The Duke's Predicament (The Reluctant Duke Book 3)

by Fenella J Miller

  ‘We can’t risk him speaking to anyone. Surely, you don’t want word of Beth’s behaviour to become a topic of conversation?’

  She pulled her hand away. ‘As you so often say to me, my dear, I don’t give a damn what anybody says. Our family is a law unto itself and we can do as we please. I won’t have that man’s death on my conscience. For all we know he thought Beth a willing partner and had no idea of her identity or impairment.’

  ‘God’s teeth! That hadn’t occurred to me.’ He spun on the spot and yelled back up the stairs. He might no longer be a soldier but his voice was loud enough to be heard several miles away. ‘Patrick, at the double, man. We’ve work to do before we can go out and enjoy ourselves.’

  Patrick arrived so speedily he almost fell head first when he stopped. Richard explained and both the doctor and Miss Westley overheard.

  ‘We’ll move him together, your grace, and find him somewhere more comfortable. Your staff are loyal and won’t talk of this, I’m sure.’

  ‘We can do the same as we did with you, Patrick, when you were knocked senseless by the soldiers trying to take you back as a deserter. We shall oust another unfortunate servant from his room and put this person in his bed.’

  Miss Westley looked relieved rather than dismayed at the conversation. ‘Your grace, I’m more familiar with the workings of the servants’ quarters. Please allow me to make the necessary arrangements.’

  Eventually, the stranger was more comfortable in an upper servant’s room and the five of them were able to stroll out to join the merrymakers and enjoy an ascent in the air balloon.

  Chapter Four

  Hannah enjoyed watching Patrick throwing a wooden ball at a row of flowerpots in order to win her admiration. He was deadly accurate and demolished all of them much to the annoyance of the stallholder and the amusement of the other spectators.

  ‘What next, Hannah? Do you think it’s time to head towards the balloon? Will the duke and duchess have finished with their business in the Romany camp?’

  She loved hearing him speak her name. They had dispensed with formality and also with the company of the doctor who at some point had absented himself. She was ashamed to admit that she’d not noticed him go.

  ‘Let’s go to the balloon. I’ve still not quite decided if I wish to accompany you but I’ll make my decision when I get there.’ The balloon was at that moment anchored to the ground awaiting the next occupants. It really was an impressive sight, as big as a house but much prettier.

  When they approached the long queue of eager aeronauts she squeezed his arm. ‘It hardly seems fair to take someone else’s place. We should really join the end of the line, Patrick.’

  ‘Our companions are waving to us from the front so you have no choice, my dear. Here, allow me to put your cloak around your shoulders so you’re ready to clamber in.’

  She was handed into the basket before she had time to consider refusing. It was commodious basket and able to take four passengers as well as the pilot. When Patrick put his arm around her she didn’t object. Then with a shudder the balloon began a stately ascent. It became colder almost immediately and she was glad she had the protection of her cloak.

  ‘My word, how different the world looks from up here. We can see for miles – look, Richard, there’s Denchester and the Dower House.’

  The duke leaned perilously over the edge and made the basket rock alarmingly. The pilot asked him to desist and he did so with an apologetic smile. They were on one side and she and Patrick were peering over the other. She was relieved that the sides of the basket came up to her shoulders which made her feel a trifle safer.

  ‘People look like toys down there, Patrick, and it’s so much quieter up here. I do believe that I would agree to a proper flight if one was available sometime.’

  The pilot overheard this comment. ‘That can easily be arranged, miss, but the only safe time to fly is at dawn and then only if the weather’s clement.’

  ‘How interesting, perhaps another day this can be arranged.’

  The ascent was over too soon and the four men on the winches below soon wound them down. Lady Sarah and Paul were waiting to greet them.

  ‘We went up a while ago, which was most invigorating. Did you enjoy it?’ Paul asked.

  ‘So much so, that I’m tempted to do it again but that wouldn’t be fair on the others waiting,’ she said with a smile.

  ‘Your grace, I know I’ve been given the afternoon free but I’m not comfortable enjoying myself knowing that Beth has yet to be bathed and changed and tell us her side of the story.’

  ‘I was about to say the same thing, Miss Westley. Shall we leave the gentlemen and make our way to the house? Anyway, it will soon be time to begin our preparations for the ball.’

  Hannah noticed there was a steady exodus of smartly dressed ladies and gentlemen from the grounds as they headed towards their carriages which had been summoned. No one, apart from the doctor, was staying in the house so everybody was obliged to go home and change into their finery for the evening’s event.

  There was no sign of any of the villagers departing as their evening entertainment didn’t require a change of raiment. There were two hogs roasting over spits at this very moment and there were dozens of barrels of ale being tapped and made ready in the marquee that had been the venue for the grand wedding breakfast earlier.

  Beth was not only awake, she was in a fresh gown, her hair neatly braided, and was happily eating nursery tea with Paul’s mother. There were two chambermaids in attendance.

  ‘Miss Westley, I’m having scones with cream and conserve for my tea. Would you like one?’

  ‘No, thank you, sweetheart. Are you feeling better after your sleep?’

  ‘Aunt Paula has been here with me and helped me to bathe and change. I don’t like being dirty.’

  ‘That was very kind of her. Shall I sit with you and tell you about my trip in the balloon so Mrs Marchand can snatch a few minutes to herself?’

  ‘Yes, yes, I want to hear everything you did. Aunt Paula says that maybe the balloon will come back another time and I can have my ride in it after all.’

  ‘I think that’s an excellent notion. I, too, wish to enjoy for a second time the delights of seeing the world from the point of view of a bird.’ She waved away the maids and they disappeared through the servants’ door.

  When they were alone she thought it the right time to mention the unpleasant interlude. ‘Beth, my dear, can you tell me how you came to be with that gentleman? I don’t believe you’d been introduced.’

  ‘I was playing with the dogs, I think they remembered me from when I was there a few weeks ago, and Jeremy came over and was throwing sticks for them.’

  ‘Did he tell you his full name? I don’t think I’ve met anyone called Jeremy.’

  ‘He did, he told me he was Mr Jeremy Carstairs. I misremember where he said he lived, but it’s not somewhere I’d heard of.’

  ‘Did you tell him who you were?’

  ‘I told him I was Beth and that I lived close by. The dogs went away and I was sad so he said we could sit together somewhere privately and he would tell me a story to keep me entertained.’

  ‘So, that explains why you had grass stains your gown. You should know better than to sit on the grass without a rug being put down first. Did he tell you an interesting story? Could you tell me what it was?’

  Beth frowned. ‘He didn’t tell me anything. He wanted to kiss me and I didn’t like it. Then the dogs came back and growled at him. We jumped up and we laughed and ran away but then Mr O’Riley arrived and knocked him over. I think that was very unkind of him, don’t you?’

  ‘I think it was the right thing to do. Mr Carstairs was behaving very badly. You should know better than to talk to anyone you haven’t been properly introduced to.’ She poured herself a glass of lemonade and drank it as if it was the most delicious thing in the world. When she was certain Beth wasn’t going to become upset she continued her gentle questioning.r />
  ‘I do hope nobody saw you misbehave, my dear, it would be most upsetting if people were to talk about it on your sister’s wedding day.’

  ‘Nobody saw me. I ran down the path that Mr O’Riley brought me home by. I don’t think anyone even knew I was there.’

  ‘I can hear Mrs Marchand about to come in. I have to change for the ball, but I’ll come in and show you my lovely new gown before I go down.’

  Hannah was sure that this Mr Carstairs had intended to force his attentions on Beth, that he deserved whatever punishment his grace thought appropriate, and thanked the good Lord that nothing untoward had taken place.

  *

  Patrick knew it would be an hour or more before the gig could be fetched around for him as so many of the guests were before him in their desire to depart. He could walk the distance more quickly. He spoke to the head groom and arranged for the carriage to be sent to the Dower House as soon as possible.

  There was a bath waiting for him – a luxury he enjoyed but, if he was honest, thought unnecessary. A good wash under the yard pump had been enough for him for years and he thought sitting in a hip bath with his feet over the end a silly way to get clean.

  His valet had his evening rig ready for him and he was waiting for the gig when it trundled up. The sound of the revelry, continuing in the grounds unabated, this time made him smile. Hannah had found him before he left and repeated everything that Beth had told her. He’d asked her not to share the information but leave him to inform his grace. She had been only too happy to pass the responsibility onto him.

  There’d been no opportunity to speak to the duke and the thought of what might be decided when he heard cast a shadow over his happiness at the thought of spending a few hours next to the young woman he loved. He’d never thought to be struck by this particular affliction, thought himself too old and too tough to be involved in such nonsense. Then his grace had fallen neck over crop for his duchess and then Paul, even more speedily, had given his heart to Lady Sarah. Like a head cold – love must be catching.

  When he’d been serving under Major Richard Sinclair, as he’d been known then, any soldier unwise enough to rape a girl, or even attempt to do so, would be strung up in short order. The men knew justice would be swift and brutal and thankfully there had only been one enlisted man executed for this crime in all the years he and the major had been together.

  Now his blood had cooled, his fury lessened, he no longer thought the culprit should be executed. The villain had a broken jaw – he would try and persuade his employer that this was sufficient punishment. That said, if he was asked to do what he’d offered he wouldn’t hesitate. He was loyal to the duke to his core.

  He’d deliberately planned his arrival ahead of the other guests as he was to dine with the family before the ball began. He checked his battered, silver pocket watch. Dinner was served at six o’clock – not country hours here – which gave him an hour to find his grace and have this difficult conversation. It was unlikely that his quarry would already be upstairs as he didn’t take kindly to all the fuss that being a member of the aristocracy meant he was forced to conform with.

  ‘Patrick, just the man I wanted to speak to. I see you’re ready for the fray. Amanda’s getting dressed. It doesn’t take me an hour to change my raiment. Good God – remember the days when we were roused from our cots and leading our men into battle in less than half an hour?’

  They strolled onto the terrace where things were quieter now as those with young children had already departed, the balloon remained inflated but firmly tethered, the various performers had gone, but several dozen were already making merry in the marquee.

  They leaned their backs against the sun-warmed wall and stood in companionable silence for a few moments. ‘Your grace, Hannah had the full story from Lady Beth.’ He quickly regaled him with the unpalatable truth.

  ‘I have information for you on this matter. Carstairs, it appears, is the eldest son of the vicar – he’s just been sent down from Oxford in disgrace. I never met this rogue, but have continued to meet the expense of his education as my predecessor did.’

  It was as if a large stone had settled in his chest. ‘Then he knew exactly who she was and what he was attempting to do. Bugger me! Do you think the little turd thought to persuade you to let him marry her or was he going to resort to blackmail?’

  ‘His father conducted my wedding ceremony and today has married Sarah and Paul. If he’d been anyone else I’d not have thought twice about disposing of him but in all conscience I can’t now deal out the justice he deserves. What am I to do, Patrick?’

  ‘I can’t fathom why we didn’t recognise the name.’

  ‘Exactly so. It just didn’t occur to me that he could have any connection to the vicar who is a respectable and intelligent man. How did he come to have such a renegade for a son?’

  ‘Another thing, why had he got frayed cuffs and worn boots? His pa’s a well-turned-out sort of gentleman.’

  ‘The only sensible explanation to this conundrum is that the vicar isn’t aware that his son is in the vicinity. My valet obtained this information from one of the villagers without revealing the reason for his question.’

  ‘There’s nothing we can do about it tonight, sir, Carstairs is in a locked room and there’s someone keeping an eye on him. According to the quack the laudanum he administered for the pain will keep him comatose until the morning. No need to do anything hasty.’

  ‘I don’t like to keep Amanda in the dark but this is one thing I’m not going to share with her. It’s better if the ladies don’t know the identity of the bastard. Excuse me, my friend, I must change. Those guests who are returning to dine with us before the ball will be arriving shortly.’

  Patrick was delighted to find himself seated next to Hannah and Peterson didn’t appear bothered that he was at the far end of the table. Maybe he’d mistaken the matter and the doctor wasn’t interested. During the evening he occasionally glanced in Peterson’s direction and at no time did he see him looking at her.

  Whatever had been served, there had been half a dozen removes with each course, was delicious but he much preferred plain fare. If there must be three courses then why was there this rigmarole of having several different plates to choose from. None of which, in his opinion, complemented each other.

  ‘Patrick, why are you scowling at that blanc-mange? Does the colour offend you?’ Hannah tapped his hand with her spoon.

  ‘I’d rather have a figgy pudding, my dear, than this fancy dessert.’

  ‘Blanc-mange is hardly the height of elegance or at all elaborate. There’s some sort of fruit tart further down the table, why don’t you have that instead?’

  She beckoned to a hovering footman and he fetched the pie and then cut him a generous slice. There was thick, fresh cream to pour over it. ‘Thank you, this is quite delicious. However, I’m glad the footmen took that wobbling monstrosity away.’

  Eventually, the duchess rose and the ladies followed, all the gentlemen also stood whilst they trooped out leaving them to circulate the port. Under normal circumstances his grace would have cut this short, he preferred to spend his time with his wife, but tonight was different.

  Apart from himself, the duke, and Paul there were also seven other gentlemen who were the most prestigious in the area. There were two baronets, two lords, an earl and two very wealthy and titled landowners.

  *

  Amanda understood immediately why Richard didn’t appear to join them in the drawing room within the usual fifteen minutes. Now was the perfect opportunity for him to elicit any information that might be circulating about the unpleasant incident.

  The ladies chatted about the wedding, the novelty of eating wedding breakfast in a tent, and the excitement of ascending in a balloon. Amanda sat with Sarah and indicated that Hannah – she was no longer to be called by her full name after this afternoon – join her at a small group of chairs away from the others.

  Obviously they couldn’t disc
uss Beth so she turned the conversation to what might be expected to happen both inside and outside during the remainder of the evening.

  ‘I’ve had the most perfect day, Amanda, and being able to dance as many times as I want to with Paul tonight will be the perfect ending. He suddenly insists that we leave at first light and my trunks are already downstairs waiting to be put in the carriage in which our personal attendants will travel.’

  ‘It will take you several days to get to the Lake District, my love, so better to set off early. I gather that he’s reserved rooms for you at the very best inns. The journey will be taken slowly and will be as much part of your honeymoon as the weeks you intend to reside in that lovely area.

  ‘The only drawback is that, Sarah, you won’t be able to speak to Mama before you leave.’

  ‘I spent time with her yesterday. She was very subdued and anxious but I saw no sign of the violence and confusion that happened last time. I do hope she isn’t avoiding my wedding because she disapproves of my choice.’

  ‘She is as delighted as I am, and everyone else is. It is a small concern that you’ve known him such a short time but even a blind man could see you are perfectly suited and completely in love with each other.’

  Hannah kept glancing at the double doors that led to the formal dining room and she thought she guessed the reason. ‘Hannah, do you and Patrick have an understanding?’

  ‘No, that is, I don’t know. I know that Doctor Peterson might be considered a better choice but somehow I find myself drawn to Patrick.’

  ‘You’ve known him for over a year, he’s been a good friend to you and to all of us. You must go where your heart leads you. He’s part of the family already in a way that I don’t believe Doctor Peterson ever could be. Richard and he have been firm friends for a decade and that should be recommendation enough for any lady.’