A Most Unlikely Duke

by Sophie Barnes

  “Here,” Huntley said. He offered her a handkerchief with one hand while steadying her with the other.

  Thanking him, she placed the pristine piece of linen to her nose, savoring the sweet scent of lavender trapped among the threads. They started forward, his arm protectively at her waist as he steered her toward a crooked building with blotchy walls. A couple of scraggly women, one carrying a wailing infant, stopped to stare as they passed. Raphe offered them each a coin while Gabriella gave them a smile. She only received dejected grimaces in return.

  “Don’t take it personally,” Raphe said as he pulled her away from the women and toward the building’s door. “They belong to a harsh world.” He rapped twice on the door before opening it and ushering her inside.

  Gabriella blinked, her eyes adjusting to the gray interior. This place was like a deep well, absorbing all light that fell into it. A second passed, and then she saw her. Standing to one side, Victoria looked like a wraith—a mere shadow of the woman she’d once been—and Gabriella’s heart broke, her eyes stinging at the sight of her beautiful sister looking just as disheveled and drawn as the women she’d just seen on the street. Rushing toward her, she flung her arms about her and pulled her close, embracing her with equal measures of love and pity. Dear God, this was so much worse than she’d ever imagined. How on earth had it come to this? She felt so scrawny, so devoid of the sparkling happiness that had always defined her.

  “What happened?” Gabriella asked as she took a step back and looked into Victoria’s eyes. They were so horribly bleak.

  “Let us sit,” Victoria said, her voice achingly frail as she gestured toward the plain table and the two chairs that stood on either side of it. “I can make some tea if you like.”

  Gabriella shook her head. “Thank you, but there’s really no need.” Averting her gaze, she took a moment to compose herself, not wanting to add to her sister’s troubles by starting to cry for all that she’d lost. Her chest was heavy, making breathing difficult. Briefly, she eyed Raphe, who gave her a discreet nod of encouragement. Moving to one of the chairs, she sat down, while Victoria claimed the other.

  “I’m sorry to involve you like this,” Victoria began after a brief moment of silence, “but I didn’t know what else to do.” Her voice broke and she looked away, eyes cast toward the floor.

  Reaching out, Gabriella took her hand and gave it a light squeeze. “You did the right thing, Vicky. I just wish you would have done it sooner.”

  A quivering breath escaped Victoria’s hunched over frame. “I was such a fool, Gabby.” She shook her head. “Connolly—” She laughed grimly. “I don’t even know if that was his real name.”

  “What do you mean?” A chill had driven its way to her bones. Gabriella shuddered, only slightly comforted by the light pressure of Raphe’s reassuring hand against her shoulder.

  “He wasn’t the man we thought him to be, but by the time Papa discovered the truth about him, it was too late. Connolly and I had already been discovered in a compromising position at the Marsden ball.” Victoria’s lips trembled as she clasped Gabriella’s hand. “He said he loved me—promised to give me the world. Except he wasn’t the rich entrepreneur he claimed to be.”

  Realization struck Gabriella with the force of a battering ram. “He tricked you.” She shook her head, disgusted that such a thing had happened to someone as good as Victoria. But it was that goodness that Connolly had prayed upon. “He tricked us all.” The man had been so likeable, so charming and flattering and . . . perfect. Everyone had liked him.

  “It was all very deliberate,” Victoria went on. “After my ruination, Connolly met with Papa and demanded he pay him fifty thousand pounds in order to make him marry me. Naturally, Papa was furious with me for putting him in such a difficult situation, but he saw no other way around it.”

  “Oh, Vicky!” Fifty thousand was more than twice the amount of Victoria’s dowry—an astronomical sum.

  “Naturally, Papa attended the wedding so he could make sure that it took place. But he didn’t count on Connolly’s deceitful nature. The despicable man left me at the inn where we spent our wedding night. When I woke the following morning, I found a measly five pounds on the nightstand, along with a note that read, Good luck. I realized later that day that the ship we were supposed to take together had departed earlier than he’d told me it would. He went to America without me, Gabby.”

  It was all too awful to contemplate—a gently bred lady, forced to endure a life of poverty. “Why didn’t you come home?”

  “I think you know the answer to that,” Victoria told her mildly. “Papa would have thrown me right back out. My pride could not allow that to happen. So I took a job at the inn I just mentioned. A few weeks later, I realized that I was with child—married, abandoned, and pregnant. It felt as though I was drowning, but at least my wages allowed me to afford this place. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to work since Lucy was born, and with no income at all to sustain us—” A sob shook her rigid shoulders. “I’m sorry, Gabby. I never wanted to drag you into this mess, but I simply didn’t know what else to do.”

  Appalled by the fact that their elevated lives had made it so impossible for her sister to return home—the idea that her parents would reject her because they cared more for appearances than for their daughter—filled Gabriella with an unquestionable amount of anger. She made a conscious effort to calm herself for Victoria’s sake and forced a smile that she did not feel. “Where is Lucy now?” she asked, deliberately drawing attention to the only positive outcome in all of this. “Can I meet her?”

  “She’s sleeping just over here,” Victoria said as she rose and stepped toward a sheet that hung from the ceiling, dividing the room into two sections. She drew the sheet aside and gestured for Gabriella to approach.

  Moving to stand beside her sister, Gabriella spotted the tiny bundle that lay swaddled in a wooden box on the bed. She felt her heart clench. No child should have to grow up in a place such as this. “Here. Take this,” she said, handing Victoria her reticule. “Make sure you eat well so you can feed her properly. I will speak with Papa, and—”

  “No.” Victoria’s eyes widened with fear. “You cannot tell him about this. Please, Gabby, promise me that you will keep this between us.”

  “I—” Gabriella cast a wary gaze in Raphe’s direction before looking back at Victoria. “You cannot remain here, and with your daughter in mind, there is a good chance that Mama and Papa will welcome your return. Surely they will want to know their first grandchild.”

  “You didn’t see how furious Papa was when we parted. I’ve never seen him like that, Gabby.” Victoria practically trembled.

  “Perhaps I can help,” Raphe said before Gabriella could comment.

  “I cannot possibly ask that of you,” Gabriella said, unwilling to involve him any further.

  “You helped my sisters,” he said, ignoring her comment. “Allow me to help yours.”

  “It is good of you to offer, Your Grace,” Victoria said, “but my sister is right. It would be wrong of me to rely on your generosity, especially since I have little hope of ever repaying such kindness. I wouldn’t be comfortable with it.”

  Raphe bowed his head to her and Gabriella saw the respect that loomed in his eyes. “What if I were to think of something that wouldn’t make you feel beholden?”

  Uncertain of what he had in mind, Gabriella exchanged a look with Victoria, who looked ready to ask about the details of such an offer when a knock sounded at the door. “Excuse me a moment,” she said as she went to open it. She exchanged a few words with whoever had come to call, glanced hesitantly over her shoulder at Gabriella, and then opened the door wide enough for the visitor to enter. “This is Mr. Thompson,” she said as a man with striking red hair stepped into the home. “Mr. Thompson, I’d like you to meet my sister, Lady Gabriella, and her friend—”

  “Raphe?” Mr. Thompson said, his stance frozen just inside the doorway as he stared at Huntley with a loo
k of disbelief.

  Gabriella blinked. She looked at Huntley, whose expression had gone slack with emotion. He nodded once. “It’s good to see ye again, Ben.”

  Mr. Thompson stared back at him for a long moment, as if wondering how to react. Eventually, he set the canvas bag he was carrying on the table and addressed Victoria. “There’s carrots an’ turnips, an onion an’ a loaf of bread in ‘ere. I couldn’t manage any meat this time.” He sounded truly apologetic.

  “That’s quite all right,” Victoria said. “I’m very grateful for whatever you’re able to bring.”

  He gave her a curt nod and then turned back to Huntley, his expression a great deal harder than it had been a moment earlier. “Ye owe me an explanation, Raphe.” Gone was the familiarity with which he’d spoken before. “What the ‘ell ‘appened to ye?”

  Chapter 26

  Raphe bristled. He’d known the risk of coming here, but he hadn’t for the life of him imagined running into his old friend, Benjamin Thompson, in Lady Victoria’s home. Feeling Gabriella’s gaze on him, he forced himself not to look at her, directing all of his attention at Ben. He was right after all. He did deserve an explanation. “My life took an unexpected turn,” Raphe began. “I received a letter, informin’ me about an inheritance.”

  Ben crossed his arms. “Go on.”

  Guilt gnawed at Raphe’s insides. He felt his stomach roil with the queasy distaste of it. Turning his back on Ben and his family had been a difficult decision, but he’d made it in order to ensure that his sisters got the chance they deserved. “I knew yer thoughts about the aristocracy,” he said.

  “Were they any different from yer own?” Ben asked. His gaze went fleetingly to the two women, who stood to one side, before returning to Raphe.

  “No. Which is why I feared tellin’ ye the truth.” Inhaling sharply, Raphe braced himself for Ben’s reaction. “My mother was a viscount’s daughter, Ben.” He then went on to explain what had happened to his parents, how he and his sisters had ended up in St. Giles, and how a twist of fate had landed him a duke’s title.

  Ben stared back at him in disbelief. “Ye should have told me.”

  “I know, but I was young back then—just a lad, if ye’ll recall—an’ I desperately wanted to fit in. So when ye started rantin’ about yer distaste of the aristocracy, I chose to keep quiet. As time went on an’ our friendship deepened, tellin’ ye got increasingly harder. Besides, I didn’t think there was any need to say anythin’. I thought I’d left that life behind me fer good.”

  “An’ then ye became a duke.” Ben assessed him a moment before saying, “Ye look pretty grand, to be sure, but I ain’t goin’ to address ye by anythin’ other than yer name, Raphe.”

  The comment eased Raphe’s nerves a little. He managed a smile. “I wouldn’t expect anythin’ else from ye, Ben.”

  A curt nod told Raphe that Ben understood his motivation, even though he didn’t approve of his choice. It also said that although he was still angry with Raphe for leaving without explanation, he would get over it in time. Eventually, they would be friends again, perhaps sooner than expected if Raphe suggested the idea that had just presented itself to him. He glanced toward Lady Victoria. Ben wouldn’t visit her on a regular basis without good reason. He took a step closer to his friend and lowered his voice so only he could hear. “How long have ye been comin’ here?”

  Something awkward flickered in Ben’s eyes. “Ye wish to know my intentions?”

  “It’s not me place,” Raphe admitted. “But she’s the Earl of Warwick’s daughter, an’ I promised her sister that I’d help get ’er out of this mess.”

  “Do ye know all that ‘appened to ’er?” Ben asked through gritted teeth. An angry shadow slashed its way across his face, hardening his features.

  Raphe nodded. “Yes.” They stared at each other for a long, silent moment until Raphe knew that their thoughts matched. He might be an aristocrat, but he didn’t care for the higher echelons of society any more than Ben did.

  “We met when she was still workin’ at the Hounds Tooth Inn. We’re friends.”

  Raphe watched him, assessing. “Do ye think there’s a chance ye might be more than that?”

  Though he didn’t avert his gaze, Raphe sensed a distinct air of protectiveness that could only be caused by deep emotion. “Per’aps,” Ben quietly whispered. He shrugged then, as if to dispel the comment.

  “Then let me try to help. Let me try to make things better.”

  Caution filled Ben’s eyes. “What do ye ‘ave in mind?”

  “A life for the two of ye far away from ‘ere, in a place where she’ll be safe an’ well cared for.” He placed a hand on Ben’s shoulder. “She ‘as a child, Ben. If ye love ’er—”

  “Ye’re suggestin’ bigamy? That’s yer plan?”

  It sounded awful. Still, there had to be a solution. “She doesn’t deserve what ‘appened to ’er, or to suffer for it for the rest of ’er life. An’ considerin’ that ’er husband lied about his identity, an annulment should be possible.”

  “Ye’re certain of that?”

  Raphe shook his head. “No, but I ‘ave a competent secretary and solicitors who can find out.”

  Ben did not look convinced, but he nodded anyway. “Very well.” His gaze drifted toward the ladies. “If she agrees.”

  Turning, Raphe found Gabriella and her sister watching them with marked curiosity. “I have a suggestion,” he said.

  “Go on,” Gabriella urged when her sister failed to respond.

  Raphe squared his shoulders. “I’ve a property in Gloucester that’s in need of a caretaker. The position comes with a two-bedroom cottage, the wages are decent, an’ I can promise ye that none of my staff will question who ye are or ‘ow ye arrived there. I’ll make certain of that.”

  “You’re suggesting that I move there with Ben?” Lady Victoria hesitantly asked.

  Raphe nodded. “I’m also going to see if I can get your marriage to Connolly annulled.”

  “I’ll do it anyway,” Lady Victoria whispered with tears in her eyes. “Anything to get away from here and to—” Her eyes shifted to Ben. “Would you really be willing to move across the country for me?”

  With a light grin he stepped toward her, taking her hand in his. “It’s not like there’s much of a life for me ‘ere in St. Giles. I’ll miss me family, to be sure, but what Raphe is offerin’ is a rare opportunity, so if ye’re amicable to the idea, then so am I.”

  Rolling his eyes at his friend’s idiocy, Raphe went to whisper in his ear. “Tell ’er how ye feel, man!”

  Leaning forward, Ben placed an awkward kiss on Lady Victoria’s cheek. “I believe I forgot to mention that it’s mostly because I love ye.”

  A sob broke from between Lady Victoria’s lips as she flung her arms about Ben. Speechless for only a moment, Gabriella sought Raphe’s eyes and silently mouthed the words thank you, her gaze bright with emotion and happiness and something powerful that Raphe hoped signified a deeper attachment between them.

  “I’ll send a note tomorrow,” he told Ben and Lady Victoria. “Let you know what I find out.”

  Thanking him, Ben gave Lady Victoria an almost shy embrace and took his leave. “We ought to get going as well,” Raphe told Gabriella. “The streets of St. Giles are no place for a lady after dark.”

  Gabriella’s lips parted. She looked to her sister with grave concern.

  “He’s right,” Lady Victoria said before Gabriella could voice a protest. She reached for her sister’s hand and gave it a squeeze. “You should go.”

  Pressing her lips together, Gabriella gave a hasty nod, as though prolonging the moment would make her weep. “I will see you again soon, Vicky. I promise.”

  Stepping out into the dimming light, Raphe offered Gabriella his arm and began leading her back toward the awaiting carriage. “Everything will be all right,” he murmured, sensing that she needed the reassurance. “I will do all that I can in order to help your sister. You must believe
that.”

  “You are too kind.” She spoke in a hushed whisper. “And I cannot thank you enough.” She hesitated a moment before adding, “Encountering Mr. Thompson cannot have been easy for you.”

  “He helped me carve out a place for myself when I moved here all those years ago,” Raphe explained. “We became good friends and eventually ended up working together.”

  They reached the carriage and he helped her inside. Climbing in as well, he sat down across from her and knocked for the driver to set off. Silence settled between them, accentuated by the gentle sway of the carriage, until she finally said, “You had no responsibility toward Vicky, but you chose to help her anyway.”

  He shrugged one shoulder. “I can’t let your sister stay in a place like that. Even if things don’t work out for her and Ben, I’ll find a way to ensure a better life for her.”

  “But—” She gave him a questioning look. “Why? You don’t owe her anything.”

  “I owe Ben,” he said. “He was like a brother to me, always there whenever I needed him, and I lied to him—abandoned him without explanation.”

  “Oh.” She slumped back against the squabs and nodded as though that made perfect sense. “I understand.”

  But the tone of her voice suggested that perhaps she didn’t. Or perhaps she’d hoped for a different explanation. Raphe could only wonder. He wanted her in his life—indeed, he wanted her to be the most central part of his life—but not unless she was willing to accept the ramifications of what that would mean without any regret. “I especially did it for you,” he found himself saying. The confession went against his better judgment. He didn’t want to manipulate her with grand gestures. He wanted her final decision to come from her heart. But he couldn’t help himself from being selfish, either—from wanting her to know that he cared, and to win the appreciation such knowledge would bring.

  Her eyes widened. And then her lips parted as though she meant to say something but couldn’t quite think of what, and it was all he could do not to leap across to the other side of the carriage and pull her into his arms. With everything that had happened today, he needed to feel the warmth of her touch.