The Duke's Bride (5 page)

Agatha didn’t let Jane say a word. She swung her parasol and
pointed toward the door. “If you would only let me return! I will see to it that
they never say another bad word again. To treat our poor Jane like that.”

Jane scowled. “I am not
poor Jane
.”

Agatha frowned. “Forgive me, dearest. But some of the reports
I have been hearing seem to be true. What the devil is the matter with that husband
of yours? The gossips are out for blood.”

Jane’s face fell. “The gossips are correct. Roderick barely accompanies
me anywhere.” She lifted her chin. “He actually avoids me if you want to know.
And yes, I have been seeing Captain James Argyle.”

The ladies looked on, their eyes widening in surprise at her
bold words.

“The captain is a long time friend of Roderick’s,” Emily finally
said, but there was concern in her words.

Jane sighed. “He’s only a friend. Nothing, and I repeat,
nothing more. Yet Roderick is not happy about it.”

Emily tugged her along. “We can speak about my stupid
brother some other time. Now, what is this secret you wanted to tell us?”

Jane wiped her eyes, standing in the shadows of the Abbey.
“It’s…nothing.”

Agatha tapped her parasol against the cobblestone streets.
“I would like to throttle Roderick.”

Jane shook her head. “Please, don’t.”

“Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t?” Agatha grumbled,
as they entered the carriage for home.

Jane sat down on the plush velvet seat and waited for the
door to close. She patted her stomach. “Well, I do not believe you would want
to hurt the father of my child, would you?”

Agatha’s jaw dropped along with her parasol that clattered
to the floor.

Emily froze. “W-what?”

“You must not tell a soul,” Jane said, smiling, knowing they
thought it too soon for her to know anything about another baby. “I wish to inform
Roderick myself.”

Emily frowned, grabbing one of Jane’s gloved hands. “I hate
to cause you pain, dearest. But I think it is quite early to know you are with
child.”

Agatha’s eyes filled with tears as she held Jane’s other
hand. “You lost your baby a month ago, dear. Don’t you remember? These things
take time.”

Jane squeezed their hands and smiled. “I am six months
along,” she announced proudly. “And I am not addlebrained from my loss. And of
course, that baby’s loss still causes me anguish, but I have another baby to
look forward to.”

Agatha shifted a wary gaze Emily’s way, then moved her
attention back to Jane. “Now, dear. I can count, and if you lost that baby a
month ago. You are not six months along.”

Jane touched her stomach with a gentle hand, then pulled
Agatha’s gloved hands on top of hers. “It’s a long story. The doctor said I
lost the baby. I did lose one. But there were two babies.” She pressed Agatha’s
hand against the moving mound. “One was lost, but one is still kicking.”

“Twins,” Agatha squeaked, her eyes rounding in shock.

“What?” Emily jumped from her seat. She almost fell over Agatha
as the carriage continued to roll along the streets of Bath. The clip clop of
horses’ hooves echoed in Jane’s ears as the two ladies continued to gape at her.

Jane laughed. “Now, you must keep this a secret. Can I count
on you two?”

Emily whooped for joy. “Of course!”

Agatha looked on, her face hard. “I would like to box the
duke’s ears. How could he not know this?”

Jane blushed.

Agatha growled, clacking her parasol hard against the
carriage floor. “You obviously have answered my question. The man is an
addlepated nincompoop, and I shall tell him so! And I can only guess at the
reasons you have kept this a secret.”

Jane felt her cheeks turn redder. “I had my reasons.”

The parasol whacked the floor again. “I suppose you did. But
keeping this from the duke is only going to make things worse.”

Jane stiffened. “I am the mother of this child. I will do
what I think best. And there are some things Roderick does not understand.”

Emily’s smile wobbled. “Well, then, I think this calls for a
pot of tea, don’t you think?”

Both Jane and Agatha sat tight-lipped until the carriage
came to a halt in front of the family’s home in Bath. Jane felt her stomach
churn. She knew she would have to tell the women about Captain Argyle’s place
in this, but now was not the time.

A
frown fell upon Roderick’s lips as he sank into
the leather chair located in the study of his Bath mansion. Biting back an
oath, he tossed the recently delivered missive from Whitehall onto the large
mahogany desk in front of him and shifted his gray gaze to the blue silk ribbon
resting near his ink well.

His jaw clenched as he picked up the delicate strip of
material and slid it through his fingers. The subtle scent of rosewater drifted
to his nostrils.

His heart gave a sudden twist. Devil take it. His wife had
forgotten the ribbon last night after their argument. He regretted having hurt
her. He had never meant to cause her pain. But the last month had become a
balancing act. He would not have her die on his watch. A baby would kill her.

“Roderick,” Jared asked. “What do you think?”

Roderick turned toward his friend Lord Stonebridge. “I am
shocked, to put it mildly. I thought we had put the war behind us.” His
expression turned dark as he raised his face to the sunlight that poured
through the windows.

Roderick narrowed his gray eyes on the fanning of dust
particles floating in the air. The heat of the day did nothing to warm the
chilling memories that churned in his head. Cannon shots boomed across the
fields. Smoke filled his nostrils. Men fell one after the other as shots were
fired.

“We were at war,” Jared said as if he knew what Roderick was
thinking. “Whitehall needed us for those missions.”

Roderick let out a frustrated sigh as he rose and leaned
against the marbled mantel. “I thought it was over. Done. I have no desire to
revisit any of it.”

His chest tightened at the very thought of his reconnaissance
assignments. Guilt pierced his heart as he recalled the lies. The secrets. The
taking of a life to secure his. Even the woman he loved had died. He had failed
to protect her. There was no question that she had not listened to him, but it had
been his fault when she had been caught behind enemy lines.

The horrible memories only reinforced his resolve to never
give in again. He would not plead. He would not beg. He was a duke now. He could
control his emotions and to devil with what people thought. He would wield his
power, no matter what the consequences, even if it meant losing his wife’s
love. He had a duty to fulfill. A duty to his family. And now, with this latest
news, a duty to England. Jane would have to come to terms with his decisions.
He would keep her safe, even if their marriage had to suffer.

Beyond the double doors, a little girl’s voice sounded,
snapping him out of his memories. Gabby, Jared’s daughter, was playing with her
dog Nigel. The laughter of the little six-year-old tugged at his heartstrings.
Though not of his blood, the girl was part of his family now. She was another
person who could be hurt if he didn’t answer the call to travel to France. He
didn’t need the enemy coming here. And Jane. By Jove, she could be caught in
the line of fire too.

He could not hide his irritation as he turned toward his
friend. “After all these years, something like this pops up? I thought this
nightmare with Napoleon was behind us.”

Jared grimaced. “I thought so too. To add to that, Lord Dunston
would have been working with us, but the man just lost his wife last night.”

Roderick’s brows dipped in concern. “I didn’t know. How did
she die?”

“Childbirth. They lost her and the baby.”

Roderick scowled. That made two of his friends’ wives who
had died in childbirth the past four months. His lips thinned as he stared at
the empty hearth. Another reason to keep Jane safe. He would not lose her. She
had lost five babies in the last four years. The next time it could be her too.

The creak of the leather chair made him turn. He shifted his
gaze back to his friend.

Jared leaned forward in his seat and flicked his hand toward
the missive. “This certainly complicates things.”

“Complicates things? This puts our family in danger! That’s
what it does!”

“Don’t you think I know that?” Jared shot back. “Don’t you
think I wish I could shove this under the rug?”

“Then what are we going to do about it?” Roderick strode
across the room and poured two brandies. He tilted the snifter toward his mouth
and let the strong, amber liquid slide down his throat. “If Devereaux’s son is
alive and wanting revenge, we will have to find to him first.”

Jared rose and made his way across the room, accepting the
brandy offered to him. “And how the deuce are we going to do that? Monsieur Devereaux
was a Napoleon loyalist. If his son is anything like him, the young man is in
hiding. And the man has friends.”

The clatter of carriage wheels turned their heads. Roderick
peered out the window. “Confound it. The ladies are home. I think it best we
keep this to ourselves.”

Jared scowled. “Best? It would be best if this thing disappeared
altogether.”

“It’s not a question,” Roderick said, yanking the curtain
closed. “We
will
have to go to France.” He swore and filled his snifter
again. “No doubt this could take weeks or even months.”

Jared stared out the window, frowning. “Emily will have to
know. I cannot keep this from her.”

“I won’t be telling Jane,” Roderick replied, staring into
his drink. “She’s too delicate. Still recovering, you know. That’s why she
didn’t walk to the Pump Room today.” He looked back up at his friend. “We will
have to have some excuse for the others.”

Jared sat on the corner of the desk and scowled. “Ha, that
should be interesting. And speaking of Jane, this makes things easier for you,
I daresay.”

“What?”

Jared clanked his empty snifter onto the desk. “You have
been keeping a wide path between you and your wife. And I don’t like it.”

“She’s my wife, not yours,” Roderick snapped.

“She was my ward. I still have an obligation to her.”

“Your obligation ended the day I married her.”

Jared glared at him. “If you wish to destroy your marriage, I
cannot stop you. But if you leave that sweet girl with a broken heart...”

The rest was left unsaid.

Roderick tightened his hand around his glass. “I am not destroying
my marriage.”

“Oh, no? Then why are you avoiding Jane?”

“Stay out of it,” Roderick warned.

Jared stood, glowering at him. “Very well. Let us forget she
was my ward. I am family now, whether you want me or not. Emily is sad because
Jane is sad. And if my wife is sad, I will do everything in my power to make
her happy. And you, Roderick, are the cause of it all.”

Roderick’s jaw hardened. Jared had no idea how he felt. When
he had seen his wife in pain, losing all that blood, his heart had all but
stopped. It had happened too many times. One more time and Jane could be gone
forever.

Cursing, he flung his snifter into the fireplace, shattering
the glass into hundreds of tiny pieces.

“Ah, very nice,” Jared said with a bite of sarcasm. “That
solved everything.”

“You have a son,” Roderick growled. “And a daughter! How
dare you lecture me!”

“Oh, because Jane cannot give you an heir, you have banished
her to the corner of your heart, is that it? Or should I say, the corner of the
house, any place away from your bedchambers.”

Roderick’s eyes narrowed. “I would not push this
conversation. Not if you don’t want my sister to be a widow.”

Jared laughed. “Hell’s bells. You act like a spoiled school
boy.”

In one quick move, Roderick grabbed his friend by his cravat.

Jared didn’t even flinch. “Ah, kill me and that will solve
your problems, eh? Would solve Devereaux’s problem too, I daresay.”

Roderick swore and dropped his hand. “Get out!”

Jared stood his ground. “Are you afraid Jane will die in
childbirth? Is that it?”

Roderick smacked the marbled fireplace with his fist. The
man was too close to the truth. “Get out!” he snarled.

“Ah,” Jared said, walking toward the door. “I hit the nail
on the head, did I? Why the devil don’t you have her see another doctor then?

Roderick swiveled his head around to glower at the man. “A
doctor attends to her now! But I will not take a chance of having her die. Not
on my watch. I am not that stupid. She tried...we tried too many times. I don’t
care if I have an heir. But thunderation, I will not be the man who kills my
wife!”

Jared let out a low whistle. “Ah, I understand now. You are
thinking about Cecile?”

“Don’t go there,” Roderick warned.

“Why? Because the lady died on your watch? Because you loved
her? Because you made a mistake? It was war. Anything could have happened. She
made her choice, not you.” 

“Choice? I did not get her out of harm’s way. Well, curse it
all! That shan’t happen again.” Roderick clenched his hands. “No matter what it
takes, I will make certain Jane does not die on my watch.”

Jared crossed his arms over his chest. “Does Jane have a say
in this?”

“No, she does not!”

“You have made the decision, and that’s all there is to it?”

“Correct. I am a duke. My word stands.”

Jared let out a sad chuckle. “Being a duke can only take you
so far. It does not define the relationship between you and your wife. It does
not define what love truly means. Take it from me. I’ve had plenty of time to
make those mistakes. If you do recall, I almost lost your sister. Don’t be so
pigheaded. You are not God to pick and choose life.”

“How comforting. Don’t know what I would do without you
telling me what to do.”

“You called me stupid once,” Jared continued. “Pig-headed
even. You fought me when I wanted to marry your sister. You fought me when you
wanted to marry my ward. And now you are discarding Jane as if she were nothing
but a speck on your starched white shirt because you want to be noble! I may be
a peer, but by Jove, save me from a peer of the realm who thinks he is above us
mere mortals.”

“I think that is quite enough,” Roderick said, his tone
dangerous.

Jared’s eyes clashed with his. “Enough? I tell you this, if
you hurt that girl anymore than you have already, I shall box your ears and
more.”

Roderick clenched his teeth as grief ripped through him. “You
cannot hurt me anymore than I am already hurting. So, go ahead and take your
best shot. I am numb to it all.”

“If you were numb, you never would have loved Cecile or
married Jane.”

Roderick’s eyes blazed with fury. “Don’t. Go. There.”

“Why the blue blazes are you acting so stupid?” Jared
countered icily. “Cecile was the past. Jane is your future. A long lost love
does not define the rest of your life.”

The knock on the door made them turn. To their surprise, the
door opened.

Jane peeked into the study, her blue eyes wary. “Hello.”

Roderick’s heart slammed against his ribs as he took in his
wife’s pale face. Her body had changed in subtle ways since the loss of their
unborn babe last month. Though she still seemed frail, there was a plumpness to
her middle now, an added padding to her womanly curves. Not that he minded. But
he wondered if she was eating her way past the pain.

The moment he had met her five years ago, she had captured
his heart. There was a time when he would have kicked Jared from the room,
locked the door, and swept Jane off her feet and made mad love to her.

Not now. Not anymore.

He smiled at her, hiding the ache they both felt. “Hello,
Jane.”

Her lips trembled, and he wanted to wipe away her pain. But
he could not, would not make that mistake again. If he put his arms around her,
he would be lost, and he would end up hurting her again.

Beside him, Jared scowled. “My, you are a happy duke this
morning.”

Roderick turned sideways, giving Jared a cool glare. He glanced
at the missive, wanting Jared to tell Jane nothing of their assignment from
Whitehall. Jared’s mouth twisted into a compromising frown.

“Well, Duchess,” Jared said, turning back toward Jane and smiling
as he walked toward her, lifting her hand for a kiss. “How was the Pump Room?
Meet anyone exciting? Or did my wife cause a stir, making you have to run for
cover?”

Jane blinked and became a bit paler.

Roderick took a few steps, then halted when she smiled up at
him.

“Funny thing you should ask,” she said shakily. “Agatha
surprised us. She just returned from France.”

Roderick groaned. “Tell me, you did not bring her home.”

“She won’t tell you, you impudent pup!” Agatha barged passed
the doorway, parasol in hand. “Because I shall tell you myself!”

A half hour later, Jane took refuge in her bedchambers,
claiming she needed a much-needed nap, but not before she had to pull a raging Agatha
from Roderick’s side. It was only minutes ago when she had left the older lady in
the drawing room with Emily and a pot of tea.

It was obvious the two ladies were concerned over the treatment
she had received in the Pump Room, especially in her delicate condition. But they
had not let on about the baby. However, that little secret had not stopped
Agatha from giving Roderick an earful for the way he had been avoiding Jane the
last month.

Roderick,
Jane thought, as she stared into her
bedchamber’s looking glass.
How had things gone so wrong?

She pinched her cheeks, hoping to bring back some color into
her pale complexion. The misery of the past month hung heavily on her heart. But
it was Jared’s words that still haunted her. She had been resting her head
against the study, hoping to gather enough courage to tell Roderick about the
baby when she had overheard their conversation.

“Cecile was the past,” Jared had claimed. “Jane is your
future. A long lost love does not define the rest of your life.”

A sob welled in her throat.
Had Roderick loved someone
before her? Did he still love the woman? Oh, Jane knew he had previous relationships
before her. But loved someone? She had been so young, so naïve, and so much in
love with the man when they had married, she had never thought he would desire
anyone else. In fact, half the
ton
was in love with him now. He had a
title, power, land, money, looks, and a fair mind when he wanted to exercise
it. What more could a woman want?