The Duke's Forbidden Love (Book 4, Age of Innocence)

by Debra Elizabeth

  “What difference does that make? From what I observed in those dreadful few minutes, it seemed clear that her father approves of Lincoln and will sign the contract now that Miss Beckwith has returned.”

  Wetherby took a sip of his scotch. “Not necessarily.”

  “Oh? Wetherby, speak plainly. I can stand no more mysteries tonight.”

  “It’s obvious Miss Beckwith doesn’t want to marry Lincoln. Even I fear what his wrath will be like once they’re alone. My agent found another bit of interesting information. It seems that Dudley owes Lincoln a sizeable amount of money. It could be that part of their arrangement is that Lincoln will cancel the debt once he marries Miss Beckwith, but that’s just speculation on my part. It could be why Dudley would entertain Lincoln as a son-in-law.”

  “He will not touch her again. I’ll kill him before he has a chance.”

  “Before you go murder Lincoln, I have a plan. Will you listen?”

  “I don’t see what harm it could do.”

  “Good. Here’s what I propose we do.”

  Chapter 14

  BACK AT HER PARENT’S TOWNHOUSE, Amelia couldn’t stop shaking. The stoney look on Lincoln’s face terrified her. The past two months with James had become a lovely fairytale, and her version of the story was one where the heroine doesn’t get to marry the handsome prince but is abducted by the villain and locked away for the rest of her life.

  The look of hurt and outrage that had crossed Warwick’s face would forever be seared into her memory. She’d wanted to go to him, but Lincoln and her parents had blocked the way. It would be impossible to see him now. There would be no escape for her this time. She was caught once and for all. No doubt she would be married to Lincoln as soon as he obtained a special license. If only she could have reached Warwick, she might not be in this predicament. Warwick would have protected her.

  Her father brought a decanter of brandy and glasses to the table in front of the settee. Lincoln sat too close to her, his thigh rubbing against hers, while her parents occupied the chairs opposite. Dudley poured four generous helpings in the glasses and handed them to each of them. “Here, Amelia. Drink this to calm your nerves. Then you must tell us what has happened to you and why you’ve been gone these past two months. Your mother nearly had a breakdown over your disappearance and long absence.”

  “Yes, Amelia. Do share your tale,” Lincoln said through clenched teeth, fury seething from every pore as his hands balled into fists. He must have realized the picture he was painting in front of her parents, because he relaxed his hands and took a healthy gulp of brandy.

  Tears spilled down Amelia’s face, and she swiped them away before beginning her tale. “After I… left, I took a mail coach north. When my money ran out, I began to walk. It wasn’t long before I was caught in a ferocious storm, lost my footing and tumbled into a ravine, hitting my head on a large boulder.”

  Lincoln reached out and traced the scar from her temple to her cheek. She shuddered at his touch. “Very unflattering, my dear. Although as long as I only look at you from your undamaged side, it will be tolerable.”

  Amelia inhaled sharply at his rebuke. “My lord, trust me when I say I didn’t deliberately set out to injure myself.”

  Grace failed to stifle a gasp. “My lord, surely you can’t blame Amelia for her injury.”

  “I most certainly do. It was her foolishness in running away that has marred her face,” Lincoln said.

  Grace paled at Lincoln’s tone and turned her attention to her daughter. “Amelia, where have you been all this time?”

  “I was fortunate that day and was found by the Duke of Warwick, who was out riding and saw me fall.”

  “Why did you not contact us or return when you recovered from the fall?”

  “I couldn’t, Mama. When I eventually woke up days later, I had no idea who I was or where I came from.”

  “You lost your memory?” Grace asked.

  Amelia nodded. “I’ve tried to recover my memory in the intervening months, to no avail.” She didn’t have to say that it was only when Lincoln grabbed her that her memory came flooding back—it seemed her parents could deduce that much on their own.

  “Well, you’re here now, my dear,” Grace said, reaching over to pat her hand. “It’s certainly been a night of revelations. Perhaps it would be best if we retire for the evening.”

  “I agree,” Dudley said. “There’s certainly been enough excitement for one night.”

  Lincoln stood. “Dudley, I shall return early tomorrow morning to sign the marriage contract. I assume you haven’t destroyed it.”

  “No. I have it still.”

  Amelia watched her father’s face as he spoke to Lincoln. He didn’t seem as thrilled about her marrying the earl as he’d been a few months ago. Had he changed his mind about the marriage? Could he yet be her ally and save her from Lincoln’s clutches?

  Lincoln strode from the room, and the banging of the front door marked his exit from the townhouse.

  Amelia had one chance to appeal to her father. “Papa, please don’t make me go through with this marriage. Lincoln is not who he pretends to be. He acts the perfect gentleman in public, but I’ve endured his painful grip on numerous occasions. I’ve made up excuses for the bruises when Dolly remarks on them. I can no longer keep quiet. Please don’t make me marry him.”

  “Surely you’re mistaken, my dear,” Grace said. “He seems totally smitten with you and has visited us many times while you were missing to inquire about any news of your whereabouts.”

  The pit in her stomach grew larger as she tried to have her parents understand the true nature of Lincoln. “No, Mama. I’m not mistaken.”

  Dudley released a shuddering sigh. “It matters not. I’m afraid there’s no choice, my dear. Lincoln holds a number of my vowels and has threatened to call them in if you don’t marry him. If he does that, we’ll be ruined. I’m sorry, Amelia, but the marriage must take place.”

  Amelia’s shoulders slumped. Didn’t her parents realize they were sentencing her to a life full of pain? She had no illusions about having a happy life once she married Lincoln and knew deep in her soul that the earl would exact his revenge against her flesh, especially if his vice grip in the ballroom was any indication of his cruelty. She would regret the decision to come back to London for the rest of her life. It had cost her everything, most especially the man she loved with every fiber of her being.

  Why had her father been so foolish as to gamble against Lincoln? She had no doubt the earl would call in the debt if she failed to marry him. He was vindictive that way. She couldn’t allow her parents to be ruined, but why must she sacrifice everything, including the man she loved, for her father’s folly? Her heart was breaking, and she could only imagine what Warwick was thinking. Did he despise her for not standing up to Lincoln in the ballroom? She’d tried to break away, to no avail, and she would remember Warwick’s tortured look for the rest of her days. It broke her heart, knowing she’d hurt the man she so dearly loved.

  She nodded and stood. “Mama, I’m more tired than I thought. I’ll retire now.”

  Grace stood and hugged her. “Amelia, my darling, I’m ever so glad you’re safe and have returned to us.”

  “Thank you, Mama. I’ll see you in the morning.” With one last glance at her father’s stricken face, she left the parlor and plodded up the familiar stairs. She never thought she’d be home again, and even though she loved her parents, she was aghast that they wouldn’t champion her against Lincoln. Oh, her foolish father. It was so unfair that she would pay the price for his bad decisions.

  She opened the door to her room.

  “My lady, it’s so good to see again,” Nobbs said when Amelia entered her bedchamber. Nobbs had been her mother’s lady’s maid for as long as Amelia could remember. She was a kindly older woman, and Amelia felt comforted by her help this evening.<
br />
  “Hello, Nobbs,” she said, taking a seat at her vanity.

  “You look beautiful tonight. That green silk is stunning and is only surpassed by your lovely earrings.”

  “Thank you. They were a gift. One that I will cherish forever.”

  Nobbs began taking the pins out of Amelia’s hair and helped her out of her gown and into a night rail. “Shall I brush your hair tonight?”

  Amelia was so disheartened by the night’s events that she didn’t care, but she nodded anyway. “Thank you. That would be lovely.”

  “My pleasure, my lady.”

  Amelia took off the diamond earrings and placed them on her vanity. She very much doubted that Lincoln would ever let her wear them or the green silk again, not that she’d want to don them in his company. They belonged to a life with Warwick, a life that she would never enjoy now.

  Nobbs brushed Amelia’s hair until it shone, braided it, and tied it with a ribbon.

  “That will be all, Nobbs. I appreciate your help.”

  “My pleasure, my lady,” she said, walking to the door.

  Amelia had been so distracted that she just now realized that Nobbs had attended her and not Dolly. “Nobbs?”

  The maid turned. “Yes, Miss Amelia?”

  “Can you tell me how Dolly fared after I left?”

  Nobbs shook her head. “Not well, I’m afraid. The baron dismissed her without a reference, believing she helped you escape the house that night. Without a reference, there were no positions in London available to her and she was forced to go live with her sister and brother-in-law up north.”

  “Oh, poor Dolly. I truly regret her misfortune, but perhaps I can employ her again once I marry the Earl of Lincoln. Do you, by chance, have an address where I may write to her?”

  “I’m afraid not. She didn’t tell me her sister’s address.”

  “I see. Thank you, Nobbs.”

  Once Nobbs left her bedchamber, an unstoppable torrent of tears rolled down Amelia’s face. The day had started out so well, and she’d felt like a princess going to the ball on the arm of her handsome prince. That moment was destroyed when Lincoln grabbed her in his cruel grip. Her life had changed again and, this time, not for the better. When she thought about the physical pain she would suffer as Lincoln’s wife, uncontrollable sobs wracked her slim body. She tried to stifle her crying, but the realization that Warwick was lost to her forever decimated her heart and tore it into shreds.

  “Oh Warwick, my love, can you ever forgive me? I wish we’d never come to London. I’m so very sorry. I’ll love you until my dying day.”

  Amelia climbed into bed and hugged the pillow to her chest, trying to muffle her sobs. She would never feel happiness again and prayed that she wouldn’t wake tomorrow to face her fate. It seemed hours before sleep finally claimed her.

  It was early the next morning when Nobbs entered her bedchamber. The maid gently shook her shoulder. “Miss Amelia, your mother has requested you meet her in the parlor. You must dress quickly.”

  “What time is it?”

  “Nearly eight, miss.”

  Amelia pushed the blankets back and got out of bed. After washing her face with cool water and using the necessary, she sat down at her dressing table.

  “Miss Amelia, there’s no time to do anything more than a simple chignon for your hair. I’ve pulled your yellow muslin day dress. Is that to your liking?”

  Amelia nodded, not caring what clothes she wore. Once the marriage contract was signed, her miserable life would be written in stone, and she could hardly keep from bursting into tears again. She had to learn to control her emotions. Lincoln viewed tears as a sign of weakness, and he would no doubt punish her if he saw her shedding them.

  Nobbs had her presentable in no time, and Amelia made her way down the stairs and joined her mother in the parlor.

  Grace was standing near the window and turned when she entered. “There you are, my dear girl. I pray marriage to the earl will suit you well.”

  Amelia stared at her mother. How could she convince her that she and her father were forcing her into a nightmare, one that she would never escape? Lincoln was a monster, and she would suffer every day for the rest of her life. Her parents had never witnessed the cruel side of the earl, and it seemed pointless to tell them again, especially after her father had revealed why the marriage must happen. All she could do was nod.

  The butler opened the door and announced the Earl of Lincoln.

  “Good morning, my lord,” Grace said with a curtsey.

  Amelia curtsied. “Good morning, my lord.”

  “Ladies,” Lincoln said with a curt nod.

  “My lord, please excuse me. I’ll let my husband know you’ve arrived,” Grace said, leaving the room.

  The moment they were alone, Lincoln stalked to Amelia and grabbed her arm so tightly that she cried out.

  “My lord, you’re hurting me.”

  “You’ll learn to hold your tongue, my dear. This is nothing compared to what I’ll do to you for making a fool of me. You’ll pay dearly for your little stunt,” he whispered in her ear. “Do I make myself clear?”

  Amelia nodded. She looked into Lincoln’s cold dull eyes and wondered how she would ever survive marriage to such a beast.

  Chapter 15

  “TAKE YOUR HANDS OFF HER, you bastard,” Warwick growled, striding into the parlor. He planted a vicious punch to Lincoln’s jaw. Lincoln’s head snapped back, and he stumbled back, landing in a heap on the floor. “You’re lucky I don’t call you out for touching her.”

  Lincoln jumped to his feet, rubbing his jaw, and glared at Warwick. “How dare you lay hands on my person? You have no authority here. Amelia’s my fiancée, and she will be my wife.”

  “James!” Amelia cried, running to him.

  At that moment, her parents and the Duke of Wetherby joined Warwick in the parlor.

  Lincoln pinned his glare on the baron. “Dudley, produce the marriage contract immediately. It will be signed this moment. I’m through with delays.”

  Warwick enfolded her in his arms. “He’ll never hurt you again,” he whispered in her ear, rubbing her back to soothe her fright.

  The Duke of Wetherby stood next to them, and her father moved over to join them.

  “You’d best leave while you can still walk out under your own power,” the Duke of Wetherby told Lincoln.

  “You have nothing to do with this, Wetherby,” Lincoln said. “Amelia will be mine. Isn’t that right, Dudley?”

  Wetherby glared at the earl. “As to that, your man of business has received the total amount of the vowels you hold over Dudley. And so, I reiterate, leave now while you can still walk out of here,” he said, taking a menacing step toward Lincoln.

  Lincoln opened his mouth, but Wetherby spoke again.

  “If I ever hear that you’ve spread around any disparaging words against Warwick, Miss Beckwith, or Dudley, you’ll rue the day you crossed not one, but two powerful dukes. Am I making myself clear?”

  Lincoln pinned Amelia with a murderous glare, but with no other recourse available to him, he stormed out of the parlor and slammed the door.

  “Oh, James. I never thought to see you again, my love,” Amelia said, tears running down her face. “Can you ever forgive me?”

  “There’s nothing to forgive. Do you think I would give you up so easily?” Warwick asked, brushing his lips against hers. He wiped her tears away. “You’re everything to me. You must know that.”

  “I must confess, I lost hope when I saw no way out of my horrendous fate.”

  “My darling Clara—or should I say Amelia?—you’re safe now, and I tell you again: you make me the happiest of men. Let’s put this horrible event behind us. We can marry whenever it pleases you.”

  “Shall we do it as soon as possible? I never want to be parted from y
ou again.”

  Warwick nodded. “My sentiments exactly. I’ll get a special license. Will that please you?”

  “Oh yes!” She stepped out of Warwick’s embrace and went to her mother. “Mama, I’m so happy. Warwick and I are betrothed.”

  Grace grasped her hands. “That’s wonderful news, and I’m so terribly sorry, my darling. I cannot believe how blind I was to your terror. Can you ever forgive me for not listening to your plea to cry off the engagement with Lincoln?”

  Amelia kissed her mother’s cheek. “Of course, Mama. How does Monday next sound for a wedding? We can marry in the garden. I care not for an elaborate affair.”

  “Whatever suits you will suit me as well. My greatest wish is for you to be happy.”

  Amelia turned to Warwick, but he was already beside her.

  “Ladies, I’ll take my leave now,” he said, caressing Amelia’s cheek. “I’ll see you soon, my love.”

  “I’ll be counting the minutes, my darling,” Amelia said.

  “Dudley, I’ll see you tomorrow about the marriage settlements,” Warwick said.

  “Very good, Your Grace. I’ll have my man of business here at eleven o’clock. Will that be convenient for you?”

  “Yes.” Warwick nodded at Wetherby and Dudley before taking his leave.

  Dudley turned to the Duke of Wetherby. “Your Grace, may I have a word?”

  Wetherby nodded, and the two men left Amelia and her mother talking about wedding plans.

  Once in his study, Dudley went to the sideboard and retrieved two glasses and the decanter of brandy, which he brought to his desk. “Your Grace, may I offer you a drink?”

  “No, it’s a little early in the day for me.”

  Dudley nodded. “Me as well, although this has been a most tumultuous day,” he said, pouring the amber liquid into a glass and downing it in one gulp. “Your Grace, I don’t know how I’ll ever be able to thank you for your assistance with my vowels. I was a very foolish man, who let his ego run wild. When I was winning hand after hand, I thought I could make a lot of money, enough for my wife and I to live much more comfortably for the rest of our lives. But then I started to lose against Lincoln. I thought my luck would change. Unfortunately, I only became more indebted to him, and his price for tearing up my vowels was to marry Amelia. I shall regret my part in this debacle until my dying day.”