Page 37 of His Stolen Duchess (Stolen by the Duke #7)

Chapter Thirty-One

L ysander held a hand to his head. It throbbed in the aftermath of another late, brandy-fueled night. It always seemed like a good idea at the time, but the mornings disagreed with that. He pushed the door open and stepped out into the light of the morning.

He walked through his townhouse garden, taking in lungfuls of fresh air.

When is she coming back? Is all of this to teach me some sort of lesson? I’ve already explained why it must be like this.

His words did nothing to convince the only person who could hear them: Himself.

Lysander stopped in the middle of the garden and looked at the folly.

He had forgotten about the building until now and began walking over to it.

Georgina’s departure had been sudden, and he didn’t know if she had taken the parrot with her.

When he got to the small building, he could hear nothing from within. Neither was the parrot on its perch.

“She did take you with her. Not long ago, I might have been glad, but your absence is presently a little unsettling.”

Lysander turned and walked away.

“Pox-ridden swine!”

Lysander spun around, his fists balled and ready to swing. He saw no one there and managed to put two and two together. He returned to the enclosure and thoroughly searched it this time. There he was. Mr. Squawksby was standing on the floor with one wing pressed to the inner wall.

“So, you are still here. What a pair we make.”

The parrot looked up at him. “Codpiece fool!”

“I have killed men on the battlefield for less than that,” Lysander warned.

Still, he took a piece of candied fruit from the small bowl and tossed it into the cage. The parrot looked at the treat but didn’t move from his spot.

“She’ll be back soon,” Lysander said softly. “I’ll make sure of it.”

“Devil take your eyes!”

“So, that’s how it is, is it? And here I thought we were on better terms than that. Go on then, call me what you wish and sulk at the bottom of your cage. If you don’t want to eat the treats that I give you, then I shan’t give you anything more.”

Lysander turned from the cage and walked away. He was halfway back to the residence when Dottie exited, looking around. When she spotted the Duke, she hurried over.

Right before she got to him, Lysander was sure he heard one final call from the folly. “Best behavior!”

“Your Grace,” Dottie said, curtsying quickly. “I’m sorry to bother you. I know you’re a busy man, and I’m only a maid and all.”

“Spit it out, will you? I don’t have all day.”

“No, of course not.” Dottie curtsied again. “I wish to thank you again for employing me. I would have completely understood if you didn’t want to take me on, but you are a good man, Your Grace.”

“You didn’t come out here to only say that, so will you please come out with it?”

“No, I didn’t, Your Grace. I was only… I wondered if I might have done something to offend Her Grace.”

“ Offend her?” Lysander was so taken aback that he nearly lost his footing. “No, you haven’t done anything to offend her. She thinks the world of you.”

“Thank you for saying that, Your Grace. It’s just that I spoke to her, and well, I asked her to put her hand on my belly. My baby was kicking, you see. Afterwards, she left so suddenly. I worried I had done something wrong by doing that. I just miss her.”

“We all… she’ll return soon. You don’t have to worry about that. She’s gone to visit her sister. I will have her come back to the townhouse before we go back to the manor. There are only a few things to take care of before then.”

Why am I even telling you all of this? It’s none of your business. You care about Georgina, and so do I.

“I’m sorry again for bothering you, Your Grace. I will leave you be, it’s just…” Dottie’s voice became quieter as her words drifted off.

Lysander should have ordered her to get back to work, but something stirred within him. He was still the same man inside, but he wanted to hear what she had to say. He had the feeling that it was of the utmost importance.

“Say what you need to say,” he ordered.

Dottie looked around, then back at the Duke, her eyes now a little wider.

“Perhaps it’s not my place to say it, but I remember working for Her Grace back at her uncle’s house, and she was always very kind to me, but she wasn’t the person she is now.

She was always happy, but not happy like she is now, and if you don’t mind me saying, Your Grace, I’ve seen how happy you are now that she is around.

And how sad you have become with her gone, and?—”

“You’re right, it is none of your business,” Lysander warned. “I don’t have time for this, so please get back to work.”

Dottie curtsied again quickly. “Yes, of course, Your Grace. I beg your pardon. Forget I said anything.”

Lysander watched her race back into the house, and once again, he was alone in the garden.

First Thomas, and now his maid. It was infuriating that everyone knew what was going on inside his head and heart better than he did, and even more annoying that the people around him felt the need to intervene and meddle when they hadn’t ever done so before.

“Guttersnipe bastard!” Mr. Squawksby shouted from the safety of his enclosure.

“Everyone has something to say,” Lysander muttered.

“Georgina!”

Georgina looked over her shoulder from her parlor chair to find Isabella and Beatrice. She leaped from her chair, her chest swelling at the sight of two familiar faces, and ran to them, the three of them embracing in the doorway, bumping elbows into the door surround as they hugged.

“What are you doing here?” Georgina asked. “I didn’t know you were coming to visit Emily.”

“We aren’t,” Isabella said. “We thought you might need some company.”

Georgina tutted. “I told Emily not to tell anyone anything. I don’t want to make a big deal of this.”

Georgina walked back into the room, and her two friends followed.

“Did he hurt you?” Isabella asked.

“No, he didn’t hurt me.” She was still telling that lie. He had hurt her more deeply than she had ever imagined being hurt.

“If he ever tries to hurt you, I’ll… I’ll…,” Isabella started.

“You’ll what?” Beatrice asked.

“Well, I’ll simply bonk him on the nose.” Isabella raised a fist and shook it to show she was serious.

The other two women burst into laughter.

“This isn’t funny!” Isabella complained. “I’m serious, Georgina! I mean it! I would really bonk him on the nose.”

“Firstly, you can’t use the word ‘bonk’ when you’re threatening someone,” Georgina told her. “Secondly, I would really like to see that. I mean, perhaps it wouldn’t end well for you, but I’m sure Lysander would get the sock of his life.”

“Oh, we heard about the incident at the lake,” Isabella fawned. “Did he really fight off three men as they tried to grab you?”

“Is there anything my sister hasn’t told you?” Georgina complained.

“You never said that I couldn’t repeat what you told me,” Emily said as she waltzed into the room, followed by two maids with trays. “Now, who is up for some refreshments?”

“Well, I just think that you don’t need to tell everyone everything I tell you,” Georgina complained.

“And I thought that you needed some cheering up after sulking here for the last three days, and Isabella and Beatrice needed some context as to what they were walking into.”

“Oh, my goodness, Emily!” Georgina shook her head so fiercely that she thought it might pop off. “You make it sound like I’m a lost cause.”

“All I know is that you are hurting, Georgie, and I hate to see you like this. All I want is for you to be happy. I hope you know that.”

“I do,” Georgina relented.

When did my life become such a mess? I caused myself drama by running away from one wedding, and I never thought I would have so much drama with the Duke.

“We don’t need to talk about it,” Beatrice said. “How about we tell you what is happening in London. There are some juicy tidbits.”

“Beatrice,” Isabella chided as she sat in one of the chairs around the round table with the tiled mosaic atop. “We said we weren’t going to gossip as much this season.”

“Yes,” Beatrice replied, joining her sister at the table. She spoke through her teeth. “But this is only to distract our friend from the things she doesn’t want to talk about. You do remember that is why we are here.”

Isabella placed a hand at the side of her mouth and whispered. “You’re right. I wasn’t thinking about that. If you’re going to tell her anything, you should tell her about Mrs. Latham.”

“That’s obviously the story I was about to tell,” Beatrice replied through gritted teeth.

Georgina sat at the table. “You do know I can hear every word the two of you are saying. Given that, please never try to talk about anyone in public. Of course, that is great advice at the best of times. Now, what do you have to tell me about Mrs. Latham? I believe I met her once at a ball.”

And anything to take my mind off Lysander.

“Well,” Beatrice pronounced extravagantly, her smile widening. “I heard this from Mrs. Darlington, and you can’t always trust what she has to say, but she was adamant that it was the truth.”

“Yes, because people who are known to fabricate stories are to be believed when they tell you they are telling the truth because they couldn’t possibly be lying,” Isabella interjected.

“You were the one who wanted me to tell this story,” Beatrice said through gritted teeth once more.

“I’m only giving some context on the overall situation, but I’m sure that it’s true. It must be true. We have told so many people that I really hope it’s true,” Isabella commented.

Georgina tried not to laugh. “This is quite the build-up to the story. I hope the climax is worth it.”

“Yes, I hope so, too,” Beatrice grumbled. “Well, the thing about it is that Lord Penworth has been seen sneaking out of Mrs. Latham’s garden during the early hours of the morning or the late hours of the night. In any event, at some time after midnight on most nights.”

“Yes, not once, but thrice,” Isabella added.

“Mrs. Latham’s husband has been in Bath for the past three weeks,” Beatrice added. “They say that the moon was so bright one night that you could see Lord Penworth was half buttoned when he came through the hedgerows.”

“Who are they ?” Georgina asked.

“Well, them ,” Beatrice said.

“Yes, them,” Isabella agreed. “You know, the people who say things and notice things. It’s not like it’s one person, but an entire network of people across the city.

“People who know things,” Beatrice added. “Anyhow, I’m sure there’s a perfectly reasonable explanation as to why he was coming out of her hedges at such an ungodly time, but the less said about it, the better.”

“No, the more said about it, the better,” Isabella said. “Because we all want to know more, right?”

“It’s only a figure of speech, Izzy,” her sister said.

“Not a very good one,” Isabella said, picking up her teacup. “Why would it be better to say less about something like this when we all want the juicy details. I would be loath to be the last person to know.”

Georgina smiled. Partly because the twins entertained her, but primarily because she could take her mind off Lysander for an afternoon.

They spent hours at the parlor table, drinking tea, eating cake, and laughing as they spoke and told stories. It was heaven for Georgina, and she was sad when the twins had to leave, even if they had promised to return another time.

“You’re hurting,” Emily said as she and her sister stood in the doorway watching the twins’ coach recede from view.

“I’ll be fine,” Georgina said.

“I don’t know if you will,” Emily admitted. “I haven’t seen you like this before. You really like him, don’t you?”

“Yes, I do. I never meant to fall for him, but I have, and he’ll never return that sentiment but the further I distance myself from my husband, the more trapped I feel. I’m supposed to be with him, I know it. But I can’t.”

“Then what will you do?” Emily asked.

“I don’t know.” Georgina watched as the coach turned into a dot on the horizon before it disappeared. “I can’t change him, nor should that be my goal. I want to love him for who he is, but how can I go on loving a man who will never love me? What am I supposed to do about that?”

“I don’t know,” Emily admitted. “Come back inside and have some tea with me. If we talk it out, perhaps it’ll give you a new perspective on the matter. He is your husband, so you can’t stay here forever.”

“Can I borrow a coach?” Georgina asked.

“Are you going back to him?”

“No, not yet. I need some time to think about how I can live this life. I just want to go back to the start. If I could start all over again, would it be any different?”

“Do you need some company?” Emily offered.

“I think I just need to be alone.”