Page 25 of Hot Duke Summer

J ames arrived at the copse while the church bells chimed the eight o’clock hour. He was eager to see Verity and give her the gift he had purchased on impulse yesterday afternoon, something he knew she would like.

The gift had been burning a hole in his pocket since last night. He had meant to give it to her then, but she was constantly surrounded by well-wishers, and he was not particularly keen on having an audience when he presented it to her.

No matter—he would take care of it today.

He felt acute disappointment when finding himself alone at the pool. The little mermaid was not waiting for him there. “Blast,” he muttered, shedding his clothes and losing all excitement for his morning swim. He missed seeing her smiling face.

However, he could not fault her. She must have been drained from last night’s performance and probably overslept.

He took a halfhearted swim, then got out of the pool to dry himself off and don his clothes. As he limped to his pile of clothes, he saw Verity grinning at him and holding out his drying cloth. “Here, wrap this around you for the sake of propriety.”

He laughed. “You must be joking. Close your eyes, you little imp. Stop gawking at me.”

“There, is this suitably proper?” She sealed her eyes shut tight, which caused her nose to scrunch. “Forgive me. I know that was unpardonably brazen of me. But I have also given thought to what you said yesterday about a bond between us. Oh, I do not wish to make too much of it, but I must agree. I feel as though we have been friends for ages. I hope I am not being a goose to trust you and feel so comfortable around you as I do.”

“You are not a goose at all. This is the same I think about you. I’m glad you are here, Verity. Did you have your morning swim?”

“No, I lazed in bed the extra hour. But I have our day planned out and wanted to catch you before you rode off elsewhere.”

He stepped behind the shrubbery to dry himself off and dress. “I wasn’t going anywhere else. This day is reserved entirely for you.”

She gave her back to him while he put on his trousers and buttoned his falls. “Would you mind if we saved the boat outing for tomorrow? I’ve brought two of my brothers along as chaperones today, but I think they are the ones who need closer looking after. I would not put it past them to jump into the water to swim with dolphins if we spot any. My father insisted on their coming with us, so I think we must stay on dry land. Do you mind?”

“Not at all. Frankly, I am surprised he did not insist on your entire family coming along. The rules are certainly different here. Young boys would never be considered proper chaperones in London.”

“We are much more practical here. My father knows their antics will keep us fully occupied.” She turned back to him with open eyes as he stepped out from behind the shrubs. “I thought we could have our picnic by one of our prettier beaches. There are pirate caves near it, but we won’t go in the caves beyond the entrance because it turns frighteningly dark after only a few steps in.”

“I’m sure Claymore has several lanterns we can borrow.”

“No, best not. It will only encourage my brothers to explore, and then they will get lost. We’ll have the devil of a time trying to find them. Just a picnic and a walk along the beach will do. I’ll let the boys swim if they get too much out of line.”

“Are your brothers already here?”

She nodded. “Having a bite in the kitchen with my aunt. She is the Claymore housekeeper.”

“Of course. Why am I not surprised? You Angels are everywhere.” He gave his locks a quick brush by raking his fingers through them. “You have the oddest family.”

“I know. Duchesses and housekeepers. A countess and a constable. We are all over the place.”

“I can see why a duke would offer for an Angel. Are your cousins as remarkable as you? Claymore is wild for your cousin Brenna. He told me she taught at an elite girls’ school in Oxford.”

“Yes, she is the smartest among us.” She picked up his cane and handed it to him, then walked beside him as he slowly made his way toward the manor house. Climbing the slight rise was difficult, but coming down was just as hard and probably more damaging if he fell. “Cara and Felicity are smart, too,” she added. “But Brenna stood out.”

“You are also a standout, Verity. Introduce me to your brothers.” He guided her toward the kitchen entrance, since it was closest and the boys were already in there. “How old are they?”

“Gabriel is twelve and Michael is ten. My parents named them after the archangels. I have a fifteen-year-old brother, Elmer, and two younger sisters as well. All of them are ginger-haired and freckled like my stepmother. I am the only one who takes after my father.”

He grinned. “You are a lot prettier than your father.”

She laughed. “So I have been told a time or two.”

She led the way into the kitchen and called out to the Claymore housekeeper. “Auntie, don’t give them too much food or they’ll end up with bellyaches.”

Two ginger heads looked up. The boys had been digging into a batch of freshly baked scones and emitted howls when the housekeeper took the plate away. “We hardly ate anything for breakfast,” the eldest boy complained.

“We are growing boys, and Mum says we need our sustenance or else we’ll wither,” the younger one insisted.

“Mama packed plenty of food for our picnic,” Verity reminded them, then playfully grabbed two scones and handed one to James. She took a bite of hers. “Mmm, delicious, Auntie.”

Her aunt turned to respond and realized James was standing behind Verity. She became somewhat flustered and immediately fell into a respectful curtsy. “Your Grace.”

When she realized her nephews had remained seated, she gave each boy a light smack on the head and told them to get up and greet him properly. They scrambled to their feet and gave polite bows.

“A pleasure to meet you boys. You must be Gabriel. And you are Michael.” They both had Verity’s green eyes.

“Yes, Your Grace,” the older one answered.

“Please forgive the shocking informality, Your Grace,” Verity’s aunt said, not yet over the embarrassment of being caught feeding her nephews. Perhaps she was also embarrassed to find him in the kitchen. Dukes were not in the habit of walking into the servants’ domain.

But James liked this informality. Yes, it would probably hasten the downfall of all barriers between the classes, but he had felt nothing but shame in the way his peers had treated Verity last night. Let every blasted barricade fall, as far as he was concerned.

Verity shuffled the lads outside and waited with them by the rattletrap of a rig that had brought them here. In the meantime, he went upstairs to change into proper attire for a country picnic and perhaps a little cave exploring, although Verity had ruled it out. A plain work shirt, light neckcloth, and dark trousers of a sturdy weave would do. He brought along a jacket but did not bother to put it on. He would don it if they encountered company, which he hoped they would not. He retained the boots he had put on this morning. The soft leather was worn in and quite comfortable. Those would be especially suitable if they were to undertake a day of walking.

Well, Verity was aware of his limitations. She would be careful not to let him strain his leg.

“All right, Angels,” he said, stepping out the front door. “Let’s get underway.”

The boys had been running circles around the rig while waiting for him to appear, but they now scampered into the back seat and immediately began to push and poke each other. Verity hopped into the driver’s seat and took up the reins.

James climbed up last, feeling a bit helpless for requiring the assistance of a footman. But he easily settled on the driver’s bench beside Verity and stretched his leg in front of him. “Miss Angel, you are in charge today. Where are you taking us?”

“Brigand’s Beach, Your Grace, and a picnic afterward…or perhaps beforehand, depending on the tides.” Since she handled the worn conveyance and the horse drawing it with ease, he relaxed and enjoyed the ride. Her brothers continued to poke and prod each other. Verity, obviously dismayed they were behaving like little heathens, kept turning her head to frown at them. “I am not stopping this carriage, so you had better quit fighting and trying to push each other out.”

“Yes!” Michael immediately tried to push Gabriel out now that Verity had unwittingly given him the idea.

“Quit it!” Gabriel gave his brother a hefty push back.

“You might rethink that strategy, Verity,” James said with a grin, reaching back to put his arm between the boys before they succeeded in sending each other flying onto the roadway. “First one who moves,” he said in his most commanding voice of authority, “shall muck out my horse’s stall for a week.”

“Verity! Can he make us do that?” Gabriel asked, looking so innocently outraged that James had to bite the inside of his cheek to stem his laughter.

She nodded. “He’s a powerful duke. He can do anything he wants. You had better listen to him or he’ll have you cleaning out his bedpans, too.”

“No!” they shouted in unison, but the threat appeared to work and they quieted down. It helped that James engaged them in conversation, asking them questions about the area, their favorite spots in Moonstone Landing, and their favorite activities. Once he got them talking, they were little chatterboxes.

He did not mind this either, for having them chew his ear off was a healthy way for boys to be. Well, he thought so. This was so much better than enforced silence or wallops to the head that followed a hiss to keep silent. The few times he and his father rode together in the ducal carriage, the old man wanted nothing to do with him, and made his displeasure quite clear. James had learned at an early age to keep his feelings to himself.

As a consequence, he could count on one hand the number of people he would consider friends. Perhaps Claymore was his closest and only true friend. As for the ladies, none had ever gotten close to him.

His fault, most likely. They all blended into each other, all of them beautiful and mercenary, all of them knowing every detail of his family’s long and exalted history but knowing nothing of him .

“Is this not the prettiest countryside?” Verity commented, drawing him out of his thoughts.

“Yes, quite beautiful.” They rode past many places he had seen when riding his gray yesterday, but it helped to know the who, how, where, and why of each meadow, pasture, and cove they passed.

Verity pointed to her left to a particularly scenic vista of red stone cliffs that plunged down to swirling azure waters and crashing waves. “This road traverses the Earl of Woodley’s property,” she explained. “To the right is his manor house, and to the left are caves considered the area’s authentic pirate caves because they were once used for smuggling by real pirates who plundered the Irish Sea.”

“Ooh! Can we explore them, Verity? Pleeeease?” Michael asked, clasping his hands together as though in prayer.

“Not these caves, nor any others today,” she replied. “We’re going to have a picnic on Brigand’s Beach and then take a walk, but that is all.”

“There are caves at Brigand’s Beach,” Michael insisted.

“Yes.” Verity sighed. “But we cannot go inside, Michael. Remember, I warned you how dark and slippery these caves can get. We haven’t the supplies to explore them safely.”

“The duke can’t walk anyway,” Gabriel advised his brother. “He’ll fall on the rocks and crack his skull open. Have you always needed a cane to walk, Your Grace?”

“Gabriel!” Verity said. “That is not polite.”

“It’s all right. It is a good question,” James said, wishing adults could be as guileless as children. “No, I used to have no trouble walking until a few months ago. Then I was in a carriage accident.”

“What happened?” Gabriel asked, his sincere expression of concern similar to the one on Verity’s face.

“I was on my way to one of the Ashford estates along the Yorkshire moors when the weather suddenly turned foul. My driver and I headed for the nearest inn, but it was still miles away. That area is rather barren, and we were on the open road and fully exposed to the storm. A flash of lightning struck close and spooked my horses. The driver could not control them. He was thrown off, fortunately surviving the fall by landing on soft marsh grass. I tried to climb out through the window to get onto the roof and then the driver’s seat. I had just managed to get onto the roof when the team darted off the road onto quicksand. The wheels got stuck, which made the horses even more skittish than they already were. They broke loose and kept galloping off.”

The boys had their eyes wide, big green orbs staring at him.

“I tried to jump clear of the carriage as it began to roll over, but I did not quite make it, and it crushed my leg.”

He noted Verity’s expressive face and could see every caring feeling that passed across her lovely features. “How long was it before anyone found you?”

“Out there? It took hours. I lay there overnight and wasn’t found until the next morning. By that time, the rain had stopped and I had managed to dig my leg out from under the carriage. However, I could not walk on it because it was so badly mangled. A gentleman on the way to Scarborough saw my driver and was kind enough to stop and help him search for me. That unpleasant adventure was several months ago, as I mentioned earlier. I have been trying to strengthen the leg ever since.”

“That must have been scary,” Gabriel said, the young lad fully appreciating the seriousness of the accident.

Michael, on the other hand, was bouncing in his seat. “Were you hit by lightning?”

“While I lay out there in the rain? No, but it was a close thing. Lightning travels along the ground for a short distance after striking. I felt the ground sizzle around me a time or two. Fortunately, I was far enough away that I only felt strong tingles but did not get burned.”

“I fell out of a tree and broke my arm once,” Gabriel volunteered. “It hurt like blazes. But Dr. Hewitt treated it and I’m good now.”

Michael was still bouncing in his seat. “I haven’t broken anything yet.”

“That’s a surprise,” James muttered with a chuckle. “Let’s hope you don’t. It is not pleasant. Sometimes, the bone may heal but you will still feel pain forever afterward. You want to be careful and try to avoid injury.”

They reached a sandy beach where the approach was along a relatively flat stretch of land that James could manage. At the other end of the beach were carved-out openings at the base of a cliff. Those were the caves Michael must have wanted to explore.

Verity was adamant. “We will take a walk to them, but not go in, Michael. Do not whine about it.”

“All right,” the boy muttered.

The two lads then ran to a shady spot on the beach to set out a blanket and their picnic basket.

Verity watched them a moment and then turned to James. “I know you cannot walk the entire distance, so I will take the boys on my own after our picnic. Just to the mouth of the caves and back. As I’ve repeatedly told Michael, we are not going in. I’ll distract them by having them collect seashells and dip their feet in the water, if need be.”

“Are you sure it will be all right?”

“Yes, Gabriel and I will keep close watch on Michael. I won’t be gone long. Stretch out on the blanket and enjoy the sunshine while you wait for us. The sun is good for your bones.”

They settled on the large blanket and enjoyed a surprisingly generous array of food. Cold chicken, cheeses, apples, and freshly baked bread were only a small part of what her mother had packed. There was plentiful cider as well as two ginger cakes and a lemon cake neatly wrapped in checkered cloths. “We’ll save the cakes for later,” Verity said before kicking off her walking boots and telling her brothers to take off theirs. “The sand is warm and you’ll enjoy burrowing your toes in it.”

The boys eagerly obeyed.

James watched them walk along the beach. They scooped up shells, and the boys rolled up the legs of their breeches to their thighs in order to frolic among the waves that swept to shore. For the first time in his life, he could see himself as a family man, a father and husband. Yes, he could be that to someone like Verity.

He was in the midst of his reveries about his idyllic future and his idyllic family when he heard Verity suddenly cry out. “Bollocks,” he muttered, immediately picking up his cane and getting to his feet when he saw Michael running off toward the caves. Verity and Gabriel gave chase, but Michael was a quick little devil.

James hobbled as fast as he could toward them. In truth, he felt useless, and his leg would be in spasms soon from the effort of running in soft sand. But instinct warned he had to do it. Perhaps it was merely wishful thinking on his part that he might be needed.

It struck him in that moment that no one really needed him. They wanted his title. His maiden aunt depended on his benevolence to keep her in comfort but otherwise cared nothing for him. Not a soul in the world would miss him .

Michael was now climbing the rocks at a spot where the gentle waves turned rough and swirling as they were caught in a small, canyon-like pathway carved out by the relentless pounding of water against those rocks over thousands of years. James heard deep rumbles inside the caves as those waves broke with force inside the hollow rock.

He saw Verity warn Gabriel to stay on the sand while she scampered up those rocks to chase Michael. Then he heard her scream as Michael slipped and fell into the water. His heart surged into his throat when he saw Verity jump in after him.

Gabriel, using some sense, carefully made his way up those rocks and then sank flat onto his stomach in order to try to reach a hand to either of them.

James had just reached the boy when he saw him haul Michael out of the water. Verity had managed to shove the boy upward into Gabriel’s arms. But the swirling water now had her in its grip and suddenly pushed her under and out to sea. At least, James hoped it was pushing her away from those treacherous rocks. Still, there was extreme danger, since the current now seemed to be holding her under.

You’re a mermaid.

Swim out of this, Verity.

But he dared not wait for her to come up for air. What if she could not?

James dove in after her, hoping to find her before it was too late. Could he pull either of them up even if he did find her?

It did not matter. He was going to save her or die trying.

The salt water burned his eyes, but he quickly adjusted to it. Harder to deal with was the sand and silt that swirled around him, roiling and clouding the water. Verity . He was growing desperate to find her.

His lungs were starting to ache. Hers had to be ready to burst.

Please, no.

Please.

Where are you, Verity?

As though in answer to his prayer, he suddenly saw her in a circle of light, her dark hair unbound and floating upward, her green eyes open, and her expression desperate.

The sun’s rays had struck the water in such a way as to create a prism of light around her. Whether plain luck or divine providence, he did not know or care. He had found Verity and would never let her go.

He reached out, grabbed her hand, and tugged her to him with all his might. Then, with all the strength within his soul, he swam them both upward. She gasped and inhaled deeply as soon as they broke the surface of the water. He did the same, taking in great gulps of air, but did not pause to rest because they still had to swim clear of that treacherous current.

Verity was too weak to manage it on her own, so he held on to her.

Not that he had any intention of ever letting her go.

She did not resist or make any attempt to push away. He kept his arm around her, quietly rejoicing every time she coughed or took a deep breath because it meant she was alive.

He carried her out of the water and onto dry sand, but had taken no more than a few steps before his leg gave out. He collapsed awkwardly, landing atop her.

“Bollocks,” he muttered, and quickly rolled off her onto his back. But that momentary feel of her breasts against his chest, and her wrapped in his arms, shot heat through him. For whatever reason, exhaustion or delirium, the fantasy of making love to Verity took hold and gave him wild thoughts.

It was ridiculous. He had yet to catch his breath. He had yet to let go of her hand, which he would not do until he was certain she had recovered.

But those wild thoughts stayed with him even as her brothers reached them and asked if they were alive. “Yes,” he said, now sitting up and turning to Verity, who had been caught underwater longer than he had been. She had yet to move or open her eyes. “Verity…”

He placed a hand over her heart to make certain it was still beating. He knew only elation when he felt its strong, steady rhythm beneath his palm.

“Yes,” she said weakly, “give me a moment.”

“Take all the time you need.” James reluctantly removed his hand from the soft mound of her breast, for it did not need to linger there. She was alive and breathing. Her gown was pasted to her body, revealing every appealing curve and every blessed detail of her lovely bosom.

Gad, he should not be having wild thoughts. But he ached to taste her, to trail his lips and tongue along her skin. She would taste so sweet. Her breasts. The intimate mound between her legs. It was not only lust he was feeling but permanence as well. She was the one he wanted writhing beneath him and clutching his shoulders as he brought her to pleasure.

He had never shared anything with anyone. And yet he wanted to share the rest of his life with Verity.

He would speak to her later in private. Perhaps the present he meant to give her would serve as a bridal token instead.

No.

What was he thinking?

He had only known Verity a handful of days. Had Claymore, Bradford, and Strathmore acted as rashly toward the Angels they had married? How long did it take for them to know?

He set the thought aside as Verity slowly sat up. Michael immediately burst into tears and hugged her. “I’m so sorry, Verity!”

She embraced him fiercely. “Hush, Michael. I’m just glad none of us were hurt.”

Gabriel was not about to let his brother get off so lightly. “He almost killed you! Michael, what were you thinking? His Grace and Verity warned us of the danger, and you just ran off like a spiteful brat. You have to tell Papa what you did.”

Now Gabriel was crying and hugging Verity.

Michael, who was still weeping and kneeling beside Verity and Gabriel, kept whispering, “I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”

James could see how torn up the boys were over almost losing their sister. This. This is what mattered and what no one had ever felt about him. He could pass from this earth and no one would shed a tear. Perhaps Claymore might, but it would be regret more than inconsolable sadness.

Michael looked so helpless and hurt, just standing there watching Gabriel and Verity hug.

James sighed. “Michael, come here.”

The boy threw himself into James’s arms and gave him a hug so intense and pure of feeling, he felt it in his soul. “You saved her,” the lad whispered. “You saved her.”

And James felt bloody good about it.

“Does this mean you will always listen to us from now on?” he said in a stern but affectionate tone.

Michael nodded against his chest. “Yes. Always.”

Since they were all soaked to the skin, they packed up their picnic wares and climbed back into the rickety rig. “I’ll take the reins, Verity,” he said, knowing she was still unsettled from her near drowning. His leg was strained and starting to spasm, but he overlooked the pain by sheer force of will. Taking care of these wet Angels was a priority. He would have all night to toss a vat of lavender oil on the scarred limb.

Verity was trembling, so he drew her close and kept his arm around her. James knew the moment she began to return more or less to herself when she took out the two ginger cakes and the lemon cake from their picnic basket at her feet. She handed a ginger cake to each brother and kept the lemon cake for herself to share with him. “You do realize you’ve given each brother an entire cake to themselves,” he said.

She smiled at him and nodded. “Yes, it will keep them occupied on the ride home. This one’s for us. I hope you like lemon cake.”

“I do.”

“Good. Do you have an appetite?”

For her as well as the cake. “Ravenous.”

It seemed every inhabitant of Moonstone Landing was on the high street and staring at the bedraggled lot of them as their rig passed by. Verity guided him toward her home, which turned out to be a beautiful cottage overlooking the water. It was large and well maintained. The boys hopped down as soon as they came to a stop, and ran inside calling for their mother.

Verity remained beside him. “Would you like to come in for a few minutes? I’ll introduce you to my mother, and then I’ll run up to change out of this wet gown before I drive you back to Stoningham Manor. Do not even think of walking. Your leg must be hurting like blazes.”

“It’s all right.”

“I’m sure it is not,” she said with a sigh, but cast him a charming smile. She hopped down, then came to his side to assist him. She made no fuss about helping him. He was pleased by how smoothly she handled it without making him feel helpless.

They had just walked into the house when her father caught up to them. He looked at James and then his children, all of them soaked and exhausted.

Michael immediately burst into tears. “Verity almost drowned and it’s all my fault, Papa. I went onto the rocks by the caves when she told me not to, and then I fell in. She jumped in after me and pushed me to Gabriel, who got me out of the water. But she couldn’t get out, so the duke jumped in after her. And then those lights shone in the water and—”

“What lights?” Verity asked.

“Those colored lights. It looked like a rainbow on the water. Gabriel saw them, too. Didn’t you, Gabriel?”

The boy nodded. “And then there was a final rainbow burst of light and the duke swam to the surface clutching Verity in his arms.”

“I am ready to take my punishment, Papa,” Michael said, his chin raised high as though he were ready to face the consequences like a man of honor.

“The duke said he would make us muck out his horse’s stall if we misbehaved,” Gabriel suggested.

“And clean out the bedpans, too,” Michael added, now turning to James. “I am ready to do all of it.”

“Me too,” Gabriel said, placing a protective arm around his brother.

But Michael insisted on taking the punishment all by himself. “It was my mistake. You can watch me, Gabriel. I won’t mind the company. But I must do it all on my own.”

Their father cast him a questioning gaze. “Is this amenable to you, Your Grace?”

James nodded. “You have good lads, Mr. Angel. Perhaps a bit out of hand, but I suppose this is how most boys are at that age.” His only experiences were in boarding school, and there were always instances of foolish pranks and sometimes serious misbehavior. The masters were strict, but he still preferred them to being with his parents. His mother was indifferent to him and his father beat him for the slightest transgression.

Often, James had no idea what he did wrong. His father was just a bitter, angry man.

His heart tightened as he watched Malcolm Angel with his children. The man never raised a hand to them. Instead he took them aside to talk to them. This was perhaps worse for the boys, who obviously adored their father. Michael especially. He had disappointed this kind man he worshipped and admired.

Verity’s stepmother was a pretty woman who obviously felt overwhelmed by the presence of a duke in her home. She had two little girls clinging to her side. “Mrs. Angel, you’ll forgive me if I do not stay,” James said, pointing to his soggy attire.

The only thing dry was his jacket, which he’d left in the rig during their picnic. Verity’s gift happened to be safely tucked in its breast pocket.

Should he give it to her now? Had Michael been telling the truth about those lights?

James thought of the moonstone lore.

Everyone else was thinking of it, too. Verity’s expressive face showed everything. Her hope, doubt, confusion. Ultimately, her acceptance and love.

She believed in those moonstones.

Did she love him?

The more problematic question was, did he love her?