Edwin nodded and looked at Alice. “You haven’t noticed anything unusual, Dear?”
Alice shook her head. “No, Edwin, I haven’t. Nothing has seemed out of place.”
“All right,” said Edwin. “We have to decided what to do. We cannot put you in danger,” he said to Alice. “And I don’t think that you should do as the stranger has asked,” he said to Laura.
Both women nodded in agreement.
“My idea is this,” said Edwin. “Alice, you and I should leave the farm for a few days. We can go stay with my brother. It’s not ideal, since we are coming up on planting season, but I would rather be late on putting in our crops than put our lives in danger. Laura, you must talk to the Duke and share all of this information. Is he an understanding man?”
Laura was silent for a moment, and then said, “I can only hope that he will understand this situation.”
Edwin nodded and looked at the window. “Laura, I am going to ask you to stay here tonight. It is dark, and I think all of us are safer here.”
Laura knew her father was right, and she would make sure to be back to the estate in the morning to continue Lady Emily’s lessons…and then later, to talk to Alexander.
Chapter 12
The next day, Alexander woke up even more sore than he had felt the day before, but he had to get to work. So, he pushed himself out of bed, got dressed, had breakfast with Emily, who was delighted to see him, and now, he was slowly walking toward the brewery to talk to Bernard.
Though the brewery was visible from the house, it was still a bit of a walk, and most days, Alexander enjoyed it. It was his time to be alone for ten minutes or so, and just think about whatever he wished. Today, as he had done for several days now, he was thinking about Laura.
He had to see her. It had only been a couple of hours, but he actually knew that he missed her. The sooner he saw her, the sooner they could continue to explore the relationship that was growing between them. I will see her tonight. I know she isn’t my peer, but I also know that I have feelings for her.
Alexander was about halfway to the main brewery building, where his office was, when he saw someone riding a horse, and it was quickly coming toward him. In fact, he thought it was coming faster than it should be. He momentarily paused to try to get a better look at the rider, and his heart jumped, it was a man in black with a black cape and hood.
The horse was coming so quickly, that it was there before Alexander could even react. He saw the brown hide of the horse whip by him, and then a cloud of dust raised around him. A second later, he felt the weight of another man push him down to the ground. He was laying on his stomach against the dirt road, and the man was straddling him and holding him down.
The man certainly had the upper hand, and Alexander knew it. He couldn’t fight with his face in the dirt, so he gathered up all of his strength, and was able to buck the man off of him, at least momentarily. It was only a moment before the man jumped on top of Alexander once again. This time, however, Alexander was on his back with the free use of his arms. Though he couldn’t see the man’s face as he wore a black mask, he could see that he certainly was all dressed in black, and in his right hand, he held a long, sharp knife.
“It’s over, Duke,” growled the man. Alexander struggled to recognize the voice, but he didn’t know it.
“Who are you?” Alexander yelled, now holding the man’s wrists to keep the knife away from his sensitive skin.
“Your worst nightmare,” the man said with an evil laugh. “Haven’t you guessed, Duke? I’m the man who is going to kill you.”
I will not die this day. Alexander continued to struggle with the man, who was using all of his strength to brandish the knife still firmly in his hand. It was at this point that Alexander realized that he could also use his strong legs and feet, and he began kicking furiously, while keeping his hands tightly around the stranger’s wrists.
That was enough. He briefly kicked the man off of him and was able to scoot back a bit. The man jumped up and rushed to him, but then Alexander heard a faraway shout.
The man heard it too, turned his head, and scrambled back over to his horse. He mounted it with one fell swoop and kicked it hard, forcing it to gallop at top speed away from Alexander, who was now laying on the dirt road.
All he could hear were shouts, and they seemed to come from different directions. He then heard what sounded like thundering footsteps running toward him. He looked up at the bright blue sky, and he closed his eyes.
“That is a lot of trauma for one man to handle in the matter of a few days’ time.”
“We have to get him to wake up.”
“Who could have possibly done this?”
Alexander could hear the voices all around him, but he wasn’t sure who they were talking about. Was it him?
He tried to open his eyes, but his whole body hurt, and he was afraid if he tried to take a look at his surroundings, that he would hurt even more. But he also knew he had to be brave, so very slowly, he began to open his eyes.
“He’s awake!”
“Your Grace!”
“Alexander? Are you all right?”
He recognized Bernard’s voice first. “Bernard,” he whispered. “The man…did you get him?” It hurts to speak.
“I’m sorry,” Bernard said with a regretful tone. “He got on the horse and we were all on foot. Do you remember what happened?”
“Yes, I do,” said Alexander trying to sit up, but he immediately felt dizzy and laid back down.
“Don’t sit up,” said Bernard. “The doctor should be here soon.”
“I don’t want the doctor,” said Alexander defiantly, now staring deep into Bernard’s dark, frightened eyes. “I want that man caught!”
“We know.” Bernard turned to others in the room. Alexander couldn’t see who they were. “There still might be time to catch him. Go get some horses from the stable and go look for him.”
“Yes, sir,” Alexander heard. He was still opening and closing his eyes, trying to get used to the light. “Where am I?” he asked Bernard.
“We are in the brewery,” Bernard replied. “We brought you here after you passed out. What do you want us to do? Should we contact the constable?”
“The constable?” asked Alexander with disgust. “What is he going to do about this, Bernard? I am the Duke of Farnworth. I WILL find this man and bring him to justice.”
Laura had made the walk from the farm earlier in the morning and was now sitting in the schoolroom and watching the clock. It was strange for Emily to be late, and Laura was very eager to finish her lessons for the day so she could talk to Alexander. She was hoping he would be available to see her tonight.
Looking at the clock again, she noticed that Emily should have been there fifteen minutes ago. Perhaps I should go look for her.
Laura stood up from the table and walked to the door. She opened the door and stuck her head out into the hallway. She looked down the long corridor to the left, which lead to the staircase, but saw nothing. She looked down to the right, where Emily’s and Alexander’s bedrooms were located and saw a group of housemaids huddled in a small circle.
She knew that they should surely be working, but, instead, it looked as if they were gossiping. Curiosity got the best of her, and she stepped out of the schoolroom, turned toward them, and began walking down the hall. As she got closer, one of them noticed her, and immediately nudged the housemaid next to her. Their talking, which was fast and whispered, ceased.
“Beg pardon, Madam,” said the housemaid facing her.
Laura looked at her strangely. She had certainly never been called “Madam” before. “I am Miss Elkins, Lady Emily’s governess. She is late for her lesson.”
“Oh, she is with Mr. Grove. His Grace has been attacked again, and Mr. Grove is taking Emily to see him.”
Laura gasped. Attacked? Again?
With a shaky voice, she asked the housemaid, “Is he all right?”
Another housemaid pip
ed in, “We were told that he is, but they did not catch the assailant.”
“Thank you,” said Laura quietly. She turned quickly and started to rush back down the hallway. She darted into the schoolroom, and she had barely closed the door before the tears started to fall.
I have to tell him…today.
Alexander once again found himself in the sitting room, staring into the fire. He was furious that someone had tried to attack him again, and he vowed to himself that he was going to find out who was responsible.
He had sent Bernard out to see if anyone in the local area had seen the rider, and several members of his staff were out looking for him too. Try as he might, Alexander was unable to place the voice of his attacker, and all he could see behind the mask was that he had brown eyes.
As Alexander sat in the chair and fumed about being attacked, the door opened, and Robert stepped in.
“Your Grace, Miss Elkins is here to see you.”
Alexander immediately sat up in his chair. “Please send her in.” He quickly began smoothing back his hair, hoping to look his best, considering the circumstances.
Laura walked in slowly, and as soon as he saw her, his heart softened, and a smile appeared on his face. She looked simply terrified, though, and he immediately knew that it was due to his cut and bruised appearance.
He moved to stand up from the chair, even though the pain coursed through his body.
“Please, Alexander,” Laura said. “Don’t get up.”
He nodded, and settled his body back into the comfortable chair, which seemed to hug his body perfectly. He motioned for Laura to sit in the chair next to his, and he watched her walk across the floor toward him. Her body was just perfect, and he couldn’t help but feel a surge of energy make its way directly to his manhood.
Laura sat down, and he could tell that she was trembling. Seeing this was breaking his heart, and he reached over and took her hand in his, not caring about the footmen standing in the corners of the room.
She immediately pulled back when he touched her, and he could tell that she was thinking about what to say.
After a brief moment of just staring at each other, she finally spoke.
“Are you all right?” she asked, “Your face is quite bruised and it looks painful.”
He smiled his widest smile in response and said, “I am certainly fine now that you are here. These bruises will quickly heal, and I will be back to normal in no time.”
She nodded and swallowed hard.
“Is everything all right?” he asked.
She shook her head and he could see tears in her eyes.
“Please,” he begged. “Tell me what’s wrong.”
She swallowed hard, and then said, “I have to tell you something.”
Alexander moved closer to her. He didn’t try to take her hand again, but he did want to be as close to her as possible. “You can tell me anything.”
Laura nodded, and then she said, “I haven’t been honest with you, and it is time to tell you the truth.”
What? A look of concern immediately came over his face, and his jaw tightened. “What do you have to say?”
Laura swallowed hard once again, and said, “I was asked to come here and work for you by a mysterious stranger. He came to my home one night.”
“What?” asked Alexander. “I thought you said Woodworth had sent you to me. Who really sent you?”
Laura shook her head again. She stopped looking him in the eyes, and then lowered her head. “I lied to you.”
Instead of feeling love for this woman, as he did only a second ago, Alexander now felt confusion and hurt. It took him a moment before he could speak. “Why did you lie?”
He could tell that Laura was struggling to speak, so he said, “Please. Tell me what you have to say.”
“I am not a governess. I am a farmer. My name is not Laura Elkins, either. It is Laura Irving,” she said.
Alexander gasped. “Wait. Laura Irving, the farmer’s daughter? The sister of the Irving man who was killed?”
Laura nodded, and Alexander stood up as quickly as his battered body would allow him to stand.
“I…I don’t understand,” he said. “You had references. Why would you lie about this?” He could feel the hurt and confusion quickly turn to anger.
“Please,” said Laura quietly. “Let me explain.”
“Then explain!” he shouted, perhaps a bit louder than he should have.
“I was being threatened,” she whispered.
“Speak louder!” bellowed Alexander, his face getting redder by the moment.
“I was being threatened,” Laura said aloud. “A man came to the farm and said if I didn’t come here to be Lady Emily’s governess, that he would kill my family.”
“What?” asked Alexander. “That is absurd. Why would he ask you to do this? What would he get out of it?”
Laura shifted in her seat, and he could tell that she was going to tell him something important. “He asked me to kill you.”
Alexander quickly moved directly in front of her and said “Kill…me?”
Laura nodded, and then continued to speak. “I told him I would, and he gave me the false name, the references, and information about you and Lady Emily.”
The fury that Alexander was feeling was incredible. How could this woman, the woman he had fallen in love with, have planned to kill him?
“I allowed you to be with my sister…alone!” yelled Alexander in a rage.
Laura began to cry, “Please. You don’t understand.”
“I understand enough,” shouted Alexander.
“No!” Laura yelled. “He said you killed my brother.”
“I don’t care what he said to you,” responded Alexander. “Coming into my home and putting my sister in danger is unacceptable.”
Laura buried her head in her hands and began to sob.
“You have lied to me the entire time, Miss Elkins...or whatever your name is,” Alexander shouted as he paced in anger. “You are to leave my home immediately, and you are not to have any contact with Emily.”
“Please, Alexander…”
“It’s Your Grace!” spat Alexander back to her. “If you are not out of this house by the morning, there are going to be terrible consequences. Now get out of my sight!”
Laura stood and ran from the room. Alexander was fuming and filled with rage. He picked up a small vase and forgetting the pain running throughout his body, whipped it against the wall where it shattered into pieces. She had betrayed him, she had put him in danger, and he would never forgive her.
Chapter 13
Laura had never run so quickly in her life.
She didn’t care who saw her, and she didn’t care what happened. She loved him, he hated her, and she was devastated.
She took the stairs two at a time, and then turned toward the school room when she got to the top of the stairs. She barely noticed the maids watching in shock as she tore down the hallway. She got to the school room, opened the door, rushed in, and closed it tightly behind her. She fell against the door and collapsed into a heap as emotion took over.
After crying for a few minutes, she realized something. She never told him that they were still after him, though he might have realized it by now. Should she go back? Should she leave him a letter? She had to tell him. Even though he hated her, she still had feelings for him, and she could never live with herself if something happened to him.
How would she do it? How could she get a letter to him? She knew that it would be only a matter of time before the staff knew that she wasn’t supposed to be there, and she also knew that she had to leave by morning. The sun was already setting, so she had to think fast. She also, sadly, knew that she would have to pack up her belongings and leave the estate. Her heart was broken into pieces, and all she wanted to do was cry…but she also wanted to save the Duke’s life.
Laura pulled herself up from the floor and straightened her dress. Her hazel eyes were still wet with tears, and
her face glistened with moisture. She picked up a piece of paper from the table in the school room and began writing a note. All she wrote was:
“I cannot say I’m sorry, enough. Protect yourself. They are not going to stop until you are dead. – L”
She folded up the note, and then tied it with a small string. Now, she had to get it to him. Laura walked into her sleeping quarters and walked over to the corner where she had stored her bag. She opened it and saw three coins. She took one of the coins and held it in her hand. She knew that this was the only money she had to her name, but her love for the Duke was stronger.
Laura turned back to the door and walked through the schoolroom, and then opened the door, hoping to see a housemaid. She looked to the left, and then to the right, but the halls were empty. She felt a lump begin to form in her throat. If she couldn’t find a maid to get this note to a footman, Alexander could be killed at any time.
She stepped out into the hallway and began to walk toward the left. She knew that Emily’s and the Duke’s quarters were in that direction, and she hoped that she could find a housemaid still working. Since it was getting late in the day, however, she wasn’t sure if they would still be in this area of the house.
Laura was almost at the end of the hallway and about to give up, when she heard a noise behind her. She quickly turned and saw one of the housemaids she had seen earlier in the day.
“Excuse me,” she said with a forced smile. “I have to go be with my family due to an emergency. I need to share the news with His Grace, but I don’t have time to go speak with him. I must leave immediately. I have written a note, though, and I was hoping you could deliver it to a footman to give to him.”
The housemaid looked very confused, and Laura thought that no one had probably ever asked her to do something like this before. Laura held the tied-up note out to the housemaid, and nodded at her, urging her to take the note. The housemaid slowly reached out for it, still not sure if she should take it or not.
Seduced by the Brooding Duke Page 11