“What is happening?” asked Alexander, clearly alarmed.
“It’s not a terrible thing now,” said Bernard with a smile, as he sat down on one of the chairs nearest to Alexander. “Without a great leader in the brewery, things have just been very chaotic.”
Alexander chuckled and said, “Great leader?”
“I’m talking about myself, of course,” said Bernard with a hearty laugh. Alexander joined in, but then winced and clutched his tender ribs, as it hurt to laugh.
Bernard looked at Alexander with concern and said “All joking aside…how are you feeling?
“I will live, the doctor said,” he replied with a smile. “But I am a bit sore, of course.”
Bernard nodded, “Yes, I can imagine that would be the case. Is there anything I can do for you?”
“Yes, there is, in fact,” responded Alexander. “That’s the exact reason I asked you to come here. I hate calling you away from the brewery, especially when I am not there, either, but I have strict orders to stay in the house today, and I don’t think this can wait.”
“What is it?” asked Bernard, clearly interested in what Alexander had to say.
“I was talking with Kirkwall earlier today, and he has been clever enough to put a bit of a bug in my ear,” explained Alexander. “He believes that John Howe might be behind this attack.”
Bernard’s eyes got big, and then he frowned. “Well, that would make a lot of sense, wouldn’t it? Of course, it doesn’t make me happy, though.”
“You really didn’t see who the attacker was?” asked Alexander.
Bernard shook his head. “I didn’t. By the time I heard the commotion and made it up the stairs of the cellar, you were already on the ground, unconscious. He must have been pretty sneaky in his attack, though, because you are tall and strong, and I imagine that you would be a formidable opponent if someone couldn’t take you by surprise.”
Alexander frowned. “It was totally a surprise. I don’t remember much of the event. The only thing I remember was closing my office door, and then I heard a cracking sound and felt pain.”
“I’m sure that was the commotion I heard then,” said Bernard. “A couple members of our staff saw him running away, but they were not able to identify him. He was wearing all black, and he wore a black cape and hood.”
“Sounds like he was trying to conceal his identity, right?” asked Alexander. “Which could also mean that he could be part of John Howe’s brewery. I mean, he wouldn’t want our staff to know who he was.”
“No, he certainly wouldn’t,” agreed Bernard. “What do you think we should do about it?”
“I think you, or someone you choose, should try to get some information about it,” said Alexander. “That’s why I asked you here. You work so closely with several local families, and they might be willing to talk to you about it since they seem to trust you.”
“That is an excellent idea,” said Bernard standing up from his chair. He looked out the window. “There seems to still be enough time this afternoon to get started today, if you want me to.”
“I do,” said Alexander. “I will try to make it down to the brewery tomorrow, at least for a couple of hours, and you can relay your information to me then.”
“That is wonderful,” agreed Bernard as he began to walk away. “Rest easy tonight, and I will do my best to solve this mystery.” He gave Alexander a big smile before walking out of the sitting room.
“Very good, Lady Emily,” said Laura with a grin. “Your French is improving each and every day.”
“Merci,” said Emily with a girlish laugh.
Laura couldn’t help but laugh, too. The day’s mood had greatly improved from the morose start they had when they had discussed the Duke, but both of them had turned their dispositions around, and now, they both felt great about the Duke’s recovery.
“I believe that was the last thing on my lesson list, Lady Emily,” said Laura, “so you are free to go.”
“Do I have to go?” asked Emily.
Laura was a bit taken aback, and unsure what to say. She didn’t know if it was appropriate to allow Emily to stay after her lessons or not. Though, she also thought that she would enjoy her company. It would be nice to get to know her charge outside of the schoolroom.
“I have an idea,” said Laura excitedly. “Perhaps you would enjoy taking a walk? You could show me your favorite places around the estate.”
Emily’s face lit up. “Oh yes! I would love to!” She grabbed Laura’s hand and started to lead her toward the door. The two walked down the hallway in good spirits and made their way to the stairs. They walked down to the first floor and began moving toward the front door as Emily chattered about different places she enjoyed on the vast estate.
“Can we stop to see Alexander?” Emily asked.
Laura’s heart jumped. Yes, please.
“We don’t want to disturb His Grace, Lady Emily,” Laura explained. I want to see him, but I am very nervous.
“It’s all right,” said Emily, as she let go of Laura’s hand and skipped ahead toward the door to the sitting room.
Robert Hardy was standing outside of the door and smiled as Emily approached. “Do you wish to see your brother, My Lady?”
“Yes, please,” replied the girl, as Laura found herself standing directly behind her. Mr. Hardy looked at her and smiled. “You too, Miss Elkins?”
Laura just smiled and nodded in response.
“One moment,” said Mr. Hardy, before opening the door and disappearing inside. Laura could hear him speaking, and then the door opened again, and he ushered them in.
Emily ran toward her brother, who was sitting comfortably in a lavish chair. “Do you feel better?” she asked him.
“Yes, Emily, I feel very well,” responded the Duke with a caring tone. “It looks a lot worse than it really is.”
Laura couldn’t help but feel compassion for him, and she was in awe of the way he treated his sister. It was so touching to see the love they had for each other.
“Miss Elkins and I were planning on a walk,” explained Emily. “But we wanted to see you, first.”
“Oh really,” said the Duke, as he glanced up toward Laura with a smile. “Both of you wanted to see me?”
Laura could feel her cheeks burn and blush as she looked at his dashing smile. “Yes, Your Grace,” she said quietly.
The Duke turned toward his sister and said “I know you were planning on a walk, Emily, but I have a favor to ask instead. Would you help me today, and go on a walk another day?”
Emily stood for a moment to think, and then said, “All right, but only because you are hurt.”
The Duke laughed and said, “I would expect nothing less, little sister.” He then motioned toward paperwork that was sitting on a nearby table. “I need to get those papers to Uncle Bernard at the brewery. He was just here, and I forgot to give them to him. Would you like to take them?”
“Sure!” replied Emily, seemingly excited to help her brother.
“You have to rush, though,” explained the Duke. “He won’t be there long.”
“I’ll go right now,” said Emily, walking toward the table to pick up the papers.
“Would you take Sarah with you?” asked the Duke. “Just in case you stay too late and it gets dark…oh, and please make sure you are back to dress for dinner.”
“Yes, brother,” Emily said, as she turned and walked out of the door with the paperwork.
The Duke then turned to Laura and said, “Please, Miss Elkins, sit. I would like to talk to you.”
Laura nodded, and sat in the chair next to the Duke.
She could tell that he was a bit uncomfortable, but she was too. The last time they had seen each other there had been a passionate exchange. She sat and began to wring her hands in her lap.
“First,” said the Duke. “I want to make it clear to you that I was just as surprised as I expect you were about what happened between us.”
Laura nodded, still fe
eling the nerves shoot through her body.
“Secondly,” said the Duke. “I want to tell you that I am happy that it happened, and I hope that you are, too.”
Laura looked up at the Duke and nodded before allowing the smile to take over her face. “Yes, Your Grace, it was…lovely, though unexpected.”
“I hope that you will feel comfortable calling me Alexander,” he said. “May I continue to call you Laura? I think it is a beautiful name.”
Her blushing was quite obvious, she felt. She hoped he couldn’t hear her heart as it attempted to beat out of her chest. Laura nodded, and said “Yes, Your…Alexander.” She loved how his name sounded.
Alexander smiled and said “I’m glad we have that all taken care of, Laura. I would really like to get to know you better.”
“I would like to get to know you better, too,” replied Laura. She felt like she was being very dull, but her mind was filled with thoughts of him, and it was almost as if she was incapable of forming complete sentences.
“Wonderful,” said Alexander. “I was hoping that you would say that. I’m still a bit sore today, but perhaps you may want to trade your walk with Emily for a walk with me? Perhaps tomorrow?”
Laura smiled widely. “I would love that,” she replied. “I will try to get a walk in with her, too. I wouldn’t want her to feel left out.”
Alexander smiled back at her. “I appreciate your attention to my sister. She needs a solid figure in her life who she can be friendly with. Sarah is wonderful, but at the end of the day, Sarah is her lady’s maid. You could be much more…in fact, I hope that you will someday.”
The blushing returned to Laura’s cheeks as she heard Alexander speak those words. I hope so, too.
“I would love to spend more time with you now, Laura,” said Alexander. “But right now I have to finish up a little bit more paperwork, and I know that you probably have work to do to prepare for Emily’s lessons.”
“Yes,” said Laura, understanding that he was a powerful man with many responsibilities. “I am glad that we were able to speak about this.” She was unable to remove the smile from her face.
“Perhaps you could join me later?” asked Alexander.
“Yes, I would like that,” said Laura.
Both of them simply stared and smiled at the other for a brief moment, and then Laura stood. She could see Alexander shift to stand, too, but she quickly said, “Please, stay seated. I will speak with you later.”
“I am looking forward to it,” said Alexander, beaming.
She grinned back, and then walked out of the door to the hallway. Her heart was beating, she was blushing, and the happiness she felt inside of her was about to erupt.
As Laura walked back up to the school room and her sleeping quarters, she couldn’t help but to allow her mind to wander as she considered what a relationship with Alexander might be like. Would he court her? Would they marry? Would they have a family? What would her parents think? What about his title?
She opened the door to the school room and sat down at the desk. She knew she had to concentrate on planning lessons for Emily, but instead, she kept thinking about the handsome man she just had the pleasure of interacting with. Her heart was full, and it seemed as if nothing in the world could ruin this wonderful day.
Suddenly, there was a loud knock at the door.
As she pulled the door open, her heart skipped a beat, but this time, it was in fear. It was the same footman who had delivered the threatening letter to her before.
“An urgent letter for you, Miss Elkins.”
She reached out for it with shaking hands. Please. Not again.
The letter was identical to the one she had already received. She looked up at the footman and, said “Who is this from?”
“I don’t know, Miss Elkins,” he said. “I was only tasked with delivering it to you.”
“Oh, thank you,” Laura said, blankly. She was afraid to read it.
The footman nodded and turned to leave. Laura turned back toward the school room and closed the door behind her. The day had gone so well, as had her exchange with Alexander.
The letter looked identical to the other one from the outside. It was folded in the same manner, and it was tied in the same way. She slowly pulled the string, and it came loose in her hand, which was shaking more than it had before.
As Laura unfolded the note, she could hardly read it because her hands were shaking so much.
It took a moment, but she finally allowed her eyes to focus on the words that were written on the page:
SINCE YOU HAVE NOT DONE YOUR TASK, MY HIRED MAN TOOK A TURN BUT FAILED. NEXT TIME, HE WILL SUCCEED. HAVE YOU CHECKED ON YOUR MOTHER?
She gasped and brought her hand immediately up to her mouth to stop herself from screaming. She read the note again, and she knew what she had to do. She had to tell Alexander, and she had to go see her parents. She had been gone for too many days from them, and they were certainly in danger.
Since there was still daylight left, she thought that if she rushed, she could make it to her parent’s farm and back, before dark. She ran into her sleeping quarters and took her wrap, as it was sure to get cooler when the sun went down. She also placed the letter into her reticule for safe keeping.
She folded the wrap and tucked it under her arm, and then left her sleeping quarters, went through the schoolroom, and then out into the hallway.
Laura certainly felt a sense of panic as she made her way down the long hallway and to the top of the stairs. The letter had really rattled her, and the sooner she got to the farm to see her parents, the sooner she felt that she could relax.
She walked down the stairs at a fast pace, though she didn’t want to show any of the staff that she was out of sorts. She placed a fake smile on her mouth as she passed a footman, and then politely nodded as a second footman opened the door for her to leave.
Now outdoors, she took in a deep breath and attempted to calm herself a bit. It was approximately twenty minutes to walk to her parent’s farm, so she was going to use that time to really focus on the issue at hand and figure out what to do.
As she walked, she thought about the threatening letter. It certainly frightened her, and she feared for her family, Alexander, and even herself. She also knew that her growing feelings for Alexander were getting in the way. If this mysterious stranger was serious about his threats, could she really allow her feelings for Alexander to get in the way of her family’s safety?
She was more than halfway to the farm and the sun was beginning to fade. The upcoming twilight made Laura anxious, as she realized that she would have to get back to the estate in the dark. She would ask her father to walk her back. If he is still in good health.
As she continued to walk, Laura also thought about how she would tell Alexander about all of this. Her feelings for him were apparent to her now, and she could see herself falling in love with him in the future if their relationship continued to grow. There was a lot against them, including the fact that he held a title and typically wouldn’t be with a governess. She kept replaying their passionate kiss in her head and their recent conversation, and all of that just made her want him even more.
She could now see the farm ahead of her in the waning light, and her thoughts shifted to her family. There was a light coming through the window as she approached, so she felt a bit calmer knowing someone was inside.
Laura walked up to the door and knocked gently. She didn’t want to simply walk in as to not frighten her parents. She knew that if she was on edge after the stranger’s visit that her parents must be too.
The door opened a crack, and then she heard as gasp before her father pulled the door open wide.
“Laura!” he exclaimed as he pulled her into his arms. “What are you doing here? Did you…do it?”
Laura shook her head with tears in her eyes. She was so happy to see her father. “I haven’t done it, Father.”
Edwin nodded at his daughter. “I’m happy about that, Laura. I t
ruly am.”
“But, Father, I have to tell you and Mother something,” said Laura. “Where is she?”
“She should be back in soon. She was out at the barn doing chores,” replied Edwin.
At that moment, Laura’s mother, Alice, walked through the door, and a look of shock crossed her face as she saw her daughter. “Laura!” she shouted, as she ran to her child. The two women embraced, and Laura couldn’t help but notice that her mother, who was already looking old, seemed to have aged even more in the days that Laura had been gone.
“Why are you here?” Alice asked, looking at Laura, and then at her husband. “Did you….”
Laura interrupted her. “No, Mother, I didn’t, but I have to talk to you and Father about something connected with the Duke.”
A look of concern washed over Alice’s wrinkled face. “Perhaps we should sit down.”
Laura nodded and took her seat at the table. She couldn’t help but have a flashback of the last time she sat in this seat, when she was given the task of eliminating Alexander.
Edwin and Alice took their seats, too, and then Edwin said, “Daughter, tell us. What is concerning you?”
Laura looked at her parents and swallowed hard. “Have either of you heard from the man who was here? Have you received any letters or correspondence?”
“No,” said Edwin. Alice shook her head.
“Good,” said Laura with a sense of relief. “I did get a letter from someone, and it is worrying.” She pulled the letter from her reticule and slid it across the table to Edwin.
She watched his face as he read it, and then watched as he handed it to Alice. She gasped as she read the last line.
“What?” asked Alice to Laura and Edwin. “He is after me now.”
“Mother, we are going to get to the bottom of this,” said Laura. “I am not going to let anything happen to you. I’m going to tell the Duke.”
“Wait,” said Edwin. “Let’s talk about this. The note says the hired man failed? What does that mean?”
Laura looked at her father and started to explain. “As you know, I was sent to the estate to kill the Duke. But I haven’t done it yet. The Duke has been attacked by an unknown assailant, and this letter all but confirms that it was done by the same person who sent me the note.”
Seduced by the Brooding Duke Page 10