A Fiery Love for the Reluctant Duchess: A Clean & Sweet Regency Historical Romance

by Abby Ayles

  The Duke made his way inside where he was greeted by the solemn face of Mrs. Markley.

  “Your Grace, I am sorry for your news,” she said.

  The Duke looked down, embarrassed. The staff already knew. They would understand what it meant for them.

  “Where is my wife?” he asked in reply.

  “She is out with Miss Caulfield, Mrs. Caulfield, and Miss Davidson,” Mrs. Markley answered.

  “That is good. Has she heard the news?” he asked next.

  “I’m afraid so, Your Grace,” she replied with her head down.

  “I thought as much. How did she respond?” he questioned next.

  “With a great deal of concern for you, Your Grace. I gave them their privacy in the midst of it all, but you know that it is hard for a servant to not overhear things,” she confessed.

  “Yes, I understand that,” he replied, knowing that the housekeepers loved to overhear these things as it made for excellent gossip.

  “But I was told to inform her by one of the footmen as he was concerned. I am sorry for not seeking your permission first, Your Grace. I did not think,” she told him meekly.

  “It is nothing, Mrs. Markley. You need not be so concerned. She had to find out one way or another and I am glad that I shall not have to be the one to tell her,” the Duke said.

  “The is true, Your Grace,” she replied.

  “I think I ought to go to my study. I have many things to pour over and determine the next steps,” the Duke declared.

  “I imagine so, Your Grace. I wish you the best of luck as you determine what is the best course of action,” Mrs. Markley said.

  The solemnness between them was thick, but the Duke was grateful for a woman like his housekeeper who truly did seem to care about him. He was glad that she was interested in his own interests.

  “Mrs. Markley, I am glad for you,” he said as the woman turned away. “It is rare to find a housekeeper so loyal as yourself. You have done a tremendous job in the keeping of my affairs,” he complimented her.

  “Oh, Your Grace, you are too kind!” she exclaimed in feigned embarrassment.

  The Duke smiled at her, but thought she might not understand how deeply he meant it, especially now when he was dealing with such a horrible crisis in his home. He wanted Mrs. Markley and all the others among his staff to know just how thankful he was for them.

  The housekeeper turned away and the Duke made his way to his study where he set down a new series of papers. Before long, he was digging through older ones, trying to figure out his plan to move forward and determine exactly how much money he had in his accounts.

  It was quite clear to him that things were devastating. They had very little to their names and it would be difficult for Thea now that she had finally begun to appreciate some of the gifts the Duke had set before her.

  But he remained confident that they would push through it. They had options. The worst was moving in with his mother who had made her distaste for his wife so apparent. But that would only be an option if all else should fail.

  The Duke determined that the following day, he would visit the other businesses with which he was now working and learn updated news on his accounts there. If he was fortunate enough to have made a profit yet, they would show. Then he would have a better idea of how long he could sustain himself and Thea in their home.

  In the meantime, however, the Duke went through his files. His income, his investments, his business-related profits, and the donations he was so fond of making. Each file was important and each one would give him clarity on what he had to prioritize.

  While he would certainly have to cut spending within the home, he thought he might actually be able to manage to continue some of his charitable donations. It would be a challenge. A dream, even. But he would continue to try.

  Each paper felt like a weight in his hands. Each one a seal of his failure in trying to work in the trade industry.

  But the Duke knew that he could move forward. With the help of his wife and the support of his friends, he would not have to be alone. For now, he simply had to wait until his wife arrived. That was when he might be able to make sense of what to do next.

  Chapter 33

  Walking through the door to the estate, Thea was anxious. She had seen the coach outside and knew that the Duke of Sandon was home now. They would have to speak about all of it, but she was prepared for his reluctance.

  Coming inside, she was offered tea by Mrs. Markley.

  “Yes, that would be lovely,” she replied to the woman.

  “I shall bring it to you in His Grace’s study. He is in there and asked me to have you join him upon your arrival back home,” Mrs. Markley told her.

  “Thank you, Mrs. Markley, I shall go presently,” Thea promised, handing over her capelet and walking towards the Duke’s study.

  When she reached the door, she knocked lightly.

  “Come in,” he called, sounding defeated.

  Thea entered and was saddened to find her husband looking so utterly disheveled. She had never seen him like this but his anxiety was palpable in the room. Moved with compassion, she rushed to his side.

  “Mr. Tyndale,” she said in a worried voice.

  “Yes, yes. Forgive me for my appearance,” he said, trying to shuffle papers and make his desk look more organized.

  Thea had been having moments of judgment towards her husband. While she was beginning to understand that he was taking these risks to do great things, she still couldn’t understand having given so much of his money to these investments. But as she stood and watched him shuffle the papers, Thea realized he had been doing much more than that.

  The Duke of Sandon wasn’t only trying to build a boarding school. She saw that he had donated large sums of money to an orphanage not far from where they lived. It must have been enough to last the home for an entire year.

  Another sheet of paper documented a charity for poor widows. Once again, the sum written was greater than Thea would ever have predicted.

  The Duke was doing wondrous things with his finances. It was such a great shame to know that he would not be able to continue in all of this. He had certainly been making a difference in many lives.

  Thea was awestruck by the Duke’s generosity and the way he had chosen to live his life. She was amazed that he had given so much away and still sought to do more.

  “Mr. Tyndale,” she said softly. “We will be certain to find ways to get your fortune back. We do not need it for ourselves, but for those you help so selflessly. We will find a way.”

  Thea’s commitment was all she had. She knew well that they needed to come up with a plan to ensure that the Duke was able to continue.

  “Mrs. Tyndale, Thea, please sit,” the Duke instructed. She was not used to him calling her by her Christian name but took it as a sign that they were due to have a very serious discussion.

  “As you wish,” she replied, getting comfortable in the chair.

  “I am grateful for how you are choosing to support me through this, but I do believe you must have all the facts if you are to help. You see, Mrs. Tyndale, I have not told you the extent of my investments,” he began.

  “Yes, I know. But I am aware that you have more than just this one. That is good, yes? That means your other businesses will make up for what you have lost,” she reasoned.

  Thea was trying very hard to understand the concepts even though they remained fairly lost on her. She tugged on a curl at her neck. She was not prone to nervous habits, but now, when so much was uncertain, it seemed the natural thing to do.

  “I do have investments elsewhere, but they are quite small. My business with Mr. Cotswold was a portion of my resources that I was entirely unwise to place in the hands of one man and one ship,” the Duke confessed.

  “How much was it, Mr. Tyndale?” she asked him, not certain that she would like the answer.

  “It was two-thirds of all my wealth,” he sighed.

  Thea sat up, her eyes wide
in astonishment. The Duke had given two-thirds of his wealth to this investment?

  “My mother believed that it would triple whatever amount I placed and I had heard similar tales from other men. So I decided that the more I invested, the more I would see in returns,” the Duke reasoned.

  “Except that this tragedy happened,” Thea replied, as if the Duke ought to have considered it beforehand.

  “Yes, indeed. I was not prepared for the likes of this happening,” he confessed again.

  “And what will we do now, Mr. Tyndale?” Thea asked, her face softening again. There was no judgment in her eyes, although a little piece of her thought him mad for making such a decision as to have placed that amount of money with Mr. Cotswold.

  “I have gone over my accounts and am continuing to do so. Tomorrow I will go and speak with my other colleagues from the trades that are still safe. We will figure out an option, Mrs. Tyndale. I promise you. We have many options, we will just have to choose the right path,” he said, reassuringly.

  Thea wondered again if one of those options was living with the Dowager Duchess. She didn’t think she could bear such a life, but knew that it could be the only thing they had left for them. If her husband required it, she would go alongside him.

  So long as the Dowager Duchess was willing to accept her which would have been a great debate. Thea wondered if the woman would ever be willing to accept such a thing.

  “I do not wish for you to be concerned, Mrs. Tyndale. I only have to ensure that you are aware of our situation,” the Duke of Sandon said to her.

  Thea remembered how comforting the moment had been at the theater when all was dire and frightening. The characters on stage were uncertain of the future and it seemed that tragedy was imminent.

  She had taken the Duke’s hand then. Not realizing how she needed him, she grasped hold of him. And she would do so again now.

  Thea stood and returned to the Duke’s side of the desk. She clasped a hand around his and held on tightly, trying to reassure him as he had so often done for her.

  The feeling of his warm palm within hers gave her a sense of peace. The Duke looked up at her in surprise and she was glad for having had the courage to act when she knew that it was the right thing to do.

  He then did something she had not expected in return. The Duke took Thea’s hand and held it to his cheek. He closed his eyes and allowed the warmth of her to comfort him.

  Thea blushed a little at this display. She was shy in recognizing how deep this connection truly was. But she was grateful for the Duke. She was thankful that in this moment he had chosen to be comforted by her as she was growing to be more comfortable with him.

  The Duke opened his eyes again and smiled at her. The smile was not a false one, not merely trying to be hopeful. Rather, it was a smile that showed true promise and true beliefs that the days to come would be better than those that had already passed them by.

  Thea felt pity for her husband, understanding how devastated he was and how ashamed he felt. But she could not sit idly by as he felt those things.

  Mrs. Markley knocked and entered, a look of surprise appearing on her face to find the Duke and Duchess in such a close position.

  Thea pulled her hand away and the Duke let go quite willingly. They avoided one another’s eyes but Thea sat in the chair again and Mrs. Markley silently place the trey with tea on the desk.

  “Thank you, Mrs. Markley,” the Duke said, with Thea echoing.

  “Your Graces,” Mrs. Markley said with a slight bow.

  The tension of her presence lingered long after she departed and Thea distracted herself by pouring tea for the Duke and another cup for her to enjoy.

  They were quiet then, but Thea knew that once more something had passed between them. It could not change back to where they had come from in the early days of their marriage. They were entirely new people. They were entirely different.

  Silently sipping their tea, both seemed lost in their thoughts of one another.

  Thea didn’t simply want to consider the Duke in these terms now. She wanted to encourage him, to be the reminder he needed that he was more than his financial status. That for better or worse, he was a man of value and money did not determine that.

  She did not know how to say it all in a way that would make him comfortable, but she wished for him to know it.

  “I hope you realize that this will not affect how I see you,” she said quite bluntly, deciding it was the best option.

  The Duke chuckled a little as if to himself. “Well that is a small mercy,” he said.

  “Forgive me for being so honest, but you ought to know,” she said.

  “And how do you see me? How do you view me if it is not through these things?” he asked.

  “I view you as a great man,” Thea said. “I view you as generous and strong.”

  She blushed again then, feeling she had stepped too forward in declaring what she considered him to be. She was still not in love with him, but Thea recognized that her language was coming dangerously close to that.

  Had her heart shifted to that extent? She had known a change had happened, but it could certainly not be so strong as love. Not now. She still barely knew the Duke.

  “That is something,” he said. “I’ve not been told that a great many times in my life,” he confessed.

  “Well, perhaps one day I will have more to share,” she said quietly, knowing she could say no more just now.

  “And I am certain that the day will come soon in which I am ready to tell you how I view you,” he said in reply. “But I hope I shall not be such a shamed man when that day comes.”

  Thea wondered in her heart what he could mean by that. How did he view her? Why would he not simply tell her now?

  Mrs. Markley came to the door once more and alerted them to the fact that dinner was to be served.

  “Thank you ever so much, Mrs. Markley,” Thea said politely. The Duke stood and Thea followed as they made their way to the dining room.

  They sat calmly and quietly as the food was brought. Thea wondered how much longer they would have such lavish foods to dine on, but knew she could survive on broth and vegetable soup for a number of years if circumstances warranted it. There had been times in her home when that had been the only option.

  “How is it?” the Duke asked.

  “Lovely,” Thea replied.

  “I shall make sure that I am always able to feel you adequately,” he promised.

  Thea smiled. “I’ve no doubt of it, Mr. Tyndale.”

  Once they had finished, both felt exhausted by the drama of the day. They walked up the stairs together, keeping close to one another. When they reached the landing of the first floor, it was time for them to part ways as they retreated to their opposite ends of the hall to sleep.

  “I wish you a good night, Mrs. Tyndale,” the Duke said, taking her hands in his.

  “And I you, Mr. Tyndale,” Thea replied, not pulling her hands away from him in the least.

  “Is there nothing you need?” he inquired.

  “You have given me everything,” Thea answered. “And in truth, I could do quite well with a good deal less.”

  The last part made the Duke chuckle in relief. Thea wanted to reassure him that she was not the sort of woman to be angered by a lack of resources. She would be grateful, no matter what they did or did not have. She was grateful to have such a caring husband.

  Again, Thea found herself deeply drawn to the Duke, but she was still not quite ready to express that. She slowly slid her hands from his and turned to make her way towards her room.

  As she lay in bed, trying to sleep, Thea considered all the events of the day. It had been such a long, tiresome day. From the hours spent with Delia, Mrs. Caulfield, and Margaret to learning about what had happened, she could hardly wrap her mind around it all.

  But the time spent indulging with her husband that evening, allowing themselves to show a bit more of their vulnerability, that was something new. That
was a time that she could never replace.

  Thea was awed by the Duke. She had never expected to see much more in him than his wealth and title. She had never anticipated his generosity or the way that he show his care for her. She was thoroughly impressed by it all.

  And the way he had held her hands just before they parted. That was such a sweet moment. It reflected upon the times she had taken his hand, but now it was his intention to do so.

  The Duke cared for Thea and made no secret about it. Nor could she any longer keep it a secret that she cared for him as well.