The Duke's Bride: Book 5 (The Clearbrooks)

by Teresa McCarthy

  Jane bristled. Was Roderick laughing at her now?

  “That’s right, my girl,” the king declared. “Make it right and tight. No more worries.” He let go of her hands and swirled his palm in the air. “I shall make some monumental proclamation that will outshine all this gossip. Mark my words. You will be sought after at all the parties in London. What say you to that, my sweet?” He puffed out his chest like a peacock.

  Jane smiled again. Things were getting more complicated by the minute. “I thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty.”

  “George,” he declared.

  “George,” she said, tipping her lips upward. Her face was so tight from smiling, she thought it might break.

  The king breathed a sigh of relief and scowled at Roderick. “Well, man, get on your knees and propose. You are English, are you not?”

  Roderick pressed his lips together in annoyance. “I think I can do this by myself.”

  The king sighed. “I know. I know. But I rather like the romance. Go on, man. Do your thing.”

  Jane watched in shock as Roderick got down on one knee and took her hands in his. “Will you marry me Jane?”

  Jane wanted to gnash her teeth. He was only doing this because the king told him to. “Why?” she asked sweetly.

  The king roared with laughter. “Got you there. Ha, knew she was a smart one.”

  Two spots of red appeared on Roderick’s cheeks. But Jane wanted this done right. The fire in those smoky gray eyes did nothing to deter her. If she had to have the king as a spectator to her proposal, then so be it.

  Roderick brought her fingers to his lips. “Because, I love you, that’s why.”

  Her heart gave a sudden leap. Ah, she thought, nicely done.

  It was like a tennis match as the king shifted a curious gaze back to her, waiting for her reply.

  She didn’t disappoint. “And that’s it? What about babies?”

  The king blushed. “Curse me, my boy, the lady is a bold one! Perhaps I should take her for myself!”

  Roderick grasped Jane around her waist and leaned into her, acting like a besotted lover. “What the devil do you think you are doing?” he whispered.

  She bit her lip. “I want a full life,” she whispered back.

  “With or without me?” he growled.

  She dared to glare at him. “That depends.”

  “Now, now, no secrets until you are married,” the king said, laughing. He pulled them apart. “Well, well, what’s the verdict, little lady? Are we going to have a wedding tomorrow or not? I am sorry to say, there won’t be a honeymoon. No holiday tour afterwards, eh?” He yelped in unexpected glee. “Of course, you had the cart before the horse already, did you not?”

  Jane could only take so much. She dared to glare at the king.

  “Well,” the king said, standing up. “Never mind about all that. The duke here must head off to France. A matter of the Crown, don’t you know? So, my sweet, what is your answer?”

  “Tell him, yes,” Roderick murmured, leaning toward her. “We can fine tune the details later.”

  Jane’s heart sank. She realized Roderick would insist on everything being his way, no matter what she said. She had allowed him to have his way in many things before, but she was older now, and wiser. She had a baby to think about.

  Not only that, Roderick did not seem inclined to let her continue seeing Mrs. Hobbs, even if he eventually grasped the truth about her pregnancy.

  “Well, well, little lady, what’s the answer for our lovebirds?” The king laughed as if this was all a big jest. But to Jane, this was not amusing.

  Roderick put his hand to her back. “Sweetheart, all you have to say is yes. We can be married in an hour if the king wishes it so.”

  Jane stared at the two men, feeling cornered. Now, she knew what the fox felt like during the hunt.

  “I think not,” was all she said before she rose, curtsied, and swept from the room.

  She did not miss Roderick’s dropped jaw or the king’s shocked expression. But this was her life and her baby’s too. She would not be pushed into something just because the king and Roderick deemed it necessary. Oh, there was no doubt she would marry Roderick. However, she wanted a little more from a proposal. Commanding her to marry him was not the way to sway her! Or any woman for that matter!

  Chapter Eleven

  Roderick stood with mouth agape. He and the king watched in stunned silence as the door clicked close. What the devil had just happened?

  The king scowled and lifted his troubled face to Roderick’s. “You have a problem, Elbourne. Fix it. Don’t need this kind of news right now. Ain’t good for the Crown. You are a duke, curse it all. Tell her she must marry you.”

  Roderick’s lips thinned. He thought he had done that, but to his shock, she had refused to go along with anything he said.

  “I think I can handle this problem myself,” he said to the agitated monarch. “However, more fingers in the pie will cause more problems.”

  “Don’t think so,” the king replied, clearly disturbed. “Lady ran from the room as if the hounds of hell were after her. Denied you. You shall have to be firm with her. Tell her she must marry you or she will be ruined. That should do the trick. Females are flighty creatures, don’t you know? Need a strong hand.”

  Roderick would have laughed at the situation if it were not so dire.

  “I hate to inform you,” Roderick said in a clipped tone. “But one does not tell Jane to do anything. She may appear sweet, and she is, but beneath that candied exterior exists a woman with a backbone of iron.” A backbone that was getting stronger everyday, he thought with a frown.

  Roderick hated to admit it, but his sweet Jane was changing. She had been bold before, but this last act took the cake. The blue-eyed siren was moving quickly up the ranks from lieutenant to general, and frankly, it scared him to death.

  “A lady who can think for herself, eh?” The king shook his head. “Well, I’ve done all I could. Heard the news. Came as fast as those horses of mine would move. Owed you.”

  Roderick’s gaze sharpened as he regarded the king. Not for the first time did Roderick wonder how this license thing had come about. A niggling suspicion picked at the back of his brain. “May I ask how you discovered the information about my license and it’s so called error?”

  The king pulled at his cuffs and cleared his throat. “Listen here, if I divulged all my sources, I would no longer be called a monarch.”

  Roderick stood silent, waiting. Something was definitely afoot.

  However, the king changed tactics by chuckling and peering up at him. “But eh, you have a way with the ladies. Had a way before this so-called false marriage of yours took place. Do what you have to do, my boy. You are an Englishman, are you not?”

  Roderick’s black brows rose and he crossed his arms over his chest. “I believe there is something else to this entire mess. Are you going to tell me?”

  The king blatantly ignored the question and strode toward the door, his cape floating in his wake. “I shall be staying in Bath for a few days. Take the waters and what not. This gout of mine is acting up again, don’t you know? If there is a wedding, so be it. If not, we shall have to talk about all of this back in London.”

  The man rubbed his temples. “Curse me, this talk of marriage gives me the megrims. Need to get back to Brighton as soon as I can. But before I go, mayhap I will take a turn at the Upper Assembly Rooms. Give the people a show, eh?”

  Roderick watched in amazement as the king readied for his departure.

  His entire world had been turned upside down and the man was talking about a headache?

  Before the king reached the door, he spun around, frowning. “Ah, you do think you will be able to find that Devereaux chap?”

  Roderick scowled when he thought about leaving Jane. “I believe that is our mission.”

  “The man has declared a death sentence for me,” the king said worriedly. “Curse the lot of them. Men like him should
be hanged from the nearest tree. By Jove, never laid a hand on the fellow. Why should he be setting his sights on me? The war is over, and we won, and that’s that.”

  Roderick grimaced, thinking about Devereaux and the danger to his family. “We did kill the man’s father during the war. I would think that might be his motive.”

  “Well,” the king huffed. “I ain’t the one who killed him. It was you and Stonebridge that done the deed. Messy situation if ever I saw one. Quite a fix we are in. Quite a fix.”

  Roderick’s eyes glittered with fury. This was his king, but he could not just stand there and stay silent on the matter. “Are you saying we should have let Devereaux live? He was an assassin, killing our men, invading our very own homes. The man tortured the general before we could save him. And I can tell you, it wasn’t pretty.” Roderick all but growled out the words.

  Scowling, the king sliced his hand through the air. “Enough. Don’t want to hear the gory details. Just take care of the matter. Want to sleep at night. These megrims don’t help matters any. Well, by Jove, perhaps a few drops of laudanum will do the job.”

  Roderick stared back in complete silence. What else was there to say to the man? Questions still hammered at his brain. Yet it was obvious the king was not about to answer any of them. Nevertheless, he and Jared were putting their lives on the line. His mouth thinned as he thought about how his family would react if either of them were killed.

  “If it’s any consolation,” Roderick added, his gray eyes glittering with purpose, “that man wants to kill Lord Stonebridge and me too.”

  The king narrowed his gaze, catching the mockery in Roderick’s words. “Well, we can’t have that, can we? That would start an uproar in England if a duke were slain in his very own bed. Having enough problems with Parliament. People are crying over everything, including the expense for my coronation next year. Cannot please a blessed soul these days.”

  Roderick stuffed his hands in his pockets and stared at the man. He didn’t want to touch that subject with a ten-foot pole. The coronation wasn’t his business at the moment. The possible killing of his monarch was.

  “Well, well, a nasty business, all of this.” The king fanned his face. “Think I need to get back to the house. Staying with Lord Garette. Know him?”

  Roderick stiffened. He thought Clayton had mentioned something about the man leaving Bath. “Indeed, I do know him. If—”

  Roderick and the king looked up in surprise when the door whipped opened. Roderick’s first thought was, who would dare enter the room when the king was in residence? Then, in an instant, he realized it could only be Jane returning to say yes. His heart gave a sudden leap. It would be one less thing to worry about while he was gone.

  But he was wrong. It was not Jane. It was Agatha. Confound it! What the devil had he done to deserve this?

  The lady stood before them, her eyes blazing. She waved her parasol in the air like a royal scepter, and even the king staggered back, pulling at his cravat.

  Agatha’s glare seem to pierce the man’s soul.

  Roderick watched the exchange with a calculating eye. How very interesting. Agatha had something on the king, and the man was shaking in his boots.

  “Good day, Your Majesty,” Agatha greeted stiffly, adding a quick curtsy. But there was more in that exchange than a greeting. Roderick could feel the tension as if it hit him on his head.

  “Miss Appleby,” the king replied stiffly. And before Roderick could intervene, the king departed, shouting to his servants to ready the carriage.

  Agatha slammed the door closed. Her sizzling gaze stabbed Roderick like a red-hot poker. Thunderation, he thought. He was dashed glad the parasol wasn’t flaming.

  Trying to show he was not affected in the least, he walked over to the rosewood sideboard and grabbed a snifter of brandy. “Would you like one?” he asked, looking over his shoulder.

  “What I would like,” she hissed, “is to take you over my knee!”

  The notion took hold in his mind, and he burst out laughing. “I shall keep that in mind when I cross you again.”

  “You, my dear man, fail to see the hot water you are in.”

  He took a swallow of the amber liquid and peered over his glass. “Never mind me. What powers do you hold over him, madam?”

  “Him?” she asked skeptically.

  “The king, Agatha. You know exactly what I am talking about.”

  The older lady snapped her parasol against the Aubusson rug. “Forget him. Are you going to make an honest woman out of my Jane? Or will I have to shoot you in you own house?”

  He clanked the snifter against the sideboard. “I tried. She denied me.”

  “What kind of Englishman are you? Go after her.”

  “I hate to tell you this, my dear woman, but between you and the king, I have yet to have a chance to speak to my wife alone for more than a few minutes.”

  The lady advanced on him, the parasol swinging by her side. “She is no longer your wife you addlepated nincompoop.”

  He stepped between her and the sofa. “Do not dare to come within ten feet of me with that deuced parasol, Agatha. For I vow I will break it in two.”

  To his surprise, Agatha’s face crumpled. “You hurt her, Roderick. I don’t know if I will ever forgive you for that. She had a hard life when she lost her parents, and she tried to keep those babies of yours. But you will not budge an inch.”

  Her broken voice touched Roderick’s heart. What could he say?

  “I am begging you,” she replied, tears filling her eyes. “Find some compromise or you will lose her. You will lose everything you ever had together.”

  Roderick strode forward, took the lady gently in hand, and escorted her to the sofa. She seemed quite frail now. “I will not lose her,” he said softly. “Jane loves me. She has to marry me. There is no other choice.”

  Agatha blew her nose into a handkerchief and peered over the white cloth. “Is that so?”

  He smiled and towered over her, trying to make light of the situation. “Yes, that is so. What could she do without me? Her life would be nothing. She has to marry me after everything we have been through. I understand she had to take a stand in front of the king. But truly, Agatha, do you think Jane could do anything but marry me? There is no compromise on this.”

  He let out a heavy sigh and sank onto a nearby wing chair. “What a day.”

  Frowning, Agatha stuffed the handkerchief into her skirt pocket. “I will be on her side if anything happens. Just wanted you to know.”

  Roderick laughed. “Everyone in this house is on her side in this. But she will comply. We will be wed tomorrow and that will be that. Afterwards, I shall journey to France with Jared.” His voice turned serious. “And you dashed well know the reason for that.”

  Agatha grasped her parasol in both hands. “Devereaux’s son must be found. I will keep Jane safe at Hemmingly. Have no worries. I will see to everything.”

  Roderick leaned forward, rubbing a hand behind his neck. “We have had our differences, Agatha. But it would make me feel much better knowing Jane is safe at your country home. Jared and I will be sending more men to help you.”

  Agatha swallowed. “As to that marriage license—”

  She was cut off when the door clicked open, turning both their heads.

  Roderick rose in one fluid motion as Jane marched into the room. Even though her blue eyes blazed with anger, he still thought she looked lovely with her flushed cheeks and rounded figure.

  “Do you know?” she announced. “One can hear almost everything outside that door?”

  Agatha’s cheeks turned pink. “We were only discussing your future, my dear.”

  Jane’s face softened as she turned to the older lady. “I know. But do you mind if I speak with my hus— I mean, Roderick, alone?”

  Agatha rose. “Don’t’ mind at all, dear.” She kissed Jane on the cheek and hurried fro the room.

  Jane look at Roderick’s smiling face. He seemed so confiden
t, so powerful so self-assured. She hoped her son or daughter took on some of that character, but she also hoped her child carried a bit more humility too. Because right now, Roderick made her so mad, she wanted to scream. How could he think she would marry him again with his pompous attitude?

  “Now, Jane,” he said, taking her hands. “I know this is all a shock to you. But don’t worry. The king and I have it all in hand.”

  “You must be deaf because I denied your proposal only minutes ago.”

  His lips twitched in amusement. “I know you did that for the king’s benefit. You wanted to display a keen mind and strong character, and devil take it, you did it magnificently! By Jove, I applaud you for it.”

  She jerked her hands from his. “You applaud me, do you? Well, what do you think? Should we marry again?”

  “Of course. I thought I made my position on the matter perfectly clear.”

  She struggled against the emotions swirling in her head. Roderick was her life. Her heart. Her soul. Yet she realized if she did not stand up for herself, she would regret it.

  “I see,” she said. “It seems to me that you have decided you will make all the major decisions, including the decision about having children, or at least trying to have children?”

  “Correct,” he said coolly. “Besides being your husband, I am a duke, after all.”

  What a pompous remark! She knew Roderick had a big head about some things, but she had given him some leeway because his father had brought him up to think so much of himself. He had been the firstborn, the heir. That, in itself, had set Roderick apart from his other siblings. However, the man did have a good heart. He adored his nieces and nephews. He was kind to his mother. He helped the poor. He paid attention to his tenants and had many other good qualities. But this attitude toward her was unacceptable!

  “Actually,” she said sweetly, testing him. “I have no other choice, do I?”

  A beaming smile lit his eyes. “You, sweetheart, are smarter than any other lady I know, besides my sister, that is.” He gave her a peck on the lips.

  Ha, as if that would seal the agreement, she thought.