The Unexpected Duchess (27 page)

Lucy lifted her chin and looked up into his green eyes. They were bright from the reflection of the grass that surrounded them. “But you promised him. You promised Cass.”

He turned on his heel. “That was before. Everything’s changed now.”

Lucy wildly shook her head. “No. I can’t let you do it.”

“You’re not
letting
me do anything.”

She dropped her hands and paced away from him, desperately trying to think of something to say that would convince him. “Think about this, Derek. Julian may be dead already for all you know. The letter may never reach him.”

Derek nodded grimly. “That’s a chance I must take.”

Lucy strode to the opening of the clearing, frantically biting her knuckle. “No. This is wrong. I won’t let you do it. I won’t be with you. I won’t betray my friend that way. And you won’t betray yours. That’s what I came to tell you. We must stop this. Forget anything ever happened between us. We’re going back to London tomorrow, all of us. This is the end.”

Derek tried to follow her but she backed away. “Damn it, Lucy. You’re being unreasonable. Cassandra and Swift, if he lives, will understand this.”

Lucy couldn’t stop shaking her head. It was as if the entire thing were a bad dream. If she shook her head hard enough, perhaps she would wake up from it. “But who will Cass marry? She doesn’t have Julian and she won’t have you.”

“There are other men,” Derek said simply.

Lucy paced again. “But you know as well as I do that Cass needs someone to take care of her. Someone who’ll cherish her, treat her well. Julian chose you for her. That means everything to Cass.”

Derek’s chin dropped to his chest. “I can’t do it, Lucy.”

“You must,” she nearly shouted.

“I won’t,” he nearly shouted back.

Lucy’s entire body shook with grief, rage, confusion. She squeezed her hands together tightly. How could she get through to him? How could she make him understand? She lowered her voice and spoke softly. “If you make that decision, so be it. But you won’t have me.”

Derek clenched his fist and pressed it against the bridge of his nose. “Think about it yourself, Lucy. How will it be, me married to Cassandra? Having to see you regularly? It will be torturous. Or do you intend to forsake your friendship with her for the sake of her marriage?”

Lucy squeezed her eyes shut. She would not cry. She
would
not. “We can do it. Be friends. Pretend as if nothing ever happened. And if it’s too difficult, then yes, I’ll leave you both alone. But I won’t be a part of ruining Cass’s life and chance at happiness.”

“I’m telling you that I cannot do it. I cannot marry Cassandra and remain your friend.”

Lucy’s shoulders slumped. “So be it.”

“What does that mean?”

“We’ll never see each other again.”

Derek turned on his heel, a savage look in his eye. “Is this about Berkeley, God damn it?”

“What? No!”

A muscle ticked in Derek’s jaw. “Blast it, Lucy. Don’t do this.”

Lucy ran from the clearing. She stopped at the trellis that led outside and turned back to face him, desperately struggling to hold back her tears. She tilted her head to the sky. “It’s the only way. Derek, I refuse to see you again. Ever. Do the right thing, marry Cass.”

CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE

Derek had been back in London for exactly twenty-four hours before his brothers arrived. He’d barely had time to contemplate the mess he’d left with Lucy and Cassandra in Bath. Lucy was scared. She was scared and she was under the mistaken impression that she was doing the right thing. But by God, if Derek had an inkling that it was really because of Berkeley, he’d hunt the viscount down and—

“The Misters Hunt,” Hughes announced, snapping Derek from his thoughts. Derek glanced up to see Collin following a bedraggled Adam through the door to the study. The two men fell into a heap on the sofa.

Derek crossed over to the sideboard to pour them both stiff drinks. “You must be exhausted I’m having Hughes make up rooms for you immediately. You’ll stay with me until you’re rested.”

“We have an appointment at the War Office,” Collin said.

Derek splashed liberal amounts of brandy into two glasses. “No. You’ll wait until tomorrow. They’ll understand.”

Adam was silent. Derek turned, a glass in each hand, and ran a watchful eye over his youngest brother. The remnants of a black eye and bruising elsewhere upon his face bespoke the torment he’d no doubt endured. Their mother would be coming as soon as she heard her boys were safe. Derek could only hope Adam healed a bit more quickly so she wouldn’t have to know what he’d suffered.

Adam must have known what he was thinking because his split lip cracked into a smile and he said, “Believe me, the broken ribs are much more painful than the blow to my ego resulting from the damage to my face.”

Derek strode over to stand in front of the sofa. He handed each man a drink. Crossing his booted feet at the ankles, Derek leaned back against a solid oak table and braced his hands behind him. “Adam—”

Adam took a long swig from his glass, scrubbed a hand through his hair, dropped his head back against the sofa, and closed his eyes. “Don’t say it, Derek.”

Derek arched a brow. “I find it interesting that you know what I was about to say when I don’t.”

Collin smiled at that and took a long drink.

Adam glanced up at Derek. “You’re going to say I shouldn’t have been there. Put myself in danger. Put the mission in danger. But I—”

“You’re damn right you shouldn’t have been there,” Derek replied.

“Blast it. They needed me.” Adam groaned when his movement jostled his midsection. The broken ribs were still healing, apparently.

Derek uncrossed his ankles, stood up straight, and folded his arms tightly across his chest. “Why don’t we begin with exactly what happened?”

Collin shifted in his own seat and watched his younger brother, too.

Adam took a deep breath. “We made camp outside Charleroi. We each took turns serving as lookout.”

“Whose turn was it?” Derek asked.

Adam’s eyes narrowed. “You think it was mine, don’t you?”

“I didn’t say that,” Derek answered.

“It was Swifdon’s actually. He must have fallen asleep. I don’t know. All I do know is that I woke up with a pistol to my head.” Adam absently rubbed his jaw.

“And Swifdon and Rafe?” Derek asked.

“They tied our hands behind our backs and made us march.”

“Let me guess. They soon found out that you knew nothing and Swifdon and Rafe were the two they wanted to interrogate, didn’t they?”

Adam took another long drink. “Damn it, Derek. Don’t be smug.”

“Is that what happened?” Derek demanded.

“Let him finish,” Collin interjected.

Derek nodded tersely.

“They took Swifdon and Rafe. They interrogated them for hours, days. Once when they’d thrown Rafe back in the tent with me, he told me to run if I had the opportunity.”

Derek swallowed.

“I told him they’d kill me for sure if they saw me run.” Adam had a faraway look in his eyes.

“What did Rafe say?” Derek asked.

This time, Adam swallowed. “‘We’re already dead.’”

Derek sucked in air sharply through his nostrils. “And you were able to run?”

Adam nodded, the haunted look still in his eye. “Yes, the next day. I waited till dark. When they untied my hands so I could relieve myself, I told them I was sick. They left me alone a bit longer than usual. I ran as fast as I could for the forest.”

Derek expelled his breath slowly. “And you made it?”

“Yes. I still don’t know how. I don’t think they cared that I’d left.”

Derek paced across the rug in front of the sofa. “They probably wanted you to be their messenger. How else would we know for sure that Swifdon and Rafe were taken?”

“I’d already told him that,” Collin interjected.

Adam nodded grimly. “Yes. I think that’s why.”

“And you never discovered Swifdon and Rafe’s fate?” Derek asked.

Adam’s jaw was tightly clenched. “No. I spent the next day hiking north and then ran into a battalion from Brighton. They took me to headquarters at Ostend.”

“Which is where I eventually found him,” Collin said.

“Derek, General Markham approved of my—”

“Markham is a fool,” Derek ground out. “As soon as Wellington is debriefed on this—”

“You know you don’t have to tell the general,” Adam said quietly, staring at the floor, shifting his glass in his hands.

“Of course I must,” Derek shot back.

“Must you?” Collin asked.

Derek stopped pacing. He eyed Collin carefully. “Look, you’re both exhausted and no doubt in need of a good meal and a hot bath. I’ll have both of those things sent to your rooms immediately. We’ll talk about this again in the morning.”

Adam, looking somewhat relieved, set his glass on the table in front of him and stood and made his way to the door of the study.

“Hughes will see you to your rooms.”

Adam nodded.

“I’m damn glad you’re alive, Adam,” Derek bit out, just before his youngest brother quit the room.

Collin stood and drained his glass before setting it aside. “I’m damn glad he’s alive also.”

Derek nodded. “You weren’t able to learn anything more about Swifdon and Rafe?”

Collin glanced down, regret etched on his face. “Nothing.”

Derek clenched his fist and braced it against the nearby wall. “I’ll talk to Wellington. And this time I refuse to take no for an answer. We’re going back there. For them.”

CHAPTER FORTY-SIX

September in London. The air had turned cooler. The days had become shorter. They would be off to the country soon. And Lucy detested the country. Not the land itself but the company. Being shut up in a house, however grand, with her parents for months was far from her idea of a pleasant way to pass the time. Thank goodness Cass and Garrett lived nearby.

Lucy traced the raindrops on the windowpane of the drawing room. She hadn’t seen or spoken to Derek since she’d left Bath. She’d dodged all of her friends’ attempts to visit her as well, either claiming she was out or indisposed. Every day she checked the Society pages of the
Times
for the news of Derek and Cass’s impending nuptials. It was never there, but surely it was only a matter of time. As the days passed, she became increasingly nervous, certain she would see it soon.

But something else was missing from the pages of the newspaper. News of Captain Julian Swift’s death in Brussels. Had it happened and not been reported? Was Cass grieving—and bad friend that she was, Lucy was ignoring her? Oh, she had been convinced that she had to give the entire affair time and space. But it felt as if she was hurting everyone who was important to her.

When Janie came bustling into the drawing room, hands on her hips and no book in sight, Lucy knew it was serious.

“I don’t care what your latest excuse is, you’re coming to the theater with me tonight,” Jane declared, shaking her head so hard her spectacles nearly popped off her prim little nose. She fumbled for them and set them back in place, then crossed her arms over her chest and eyed Lucy sternly.

“I don’t want to.” As excuses went, it was particularly weak, but at the moment it was all Lucy had.

Jane gave her a long-suffering stare. “I don’t care.”

“I can’t, Jane. What if, what if…?” Lucy couldn’t bring herself to say,
What if I see Derek?
It was insane and useless and she didn’t want to have to explain herself. “I refuse to go to the theater. That’s all there is to it.” She nodded resolutely.

“It’s
Much Ado About Nothing
,” Jane added in a singsong voice. “One of my very favorites.”

Lucy winced. Blast it. She couldn’t miss
Much Ado About Nothing
. It was one of her very favorites as well. And Jane knew it. Knew it and had come here armed with that information.

“Besides, Upton and Lord Berkeley have agreed to accompany us,” Jane added, taking a seat on the settee and removing her gloves. “Do you have any teacakes?”

Lucy gulped. “Lord Berkeley?”

“Yes.”

“Is coming?”

“Yes. He’s in town for a few more days and he indicated that he’s quite eager to see you.”

Lucy twisted her hands together. “He did?”

“Yes.”

Lucy winced. “I find that surprising given that I haven’t received a letter from him since I left Bath. I barely said good-bye.”

“Nevertheless, he expressed his intent interest in seeing you again. That must have been some kiss you gave him,” Jane said with a laugh. “Oh, come on, Luce, you know it’s serious if I’m conspiring with Upton to get you out of the house.”

“Where is Garrett, anyway? I haven’t seen him in days. How were you two able to conspire without me finding out?”

“Upton paid me a call. We discussed it all at my parents’ town house. He invited Berkeley, too. The chap seems quite smitten with you, I must say. I’ve no idea why you’ve been hiding in this house for so long.”

Lucy set her jaw. “I shall throttle Garrett the next time I see him.”

“No you won’t. You’ll be charming and sweet, at least while Lord Berkeley’s around.” Jane laughed again. “Now ring for tea. I’m in desperate need of a cake.”

“No one
needs
a cake.”

Jane gave her a withering stare. “That is hardly relevant.”

Lucy shook her head and rang for tea. Jane was not to be dissuaded once she’d set her sights on a teacake. “You and Garrett at another performance of
Much Ado
? That’s sure to be a disaster.”

Jane tossed a hand in the air. “Yes, exactly! Take it seriously. It truly is. Only for you would I do such a thing as agree to accompany Upton to the theater again. And only for you would I go see
Much Ado About Nothing
with your infuriatingly wrongheaded cousin.”

“You may call him Garrett, you know. You two have known each other long enough.”

Jane rolled her eyes. “I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.”

Lucy turned back to face her friend, a stern and resolute look on her face. “Janie, I appreciate your efforts, truly I do, but there’s absolutely no way in the entire world that I’m leaving this house tonight.”