Misleading a Duke

by A. S. Fenichel

Faith had dozens of questions about the maid, but none were appropriate for the first tea with Elana, and she didn’t want to be rude. Still, there was something about Maude. “She never even rattled a dish on that heavy tray. What a remarkable feat.”

  That joyous smile returned to Elana’s face. “Maude is remarkable. My husband, Duncan, was in London three years ago meeting at the House of Lords. Maude was starving in the street. Her father is a wealthy and powerful Englishman. He brought her back from his tobacco farm in Antigua where he had fathered several children with his slaves.” Disgust rang in Elana’s tone. “Maude has never told us the entire story. When her father’s wife saw her, she tossed her into the street.”

  Heart aching for what the poor woman must have gone through, Faith felt her chest tighten. “What made your husband take her in? There are unfortunately many souls begging on London’s streets.”

  Elana sighed. “I think it was because Maude wouldn’t beg. She sat outside the House of Lords and waited for her father to come. She had hope that he would see her and do the right thing. Of course, Duncan knew none of the story at that time. He saw her waiting and asked for whom she waited. When she told him, he knew her father would not take care of his daughter. Duncan couldn’t bear to see her die in the street, so he asked her to become our ward. Maude said she couldn’t accept. She insisted on working if she was to go with him. So, he offered her a position in our home.”

  “Remarkable.” Faith shook her head. “Does her father know she works for you?”

  All signs of her earlier smile gone, Elana said, “Oh yes. He knows.”

  As it was obviously a sore subject, Faith changed the topic. “I’m glad she has found a place with you, Elana. You and his lordship are very kind people.”

  She laughed. “Most think we are eccentric.”

  “I have never been one to care what the masses think. It has gotten me in a great deal of trouble over the years.” Faith accepted the teacup painted with blue roses that matched the décor of the room.

  “Oh. I didn’t realize Nick was marrying a rebel. Though, honestly, it doesn’t surprise me.” She gazed over the rim of her cup and her bright blue eyes smiled.

  Faith let the warm, rich brew slide down her throat. The tea was exquisite and likely more expensive than anything they had at West Lane. “I was so disobedient that at fifteen, my father shipped me off to Switzerland for a proper schooling.”

  Wide-eyed, Elana leaned forward. “Really? How extraordinary. Did you suffer being so far away from home?”

  “Lord, no. It was the most wonderful three years of my life. I met three other girls who became my dearest friends. You met them last night at the ball. Being sent to the Wormbattle School for Young Ladies was the best thing that could have happened to me.” The memories of learning and playing in Lucerne washed over Faith. Wishing for time to roll back was no more useful than focusing ahead, so she shook off the desire for simpler times.

  “What an adventure it must have been. I’m afraid I was educated by nannies and tutors at Breckenridge Manor in Hertfordshire. My parents were strong-minded about education, though, and brought in some brilliant tutors as I grew older.”

  Faith liked Elana. She was as smart and charming as her brother. “Did you learn more than the average Englishwoman?”

  “I think so.” Elana blushed, which was even more charming. “But tell me about you, Faith. What do you like to do?”

  “I live with two of those friends from my school days. We all moved in together after Aurora’s husband died last summer. Poppy has since married and moved to live with her husband, Rhys. But they are at the West Lane house several times a week, so it hardly feels as if she left at all.” The notion that her marriage would take her from her friends sent her heart aching.

  “You’re wrong,” Elana said, cutting into Faith’s thoughts.

  “I beg your pardon?” Faith didn’t know how to respond.

  “Remember I told you I have a sense for knowing what people need? You were just thinking that Nick would keep you from seeing your friends. I cannot imagine he would do anything that would make you unhappy. I’m convinced he’s desperately in love with you.” Elana said it all as if it were fact and not just her unusual intuition.

  “I’m not at all certain that is true. Our engagement was arranged before he’d even met me.” Faith drank the rest of her tea and put her cup down.

  Elana sighed, but it was filled with some pleasant memory. “Yes, well, that is often the case. Sometimes fate plays a hand even if it seems contrived.”

  Nick had said Elana and her husband’s marriage had been arranged. “Is that what happened with you and his lordship, Elana?”

  “My parents and Duncan’s were friends and corresponded often. They did not live close to one another but managed to continue their friendship for years. When I was informed I would be expected to marry Duncan, a man I had never met, I flew into a fit. Mother raged at me. Father was decidedly disappointed. I was furious. Nick was the only one who kept his head.”

  Faith’s insides jumbled with the memory of Aurora being forced into a marriage and how much of a disaster that was. “Well, Nick was not the one being married off.”

  Elana shook her head. “No. It wasn’t that. He was concerned. He proposed that Mother and Father invite Dunworth and his family to our country home. There would be no distractions of the city and we might all get to know Duncan. He made them promise that if I truly disliked Duncan, I could beg off the engagement.”

  “But you didn’t dislike him?” Faith guessed the truth.

  Something tender appeared in Elana’s smile. “No. I did not. He was as worried as I about the arrangement, and he was so kind and smart. We walked the property in Hertfordshire and talked for hour upon hour. By the end of the first week, we were both begging our parents to purchase a special license so we could marry immediately.”

  “That is remarkable. If only it were so simple for everyone. I see what you mean about fate, but none of that makes me believe Nick loves me.” Faith questioned that all her mother’s ministrations had been the work of fate to bring Nick and her together.

  “My brother can be a bit of a puzzle. Like now, he has left the country to do who knows what for the Crown. He thinks I don’t know he’s a spy.”

  “Have you always known?” Faith was more than a little surprised.

  “Of course. He thinks everyone is oblivious, and for the most part he’s right. However, I pay attention. I knew when he first left home, he was going into danger. How long have you known?”

  Faith took a deep breath. She couldn’t lie, nor could she betray anything Nick and she had shared in confidence. “I have suspected since the first night we met.”

  Elana nodded. “My brother was always hesitant as a boy. It drove my father crazy. Now he makes decisions every day, but he hated change when he was young. Hated going away to school, as it took him away from Mother, and then hated coming home when it took him away from his friends and books. He dearly loves books.”

  The surprise must have registered on Faith’s face.

  “You didn’t know?” Elana said.

  “No. We have not discussed any books that he enjoys.” Faith wished the conversation about her reading material had gone further, but he had been angry at her and then their world had turned upside down.

  “Well, he loves them and has created an extensive library here in London as well as in Hertfordshire. Father was not fond of books. He said they only gather dust. Nick once told him that without books the brain is the dust gatherer.”

  Faith laughed.

  “It did not go over well with Father, but Mother found it just as amusing.”

  Not wishing to pry, Faith wanted to know the kind of young man Nick had been. “Nick mentioned that he and your mother were close. Was he close with your father as well?”

  Elana’s head c
ocked. “Yes, but in a different way. He and Father spoke of politics and ethics and they debated every point, never agreeing on anything.”

  “Then they fought?” Faith could understand fighting with one’s parents. It was her constant state since she had learned to speak.

  “No. They disagreed, but once the debate was finished, they left their opinions behind without rancor. They went hunting from time to time and both had a great love of dogs and horses. Nick was devastated when Father died.” Her voice grew tight and she looked away.

  “It shows how little I know. I thought men were eager to claim their titles.” Faith hoped to lighten the mood with her remark, even though she hadn’t lied.

  Elana grinned. “I suppose that is true for some. Some fathers are not as kind as ours was.”

  “So despite his arguments with his father, there was love between them?” Faith said it mostly to herself. “My mother and I have enjoyed periods of affection, but to my father I have always been an inconvenient substitute for the son he wanted.”

  “I am sorry to hear that, Faith. I have only known you for a short time, but I feel confident your father has lost a great opportunity.”

  “How so?” Faith asked.

  Cocking her head, there was a sincerity to her expression that would keep whomever she spoke to in rapt attention. “My word, Faith, have you no idea how spectacular you are?”

  Heat flushed up Faith’s neck and cheeks and she had no idea what to say. “You are too kind.”

  “No. You are special in many ways. I can see why my brother has fallen so completely in love with you.”

  Faith didn’t know what Elana meant in calling her special, but she prayed the rest was true. Her heart was already lost to Nick, and having such a man truly love her, might be enough to make her more than the family disappointment.

  Chapter 20

  Nick had possibly lost his senses. Traipsing through the German countryside, just east of the French border, his feet were muddy and wet, and spring left him chilled to the bone. He could be back in London, courting Faith and convincing her that he was the right man for her. What had he been thinking?

  Just three weeks ago he’d had everything he wanted on the private veranda outside his mother’s study, and he’d given it all up for some misguided sense of duty.

  He’d left his horse behind at the boarding house, to be less conspicuous, but the spring rain made for a miserable walk through a dense forest.

  Joseph used the remote lodge as a retreat when not working. Not many people knew of its existence, but Nick had been his friend and had stayed with him on two occasions when they had time off over the years to relax. Twenty-five years his senior, Joseph had liked Nick and taken him under his wing as a protégé. It was little surprise Nick’s betrayal stirred so much rage.

  A scraping noise from the thick wood to his left, stopped Nick. He didn’t move or even breathe, hoping he had not been discovered when he was so close to reaching his goal.

  A doe stepped from behind a tree, gawked at him, and walked off. It would seem he’d lost his menacing scent even to a skittish deer. In his current occupation that was not favorable.

  He had never come to Joseph’s lodge on his own, and hoped he hadn’t gotten turned around. His inquiries had confirmed that Joseph still owned a house in Germany and that the spy’s current whereabouts was on the Iberian Peninsula. Hoping to find the house empty, Nick continued through the damp woods.

  The dark wood and stone exterior hid the house until, as if out of nowhere, Nick was a hundred feet away. It was a charming place that blended in rather than standing out. An odd juxtaposition from Joseph, who made it a point to be the center of attention whenever possible. While most spies hid, Joseph remained in plain sight, taking in every detail around him and making notes.

  The front door was heavy oak, and locked. Nick skirted the structure and found his way in through a servants’ entrance. There were no candles lit and the house was cold. The last time he’d been there, fires blazed in every hearth and the place was a cozy retreat.

  He’d not find anything, stumbling around in the dark. Nick found the tinder box and managed to light a candle in the parlor. As soon as the wick caught, Charles’s bright smile and haughty brow met Nick’s gaze from a large chair near the large stone fireplace. “Hello, Nicholas.”

  Drawing his pistol, Nick pointed it at Charles. “I don’t want to kill you, Charles, but that doesn’t mean I won’t.”

  Charles lifted his own pistol from the shadows between his thigh and the arm of the chair. “Nor do I wish to kill you, old friend. I didn’t keep you alive in England so I could leave you shot on Joseph’s floor.”

  Heart pounding and all his senses sharp, Nick couldn’t help the thrill that shot through him. This charge of excitement was why he’d stayed a spy for so long when he could have asked to be sent home to take care of his lands and title. “Why are you here?”

  Standing, Charles waved his pistol around negligently. “I’ve been keeping an eye on you since the unfortunate events in the country. I thought perhaps you would be keen on vengeance, and wanted to make sure your sights were not set on me.”

  “I have no need for revenge.” Nick kept his weapon trained on Charles while making his way around the room. He placed the candle on the table before backing up out of its direct light. A small pianoforte was placed in the corner and Nick sat on the bench.

  Charles circled in the other direction, also keen to keep Nick in full view.

  It put distance between them and afforded Nick two possible exits if necessary: the door he’d come in, to his left, and the window behind him. It would be a mess, but he didn’t wish to be trapped if things went badly.

  “What do you call invading Joseph’s secret home in the middle of the night?” Charles asked.

  “I have an assignment, Charles, as I’m sure you know. I am not inclined to behave as Joseph, Jean-Claude, and you did. It is not revenge, only business.” Nick leaned on the instrument’s closed key cover.

  A wide smile spread on Charles’s face. He put one hand on the back of a divan with rich red fabric. “But you’ll not weep over his distress after what Joseph allowed Jean-Claude to do to you. And may I point out that without me, you likely would not have survived that little visit, and who knows what would have happened to your lady.” Charles shivered and pulled a disgusted face.

  Nick didn’t let his own shudders show outwardly, though inside he knew Charles was right. The last time Nick had been at Joseph’s hunting cabin, he’d lounged on the divan, and now he dueled across it. Life had a strange way of playing out. “Which is the only reason you are still alive now. What do you want, Charles?”

  “Ah, that’s easy. I want for my country the same information you are collecting for your own.” The ease in Charles’s manner made Nick nervous. He knew too much.

  “Have you integrated yourself into England’s network as well, Charles?”

  “Let us just say, I have friends in many places.” Charles stood.

  Nick stood and stepped so that his back was to the door and moved out of the window frame. “To have three masters must be impossible, my friend. Who do you serve, when?”

  Waving the gun around the room, Charles said, “Today and always it is Austria, Nicholas. I only serve Napoleon when I must and your King George at his son’s whim. That is not to say, I did not use my connections to keep an eye on you and follow you here.”

  “What is it you think I’ve come for?” Perhaps a deal could be struck.

  “Something I have always admired about you, Nicholas, is your tendency to get directly to the point. It is a rare thing amongst our kind.”

  Nick didn’t like to be lumped in with Charles and the rest of the spies of his acquaintance, but he couldn’t deny the truth of it. “And your response?”

  “I know you are after Joseph’s records of r
oyalists. If you are to gain those names, I want them too.” His voice no longer held any whimsy or levity as Charles held his pistol steadily aimed at Nick’s heart.

  Drake wouldn’t like it, but Nick had something worth living for, and he’d be damned if he would throw it all away over some names of people not his enemy. The entire mission was ridiculous. “I will gladly share the information, but you realize Joseph will be displeased when he learns his books have been stolen. Are you certain you wish to be included in his ire?”

  “I will take my chances.” Charles narrowed his eyes.

  “Then I suggest we lower our weapons and get on with it before we’re caught, and ruining my boots in these damned woods was for naught.” Nick held his breath.

  Charles glanced down at Nick’s mud-caked boots, smiled, and tucked his pistol inside his coat. “I knew you would be reasonable, Nicholas.”

  Nick shrugged. “It’s a fool’s errand, and I should have refused. As it is, I may have ruined my chances to win Lady Faith’s heart with this stupidity. I’m not eager to lose my life over it.”

  “Here is the Nicholas I know. I’m glad you have not lost your good sense with everything you have been through.” Charles crossed his arms over his barrel chest, looking happy with himself.

  If only he knew how senseless Nick had become where a certain wild-haired, golden-eyed woman was concerned. It was unconscionable to think of so little else but Faith, even when staring at the business end of a gun. Nick rounded the room, keeping Charles in his view at all times. Regardless of what the man said or his past deeds, he was still a spy and not to be trusted. At the stone fireplace, Nick touched several stones until he found one that was loose.

  Praying that Joseph’s favorite hiding place still held what they wanted, Nick removed the square stone and put it aside. “Charles, do you have the little baton you used to carry back in the old days?”

  Charles came forward and peered in the dark hole. He reached back inside his coat and retrieved an eight-inch-long wooden baton. Handing it to Nick, he said, “I don’t suppose I’ll be getting that back in one piece.”