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

  He would be furious, would roar and shout at her, but he would come around eventually to her way of thinking and appreciate what she’d done and why she’d done it. Her eyes filled. She was a constant watering pot at present and brushed away the moisture with her sleeve. She really didn’t like being at odds with him and feared that it might take more than her apology to smooth things over.

  Her appetite had deserted her these past few days and she hoped now that she’d accomplished her goal, she’d begin to feel more herself. She walked around the house running her fingers over the furniture, tweaking the occasional garden bloom in a vase, and was satisfied everything looked as it should.

  Beth was delighted to be back and was happily playing with her dolls upstairs before having nursery tea. There’d been no dinner cooked today, but supper would be served later as Richard was expected to be here by then.

  She walked to the stables to check that her beloved stallion, Othello, and the other horses were grazing peacefully in one of the meadows that ran parallel to the numerous outbuildings. These had been built for the family when they had lived in the ancient building which had been demolished to make way for the new.

  There’d been no necessity to rebuild these coach houses, barns and stables as they were perfectly adequate. Having spoken to the horses she continued on her walk to the family chapel where she and Richard had been married a few months ago. The door was always open during the day and she went inside to commune with the Almighty.

  It was cool and peaceful inside. Someone had placed fresh flowers on the altar and the rows of wooden chairs were polished, the flagstone floor swept clean. She walked to the side of the chapel then sat and bowed her head in reverence. It had been a tiring few days and not only had she not eaten well but had also not had much sleep without Richard at her side.

  She closed her eyes and let her thoughts drift. From a distance she could hear the sounds of the countryside and she smiled and fell asleep.

  *

  Patrick pushed all thoughts of what might have been aside and concentrated on his duty. He was taciturn and no longer friendly with the men or the officers, but nobody commented. There’d been no need to explain what had transpired as it was patently obvious his engagement had been terminated.

  The three companies marched more briskly, the officers behaved as they should and a week after his disastrous meeting with Hannah he found Wellington and his army.

  The town of Ciudad Rodrigo had high walls and an old castle that dominated the surrounding countryside. One might have thought that being built like this it would be impregnable but the artillery were making headway with the heavy guns. They had been able to hear them pounding from miles away.

  He rode up and down the column reassuring the soldiers that were staring apprehensively ahead. ‘You won’t be needed to fight for a while, not until there are breaches in the wall. The easy life for you boys until that’s done.’

  He was obliged to admit that this was a most attractive small town. The Agueda River ran around the town before heading northwards towards the sea. The Moors had built the original battlements that surrounded it and a lot of these were still evident. It was going to be a hard place to breach.

  This place wasn’t far from the Spanish-Portuguese border which made it a crucial fort to hold for either side. Wellington’s army had already surrounded the fortress. There would be brigades deployed to cover any attack from a French division coming to relieve Marshal Ney. There was the constant noise of the sappers digging the trenches along which both men and guns would be taken. These men worked in shifts both night and day.

  He could no longer be in command, it was the duty of the officers, however mediocre they were, to present themselves to someone more senior and then discover to which division they were being attached. His task was to have the men stand at ease and await their orders.

  He didn’t officially belong to these companies and had no idea where General Boyden, the man who’d made his life so difficult this past year, might be stationed – if he was here at all. The general had been determined to get him to re-enlist and had gone to extravagant lengths to find him. Hopefully, arriving under his own volition would give him the advantage.

  Patrick abandoned his temporary command and went in search of Wellington. Although obviously not an officer from his uniform, the fact that he was riding such a magnificent horse gave him access to areas not usually available to sergeants of any description.

  He was scanning the tents, looking for a cluster of marquees that would indicate the supreme commander’s whereabouts. He stood in his stirrups and saw at once the direction he should go. He was approaching what he took to be Wellington’s headquarters when someone hailed him.

  ‘Patrick, what the devil are you doing here? I thought you and Richard lazing about as civilians somewhere in the English countryside.’ Major Hogan, a good friend of Richard’s, strode over to stand by his stirrup.

  ‘I need to see Wellington, is he here or on patrol?’ He dismounted and shook the major’s hand. ‘More importantly is that bastard Boyden here? He’s been trying to have me arrested as a deserter.’

  Hogan shook his head. ‘Boyden perished some weeks ago. Not in battle – the silly bugger broke his neck falling off his horse when drunk.’

  ‘I wish I’d known. I’ve had a wasted journey. No wonder there was no answer to the letters sent to Horse Guards and out here.’

  Hogan snapped his fingers and a willing corporal approached and offered to take the reins. Bruno could join the other horses where he would be looked after better than the common soldiers. Patrick quickly removed his saddlebags and other belongings before handing his horse over.

  ‘My tent’s over there. Come with me, my friend. Do you have civilian clothes with you?’

  ‘I do. I travelled this way to make it easier. I brought three companies down from Corunna and you’ll be pleased to know that they’re now in far better shape than they would have been without my involvement.’

  Whilst he was hastily removing his uniform and replacing it with his somewhat crumpled other things he explained what had been happening with regards to his relationship with Boyden.

  ‘The man’s an idiot – I should say, was an idiot. I suppose you should be flattered that he thought that having you at his side would make such a difference. There’s no need for you to speak to Wellington. I’d advise that you spend the night here, then collect your horse and head straight back to Corunna.’

  ‘I was actually considering signing on again as I’ve enjoyed these past few weeks.’

  ‘Don’t be daft, man, make good your escape. It’s damn boring work at the moment and when we attack in a few months time it will be a miracle if there’s not a bloodbath. Go home, my friend, enjoy your good fortune.’

  Over a decent bottle of wine, he found himself telling the major about Hannah.

  ‘You obviously love the girl, go back to her, you imbecile, and be glad that you’ve got this opportunity to live out your life in comfort.’

  ‘Good advice, Major, and I’ll do exactly that if she’ll still have me.’ He hesitated and then told him about the final obstacle to his happiness.

  ‘I can see that might be a sticking point, but if the girl loves you then she’ll take you without children rather than marry someone she doesn’t love in order to have some. However, I don’t fancy your chances if you remain here much longer. This other blighter won’t hang about, you know.’

  Patrick set out at dawn the following day having sold his uniform easily. It was immediately snatched up by a sergeant whose own wasn’t in as good a condition. He kept his sword and pistol as they might come in useful during his long ride.

  All went well until Bruno became lame after casting a shoe. He led his horse to a small village but there was no farrier here. He managed to make his needs known and someone was sent to fetch a blacksmith from the nearest town as he couldn’t take the horse to him.

  He’d picked up a smattering of S
panish over the past weeks and the family who’d taken him in were happy to instruct him in their language whilst he waited. Three days after his arrival he began to feel unwell and succumbed to a virulent fever.

  The woman of the house took good care of him, he was vaguely aware of being sponged down, of having liquid trickled into his mouth, of his bodily needs being met, but had no notion of night or day or of how long he’d been abed.

  When he was strong enough to sit up he was horrified to find that he’d been incapacitated for two weeks. The woman told him it would be another two weeks before he was strong enough to resume his journey. The only positive in all this was that Bruno was now fully recovered and his missing shoe replaced. All he had to do was regain his strength and pray that nothing else untoward delayed his return.

  *

  Hannah had been cloistered for so long without company that the unexpected arrival of the doctor made her livelier and more receptive to his conversation than might otherwise have been the case.

  ‘Miss Westley, are you considering a return to Radley Manor at the end of the summer?’

  ‘I am, sir, I thought to give her grace and his grace time alone as everyone else had gone away. My intention is to be back at the end of October.’

  ‘I was surprised to hear that Mr O’Riley has gone to Spain. I thought he was settled as a civilian and looking to make his life here as his grace’s man of business.’ He paused and then continued. ‘I’d heard that you and he were now betrothed.’

  She wasn’t entirely comfortable talking about Patrick but decided this might be a good opportunity to set the record straight. ‘That’s correct. He will be gone until the autumn so he suggested that I might like a change of scene as well until he returned.’ Why hadn’t she revealed that her betrothal had been broken and that the man she still loved had chosen the army over her?

  ‘I see. I beg your pardon for intruding, Miss Westley. Forgive me, I’ve enjoyed our brief time together but must depart as I have another engagement.’

  She scarcely had time to stand up before he bowed and disappeared as if his coat-tails were on fire. She was staring at the space he’d been occupying a few seconds before when Ellie spoke from behind her.

  ‘He’d come to make you an offer, miss. Why didn’t you tell him the truth?’

  ‘I don’t know. I opened my mouth to say that my engagement to Patrick was over and said something else entirely. I only realised in that moment that I don’t care about anything else but him. Please find John for me, I need him to book us a passage on the packet for tomorrow.’

  When the young man appeared, instead of being encouraging as she’d expected, he shook his head. ‘Forgive me for saying so, miss, but rushing back won’t bring Mr O’Riley to your side. If he’s made up his mind to stay where he is then it’s too late.’

  A heavy weight settled somewhere in her middle regions. ‘Then you must go and find him. You know where he is; I’ll write a letter at once and you can take it. I know I’m too late to stop him signing up but I want him to know that I’ll wait for him, that I love him, that I’ll marry him whatever his circumstances. No one else will do. I didn’t understand that until Doctor Peterson came.’

  Revealing her innermost thoughts to a servant, even someone she knew and trusted as much as she did John, was unheard of. But the three of them had shared a great deal this summer and she would always think of them as friends as well as employees. She would never be so comfortable being an intimate of a duke and duchess. She was better seeking companionship amongst those of her own class, like Patrick, John and Ellie.

  Now he was more enthusiastic. ‘You get your letter written, miss, and I’ll get my things packed. It might well take me a while to find him – but I give you my word he’ll get your letter in person and I’ll return with his reply.’

  ‘My tenure in this house expires at the end of October. I’ll remain here until then. That gives you seven weeks to complete your mission. I’ll be residing at Radley Manor after that so come there to find me.’

  This whole debacle could have been avoided if she’d not been so contrary. Her only excuse for vacillating from one position to another was that she didn’t deal well with excitement, with change, and by behaving so out of character on that one night she’d thrown her composure and common sense into disarray.

  For the remainder of her stay in Margate she took her walks early in the morning when there was no one else around. She felt vulnerable having no male servant to accompany her and was counting the days until she could resume her position as unpaid companion to the duchess. This was essentially what she’d become and she’d much prefer to be self-sufficient.

  Patrick must have felt the same when he’d rejoined the army. He’d become his own man again, no longer dependent on the generosity of his former comrade-in-arms. Things fell into place and finally she understood his motivation. When he eventually returned he’d have sufficient money for them to buy themselves a small property somewhere. She could teach the daughters of well-to-do families, or perhaps they could set up a school together, but one thing she was quite sure of, was that she didn’t wish to be reliant on the duke’s benevolence.

  Chapter Fourteen

  The cold woke Amanda. For a moment she was disorientated, not sure where she was. Why was it dark in the chapel when sunlight was still filtering through the windows above the altar?

  She shivered. Late October was warm enough during the day but decidedly chilly at night. She got up and moved into the central aisle and immediately understood why it was darker than it should be inside. Someone had closed the door.

  She dashed to it and tried the latch but it was locked. The chapel was only closed at night – surely it couldn’t be considered that time already? The sun set around eight o’clock so it couldn’t be as late as that. There was little point in shouting as the chapel was too far away from the house for anyone to hear and it was also highly unlikely there would be labourers and other workers returning home this way.

  One thing she could do that would help when eventually a search party was sent out to look for her was light all the candles in the chapel knowing that the light would reflect through the windows and could be seen from some distance away.

  This activity kept her busy long enough for her to feel a little warmer. She was glad she’d got a warm wrap with her as it kept some of the autumn chill at bay. The chapel seemed less intimidating with so many candles burning. Her stomach gurgled loudly and she smiled. She hadn’t eaten since last night so was now sharp-set and the thought of the delicious supper she’d planned for herself and Richard on his return made her mouth water.

  If he was back he’d soon find her. She recalled last year when she’d been so distressed by events in London that she’d failed to sleep and had then done so on the ground in the woods. He had found her then and carried her back.

  Even if she stood on a chair she would still be unable to see through the high windows but was confident the flickering golden light she’d created would be clearly visible after the sun set. There was a Bible on the lectern and after collecting it she settled down to read.

  There was something that puzzled her and that was why she’d fallen asleep so readily in here and yet had been unable to do so in her comfortable bed? Her conclusion was that even after so short a time she needed Richard at her side.

  The shadows lengthened, the chapel became colder, she began to think that no one had even noticed her disappearance. For some reason her beloved husband hadn’t returned tonight as expected or he would already have come for her.

  Jumping up and down and flapping her arms around made her a little warmer but her flimsy muslin gown was scant protection against the seeping cold. She was decidedly miserable, resigned to spending the night where she was, when she heard Richard approaching at the double. He was yelling her name and disturbing all the wildlife by doing so.

  She was on her feet, laughing at his noise. ‘I’m here, someone locked me in. The curate has
the key.’

  ‘I have an axe which will do just as well. Stand away from the door, sweetheart, I’m coming in.’

  Hastily she backed away and then the door shook from a massive blow. Two further attacks and the ancient wood splintered and he was through.

  ‘Idiot girl, what were you thinking to come here without telling anyone?’ He had his jacket off and draped it, still warm from his body, around her shoulders. ‘I would have been here earlier but wasted valuable time going to Radley Manor.’

  ‘I’m sorry, I wanted the move to be a surprise.’

  Two grooms had kicked the rest of the door to splinters whilst they were talking. ‘Well, my darling, you succeeded there. Up you come, I’ll carry you back.’

  ‘I’m quite capable of walking, dearest Richard.’

  His arms tightened and he kissed her fiercely. ‘I know you are, but I need to have you safe in my arms just now.’

  She looped her hand around his neck and argued no more. He covered the half a mile swiftly and bounded up the stairs and into their apartment.

  ‘There’s a bath waiting for you. A cold collation has been set out on the sideboard. I told them to bring two jugs of coffee on our return.’

  There was no sign of her maid or his valet. An involuntary shiver ran through her and this time it had nothing to do with the temperature.

  The bath had been installed quite recently and had one of the miraculous apertures in the base so all the dirty water could run away. More importantly it was large enough to accommodate both of them.

  A considerable time later they emerged and she viewed the wreckage of the room with some dismay. ‘Making love in there wasn’t a sensible thing to do, my dear, I fear the ceiling might collapse below from all the water we spilt.’

  Unabashed he snatched up a large towel and enveloped her in it. ‘I forgive you for transporting us here without discussing it first for the bathroom alone. Stand still whilst I dry you.’