by Fimch, Fanny
The Duke of Lox scanned the fortress. Although it seemed it was built for the purpose of a military barracks, there was no one anywhere in sight. No servants wandered the ground. He heard no sounds of movement anywhere, other than the woods around him.
He slowed his horse to a trot and moved slowly toward the large arched entrance into the courtyard. He passed under the arch, keeping his eyes alert to spot any movement that might come.
Still, he saw no one. He stopped the horse and surveyed the area. There were many doors that ran along the four buildings around him. Each building was attached so that they formed a square with one side being the main house.
It was taller than the others and had more windows and decorative etchings. There was a large flag hanging from a pole over the main building with the Bonneville family crest woven in its threads. It was a large B with a sword, shield, spear, and a lion surrounding it. It was impressive.
The Duke of Lox allowed his horse to continue until he spotted a good place to get down. He did not want the animal to be seen. Although he did not think it was likely there was anyone here. The fortress appeared to be abandoned.
He could tell as he got closer that the buildings had not been used in some time. They were probably occupied more recently than the Duke of Lox presumed. But the walls were cracking some and the foliage was overgrown.
He saw several holes bored into the ground from underground animals. The approaching winter had killed most of the grass that had grown in the courtyard. He’d noticed while he was coming up the pathway to the house that the west side of the fortress was as green as it could be, stretching out over the rolling hills in amazing beauty.
He slid from the saddle, looking around some more, wondering where to start. He contemplated leaving the fortress and heading to the other property but something was making him curious. If he were Lord Archibald and wanted to hide something or someone, would this not be the perfect place to do it?
Surely, the man would know that he, the Duke of Lox, would come searching for his soon-to-be bride. Surely, Emma would inform him that they were to be wed.
The Duke of Lox shook his head. She did not know her father had given permission. Regardless, he was confident nothing would make Emma give her hand to Lord Archibald. She had registered such disgust even at the mention of his name, the Duke of Lox would be more than surprised if she ended up marrying him. He would consider it an act of lunacy and count himself blessed he had not wed a woman with no sense.
The thought made him snicker. The sound echoed through the courtyard softly. He glanced to his left and right, trying to decide where to start looking for her.
He approached one of the doors and turned the knob. It was either locked or stuck tight. He went to the next one. He did not reach an open door until he came to the portion of the square facing the west.
He opened the door and looked in. The door led to an opening that went to the left and right. A long hallway was on his left and a door to the north side of the fortress was on his right.
Directly in front of him was a stone staircase that would take him up into the tower. He looked up, wondering how many steps it was. He would take it steady so as not to wear out. He decided first to check the doors that were placed every ten feet to his right. Each one was locked but one.
He opened the door and poked his head in. The sun had just reached the west side of the sky and was beaming in through the glassless, curtainless window, lighting up the room. It was dusty but it looked as if it had been recently used. One of the chairs had been recently brushed off and the table in front of it cleaned. He scanned the rest of the room but saw nothing of importance.
He came back out and tried the remaining two doors, which were shut tight. Moving as quietly as he could, he went back to the stairs and looked up. He began the ascension, glancing through the small rectangle windows placed every so often around the curving staircase. He was almost to the top when he stopped. He tilted his head to the side. He thought he could hear voices in the room.
He reached the landing and pressed himself firmly against the wall, so that when the door opened, he would not get hit with it. He was glad the entrance to the room at the top of the tower was through a door and not a hatch.
There would be no way to plan any kind of surprise attack through a hatch. Anyone inside could stomp on the hatch and keep it closed. A door was easier to deal with.
His heart thumped in his chest and he instinctively held his breath. He heard two voices but could not hear the words. One female, one male. He knew them both, one more than the other. It was Emma and Lord Archibald.
The Duke of Lox could not believe his luck. He had come to the right place and found her.
He grinned. He did not hear any animosity going on in the room. Even Lord Archibald’s voice was not angry or spiteful. They both sounded calm.
A thought went through the Duke of Lox’s mind that made him pause. Could Emma have left of her own volition? Was she staying here temporarily?
He shook his head in answer to his own questions. There was no way. Emma would never choose Lord Archibald over him. He had seen it in her eyes the night before.
Unless he was mistaken.
The door opened unexpectedly and he saw Lord Archibald standing there with a tray, a bowl, plate, and cup sitting atop it. He was facing inside the room. He said something and took a step backward to come out and pulled the door closed behind him.
When he turned and saw the Duke of Lox, he growled and lunged at him, holding the tray up in the air. The crockery it had been carrying flew off to the side and nearly hit the Duke of Lox. The Duke of Lox dodged the flying pieces.
The Duke of Lox was a much bigger man than the slender Lord Archibald. He pushed himself from the wall, snatched the tray out of Lord Archibald’s hands and hit him over the head with it. The crockery fell to the ground with a loud clatter.
Lord Archibald crumpled to the ground.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
The Duke of Lox stepped over Lord Archibald and swung the door open. He looked in. Emma was sitting in a chair on the other side of the room near the window. She was covering her face with her hands and sobbing. She looked up and saw him come through the doorway.
Her sobs increased and she stood up. She took a few steps toward him, holding out her hands to him. She placed her hands back over her face and dropped to her knees, weeping uncontrollably.
The Duke of Lox went to her and took a knee in front of her. “My lady,” he said quietly. “I’ve come to take you home to your family. Are you all right?”
Emma was visibly trying to get herself under control. All she could think of was her father. She was happy the Duke of Lox had found her so quickly. She had hoped it would be soon but just at that exact moment was… ironic. She swept at her wet cheeks with the back of her hands, trying to look presentable to the duke.
“I am so sorry, my lord,” she said through her tears. “I do not wish to act inappropriately in your presence.”
“My lady, you are safe now. You must not fear anymore.”
“It is not my safety that has made me cry, though I do thank you for what you have done, my lord. I must… I must return home at once. My sister Katherine must be devastated at this loss.”
The Duke of Lox frowned. “My dear lady, of what do you speak?”
Emma stared at him. Realization and hope dawned on her. She blinked at him. “Is my father… Has he…”
The Duke of Lox raised his eyebrows swiftly. “My lady, your father lives and is comfortable in his bed in Corning Manor. That is, however, how I left him as recently as two hours ago. You must not quake. He is waiting to see you.”
Emma’s relief once again flooded her face. “Oh, my lord, thank you for telling me. Thank you for coming to get me. However on earth did you know where to find me?”
“I did not know. This was an idea God gave to me and I was led down his path to you.”
“I thank my Lord above then, and also you
for your intelligence and perseverance, my lord.”
The Duke of Lox smiled at her. “Please, my lady, get to your feet. We will leave this place.”
He stood up and held his hand out to her. She placed her fingers only in his palm and lifted herself to her feet. He pulled a handkerchief from his upper breast pocket and handed it to her. She took it, released his hand and dabbed at her wet cheeks.
“You are quite damp, my lady.” The Duke of Lox was grinning at her. She smiled back at him prettily. His heart melted at the look she was giving him.
“My father is truly still alive?” she asked breathlessly. He could hear the relief in her voice.
“Yes, my lady, as of two hours ago. He is waiting for you.”
“What will we do with Lord Archibald?” Emma looked around him at the man, still lying unconscious on the floor of the landing.
The Duke of Lox turned and looked at him. “The constable is on his way. We shall wait for him.”
“How will we get him down the stairs? What if he wakes up?”
The Duke of Lox grinned at her. “My lady, I am larger than Lord Archibald. He does not scare me but I do feel he is intimidated by me. He will do as I ask.”
She blinked up at him. “All right, my lord. I do wish to be home as soon as I can be. My father must be very worried. Have you seen the Duchess of Corning? She is the one who brought me here. She insists I marry Lord Archibald but I… I cannot marry him. How wretched it would be if I was to wed a man I did not cherish?”
“I do hope you will accept my proposal, my lady,” the Duke of Lox replied softly. “As your father has given his blessing for us to wed.”
Emma sucked in a deep breath, a pleasant chill traveling over her body. “Did he tell you this last night?”
The Duke of Lox nodded. “Yes. I was anxious to tell you but you had already retired when the Duke of Rabney and I left. It was not until your sister’s visit to Brisbourne early this morning that I became aware of the situation.”
Emma’s eyes widened. “Katherine?”
“Yes. She came to my house this morning to tell me that you had gone missing.”
Emma blinked rapidly, trying to fathom how Katherine could have figured it out so quickly.
“She is a very observant girl, Lady Wentworth. She noticed that your bedsheets were such a way that you had not left the bed willingly. She also observed that you and your step-mother rarely, if ever, did anything alone together. She also overheard a conversation between the duchess and Lord Archibald that she dismissed until today.”
“I do not understand why the duchess has done this. She…” Emma stopped, wondering if she should tell the Duke of Lox what Lord Archibald had said. She was not upset about it and had already convinced herself it was a lie. But she was hesitant to tell him of the rumor, as it may hurt him.
He tilted his head to the side. “What is it, my lady?”
Emma pressed her lips together before speaking. “She told Lord Archibald that you have a reputation as quite a rake in other parts of London and in the country surrounding us. She told him that I would be just another woman in your harem.”
“Women in my harem…” The Duke of Lox looked up in the air, a wondering look on his face. “I have perhaps always wondered what having a harem would be like.”
Emma’s eyes grew wide and he laughed.
“I kid you, my lady. Once I give my heart to a woman, she has it as her own.” He pulled in a deep breath. “I have never given it away, Lady Wentworth. Until now.”
She smiled lovingly at him. “I have never loved before either, my lord. I am glad you decided to attend the ball this season.”
He nodded. “As am I.”
They both turned and walked to the landing. The duke bent down to pick up Lord Archibald and sling him over his shoulder.
“If he wakes up, you may fall down the stairs in your struggle with him,” Emma said.
“I see no other way to get him down.”
Emma said nothing more, leading the way down the stairs. The Duke of Lox kept his eye on her as they went to make sure she did not slip. She was not wearing any shoes, only the light fabric stockings she had worn to bed. She stepped carefully and they made their way to the bottom floor.
Lord Archibald did not wake up until the Duke of Lox lowered him to a long stone bench inside the hallway. He stirred as soon as he hit the cold, hard seat. His arms flailed for a moment as if he was having a delayed reaction to being hit on the head. His eyes darted from side to side before settling on the two people in front of him.
His eyes narrowed. He struggled to get to his feet but fell back after managing to go only halfway up. He lifted one hand and placed it on the back of his head.
“You have given me a knot, sir. How dare you come to my home and assault me? I will have the constabulary arrest you.”
The Duke of Lox smiled. “You will have that opportunity in a short time, my lord,” he said. “As the very man you speak of is on his way.”
Lord Archibald scowled deeper. “How did you know where to look? I was assured you knew nothing about this place.”
“I may not know but there are others who do. Others who understand that what you are doing is wrong.”
“The Duchess of Corning told me about you, your grace. I do not wish to see Lady Wentworth used as a pawn in your games. You have many women waiting for you in other parts of the world, do you not? You are a scoundrel, sir, and I do not wish to see Lady Wentworth tainted by your misdeeds.” Lord Archibald did not say the words with any respect, inflecting his voice when he said “your grace.”
The Duke of Lox frowned at him. “The Duchess of Corning was mistaken. I have no such reputation anywhere in London or beyond. She is possibly thinking of someone else.”
Lord Archibald shook his head. “I do not believe that to be true. I have done what I have done only to protect Lady Wentworth from being married to such a man who cannot be faithful to her, cannot show her the life she deserves.”
Emma stepped toward them, drawing their attention. “Begging your pardon, my lord, but whomever I marry is not your choice to make. It is not my step-mother’s to make. I must be assured that I marry a man with great compatibility.”
“We are compatible,” Lord Archibald protested. Emma shook her head.
“I do not feel that compatibility with you, Lord Archibald.” She looked up at the Duke of Lox. “I do feel it with the Duke of Lox. And my father has already given permission for us to marry.”
Lord Archibald frowned, his hand still pressed gently against the back of his skull where he had been hit. “I was told your father passed on this morning.”
“By whom?” Emma asked, even though she knew who had told Lord Archibald the wretched lie.
Lord Archibald hesitated. He moved his eyes to look up at them both. “I… I…”
“Spare yourself the indignity of lying, my lord,” Emma said. “We know you have plotted this with the Duchess of Corning. You have already given yourself away mentioning her once before.”
Lord Archibald’s mouth moved but no words came out. They could tell by the blank look on his face that her logic had rendered him speechless. “I… I…”
“It is preferable that you do not speak until the constable gets here, Lord Archibald.” The Duke of Lox used a stern voice. “You will not want to anger me.”
Lord Archibald scowled and Emma covered her mouth with her hand. She swallowed hard, her eyes moving to the Duke of Lox, a solemn look on her face.
“Lady Wentworth, would you care to take a seat? Shall I get you a coat from the room down the hallway?” His eyes moved to Archibald. “This man will not bother you in the least, will you, Lord Archibald?”
If there was any way a person’s face could collapse into the deepest scowl ever, it was Lord Archibald’s at that moment. He shook his head. “I will not bother her.”
“Thank you, your grace,” Emma said softly. “I am fine until the constable gets here. Perhaps then I w
ill ask you for some assistance in that.”
The Duke of Lox nodded. “Yes, my lady.”
Epilogue
Emma sat with her father, holding a huge bouquet of roses, giving the Duke of Lox a warm smile.
“How kind of you, my lord,” she said, bringing the flowers up to her nose and breathing in the sweet scent. “I do so love these flowers.” She gestured to a nearby maid. “Please put them in a vase.”
The young maid smiled, bending at the waist to take the flowers from her. “Yes, my lady.”
“Your grace,” the Duke of Corning smiled up at the young man. “Please do sit with us.”
“Thank you, my lord.” The Duke of Lox sat in a large cushioned chair near Emma. “I trust you are excited about this evening, my lady?” he asked her.
Emma’s heart raced when she thought about what the night would bring. She and Camilla were being recognized by their future husbands. The Duke of Lox was throwing a celebration ball in their honor.
“I have been waiting with great apprehension, my lord,” Emma giggled her response. She glanced over at her father, who was watching the two of them with warm eyes and a soft smile on his face. “I am so glad you are here to celebrate this with us, Father,” she said to him.
The Duke of Corning nodded. “I am, as well. I would not want to miss this.”
Emma looked out at the guests as they arrived and were announced. The Duke of Lox was unable to sit with her for long, as the host of the event.
He had just enough time to shower Emma with compliments on her dress and hair, saying she looked like an angel and comparing her to his favorite flowers. When he mentioned the dark green color of her gown was very suitable for her, she made a mental note to begin buying more gowns of that color.
Camilla approached not long after the Duke of Lox went back toward the entrance to the ballroom of Brisbourne, taking a seat on the large couch next to Emma. She reached over and placed her gloved hand in Emma’s.