Misleading a Duke

by A. S. Fenichel

  With a resigned sigh, Jane did as she was told and helped Faith into a dress suitable for travel.

  Stepping into the hall for the first time as a free woman, she stopped and surveyed the dim upstairs hallway with only one small window at the end for light. The stairs were to the left, but Faith turned right and found Nick’s door open, with a nurse and Kosey inside, watching him sleep.

  “Miss, you shouldn’t be in here.” The nurse stormed over to push Faith out of the room. Her white cap fluttered as she hurried, as did the white apron tied over her blue dress.

  Pulling herself to her full height, Faith put up one hand. “Do not touch me, madam. I will see him and I will do so alone.”

  The nurse toyed with a ribbon of dark hair that had escaped her cap, before tucking it under the fringe. “But, miss, he’s not properly clothed for a lady to see him.”

  Faith sighed, unable to muster a laugh at the ridiculous statement. “I have seen worse. Leave us. I will call you back in a few minutes.”

  Kosey bowed before shooing the nurse from the room.

  “When did you become so formidable, sweetheart?” Nick had appeared asleep. His eyes flickered open and his voice was rough and weak.

  The white covers were pulled to just above his waist, and a mountain of pillows had been stacked behind his back. Faith stepped beside him. “I believe I have always been thus, but in private. The events of the past six days have made me see that holding back one’s true self is stupidity.”

  “How will you ever forgive me?” His eyes were half closed, but his sorrow shone through.

  “There is nothing to forgive. I arranged our meeting here at Parvus and tricked you into coming. Then I gave you no way to leave without acting ungentlemanly. This is my own doing, and it was you who paid the price.”

  He closed his eyes.

  Whatever the doctor had given him, he fell back to sleep.

  Faith leaned over and kissed his cheek. “I will leave you now, Nick. I suppose this was inevitable from the start. Get better and be happy.”

  Dashing away more tears, Faith took a deep breath and one last look at his face. Though swollen and bruised, he was still handsome and more importantly, kind and loving. Turning her back, she walked away.

  She refused to cry anymore and strode down to the dining room. It would do no good and she had to be stronger than tears.

  Geb sat reading a newspaper and drinking coffee. He looked up and grinned when she entered. “You are looking well rested, Lady Faith.”

  “Thank you, and thank you for rescuing us.” She sat to his left and thanked Jamie for the cup of coffee he poured.

  Thea made her a plate of sausage, toast, and jam and set it before her.

  Faith smiled but then turned her attention to Geb. “Mr. Arafa, how did you get here so quickly? It’s not that I’m ungrateful, I’m just curious as to how you managed it. Nick believed it would take a day or two at a minimum before anyone could reach us.”

  Nodding, he folded the paper and placed it on the table. “MacGruder nearly killed himself to get to me in two days. He is recovering in my home near London. After that, it was only a matter of convincing your government I needed a small army to leave immediately. Kosey and I set out with them and it was three days’ hard riding to get here.”

  The servants’ door squeaked open and Rumple pushed his head through. Glancing around, he spotted Faith and bounded the rest of the way in. He barked and jumped until Faith pushed out of her seat and met him on the carpet.

  “Look at you. I think you’ve grown bigger again.” She scratched the puppy behind the ears and hugged him to her chest.

  Rumple whined and licked her chin enthusiastically.

  “You know, I missed this little dog more than I realized. So much has happened, I’d almost forgotten he was here. I suppose I was afraid the worst would happen to him.” She pulled him onto her lap and hugged him tighter.

  Geb laughed. “He obviously missed you as well.”

  Having thought joy would never return to her life, the bundle of energy and fur was welcome. Faith sighed. “Jamie, come and take him back to the kitchen, will you?”

  “Yes, my lady.” Jamie picked up Rumple and rushed out of the room.

  Faith brushed out her skirt and returned to her seat. She let out a long breath and pushed aside her feelings. “Did you capture them?”

  Geb’s scowl said it all. “No. The enemy spies managed to get away from Colonel Whitman and his men. I assumed they had an escape route planned all along. They’ll be on their way back to France by now. I would pay an enormous sum to get my hands on the monsters who tortured Nicholas.”

  “Do you think they will try again?” A shudder ran up Faith’s spine.

  Placing his hands on the table in front of him, Geb cocked his head. “I doubt it. It was a huge risk to come here to take revenge on one man. Especially when lying to each other is what they all did, still do, I imagine. Nick told me what he could. The laudanum has made a full accounting difficult, and I don’t wish for him to suffer so I can hear the story a few days earlier.”

  “Shall I tell you?” The thought of recapping the past few days made Faith’s stomach roil, but she was strong and made the offer with her chin up.

  Geb shook his head. “It would ruin your breakfast and you need to eat. You must be quite a woman to have survived. Did they hurt you as they hurt Nicholas?”

  Sipping her coffee, she observed him over the rim of her cup. “No. I was not tortured. I was left in the wine cellar for several days and I did what I could for Nick after he was beaten.”

  Saying nothing, Geb examined her as she ate. He drank more coffee and occasionally asked if she needed anything. When she put her fork aside, he said, “You will return to London. I will see to Nicholas while he recovers. It will take a long time for him to heal.”

  Sighing, Faith rose and put her napkin on the chair. “I do not wish to leave him.”

  “It will take much time for him to heal. It would be unseemly for you to remain. I promise he will be well cared for.” Geb’s smile was warm and reassuring.

  Her heart ached at the idea of abandoning Nick after all they’d been through, but she was not his wife. How could she stay? “Thank you again, for arriving when you did. A few moments longer and this might have been a different day, Mr. Arafa.”

  He rose with her and bowed. “May I give you some advice, Lady Faith?”

  “Of course.” She placed her hands on the back of the chair.

  “When you are home in London, these days at Parvus will not go away. Talk to your friends. Tell them what happened. Keeping horrors locked inside allows them to fester and eat away at a person’s soul. Let those nightmares out and they will heal with time.” A thousand memories flashed across Geb’s eyes and left them solemn.

  “Will you listen to Nick’s stories and horrors?” she asked.

  Geb held his hands out to the side. “I will be here for him should he wish to talk. He can be quite stubborn on such matters. However, you should not follow his example, my lady. Take my advice.”

  “I will try my best.” Faith turned and walked to the door.

  “It is all any of us can do. You are, I think, very resilient, Lady Faith Landon. I think you will do well.” Geb’s voice followed her out of the dining room.

  She stopped. “I will leave the puppy here. Perhaps he will bring some happiness to Nick. Tell him that he may deliver Rumple back to me when he is well enough, should he wish to.”

  “As you wish.” Geb bowed and his counsel followed her on the four-day journey back to London.

  Chapter 15

  Three weeks later

  Parvus Castle

  “No more laudanum.” Nick pushed away the nurse with her spoon. “I’ve had quite enough.”

  Nurse Paulette was not used to being told no. She pulled h
er shoulders back and capped the bottle. “You’ll be sorry when the pain begins again and you can’t sleep, Your Grace.”

  A heavy sigh tugged at his scabs. “You may be right, but I’d just as soon have my mind back and suffer the consequences.”

  “As you wish, but at least let me put some liniment on the burn and your back.” Nurse went to the table and picked up her jar of ointment.

  He rolled to his side so she could access his back. She didn’t have Faith’s touch, but he was glad for the itch to ease. “Do you suppose she’ll ever want to look on my scars, Paulette?”

  There was a long pause. “She seemed a sensible and headstrong woman. It’s only been a few weeks, but you’re healing well. I don’t know her well, but it seems she would be foolish to turn down a duke.”

  “She’s done so before.” He chuckled but there was no joy in it.

  Paulette raised a brow. “Then you’ll just have to charm her, Your Grace.”

  “And charm her you will,” Geb said as he stood in the doorway. “Lady Faith left you something, but I didn’t want to bring it until you were better.”

  Nick had his back to the door. “What is it?”

  “Get that mongrel out of this room!” Paulette said.

  Stopped a moment by the pain, Nick still managed to turn onto his back. “Rumple?”

  “This is a sickroom. There is no place here for a dog. He’ll tear open his wounds.” Paulette held her hands up to block the intruders.

  Holding the end of a short leash, Geb smiled. “I will keep the pup calm, Nurse. It will do Nicholas good to pet something so full of joy and life.”

  “I give up with you both.” Paulette stormed from the room.

  Good to his word, Geb kept a tight hold on Rumple, who was jumping and crying to get near to Nick. He lifted the dog to the bed.

  The puppy calmed and lay beside Nick, some instinct telling him not to do harm with overexuberance.

  Nick ran his hand through the puppy’s soft fur. “She left him. Why?”

  Rumple crept forward along Nick’s side and licked his hand.

  “She said she wanted him to bring you some happiness while you recovered.” Geb sat in the chair next to the bed but kept hold of the leash.

  “I would have thought she would have wanted to take him with her back to London, where it is safe.” A spark of something akin to hope fired inside him as he scratched behind Rumple’s floppy ear. Nick had not felt anything like it in weeks.

  “She also said that if you wished to return him, you should do so when you are well enough.” Geb lifted both brows and grinned.

  Nick sighed and closed his eyes. He lifted one arm over them to block out light, memories…everything.

  Rumple whined.

  Taking the dog from the bed, Geb held him in his lap. “Jamie, come here, please.”

  Nick watched while Jamie carried Rumple away. “She left me the dog.” He didn’t know what to think of such a gesture. Was it her parting gift? He’d been too drugged and tired to respond to her good-bye, but it sounded so final. Now Geb’s message from her told a different story. There was an invitation to see her again in the message. “I don’t know what to think.”

  “You should think you are lucky to be alive so that you can do whatever it takes to win that woman’s heart.”

  “How can she want me after what I put her through?” The memory of her stricken face while he hung from the chandelier echoed in his mind. He closed his eyes to try to banish the image.

  Geb’s footsteps indicated he would leave Nick to his sulking. However, instead of the continued sound of retreating feet, the door closed and Geb returned. He dragged the chair closer and sat. Leaning in, he said, “Tell me what you see, my friend.”

  In all the time he was a spy, Nick never confided anything. He reported to his superiors, of course, but that never included the effects on him. When Léonie died, he gave Drake the facts and nothing more. Now Geb wanted not the facts, but his experience. It hurt so much to hold it in, he sighed. “I see a pair of amber eyes staring at me as I was about to die, and she would be the witness. She never glanced away. At one point I was so crazed, I thought I heard her mind.”

  “What did you hear?” Geb urged, eyes alight with interest.

  “I am with you. I am here. We are together.” He wished it were not just insanity talking. “I was mad with pain. It was only my imagination, but still it lingers with me.”

  “What kind of a woman would you say Lady Faith is?” Geb crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back. His black hair gleamed in the midday sun. It had snowed several times in the weeks since his rescue, and the sunshine reflected brightly in the room.

  Nick loved how gentle yet strong Faith was. Just thinking of her was a pleasure and torture. “What do you mean?”

  “You know what I mean. I can see on your face that you were just thinking about her. Is she kind, mean, cold, a whore, manipulative, angry, bitter, thoughtful… What kind of a person is Faith Landon?”

  Anger rose at some of the descriptions. “If you ever use whore in the same sentence with Faith again, I will cut out your heart.”

  Geb smiled. “I see. She gave herself to you and you worry if she thinks herself sullied.”

  “I was in no shape for such things,” Nick lied.

  “Is she generous?”

  Knowing how persistent Geb could be, Nick pushed himself to sitting and let the image of his voluptuous Faith fill his mind. “She is the smartest woman I’ve ever known, as well as the bravest.”

  “I was impressed that she survived with seemingly no ill effects, but why do you say she is brave? Because she watched you suffer and didn’t look away?” Geb had visited Nick’s room every day, but had not asked any questions while Nick was under the influence of laudanum.

  “Lord, is that all you think she did?” Nick laughed, but the sharp movement set his wounds aching. The pain subsided and Nick relaxed. “Faith endured nearly three days in the cellar with only one candle. It went out once and she was sent into complete darkness. She refused to leave when MacGruder came to get her, fearing it would go badly for the rest of us. While in there she had to care for me after a beating and she saved bread from the meager meals that were given her, in order that I might have more to eat. She cleaned and dressed my wounds even when they were more severe, and gave me comfort. She is the most magnificent woman ever born. When you rode up, she pulled Jean-Claude’s spare knife from the mantel and guarded me like a Valkyrie. She even managed to cut that bastard before he left. No one has ever been less prepared for a situation yet behaved with such honor and courage. No one.”

  Geb stared with eyes wide. “I didn’t realize. I would have liked to have seen her hold off Jean-Claude with his own blade. He will never forget such a thing.”

  “She is magnificent and I don’t deserve her.”

  “Why do you say that?” Geb leaned forward again, brow furrowed and his hands clasped under his chin.

  “I am little better than Charles, Jean-Claude, and Joseph. You know as well as I the things I’ve done and the pain I’ve caused.” Nick’s burned side chose that moment to throb. He took slow breaths through the spasms.

  Shaking his head, Geb scowled. “I know no such thing. You have never tortured anyone out of revenge. They didn’t need you to learn anything, and they knew full well you would die before you gave them one bit of real information.”

  Nick pressed his hand over the bandaged burn and tried to will it to settle. “Perhaps, but I have done more than my share of misdeeds. I have much to be ashamed of and very little pride in my time working for Drake and His Majesty.”

  “You worked for a greater good. If I’m not mistaken, you still do. In fact, when you are well enough, I have the rest of the map you asked for last year. It took a while to gather, but I now know who every one of Napoleon’s spies is and wh
ich ones are in England. The map shows where each is hiding.”

  Nick chuckled. It had been so long since he’d met with Geb in the garden during the same ball where he’d first met Faith, he’d almost forgotten. “Did you know my old friends were in town?”

  Geb’s expression soured. “No. My informants told me they were in Spain.”

  “Give the list to Drake. Let him sort it out. I’m tired, Geb. I’ve given my flesh, isn’t that enough?” Nick lamented his refusal of the laudanum as each wound pulsed one by one.

  “I think you will feel differently when you are well again. These spies are deeply embedded in your London society. They’re not going anywhere.” Geb stood. “I will call the nurse back in.”

  “Give the list to Drake, Geb. Don’t wait on me. I need no accolades.”

  “No, just a fiery brunette with wild curls and a noble heart.” Geb left the room, his white silk clothes highlighting his heritage and his laugh his friendship.

  * * * *

  After being in bed through Christmas with only brief walks around the upper floors, Nick was happy to be on the main floor of Parvus playing with Rumple. They sat on the rug in the restored salon and tugged on either side of a rag Rumple had stolen from one of the maids Geb hired.

  The previously uninhabited castle was fully staffed, with Kosey holding the position of butler. There were three footmen in white and powder-blue livery and at least five maids, which was excessive for the small castle.

  The door opened and a familiar voice said, “Am I disturbing you, Your Grace?”

  Francis Drake, Envoy Extraordinary, stood waiting to be invited in. His paunch had grown since last Nick had seen him, and his hairline had receded. Otherwise his sharp eyes were the same as they ever were, even after his embarrassment over some papers being apprehended a few years earlier. The fact that he shared a name with a famous sea captain and favorite of Queen Elizabeth, never fazed Drake, but it had always amused Nick.

  Nick scooped up Rumple and gave the puppy a squeeze before setting him aside. With the help of the sturdy chair near the hearth, Nick pulled himself to his feet. “Come in, Drake. I can’t say I was expecting you, but I imagine you want something.”