The Courtesan Duchess (18 page)

“Excellent,” Nick announced, and rose to his feet. “Then I believe we’re done here.”

 

 

Not long after arriving at Seaton Hall, Julia found herself wandering about the large, rambling structure. Nick’s man, Fitz, had returned to London shortly after dropping them off, and Theo had ordered Julia to rest for two full days after the trip. Now that she felt better, Julia itched to explore her new home . . . at least her home for the next several months.

The house itself was enormous. With the weather still too cold to be outdoors, she walked the never-ending maze of corridors as a way to keep her mind off the ever-present nausea, not to mention the anger and heartache over Nick’s recent cruelty.

If only she hadn’t ever met the sweet, tender man who’d wooed her so fervently in Venice. Such lovely memories—memories now tarnished with the knowledge that her husband thought the worst of her. He actually believed she came to Venice in order to legitimize another man’s baby. Had called her a whore. Accused her of being intimate with both Simon and Wyndham.

And now he’d sent her away.

“Your Grace?”

Julia’s head snapped up. Lady Lambert, the wife of Colton’s late brother, stood a short distance away. She had greeted them warmly upon arrival, much to Theo and Julia’s relief. “Good morning, Lady Lambert.”

“Oh, please. Call me Angela.” She smiled tentatively and gestured to the otherwise empty room behind her. “Would you mind if we sat for a moment? I wish to speak with you.”

Julia nodded and followed into what turned out to be the music room. A large pianoforte rested in the corner, chairs surrounding it, while various stringed instruments and horns adorned the walls. Angela took a seat and motioned for Julia to do the same.

“I hope you do not think me forward,” Angela began before smoothing her skirts. She cleared her throat. “But I should very much like us to be friends. I realize there are . . . reasons why you may not be interested in pursuing a friendship with me. Many things have been said, about me, about . . . your husband. So I wanted to assure you that any rumors you might have heard are false.”

Julia started to speak and Angela held up a hand. “No, wait. Let me say everything I need to say. I loved my husband. I was devastated when he died. Many people believed the rumors about your husband and me, and I . . . didn’t have many friends after that. Most of society turned their backs, except for the dowager duchess. Oh, they were polite to my face, of course, but said horrible things about me when they thought I couldn’t hear. Invitations dried up as well. The dowager duchess was very . . . kind to me, and I will always be grateful to her for giving me a home when no one else would.”

Angela’s gaze fell, and Julia could see tears swimming in the woman’s eyes. She reached forward and clasped Angela’s hand, giving it a brief squeeze.

“I am so glad you are here,” Angela whispered, squeezing back. “I have not had any friends near my own age in many years. It’s been rather lonely, in fact. It would mean everything to me if you could forget what you’ve heard and . . . please give me a chance to be your friend.”

“Of course!” Julia exclaimed. “I should like that very much, Angela.”

Angela visibly relaxed. “Good.” She wiped her eyes and took a deep breath. “Now, how do you feel today?”

“Better, thank you. Every day, less and less nauseated.” While Angela knew the baby was Nick’s, Julia hadn’t divulged the circumstances by which she’d gotten with child. She didn’t plan on revealing that to anyone . . . ever.

“Well, since you’re feeling better, perhaps you care to join me on my morning walks. I don’t travel far and it would be nice to have company.”

Julia nodded at Angela. “I’d love to. The fresh air and exercise will do me a world of good.”

“Excellent! I have to ask again—are you certain you wouldn’t rather I move out to the dower house? I feel awkward staying here, when it rightfully belongs to you. The dower house isn’t far, and we could still see each other.”

“Heavens, no,” Julia answered. “The house is large enough for the three of us. I daresay we could invite thirty more guests and never bump into one another except at meals.”

“Oh, thank you. I am so grateful. After being here with the dowager duchess for so many years, I find myself starved for talk of parties and fashion . . . and scandals that do not involve myself.”

“Well, Theo is certainly an expert on all of that.” Julia chuckled. “So you no longer have family of your own?”

“No. My mother died a few months after Harry. My father was killed in a carriage accident when I was small, and I never had any brothers or sisters.”

“That sounds familiar,” Julia murmured. “Except for Theo, I have no family left.”

“You have the duke,” Angela said, as if such information should be a comfort.

Julia made a noncommittal sound and stared at the pianoforte. She didn’t want to discuss her husband. Her heart was still too raw, her anger at his mistrust too fresh.

They sat in silence for a long moment. Then Angela asked, “Will he come and visit you, do you think?”

Julia could hear a note of something in Angela’s voice but couldn’t quite place it. Hope? Eagerness? Fear? “I honestly do not know.”

“Well, Theo and I can keep you amused in the meantime.” Angela stood. “I believe I’ll spend some time in front of the pianoforte. I’ll see you this afternoon, Your Grace.”

“Please, call me Julia. We are sisters-in-law, after all.”

Angela grinned. “Thank you, Julia.”

With a wave of farewell, Julia took her leave and continued her wanderings about the Hall. Something about the conversation with Angela left her a bit uneasy. Did Angela have designs on Nick? If they truly had been intimate at one time, she may be eager to renew the affair. So would Nick refuse her? Better not to know the answer to that question.

 

 

A month went by, and Julia had to accept that Nick wasn’t coming to visit her. He hadn’t written, either. There’d been no word from him of any kind since the terse exchange in London. Once again, she’d been left to fend for herself.

Only, she wasn’t exactly alone. A precious little life now grew inside her. Nick’s baby. Some days, Julia could scarcely believe that in a few short months, she would be a mother.

In the last two weeks, the sickness had begun to abate. Now she felt ill only first thing in the morning, before she filled her stomach. The remainder of the day Julia found herself constantly hungry, eating everything in sight. Instead of hanging off her frame, her dresses were finally becoming snug.

Julia and Angela had taken to walking together each morning. Aunt Theo refused to join them, saying there was only so much nature an old woman could take.

The two young women talked easily as they tramped about the estate. The vastness of the Seaton property amazed Julia. There were endless hills and fields, spectacular gardens, a dense forest, and the River Wensum even ran through at one point. She could almost imagine Nick as a precocious little black-haired boy, running all about and causing trouble.

This particular morning, Angela suggested they walk through the forest, on a path that led from the pond out to the dower house. They set off, wearing multiple petticoats and heavy pelisses to ward off the April chill. The fog had swept in the previous night and one couldn’t see far into the distance, but this was a path they’d taken a few times before.

Angela chattered on incessantly and Julia found herself listening with half an ear. The grounds were lovely, fresh grass sprinkled with delicate purple, white, and yellow crocuses. Regardless of how she felt about her husband, one could not deny the beauty of the ducal family seat. The last time Julia visited, she’d been treated as an interloper. An outcast. This time she was the lady of the house. Everyone deferred to her in Colton’s absence, and no one contradicted her wishes here. And likely there never would be, since her husband clearly had no plans to visit.

They trudged deeper into the forest, where the birds and insects echoed loudly in the morning stillness. Here, the ground sloped dramatically alongside the narrow path. Due to the sparse light under the dense canopy of trees, the leaves and moss remained slippery, forcing Julia to pick her way carefully along the path.

She wondered again how Nick was spending his time in London. Pride kept her from writing him or anyone else to ask. She’d written to Sophie, but only to tell her friend of her extended stay at Seaton Hall. Sophie had replied with plans for a visit, but no news of the duke.

Had he a mistress? Seemed likely, as the idea of the Depraved Duke remaining celibate was laughable at best.

She told herself she was still angry with him and therefore didn’t care if he bedded other women. And yet, she did. Quite a lot. The memory of his clever hands and hot mouth haunted her. Her body, lush and ripe with pregnancy, remembered him, ached for him in the lonely darkness of her chamber.

Not to mention her foolish heart, which refused to let go of the tender memories from their glorious week together in Venice. The way he’d smiled at her. His laugh. How he’d made her feel like the most beautiful, most desirable woman in the world. Had she been mad to believe he’d felt more than lust for her?

“Don’t you think, Julia?” Angela asked, breaking into Julia’s reverie.

“I beg your pardon. What did you ask?” Julia tripped over a stone and winced. “I was not paying attention.”

“Obviously.” Angela chuckled and moved ahead to step over a root lying on the path. “I suggested the nursery be redecorated. Perhaps—”

As Julia stepped over the root, she must have misjudged its placement because her toe caught and she lost her balance. Instead of righting, she pitched sideways, the ground shifting beneath her feet, and she fell—only to slide in the wet leaves and grass along the steep embankment. Before she could find purchase, Julia felt herself tumble down the side of the slope.

“Angela!” she screamed as she clawed at the dense underbrush. But everything was too slick to grasp, and her horror mounted.

She rolled and bounced toward the bottom of the embankment, her hands covering her belly to protect the babe in the tumultuous descent. Her leg snagged on a branch, followed by a sharp bite of pain in her ankle.

Then her head collided with a tree trunk, and a burst of agony exploded in her skull before everything went black.

The light hurt her eyes. Julia closed her lids tightly and struggled to remember. Heavens, her head ached along with her ankle. She moved her hands, touching leaves, sticks, and grass. Yes, she’d tripped and fallen along the steep part of the forest path. So where was Angela?

Taking a few steadying breaths, she cracked her lids and saw no one about. Perhaps Angela had gone to fetch help. Julia gingerly tested her limbs to assess the extent of her injuries. She was better off than she feared. Other than her ankle and a nasty headache, she could likely climb to the path. There was no sense in waiting for someone to come drag her up.

Carefully, she crawled toward the path, using roots and fallen branches to assist her. The ground was slick and a few times she slid down a short distance until she could find footing enough to keep climbing. Her sore ankle hampered her some, but sheer will got her back up to the path. Once on level ground, she located a tall, thick branch to serve as a walking stick and used it to make her way back to the hall.

It felt like hours, and she nearly dropped in exhaustion by the time she entered the house. Gasping for breath, she allowed the butler to bring a chair over just inside the door. He then sent a footman to fetch the physician from the village.

Just then, Angela came around the corner, Theo and another footman right behind her. The three of them stopped in their tracks when they saw Julia, dirty and bedraggled, on a chair in the entryway.

“Julia!” Angela flew to her side, relief etched on her face. “I raced back to the house to get help. I didn’t know what else to do. How badly are you hurt?”

“John, carry Her Grace up the stairs,” Theo ordered. “Angela, send for the doctor and then ask the cook for something to eat. I’ll fetch the brandy.”

“Doctor’s already been sent for,” Julia said wearily as the footman lifted her out of the chair. “And I do not need food. Just help me upstairs.”

Soon Julia found herself tucked in bed, surrounded by pillows and a room full of worried faces.

“I am fine,” she told them. Theo and Angela sat on the end of her bed, their brows creased with concern. “Really, I’m fine. I have a headache and my ankle hurts like the blazes. But I shall live.”

“But what about the baby?” Angela asked in a panicked, hushed tone. “Heavens, I’ll feel wretched if something happens to your baby. I never should have taken you out on that path today. It was too misty and wet.”

“Hush, girl,” Theo snapped. “It’s not your fault and we won’t know about the baby until the doctor gets here. No sense in making anyone hysterical.”