A Marquess and a Secret: Regency Romance (Gentlemen and Brides)

by Joyce Alec

  "Look at this," Betty showed her the image of four young people in the society pages.

  "Goodness gracious me!" Alice couldn't believe what she was seeing. Bosley was the man that Connie claimed to be seeing. Now it was coming back to her. At the Guildford estate, she had seen Connie with Bosley.

  "That's the man who disgraced Edmund last night. He brought Lady Jane to Almack's just to unmask me."

  "Then he's a cad and typical of the sort of company Connie keeps. The only way to shift jewelry like that would be to have connections. He would give Connie that connection and could easily sell the jewels off. No one would question one of them. But knowing and proving are two different things, Alice. But at least you know the truth."

  Betty watched Alice as she sat down.

  "Betty, Edmund needs to be protected from him. He needs to know the truth. I'm sure if I told the duke then…"

  "No, Alice. They will not believe you. It will come across as revenge for him outing you in public. You are the one that will suffer. Forget about how kind they were. They were kind because they thought you were one of them. They will always stick together. It's different now. You're a commodity. Leave it be."

  "But Betty, you don't know them like I do."

  "No, Alice. You don't know them as Alice. You know them as Miss Faith, the damsel in distress. You are nothing to them. If you had been dressed as you are, they would have sent you on your merry way when the carriage ran into you. If you wish to clear your name, then we can see what we can do, but nothing more. You cannot go to them. I can see you are disappointed in my words, and I have no wish to be harsh with your, Alice, but you need looking after. Why don't you make dinner tonight? It will help to get your mind off this whole sorry business."

  Alice didn't wish to be dismissive of Betty. She had nowhere else to go and Betty was only trying to be kind. It didn't help that her heart was back with the duke and Edmund. She sighed as she began to prepare dinner. This was usually the time she began to dress for dinner. Just a mere twenty-four hours ago, her main concern was that her family wouldn't be as warm as the duke and Edmund. She had gone from being a lady to a maid, and she would have to start her new job sooner rather than later.

  Their evening was quiet. Alice didn't wish to be intrusive and excused herself after clearing away the dishes.

  "Alice, my boss said for you to call upon his wife tomorrow. Here is the address." Jim gave her the piece of paper, "It's a live-in position, which is good."

  She knew he meant it as a positive for the job, but she couldn't help feeling a little sad that again she would be uprooted.

  "That was very kind of you to go to so much trouble," she said as she settled into her little corner bed.

  Her world was about to change again.

  9

  Alice pretended to be asleep while Betty woke to fix breakfast. She left with Jim, and Alice was alone. She knew she was lucky to have such good people in her life, and today, she prayed she would be successful in gaining employment. She liked children. As her whole life was spent in an orphanage, she had taken care of children. Alice was feeling good about the prospect of working and being back in cleanliness again.

  Her night's sleep had settled her mind. Betty was right. It was best to stay away from the duke and Edmund. In time, she would write, but for now, it was best for things to settle down, so each of them could move forward with their lives. Today she wanted to give back to Betty and wanted to clean her little homestead. Not that it needed much cleaning, Betty was a good housewife, but Alice saw that the stove could do with being spruced up.

  As she scrubbed away, Alice began to daydream. She couldn't help but think about the duke. He would be in his study by now. Her lady's maid had told her how the duke had changed his morning routine so he could breakfast with her. She wondered if he had returned to his old ways.

  “Poor, Edmund. I hope you are coping,” she said out loud as she sat back on her haunches and wiped her brow.

  The sound of something wrapping the door made her shriek with fright. She went to the door and as she opened it; her mouth fell open. It was the duke!

  "Your Grace," she bowed her head and curtsied.

  "Alice, may I come in?" he asked.

  She nodded and stepped out of the way as his presence filled the room. Jarvis walked in behind the duke, as the duke surveyed the place.

  "Alice, I have come to return your necklace." He handed it to her and she didn't know what to do or say. Betty was right. She didn't feel the same in his presence.

  "Do you know how you came to be in possession of the necklace?" he asked.

  "When I was due to leave the orphanage, they gave me an envelope which contained the necklace. There was just a note to say it belonged to my mother. Apparently, she had died giving birth to me. I know nothing of my heritage. Your Grace, you do know that I did not remember anything of my past. I want you to know that I would never try to deceive you or his Lordship…"

  "I know that, Alice. Your demeanor is a gentle one, and I must trust my instincts about people. You are as sincere as they come. The Earl of Bosley on the other hand…let's leave him out of this. Do you know anything else about your father?"

  "No, Your Grace."

  "I do. Do you want to know who you are?"

  "What?" she loudly exclaimed, with Jarvis clearing his throat to remind her of her manners.

  "Your Grace, pardon me but how could you know?"

  "Your necklace. Jarvis found it in your reticule. He gave it to me, and I thought there was something vaguely familiar about it. I hadn't seen it on your initial arrival, Cholmosley and Jarvis had looked at your belongings. After that unfortunate incident at Almack's, I was looking at my wife's portrait. I was looking to her for guidance, for you had given me a new lease on life. And as always, the duchess supplied the answer. The symbol on your necklace was part of her family crest. Then I remembered the necklace. She had twin nieces, and she had necklaces made for them when they were born, together they created the family crest. She was very fond of them, Eliza and Cecily, were their names. Lovely young girls, but you see, there was a family fall-out. The girls' mother, and my dearly departed wife, had words and we never saw the young ladies again.

  When I found your necklace, I had some investigations done and it appears that Eliza, your mother, had run off to Gretna Green with an officer and they married. He was sent to France some months later and I'm afraid, killed in battle. What happened next seems vague. Either your mother was rejected by the family for her disgrace of eloping, or she was too proud to ask for help and you know the rest."

  "I have a family."

  "You have a grandfather, who is still alive. Your aunt died from scarlet fever and your grandmother has long since passed. But you are a titled young woman as your grandfather is a duke. You have your mother's title of lady."

  Alice couldn't believe what she was hearing, and as she was about to exclaim, Betty walked in. She looked at the gentleman and Alice.

  "Betty, I'm a lady after all! The duke's wife was my grand-aunt. I have a family. I belong to someone."

  Alice ran to Betty and hugged her and then ran back to the duke to hug him too. She couldn't resist hugging Jarvis who was very uncomfortable with her display of affection. The duke smiled.

  "This means you can stay with me for a while until we arrange your carriage to the Duke of Lanzaby. Edmund is home and he has missed you.”

  10

  Life had changed dramatically for Alice in a few weeks, especially since the revelation that she was the Duke of Lanzaby's long lost granddaughter. Her grandfather was a dear, sweet man who had cried on meeting her. As the two dukes watched Alice and Edmund take a walk around the grounds, they couldn't help notice the similarity between Alice, her mother and her great-aunt.

  "I should have seen it all along. There was an iridescence about her that was somehow familiar and different all along. Her effect on Edmund was no different than the effect my dearest wife had on me when we first
met. I should have made her make up with her sister. Alice could have been in all of our lives all this time."

  The Duke of Lanzaby agreed.

  "I have a feeling this visit is more than to just to reacquaint me with my granddaughter," he smiled, knowing that the young marquess was going to request Alice's hand in marriage.

  "I will, of course, agree," he continued, "but it seems like I am losing her after just meeting her. I must look on the bright side. If she has a son, he can be my heir, and I won't have to choose my nincompoop heir who just happens to share a small amount of my bloodline. The young people today, why can't they be like our generations."

  As the old men continued their talk on the follies of youth, Edmund and Alice were enjoying some alone time. Edmund was a little more nervous than usual, and he would start sentences and never finish them. Alice wondered what was going on.

  "My lord, are you quite well?"

  "Alice, it is my intention to ask your grandfather's permission to seek your hand in marriage. From our time together, I have grown to love you immensely. I cannot imagine my life without you."

  He spoke so fast; he felt like his life depended on getting these words out as quickly as possible. He looked at her to see her reaction.

  "That would make me very happy, as I have grown to love you, too, Edmund. However, I would like to stay with Grandfather for a little while to get to know him. You understand that, don't you? After our wedding, where will we live? Will it be in London?"

  "At our estate in Cholmosley. His Grace was correct in that I have not been a very good landowner, or very responsible, but that will change. I will need a good estate manager, but as you will be my wife, I had hoped for your input in this."

  "I would like for Betty and Jim to live on our estate. I would be uncomfortable in asking her to be in the household, but Jim could be the farm manager. He's a good man. And I'd like Mrs. Dempsey to come as our cook. I want to give her security, and if not for her, I would never have met Betty. You know Betty searched for me every day I was missing."

  Alice felt good. She was going to be able to repay the kindnesses that had been bestowed upon her.

  "You see, within moments, you have already solved my dilemma. I am blessed in having you in my life, my dearest, and I will do everything in my power to make you the happiest woman. You came into my life when I didn't think I deserved redemption."

  Edmund's mind was on Bosley whose plan had backfired. Edmund had allowed himself a moment of glee when Bosley had heard of Alice's heritage. With the information Alice and Betty had supplied, and the fact that Connie gave Bosley up, the duke had discretely made it known about the Earl of Bosley and his propositioning of young maids. Connie had been in a long line of maids to steal on his behalf. While he wasn't formally charged, he was now persona non grata in London.

  "Shall we go inside and make the old dukes happy?" Alice smiled at her soon to be husband.

  "Yes, my dearest, let's go home and make this official."

  Alice was happy. Never in her wildest dreams had she envisioned this moment. The closest had been when she could remember nothing of her past and Edmund and the duke were her world. The sense of security she felt with them had only deepened. They loved her, and now she would get to know her grandfather. She belonged to someone now. And her family was only going to get bigger. She knew the Lord worked in mysterious ways, and through her sadness of being passed over for adoption, she had never let it change her pleasant demeanor. And now she found her way home.

  "Home," she said to herself as she looked over at her grandfather. This was home, for now at least. It was a new concept for her that home would actually mean her home, not just a place where she lived at the pleasure of another.

  "Alice, why are you crying?" Edmund asked with concern as he realized that Alice was no longer by his side but standing looking up at the great house.

  "These are happy tears. I've just realized what home is. It isn't a house; it's the people. You and the duke made me feel at home from the moment we met. And this feeling has just intensified. I've never felt like that before. Thank you for being in my life and for wanting to spend your life with me. It feels wonderful to be loved."

  Edmund couldn't help but rush to his beloved and gather her in his arms, etiquette or not, he had to kiss her tears away because otherwise she would see his tears of joy. She was right. Home was a connection between people and his home was with her.

  THE END

  Part II

  Christmas Mystery of the Heart

  1

  England, 1820

  Sarah dared not even look behind her, fearing that her father had heard the quiet footsteps she’d taken along the creaky hallway. Standing as though frozen in place, the sound of his snoring met her ears as she breathed a sigh of relief and carefully made her way down the grand staircase. She knew this was her one and only chance to escape him; if he caught her now, then she would be locked up tighter than a prisoner. There would be no second chances. She could no longer wait for the drink to kill him; she was sure that, one day, he’d kill her first. The welts on her back rubbed painfully against her clothes, a reminder of the pain she’d had to endure from her so-called loving father. As usual, there had been no reason for his outburst, but these days, Sarah only had to walk in the room and he would be in a temper, a temper that eventually grew to violence. Violence she could no longer take.

  “Almost there!”

  The housekeeper, Mary, was waiting for her in the kitchens, a friendly ally in Sarah’s dark life.

  “Jack has a horse saddled and waiting.”

  Together they eased open the door and walked into the cold, frosty air. The world was still dark; the sun would not rise for a few more hours. A smiling Jack met them, holding the beautiful mare bought especially for her trip. He loaded her bags filled with the dresses and other basics she would need. Sarah was thankful she had scrimped and saved every single penny she could over the last few years, or this never would have been possible.

  “Thank you,” Sarah replied quietly, tears filling her eyes as she dropped her bags and embraced Mary. “Please be careful. I cannot imagine what he will do when he discovers I have gone.”

  “Now don’t you be worrying about us, m’lady, we’ll be just fine. Now, here are your letters of recommendation and you know where you are going?”

  Sarah swallowed hard, trying to inject some kind of strength into her voice but failing miserably. “Yes, I think so.”

  Jack’s hearty voice lifted her spirits. “You can do this, m’lady. Anything’s better than staying with him.”

  Sarah nodded and took the proffered hand as Jack helped her into the saddle. The forged letters of recommendation were tucked safely away and, without wanting to prolong her goodbyes, Sarah left. Taking one last look at the house where so much love and so much pain had occurred, Sarah whispered a short prayer for her father’s soul as she rode away.

  Sarah kept to the path outlined by both Jack and Mary, the directions memorized thoroughly. The sun slowly began to rise, the winter sun only bringing a little warmth to her frozen bones. She could not rid herself of the fear that clutched her heart as she thought about her father’s wrath, almost certain he was riding after her and would come upon her any moment. Slowly, so slowly, the fear lessened as she rode further and further away from her home. The man she had once loved was now a tyrant, hating her because her mother had played him false. The day her mother died, his anger and violence passed to Sarah, turning him into a monster far beyond anything she had ever imagined. Now she faced an unknown future. If the Duke of Huntington changed his mind or was not impressed with her skills, she would be turned away with nowhere to go.

  No, she would not consider that. She had been brought up a lady, and it could not be too difficult to share her knowledge with youngsters. A governess is what the letters said she was, and a governess she must become. No longer was she Lady Sarah Sayers; she was now plain Sarah Brown.

  It was a
lmost dark when Sarah reached the Huntington estate, her body barely able to take more punishment. She had ridden all day, only stopping on two brief occasions to allow both herself and her mount some rest and refreshment. She was tired and wet from the many rain showers, her hair plastered to her head. Her whole body was in pain, Sarah crying a little in relief as she approached the gates. She knew it was vastly unusual for a governess to arrive on horseback, but she had her excuses ready. Sarah would explain she had a deep love for her horse and plead for her mount to be stabled on the grounds, as unexpected and as rude as that might be. Sliding down from the saddle, she felt her legs buckle, unable to hold her up. Clinging to the saddle for dear life, she suddenly felt strong arms lift her off the ground, march into the house and placed her, none too gently, on the chaise lounge. Speechless, Sarah attempted to right herself and smooth her dress, realizing the wrinkles were an almost hopeless case. With trepidation, she lifted her gaze to the man before her and saw his dark eyes giving her a thorough assessment.

  “Kindly explain who you are and why you are on my property.”

  His presence filled the room as she shrank back, his loud voice reminding her of her father’s anger. He was waiting for an answer, and she could not ignore him.

  “I am Sarah S-, Sarah Brown, Your Grace,” she squeaked, assuming that this was none other than the Duke of Huntington. “I am your new governess.”

  The Duke of Huntington grimaced. He had not expected this mouse to be the governess. He studied her for a moment longer, her dull brown hair in complete disarray and deep blue eyes staring at him anxiously. At least she had some color in her cheeks, but she still appeared so small and inferior, considering his last governess had appeared much more capable, yet still handed in her notice after a few short weeks. How would this quiet creature handle his rambunctious twins?