An old man stumbled toward her, laughing and talking under his breath. He stopped in front of Marianne and said, “Ya know what? We’ve a Duke in our midst!”
“Is that right?” she asked, attempting to keep her voice rough.
“Yep,” the man replied as he threw a thumb over his shoulder. “By the way, I’m the Earl of brandy.” He laughed so loudly, she wondered if her ears would burst. He moved past her and was soon gone.
Marianne looked toward where the man had indicated, and indeed, there sat William. She smiled, glad to see her guess had been right.
“At least you have a brother,” William said as he reached for his mug. “I have no one.”
Marianne reached out and placed her hand over the mouth of the mug. “That is where you are wrong,” she said in a gruff voice.
“How would you know?” William asked as he turned to look at her. At least a week’s worth of growth grew on his cheeks and chin in an unruly fashion and his eyes were filled with pain.
“Because I am here for you,” she whispered.
His eyes widened. “Marianne?” he asked with a shake of his head. “What are you doing here?”
“I came to find you,” she explained as she glanced around them. “Come with me, William. You do not need to drink any more ale.” She thought he might refuse, but he gave a single nod and then exited the pub with her.
They stood at the end of the alley, which was a quiet relief compared to the noise of the pub. No one else was around, and she reached out and took his hands in hers. “William, what has become of you?” she asked, searching his face. “Where is the man I first met, the gardener who spoke of breaking rules? The man who showed me that life is more than what society dictates and holds great happiness?”
“I wanted nothing more than to be as strong as my grandfather,” he said with a sigh. “But then I became something I did not want to be.”
“You can only be yourself,” Marianne said with a squeeze of his hand. “You are not your grandfather and never will be. Nor can you be your father. You are William Hawkins, the man who can climb a tree, reach into the heavens, and give a woman the stars as a gift that is far more valuable than any dress or jewelry that can be bought. That is the man for whom I care, the man who showed me how to break the rules society has deemed appropriate. Do you not see? It was you who showed me what was important in life.”
He gave her a nod, although she could still feel the pain flowing off him. “You are right, as always,” he said. “But I have failed everyone, especially you. I cannot be a Duke, for it takes a strong man to hold that title. That man is not me.”
Marianne clicked her tongue. “That is not true,” she admonished. “You are strong, even more so than the first time I met you. You have allowed your ego to push away your kindness, all in an attempt to be someone you are not! You allowed the Dowager Duchess to corrupt you. Look what she has done to you!”
William winced. “By the time I realized what she was up to, it was too late. I lost Mr. Ludlow, pushed away Thomas, and then you…” His voice broke. “I am sorry, Marianne. I never meant to hurt you. If you believe anything I tell you, please believe that.” He gazed down at the ground. “I have lost you.”
She smiled through the tears that misted her eyes. “No,” she replied. “You have not lost me, for I am here for you. I will always be here for you. We made a promise to one another, and I know we will both keep it no matter what happens.”
“I do not understand. The way I treated you, my words, my actions, they are unforgivable. How could you ever look past what I have done?”
Hot tears now flowed down her cheeks. “It is because I love you,” she replied. “I realize now that I should have said those words before. In my own fear and worry, I did not, but it is because I love you and see the good in you that I am here.”
His face broke into a weak smile. “And I love you. I was alone and fearful of what I had become, but your guidance is what I need, your heart and your love. I took it all for granted and turned my back on you. But I swear I will never do that again.” He reached up and wiped the tears from her face. “Never again will I doubt you, nor will I raise my voice to you. Do you forgive me?”
“I do,” she whispered, then stood on her toes and kissed him. It was the most beautiful of kisses, for it was done in love. And although the setting was not one a person would consider romantic, it mattered not, for like title or land, love could be found anywhere.
“So, what do I do now?” he asked. “How do I fix the damage I have caused?”
“Tomorrow we will meet in the village and we will begin there. However, there is a promise I must ask you to make.”
“Of course,” he replied readily. “Anything.”
“No more talk of being your grandfather, or anyone else for that matter. You must always remain who you are. Believe me, if you do that, you will be the Duke you were meant to be.”
“You are right once again,” he said with a smile. “I will make things right and be the man you love and who loves you.” He pressed his lips to hers, and Marianne could feel the tension he had worn like a cloak leave him.
“We should be going,” she said as the sound of footsteps came toward them. “I must return to my home and you must return to yours.”
He nodded and they turned to find the disheveled woman walking toward them. “So, it’s true, is it?” she asked as she wiped her hand across her eyes. “You’re a Duke and a gardener? I’ve been listening for a bit, and it’s beautiful. You dressing up to come save him, and you,” she pointed at William, “you take care of her. A good woman is hard to find, just ask my husband.”
William smiled down at Marianne. “You have my promise that I will look after her,” he said.
The woman smiled and then surprised Marianne by giving her a hug. “Get back to your estate and never come ‘round here again. You’ve better things to be doin’ than hangin’ around here.”
Marianne smiled in thanks at the woman just as the front door of the pub opened. All three turned and Marianne shirked at the large figure standing in the doorway.
“You, again!” the massive man shouted. “After my wife again, are ye?”
“Run!” the woman whispered, and Marianne did not wait to be told again.
Perhaps it was the excitement or maybe even the fear, but Marianne laughed as she and William ran down the alleyway to the stables hoping the large man would not follow behind them.
***
The following day, as planned, Marianne walked beside William, her ever-faithful friend and confidante Julia following behind them. The village was as busy as usual, and a number of stares and hurried whispers came their way. Marianne could not help but smile as she glanced at the man beside her, a man who appeared confident, although a bit nervous.
“The Duke has returned!” and “He has not left?” as well as other statements could be heard around them.
“I believe in you,” Marianne whispered as they came to stand in front of the butcher’s shop.
Lawrence and his wife stepped outside, each wearing a wide grin. From across the street, the cobbler also stood outside his shop, as did the jeweler and the tailor. With each shopkeeper exiting their prospective shop, William stared down at Marianne, until she pulled away from him.
“Go on, speak to them.”
William cleared his throat, but the voice that echoed down the street was strong and clear. “My friends and business associates,” he said before waiting for the murmurs to stop. “There have been many rumors concerning me and my whereabouts, but I imagine the rumors concerning your livelihoods is much more interesting to you at the moment.”
Several people nodded their heads in agreement, but none appeared angry in any way.
“To own so much is a responsibility that I do not take lightly,” he continued. “For it not only provides a way for me to earn money, but even more importantly, it provides for your families. The rents will return to what they were before they we
re raised.” Several cheers resounded around them to this. “No more will you need to worry, for if there is a problem with the rents, or a delay in livestock or thread, you may simply come to me. All matters can be worked out and payments can be delayed if necessary. Please know that my ear is willing to listen to anyone who needs it.”
More people cheered this time, and Marianne could not have felt prouder than she did at that moment. Soon, the people began to disperse, and the butcher and his wife approached William.
“Your Grace,” the man said, giving William a bow, “your words have meant a lot to us. You’ve no idea how wonderful it is to know that we can speak to you without fear of repercussions.”
“We are both businessmen,” William said. “That, among other things, is what we have in common. Oh, and by the way, I will be by later to select a portion of lamb.”
The man gave another low bow. “Most certainly, Sir. I’ll make sure to save the best for you.”
Marianne and William resumed their stroll down the path. “Do you feel better?” she asked, although she already knew the answer by how he held himself.
“I do,” came his reply. “It is much better to be a Duke of kindness rather than one who is arrogant.” He patted the hand that lay in his arm. “Thank you for showing me that.”
“I showed you only what was already inside you,” she said with a smile. “For the man I love is strong and kind. Although he asks me to break so many rules, I am beginning to wonder what will become of me.”
He laughed. “We may both end up working at that pub,” he said.
As they came to the far end of the village where the new buildings were nearly completed, Marianne’s heart leapt into her throat when she saw the Dowager Duchess of Durryham approaching.
“Sofia,” William said in greeting, “I am glad to see you.” The Dowager Duchess frowned but did not respond. “I have something I wish to share.”
“And what would that be?” she asked in a cold voice.
“I will no longer be needing your help in the construction of the new shops,” he said.
The woman’s jaw fell open. “You cannot do that!” she shouted. “I will tell everyone what I know about you if you do!”
William snorted. “What? That I am a man of poor upbringing? That I worked as a servant? Please let them know, for I am no longer ashamed of where I come from.”
Marianne smiled as the woman stared at him, the look of defeat clear on her face. She sputtered and spat but appeared unable to put two words together, her shock was so great, and soon she was striding away from them, her lips so thin they nearly disappeared.
The men who worked on the new buildings did not seem to notice, and Marianne stood beside William as he watched the men work. “The village is growing,” he said. “New people will come from far away and set up shops and attend parties. I only hope they have what I have.”
Marianne gazed up at him and asked, “And what is that?”
He turned to her and put his fingers on her chin. “Love. For that is all that truly matters in life.”
Marianne could not agree with him more.
***
It had been two months since Marianne had gone to the pub to find William, and to her delight, he continued to make great strides. Not only did he reenlist Mr. Ludlow as his adviser, but he also set aside time to speak with the shopkeepers and had made severed business dealings whole again. However, it was many other things, such as the stars he gave her or the rose he took from the rose bush in the gardens that had her heart soaring.
“It will not be much longer before they go away for some time,” William said as he turned and handed her the perfect bloom.
Smiling, Marianne took the flower from him and inhaled its sweet fragrance. “Your gift is beautiful,” she said. “I will cherish it, just as I do all the others you have given me.”
He took her hands in his own. “There is a gift you gave me that is far greater,” he said. “The love we share, it is something I cannot express in any but this one way. You must understand that, in the years ahead, I imagine a life of happiness.”
“As do I,” Marianne replied, blinking back the mist of tears that filled her eyes.
“My happiness is with you, and that is why I ask you to be my wife.”
Marianne did not hesitate before throwing her arms around his neck. “Of course I will marry you!” she said, and he picked her up into his arms and spun her around, just as heroes did in the novels.
Around them, the birds sang, the sun shone brightly above them, and Marianne felt happiness course through her like she had never felt before. Turning, she glanced at her mother, who sat on a nearby bench, her nose buried in a book, although her smile was clear.
“Shall we go tell them?” Marianne asked.
William nodded and arm in arm, they told her mother, and then later her father, of their impending marriage. Both, of course, were beside themselves with gladness, her mother relating the ideas Marianne suspected she had planned since William first came into Marianne’s life.
Later, as Marianne prepared for bed, she smiled as she looked at the old clothes she had worn to the pub that she kept hidden in the bottom of her wardrobe. Her love for William was great, and she could not have expressed it in any other way, except to use one single word.
Love.
Epilogue
Snow covered the landscape, gentle flakes falling and collecting on every bush and tree. Inside, however, the roaring fires inside the ballroom warmed the guests who had come to celebrate the engagement of William Hawkins, Duke of Stromhedge, to one Miss Marianne Blithe. Soon, they would be wed, and Marianne would join her love to be by his side as he always was with her.
Smiling at her father, Marianne let out a laugh as he continued his conversation with two men, no doubt concerning some sort of business arrangement. Mr. Sharp stood beside his fiancée, a lovely woman Marianne had met previously.
Turning, she waited as Mr. Ludlow came to stand beside her, the silver-haired man as loyal to William as he had been in the beginning.
“His Grace has a guest who refuses to enter,” Mr. Ludlow said with a smile. “Shall I tell him, or would you rather?”
Marianne followed the man’s gaze and smiled. “I will tell him, Mr. Ludlow. Thank you.”
She walked over to William, who was speaking to an older gentleman whose name Marianne had already forgotten. “I am telling you, you cannot plant a rose before May,” the older man was arguing.
Marianne placed a hand on William’s arm to keep him from arguing. “I apologize for interrupting,” she said with a smile, “but His Grace is needed elsewhere, if you do not mind.”
The older man gave her a bow and a smile. “If it is to be with you, I am certain I can understand.”
When the man left, William looked down at her. “Who needs me?” he asked.
“I would guess it is Thomas,” Marianne said, “for Mr. Ludlow says he refuses to join the party. He is waiting for you in the foyer.”
William nodded and seemed to steel himself for a battle. “I will go speak with him.”
When Marianne did not move, he asked, “Will you not come with me?” Then he gave her a beseeching look. “Please?”
“Very well, if you insist.” She spoke in a playful tone.
They walked into the foyer, and Marianne recognized the man she had invited without informing William.
“Thomas,” William said with a wide smile. He glanced down at Marianne, very much aware of how the man came to be there, and seeming pleased Marianne had done such a deed for him.
The older man gave a hesitant bow. “Do you want me to leave?”
“No,” William replied. “I am sorry for how I treated you before. In the time I needed a true friend, you were there, and yet I pushed you away. For that, I am truly sorry.”
The man nodded thoughtfully. “Well, that’s fine, then. What do I call you again? Your Grace?”
William laughed. “My friends call me Will
iam, and I consider you a friend.”
Thomas smiled. “That’s more like it, William.”
“Thomas, I would like to introduce you to my fiancée Marianne.”
Thomas took Marianne’s hand and kissed it. “My Lady,” he said. Then his eyes took a mischievous twinkle. “I’ll have you know that he was the laziest gardener I have ever known.”
“Is that right?” Marianne said with a giggle.
“Not really,” Thomas conceded. “He’s always been a good man.” William gave the man a tight hug and Thomas pulled away. “That’s enough of that,” he said as he straightened his coat.
“Thomas, you have dreamed of having a cottage,” William said.
The man nodded. “I have.”
“Well, I have one here on my land with sheep that will need looking after. Would you like to come and live there?”
Thomas rubbed his chin. “Am I allowed to drink at night?”
“Of course,” William said with a laugh. “In fact, I would like to join you from time to time just like we used to.”
The two men reminisced about old times and soon all three headed back into the party. Although many smiled, Marianne could tell they were astonished that a Duke would let such a man into his home—as a guest, that is.
However, Marianne understood why he did, for friendships were much like love, having no boundaries unless one placed them. It was what made William the handsome, wonderful man he was and the reasons she loved him. No matter what, as long as love guided them, they would make it through any hardships.
Whether Marianne got her shop or not mattered not to her, for she had found something far more important to her, and she stopped to watch as William introduced Thomas to his new friends. At one point, William had run away, but the Duke had returned, and this man, she knew, would never leave again.
About the Author
Much like most Regency authors, Jennifer Monroe fell in love with historical novels of dashing dukes and women wishing to be swept off their feet. She believes that no matter how well a romance story is written, love must be the driving force behind the characters.
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