The Last Duke (The Valiant Love Regency Romance) (A Historical Romance Book)

by Deborah Wilson

  Anthony became serious. “Yes, I noticed that as well. I’ve had men search that road, but they’ve yet to find anything.”

  “Have you considered that someone might have wanted them all?” Hero asked. “That they are together?”

  Anthony crossed his arms. “I’ve allowed the thought to enter my mind on occasion, especially since none of the men have anything in common. However, if London can believe that I was capable of taking them, then why not someone else?”

  “They do have one thing in common,” Hero said. “They are lords. They have power.”

  “Except for Fawley,” Anthony corrected. “Everyone knew the marquess to be a thief. He was impoverished. There would have been nothing to steal from him. There would have been little point to take him.”

  Valiant listened silently.

  Hero shook his head. “You may be right.”

  “And then there is Mr. Goody,” Anthony reminded him. “He’s been seen as recently as last year. Surely, if he’d been kidnapped with the others, he’d not have been shopping for a hat. He’d have been alerting the country to what was taking place.”

  “I simply find it strange that at some point, all the men were seen in one place,” Hero said.

  “Where were the men seen?” Valiant asked.

  “North Road,” the men answered simultaneously.

  North Road was built by the Romans and was still a convenient path from London to York.

  “The road goes through Lincoln,” Hero said. Then he turned to Anthony. “I understand your takers questioned those at the inns on the road, but I believe someone to be lying.”

  “You think one of my men lied?” Anthony asked.

  Hero shook his head. “No, it’s more likely that someone who saw them lied, or rather someone who claims they didn’t.”

  Anthony’s eyes showed him to be in thought. “I could send them back out, ask them to be more aggressive.”

  “I would.” Hero squeezed Valiant, which made her look at him again. He spoke once he had her eyes. “Is your business here concluded?”

  Not at all. “Yes,” she found herself saying before she turned to Anthony. “Are you attending Lord Biddington’s garden party?” The Earl of Biddington was Valiant’s cousin on her mother’s side. His party was set for three days hence.

  Anthony’s eyes warmed. “I suppose.”

  She smiled, knowing that he would, if only to try and tempt her further.

  Hero and Anthony made arrangements to speak again. It was clear that Hero intended to become a part of the investigation and after being a soldier for years and now working in an office, Valiant could tell her brother was growing restless.

  Hero escorted her and Beatrix to their carriage and spoke once the door was closed. “He’s not a bad fellow.” He adjusted himself in his seat and took his wife’s hand. “When Beatrix had informed me of his hunt for Mr. Goody, I hadn’t realized the extent he’d gone to.”

  Valiant smiled at him. “You believed his claim to be just that. Words.”

  Hero nodded. “If he pretended to be looking for the men then it would make himself appear innocent.”

  “Yet he didn’t tell anyone he was doing it,” Beatrix said. “Not even I knew.”

  “And what good is doing something to impress if you do so secretly?” Valiant asked him.

  Hero nodded again and sighed. “It appears Lord Cartelle is truly innocent, but that doesn’t make him a good match for my sister. He does have other flaws.”

  Valiant huffed. “Who said anything about a match?”

  Her brother’s eyes narrowed, their hue so like her own. “I see the way he looks at you.”

  Beatrix leaned into her husband and tilted her head back. “How does he look at her?”

  His eyes went half closed. “Like a man starved.” He nearly growled the words.

  Valiant pressed her lips together and looked away. Outside, they passed Beaumont House.

  Fate forced her to look at it whenever she traveled.

  She waited for the pain and despair to hit her, for her mind to recall all the many times she’d failed in that house.

  Instead, Anthony’s warm eyes filled her vision. The remembered want in his silver gaze was enough to make her catch her breath.

  She smiled.

  “Are you ready to move back into your own home?” Beatrix asked.

  Valiant turned to look her at. “Perhaps. I’m not sure. I still have the Season to think about it.” It was rented out at the moment. To the current Lord Beaumont.

  She looked over to find Hero watching her. “Let us know what we can do to help.”

  Her smiled brightened. “I will,” she vowed.

  When they arrived at Asher’s home, Hero went straight to their brother’s office, likely to tell Asher everything he’d discovered at Anthony’s house.

  Valiant followed Beatrix upstairs to the nursery.

  John waited for her. He lifted plump hands to her from his nurse’s lap. She took him instantly.

  Brinley and Everly were in the room as well. Everly was trying her hand at needlework again while Brinley held her daughter Liberty.

  “Where is Creed?” Valiant asked.

  “With his father in Asher’s office.” Brinley smiled. “He thought it time he had a man to man discussion on the boy’s greed. He rarely leaves any milk for Liberty.”

  Valiant laughed and took the chair next to Brinley. She gazed down at Liberty, who was asleep in her mother’s arm. Had the girl been awake, she’d have asked to hold her. However, she didn’t wish to disturb the baby.

  The nurse left.

  Beatrix came over and took another chair.

  Brinley asked, “How was your visit to Lord Cartelle’s home?”

  “Quite interesting,” Beatrix said as she adjusted John to sit on her lap. “I’m discovering sides of Anthony I hadn’t known existed. All good things, of course.”

  Everly wrinkled her nose at her work and then looked up. “Were there any women there?”

  Valiant’s chest tightened. She struggled to breathe, and she began to think about what could have caused it. Why was she made anxious at the thought of Asher with a woman? Wasn’t that what she ultimately wanted?

  Beatrix answered. “Besides ourselves, there were no other women.”

  Brinley said, “Perhaps, he made them slip out the back door before you arrived.”

  Everly chuckled.

  Valiant tried to swallow, but there was a lump in her throat. Also, she still couldn’t breathe.

  The conversation and teasing went on around her.

  “Valiant, what did he say about Miss Milton? Has he settled on her or should we begin to look for another?” Everly took in a short breath and stuck her finger in her mouth after pricking herself.

  “We didn’t really have time to discuss her,” Valiant managed to get out. She was beginning to feel ill.

  “But surely you inquired?” Everly’s head came up and she lifted a brow. “You went all the way over there, after all.”

  All eyes were on her once again.

  Valiant cleared her throat. “I believe…”

  All I could think about was you.

  “We should begin looking for someone else,” Valiant finally said. “He doesn’t seem… captivated by her.”

  Brinley sighed. “Well, that’s unfortunate since the woman is clearly captivated by him. Did you see how she clung to him at the theatre?”

  Again, the conversation around Valiant flowed, and she soon realized just how much trouble she was in.

  She didn’t want Anthony with anyone else. She wanted him for herself.

  But that could never be, for entirely different reasons.

  She didn’t know what to do.

  Beatrix touched her hand. “I saw Benedict while I was there. You’ll never guess what I heard.” A smile crept upon her lips.

  Brinley’s eyes widened. “Is my sister with child?”

  Beatrix nodded. “She is!”

 
; “Oh!” Brinley’s outburst woke Liberty, but she quickly calmed the child down with a few rocks. “I can’t believe this! I must see her today.”

  And like that, the conversation drifted away from Anthony, and Valiant found herself able to breathe again.

  Was this what it was like to want a man? If so, Valiant wanted nothing to do with this horrible emotion. She needed to settle Anthony with someone as soon as possible.

  Which might require her to place some distance between her and Anthony.

  But that wasn’t an option. Not only had he forgiven her last night, but Beatrix’s words about him having few people who cared for him struck true to her heart. She’d not allow him to think he had no place in her heart when he did.

  She’d not break his trust again.

  But what would she do?

  A thought came to mind.

  And a plan began to form.

  ∫ ∫ ∫

  2 1

  Martin Day was the third Earl of Biddington and that was because it had been Valiant’s grandfather who’d been first given the title. He’d earned it for his achievements during the war. For a while, Hero had been on the same path, working to achieve a title much like the Duke of Wellington had during the fight against Napoleon. Yet in the end, Hero had decided family was more important and had married Beatrix.

  Valiant loved her cousin Martin, mainly because he didn’t seem to know how to be a lord, much less an earl. Asher often gave the young lord advice, but otherwise, Martin seemed content to be exactly who he was.

  She found herself wrapped in his arms and swung around the moment she entered the foyer.

  “Valiant!”

  She squealed and clung to him. “Martin, put me down.”

  Martin let her down but didn’t let her go. He held her away as he looked her over. “You’re gorgeous, cousin.”

  She laughed.

  “Lord Biddington,” Asher called with a reprimanding voice. “Lady Beaumont is not the only one who has arrived.”

  Martin rolled his hazel eyes and turned his dark golden head to Asher. “Cousin.”

  Asher held out his hand.

  Martin ignored it and hugged him. “Assurance,” he said, calling her brother by his true name.

  Beatrix began to giggle, and the rest of the family followed.

  Martin was twenty and four and had a world or responsibilities, yet Valiant noted that rarely was her cousin discouraged. He didn’t bother to hide his emotions. Mostly happiness lit his handsome face. He also didn’t bother to invite those in society who were known to pass judgment. Those who came to the Biddington home were friends.

  Anthony had always been invited simply because he never seemed to care about anything enough to pass judgment.

  Yet another invited guest was the Marquess of Denhallow.

  “Are we the first to arrive?” Valiant asked.

  “No,” Martin told her as he finished hugging Brinley. He’d given everyone a hug. “The others are in the garden.”

  Lore saved her from embarrassment by asking, “Is Denhallow here?” There was concern in Lore’s eyes. Had Lore been looking for him?”

  Martin frowned and straightened. “No, he’s not arrived. In fact, I went by his home days ago and he wasn’t there. We had a standing appointment. He was supposed to come today.”

  Valiant felt her smile slip.

  Hero asked, “Would he have good reason miss this?”

  Martin shook his head. “I’ve hired Miss Mahulda to sing.”

  “Mahulda?” Brinley inquired with wide eyes. Then she shared an anxious look with Everly. The woman was a renowned soprano.

  Martin said, “Denhallow would have skipped visiting a dying relative in order to make it. Not that any of his relatives are ill.”

  Valiant agreed. Denhallow enjoyed music.

  And none of his relatives were ill from what she recalled.

  Lore stared at Martin. “We need to speak.”

  “I’ll come with you,” Hero said.

  “As will I,” Asher put in.

  Valiant pouted at being left out.

  Everly pouted aloud. “I wish to know what is going on just as much as anyone else.”

  “As do I,” Brinley said. “Though I don’t care much for Lore’s friend, I hate to see him worried.”

  “We will tell you what you need to know later,” Asher said as he led the men into Martin’s office and closed the door.

  Everly’s eyes widened and she fisted her hands. Valiant thought she would barge into the room, but instead, she started toward the back of the house where the garden party was taking place.

  “Are you truly going to let this go?” Valiant asked her.

  “Of course not,” Everly said with some offense. “The only reason I’m allowing this is because I plan to get it all out of him later.”

  “Do you think Denhallow missing?” Beatrix asked as she caught up with them in the hall. Brinley was close behind.

  Valiant admitted it was where her thoughts had turned. “Impossible,” she said to her sisters. “Who would take him?”

  “Who would take the Earl of Ganden?” Everly countered.

  “Or the Viscount of Coalwater or the others?” Brinley asked.

  Valiant bit her lip. She didn’t know.

  As if reading her thoughts, Beatrix said, “We should tell Anthony.”

  “Why?” Everly asked. “Do you think he’ll be blamed?”

  “There was an altercation,” Beatrix said. “At their club. I remember hearing someone gossip about it.”

  Valiant hadn’t heard about Anthony and Denhallow getting into a fight.

  Brinley said, “I recall Lore making mention that Denhallow had gone to visit Cambridge to deliver something. Lore was surprised when Denhallow hadn’t returned by the Reddington Ball.”

  Valiant stopped walking. “Denhallow left right before the Reddington Ball?”

  The others stopped walking as well.

  Brinley nodded.

  Valiant’s chest squeezed. Anthony had been gone around the same time. She started forward again. She needed to find Anthony.

  They made it to the garden, and she noticed Anthony immediately though a great multitude of people circulated. Most of them were young, yet Valiant had barely had to search for him. He stood amongst the crowd, laughing at something another gentleman said.

  Then suddenly he looked up and their eyes caught.

  His eyes raked her body and then his expression changed, becoming nearly feral.

  Valiant forgot everything with that one look, including how to breathe.

  “Oh, my,” Beatrix whispered at her side. “Is that look for you?”

  It was.

  It made her hot and her body heavy.

  “Go and speak to him,” Everly urged. “And do so quickly before his eyes set fire to the flowerbeds.”

  The others broke into a fit of laughter.

  Valiant’s cheeks heated.

  She parted from the women and moved to him.

  He must have noticed something in her expression, because as she neared, his smile vanished.

  She’d barely made it to him when he cut away from the other men and approached her.

  “What’s the matter?” he demanded.

  She swallowed. “It’s Denhallow.”

  His look became darker. Then he lifted his head and looked around the garden. “Where is he? I’ll kill him if he’s hurt you.”

  Well, that answered most of her family’s questions.

  “He’s done nothing to me,” she told him. “He’s missing.”

  His gaze snapped back to her. “What do you mean, he’s missing?”

  “He didn’t go to the Reddington Ball and he’s not here,” she explained. “He left London when you did, but unlike you, he didn’t come back.”

  His gray eyes rested heavy on her, yet she could feel him pulling away. “You think I had something to do with it?”

  She narrowed her gaze. “Is that a serious question
?”

  A moment went by and then he relaxed. Then he sighed. “They’ll blame me.”

  She didn’t have to ask who ‘they’ were. She knew he meant the ton.

  “I… pushed him at our club over a week ago.” Anthony ran a hand down his face. Then he closed his eyes and cursed.

  Valiant put a hand on his arm. “Walk with me.”

  He took her hand and started them down a less occupied path. She watched anger bloom on his face and felt pain for him.

  She tried to distract him. “Have you spoken to Miss Milton?”

  “Yes, she’s here,” he said distractedly. Then he glanced at her. “I may have implied that I have not decided if I shall be marrying any time soon or who I wish to marry. So, she’s being distant, which is best.”

  “Anthony, tell me you didn’t.”

  He smiled at her. “How could I consider any other woman when all I can think about is how good you sound when you say my name?”

  She pressed her lips together but felt her face grow hot.

  He studied her and then his somber look returned.

  “We’ll find Denhallow,” she told him. “Perhaps, he’s not missing. Perhaps, he’s simply being Denhallow and causing trouble somewhere.”

  Anthony grunted. “I hope so.”

  She could hear the doubt in his voice. “I know you had nothing to do with this. Everly, Brinley, and Beatrix believe it as well.”

  He looked at her again. “They believe, because you believe.”

  She didn’t know if that was true at all. She doubted that to be so with Beatrix.

  He continued to lead them rather aimlessly down the trail, but then he suddenly stopped and said, “I should go. I need to hire another thief-taker to begin the search for Denhallow.”

  “But we’re not even certain that he’s missing,” Valiant told him. “He’s simply gone.”

  He shook his head. “No, this was how it happened to the others. Suddenly, they were here and now they are not.” He started back the way they’d come.

  And then he let her go.

  The sudden loss of his touch seemed to announce something.

  She turned to look at him again and found she didn’t like the look in his gaze. It was disappointed yet resolved.