My Dearest Friend (Books We Love Regency Romance)

by Hazel Statham

  The duke cleared his throat and directed a scowl toward Eaves; he would spare Jane the horrific details.

  Thus encouraged to forgo the pleasure of drawing out his tale, Eaves deemed it prudent to lay merely the bare facts before them and recommenced his narrative in a somber tone. “The major was preparing to lead the assault when a cannon blast threw him onto the sword blades. At first, we thought there would be no hope for him but Wellington himself commanded the surgeon to do whatever was necessary to save him. The blades penetrated deeply and his injuries are severe, indeed, we may never know the full extent of the damage they have caused. It is believed that he will never be returned to complete health, but the sawbones informs us that with care he will do well enough. However, he also says that we should not attempt to move him until he has more strength. Even at this late date, the ordeal of the journey could prove too much for him.

  He halted, waiting for some response from his companions but, for the moment, none came. Until, after what seemed an age, Jane rose from the table and said in a quiet voice, “If you will excuse me, gentlemen, I will go and sit with my brother for a while.” The duke pushed back his chair as if to accompany her but she shook her head. “Stay and rest, Robert. I will be fine. I just need a little time to be with Harry.”

  Crossing quickly to the door she left the room and returned to Harry’s bedside. Here she sat watching as he slept, examining his dear features, her thoughts torn between the torment of his injuries and the relief that he was still alive. She rose to brush the fair tousled curls from the once almost cherubic face that now appeared so gaunt and wondered at what pain he was forced to endure. He moved his head away from her touch, but did not wake. Instead, with a groan he turned away from her so that his features were not discernible in the shadows. She could not believe that he had become so altered in the time they had been apart, remembering his robust frame that now appeared so wasted, almost lost in the large bed.

  Eventually, her tiredness threatening to overcome her, she rose from the chair and with a final backward glance, she quietly left the room.

  ***

  So it was that in the dying minutes of what had been a very tiring and emotional day, Jane entered the parlor to see the duke sitting on the settle before the fire with eyes closed, but at the sound of the latch his eyes were wide and he stretched his hand out to her.

  “Come sit by me, Jane,” he said quietly. “Let us rest in peace for a few minutes before seeking our beds. It has been a long and trying day, but we will see everything with fresh eyes tomorrow.”

  She took her seat beside him on the settle. “What is to be done now, Robert, my dear friend,” she asked, feeling unbelievably weary, her tired eyes searching his face for the answer. “Without your support I doubt that I would have survived this day. Indeed, I have come to rely on you greatly.”

  “Nonsense, my dear,” he chided gently, placing his arm about her and drawing her nearer to his side until her head rested against his shoulder. “We have supported each other, have we not? Once we have Harry to England, all will be well. When the coach arrives, I will go in search of the babe and then we will return home. It will be no more complicated than that. It bodes well that we have got thus far without further mishap.” He smiled tiredly. “Other than my vain attempt to break my skull that is, which I promise I will not repeat. You will have enough to see to Harry without me adding to your concerns.”

  Receiving no bantering reply as was her usual wont, he leant slightly forward to examine his companion’s face only to find her to have drifted into sleep.

  “So, my little love, the day has caught up with you at last,” he whispered, not wishing to wake her. For a moment, relishing the closeness, he allowed himself the indulgence of watching her sleep, nestled against his shoulder. However, recollecting the imprudence of remaining thus, he stood and lifted her gently into his arms.

  “You will rest easier abed, sweetheart,” he said quietly, brushing his lips against her brow before carrying her to her bedchamber on the first landing.

  He stood for a moment at the side of her bed, feeling strangely reluctant to relinquish his burden, then tenderly laid her down, pulling the coverlet over her sleeping figure. So complete was her exhaustion that she only stirred slightly before drifting once more into a deep slumber.

  Involuntarily he knelt at her side and examined the soft features before him. “You have taken me by surprise, my love,” he whispered. “Quite by surprise. I had thought myself impervious and you have proved me wrong. But now is not the time. I would place no extra burden on your emotions. There will be time enough later when this never-ending coil is resolved, but I promise you I will pursue my cause.”

  So saying he straightened once more only bending to drop a gentle kiss on her brow before leaving to seek his own repose. Repose that despite the rigors of the day was not easily won, this was a new state of affairs and one that needed to be examined and explored, its contemplation overriding all thoughts of sleep.

  ***

  Climbing the stairs to the second story shortly after breakfasting alone, the duke heard Jane’s voice raised in answer to something that Harry had said, but he was unable to make out the words until he stood outside the chamber door.

  Pausing there he heard Harry speaking, but his tones were too faint for him to hear what he said until Jane’s reply came to him.

  “There was no impropriety in my accepting Robert’s aid,” he heard her say, apparently taken aback. “I have in no way been compromised and I will not have you putting it to him. He has proved to be an invaluable friend, but no more, he has no ulterior motives I assure you. You must be aware that without his aid this journey would not have been possible, in fact, it would never have taken place. Now be sensible and let us hear no more of it.”

  He had been about to knock on the door, but instead his hand dropped to his side and he turned sharply on his heel and retraced his steps back to the parlor where he sat by the window deep in thought.

  This was a turn of events he had not anticipated. So strong had been his desire to assist in Harry’s return to England that he had not given any thought to the consequence. It had not occurred to him that his aid could be misconstrued or that his actions could have placed Jane in an invidious situation, and he cursed himself for being a fool. In light of the previous night’s self-revelation, to him, the solution seemed perfectly obvious but she had said that he was a friend and no more, therefore would it be right to coerce her into a forced union? Indeed, would he desire a bride under those circumstances? The answer, for Jane, was yes; surprising himself that such a thought did not prove alien to his nature. Where were his senses, what madness was this? If she were to come to him it must be of her own free will, not through her brother’s coercion. He would take no unwilling bride, certainly not one who was so dear to him, not one whom he would so fiercely protect.

  Once having presented itself however, the desire would not go away, the thought of taking her to wife proved too tempting to be dismissed. For all his four and thirty years, he had never before met anyone who inspired in him such determination to take a bride. The memory of Margaret’s duplicity had stayed with him, ensuring he guarded his heart, but he knew that if Jane would have him there would be no hesitation on his part. The fact that he had known her for so short a time meant nothing at all. Considering the matter, he realized that his affections had been engaged almost immediately had he but recognized it, only the actions of the previous day bringing them to the fore.

  He had sat as one turned to stone, but moving his position slightly, he became aware of a dull thudding in his temples and cursed softly at the continued effects of his accident, thinking of them as a weakness.

  Of a sudden the parlor door was opened cutting short any further soul searching and Jane entered the room. He immediately examined her face for any signs of the agitation he had heard in her voice so short a time earlier. Instead, she greeted him in quite her usual pleasant manner.

&n
bsp; “I take it I have you to thank for putting me abed last night?” she said, smiling and coming to stand before him. “You should have woken me, I was but dozing.”

  “Dozing so much so my dear that you acted as one drugged,” he said returning her smile in an attempt at the ordinary and dismissing the discomfort of his head. “Indeed it would have been beyond my powers to have roused you, you were as one dead.”

  “Then I apologize, Robert,” she said sobering slightly, “I have burdened you enough of late and would not wish to become tiresome.”

  Were that all my burdens were so sweet, he thought, but instead, after mock consideration, replied, “Yes, you do become quite tiresome, my girl, remind me to dispose of you as soon as it becomes practicable.”

  “You, sir, are incorrigible,” she laughed, “but I will take no mind, I know you but tease me.”

  He chuckled in return. “Are you so sure? I warn you to be on your guard, I have various ways of disposing of tiresome females. Admittedly, one does not immediately spring to mind but I promise you, given time, one will present itself. I will surely have my revenge.”

  Jane’s eyes sparkled with amusement but she suddenly sobered. “Dear Robert, I am so glad you came. Without your support I swear I would not have survived. What would I have done without my dear friend?”

  Now this will not do, he thought, rising from his seat and moving slightly away. His feelings were too new and seeing her earnest expression the temptation to gather her to his breast was too great. “How fares Harry this morning?” he asked with an attempt at the ordinary, trying a different tack.

  “Far better than I would have expected,” she replied enthusiastically. “He is all eagerness to make your acquaintance. I have explained how our journey came about and he wishes nothing more than to thank you himself.”

  “Just so,” the duke said sotto voce, still acutely aware of the words he had so recently overheard. However, he turned a smiling countenance to his companion, “I am equally as eager to make his acquaintance, my dear, as he is to make mine. Once I am assured that all is right, I can make whatever arrangements are necessary to go in search of the babe. There is no need to await the coach’s arrival. One can be hired for the journey into Spain and once Harry is fit enough we can make haste to return to England as I am sure he is all eagerness to be home.”

  “As are we all,” she replied watching him from below lowered lashes. “You must be desperate to be rid of your charges.”

  “As desperate as any man in my position,” he replied not quite managing the levity that he intended. Stovely being the furthest thought from his mind. “Therefore lead on, my dear, I will present myself to your most estimable brother.”

  ***

  “’Pon my word, sir, I am prodigiously glad to make your acquaintance,” Harry said, his voice weak but nonetheless appearing eager to meet the duke. He had been raised on his pillows and as Robert stood at the side of the bed, shook his hand with an obvious effort. “However, I must admit that I did not realize how much Stefan had the look of you. No one could mistake you for anything but brothers. He had not your age or bearing, and perhaps not your height, but those eyes, sir, and that certain turn of countenance are unmistakable. For a moment I thought it was he coming through my door.”

  The duke could vouchsafe no answer, he had come into the room expecting to dislike this young man who had, by what he had overheard, so mistaken his intentions, but he found himself warming to his character, and not just for Jane’s sake. What he saw was a tousled haired youth in his early twenties, painfully thin from the effects of his injuries, but with an engaging manner that was difficult to withstand. “I am told you were well acquainted with Stefan,” he said after a slight pause, taking the seat that Eaves brought forward for his use.

  Ever watchful Jane remained at the foot of the bed dividing her attention between the two, desperate that this first meeting should prove successful.

  “I was indeed, sir,” Harry replied. “We were fellow officers as you know, and between us we had the keenest pair of greyhounds you ever saw. Sport was always good and we were never short of rabbits for our pot. If ever there was a flask of brandy about, Stefan would nose it out, always knew where to find a drop of comfort.”

  For the first time Jane saw the duke actually smile at the mention of his brother as if at some pleasant memory. “Yes, he always knew where sport was good,” he replied. “Always out with the dogs in season. Top rate shot too. Never came home empty handed. As for the spirits, he never tipped the full when I was about, probably thought better of it, knew I wouldn’t approve.”

  “Never saw him in his cups,” said Harry warming to the tale. “A trifle foxed on occasion maybe, but who could blame him, we were all guilty of that. He could also tell a good yarn when the chance arose. He was a top rate fellow, bang up to the nines and well respected in the ranks.” Then tentatively, “You know of Sara, do you not, your grace?”

  “I do,” the duke replied, sobering, “and of the babe. Now I am assured that you are out of danger I will set out for the convent as soon as a suitable conveyance can be arranged. Hopefully, by morning. I have sent my man to see what he can find. It would not do to set out on such an errand on horseback, though I must admit the temptation was great for speed is of the essence.”

  “Knew you would know what to do, sir,” Harry affirmed, nodding at his own ingenuity. “Stefan always said you were well up to scratch, no one could hoodwink you, in fact swore you were the best brother a chap could have.”

  Jane studied the duke’s countenance for the effects of her brother’s words, but was relieved to see only sadness and not the previous torment that seemed so to affect him.

  Harry continued oblivious of any need for prudence. “I must admit I am prodigiously glad you came, sir. At first, I thought—well to be truthful I thought of the impropriety of accepting your assistance—but now that I have met you, I realize just how foolish I was. I cannot tell you how grateful I am. I appreciate that Jane could not have set out on her own, indeed, should not have.” He held out his hand once more to the duke who grasped it reassuringly in both of his.

  Wishing to reassure, Robert retained his hand in his warm clasp. “Have no fear, we will soon have you back to England and you will be more recovered. Indeed, you shall come to Stovely and I will send for my physician from London. All will be done that can be.” He saw the tears start in the young man’s eyes and realizing that the interview had exhausted him he rose to leave. “Now I see that I have worn you out and if I prolong my stay, Jane will take me to task. Rest now and I will visit you again later, be secure in the knowledge that all will be done to see you returned home.”

  Almost before he had finished speaking, Harry had drifted into sleep looking younger and even more vulnerable than his years would suggest. The duke stood a moment longer looking down at the youthful countenance before moving away from the bedside and beckoning to Jane to join him in the corridor.

  “Now, Jane,” he said when they once more stood on the upper landing, “when Hills returns from arranging a conveyance I will dispatch him to purchase the few personal effects I will need for the journey into Spain as I may be gone for two or three days.

  As the coach has not yet arrived with our belongings, it will be easier to buy a few necessities. However, I realize that you would prefer to purchase your own needs so perhaps it would be better if you accompany him. Have no fear I will sit with Harry whilst you are away. By-the-bye, I will leave Hills here with you whilst I am gone, he will be entirely at your disposal. I will need only Proctor with me; we will draw less attention and make better time.”

  “Thank you,” she said realizing the sense of his suggestions and grateful that he had taken matters into his hands. “But you need not sit with Harry. Eaves has had the care of him for these past weeks and copes admirably. You must not be imposed upon.”

  “It is no imposition, my dear,” he assured quietly. “Perhaps it is for my own benefit that I
wish to be involved in his care.”

  Chapter Seven

  Not long after daybreak, the newly hired coach stood outside the inn ready to make its journey. Proctor, now seated on the box next to the coachman had tied his horse to the rear of the vehicle and apart from the occasional stamping of the horses’ hooves, everywhere was quiet and still.

  The duke emerged from the inn with a crispness to his step, eager to be away and was just about to step into the vehicle when he heard Jane call him and turned to see her standing in the doorway.

  “Robert, you did not wake me,” she called. “Would you go without at least saying farewell?”

  Immediately he retraced his steps to stand before her. “Forgive me, my dear,” he said taking her hand. “Your sleep is valuable at such a time and I thought it better that you remain undisturbed. Go back inside. I promise you, we will be gone as short a time as possible and you will scarcely notice our absence.”

  Disengaging her hand from his clasp and raising fearful eyes to his, she took hold of his sleeve in a pleading gesture.

  “My dear friend please be careful. There are dangers in Spain and I shall not rest until you are returned.”

  “Dear friend?” queried the duke quietly, looking down into her upturned face. “Is that what I am?” Then yielding to an irresistible temptation, “Could I be no more?”