The Duke's Love (2 page)

The atmosphere in the carriage was becoming thick with suppressed tens
ion. Jake
was shifting restlessly in the seat
, even checking
his
pocket
watch
several times
.
Ana kept wishing that
her driver would hurry
and return
. He had been gone for
over
an hour now
, and she
was growing increasingly uncomfortable in
Jake’s
presence.
This was the first time she
had seen Jake
,
since
the day
she
had
walked
away from him
.
Even though she
had no choice in her
decision
,
she
often looked back on it
sadly
.
After she left
,
Jake
had immediately
left for
Scotland
and had been there ever since.
Although, she had
tried not to think of him in that time
,
she
could not help herself.

The
Duke
of Ashbury had just arrived in
London
the night before and he was returning home from his brother’s residence.
The only reason he had returned to
London
was
to find a bride.
His mother had reminded him that it
was past time
for him
to do his duty and provide an heir.
Now, look what had happened. He finds his
ex-fiancée alone and stranded in the cold.

Jake
stared at the woman across from him. Ana Carmichael, daughter of an
E
arl.
Earlier, wh
en he
spotted the disabled coach, he recognized immediately
the
E
arl’s crest
on the side
.
H
e
had
thought about not stopping
,
since
he knew how extremely independent
and stubborn she was. In fact,
that is what
he
had
loved about her. Even before opening
the door,
h
e knew
that
he would find her alone,
with
neither chaperon
,
nor maid to keep her company.
There had been no doubt that h
e would wait for help to return before he left.
After all, he
was a gentleman.

His thoughts went back two years,
when she
literally
,
ran into him in an
overcrowded
ballroom. He fell in love with her on sight. She was classically beautiful.
What had charmed him the
most
was her
innocence and refreshing nature. He courted her, wanted to marry her
,
and
he
had
actually proposed.
In his mind, everything about them being together was wonderful.
However, when she broke off the engagement
,
it
had
all changed.
It was still unbelievable to him.
Why would she change her mind so abruptly? He thought they were in love and it wasn’t
as if
he
had nothing
to offer.
He
was a
Duke
and an extremely wealthy one.
Everything she could possible want, he could give her
, including love
.

Unmarried women and their mothers were
all
trying to make a match with him,
but
he had fallen in love with the one woman who didn’t want him
.
Having never underst
ood
her
reasons
, he had
felt rejected
,
so he
had
lashed out in anger. He
had
truly thought she was the one.
Even though he
gave
his heart
to her,
w
hat did he have to show for it
now
? Nothing
,
except bitter memories. From what he could see, Ana had not changed at all in the past two
years
; she was still as lovely as ever.
He
had
always loved her blonde hair
, which
seemed to
cascade
endlessly
down her back
when she wore it down.
Her face was
small
and
round
and those dark blue eyes
sparkled
when she was angry
,
much
as
they
were
now. She
had been the perfect fit for him
.

In an attempt to forget her, he
had gone
to his estate in
Scotland
. He
had hoped that
in the two years that he had been gone; she would have married and left
London
.
Then he wouldn’t have to face her again.

He knew she hated it in the city. Like him, she hated the smell and grime of the
city
. The city was overpopulated and
was dark and dingy. Just
maneuver
ing
around the streets and walkways
was difficult
,
because of all the people
. She liked the country
side
where it was open and
light, and filled with the beauty of nature
.
Managing to deal with
his
surprise at finding her here
,
still unmarried
,
had been difficult, but
learning that every eligible man sought her,
filled him with
a
burning curiosity and jealousy.
His anger was more with
himself than with her
,
because she was still able to bring out the feelings he had worked so hard to bury.
Of all the women he had ever known, she was the only one that
had and still could pierce
through his
thick
armor. He felt disgusted
that
he was even thinking such thoughts.

He was in no mood to deal with Ana right now
,
or
for that matter,
any other female.
A lesson he had
learned the hard way
was that
they were all trouble. He was twenty-nine years old; at twenty-
three
,
Ana had been the only woman that had his heart. He had no wish to repeat the experience.

“
Tell me, my Lady
, w
hy are
you
still un
married?
I suppose there are no
gentlemen
worthy of
you?” He
blurted
out the question.
Even though he asked the question in bitterness, he
really wanted to know
. However, she just sat in stony silence, ignoring him.

“Where
the devil
did your driver go? I don’t have all night. He should be
horse-whipped and then
dismissed for leaving you
alone or leaving you at
all
and he’s
been gone
too damn long.” Jake was getting frustrated.
By now, the
driver should have been back
and he
wanted
to go home.
More importantly, he
wanted to get away from her
,
and
then
preferably
never
see her again.

Ana was about to answer
his question,
when the driver poked his head in the door.

“I couldn’t find help
,
my lady. I’m sorry.”

Jake spoke up and offered to return them home, although it
was spoken as
more of a
command
. As much as he wished he could just leave, short of her walking home
,
he saw no other choice. She nodded her approval, albeit reluctantly. The three of them climbed into his carriage and they were off in a matter of seconds.  

“Where am
I
to take
you?” He asked, although he already knew the answer.
At first, he thought she was not going to answer, but then she
spoke up.

“Take me to my townhouse on
Bentley Square
,” she said.

Her father
had
left
the townhouse
to her in his will
. H
er
parents
had
died in a carriage accident
,
shortly after she
had
left
Jake
.
He
had
mourned the loss
of her father,
almost as much as
she had
.
During his and Ana’s courtship, the
E
arl
had
become
a
close friend. Jake
had
stayed
with Ana through her ordeal
.
He had hoped she would see that she needed him in
her
time of
grief
,
but as he found
out,
he
had
disillusioned himself yet again.
None of that mattered anymore s
ince she was in the past
.
Now,
he just needed to get her home.

They rode in
complete silence the whole way
,
but he
didn’t mind. He had his own thoughts
and still unanswered questions
to keep him company. Why
had
she le
ft
him? Why did she reject the other offers she had received for her hand?
He had asked himself those questions
at least a hundred times since he began his journey home to
London
. All the men
who
offered for her were more than suitable. She was beautiful, intelligent, witty, and an overall good woman. Her reputation was flawless
,
and she
was
wealthy in her own right
,
as well as by her
inheritance from her father
.

No, she did not have to marry
,
but he knew
how much
she loved children
. W
hen they were together
, they
had
often
talked
of
having several.
Now, he
wondered if she
had
even
thought about him in the last two years. He
had certainly thought about her and he
hated
himself for that
. He was not the type of man to pine
away
for a woman, much less a
woman
like Ana. Ana, who was too damn independent for her own good,
and
much
too
willful
and opinionated. She was not at all the type of woman that Jake envisioned as a wife to a
Duke
, a peer of the realm. Hell, even his mother
had
agreed!
He would find a
suitable
wife and he was determined
that he would
have a good marriage.
There was no doubt that
Ana
had
already decided
that
she
wanted
no part of it
.