Page 6 of Her Duke to Tempt (Wayward Dukes’ Alliance #29)
Five
E nid exhaled slowly as a small village came into view.
It was nestled between rolling hills and that would easily be bathed in sunlight—if the sun had not set hours earlier.
Logan leaned back against the seat of the carriage as their driver guided them toward a modest inn that stood at the edge of the village.
The tiredness of their journey seemed to settle heavily on her shoulders.
The miles of travel must be weighing on Logan.
It certainly had been making her wearier with each passing second.
The fought of finding sustenance and the warmth of a fire at the inn beckoned her.
She couldn’t help but feel a flicker of hope rise in her chest. They were close—so close.
As much as she loved her niece she was irritated at her for this.
They both should be at Winston Manor in the comforts of a familiar home.
“Let’s speak with the innkeeper and see if Aiden or Felicity has been here,” the duke said, his voice low and steady, as if he too sensed the strain of their travels. “But regardless of what he says I think we should stop here for the night. We’ll be better off rested before we move on.”
Enid nodded, grateful for his pragmatism.
Templeton stepped out of the carriage and then turned to assist her.
It was a relief to finally be free from the confines of the carriage.
It had started to become stifling. As they made their way inside, the warm glow of the fire in the hearth greeted them, a welcome sight after the long journey.
She longed to move closer to the fire and absorb the warmth it offered.
The innkeeper was a gruff but kind man. He greeted them as they stopped in front of them.
Templeton smiled at them and asked, “Perhaps you can assist me,” he said to the innkeeper.
“I believe my son may have passed through here. Do you recall him?” Templeton described Aiden. “He’s the Marquess of Redding.”
“Aye I believe he did,” the innkeeper said with a knowing look.
“He was searching for a young lady.” His lips twitched a little in amusement.
“When the lady arrived here, she wasn’t dressed as a proper young lady, ye ken.
She was wearing gentleman’s attire. When they met up…
The lady—well, she doesn’t look too thrilled about it. ”
Enid exchanged a glance with the duke. The pieces were falling into place.
Aiden and Felicity had been at this very inn.
They had stopped there, and now, Enid was closer than ever to finding her wayward niece.
When she caught up with her… Well, she did not truly know what she would do.
She would be relieved of course, but it was much more than that.
The fear and anxiety that had been her constant companion since Felicity went missing could not be ignored.
Felicity would have to understand that she could not act so recklessly and worry those around her.
“Did they happen to say anything about their destination?” the duke asked, his voice low with interest. Enid was glad he thought to ask. Her thoughts were too muddled to think clearly.
“His lordship inquired as to the most direct route to Scotland,” the innkeeper replied. “But strange thing is, the lady—” He leaned in, lowering his voice, “—she thought they were going to Wales.”
Enid froze, her fingers tightening around her glass.
Wales? Why would Felicity think they were heading to Wales?
Was it simply a ruse, or was there something more to it?
If it was a ruse, who was it meant to distract?
Somehow, she did not believe that Felicity anticipated that Enid would come after her.
So did she hope to slip away from Aiden or had Aiden said or done something that made Felicity believe Wales was their destination.
Templeton shook his head, clearly unperturbed by the news. “Well, as long as they’re heading to Scotland, we’re on the right trail.” He glanced around the inn quickly and then turned back to the innkeeper. “We will need rooms for the night if you have them.”
“Aye,” he said. “We do have two available. Will you be requiring a meal or a bath as well.”
The duke glanced in her direction and studied her. Then he turned back to the innkeeper. “Yes, a bath for Lady Winston. Have one sent to her room.”
Enid could feel her heart racing, but she fought to keep her composure.
She wanted so desperately to believe that this was the right path—that they could catch up to Aiden and Felicity, and that things would resolve themselves.
But that part of her, the part that couldn’t trust easily, wondered what games the Marquess of Redding might be playing.
Templeton had far too much faith in his son and his intentions.
Enid could not be that trusting. She prayed that it would all work out in the end, but she had her doubts.
She glanced at the duke, who had already moved on to another thought entirely, his mind seemingly fixed on the practicalities of their journey.
He was still convinced that Aiden intended to marry Felicity, and Enid couldn’t quite share his optimism.
It was clear from Redding’s behavior that there was something far more complicated at play.
“Would you rather eat in the common room or in the privacy of you own room,” Logan continued, oblivious to the swirling doubts in her mind. “I know you must be exhausted, and you need to rest. We’ll get an early start in the morning.”
Enid nodded, grateful for the rest, though she couldn’t shake the unease that lingered in her chest. As much as she wanted to believe that Aiden’s intentions were pure—that he truly wanted to marry Felicity—she couldn’t ignore the suspicions that gnawed at her.
The game he was playing was not one she fully understood, but she would follow him. For Felicity’s sake.
“Tomorrow,” she whispered to herself. “We’ll have answers tomorrow.
” She kept muttering that to herself hoping she would believe it.
She blew out a breath. “But for tonight… I think we should eat together in the common room and discuss what our next steps will be, and then we can retire to our respective rooms and rest for the night.”
“All right then,” he said. “That is agreeable.”
They went into the common room and sat at a nearby table.
A serving girl came by to offer them a modest meal of mutton stew and ale.
Enid felt the tension in her shoulders ease as she sat at the small table, her fingers lightly tracing the edge of her cup.
They had come a long way, but it seemed their pursuit was finally yielding results.
Though she would rather have had tea than ale, she sipped on the bitter drink.
The stew was hot and filling, and while not her favorite meal, it was still delicious.
“Do you truly believe they are going to Scotland?” she asked.
“What if they are really going to Wales?” Her mind remained restless, constantly racing over the details, over the strange information that suggested they might go to Wales.
She had no answers yet, but one thing was certain: Redding and Felicity’s journey was not one that could be easily unraveled.
“Yes, they are going to Scotland,” Templeton replied. “My son intends to marry your niece. That is not so easily done in Wales, and well, Wales is much further away. Even if it were easier there, he would not want to wait that long.”
“I do not understand,” she began. “How can you be so certain that is what he is going to do?”
“Because it is what I would do,” he told her.
He took a sip of his ale and leaned back to study her.
“He’s using this adventure to woo her all while leading her exactly where he wants them to go.
When it is all said and done,” he said with confidence.
“They will be husband and wife. I would even be willing to wager it will happen before we find them.”
“So, you believe this is all for naught?” She lifted a brow. “We are wasting our time by going after them?”
He shrugged. “Not at all. Nothing is a waste of time if it eased your mind in any fashion.” He smiled. “Besides I would never tell you not to do something, my lady. We both know you will do as you wish regardless of what someone else might think.
There was a time that was not true. She never would have done something that might cause a scandal.
She had been very prudish and never took risks.
Enid had been too afraid to stand out or be the belle of the ball.
She was a borderline wallflower because of it.
One misstep and she would have never found her husband and may have remained a spinster.
The very state Felicity wanted to remain in and thumbed her nose at society to achieve.
But the duke did not know that about her.
He never knew her when she was a young debutante. “You believe Felicity and I are alike.”
“Are you not?” He raised a brow. “I thought you were both stubborn willful women.”
“Perhaps,” she conceded. She trailed her finger over the rim of her glass. “But I was never like Felicity in my youth.” Enid waved her hand. “I never would have gone off on some mad adventure. I was never that brave or brazen.”
He smiled. “What changed?”