The Dark Duke

by Margaret Moore

  Adrian sighed wearily. “Because you ask it of me, Hester, I will go.”

  It was only when he was limping from the room that Hester realized there was something odd about his trousers, and blood was on the floor.

  Hester had barely managed to assist the weeping duchess to a chair when she heard feet pounding on the stairs.

  “Elliot!” the duchess cried hopefully.

  Hester didn’t know what to think as the door to the bedroom burst open. She half rose at the sight of a frantic Jenkins in his nightshirt and cap, standing on the threshold. “It’s the duke, Lady Hester. He went to mount his horse and fell down in a dead faint!”

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  “Where is he now?” Hester demanded, gently trying to extricate herself from the duchess’s clutching fingers.

  “We laid him on the sofa in the study,” Jenkins replied anxiously. “I’ve sent one of the footmen for Mr. Mapleton.”

  “Good,” Hester replied, finally succeeding in loosening the duchess’s hold. “Fetch Maria to tend to the duchess. I will go to the study.”

  Jenkins nodded and disappeared.

  “Hester, don’t leave me!” the duchess pleaded as Hester rushed to the door.

  Hester turned to the woman with sincere pity and said softly, “I must see to the duke. I’ll send one of the footmen to the stable to see if your son is still there. If not, the groom can ride to the village. Surely Elliot can’t have gotten far.”

  “Yes, yes, you’re right,” the duchess said hopefully. “And as for all this business of an illegitimate child, it can’t be true.”

  “If the duke says it is so, I think you would be wise to believe him. There are other things, Your Grace, other…activities…of your son’s that the duke has long kept from you, for the sake of a promise made to his late father.”

  “My son has no secrets from me,” the duchess feebly protested, but Hester could see the doubt in her eyes. “He is a spirited, bold fellow, perhaps easily led astray by unworthy friends. Yes,” she said, sitting straighter, her indomitable will and blind faith in her son reasserting itself. “He may have made some mistakes. That is to be expected of a young man of his humor. I daresay the young women…” The duchess faltered.

  “Elizabeth Howell is surely deserving of our help and pity,” Hester said softly, realizing that the duchess, try as she might, was not able to completely ignore this last evil deed of her beloved son.

  Dressed in their nightclothes and looking completely befuddled, both Mabel and Maria hurried into the room, halting in puzzlement. “Jenkins said one of us was to come here at once,” Mabel announced, “but he wasn’t sure which.”

  “Maria, take Her Grace to her room and stay with her,” Hester ordered. “I am going to the study.”

  Hester found an anxious Jenkins waiting at the foot of the stairs. “He’s come to, my lady,” the butler said immediately. “He says it’s his leg. It seems he hurt it again in town. He’s been bleeding. Nothing serious, he says.”

  Hester sighed with relief as they hurried along the corridor as fast as Jenkins could move. “How long before the surgeon arrives?”

  “Knives? Oh, he wasn’t stabbed with knives, my lady. Glass, he said.”

  “Glass!” Hester whispered as she broke into a most undignified run. “Fetch water and bandages!” she called back to the butler.

  She entered the study to see a very pale Adrian lying with his leg elevated and his eyes closed. “My lord!”

  “Was that addressed to me, or the deity?” the duke asked as he opened his eyes and smiled. Hester knelt beside him on the sofa and took hold of his hand. “I believe I understand why young women swoon so much,” Adrian continued wryly. “The attention is truly gratifying.”

  “Are you much hurt?”

  “It’s merely my leg again.”

  Hester stared at the red stain on his trousers. “Jenkins said you were stabbed!”

  “The unfortunate Elizabeth. She thought I was in league against her, poor woman.”

  “Is your wound painful?”

  “Not so much as my heart when I had no hope of you.”

  She smiled back at him, then realized the stain was growing larger. “I must fetch some bandages—” She went to stand, but he held on to her hand and tugged her back.

  “If I bleed to death for it, I will not let you go until you promise to marry me as soon as possible.”

  She gave him an indulgent and happy smile. “Of course—but I won’t if you don’t release my hand immediately!”

  He dropped it at once and smiled broadly. “Very well. I release it for now, until I can claim it officially in the village church.”

  She returned his smile and turned, nearly colliding with Mabel, who was carrying a basin of water with several white cloths over her arm. “Is he dying?” she whispered loudly while she stared at the duke with wide, astonished eyes.

  “He’s opened his wound, I think. I believe we’ll need more water.” She looked at Adrian and frowned worriedly. His eyes were closed again. Perhaps he was more seriously wounded than he was letting on.

  “Oh, aye, my lady,” the maid said, backing toward the door.

  Adrian suddenly moaned loudly, which sent Mabel scurrying from the room like a terrified mouse and made Hester hurry to the sofa. “My lord!”

  Adrian opened one eye and gave her a roguish grin. “Is she gone?”

  “Yes.” Hester was tempted to scold him for scaring them, except that she happily realized if he was in a mood for humor, he must not be terribly hurt. “We’ve sent for Mr. Mapleton.”

  “He’s not going to make me feel any better.” He reached out and pulled her toward him. “This will.”

  He kissed her with breathtaking passion, all the more astonishing because he had looked so pale and weak moments before.

  He reluctantly released her and caressed her cheek. “That is all the physic I need.”

  “As much as I appreciate your evaluation, my lord, I will be more relieved when I hear Mr. Mapteton tell me not to be worried.”

  “This will never do,” Adrian said with a frown.

  “He’s a surgeon,” Hester began to protest, until Adrian put his finger on her lips.

  “You simply must stop referring to me by these exalted titles. ’Your Grace.’ ’My lord.’ I want to be your love.”

  “My love,” she whispered, pressing another kiss to his warm, inviting lips.

  “Let’s tell Jenkins to send John home,” Adrian muttered even as they continued kissing. “He’ll just tell me he told me so, and that I should rest.”

  Hester moved back. “He knows about your wound?”

  “Happened at his house.”

  “Then he knows about Elliot and Miss Howell?”

  “He knows all about Elliot. Has for some time, and it seems he’s in complete agreement with you. He says I should have left Elliot on his own years ago.” Adrian grinned ruefully. “I went to see him this morning. Quite frankly, despite your most charming and impassioned words, I couldn’t believe you would wish to marry a reprobate like myself. John convinced me that you knew what you were doing.”

  “Then I will tell him how grateful I am, although I must say, it is a little disconcerting to think you took his word over mine.”

  Adrian frowned. “That does sound rather bad, doesn’t it? I knew that I was hopelessly in love with you and I wanted very much to believe that you meant what you said. I just had to make certain.”

  “Get another opinion, as if you had a disease?”

  “That’s one way to put it, I suppose.”

  Hester embraced him lightly. “I shall forgive you, provided you don’t doubt me ever again.”

  “I didn’t when I got home and saw your bedroom door open. I thought something was amiss, and heard your voice in Elliot’s room.”

  Hester’s eyes widened. “What exactly did you think?”

  “That Elliot was up to no good.”

  I’m glad you trusted me.”r />
  “You trusted me. How could I do less?”

  She gave him a warm smile, then grew serious again. “How did you meet Miss Howell?”

  “I saw her arrive in Barroughby. Fearing some trouble, I went to speak with her.”

  “Poor woman! And to lose her child…”

  “I’ve told Mapleton to do all he can for her. I will assume all the costs. It seems the least I can do.”

  Hester caressed his pale cheek. “What of Elliot, supposing we can find him?”

  “I don’t know,” Adrian answered truthfully, hugging her to him. “I honestly don’t know.”

  Jenkins hobbled into the room. “My lady!” he wheezed, seeing Hester on the sofa with the duke’s arms around her.

  “It’s perfectly all right, Jenkins,” the duke said calmly. “Lady Hester and I are engaged to be married.”

  “I beg your pardon, Your Grace?”

  Adrian raised his voice. “Lady Hester and I are going to be married.”

  Hester thought Jenkins still had not heard properly, for his expression barely altered. Then he said with a courteous bow, “My felicitations, Your Grace. Mapleton has arrived.”

  “I knew something like this would happen if you didn’t follow my advice,” the surgeon chastised as he bustled into the room. He gave Hester a broad smile as she rose to greet him. “Best wishes on the forthcoming nuptials, my lady.”

  “Thank you,” she said, blushing like a bride.

  “As much as I would enjoy hearing you two lovebirds sing each other’s praises,” Mr. Mapleton continued, “I see that I have work to do.” The surgeon set his bag on the table and opened it up, glancing at the duke’s bloody trousers. “You’ll have to remove those yet again, my lord, so I must ask Lady Hester to take her leave.”

  Adrian nodded, giving Hester’s hand a farewell kiss. “I’m sorry about your trousers, John. Have your tailor send me a bill.”

  “Oh, I will. Now, off with them, my lord.”

  “Although this is getting terribly monotonous, I am only too happy to comply.”

  The surgeon sucked in his breath when he saw the opened wound. “This will never do, my lord. You cannot keep opening old injuries and bleeding. You’ve been very lucky escaping infection so far, but you can’t trust to luck forever, you know.”

  Adrian winced as Mr. Mapleton started to clean the gash again. “I know. I’ll do as you advise. After all, I shall have a very charming young lady to keep me company in my convalescence.”

  Mr. Mapleton chuckled. “If I had known that was what it took, I would have hired a nurse before.”

  “Surely not, given my reputation.”

  “Which I never gave much credence to.”

  “You should be pleased to know, John, that Elliot’s gone from this house, quite possibly for good.”

  Mr. Mapleton glanced up at his patient’s serious face. “Really? When?”

  “Tonight”.

  “Oh. I heard a horse galloping over the fields and thought I caught a glimpse of a rider. It might have been Elliot.” Mr. Mapleton returned to his task. “About time you cut that young fool loose. He was like infected tissue, poisoning your life as well as his own.”

  “Amputations are never easy, John. You, of all people, should know that.”

  “Yes, my lord.” Mr. Mapleton rose. He went to his bag and seemed to be looking for a specific instrument, which he apparently located. “Have you got any brandy about?”

  Adrian pointed to his cabinet. “Forgive me for not offering you a drink sooner.”

  “It’s not for me. It’s for you.” Mapleton went to the cabinet and poured a large tumbler of brandy, which Adrian eyed suspiciously. “First we’ll get you up to your bedroom. Then I’m going to have to cauterize the wound.”

  Much later that night and after enduring an agony of waiting outside Adrian’s bedchamber, Hester was assured by the surgeon that the duke would do very well since the wound was cauterized. Now, she rose from the straight-backed chair in the hallway where she had kept her vigil. She did not go her to own bedroom, however, although she had never felt more exhausted in her life.

  She crept softly to Adrian’s bedroom door as she had that first night, which seemed so long ago, and very gently opened it, determined to see for herself how he rested. He looked much as he had that other night, lying in his bed.

  This time, however, she looked at the slumbering duke not with curiosity and a dreadful fascination, but with the tender eyes of a lover. She allowed herself the luxury of gazing at him as he slept, knowing that one day she would be sharing this bed, too.

  Not content to be even this far from him, she ventured closer, a shudder of dismay at the lingering odor of burnt flesh running through her.

  Suddenly Adrian’s hand shot out from beneath the covers and he grabbed her wrist. She gasped as he tugged her down to him. “I’m not going to let you go without a kiss this time,” he said, smiling.

  “Mr. Mapleton says you should rest.”

  “My lips aren’t sore. Just my confounded leg.” He kissed her tenderly.

  She pulled back. “If somebody finds me here—”

  He covered his eyes with his hand in mock shame. “Oh, woe is me! A scandal! The Dark Duke has sinned again!” He took his hand down and pouted like a recalcitrant boy. “You said you didn’t mind my reputation.”

  “I don’t, but I see no need to promote it,” she said, pouting nearly as well, yet her merry eyes betrayed her true state of mind. “People will say you’re marrying me because you have to.”

  “I don’t care why people say you’re marrying me, as long as you do it, and soon.”

  “Well, my lord—”

  “Adrian.”

  “Well, Adrian, I have our reputation to consider, and that of our…” She hesitated, flushing with both the heat of embarrassment as well as desire.

  “Children?” Adrian ventured in a low, seductive tone. “I want to have lots of children. Four children.”

  “Our children,” she whispered.

  “Therefore,” he continued, his voice even lower and huskier, “I shall endeavor to lead an exemplary life. Which should not be too difficult, considering I Shall never be tempted to leave my house.”

  They kissed again, this time with such unbridled passion that Hester felt absolutely wanton, a sensation she very much enjoyed, until she accidentally pressed on Adrian’s sore leg, causing him to start so suddenly, their teeth bumped.

  “I’m sorry!” Hester cried softly, just as she realized that they were not yet married and if she was not more careful she would be behaving in a most unseemly manner. “Adrian,” she whispered, “what about Elliot? Do you think he’ll ever reform?”

  Adrian shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know.”

  “If he comes home, what will you do?”

  “Hester, don’t say anything to the duchess, but I don’t believe he will ever come back here again. I’ve seen him angry before, but nothing like today. He meant what he said.”

  “What do you suppose will happen to him?”

  Adrian smiled ruefully. “Do you know, I think he’ll manage. I believe you were right, and I was wrong. I shouldn’t have been so protective of him. And I think he can change. He showed himself not completely beyond hope by wanting to marry you, my own redeeming angel.”

  “You will be making me vain,” Hester chided. “You have always been good and honorable. I had, nothing to do with that.”

  “You gave me hope, when I had none.” He stroked her cheek. “Perhaps Elliot will find a woman to give him hope, too.”

  “I wish that with all my heart, Adrian, for your sake as much as his.”

  “For my father’s, too,” he whispered, looking at her lovingly.

  “You’re going to have me weeping in a moment,” she warned, reluctantly getting to her feet and seeing that she was not the only one whose emotions threatened to reveal themselves in tears. “You should rest.”

  “This damn leg!” He clasped bot
h of her hands in his. “I’ll let you go only if you promise to wed me as soon as possible.”

  “As soon as your leg heals.”

  “It’s much better already.”

  “Liar,” she teased. “I shall have to write my parents in Europe. And my sisters.”

  A very real frown appeared on Adrian’s face. “I suppose I’ll have to ask your father for his permission to marry you. I shudder to think what he’ll make of the notion of his cherished daughter marrying a rascal like me.”

  This time it was Hester’s turn to smile roguishly. “I think if you invite them to stay with us, giving them the opportunity to select either your estate or your London town house, whichever they prefer…”

  “Thereby demonstrating my vast wealth?”

  Hester nodded. “I confess my father is rather keen on money” she said ruefully. “I think he would excuse your past…excesses…under such circumstances, and provided I reveal your undying devotion to me.”

  “You have it, Hester, forever,” Adrian said with utter sincerity and heartfelt joy.

  Hester took a step back from the bed before she was tempted to forget everything she had ever learned about ladylike behavior and join him there. “I will write to them tonight”

  Shortly after the duchess moved into the Dower House of her own volition, the Pimblett family descended on Barroughby Hall in a flutter of happy pride, although none was so happy or so proud as Hester, who became, for the first time in her life, the center of her parents’ attention. Lady Pimblett declared that she knew Hester would make a marvelous match; her sisters, after an understandable pang of jealousy when they saw the opulence of Barroughby Hall, wished her as happy as they were. The rather opinionated Lord Pimblett was completely speechless with delight, and he stayed that way for several days, an effect that was considered something of a blessing by his wife and daughters.

  When Clara Mulholland, the wife of Lord Paris Mulholland, received a letter from Hester telling her of her engagement, Clara hurried to tell her husband as fast as her advanced pregnancy would permit.