by Fimch, Fanny
Camilla grabbed both her arms and pulled her out of sight behind the tree and bushes behind it.
“What can we do, Emma? You cannot go in there and make a stand. It will look terrible on you and may hurt your reputation. The Duke of Lox would understand. We need to go find them.”
“They are not still here?”
“No, while you were talking to your father, they took Lady Christian back to wherever she came from. She was not happy here and I do not think the Duke of Rabney wanted her here.”
“What about the Duke of Lox? It seemed to me they were connected in some way. If not now, then in the past. And I do not think she believes it is over, if it is. She is the Duke of Rabney’s cousin, so she has been around the Duke of Lox for some time. I cannot compete with that.”
Camilla snorted softly. “The Duke of Lox did not appear to be very taken with Lady Christian to me. I do not think he wanted her here at all. You need to talk to him. You need to find out what is in his heart and his mind. You cannot just assume. What you see might not be what is really happening.”
“I thought he wanted to meet my father,” Emma said in a resentful tone.
Camilla frowned slightly. “Emma, why are you so determined not to see the good in the Duke of Lox? He seems such a gentleman, with quiet ways and good intentions.”
Emma did not say anything. She did not know why she continued to see the negative when it came to the Duke of Lox. She turned and peeked around the tree. Lord Archibald had already gone inside. He left his horse tied to a post next to the Wentworth carriage. She looked back at Camilla. “I wish they had stayed.”
Camilla nodded. “Would you like to know what I think, Emma?”
Emma blinked at her, nodding.
“I think you are afraid of the changes that will be made if you let yourself love a man. We are young. Mother always says this is a confusing time because there is so much that needs to be done, so much we are expected to accomplish. For me, it is easier, not just because I have found a prospective husband but because my family is not in danger of losing everything. I know you do not want a marriage of convenience. But if you open your heart to the Duke of Lox, you might find that he is exactly what you need.”
Emma absorbed her cousin’s opinion. She was probably right. Emma was scared. She was scared of many things. Losing her father and having to marry for convenience were at the top of the list.
The look on Camilla’s face changed when she had a thought. She looked directly at Emma. “We must go find them. We must get away from here and find them.”
“We have no idea where they are. How will we find them? We cannot take a carriage or horses. We would have to go change to ride and…”
Camilla stopped her words, shaking her head. “No, Emma. We have two working legs. We will walk.” She looked up at the house. “We better go find them now. If you are forced to marry Lord Archibald, I have a feeling he will keep you in a high tower away from everyone, isolated. He is obsessed with you. We must get to the dukes before your father…”
“He will hold on, Camilla. I know he will.”
Even as she said the words, she knew that if the Duchess of Corning introduced Lord Archibald to her father as her suitor, he might feel content to just slip away, confident that his family was taken care of. Lord Archibald would convince her father that he was the right man for her, that he dearly loved her and would treat her well. There was no reason for the Duke of Corning not to believe him. And he would surely believe his wife when she said it was the best thing for Emma.
Camilla turned away, still holding on to Emma’s hand. She moved through the bushes to a path that would lead them around to the front road without being seen. She and Emma had taken that path many times as young girls, exploring against their parents’ wishes. It may not have been ladylike. But it was fun.
The two young women hiked the path they had not taken for several years. It was somewhat overgrown but not enough that they could not take it easily while holding up their skirts.
“I do not know where you think we can go to find them,” Emma said in a mournful voice. “They could be anywhere.”
“I am thinking of it this way, Emma,” Camilla said, glancing over her shoulder. “You were not in your father’s room for a very long time. They may still be on the road.”
Emma shook her head. “But even if they are, they are in the Duke of Rabney’s carriage. We cannot compete with a pair of horses.”
Camilla looked like she had not thought of that. “Then we will go into town.”
Emma stopped walking, staring at her cousin. “Go into town? Do you know how far that is? That is quite a walk, Camilla. I do not know if I have the stamina for it.”
“Of course you do. Just remember that Lord Archibald is with your father. What could he be saying? We must find the dukes before it is too late to save you from this tragedy.”
Emma knew her cousin was right. The only way to fix this situation was to get to the Duke of Lox and explain the situation to him. He would take pity on her. She questioned her behavior, wondering if he would even bother with her when she had been so rude to him so many times. She had never once given him the chance to explain himself. As soon as she saw something or heard something she did not like, she turned her back to him.
Suddenly, she recalled the look on his face when he had reached out to her when they were exploring the house the Duke of Rabney was planning to purchase. It was one of confusion and hurt. She had ignored it.
It was not the first time she had acted that way to him. She believed the very first time she danced with him that he was up to no good.
She was ashamed of herself. She now had a new motive for trying to find him. She would apologize to him. She would beg his forgiveness. She would try to see things from his point of view instead of her own.
“You are right, of course, Camilla,” she said, taking the lead. They would be out on the road soon and her energy had been renewed. Even if her father was to pass before she returned… the thought nearly tore her apart… if the Duke of Lox was willing, he would save her from a life of misery.
Hopefully, he would not cause misery for her. Perhaps Camilla was right and he was more of a gentleman than anything else. She could only hope.
The two young women hurried down the path to the open road. Just before they stepped out onto the rocky dirt road, Emma stepped down onto a patch of grass and her foot sunk deep into it. She gasped and looked down at her boot, which was now covered in grassy mud. She looked up at Camilla, who tilted her head sympathetically.
Camilla reached out to her and helped her balance herself as she pulled her foot from the sucking mud. “Oh dear, oh dear,” Emma murmured, shaking her head. “I look a fright now. Look at what has been done to my boot and my dress. Oh dear, I am so ashamed.”
Camilla shook her head. “The dukes will not care, Emma. When we explain what has happened, they will help us.”
“But I cannot walk to town with my foot covered in mud.”
“You can. You just do not want to. It will be all right, Emma. When we find the dukes, everything will be set to right.”
Emma could only hope her cousin was right.
Chapter Eighteen
The Duke of Lox was silent as the carriage rolled toward Brisbourne. It was probably the first time in his life that he wished the Duke of Rabney was not residing with him, even temporarily. It was the only place they could take Lady Christian. It would have been rude and unconscionable for him to insist the woman go to the inn.
She tried to talk to him during the ride but he was just polite enough to consider himself a gentleman. She smiled and talked nonstop, asking him questions he did not want to answer and then answering them herself when he grunted or gave a vague answer. He tried not to look in her direction too often. It made her think he wanted her. Just by looking at her.
The Duke of Rabney tried to keep her attention off the Duke of Lox but was not succeeding. Lady Christian was focused on th
e Duke of Lox and she would not be swayed from her agenda. The Duke of Lox breathed a sigh of relief when they reached Brisbourne Manor.
Being trapped in the carriage with Lady Christian was like being strangled. At least in the house, he would be able to go to a different room. He would retreat to his personal chambers if he had to. He did not want to listen to Lady Christian gushing over him anymore.
He was out of the carriage first, holding up his hand to the lady to help her down. He noticed the curious look the Duke of Rabney was giving him but he had thought of a plan and hoped that it would help him avoid spending any more time with Lady Christian than he had to.
He also noticed the look of adoration she gave him when she took his hand. He smiled at her before turning his eyes to the Duke of Rabney, who was stepping down behind her.
“I am going for a ride, Christian. Please do me the kindness of making your cousin comfortable in Brisbourne.” He turned to Lady Christian, whose face had turned to confusion. He could see how anxious she was for him to ask her and her cousin to come with him on the ride. She was waiting for the expected invitation, bubbling with excitement. That invitation was not coming. He bowed at the waist. “It has been lovely seeing you today, Lady Christian. I am sure we will cross paths again very soon.”
He turned away from them, looking up at his driver. “Fetch my horse for me, Arthur.”
“Yes, my lord,” Arthur answered in a hurried voice. He snapped the reins and the carriage rambled down the rocky path to the stables. The Duke of Lox did not look at either of the Christians.
The Duke of Rabney put his hand under his cousin’s elbow. “Come along, my dear. I’m sure you must be exhausted from the day. I will show you to your room where you can get some rest.”
Lady Christian looked like she wanted to protest. She looked at the Duke of Lox with pleading eyes but he did not turn to look at her. He could feel her eyes on him. He was grateful when the two of them moved away from him toward the front door and even more grateful when he heard the door close after they went in.
He stood straight with his shoulders back and his hands clasped behind him. His mind was whirling with worry. He did not know the Duke of Corning. He had not had the opportunity to meet with the man.
The Duke of Lox was not typically a man who worried. Worrying never solved problems. With enough thought, any problem had a solution. This was one occasion when he was driven to distraction because his hands were tied. He was helpless.
He had left Corning Manor almost immediately because he did not want Lady Christian to interfere with what was happening there. He had not wanted to leave and made up his mind to ride back to the manor and offer his assistance. He wanted to be there if the Duke of Corning should pass on. He would offer his comfort to Lady Wentworth. No matter what she thought of him, he would do whatever he could to help her.
An idea was forming in his mind when he heard the door behind him open. He closed his eyes, realizing how quiet it had been without the sound of Lady Christian’s voice in his ear. He felt a moment of dread before he heard the Duke of Rabney’s voice.
“Baldwin,” the Duke of Rabney said as he took the steps down to his friend. “I have given her a room on the north side. I did not think you would mind. Where are you going? I wish to come with you.”
The Duke of Lox grinned, turning to his friend. “You are welcome to come with me. I plan to go back to Corning Mansion. I feel I should not have left so quickly.”
“I understand why you did,” the Duke of Rabney responded, standing next to him. “I must apologize for my cousin.”
The Duke of Lox shook his head. “There is no need, Christian. If you had anything to do with this, I would not believe you would wait a year before bringing her into the mix. She is a woman of her own mind and does what she pleases… within reason.”
The Duke of Rabney made a sound of disapproval while nodding his head in agreement. He lifted his chin when he saw Arthur come from the stables, holding the reins for the Duke of Lox’s personal horse. When Arthur saw the Duke of Rabney standing next to the Duke of Lox, he stopped walking.
They watched as he threw the reins over a small post by the stable door and went back inside. A few minutes later, he came out with another horse. He led them both to the dukes and handed them the reins, bowing at the same time.
“Your grace. Your grace.” He addressed each of them when they took the reins.
“Arthur, if you will go inside and tell Helga that we have a guest and to make her comfortable.” The Duke of Lox pulled himself up onto the horse and settled comfortably in the saddle.
“Yes, your grace,” Arthur replied, moving past the two men to go up into the house.
The Duke of Lox moved his eyes out over the road they had just come from. “Did you see Lord Archibald Van D’Obson when he passed us on the road?”
The Duke of Rabney nodded, urging his horse to walk alongside the Duke of Lox down the path. “I did.”
“Did it appear to you that he was going to the Corning home?”
“He was going in that direction, yes,” the Duke of Rabney responded. “But that does not necessarily mean he was going there. How would he know what happened? He is not a member of the family.”
“I have noticed him watching on several occasions while dancing or speaking with Lady Wentworth at a ball. What do you know of him?”
The Duke of Rabney had a thoughtful look on his face. “I do not know a great deal about him, unfortunately. I have had no business dealings with him that I can recall. His patroness, Lady Bonneville, has a reputation for being a persnickety old woman who thinks the world revolves around Lord Archibald. When she is seen in public, she is rarely without him.”
The Duke of Lox was nodding. “Yes, these things I do know about him. I was introduced to Lady Bonneville about a month ago and he was by her side. It was that meeting that made me notice when he was watching me with Lady Wentworth.”
“I can see you find his behavior inappropriate.”
“It is not the looking and watching that bothers me as much as the look on his face when he is doing it.”
The Duke of Rabney lifted his eyebrows. “How does he look?”
The Duke of Lox hesitated before answering, picturing Lord Archibald in his mind. “He looks… as though he is afraid. Very afraid.”
“His fear is that you will take Lady Wentworth from him.” The Duke of Rabney shrugged as if it was an obvious answer.
“I did not realize Lady Wentworth could be taken from him, as she has shown no interest in him, that I have seen.” It bothered the Duke of Lox to even think about Lady Wentworth with Lord Archibald.
His friend shook his head. “I do not think she has any interest in him. That does not mean he does not have interest in her. To either degree, I have had the pleasure of speaking with Lady Wentworth while visiting Cooksey Castle on occasion. She has never mentioned anything about the man.”
The Duke of Lox immediately wanted to ask if she had spoken of him. He stopped himself, embarrassed that the question would so quickly come to his mind. He felt foolish.
“I see the look on your face, Baldwin,” the Duke of Rabney said in an amused voice. “And I do know what you are thinking. You have come up in conversation and never in a negative way.”
“What does she think of me?” The Duke of Lox could not keep himself from asking the question, risking the Duke of Rabney’s laughter. His friend did not laugh, however. He answered in a level voice.
“She is a very interesting woman, Lady Wentworth is,” he responded. “She is not like the other women of the ton. And yet, she is not like Lady Fielding. I believe we may have found the two most unique women on the ton.”
“You are speaking in riddles. Say what you mean, Christian.”
The Duke of Rabney smiled at him. “When you are mentioned, she has nothing to say. It is the look on her face that gives away how she feels. And that changes at times. What I am trying to say, Baldwin, is that in one conver
sation when your name is mentioned, she will look shy and move her eyes away from me or Lady Fielding. Then on other occasions, she looks annoyed by the mention of your name. It is difficult to tell how she really feels.”
The Duke of Lox listened to his friend with a growing sense of relief. The more the Duke of Rabney talked, the more he could relate to the confusion he felt with Lady Wentworth.
“I do find her attractive,” he confessed when the Duke of Rabney finished speaking. “I would like to court her. But I cannot tell from her behavior if she is a good match. I would like to receive my inheritance, but I do not wish to be tied to a woman who is of two minds and does not stay consistent in her behavior.”
“I understand.” The Duke of Rabney nodded. “I suggest you give her a little more time. We must get to know these women and their idiosyncrasies before we decide to live with them for the rest of our lives.”
“Well spoken, my friend,” the Duke of Lox nodded. “Well spoken.”
Chapter Nineteen
Instead of immediately walking down the road, Emma sat down in frustration. Camilla looked shocked, turning her head from side to side, looking for anyone who might see. Emma looked around her and reached to the side to pick up a small branch that had fallen from a tree. She used it to push the excess mud from her shoe.
She moved her toes inside the shoe, dismayed that she could feel the cold mud slipping down through the lacing at the top and sticking to her stockings. She did not see how she could possibly walk all the way to town. Her eyes filled with tears. She felt like a fool.
She could not bring herself to look up at her friend.
Camilla stepped up next to her and bent over, pressing her hands into her dress between her legs. “Oh, Emma. You really cannot walk all the way to town. We must decide what to do. Shall we go back to your home? Perhaps we were rash in running away.”