Duchess by Chance (15 page)

“I hope so,” Eva said, and Daniel knew her smile was forced.

Daniel left his wife alone with her thoughts for the first few miles, hoping that with time, the rigid set of her shoulders would ease. She had not looked his way once, instead keeping her eyes fixed on the window, but he had read each change of emotion as it flashed across her face. She sat so straight, her back had to be aching, yet she seemed unaware of any pain - and unaware of him, too.
 

Eva had clearly struggled to walk away from Stratton and what she now viewed as her home, saying goodbye several times to the servants until he had simply taken her hand and urged her into the carriage. She had watched Stratton until it disappeared and he understood then that this was probably the first place she had really felt safe and now he was making her leave that safety behind.
 

“Unclench your fists, Eva.”

“Pardon?”
 

“Your hands.”
 

Surprised at his words she looked down at her fingers, almost as if they belonged to someone else.
       

Today she wore cream and lavender and her black hair was bundled into a matching bonnet and Lord, just looking at her made him want her.
 

“Do you trust me yet, Duchess?”

“Of course.” Her response was instant and honest and he felt something ease inside him.

“I have already promised to protect you in London, Eva. So I would ask you to remember those words when you feel afraid.”

“It is no longer you I fear, Daniel, just the unknown.”

Daniel moved to the seat beside her. “By unknown, you mean society?”

Eva nodded.

Daniel took her hand in his and pulled off the glove placing a kiss in the middle of her palm.
 

“Daniel!”
 

“Eva!” Daniel mimicked, then captured her other hand and proceeded to peel off the glove and kiss each of her fingers slowly and thoroughly. He smiled into the soft skin of her palm as her breath hitched and her nervous giggle filled the carriage. It was a beautiful sound and one that made his body hum. Moving to her wrists, he placed kisses around each, then looked at her. Her eyelids were lowered as she watched his every move and her mouth was open slightly.

“W-we are in a carriage.”
 

“And we have a long journey ahead of us, Duchess. Surely we must find something with which to occupy our time?”

Eva was yawning by the time they pulled into the small inn where they would stop for the night and Daniel was more than ready to stretch his legs. He had chosen to ride in the carriage with Eva to keep her company rather than ride his horse and even though the carriage was well sprung, he was a large man and sitting in the same position for many hours usually made him stiff.
 

“Come. It will be good to stretch our legs,” he said, taking his wife’s hand in his and leading her into the inn. He had sent a man on ahead to organize their lodgings so the proprietor was ready for them.

“If you will follow me, your Grace, I shall show you your room.”

“Room?”
 

Daniel could have booked Eva in with her maid but he didn’t like the prospect of her sleeping without his protection.

“Follow the proprietor, Duchess, or we shall not know where he goes.”

Placing a hand on her stiff spine, he urged her forward and reluctantly, she moved her feet. They climbed a set of narrow stairs and then were ushered into a small room.

“Thank you, and if you could send a tray up for my wife, please,” Daniel told the man as he prepared to leave.

The bed was not as big as the ones at Stratton but still big enough for the two of them. He watched as Eva walked to the window, which looked down on the courtyard below. She still wore her bonnet and her pale face was framed by a wide satin ribbon tied in a big floppy bow beneath her chin.
 

      “We are to sleep here together?” She looked from him to the bed, then back again.

      “We have already slept in a bed together, Duchess, however there is a chair if you’d prefer.” Color flooded her face as he teased her. “Rest now, Eva, you are tired from the journey. Your meal will arrive soon and I would ask you not to leave the room at any time unless I am with you.”

      “You are leaving?”

      “I need to organize a few things and then I shall return. But if you need me, send someone and I shall come. Lock the door behind me now. You are in no danger with me and my men close by, but I would still have you show caution, Duchess.”

“Of course.”

Daniel waited outside the door until he had heard the key turn in the lock and then he made for the stables.

      Eva let the maid in with her meal a little while later and ate in solitude, wondering when she had grown to dislike her own company, seeing as she had endured so much of it in her lifetime. She had enjoyed spending time with Daniel in the carriage and was coming to realize she could easily become enamored with her husband. He was gentle and coaxing with her, happy to answer questions, but he was comfortable with silence, too. Eva had never been the chatty type and it seemed neither was her husband. She blushed remembering how he had kissed her fingers. Was it wrong to enjoy such things? Surely not if he enjoyed them too.

      As the evening progressed, the mumble of male voices grew louder through the floorboards and she realized her room was directly above the taproom. Her brothers and father had always been loud when they drank - loud and violent.
 

She bathed in the water set out for her and changed into her nightdress when it grew dark and then, with little else to do, she climbed into the bed. Blowing out the candle, she settled beneath the covers and waited for Daniel to return.

The door to her room swung wide suddenly and slammed into the wall and she realized she had not locked it after the maid had left with her tray.
 

“I hear there be a lady in here!”

Pulling aside the covers, Eva quickly got out of bed. “Get out of my room at once!”

The man stumbled forward and she could smell ale on his breath as he drew nearer. “Hello, sweeting, come and give me a kiss.”

Eva lunged for the pitcher she knew was on the dresser. “Leave this room now or I will hurt you.”

“I like a tousle, lovely - the rougher, the better.”

He moved closer and Eva realized she was cornered. She threw the pitcher as hard as she could. He stumbled backwards as it hit his chest, cursing as water covered his front. Seizing the moment, she ran for the door but he was quicker and grabbed her.

“Daniel!”

The man tried to kiss her but Eva swung her fist at his head.

“Bitch!”
 

He grabbed a handful of her hair and pulled it hard, the pain made her eyes water but it was not enough to stop her. She brought up her knee and rammed it into his groin. He groaned, falling backwards. Eva ran as he released her, out the door and down the hall straight into Daniel’s arms as he arrived at the top of the stairs. He caught her, pulling her close.

“What’s wrong? I heard you scream.”

“A man - there is a man in my room.”
 

He tensed, his arms tightening as he lifted her off her feet briefly before releasing her and pushing her behind him.
 

“I kicked him…there, so he may still be on the floor.”

Eva tucked in behind Daniel’s back as they walked back to their room.

“Stay here,” he told her when they reached the open door. She watched him enter and then followed. She did not want the man to surprise Daniel and hurt him. If she could reach the nightstand, she could light the candle.

“Get up!” Daniel dragged the moaning man to his feet.

“That bitch - she kicked me in the pecker!”

“You just cursed at a duchess. What’s more, she’s my duchess.”
 

Eva could hear the rage in Daniel’s voice as she slipped into the room.

“I told you to wait outside!”

“I don’t want to stand in the hallway, your Grace, awaiting the next man who comes along,” Eva said.

 
“No woman deserves a man entering her room uninvited,” Daniel said to the vile man through gritted teeth. “Chambermaid or duchess, you should respect her wishes.”

 
“Eva, come and lock the door after me.”
 

She watched as Daniel pulled the man’s arm up behind his back and walked him toward the door.

“When will you return?”

“Soon, I promise.”

Grabbing a blanket she quickly wrapped it around herself. If Daniel had not heard her scream, that man could have raped her.
 

“I’m sorry, your Grace, I didn’t know she was your duchess, you have to believe me.” The man was whining but Daniel was not listening, instead Eva watched as he forced him

from the room, she turned the key in the lock as soon as the door was closed. Sitting on the bed she then waited for her husband to return.

      “Eva it’s me.”

      Relived when Daniel called to her a few minutes later, she hurried to open the door and after entering he closed and locked it again.

“Are you all right?” 
      Still clutching the blanket, she moved back to the bed. “Yes. Thank you for coming when I called, Daniel. I’m sorry but I forgot to lock the door after the maid took my tray and that was how the man got in.”

“Did he hurt you in any way?” Daniel stood just inside the room watching her intently.
 

“I hurt him more,” Eva answered.

He smiled at her words. “You certainly did.”

“Get into bed now, Eva, and I will join you after I have washed.”

Placing the blanket back on the bed Eva then climbed beneath the covers listening as her husband removed his clothes and washed. Sliding over to the far side she then turned her back to face the wall.

“Goodnight.”

He didn’t answer her, instead blowing out the candle and then climbing into bed beside her. Eva felt his arm around her waist and then she was being lifted back into his chest.

“Are you wanting to - ”

“I’m sorry that man hurt you, Eva, sorry that I was not here to stop it happening sooner.”

She turned in his arms then and burrowed into his chest seeking his strength.
 

“But you came when I called.”

“As I always will,” he vowed.
 

Eva felt his chin rest on her head and the last of her terror began to ease. She was safe here in his arms.

“Sleep now, Duchess.”

Eva closed her eyes and went to sleep with the steady rhythm of her husband’s heart beating beside her own.
 

      They rose early and were soon back on the road for the final leg of their journey. Daniel had watched Eva grow more nervous with each mile until by the last few she was answering him with gestures and single, quietly spoken words. Her questions had long since ceased and now she sat stiff and pale. Entering the city of London, he feared she was about to relieve her stomach of its contents.
 

“If you don’t breathe soon, you shall swoon, Duchess.”

“It is very large and noisy,” Eva whispered, her eyes, if possible, growing wider as she looked at a group of people gathered around a shop front.
 

“And smelly,” Daniel added, picking up her slim fingers and twining them through his own. He had hoped to make her laugh, however, she remained silent.

“There is a lady wearing pattens on her shoes, Duchess. Remember I told you about those?” Daniel pointed out the window.

“I remember.”

 
“We will go driving in my phaeton and I will show you all the sights tomorrow.”

“Y-yes.”
 

Daniel felt a tug of shame at the stammered word. He had forced this on her, compounded her fears by making her accompany him here. “Eva, I brought you here because I believed it would benefit us both, but I would not have done so if I did not believe I could protect you and keep you safe.”

“And because society is curious about the new Duchess of Stratton.”

“Yes,” Daniel sighed.” That too.”
 

If possible, her body grew more rigid as the carriage slowed and stopped and Daniel decided to leave any further conversation until they were inside and she was more comfortable.

“Come and meet your new home, Duchess,” Daniel urged, taking her hand in his and climbing from the carriage.

“Wernham - ” Daniel led Eva forward to meet the butler who was coming down the stairs toward them “ - this is your new duchess.”

“Your Grace.” The butler bowed deeply.

“W-wonderful to meet you, Wernham.” Eva took his hand and squeezed it.
 

Startled, Wernham straightened, his cheeks flushing with color.