Wicked Temptations for the Seduced Duchess: A Steamy Historical Regency Romance Novel

by Olivia Bennet

  I am making arrangements for the day you are able to come here, to Summerhill Hall, and I have asked the architects to design an apartment that shall be all your own. For when you grow tired of me, or when you desire some time to yourself. You shall decorate it as you please, and I shall spare no expense to meet your wishes. I had thought to implement a room that could become nursery, also, though that may wait a while.

  I am anxious to hear from you. How I wish I could speak to you in person and hold you in my arms once more. I long to kiss you and brush my fingertips through your hair. I would give anything to be near you again, for we have been too long apart. I fear I shall go out of my mind if I cannot make arrangements soon. Has your mother made any progression? If not, then you and I must forge our own pact.

  As for your question regarding my pursuer; he has not shown his face, nor made any further attempt on my life. I can only assume that he does not know of my whereabouts, or he has come to the conclusion that I am unworthy of his revenge. In truth, I still do not know why he wished to cause me harm. I have asked my brother if there have been any grievances made against the dukedom, but he does not know of any, either.

  I hope that will convince you that I am safe and well, for your letter sounded worried. I do not want you to worry, my love, for not even my attacker could prevent me from returning to you. I would face him a million times over if it meant we could be together again.

  I love you, Lydia. I have not stopped and will not stop.

  Yours Affectionately,

  Edward

  She returned the letter to its secret spot and made towards the door, her stomach rumbling. She had scarcely eaten in the past week, for fear of encountering her father at the dining table.

  Checking that the landing was clear, she hurried along the landing and down the stairs, heading in the direction of the kitchens. She was halfway down the right-hand corridor that branched off from the entrance hall, when a noise brought her to an abrupt halt. Through one of the doors, she could hear the unmistakable sound of raised voices.

  “You make a mockery of me, Annabelle!” It was her father’s voice.

  “I am simply asking you to reconsider, George. What harm can it do, now? Your father is dead, and Edward’s grandfather is long buried. Why insist on reopening old wounds? Would you not rather see your daughter happily wed?” Her mother’s voice was low and anxious.

  “Not to that despicable family. Not whilst there is breath in my lungs.”

  “He loves her, George, and she loves him. Let them repair the injuries of old quarrels. Let him prove the worth of his family name to you,” her mother urged.

  “I cannot believe you would even suggest it, Annabelle. It is abhorrent to me.”

  Lydia could not wait outside and listen to him speak to her mother in so harsh a fashion. Steeling herself, she burst through the door, and found her father looming over her mother in a threatening manner. It shocked her to the core, for her father had never been a gentleman of conflict. He hated violence of any kind, and yet he was clearly frightening his wife.

  “Stop, Father!” she cried. “Mama is right, if you would only listen to her. Here, you have an opportunity to build a bridge, and you choose to tear it down. I love him, Father. I wish he were from a different family, but he is not. Please, please, listen to us.”

  “She has put you up to this?” Her father turned to her mother in horror.

  “No, George, I am merely acting in her best interests.”

  “You have colluded against me,” her father muttered. “My own wife and daughter. I can hardly believe it.” A flash of understanding crossed his face. “Those letters that keep disappearing from the tray—they are from him, are they not? Do not lie to me, either of you!”

  “George, you must calm down.” Her mother put her hand upon her father’s arm, but he snatched it away.

  “This is the final straw. I will not see my daughter wed to any son of that family. I would rather die before I let such a travesty occur.” Her father’s eyes burned with dark fury. “You will go to your room and stay there. I will send word to the convent in Headley, and I will arrange a position there for you. If I hear a word of protest, I will take you there this instant and deposit you at the front door.”

  “George, no!” Lydia’s mother shrieked.

  “That goes for you, too. I am disgraced by my own wife and daughter. I will not endure it any further. Lydia will go to the convent, and she will remain there until she has learned some grace and respect. You will join her, Annabelle, if you speak against me again.”

  Lydia was horrified, for she had never seen her father like this in all her life. She knew the tale of her grandparents, but she had not expected that it would haunt her father in this terrible manner. It had turned him into some sort of demon—a twisted version of himself that she did not recognize.

  Terrified for her mother and for herself, Lydia fled from the room and pounded up the stairs towards her bedchamber. She heard footsteps echoing behind her, but she did not dare to glance over her shoulder. As she slammed the door in defiance, she heard a key turn in the lock.

  I am trapped.

  Frantic, with tears running down her hot cheeks, she rushed to her escritoire and pulled out quill, ink, and paper. She wrote with a vengeance, determined to find a way to send word to Edward. If she did not, she knew she stood no chance of ever seeing him again.

  My dearest Edward,

  My father is furious. He will not listen to reason. He is sending me to a convent, though I do not know when. It will be soon, undoubtedly. I am afraid, Edward. Please, send help. Take me away from here. Otherwise, you and I will never see each other again. It will be impossible, and we will not be able to change the course of our future.

  All my love,

  Lydia

  She scribbled the address on the front and sealed it with her own emblem, before running to the window. She opened it but realized that attempting to scale the wall below would be suicide. It was too far down. If she did not die, she would surely break something.

  Although, perhaps that will buy me the time I require.

  Suddenly, she caught sight of Caroline, walking in the gardens with John Chalmers. She had quite forgotten that he had come to visit with her today, as he had done for the past few days. Their budding romance seemed to be developing rather well. She envied the simplicity of it, though she was thrilled for her elder sister.

  She espied the chaperone in the distance, asleep on a bench in the rose gardens. If she did not act now, she would lose the opportunity altogether.

  Pursing her lips, she whistled loudly to catch Caroline’s attention. At first, she did not hear the piercing sound. However, as the whistles became more desperate, Caroline peered around her with a bemused expression upon her face. Her gaze found its way to Lydia, who waved wildly from the window.

  Immediately, Caroline ran to the spot below. “Lydia? Whatever is the matter?”

  “You must do something for me, Caroline. It is an urgent matter. If you do not do this for me, I am certain my life will be over.”

  “What has happened?” Caroline’s expression darkened.

  “Father is sending me away. He has quite lost his mind. He has locked the door and will not permit me to leave. You must help me, Caroline, I beg of you.”

  Caroline paused for a moment, before nodding. “What shall I do?”

  “You must send this letter by express messenger. Edward is my only hope. Please, dear sister, please do this for me.” Tears flowed down her cheeks, and her hand trembled around the letter.

  “I will do it, Lydia. Throw it down.”

  Lydia did as she asked, the note fluttering down to the gravel below. Caroline picked it up and flashed her sister an encouraging smile, before turning to Lord Chalmers. He was a handsome young man and seemed to care very deeply for Caroline. Indeed, in that moment, he looked very concerned for her welfare.

  They spoke animatedly for a short while, with Lord Chalmers cas
ting a few choice glances up at Lydia. She could not hear what was being said, and it worried her greatly.

  Please, Caroline…

  With a fleeting touch of their hands, Lord Chalmers took the letter from Caroline’s hands and rushed away across the gardens. A few moments later, in the near distance, Lydia heard the sound of hooves departing the house grounds.

  “John will deliver your letter to Edward. He has sworn to do so, and I trust him with all my heart,” Caroline said, clasping her hands in silent prayer.

  “I pray that your faith is in the right place, Sister, for if it is not…I am doomed.”

  Chapter 30

  Edward looked up from the pile of paperwork that awaited his attention, as one of the valets peered around the doorway.

  “Ah, Your Grace, there you are,” he said.

  “Is something the matter, Daniel?”

  “No, Your Grace. There is a gentleman at the front door who requires an audience with you. He says he will not leave until he speaks with you personally, though I have attempted to get him to leave word with me.”

  Edward sighed. “It is no trouble, Daniel. I will be with him momentarily.”

  “Very good, Your Grace.” Daniel disappeared, as Edward got to his feet and headed for the front door. There, he found himself face-to-face with an unfamiliar gentleman, who wore a very perplexed frown upon his features.

  “Are you Edward Godwin, Duke of Summerhill?” the gentleman asked.

  “Yes. And you are?”

  “My name is John Chalmers, and I have come from Greenwick Abbey on a very urgent matter. I have ridden without pause to reach you, at the behest of my sweetheart.” He removed a letter from his pocket and handed it over.

  Edward’s heart lurched. “Greenwick Abbey, you say?” He took the letter and opened it without hesitation. His eyes flitted across the page, his nerves shattering as he read the words within.

  She is in trouble.

  “Are you able to ride back? Do you require rest?” Edward asked, panicked. He would not have suggested it if he were not desperate.

  John Chalmers shook his head. “I will ride back at once, if you have a reply to send?”

  “Come inside and partake of some refreshment, whilst I pen a response. I will not be but a moment.” Edward ushered John inside the house and led him into the drawing room, where he settled the gentleman in his chair. He gestured for John to drink the tea and eat the sandwiches that he had ordered for himself. The gentleman did so gratefully, as Edward hurried to the bureau in the corner.

  Beloved Lydia,

  I am sending a carriage for you. Be ready for its arrival. It will come this very night and stop beyond the driveway to your house. Go to it, and I will be waiting there to bring you home.

  All my love,

  Edward

  “Lord Chalmers, are you able to leave this very moment? I would not ask if it were not urgent, but I believe my own sweetheart is in dire trouble.” He sealed the letter and held it out to the gentleman.

  John drained the cup of tea and swallowed the last of the sandwiches. “I will ride away right now, Your Grace.”

  “I am eternally grateful to you, Lord Chalmers. Once this is resolved, you must send word to me, and I will see to it that you are suitably recompensed for your troubles. It is the least I can do.”

  John dipped his head in a bow. “Thank you, Your Grace, but I do not require payment for this task. It would appear that you and I are in the same situation, with our hearts stolen by the ladies of Greenwick.”

  “You have my gratitude, Lord Chalmers.” He urged the gentleman toward the door and watched him mount his horse and ride away. Only when the fellow had turned onto the main road did Edward retreat inside, his entire body shaking with terror for his dearest love.

  I pray I am not too late. Do not let me be too late, or I shall never forgive myself.

  He spotted his most trusted groom, Phillip, crossing the driveway beyond the hall window and called out to him, running for the door. “Phillip, I have a rather pressing task for you, but I must have your utmost discretion in the matter.”

  “Yes, Your Grace?”

  “You know how to drive a carriage, do you not?”

  Phillip nodded. “I do, Your Grace.”

  “Have the carriage ready for seven o’clock this evening, and have a horse prepared for me, too,” Edward said rapidly. “I cannot say where we are going at this present moment, but I will inform you of the details this evening. Mention this to no one. If the ostlers ask where the carriage is going, you tell them that I wish to collect an acquaintance from London and I will be riding alongside. Do you understand?”

  “Yes, Your Grace.”

  “Say nothing, or I shall be forced to dismiss you.” Edward hated using such a threat, but he had no choice. He needed to insure discretion, at any cost.

  Phillip looked startled. “I will say nothing, Your Grace. You know you may trust me. I will make the preparations this very moment.”

  Edward heaved a tentative sigh of relief. “Thank you, Phillip. You will be richly rewarded for this, I promise you.”

  The groom hurried away, leaving Edward alone in the entrance hall. He leaned against a nearby pillar, feeling his knees buckle as adrenaline coursed through his veins. Lydia was in trouble, and he was not there to protect her.

  I will be there for you soon, my love. I am on my way.

  “You fool,” a voice cut through the hall. “You utter, utter fool.”

  James had seen the rider approach and come to investigate, though he had ducked into the shadows of the staircase after seeing the state of his brother. He had never seen Edward so anxious in all of his days. It was that which had led him to eavesdrop upon the conversation.

  You have outdone yourself this time, Edward.

  “Do not speak to me in such a manner,” Edward shot back, his face pale.

  “So, that is why you did not wish to tell us of this young lady’s identity—she is the daughter of the Duke of Greenwick. You have fallen in love with our sworn enemy. It would be laughable if it were not so abhorrent.” James seethed with anger, for all the trouble that the Duke of Greenwick and his family had caused the Summerhills.

  “It is none of your concern.”

  “Oh, but it is, Brother. I will not allow you to bring disgrace to our family. Do you not understand what we have suffered because of those vile wretches?” James spat.

  “It is long overdue that we buried old disputes,” Edward replied, evidently struggling to remain calm. “My marriage to Lydia will insure that they are never spoken of again. Our love will see the Summerhills restored to their former glory. You can have no quarrel with that.”

  James grimaced. “And what would our father say? Or our grandfather, for that matter? Do you care so little for your family name and title that you would cast it all aside for some harlot?”

  Edward’s eyes narrowed. “She is no harlot, nor is she our enemy. I love her, but it is so much more than that. It is because I care that I know this is the right path. As for father and grandfather, they ought to have sought to make amends long ago. They were the ones at fault, not the Greenwicks.”

  James strode towards his brother, bristling with ire. “How dare you.”

  “How dare I? How dare our grandfather treat a young lady with such disdain. Yes, his pride was wounded, but he ought to have behaved like a true gentleman and bowed out with his dignity intact. Instead, he terrorized that poor lady. He threatened her innocence and her reputation, all for his own gain. I will repair what he did, and I will do it with love and not hate.”

  I thought you had more sense than that, Brother. “You are exactly what father claimed you to be—you are a disappointment to this household, and the title that he bestowed upon you when he died,” James hissed, balling his hands into fists. “I am almost glad that he has passed, for this news would likely have killed him.”

  “You will not prevent me, James. Do not try, or I will have you sent from
this house in your own disgrace,” Edward warned.

  “You would not dare.”

  “For Lydia, I would do almost anything.” Edward stood to his full height, the two men facing off like wolves fighting over territory.

  “You prize fool.”

  “I am no fool. I know precisely what I am doing, and my reasoning is good.”

  James shook his head in disbelief. “Now, I understand the problem you face. The Duke of Greenwick discovered who you were, did he not? I imagine he has reacted in much the same manner that I am doing. He understands the acrimony between our families. He has not forgotten, and neither should you.”