The Illegitimate Duke

by Sophie Barnes

  “I have just been informed that necessary measures were taken by the military earlier today when three individuals attempted to flee St. Giles. A man and a woman were both fatally wounded.”

  Covering her mouth with her hands, Juliette tried to stifle her gasp. This was exactly what she’d been hoping to avoid. No matter how many times she told herself it was a necessary action taken for the greater good, she doubted she’d ever fully convince herself it was right. Because it wasn’t. “They deliberately killed them when they could have chosen to injure them instead.”

  “Yes,” Florian agreed. He showed no outward sign of remorse over what had happened, but when he spoke again his voice was troubled. “Unfortunately the third individual, described as a boy roughly six years of age, escaped. He could be anywhere.”

  And just like that it felt as though the ceiling was falling down over her head. This was what Florian feared more than having to kill two people—the risk one child now posed to London’s population at large.

  “Oh God.” Lady Warwick’s stricken expression conveyed what everyone else in the room was probably thinking, namely that the typhus threat was no longer contained and that death was about to descend on the city with a vengeance.

  “I have to go,” Florian said. He was already striding toward the door while Juliette struggled to come to terms with the change of events. “Duchess,” he said, addressing Viola, “I need you to come with me. Everyone else, please stay as long as you wish and let yourselves out. We will reconvene here in two days for an update.”

  He was gone the next second with Viola hastening after, the sound of the front door opening and shutting an acknowledgment of their departure. Juliette stared off into the space now stretching before her. The abandonment she felt was irrational and persistent. She could not seem to shake it or the unpleasant envy welling inside her. The moment trouble had come to call, Florian had turned to Viola for help, and the lady had come to his aid with remarkable swiftness. Rational thought reminded Juliette that the two were business partners of sorts, but she still couldn’t stop from wondering about the degree of their involvement.

  Especially when she had recently come to the realization that she wanted Florian for herself.

  Chapter 15

  Juliette climbed the steps of St. Agatha’s hospital with the same degree of determination that had brought her to Florian’s office for the first time three weeks earlier.

  “I wish to see Florian,” she proclaimed to the plump middle-aged woman who occupied the front desk.

  “You have an appointment with him?”

  “I am his patient.”

  And a concerned friend.

  Three days had passed since Florian had stormed out of his home to collect the bodies of the shooting victims so they could be examined. The meeting he’d asked everyone to attend two days later had since been canceled by letter.

  “That hardly answers my question.” The woman gave Juliette a resolute frown.

  “Perhaps not, but if he were not here you probably would have told me as much.” Without further warning, Juliette marched past the gatekeeper with her maid on her heels and headed straight for Florian’s office.

  “Miss! Stop! You cannot intrude like this!”

  Juliette ignored the hollering, turned down a corridor and strode toward the second door on her left. A quick knock was the only warning she allowed before shoving the door open and taking a look around the cluttered space. It was unchanged from when she’d last been there except for a stack of books now resting on the chair she had used.

  “My lady.” Florian struggled to his feet with weary movements. His features were drawn, his eyes rimmed with dark circles that bore proof of severe exhaustion while growth on his jaw suggested he’d been too busy to contemplate his own appearance.

  Not that Juliette minded this aspect too much. She was in fact surprised by how much she liked him looking more rugged than groomed. What she could not accept was the manner in which he abused his health.

  “You must forgive me,” the front desk woman panted from behind Juliette. “I tried to stop her but failed.”

  “No need to trouble yourself, Mrs. Brown. Her ladyship is welcome.”

  Mrs. Brown retreated and Juliette took a step forward. She was very aware of Sarah hovering nearby and made a quick decision—a possibly ruinous decision—right then and there. Gripping the doorjamb to keep herself steady, she turned to Sarah and told her clearly, “I have a personal matter to discuss with my physician. Please wait for me here.” Without giving her maid the chance to argue, Juliette stepped further into Florian’s office and closed the door behind her with a click.

  Florian watched her for a long, drawn-out moment before saying, “You are too bold for your own good.”

  “And you are no good to anyone in the state you are in.” She strode forward and picked up the stack of books occupying the chair she wished to use and handed them to Florian, who placed them on top of another pile. “When is the last time you slept?”

  His bleary eyes appeared to blink with great effort. “Not since I saw you last.” He slumped down onto his chair, breaking protocol by sitting before she did.

  “That was several days ago, Florian.” She lowered herself to the edge of her seat and folded her hands in her lap. “You need rest.”

  “I need to find that boy and . . .” His words trailed off.

  “Has it not occurred to you that you have no chance of doing so in your current condition? Besides, too much time has probably passed by now. All we can do is wait and see what happens, but if you do not take better care of yourself, you will be in no position to help anyone if it becomes necessary for you to do so. You cannot work effectively when you can scarcely hold yourself upright.”

  He grinned sedately. “You’re being very bossy.” There was something about the tiredness with which he spoke that she found incredibly soothing. “I think I rather like it.” His eyes caught hers, holding her captive in the clear blue depths. A fuzzy feeling of warmth stroked over her skin, teasing and tempting. Enticing until her breath caught on the thrill of desire.

  “Why have you come here?”

  The question was far more complicated than it sounded.

  Because I’m concerned about you.

  Because I need to know you’re all right.

  Because I miss you and because . . .

  “Because you did not give the committee the update you promised. You canceled the meeting, which naturally made me wonder about the reason for it. I see now that it was because you were incapable of attending.”

  The edge of his mouth lifted in acknowledgment of her comment. “So that is it, is it? You merely came to see what kept me away? To appease your own curiosity?”

  “Yes.” Juliette punctuated her answer with a firm nod.

  The dry chuckle Florian returned conveyed disbelief. “I see.” He covered a yawn with his hand before continuing. “Well, Viola and I have been hard at work since the shooting incident. When we weren’t attempting to find the boy who got away, she was ensuring the patients here at the hospital were not forgotten while I went to visit and treat the people of St. Giles to the best of my abilities.”

  “And now?” When he seemed confused by her question she clarified. “Why are you not home in bed, Florian?”

  Moving sluggishly, he leafed through some newspaper clippings and other scraps of paper on his desk. “When last we met, you suggested we acquire a ship for the purpose of quarantining the sick. The faster we implement this, the better. So I have been trying to find appropriate vessels. Several are listed in these advertisements but not all are large enough for our purpose.” His words were spread out as if it took great effort for him to speak. “I have sent inquiries in response to a few but there are still several remaining.”

  “And you would like to get it done before you go rest.” She understood him perfectly. His dedication was such that he would put himself last whenever it came to the well-being of others. />
  “This is a priority. It has to get done as quickly as possible.”

  “You are right. But succeeding in this will mean nothing if you sacrifice yourself in the process. Three days without sleep cannot possibly be healthy and will not see you at your best. What if someone arrives here requiring surgery? Can you be certain you will not make a mistake and cause more harm than good?”

  Resting his elbows upon his desk, he placed his head against his hands and rubbed his eyes. “I am not the only surgeon here. Haines and Blaire are both available to anyone in need.”

  Juliette puffed out a breath. The man was too stubborn for his own good. “And what of the people of St. Giles?”

  “I mean to go back and check on them later today.”

  She stared at him. “You are in no position to do so in your current condition.”

  Dropping his hands, he leaned forward with undeniable irritation producing a glower. “You speak as though I am foxed, which I am not.”

  “And yet your speech is slurred, your eyes appear bloodshot, your hair is in utter disarray and your clothes the exact same ones you were wearing the last time I saw you.” This was something that had only just occurred to her now. “You are a crumpled and exhausted mess, Florian. Go home and sleep, take a bath, get changed, and you will accomplish more once you do.”

  “But—”

  “In the meantime, I will take on the task of finding a ship. It is the least I can do since it was my suggestion to begin with.” She glanced around, acknowledging the haphazard distribution of items around the room. “Raphe and Coventry can help me so you need not worry. We will figure this out and help ease your burden.”

  “And the missing boy?”

  “You are no closer to finding him here than you would be from your bed. If we are lucky, he is either unaffected by the disease or hiding somewhere where he won’t make contact with others. Children generally recover, so hopefully he will as well without infecting anyone else.”

  “I worry, Juliette.”

  Hearing resigned despair in his voice, she stood and went to stand beside him. Her hand found his shoulder, resting there in an effort to soothe away all his troubles. “I know. Truth is, we all do, but I suspect it is worse for you because you have seen the devastation typhus can cause.”

  “It has to be contained. It simply has to.”

  “Agreed. But you must also remember that you are not fighting it on your own.” She gently squeezed the muscle beneath the wool of his jacket and savored the sigh he expelled in return. “You have friends, Florian—people who are ready to assist you with this.” When he angled his chin so he could gaze up into her eyes, her body went still in response to the melancholy yearning she saw there. “Every day, you come to the aid of others. I think it is high time we repay our debt to you.”

  It felt as though he was hovering somewhere beyond reality, in a lovely place were Juliette’s voice alone gave him endless comfort. He was well aware that his mind and body were weak with fatigue, but he had not felt able to take the necessary break he needed because so much remained to be done, it was overwhelming.

  Her hand rested firmly upon his shoulder, occasionally squeezing it in the most agreeable way. And she was close, her hip no more than an inch from his face. He really shouldn’t be seated while she stood, but he could not seem to bring himself out of the languorous state she’d put him in. Hell, he was sorely tempted to close his eyes and allow sleep to claim him right now, except doing so would deny him this moment of complicity.

  “Take off your jacket, Florian.”

  His entire body jerked in response to her demand. Accompanied by the sweet scent of peonies, it lured him to surrender. Only a tiny speck of sanity reaching out from the back of his mind gave him pause. “To do so would be unwise.”

  She sighed with absolute frustration. “Seeing you in your shirtsleeves is hardly going to affect my sensibilities or cause me to swoon. I am made of sturdier stuff than that, you know.” Her hands clasped hold of his lapels and began pushing the fabric back.

  Florian, exhausted as he was, had no choice but to submit to her wishes. Or so he told himself, since the scoundrel in him was rather eager to see where her undressing him might potentially lead.

  “When Raphe would return from his boxing matches,” she said, “Amelia and I would often take turns rubbing his shoulders. It soothed his aching muscles and reduced the tension within so he could rest with greater ease.”

  Pulling his arms from the sleeves, Juliette laid the jacket across the back of his chair and began removing her gloves. The effect of her standing up while he submissively waited, of the slow unbuttoning and peeling back of the kidskin gloves, and of the knowledge that she would soon place her hands upon him, sent hot desire spiraling through him.

  He knew he ought to stop her, that this couldn’t possibly lead to anything useful since he couldn’t act on his ever-increasing urge to claim her. But perhaps allowing himself a small indulgence would not be so bad.

  She moved in closer and Florian held his breath in anticipation of what she might do next. And then her thighs connected with his back and her hands sank into his shoulders, and for one incredibly bright second it was almost as if the world exploded around him. Christ, it felt amazing. With a groan of unabashed pleasure, he leaned shamelessly into the gratifying pressure of her touch. “Thank you,” he murmured, because he felt the need to speak in order to somewhat distract himself from the idea of sweeping one arm around her and pulling her into his lap so he could enjoy her body more fully.

  He wanted to kiss her until she was boneless, he wanted to tear her bodice to shreds with his teeth and run his hands up the elegant length of her legs and drive her wild with pleasure. But he could not and would not act on such impulse. Not when she deserved better. Not when he ought to be focusing his energy on other things. Not when threats had been made to those closest to him.

  “Is this good?”

  Good?

  He almost laughed since nothing in the world had ever felt better.

  “Mmm-hmm.” It was all he could utter without embarrassing himself and revealing the endless depth of his desire. Her thumbs worked a muscle and he groaned once again while impossible fantasies played out in his head. All of them involved her, each more scandalous than the last until all he could see was her, gloriously naked and waiting for him on his bed.

  His breeches tightened with increased discomfort and he suddenly feared she might see the effect she was having. So he caught her hand and looked up and was instantly rendered speechless. Her cheeks were a deep shade of pink, her eyes reflecting the need he felt while the pulse at her wrist leapt violently beneath his thumb.

  “Thank you, Juliette. That is enough.”

  Her gaze remained steady on his, and he knew in that moment that if he really wished it, he could kiss her right now without any resistance on her part. In fact, he knew without a shadow of doubt that she wanted him to do precisely that, perhaps more. But once he started down that path there would be no going back. And if her brother found out, he would likely insist they marry and possibly even throttle Florian for taking liberties with his sister. Which was as it should be.

  So he released her, stood and reached for his jacket. Putting it back on, he then gathered the ship advertisements he’d managed to collect along with some information on a few people who might be persuaded to offer their vessel to a noble cause, and handed the lot of it over to Juliette. “Here. Maybe this will be of some use to you.”

  Her fingers trembled, but rather than lose her resolve, she held her ground with admirable boldness. “Promise me that you are going home to bed.”

  The nod he gave her was just as unwavering as her resolve to see him well rested. “I do.” He followed her to the door and thanked her for all the help she offered.

  “It is necessary for all of us to do what must be done if we are to succeed,” she said. Opening the door she stepped out into the hallway where her maid stood waiting. “Com
e along, Sarah. There is much for us to accomplish.” She sent Florian a final glance before striding away as if saving the world took nothing more than a bit of elbow grease.

  Florian stared after her until she turned a corner and disappeared out of sight. She was incredible and worthy of great admiration, and his greatest wish right now was that he might one day deserve her.

  With his heart pounding so hard his ribs hurt, Jack huddled behind some crates in an alley. When the shots had sounded, he’d run as fast as his feet could carry him, darting along the road and dodging passersby. It wasn’t until he’d stopped for breath that he’d realized his parents weren’t with him. Doubling back along side streets while taking care not to be seen, he’d looked for them, eventually spotting their sprawled-out bodies, lifeless, upon the ground.

  A well of tears had choked him, silencing his cry of pain. He was alone in the world now and with nowhere to go. St. Giles was a death trap he’d be a fool to return to. So he’d turned away and started walking, taking shelter wherever shelter could be found. Starving, he’d pinched an apple from a street stall earlier, but the vendor had not been blind to his thieving and a friend of his had given chase.

  So Jack did his best to keep silent, hoping he’d avoid discovery. When it finally felt as though an eternity had passed, he edged his way back out into the street and carefully glanced around. A cough started up his throat, wracking his body while pain poured into his belly. The apple, hidden away in his pocket, no longer held appeal. He coughed again as he stepped out onto the pavement with the conviction he’d managed avoiding capture.

  “Hello.”

  Instinct told Jack to run but perhaps that would look too suspicious. After all, the voice was kind, so he chose to turn toward it instead. And coughed again.

  “You poor dear, you look quite unwell.” The woman who spoke was young with a pointy nose and brown hair. Both gave her a mouse-like appearance. She looked about. “Do you live far from here? Perhaps I can escort you home and suggest a remedy for that cough to your parents.”