Page 4 of Her Duke to Tempt (Wayward Dukes’ Alliance #29)

Three

E nid sat back against the cushioned seat of the carriage, the rhythmic clop of the horses’ hooves on the road the only sound accompanying her thoughts.

She was still fuming from the argument she had with Logan, her frustration only mounting as the journey continued.

The further they traveled, the more she doubted their plan.

They were both trying to act as if they knew what they were doing, but neither of them had the faintest clue where to look for Felicity and Redding.

The unknowns weighed heavily on her mind, and it gnawed at her with each beat of the horse’s hooves on the road.

Logan, seated opposite her, exhaled heavily, his brows furrowed. “I still don’t understand why you’re so convinced that your niece went in this direction” he muttered, looking out the window at the passing countryside.

Enid rolled her eyes. “And I still don’t understand why you think we should be heading toward the northern roads. It makes more sense to start looking toward the coast.”

Logan’s lips twisted, though it didn’t hide the frustration in his eyes. “She may have gone toward the coast, but she could be anywhere. And it’s not like we have any concrete information.”

She had spoken in length with the stable hand on her estate that had not been present during their initial search for Felicity.

That man had seen everything and what he said both made sense and no sense at the same time.

She had not yet explained it to the duke yet.

Enid did not know what to make of it. Felicity had actually knocked the marquess unconscious.

Her reckless niece had struck a lord and run off as if that was what a lady did every damn day.

She was beyond frustrated now. She was terrified what Felicity might do next.

Felicity had struck the marquess… If she repeated that in her mind enough she might be able to come to terms with it.

It just wasn’t like her—she wasn’t violent.

And yet, in the face of what she believed her fate would be, perhaps it was the only way she felt she could escape the possibility of marriage.

“Then we’ll have to speak with those who might know more,” she said curtly, keeping her gaze on the road ahead. “We’ll stop at the next village, and perhaps someone there has seen her or knows something of the marquess’s movements.”

The carriage rumbled on, their bickering simmering beneath the surface of their conversation, neither willing to back down.

But as they passed through a small hamlet a short while later, Enid caught sight of a man carrying a bucket toward a nearby house.

Without thinking, she called for the driver to stop.

The carriage came to a halt, and Enid swiftly opened the door, hopping down before the duke could protest. She approached the man, a sense of urgency pulling at her every step.

“Excuse me,” she said, her voice soft but firm.

“Have you seen a young woman, quite distressed, traveling through here in the past day or so?”

The man looked up at her, scratching the back of his head thoughtfully. “I may have…” He frowned. “Could you give me a better description?”

Enid nearly rolled her eyes. Not at him, but how ridiculous she sounded to her own ears.

Of course he would need to know more. That original description could have been for any young miss.

What had her stable hand said? Wait… She hadn’t been dressed as a lady had she?

“She would have been in a gentleman’s attire,” Enid began. “She has flaxen hair and grey eyes.”

The man frowned. “She was dressed as a man?” He tilted his head to the side. “Then how would I have known she was a woman.”

Enid nearly stomped her foot in frustration. This was not getting her anywhere. “Did you see her or not?”

“I may have,” he said again. “But I could be wrong.” The man shrugged. “You’re not the first person to come looking for her.” He grinned. “There was a marquess that asked as well. What was his name again?” He tapped his chin thoughtfully.

Enid’s heart skipped a beat, her stomach tightening. “The Marquess of Redding?” she asked, her voice low.

“Aye, my lady,” he said, wiping his brow. “I do believe that is what he said his name was. He said he was chasing after his wayward betrothed that had gotten spooked and run off.”

Enid felt a strange coldness in her chest at the revelation.

Betrothed? She knew that Redding and Felicity were not betrothed.

What game was the marquess playing? What did he hope to gain from such a declaration.

Did he actually want to marry Felicity or was he just irate after she had struck him?

Either way she did not have a good feeling about the marquess’s pursuit of Felicity.

“Did you happen to discover where they were heading?” Enid pressed, her voice betraying none of the turmoil she felt.

“He said something about the coast,” the stable hand replied, glancing toward the road as though uncertain whether to share more. “He’s gone after her, I’m sure of it. He’s set off toward the port.”

Of course they were. That is what her stable hand had said. They were on the right path and had to continue on. She prayed they would reach the two before they both did something even more foolish than they already had. This was just a colossal mess…

She sighed and stopped briefly to talk to the driver.

They had to act fast. Enid stepped back into the carriage, her thoughts in turmoil, and relayed the information to the duke.

“I know where to go,” she said in a voice that shook slightly despite her efforts to remain composed.

“I have already instructed the driver on the direction to take.”

“The man was helpful then?” he asked.

She nodded. Enid nibbled on her bottom lip. She had to tell him everything now. She could not keep holding back the truth. He might have some insight into his son’s motivations. “There is something you should know.”

He lifted a brow expectantly. “What is that?” he drawled. “I suspect you have been holding back. Do tell me it all now.”

She sighed. Why was he so frustrating? No one could get under her skin like he did. How could he always remain so calm? Enid blew out a breath. “I did discover some of what transpired between Felicity and your son.”

“Other than their interlude in the garden?” he asked.

“Other than that, yes,” she answered, then nibbled on her bottom lip. There was no easy way to say it. “They quarreled, apparently, and well she…”

“She what?” he asked, concern filling his gaze.

“She somehow managed to render him unconscious before she fled,” Enid finally let the words slip off her tongue.

He stilled and stared at her for several moments and then Templeton’s expression darkened. “Why would she do that?”

“I don’t know.” Enid’s hands clenched in her lap, her pulse quickening. “What I do know is that he has gone after her. She is headed to the coast with him fast on her heels, and it’s unclear if he intends to pursue her out of anger... or something else.”

The duke’s jaw tightened. “Neither of those things sounds good.”

Enid nodded. “And I don’t know which port she might be heading toward. She could be anywhere.”

Logan leaned back, his eyes narrowing with thought. “Then we have no choice but to head to the nearest port and pray that we catch up with them both before my son does anything rash.”

Enid’s gaze flickered to the window, her mind racing. “It only makes sense that she would go to the nearest port. It’s the quickest way to make her escape.”

“I trust that is where you directed the driver then,” Logan said decisively. “It is good that you did. It’s best that we do not waste any more time. The sooner we reach the port, the better.”

With no other plan in mind, they were on their way again, the destination set toward the coast. Enid had no doubt that they each were bound by a sense of urgency.

The duke would have different reasons than she did.

She could not stop the growing dread over what they might find once they arrived.

Would they catch up with Felicity before the marquess or would they be too late to stop them both from doing something drastic?

She hated that she had to tell the duke about what had happened to his son.

He was probably even more concerned now.

Felicity never should have struck the marquess.

What had that girl been thinking? Clearly, she had lost all the senses she’d been born with.

“Do you think she will be all right?” she asked.

“I have no doubt she is perfectly fine,” the duke said in an even tone.

“From the sound of it she’s more than capable of taking care of herself.

” He turned his head to meet her gaze. “Besides, as I’ve said before, I know my son.

What your niece cannot do for herself, he will see to.

I have no doubt he sees her as his responsibility now.

Even if he is livid with her for what she has done to him. This is not solely about anger.”

“Then what do you think it is about?” she asked.

His lips twitched. “Love,” he said. “It’s all about love and the things a man will do for the woman who has stolen his heart.”

Enid's thoughts swirled as they continued their journey toward the port. The duke’s words about love echoed in her mind, stirring up a mixture of emotions she wasn't prepared to deal with. She had spent so long putting the pieces of the puzzle together in her head, trying to understand why Felicity had acted the way she had, and now it seemed there was one more piece missing—one that she hadn’t considered.

Templeton's words about his son struck her as both comforting and unsettling. Of course, he was right. The marquess had many faults, but he would not pursue Felicity solely out of anger. Though that very anger had certainly clouded his judgment, but the duke was right. Love made people do foolish, dangerous things. But love was also something that had the power to bring unexpected consequences. Enid feared the fallout from Felicity’s action might prove too much.

“Do you think it will be enough?” Enid asked, her voice tinged with doubt.

“Love, I mean.” She wasn’t sure if she was asking the duke about Felicity and the marquess, or if she was asking herself.

Would love really be enough to heal the hurt they had caused each other?

Could love undo the damage of their rash actions?

The didn’t answer immediately, instead looking out the carriage window as the world outside shifted with each passing mile.

His gaze seemed faraway, considering. When he finally spoke, his tone was quieter, almost softer than she was accustomed to.

“I think,” he began carefully, “that love is both a force for good and one of destruction. But if it’s true, if it’s real, it will find a way.

Perhaps it needs to be tested first, as all true love does.

” He paused, as if weighing the meaning of his own words.

“The question isn’t whether love will be enough.

The question is whether they’re willing to fight for it.

To take a leap of faith and trust that the person they gave their heart to will be there to catch them. ”

Enid wasn’t sure whether that answer was comforting or troubling.

It gave her much to consider. Not just for her niece, but for her own life.

She sneaked a glance at the duke and took a deep breath.

She had always been drawn to this man. In ways she had never been taken with her late husband.

The duke held a piece of her. A piece she wished she had never given him, even if he had been aware of it at the time.

She would never have it back either. It was his, always and forever, and the question of whether she could give him more than a piece of her would always remain.

Was she brave enough to offer all of her to him, or would she forever keep him apart from her life?

She did not have all the answers, and she feared she never would.