The Duke's Love (25 page)

After being told what happened, she had been desperately trying to recall events. She couldn’t even remember what she
and
Sarah
were discussing
.
Jake walked into the room and gently lay down beside the bed.

  “You feel better love?” He asked.

“I am
now
,
”
Ana
answered.

Jake smiled, but the
smile
did
not reach
his eyes. “I’m having lunch brought up. Lady Felicia and Sarah are leaving
and
Eliza is also leaving within the hour. I thought that maybe you two would want to eat together. She will be here in a
second,
” Jake informed her.

“Thank you
,
Jake
,
I owe you a lot
,
”
s
he said, lying on the bed looking up at him. Jake sighed, leaned down
,
and kissed her.

“If you are up to it, we will leave tomorrow and head back to
London
,
”
h
e said. Jake got up, lit some candles, brought over a wooden tray, and
put it next to her on the bed
.

Eliza entered and sat down on the bed beside her. Jake exited quietly
,
leaving the two women alone.

“Wh
at are you going to do with the Duke
?” Eliza let the maid fuss over the meal tray as she asked this.

“What do you think I should do?”
Ana asked.

“I think you need to give him a chance
,
” Eliza
said as she took a bite.

“I don’t know if I can
,
”
s
he confessed to her.

“Ana, I know about everything. Your mum told mine and when we came to be good friends, I was told. I don’t think it would matter to him. He loves you. All you have to do is look at him to see
that.
”

Ana
just
stared at her
friend
.
“You knew all this time and never said anything?” She asked.

“I felt you would tell me in time
,
”
Eliza
said. 

Ana didn’t know of which
secret Eliza was referring.
Did she mean her parentage or the inability of conceiving a child? Ana
decided
just
to
let the matter drop. She still wasn’t ready to talk about it.
Besides,
Jake needed to hear it first. They continued to chat about the latest gossip, returning to
London
and other nontrivial matters. They
had
finished eating when Katherine came in and announced that Eliza’s carriage was ready whenever she wa
s
.

Jake watched Lady Felicia and Sarah leave the estate from the upstairs window and was thankful she
finally understood that he was not interested in her
. He no longer felt any sort of bad feelings when it came to Sarah. Her behavior and actions spoke louder than anything else she did. She
had shown
her true colors. He agreed with
Jordan
’s assessment
of her character. He was disgusted with himself for even courting her.

“Is Ana
well enough to travel to
London
?” Katherine asked her son as she came into the room and interrupted his thoughts.

“The doctor
said she would be fine to travel, so
we are leaving tomorrow
,
”
h
e said.

“Why are you in
such
hurry to return?” Katherine
asked
.

“There are things I need to look into and I don’t want Ana’s reputation in tatters
,
which will happen when Sarah returns and word gets out
that
she was here alone. Especially
,
since we told our guests she had left days ago
,
” Jake answered.

“I’m here with you. I am an appropriate chaperon
,
”
h
is mother pointed out the obvious.

Jake knew he was being irrational. The last few days he had been anxious. He needed to get Ana to
London
. He felt she would be safer there. He knew Sarah was behind the two incidents, he just needed to prove it. God help her if he does prove it. Jake was confident
that he had reached the correct conclusions.
He wanted to get back to
London
, put some
B
ow
S
treet
runners on her, and have her followed.

The last three days
,
he had been put through hell and back. Ana had given him a scare. It didn’t help matters when Ana was
balking
at marrying him and this too had his anger up. “We need to get back mother, you stay and get the house closed back up. I’ll see you when you return.” Jake dismissed his mother and ordered the butler to have Ana’s and his things packed. They would be traveling in the same coach, alone if he had his way.

Jake went to his study to finish some last minute work. Later in the evening, he sought out Ana and dined with her in his room.

“I hear we are returning to the city tomorrow
,
” Ana stated cheerfully.

“Don’t sound so relieved. I’m not letting you out of my sight from now
on.” Jake halfway joked. He watched as Ana put down her silverware and looked him straight in the eye.

“
I told you, Jake, that
I can’t marry you
,
” s
he said quietly and calmly. 

“Why?” He demanded.  Jake knew they needed to hash things out. He also knew he did not have the patience for it right now.

“I’m betrothed to
Viscount
Langley. It is not official yet
, but
I
have
already
given
him my word
,
” s
he said in a low voice. She was also lying through her teeth and praying that the
Viscount
would help her. Jake was speechless.

“Cry off then. I can personally attest that you are good at it
,
” Jake snapped.

“I already used up the one pass I had. I can’t do it again
,
”
s
he said with courage.

“I’ll make sure he withdraws his offer
,
” Jake replied.

“I can’t do that to Greg
ory,
”
s
he said.

Angrily
Jake thought
that
she
didn’t have a problem when she did it to
him
, but s
he couldn't with the
Viscount
?

“I really don’t care. You were screaming out my name, not his.  You might be carrying my baby. It’s…” Jake broke off when Ana threw the napkin
she was using
on the table.

“You just don’t get it do you! I cannot marry you. I can’t be pregnant! I can’t have children. It’s not possible
!
” She screamed at him. Then realizing what she had
blurted out,
she turned and fled, fled as best as she could in the state she was in.

Jake sat there in shock. What did she mean she could not get pregnant? He was confused. Didn’t she know he needed an heir to the
Duke
dom? Of course she did. She was just using this as another excuse. Jake figured it out. She didn’t want to marry him so she would
stoop
that low to deny him. Jake was outraged. He belatedly stormed after Ana. He would play her games. He would just play
them
better. He found her in the library and immediately told her what was going to happen.

“You will marry me
,
Ana. I don’t care if you cannot have my child. I want you. I intend to have you one way or the other
,
” Jake grounded out.

“But you need an heir,
”
she said.

“Not really
,
Jordan
can fill that spot. If you do not marry me, I will ruin you. I will make sure you are never welcomed in polite society again and it is only the start at what I would do
,
”
h
e said in a deadly calm. She would marry him. He would not consider any other option!

“You’re in a sad state when you have to blackmail someone to marry you
,
” Ana
teased.

“I don’t care what you think
,
love. It will happen
,
so you better get used to it
,
”
h
e spoke rigidly.

“You want me so much
that
you would marry me knowing that I am illegitimate
,
and I c
an
’t have your child
ren
,
”
s
he asked carefully.

“Obviously,
I am w
i
lling to go
that
far to have you. Now
,
if we are done playing games about nonsense, we are leaving tomorrow morning. When we get there I will put the notice out in the papers
,
”
h
e said
,
ignoring her comment about not being able to have children,
and
letting her play her games. She wouldn't win this
one
.

Ana flew into his arms and hugged him tight
ly
. Jake was slow to put his arms around her. “I lied to you about being engaged to Greg
ory
, We are good friends
,
but I’ve been trying to find him a wife
,
” s
he said
with her words muffled
in his chest. She felt Jake’s breath release and she smiled. She let go of him and kissed him full on the lips.

“I confess
.
You
had
me confused. Are you willing to accept our marriage so easily?” Jake asked holding her tight.

“Are you going to question your good fortune
?
Maybe
I just wanted you to work at it
,
”
s
he joked
,
not wanting to bring the subject back up.

“How much more good fortune do you think I can get?” He whispered as he leaned down and kissed her.

“I think you could
use
a lot more if you want
,
”
s
he
responded coyly
.

Jake gave a little laugh
,
as he pulled her over to the bed and proceeded to collect his good fortune.

Sarah was back at home in
London
and she was brooding. Her mother and father stayed way for the most part.
Her m
other refused to talk to her
,
and
her
father treated her as if she had a disease. She was willing to concede her loss and go on with her life. She thought her parents might be able to arrange a marriage. She was okay with that until the notice came out in the paper earlier about the engagement of the
Duke
of Ashbury to Lady Ana Carmichael.

The wedding was set for one month from now
,
which was too soon for such a lavish affair. Sarah
had
c
o
me home to be a laughing stock among her peers. Sarah stayed
indoors
and barely left her room. She was contemplating her options, which were limited at this point. She knew from the gossip sheets
that
Ana was always in the company of the
Duke
. They made it out to be the loving reunited couple of the century. It made her sick to her stomach and livid with rage.