by Wendy Vella
“I am very glad you thumped my father, Daniel.”
“Yes,” he said, unsure how to respond to that remark.
“I hope their pain is tenfold compared to Reggie’s,” she added. “I wish my father had stood up.”
“Fiery little thing aren’t you.” Daniel smiled down at her.
She said nothing further; instead, she put her hand into his pocket and retrieved a neat, white square of linen. Dabbing the small cut on her brother’s lips, she stopped the trickle of blood. She then turned to order the servants to organize a bath, some food and prepare a room.
Daniel stood, quietly supporting his brother in law, more than happy to watch his wife order everyone around. It seemed her worries about fulfilling the role of Duchess were unfounded
“Eva, Wernham will help you with Reggie as I need to talk with Simon before he leaves.”
“Of course, Daniel,” she said, moving to her brother’s side again and helping him toward the stairs.
Daniel watched until they had disappeared from sight. Only then did he face Simon.
“Huxley must be found.”
“Agreed.” Simon looked grim.
“Tomorrow I will start making enquiries of my own amongst his acquaintances.”
“And I shall do the same, my friend.”
“Eva will not be safe until he is found, Simon. I believe he sees her as unfinished business and his arrogance allows him to believe she should be his.”
“And you believe he will stop at nothing to get her?”
Daniel nodded. “I do.”
“Then we will look until he is found and then you and your duchess will be safe to enjoy the love you both now share.”
Daniel gave his friend a steady look before he answered. “Yes, I believe we will.”
Simon clapped a hand on his shoulder and then departed the house, leaving Daniel to wonder how he was to protect his wife from the threat of Huxley, when he had no idea how to find the man or when he would strike next.
“Reggie is sleeping now, Daniel.”
Eva watched her husband open one eye as she walked into his room. He was submerged in a bath, wisps of steam rising from his large body. His fingers held a glass filled with amber liquid and he looked like a sated beast in his lair.
“Excellent. I am sure he will get through the night comfortably with the aid of the laudanum Dr. Munro gave him.”
“He told me that Edinburgh is everything he hoped it would be and more and is eager to return as soon as he is able.” Eva felt nervous as she sat on the edge of his bed several feet from the bath. So much had happened between them today. She had told him about her lies, he had confronted her family and suddenly she did not know what to say to him.
“And did you find out how your father got him back here?”
He looked relaxed yet Eva could tell he was watching her closely. “He sent a note saying I was gravely ill and was asking for him.”
“Why would Reggie believe I would allow your father to send such a note, or even alert him to any illness you had after the way he treated you?”
“Because I sent him a message telling him of father’s blackmail threats urging him to be careful, as he had also threatened to go to Scotland and harm Reggie.”
“So he was sufficiently concerned after receiving your father’s note to return, even though he knew I would not let anything happen to you.”
Eva nodded. “Reggie knew I had not told you everything. Part of his reason for returning was to force me into doing so.
“At least one of you has sense.”
“I have a great deal of sense,” Eva defended herself. “But for so long there were just the two of us looking out for each other, Daniel. You have to understand that it takes time to trust another person.”
“There is still someone who is a threat to you, Eva. I need you to understand that.”
“Huxley.”
“Simon and I are looking for him but until he is found you must not leave this house unescorted.”
Eva shivered just thinking about the threats Lord Huxley had made against Daniel.
“I promise not to leave without an escort,” she said solemnly.
“Come here.”
She hesitated.
“Please.”
It was the ‘please’ that had her walking toward him.
Taking one of her hands, he lifted it to his lips.
“I need to know you completely trust me now, Eva.”
She touched his hair, running the short, damp curls through her fingers.
“I do, Daniel. There is not another besides Reggie I trust more.”
He sighed as her fingers scraped his scalp.
“I can never hope to thank or, indeed, repay you for all you have done for both Reggie and I.”
“Your love is enough, sweetheart. You - ”
“Shhh, please, Daniel, let me speak.” She pressed a finger to his lips. She shivered as he sucked it into his mouth.
“I just wanted to say, Daniel…”
“What, Eva?” he prodded gently.
“The gift I am about to give you is a present for us both.”
“What gift?”
“I think we’re going to have a baby.”
Surprise flashed across his handsome face and then a slow smile tilted his lips.
“You think?”
Nodding Eva giggled as he stood up suddenly and water sloshed everywhere. He reached for her but she stepped backwards, putting herself out of his reach.
“I have no wish to bathe now, your Grace.”
“Come here, Duchess.”
He looked like a large, sleek god, and she felt her pulse race as he leant forward and clasped her arm, then pulled her closer. His kiss was slow and gentle.
“A baby,” he whispered against her lips. “We will be everything our parents were not.”
“Yes.”
She stood silently as he removed her clothes, his damp fingers deliberately caressing each patch of skin he exposed. Lastly, he unpinned her hair, pushing the curls behind her shoulders.
“So beautiful,” he whispered.
Eva wrapped her arms around his neck as he picked her up, pressing herself against his warm, wet heat.
“I want you very much, my Duchess.” Daniel lowered them both back into the bath and arranged her along his length. “I just need to look at you to want you. I smell your scent,” he added, kissing her lips, “or touch your skin,” he said, stroking one hand down her back and then moving it gently over the soft curves below, “and I am lost - totally and utterly under your spell. Take me inside you, Eva.”
If Wernham noticed the vast amount of water sloshed over his master’s bedroom floor later, he said nothing, instead setting the maid to mopping it up.
…
The ball preparations had gone well. Even Claire had visited the Dowager Duchess’s house and declared the setting fabulous, and now, finally, the night had arrived.
“I can’t seem to stop shaking,” Eva whispered as she looked around the room her grandmother had allocated her for this evening’s preparations. She had been insistent that they stay here for the night and although Daniel had grumbled, he had eventually given in. Molly and Hannah, one of her grandmother’s maids, were now helping her get ready.
“You will be the belle of the ball, your Grace.” Molly picked up her petticoats and shook them out. “And you will have the duke at your side.”
Eva rolled her eyes. Like every other female she knew, Molly was now firmly under Daniel’s spell.
Hannah dropped the dress over Eva’s head and twitched the silken folds into place. “No one will be able to keep their eyes from you, your Grace, in this dress.”
Had Eva the choice, she would have chosen one of her old dresses. Anything to keep people from looking at her. Suddenly, she felt besieged with nerves. Hosting her own ball - how could she hope to pull this off?
Hannah opened the door to a knock, then returned, carrying two boxes. “The
se are for you, your Grace.”
Eva’s hands shook as she took the first box, a long, slim one. She opened it and found a small golden heart with a diamond and ruby pressed into the centre.
“Oh, my,” Hannah whispered, moving closer. “Tis the most beautiful necklace I have ever seen.”
Lifting the chain, Eva studied the heart, her own thudding loudly as she realized there were initials on the necklace, too. The D was entwined with the E, linking them forever.
“There is a note, your Grace,” Molly said, pointing to the small square of paper nestled against the white satin.
Eva stepped backwards until her thighs touched the bed, then sank down onto the cover. Opening the note with trembling fingers, Eva saw Daniel’s strong scrawl on the paper before her.
I love you, D
“Oh, Daniel,” Eva sighed.
“Your Grace?”
“I’m fine, Molly.” Eva waved her hand at the maid. She reached for the second bigger box and opened the lid. Inside was a wooden box. With gentle hands, she lifted it out. The top and one side were glass and inside, Eva could see a small stage. Porcelain figures appeared to be dancing inside a miniature ballroom, each so delicate they almost looked real. Musicians held their instruments as if they were about to play.
“There is a handle to wind, your Grace.”
Both Hannah and Molly now stood close, eagerly looking at the box. Molly was pointing to the back.
Eva quickly turned it and the sweet sound of a minuet filled the air. Inside the case, the little figures began to turn as the floor moved beneath them.
“It’s the most beautiful thing I have ever seen.” Eva couldn’t take her eyes off it. Everything was so perfect, each detail exquisite.
“Here, let me put that pretty box on the side table, your Grace. We must finish your dressing now.”
Bemused, Eva let the maids help her to her feet. She stood, unmoving, as they finished fussing with her dress, then placed the necklace around her neck. The love she shared with Daniel humbled her and she felt warmth spread through her body. Soon there would be another in their life. Eva placed a hand over her stomach. Their child, created out of love.
“Your gloves, your Grace.”
Thank you,” Eva did not even glance in the mirror as Molly ushered her out the door. Thoughts tumbled through her head. Only Daniel would know what a musical box would mean to her. Touching the heart at her neck, she went to find her husband.
Daniel had been pacing at the bottom of the stairs for several minutes when he finally heard Eva call his name.
“Daniel.”
She was a vision, a siren sent to enslave him. Wrapped in satin the color of the deepest ocean, he could see the curves of her breasts above a fitted bodice. The skirts fell in a waterfall of rippling silk and each step she took outlined the length of her legs. The hem lifted slightly at the front and was caught in place with tiny sparkling diamonds and Daniel was vastly relieved to see an underskirt of darker blue beneath. Had he glimpsed her skin, he would have carried her straight back to whence she came and slaked the lust gripping his body. Her maid had piled her luxurious locks high, leaving one long ringlet to rest on her shoulder. Light glinted above, picking out the small diamonds tucked into the sable curls. He noted the heart necklace resting on her creamy skin.
“You look beautiful, my love.”
She took the hand he held out to her. “And you are so handsome, my love.”
Eva had never spoken to him so openly and it warmed him to his toes.
“Thank you for my gifts” Standing on her toes, she brushed a kiss over his lips, then ran a hand over his chest, which made him suck in a deep breath. “The music box, Daniel, it is the most beautiful thing I have ever owned.”
“I saw it and thought of you.” His eyes roamed her face.
They stood toe to toe, both her hands in his, pressed against his chest, their eyes focused solely upon each other.
“Are you scared, Duchess? Are your knees quaking beneath that lovely gown?”
“Not now, standing in your arms. All my fears flee when you are near.”
“Then I will make sure to stay close.” His kiss was soft and achingly sweet and left them both breathless.
“The first guests have arrived, your Grace.”
With reluctance, Daniel placed one last kiss on his wife’s lips before turning to face his grandmother’s butler.
“Come, love, let us greet our guests.”
Daniel felt Eva stiffen as he led her forward. “All will go well, sweetheart. I am here at your side, as is your staunchest ally.”
“Our grandmother really is sweet, you know, Daniel.”
“If you say so, my love.”
Minutes later, they stood beside the Dowager Duchess, who was dressed in a stunning shade of emerald with a turban to match. Around her wrists and neck, she wore rubies.
“Grandmother, you look beautiful,” Eva said, slipping into a curtsy, then kissing her cheek.
“As do you, child,” the Dowager Duchess said, examining her granddaughter.
“The Countess of Braithwaite!”
Daniel tucked Eva in between himself and his grandmother so she was flanked on both sides. Then, squeezing her hand, he turned to greet their first guests.
“My cheeks hurt,” Eva whispered some time later.
“Scowl for a while, then,” Daniel said out the side of his mouth.
“Oh, look, Daniel, it is Simon. Surely he will not mind if I do not offer him a brilliant smile.”
“I heard that,” Simon said, hugging Eva, which was totally inappropriate but made her laugh. “How are your cheeks?”
“Sore.”
“Dear God, must I shake your grandmother’s hand? I fear she’ll bite me,” Simon whispered.
“I do not bite, Kelkirk!”
“Be nice to him, Grandmother, he is very dear to Daniel and I,” Eva admonished as the Dowager Duchess lowered her brows.
“If you insist,” the elderly lady said with ill grace. Offering Simon a smile through her clenched teeth, she then sank into a curtsy.
Daniel coughed a couple of times to stop himself from laughing at his friend’s surprised look. “Come, Duchess, I believe we may now join our guests.”
“Really, Daniel?” Eva looked relieved.
“Really,” he added, taking her hand and placing it on his arm.
They circled the ballroom, talking along the way, and then as the music started, Daniel led Eva onto the dance floor.
Everything around her stopped as she moved into Daniel’s arms. Eva knew other couples were taking the floor for the first waltz, but all she could see or feel was her husband.
“If you keep looking at me like that, love, I will disgrace us both,” Daniel growled.
Eva just smiled and blew him a kiss. When the waltz finished, he reluctantly handed her into Simon’s care.
Daniel had looked everywhere for Huxley but the man had vanished. He and Simon had chased every lead and run down everyone associated with him but still they had not found him. Simon believed he had left London but Daniel didn’t. Huxley had tried to kill him to get at Eva. Those were not the actions of a man who would simply walk away from what he wanted. Eva was not safe until Lord Gilbert Huxley resurfaced.
He had advised her to stay near people she knew when possible this evening, and his grandmother’s staff had been given strict instructions to watch over her. Huxley was not to be allowed into the house under any circumstances; however even with these precautions in place, Daniel was still going to be vigilant.
Walking through the crush of bodies, Daniel took the time to study the room. Eva and his grandmother had done a wonderful job - the room was exquisitely decorated. Huge wreaths of fabric decorated the walls and fresh flowers stood in large vases, sending a sweet scent to mingle in the air with the perfumed guests. Servants in emerald green and black uniforms were scurrying around with trays of champagne. From the size of the crowd, Daniel gathered everyone
had accepted the invitation. It would be a success and Eva would be launched officially in the eyes of society, and he was pleased for her. He knew she would always retain her innocence and enthusiasm for everything new, yet she would soon be one of the powerful ladies of the ton, someone many would try to emulate. Looking over several heads, he located his grandmother seated with her friends and headed that way.
“Will you do me the honor of dancing with me, Grandmother?” By the stunned look on her face, Daniel guessed he had never asked his grandmother to dance before and was instantly ashamed of himself.
“Please,” he added.
“Of course she will,” Lady Dunbar snapped, giving the Dowager Duchess a shove in the back.
“Get up, Beatrice! We were just saying last night that we never get to dance anymore, and here you have an invitation from one of the most handsome men in the room.” Lady Fairlie winked at Daniel.
“You flatter me, Lady Fairlie.” Daniel bowed deeply. Dear God, he couldn’t remember the last time he had blushed in company, yet his grandmother’s cronies could always make him feel like he was wet behind the ears.
“I want to thank you, Grandmother,” Daniel said as he gently steered her around the room seconds later. He wondered if she was nervous, because in truth he had not seen her dance in many years. “For this night, for helping Eva, but most of all for being the one constant in my life, the only person I could truly rely on,” Daniel added, realizing that it was, indeed, the truth. Shaking his head, he wondered if loving Eva was making him soft.
“I am proud of you, Grandson, proud of what you have become.”
Was that a tremor in her voice?
“But I will not be happy until you produce a great grandchild!”
Smiling over her head, he met his wife’s gaze and held it for several seconds before her partner turned her away. He would keep their secret for a while longer.
The night for Eva was both pleasure and pain. Pleasure at her acceptance and success with the hundreds of guests, pleasure at her husband’s and grandmother’s obvious pride in her, but dear Lord, her feet hurt and she was exhausted. Her slippers were far too tight and if she was going to get through the entire evening she would need to change them and soon. Realizing supper was only a few dances away, Eva knew she had to make her move now.