Page 26 of Starlight and the Duke (Cherish and the Duke #5)

Anyway, he’d always liked the soft, lilting sound of her voice, so he did not mind her animated conversations. She was his fairy princess and even her laughter was magical and musical as it floated like tinkling crystal on a summer breeze.

“It has all suddenly become too much for me, Rob. Hearing that my friends are expecting. Seeing you with the young ladies Cherish and I selected for you. I did not think it would be so hard for me to see you with another lady.”

“But it was?”

She nodded. “Brutal, in fact. All these things piled on relentlessly and made me miserable because there is the one big problem that all the wishing in the world cannot fix, the one reason keeping us apart.”

“Fiona, it is the reason you think ought to keep us apart. But we don’t even know for certain it is you who cannot have children. The point is, it does not matter to me. My heart doesn’t care. My heart just wants to be with you.”

“As mine so desperately wishes to be with you.” She looked up at him. “Maybe it is important for me to give you that year, time for the inevitable disappointment to sink in.”

Disappointment?

Honestly, why was she tormenting herself again? When was she going to understand that he was committed to loving her? To accepting her no matter the circumstances?

Had Shoreham made her feel as though she alone was at fault? Had she silently endured almost twenty years of accusations?

In truth, her husband had never come across as resentful and seemed genuinely fond of her.

However, it could be that Shoreham hid his disappointment well in front of others.

Or that Fiona had shoved the entire burden onto herself and Shoreham simply never stepped up to take any of the responsibility on his shoulders.

Rob shook out of his thoughts because he was going to go mad running around in circles like a dog chasing his own tail.

Fiona’s spirits appeared to rise as they resumed fishing. The mist soon evaporated and the sun shone upon the water, spreading its golden aura.

They each caught a fish, but Fiona insisted on tossing them back in. “Cherish has feasts prepared for us for every meal. We’ll never eat these fish, so why not let them go free?”

He tossed them back into the water.

As the day began to warm and brighten, they returned to Northam Hall. Several guests were already down to breakfast, so he and Fiona joined them.

Aubrey settled in the chair beside his. “Morning, Durham.”

“You look like you’ve been up all night. What happened?”

Aubrey glanced around furtively, then leaned forward and whispered, “I think Florence is a spy. Did you notice she disappeared after supper last night?”

“No, I hadn’t.” All Rob’s attention had been on Fiona during supper, during the evening games, and during Cherish’s piano recital. “Where did she go?”

“I followed her as far as Milbury Hill and then lost sight of her as darkness fell. But I don’t think she went much beyond that property because she only returned a few minutes behind me, after which she spent about an hour playing cards, and then retired to her bedchamber.”

“Sounds like that would have been well after midnight,” Rob remarked. “Maybe around one o’clock?”

Aubrey nodded.

“But you look as though you haven’t slept a wink.”

“Because I haven’t. I kept watch on her bedchamber.”

“How?”

Aubrey cleared his throat. “I might have hidden myself in the garden and positioned myself for a view into her windows.”

“What?”

“I happened to have my own binoculars at hand.”

“You spied on her in her bedchamber?” Rob did not know whether to be outraged or pity the man, since Aubrey had obviously lost all reason.

“I looked away when she undressed! What sort of knave do you take me for? I’m no Peeping Tom. This is about solving a mystery, not debauchery.”

“Did you learn anything from your nighttime adventure?”

Aubrey shook his head. “Not a thing. Now I’m exhausted. I’ll grab a few hours’ sleep this afternoon. Milbury and his sister are to join us for supper this evening. I plan to watch what goes on between the marquess and Florence.”

“Good idea. Stay close to Milbury. I’m sure he deserves closer watching.”

Aubrey nodded. “You think so?”

“Oh, yes.” Perhaps it was wicked of Rob to lead Aubrey amiss. But where was the harm in keeping Milbury too occupied to make a move on Fiona? That sister of his was already jealous of her and likely to arrive spewing venom.

No one knew he had spent the week with Fiona, but they would after this evening. Was this not precisely the gossip someone like Lady Cordelia would spread with malicious glee? Fiona did not need more theatrics from that wasp.

Well, he would worry about this later. No point in allowing his concerns to spoil his day, or Fiona’s.

He glanced at her as she chatted with Millicent over a cup of tea, seeming more cheered now. Sometimes it helped to unload one’s feelings on a person to be trusted. He was that person for Fiona.

As for Milbury’s sister, she was never to be trusted. What biblical plagues would she bring down on Fiona next? Though one could always hope that Milbury would attend without her.

Fiona looked back at him, but said nothing. However, when Millicent rose to serve herself from the salvers, Fiona took the opportunity to edge closer and speak to him. “Stop looking so worried, Rob. I am not fragile.”

Yes, she was. Perhaps not usually, but certainly at this moment. She seemed to be at a crossroads in her life, finding herself suddenly alone and facing an empty future unless she changed paths.

The question was, which path would she decide to take?

There were three, as far as he could tell. The first was never to marry and live out her life as a widow alone.

That would never happen. Fiona loved to be active and have people around her. She was not about to wither away in an isolated bedchamber.

The second path was to marry someone like Milbury, a man with children she could mother. But it would never be a love match because her heart was his and always had been his, just as his had always belonged to her. This would not change even if she married another.

The third was to marry him, an easy and obvious choice if only she would stop thinking of his duty and start thinking of their happiness.

“I had to get those tears out,” she said with a sigh, “but I am much better now. Thank you for always being such a good listener…and a dear friend.”

They weren’t just tears. They had been shattering sobs.

Well, only a moment or two of those before she regained most of her composure. Still, it only took that moment for him to feel the punch to his own heart.

She was hurting. And he was aching for her.

“Oh, now you are scowling at me. Why, Rob?”

“I am not scowling.”

“You are—I can always tell because your brow furrows and then your gaze turns hard as steel. Why?”

“Because I need to protect you.”

“From what?”

He decided to be honest with her. “I am not sure how to deal with Milbury and his sister. They will be here tonight and the vile sister is going to let on that I was with you before this house party began.”

“Oh, yes. I was thinking about that, too.” She winced. “Lady Cordelia will make me out to be a fallen woman without scruples. I wasn’t certain how to respond, whether to play into the scandal of it all, feign outrage, or look hurt and wounded for sympathy.”

“How about we just let Bromleigh and Cherish know the truth?”

She gasped. “Oh, not the whole truth. Bromleigh will boil you alive.”

“I only meant to let them know I arrived here early and you took me in.”

“Yes, that is best. Keep it quiet, just a friend visiting another friend. You already have everyone in a dither because of that betting book on you at White’s. The ton will be like sharks in a blood frenzy if they ever heard you had been cavorting with me.”

Not necessarily, Rob mused. The ton likely considered her to be a merry widow who had no interest in remarrying, and therefore was out of the running.

So why should she not take London’s most eligible bachelor into her bed? No commitments. No obligations.

This was why no one had wagered on her as a potential bride for him. Of course, everyone also knew she had already rejected him.

“That blasted betting book,” he said. “I forgot about it…or tried to forget. I had better bring that up with Bromleigh and Reggie, too. It is your reputation that will be tarnished, and I cannot allow this to happen.”

“Yes, talk to my idiot cousin and Reggie, but include his Silver Duke friends now that the last of them has arrived. They are the ones who started this wagering nonsense and should be held responsible if it turns into a mess.”

“All right, but I’m fairly certain Ramsdale stayed out of their schemes. He wasn’t happy when they opened a betting book on him. In truth, he was furious.”

“Then he shall be a good ally for you,” Fiona remarked.

“Just take care of the men and I’ll talk to Cherish and the other wives.

Best we nip any potential scandal in the bud.

They’ll cover for us, the men especially.

They’ll feel guilty about being the ones to foist the ton ’s attention on you and inadvertently hurting me. ”

“As long as they agree to fix any damage caused to you ,” Rob insisted.

“Oh, they will. Their wives will see to it that they do. They’ll make their smug husbands grovel at my feet,” she said with a smirk. “Rob, why don’t you care about the damage to yourself?”

He arched an eyebrow. “What damage? Dukes are impervious. Nor have I ever cared what those in Society think of me. Protecting you is all that matters.”

“It will be easily enough done if our friends and family just shrug off Cordelia’s accusations.

All they have to do is not look surprised, possibly mention they knew you had arrived early and spent a few days with me before this house party began.

Innocent. Platonic. This would dampen the gossip before it ever amounted to anything. ”

“Possibly.”