

  Daniel’s heart raced. If Jonah thought it was not a possibility, why would he have even mentioned it? The thought had not crossed his own mind and he did not know Elizabeth nearly as well as Jonah. “We must reach her!” he said at once.

  Jonah held out his lantern in front of him. “We will save her. Elizabeth is too wise to follow a course of...” He left the sentence hanging. Neither of them wanted to think about what a desperate young woman would do if she only saw a bleak, unhappy future ahead of her.

  “She mustn’t.” Daniel’s voice was soft and urgent. “She mustn’t.”

  “No, my lord. She won’t.”

  The two men raced toward the pond, Jonah in the lead. Daniel stayed close behind so he would not lose sight of the younger man.

  On foot, their progress was faster than it would have been. They headed through the dense woodland, pausing to talk against the rising sound of the wind. Here in the woodland all was hushed, the only sound the breeze rising and hissing in the treetops, a whisper of awful secrets to horrible to speak aloud.

  “Do you really believe Alexa will harm Elizabeth if she has found her first?” the duke asked.

  Jonah bit his bottom lip before replying, “I do, my lord. If Alexa knows that you are going to marry Lizzie and not her, she will react in desperation. She is so jealous of her sister that it has turned to hate. It may have turned her wits.”

  “I am sorry that I did not heed your warning. You told me of this jealousy before.”

  Jonah shook his head, looking over his shoulder at the older man, whom he could barely see in the flickering lantern light. “Do not apologize.”

  “I cannot help but be sorry. If I had known better, I would never have allowed them to compete for me.” He felt tears sting his eyes, suddenly aware of what he might have done. “I encouraged it, Jonah! I was vain and foolish and I thought it was amusing. If Elizabeth dies, it will not be Alexandra's fault. It will be mine.”

  Jonah looked at him, lamp lit, his face hard. “Do not even speak of the possibility of death.”

  Daniel swallowed, his heart constricted. How could he have been so stupid? If she died, it would be his fault. And Jonah would want to kill him for his foolish arrogance. I wish he would. He wished the ground could open and entomb him there. How could I be so completely, utterly cruel?

  His thoughtlessness had wounded two women and could cost one of them her life.

  Jonah turned to the task at hand, holding his lantern out. “We must hurry. The pond is directly between our lands. She will be there.”

  “Why would she choose to not return home?” Daniel asked. He remembered seeing her ride.

  The only answer he had was that Alexandra had somehow prevented Elizabeth from showing at dinner that night.

  “I do not know,” Jonah admitted. “She was either too unhappy to face her parents, or...”

  “If Alexandra has done something,” Daniel voiced Jonah’s concerns. “Will there be enough time to save Elizabeth? Would Alexandra truly harm her sister?”

  Jonah swallowed hard. He knew Alexandra well enough to believe she could very well harm Elizabeth. Her jealousy was like a fire inside her and would consume all sense or prudence in its rage.

  He cleared his throat. “I believe Alexandra will do whatever she needs to do to destroy Elizabeth. I pray that Elizabeth would not seek to end herself.”

  “Women have been known to take such measures before. I have known of several myself,” the duke said stonily.

  “I understand, my lord. But Elizabeth is not a woman who would do such a thing. She has much to live for and is very young. She will not end her life. She will not walk into the water. She will not.”

  Daniel wanted to point out that it sounded like Jonah was trying to convince himself of that. But he said nothing.

  For a time, they ran in silence, their lanterns bouncing in their hands, swaying back and forth. They cast an eerie, wavering light among the shadows of the trees. The night was dark, the trees black shadows on the velvet blue breath of
darkness. Finally, Daniel saw a light in the distance. He slowed down.

  “What is that?”

  Jonah peered through the darkness at the light. “That’s where the pond is! Maybe it is Elizabeth sitting, waiting to be rescued.” He glanced over his shoulder to Daniel, eyes hopeful.

  Daniel smiled reassuringly at him, though it did nothing to steady his own anxious soul. He picked up his pace and the two men raced toward the still flickering light.

  When they reached the pond, they both skidded to a stop before springing into action.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  LOVE CONQUERS ALL

  LOVE CONQUERS ALL

  Both men ran to the water's edge. One lone lantern was on the rim of the wide pond, just outside the circle of the slick-smooth water. The sound of splashing and a struggle met their ears. They could not see more than a few flashes of white until they reached the edge.

  Jonah stared, unable to believe what he saw. Then he ran forward.

  “Alexa! Alexa, what are you doing?” Jonah screamed as he splashed into the water of the pond.

  “Stay back, Jonah! If I cannot be happy, she will not be happy!” Alexa shouted wildly.

  Daniel held up his lantern as he went into the water behind Jonah. The scene that met him was the culmination of all his terror on the walk, all his realization of his idiocy compounded into one awful scene that was the worst he could imagine.

  Alexa was standing in the water, her skirt wet up to her waist, though the water only reached above her knees. She was bent over, as if she guarded prey. She had one hand gripped on Elizabeth’s shoulder, her hand clenched in her sister’s dress. The fingers of her other hand were threaded through Elizabeth’s hair where she lay.

  Elizabeth was struggling, trying to free herself from her sister’s grip but she appeared weak. She kicked her legs as Alexandra shoved her head under the water and held her there.

  “Let her go! Let her go, Alexa!” Jonah was almost to the women, Daniel close on his heels.

  Alexa yanked Elizabeth farther into the water, dragging her so that Elizabeth’s head could not come up above the water. She wrapped her arms around her sister and both of them went under the water.

  “No!” Jonah screamed.

  He and Daniel reached them at the same time. Jonah dove into the water and felt in the darkness until he made contact with fabric. The pond was deeper than he remembered, and he had to duck down and search. He clutched at the fabric. He gathered it in his hands and pulled. Daniel had moved farther into the water than Jonah, reaching for the white dress he knew had to be Alexa. He tried to disconnect the woman from her sister, pulling with all his strength until he felt them come apart. He kept his grip, kicking his feet in the water until he got his balance and was able to stand. Alexa was strong, fighting against him with everything she had. He turned over several times, unintentionally dunking the young woman under the water. She came up gasping for air.

  Jonah had Elizabeth in his arms and was gently pulling her back toward the shore. She was unconscious and unable to keep herself afloat. He laid her out on the sand and looked back to see Daniel lifting Alexa out of the water, his arms wrapped around her arms. She was kicking him viciously but he was unwavering.

  Daniel reached the shore, dropping Alexa to the ground beside her sister. She was hissing at him, trying to scratch his face. Daniel was doing his best to hold her, but it was as Jonah had feared – she was beyond reason, her desperation at the pitch where it had clouded her mind. Jonah came to sit beside Daniel, ripping a strip from his shirt to tie her wrists. He hated doing it, but there was no other way to keep her from doing injury to someone.

  As Jonah tied Alexa down, Daniel knelt next to Elizabeth, looking at her face in the dim light of the flickering lantern. He brushed aside the wet hair that was matted against her forehead and leaned to whisper in her ear. “Wake up, Lizzie. Wake up. You must wake up.”

  Elizabeth did not move.

  Moments later, Jonah was on her other side, gazing down at her with fear in his eyes. “Lizzie. Lizzie, wake up.”

  She lay supine in the darkness, her skin pale, her eyes closed. Her hair was wet and straggled about her. To Jonah, she looked dead. His heart was stone.

  “She must wake up, Jonah,” Daniel said, not looking up at the other man. “She must wake up.”

  “Turn her on her side,” Jonah directed. His voice was terrible – hard and devoid of emotion. Daniel did as he said. Jonah pounded on Elizabeth’s back with a flat hand, calling her name over and over.

  “Wake up,” he whispered, a litany of desperation. “Wake up.”

  Nearly a minute later, Elizabeth’s eyelids fluttered and she began to cough. Water spurted from her mouth and she gasped for air.

  Jonah sat back, his heart suddenly painful with joy. Daniel took Elizabeth in his arms.

  When she regained full consciousness, she looked at Daniel through stunned eyes.

  “What… what is…” she stammered, confused.

  “Hush, Lizzie.” Jonah said in a voice of terrible gentleness. She turned her eyes to him but did not recognize him. “We have you now. You are safe now.” He saw her stare at him, then the blank terror faded from her eyes as she knew him finally.

  “What happened, Jonah? What...”

  “It does not matter now, Lizzie. Hush. You are safe. We must get you home.” He talked to her as if she were a child, crooning and stroking her hair.

  Daniel, beside him, was startled by a shriek as Alexa saw her sister wake.

  “Take her back to the estate,” Jonah said shortly to him, indicating Elizabeth. “I will tend to Alexa.”

  The mention of her sister’s name made Elizabeth recoil in fear. “Alexa! She… she…”

  “You must hush, Lizzie,” Daniel said, brushing one hand over Elizabeth’s wet cheek as he came to sit where Jonah had been. “We will tell you all about it tomorrow morning. You will get into some warm clothes and you will rest. Tomorrow, everything will be all right again.”

  He gathered her up in his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her head against his chest. He carried her toward the edge of the woods, still shaking. He could not quite believe the horror he had witnessed. A horror he had unwittingly caused. His distress was only alleviated by his joy as he carried Elizabeth in his arms. His heart pounded in his chest and he was filled with a fierce joy. She was safe.

  He managed to find the paddock where they had left the horses, and, blessedly, he could whistle and they knew the tone. They ran to him and she recognized the one he had been riding. He helped Elizabeth up into the saddle, holding her there as he swung in behind her. He put his arms around her and held her tightly, sending his horse into an immediate gallop. He prayed the entire way back to the Huntington estate, thanking God that they had gotten there just in time.

  Before they reached the house, Elizabeth looked up at Daniel with a weak smile. “Now you are my Jack. You have saved me, my lord. Thank you.”

  Daniel could only laugh, relief numbing him; relief for her safety, her wholeness, and her return to sanity and life.

  EPILOGUE

  The morning light burst through the curtains when Stella pushed them aside. Elizabeth lifted her hand and covered her eyes immediately.

  “Oh! Oh, my head is hurting, Stella. Must you open the curtains so quickly? I have not had time to wake up yet.”

  “This is a grand day, Miss. You do not want to miss it, do you?”

  Elizabeth smiled, shaking her head. “How would I miss the day, Stella? You would never allow that.”

  “This is the day you are to be married. I would not want you to even miss a moment of it.”

  Elizabeth swung her legs over the side of the bed, energy flowing through her. She had never felt such happiness before. Daniel would be waiting for her at the altar. She would marry the man of her dreams. Over the past months, she had come to know him further, and everything she learned of him had only confirmed her conviction that she and
he were of one mind. They were fated to be together.

  “Come, sit here. Let me brush your hair. We have too much to do today to waste a second!”

  “My Stella,” Elizabeth said warmly. “I do not deserve your friendship. I had hoped to take you with me on my journey. It would have been lovely to go together. Please tell me you are not disappointed?”

  Stella gave her a quizzical look. “Disappointed, Miss? How can I be?”

  “I mean, disappointed that we will not travel the Continent together. We had meant to see Paris, Zurich, and Prague!”

  Stella laughed. “What are they but some big houses across a big sea?” She chuckled at Elizabeth's shocked face. “I get seasick anyway, milady. And I would trade a hundred journeys to see you happy and wed to the man you love, my dear.”

  “You are a gem, Stella. A true gem,” Elizabeth said, laughing, though a single tear traced down her cheek.

  “And you are a wonderful mistress. I do hope I will be going with you to your new home in Athlone.”

  Elizabeth looked at her reflection in the mirror, smiling widely. “I would not want to spend a day alone. You are my friend. And I need you to make me look beautiful. Not just today, but every day.”

  Stella chuckled warmly and squeezed her shoulder affectionately. She shook her head. “You would look perfect without my assistance, my lady.”

  Elizabeth laughed. “I'm not sure of that! I hope I don't have to find out.”

  “Find out?” Stella giggled as she brushed her hair into shining ringlets. “When you are duchess, you will have fifty servants. You certainly won't do without help.”

  “You are not there because you are my servant. I want you to be my companion and confidante. Please say you will come with me to my home in Athlone once I am married.”

  “I would love that, Miss. I will have to get used to calling you Duchess, won’t I?” She grinned and pinched her cheek.