Page 31 of I Never Forget a Duke (The Night Fire Club #1)

H ugh arrived at the Sweeney house the next day having made what was likely a rash decision.

He was greeted in the front hall by the earl, so Adele must have explained the circumstances.

And then Adele came down the stairs looking perfect.

Her dress was modest, a simple blue muslin with no adornments, and her hair was back to its severe knot at the base of her head, but her smile went straight to his heart. He could not help but smile back.

“I’ll have a footman bring your trunks to His Grace’s carriage,” said the earl.

“Yes,” said Hugh. “The carriage is right out front. My driver can help as well.”

“That will not be necessary, but thank you, Your Grace.”

Hugh turned to Adele. “Hello, my lady.”

“Hello, Your Grace.” She laughed. “I hardly even know what to say.”

He took her hand and kissed her knuckles. “I am happy to see you.”

The earl chuckled. “When Adele told me why she had chosen not to take the position with the Winchesters, I almost did not believe her, but I see now that it was true. I will see to your luggage.”

He walked away, leaving Hugh and Adele essentially alone in the house’s foyer.

“I am happy to see you as well,” she said. “I dreamed of you last night.”

“Did you? Was it a good dream?”

“Yes. It was lovely. I never…” She looked away and pressed a hand over her mouth. Then she said, “I never thought this day would come. You have… you have given me a second chance, Hugh.”

He was touched by that. He knew that he was changing the course of her life, and he wanted to do right by her. But he also knew the road ahead would not be easy. “Hold that thought. We may yet encounter some obstacles.”

“Such as?”

“I will tell you when we are on our way.”

A series of footmen carried Adele’s trunks out to the carriage. She did not own much. He’d arrived in his largest coach in anticipation of the great number of trunks for all the many things most ladies of his acquaintance had, but there seemed to be only three that carried everything she owned.

The earl appeared again with his wife in tow this time. Adele shook hands with each of them and said good-bye, but it seemed to Hugh much more of a business transaction than anything else.

At last he escorted her outside on his arm.

They were far from Mayfair, but Hugh spared a thought for who might see them.

He wondered if commoners in London ever thought about seeing and being seen.

His neighbors were too close and too nosy for him to enjoy much anonymity in Mayfair, but sometimes he craved it.

When they arrived at his carriage, Hugh grasped Adele’s waist and lifted her onto a seat. He climbed in after he and she smiled at him as he settled into his seat.

He couldn’t breathe, though.

She was so beautiful. He’d hire her a lady’s maid who could do her hair in a less severe style, and he’d buy her more dresses than she could ever wear, but those things would only serve to heighten the beauty she already had. She met his gaze now and he thought he might get lost in her blue eyes.

And because they were finally alone with each other and because he could stand it no longer, he kissed her.

He was rewarded by her soft lips parting and he thought he might never get enough of her taste. That helped confirm that he’d made the right decision. To hell with what anyone said, Adele was his choice.

Without breaking the kiss, he knocked on the roof of the carriage.

Adele pulled away gently as the carriage started to move. “I think the earl is happy to be rid of me.”

“Then he does not appreciate you. I think I shall never want to be rid of you again.”

She grinned and reached over to touch his hand. “I can hardly believe this is happening.”

“Are you happy, Adele? Do you have any regrets?”

“I am very happy. I regret nothing.”

He laughed and kissed her cheek, happy to have her by his side.

She looked out the window and must have realized that they were headed north instead of west toward Mayfair. She turned and gave Hugh a quizzical look. “Where are we going?”

“Scotland.”

“Scotland?” She nearly shouted the word.

“We must elope.”

“What?”

Hugh didn’t like the startled expression on Adele’s face. He explained, “My mother disapproves. But it is of no consequence. Once we are married, there won’t be much she can do to—”

“Absolutely not.”

Hugh grunted in surprise. Lord save him from obstinate women. Why would none of them just do as he wished. “I thought you wanted to marry me.”

“I do. But I will not do it in secret in Scotland. I will not mire myself in further scandal. If we go to Scotland, everyone will assume that you behaved inappropriately during your convalescence, or that I seduced you, or something like that. They will assume we are marrying because we must. They will assume that I am some…” She looked up, as if she were thinking for the right word.

“They will assume I am a harlot out to ruin you. No. We will not be eloping. If we marry, it will be in a church, here in London, with many witnesses.”

“You are serious.”

“Yes, I am serious. When we spent that night together, you told me to never feel shame. Well, I do not feel shame and I won’t be made to feel shame over some…

accident of my birth. I assume that is the main reason your mother disapproves.

I’m sure she said I was too old and reminded you that my father is a joke to the ton . ”

“Well, yes, but—”

“Hugh, I am sorry, but I cannot marry you in Scotland.”

That did present Hugh with something of a dilemma.

Because if they did not go to Scotland, then Hugh would have to take Adele home, and he’d have to explain her presence to his mother.

The fact that the reason for his haste was that Adele was about to take a position as a governess was unlikely to win her any favor with the dowager duchess.

But his mother would have to get used to the fact that this was what Hugh wanted. He rapped on the roof of the coach and waited for it to slow.

“Stay here,” he said. “I’ll order the coach to bring us to my house. I hope you have thick skin.”

“I just cared for the countess. I can handle a stubborn older woman.”

“You say that, but you have not met my mother.”

*

The Dowager Duchess of Swynford was probably the most proud woman Adele had ever met.

Hugh had introduced her as “my mother, Helena,” but Adele felt awkward calling her by her given name.

“Lady Adele will be staying with us until the wedding,” Hugh informed his mother.

The dowager was polite, but icy. Hugh ordered a servant to set up one of the guest bedrooms, and once that was prepared, he encouraged Adele to rest before dinner.

He put her in a sumptuous bedroom with large bed made of dark wood, with violet bedding and curtains.

It was much larger than her bedroom at the Sweeney home had been.

Adele noticed that her trunks had already been placed in the room, so she busied herself unpacking and then lay on the bed, hoping to nap.

Instead, she watched the second hand on the bedside clock and gave up.

Hugh had told her to make herself at home. She’d barely seen any of her new home, so she decided to explore it.

Even just the second-floor hallway was clean and elegant.

The walls were painted a bright white and a dark-red carpet lined the floor.

A huge painting of a country estate hung on a wall near the landing by the staircase.

A small plaque at the base of the frame indicated it was Swynford House in Kent, the ancestral home of the Dukes of Swynford.

Slowly, Adele descended the stairs, noting that the railing was sturdy and looked recently polished.

Servants buzzed around below her, likely preparing for the evening meal.

As Adele reached the first floor, Hodges, the butler she’d been introduced to when she arrived, said, “Good afternoon, my lady. Is there anything you need?”

“No, I am just looking around the house a bit. Do you know where His Grace may be found?”

“I believe that he and the duchess are in the red room. That’s the third door on the right down this hallway.”

“Thank you, Hodges. Much appreciated.”

“Of course, my lady.”

Hodges walked off to do whatever his duty might be.

She walked to the end of the hall and opened the door there.

The door opened to a staircase, and based on the sounds and smells rising up from below, Adele guessed this was the kitchen.

She noted that and decided she’d take a look later.

The door closest to the kitchen was a well-appointed formal dining room.

It was masculine and a little dark, with blue walls and a grand mahogany dining table.

Across the hall was a morning room, not quite as formal or ornate, but with a huge window that let in a great deal of natural light.

The next door Adele found was an empty sitting room.

Adele peeked inside and saw that there was a massive fireplace on one wall with a massive family portrait of Hugh’s parents and Hugh when he was about thirteen or fourteen.

The woman in the painting was clearly the dowager, although much younger and with less white hair.

The man looked quite a lot like Hugh, though his hair was masked by a powdered wig.

The boy was unmistakably Hugh, but a thinner, slightly gawky version of him.