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

by Deborah Wilson

  Levander was glad to hear it. He was a very wealthy man himself and could easily afford it.

  After that was settled, Valiant rushed to Ayers’ residence at first light only to learn that Hero had gone in search of answers— just as he’d promised.

  Now he was back.

  So soon?

  Her brother lifted his hands as the women started to pepper him with questions.

  Lore and Asher came in seconds later.

  “What’s happened?” Asher asked.

  Hero dropped his hands and sighed. “We found them. All the missing lords. They’ve been returned to their homes.”

  Everly gasped. “And Anthony?”

  “He is home as well,” Hero said. “He was as innocent as he claimed to be. Mr. Goody had taken the men. Since he couldn’t get the love of the ton through usual methods, he thought to steal it. He forced the lords to pretend they adored him.”

  It was no wonder Mr. Goody had been pressed to return to the country. He’d wanted to return to the lords, to the adoration he could never earn, and therefore, as Hero said, had stolen.

  “That is terrible,” Beatrix said. “Were you hurt at all?”

  Hero shook his head as he grabbed his wife. “Mr. Goody will likely hang. We found him at home, getting ready to leave. He’s at Newgate now.”

  “Anthony is innocent,” Valiant said. Then she looked at everyone in the room. “He’s innocent.”

  Hero sighed. “He’s innocent.”

  Lore crossed his arms. “There is still time to fall in love and wed a simple lord.”

  “Where is the fun in that?” Brinley asked as she took his arm.

  Lore smiled at his wife.

  Asher turned to Valiant. “I suppose this means you can see him.”

  Valiant started for the door.

  “But not at his home,” Asher said. “Ladies are not to go to a bachelor’s residence alone. We shall invite him here.”

  Valiant wanted to protest. She wanted to be alone with Anthony. She needed to speak to him. Touch him. Check his leg. She couldn’t do any of that with her family about.

  “Asher,” Everly said. “You’re not being fair. If I recall, you did not play by society’s rules while courting me.”

  Asher shrugged. “Life isn’t fair. I will not bend on this.” He turned to a footman. “Have a message sent to Lord Cartelle’s home that he is invited to call whenever he wishes.”

  Again, Valiant wanted to shout that she was a widow, that she was free to make her own choices.

  But what was the point? In the end, she understood that no matter what, her brothers would always be her brothers.

  ∫ ∫ ∫

  4 3

  It seemed like forever until Anthony arrived, though Valiant knew not even an hour had passed.

  She immediately noticed he was tired and took him to a smaller drawing room just off the foyer.

  He sank into the couch and she sat beside him.

  Thankfully, her family had decided to not intrude on them.

  According to society laws, a lady and gentleman could spend a few moments alone once their engagement was announced, since such a thing was rarely broken.

  Yet she and Anthony were not engaged.

  And they were not engaged because of her.

  She was still scared. She’d been scared to fall for him, yet she had. Now, she was scared to fail him.

  His skin was flushed, and she touched his cheek to find him warm.

  “Are you ill?’ she asked. “If you were tired, you should have remained home.”

  He covered her hand with his own and sighed. “It would take a force greater than death to keep me from you, Snow.” His gaze warmed.

  She smiled sweetly. “My brothers officially approve of you.”

  “But do you?” he asked.

  Her heart rallied fiercely as his words aroused emotions within her. Love and great amounts of terror.

  She opened her mouth to speak.

  His finger landed on her lips. “All right. You win.”

  Her heart shook. She leaned away. “I win?” What did that mean?

  Was he giving up on her? Had he finally decided she was not worth the trouble?

  What had she done? How had she dared to lose this man?

  “Anthony,” she began.

  He shook his head and frowned. “I will not force this, Valiant. I hate that I even tried.”

  “No.” She touched his hair and slipped her fingers around the back of his neck. “I’m grateful that you tried. I just… don’t want you to hate me later.”

  “Then we’ll let the matter rest.” He took one of her hands and kissed it.

  She snatched her hand away. “I don’t want to let the matter rest. I love you.”

  He blinked, and he smiled. “I love you as well. I always will. You are the one, Valiant.”

  She stared at him. “Then why have you given up on us?”

  He lifted a brow. “What do you mean? I’ve not given up on us. We’re getting married.”

  Valiant stilled. “What?”

  He frowned. “I said you win. You asked if I would marry you if we never had sex. I concede. So, we won’t have sex, but you’re still mine.” His grip on her hand became a possessive hold.

  Her eyes widened. “You’d marry me even if we never had sex?”

  He pressed her hand to his heart. “Make no mistake, you will be my wife in every other way. I demand that we share a bed so that I can wake up and you be the first thing I gaze upon in the morning. Also, you shall share every meal with me and I take claim to every waltz, never mind those who frown upon it. Also, you may never walk through a dark garden with another gentleman. That is also mine.” He yanked her close on the final word. “And most importantly, you share your kisses with no one but me.”

  “And you?” she asked, barely managing to breathe. “Will you… kiss other women?”

  “Never,” he told her. “Our marriage may never be like others but it will be ours. No one will come between us.”

  Valiant was amazed. “I can’t believe you’d agree to this. Whatever will you do for pleasure?”

  Anthony’s gaze grew dark and wicked. “Oh, Snow, there are plenty of steps in between a kiss and penetration, and I shall enjoy teaching them all to you.”

  Valiant’s face burned, and she had a feeling she knew exactly what Anthony was implying.

  “You won’t forbid me from your entire body, will you?” There was desperation in his gaze, but she could see that if she said no, he would allow it.

  But she had no plans to say no. “I’ll not forbid you from any part of my body.”

  He lifted a brow. “What does that mean?”

  “I mean…” She smiled sweetly. “I’m scared, but I want you.”

  He froze. “You want me to…”

  “Sex,” she whispered.

  He smiled. “Really?”

  She nodded slowly. “It was very noble of you to concede, but that won’t be necessary. In fact…” She leaned closer and lowered her voice. “I demand it.”

  That blazing wickedness returned to his eyes. “Right now?”

  She pulled in a breath and wondered if there would ever come a day that he didn’t surprise her.

  Likely not. She closed her legs tightly under the fall of her skirts. “Not now.”

  He nodded in understanding. “I can wait.”

  She returned the gesture and laughed. “Yes. We can wait.”

  “I’ve waited for two years,” he said. “I can wait three more weeks.”

  “Good.”

  “Will you marry me?” It was the first time he’d done so.

  She laughed. “Yes.”

  They spent another half hour together. Alone. She leaned into his chest, sitting on the side of him that wasn’t injured, as he told her about their hunt for the missing lords. Valiant experienced fear as he recalled entering the house and the sickness of the scene the greeted him inside. She was glad to know that no one else had
been as hurt as Denhallow, but it saddened her that her friend's face had been so cruelly destroyed. She didn’t know how she felt about the prospect of Mr. Goody hanging, but she did know she was glad it would no longer be Anthony.

  After that, they spoke of his family. Valiant wanted his mother at the wedding, yet the only way that would be possible was to go to her.

  The journey would delay the wedding yet another week, but Valiant knew it would be worth it. She had great appreciation for the woman who’d tried her best to love her son amidst the scorn of her husband.

  Once that discussion was over, the rest of her family came into the room.

  Lore asked, “When is the wedding?” His gaze was on Anthony, as though the two shared a joke that she was not aware of.

  They told her family of their plans and Hero declared a toast was in order.

  After an hour where her brothers regaled Anthony with tales of Valiant’s adventurous childhood, Lore stood.

  “I should go see about Denhallow,” he declared.

  “If you wish to catch him before he leaves, you should move quickly,” Anthony said.

  “He’s leaving?” Lore asked him.

  Anthony rested with his back against the couch. A servant had brought over a footrest to lift his leg. “That’s what he said on the way back to London. He claims he has no intention of ever returning to London.”

  That broke Valiant’s heart, and she could see it broke the hearts of the others in the room.

  Hero turned to Lore. “If you do manage to catch him, tell him that today he did an honorable thing and I’ll be sure that everyone knows it.”

  Lore nodded and left.

  “Those lords who have just returned to London, none of them were married, were they? I believe it would be good charity to see that they are,” Everly said, attempting to lighten the mood.

  Brinley groaned. “One wedding at a time. Valiant has yet to make her vows to Anthony.”

  “I don’t know,” Beatrix said. “I agree with Everly. It was quite fun playing matchmaker.”

  “And the love of a good wife is quite healing.” Everly turned to Asher. “Wouldn’t you say so, husband?”

  Asher grinned. “As usual, you are right.” He was likely mocking her, but Everly smiled nonetheless.

  Valiant turned to Anthony. “What do you think? Are our lost lords ready for wives?”

  “Absolutely not.” Then he smiled. “But then again, I was not prepared for you. It will take women who are quite… valiant to heal the hearts of those men.” He touched her hair and with a tender gaze said, “Nothing less will do.”

  Valiant smiled and fell deeper in love with the naughty aristocrat known as the Duke of Cartelle.

  * * *

  “I heard he’s done torturing men. I heard he’s turned to women, starting with his new wife, Lady Valiant. The poor woman,” Lord Rosamund said to the group who’d gathered around him. Anthony had brought Valiant to the final party of the Season so that she might see her family and friends before they started out for the country tomorrow.

  He was not at all surprised to find Rosamund in attendance or to find Anthony to be his topic of choice.

  Anthony had been the topic of everyone’s choice in the last few weeks.

  Aside from his marriage to Lady Valiant being spoken about in every drawing room across town, there was also the matter of Miss Milton’s arrest. Anthony had asked for Hero’s assistance in making sure that Lady Colbatch didn’t meet with an untimely death.

  Hero had caught the girl in a scheme to poison her grandmother. Miss Milton would be hanged and so would Mr. Goody. There had been much tragedy this year, but much good as well.

  The lords were found, though none had yet to make an appearance at any social gatherings.

  But Anthony had happy.

  Or at least, he had been until coming upon Rosamund.

  He felt Valiant’s fingers tighten around the muscles in his arm that had begun to bulge.

  Rosamund, unaware of their presence, went on, “Lady Valiant likely doesn’t know what she’s gotten herself into by marrying such a man as Cartelle. I say, we best keep our eyes open, probably set a watch to have the woman visited periodically. That way, if she goes missing, there will be no doubt in anyone’s mind just who took her.” He didn’t even notice that those who’d been listening in rapture had ceased to do so long moments ago.

  They all stared at Anthony and Valiant, who stood behind Lord Rosamund.

  The speaker himself, finally catching on, spun around and let out a short cry that seemed to come from the lungs of a young girl as opposed to a grown man.

  Anthony narrowed his gaze. “Speaking about me and my wife again, Lord Rosamund? Will you ever learn?”

  Valiant added pressure to Anthony’s arm again. A signal that she wished him to calm.

  Rosamund pressed his hand to his lips. His eyes were wide. “Y-y-y-our G-grace! Please, I beg you—“

  “Rosamund,” Anthony called.

  The man flinched and closed his eyes. “Yes?”

  “Be quiet,” Anthony said.

  Rosemund’s Adam’s apple bobbed. “Yes, Your Grace.”

  Anthony nodded to the other gathered and then moved Valiant away.

  “You didn’t wish to call him to a duel?” Valiant asked a moment later.

  They walked slowly, Anthony with the aid of a cane. “I believe I shall retire my guns for hunting and nothing more. Besides, Rosamund isn’t worth it.”

  Valiant smiled. “I’m very proud of you.”

  He grinned down at her. “It only took a shot in my leg and a very beautiful lady to make me realize there was more to live for.”

  Valiant’s blue eyes glittered brighter than every candle in the room. “And it took one very handsome and very patient lord to make me realize all I’d have missed if I’d have left fear to rule me.”

  They stopped at the side of the room. Anthony lifted her hand and kissed her knuckles. He was sure a few had seen the open gesture of affection, but he didn’t care. “Is there anyone else you would care to see before we depart tomorrow?”

  “Lord and Lady Goody,” Valiant said immediately.

  Anthony braced himself gently against the wall, taking pressure off his cane. “You visit them nearly every day.” She’d begun doing so the day after they’d decided to marry and for three weeks straight. She’d even invited the couple to their wedding, an affair that had only included her family and Benedict.

  “We just saw them yesterday,” he went on. Valiant usually forced him to come to the visits as well.

  “I know.” Her lips pouted slightly. “But they’ve lost their son. Again. They need us.”

  “We can’t replace him,” Anthony said. They were words he’d used often.

  “I know. Nothing can replace a child,” Valiant said. “But I don’t like the thought of them being alone. They should know that they have us. They’d had you for years.”

  Anthony leaned forward. “Yes, but Lady Goody has just begun to not fear me. Doesn’t mean she’ll ever like me. Also, I flirted with her in the past.”

  “Yes, but now you only flirt with me,” Valiant said confidently. “And Lord Goody seems to enjoy your visits.”

  That, Anthony didn’t understand. If anything, the man should be blaming Anthony for his son’s downfall, but so far, Anthony couldn’t sense a trace of hostility from the other man.

  He did seem glad when Anthony came around. They would often leave the women behind to go and speak of things Lord Goody said were of ‘male concern,’ yet the topics were never ones the women wouldn’t have enjoyed hearing. Literature, a bill in the house.

  They sat by the fireplace in the parlor some days, and there were moments when neither said a word. The silence was as compatible as it was disturbing to Anthony. He was never sure if he was doing the right or wrong thing.

  Thoughts of his father often arose, and he questioned once again if he’d done something long ago to deserve his father’s hatred
.

  “You’ll be nice if they decide to visit, won’t you?” Valiant asked. “Treat them like one would a very wonderful aunt and uncle?” Her eyes were hopeful.

  He had to hold himself back from bending forward and kissing her. “You know, you’ve this terrible thing you do when you stick your nose into everyone else’s business.”

  “I know.” She took his hand in her own, locking their fingers together. “My brothers remind me of it all the time and don’t think I don’t want an answer to my question.”

  “I’ll do my best,” he said. Though he had no clue how to treat an aunt and uncle. He had none, and he thought ‘uncle’ a far too close relation to ‘father.’ His closest male friends were men his own age. He didn’t know if he could relate to one who was decades older than himself. He liked Lord Goody, but perhaps Anthony’s own past had scarred him too deeply, making it impossible for him to build any kind of a relationship with Lord Goody.

  On and off, he thought about this for the remainder of the party.

  ∫ ∫ ∫

  4 4

  As they lay in bed that night, with Valiant’s warm body pressed against his, Anthony was about to drift off into a peaceful sleep when she whispered, “Tell me about the night you killed your father. I wish to know everything.”

  How like Valiant to catch him unaware and know exactly what he’d been thinking about.

  He’d never told her about that night. She’d never asked, but he’d given her enough to quiet her curiosity. Or at least, he thought he had. But he was no fool. This was Valiant. She would not cease until those she loved were at peace.

  He sighed and pulled her closer. His arm rested at her chest. Just touching her was sometimes all he needed to feel safe. “I caught my father and Lady Ana Kurdley in bed together, the night before our wedding. It was consensual. They were plotting. My father believed my mother’s illness would soon have him rid of her. He’d asked Lady Kurdley to become his wife instead. Why wait to become a duchess when she could be one much sooner?”

  Anthony would not have inherited his title for years if his father had stilled lived. Even now, he was aware of just how short his father’s life had been cut.