Chapter Nineteen
Four bloody days!
Dane had pursued Maria along the rugged coastline, over rocky cliffs, fields of swaying green grasses and through every little port town along the way. More times than he could remember he thought of turning back and finding his way to the quaint cottage nestled in the trees where he would finally declare his love and hopefully convince Charity to marry him.
Yet he continued on despairing that he may never capture the elusive Spanish beauty until on the fourth day providence was on his side. The horse she had stolen had come up lame and he came upon her walking down the dusty road.
It had taken another day to send messages to the home office and to arrange for the local magistrate to escort Maria back to London where she would face a severe interrogation. Another three days of hard riding where he pushed himself the horses he exchanged every few hours to the extreme limits of endurance.
After a sennight in the saddle with next to no sleep and nothing more that cold biscuits and cheese to eat Dane was never so relieved to see the port town of Whitby. Stopping off at the Quacking Gull for a long needed bath and change of clothes before heading back to the cottage Dane was given to messages that had been waiting for his return.
The first was from Daniel thanking him for his assistance in capturing the gunrunners and that it would be a privilege to work with him again in the future but for now he was reassigned to a case sending him to Spain.
The second was from Alexander and the moment he broke the seal Dane’s heart sunk.
My dearest friend
It is with regret that I must inform you that the lovely yet determined Miss Price upon adamantly refusing to return to your secret love nest has returned to London with all haste.
I also regret to say that I was not able to accompany her as my charge as once again escaped. Why must we be plagued with these irritatingly headstrong women that refuse to see reason?
Worry not I though. I did not send Miss Price off alone as I know you would have my head for doing such a thing. A maid, a quite strong and sturdy lass by the name of Annie Wickmore was retained to accompany your lovely lady on her journey. I have no fear that with Miss Wickmore at her side Miss Price will have nothing to fear. As having met the maid she frightened even yours truly.
Still I will keep their safe return to London in my prayers and not just for the two ladies but for all who may wrongly cross the paths of that formidable pair.
In closing I would like to pass on my felicitations. Miss Price will make a wonderful Duchess.
As always you friend.
Alex.
She hadn’t waited like she promised...but no she didn’t promise to wait for him she had sent him on his way like some errand boy. He had been the cause of much unrest and upheaval in her life recently. She had made in plain at the start that she resented being torn away from the security of her home and thrown into unknown and uncomfortable situations every day since. Was she glad to see the back of him?
He couldn’t bring himself to go back to the cottage, it was filled with too many memories of her so he bore his aching tired body upstairs to fall into an exhausted sleep where Alex’s words, make a wonderful Duchess, repeated themselves on a continual loop.
∞∞∞
It had been nearly a fortnight since her return to the cozy townhouse on Park Lane and nothing seemed to be the same since. Oh the furnishings were exactly where they should be, the staff treated her with the same friendly respect as before, even finding a place for Annie amongst them, but everything was different.
Violet was more preoccupied with her thoughts often drifting into long periods sullen quietude. When asked what was troubling her Violet would brush off her concerns saying that it was just melancholy after all the excitement surrounding their rush out of the city. Charity sensed there was something about her time away that Violet was not telling her but she did not press her cousin.
Charity herself had been changed by her experience with Dr. Phillips. He had proven that no matter how well she thought she knew a person she could never trust her judgement again. She had been so wrong about him, about how she thought she knew the man that he was but turned out to be nothing of the sort. Was she just as wrong about the man she believe Dane was?
During their time together she had come to have some very deep feelings even believed she had fallen in love with him and their morning of shared passion was one she would never forget but when he refused to stay with her and instead left in pursuit of the woman she suspected had been his lover her heart had broken. Yes she had known that he was dedicated to his country and that he was a man with a deep sense of duty and honor and a part of her had hoped that she had come to mean more to him than his obligations to the home office.
He had not returned to her as he promised and though her mind tried telling her she was better off without him in her life her heart couldn’t not stop hoping for his return. Even when she was summoned to the offices of Henry Matherson to give an accounting of events that led up to the death of the most notorious French assassin and subsequent capture of the gunrunners a small part of her hoped that Dane would be present. When he hadn’t shown she thanked the Earl of Berkshire for the protection he had provided her and Violet and left his office before she gave in to her desire to inquired of the Duke of Westbrook.
One thing that Dane had been correct about was how the rumors were flying around the ton concerning her sudden disappearance with the duke. Her and Violet had been home only a single day when the knocks upon their door began, the curious had come to call seeking even the tiniest bit of gossip. It was obvious right from the beginning that she was considered ruined goods with every puffed-up mother and superficial disdainful daughter talking down to her as if she was so far beneath them. Violet would then laughingly explained that the rumors were absolutely false and that the two of them had not been whisked off to separate location nor were they involved in any espionage conspiracy. They had simply decided to take a short seaside vacation together after the traumatic events following the Dewalington ball. They had been together the entire time, after all Charity was too genteel and proper young lady to ever go off alone with a gentleman. She would then regale them with stories about them frolicing in the sand and surf until realizing there was no gossip to be had the ladies would quickly take their leave.
Charity was sitting by the window in her bedchamber when she heard another carriage pull to a stop in front of the townhouse. Sighing heavily for she had no wish to endure another tea with the morbidly curious and condescending members of higher society she decided to remain in her room.
A soft knock sounded and Annie Wickmore poked her head in the room to say, “Excuse me miss there is a gentleman here requesting your presence in the blue parlor.”
Her heart lodged in her throat and though she was fairly certain who the gentleman was she asked, “Did he give his name?”
“Yes miss, he said his name is Duke of Westbrook.”
It was like every nerve ending in her body flinched at the sound of his name and the color must of drained from her face for Annie asked, “Are you well miss? I can tell the gentleman to come back another time if you please.”
“No Annie please tell him I will be down shorty.”
Having decided that now that he had returned it was best to end their association as quickly and painlessly as possible Charity straighten her spine, stiffened her resolve and entered the parlor where he awaited. She greeted him with cold reserve.
“Good morning Your Grace.”
Hearing him step toward her she quickly seated herself in the lone chair set away from the other furnishings allowing him no opportunity to be seated close. Folding her hands in her lap she kept her back straight and stiff and her face angled away from him so that he would not see her turmoil.
“Charity I…”
The way her name rolled off his tongue reminded her of how he had whispered her name in the throes of passion and sensing the direction he was going Charity interrupted him with cold disdain.
“I assume you were successful in the capture of Miss Benavidez.”
She could tell from his sudden quick intake of breath that her cool welcome had surprised him and she could hear the hurt in his voice.
“I apologize for it taking so long, she was able to elude capture longer than I anticipated.”
“It must have been trying for your.” her tone conveyed that she did not believe that to be the case.
He took a step closer, “Charity I don’t understand why you are being like this. You know in my line of work things do not always go as we hope.”
“Now that it has I’m sure the home office has another assignment for you.”
“I haven’t been to see Matherson yet. There were some other matters of greater importance I needed to attend to first before reporting in.”
“I spoke with the Earl just yesterday and he assured me that he would spread the tale that I was in the company of my cousin the entire time, that you and I were never alone together at anytime. I hope that you will do the same.”
“Of course Charity you know I would do anything to protect you.”
Even tie himself into a marriage he did not want. Perhaps, Charity though, he was here hoping to rescind his offer. Well she would give him no reason to worry. She pushed to her feet raising her chin she stamped down her anger best she could before telling him, “Then your obligations to me are over. I see no reason to keep you any further except to thank you for all that you did Your Grace.”
Before she could turn to leave he had her arms in a steely grip and his lips crushed down on hers. She would never accept a proposal given out of anything other than deep heartfelt adoration and she knew that Dane had offered for her only because his sense of gentlemanly honor dictated he do so. Now that her reputation had been salvaged due to Violets quick thinking and the story home office was willing to follow he was under no such obligation.
Keeping her body stiff, willing it not to respond in the manner in which she so very much longed to Charity broke the kiss and pulled out of his embrace.
“I wish you good fortune in all your future endeavors Your Grace but please do not call on me again.”
She walked from the parlor with as much grace and dignity her aching heart allowed until upon reaching her bedchamber where she fell across her bed burying her tears in the pillow.
∞∞∞
Dane stood rooted in place as he watched Charity walk out of the parlor stunned that she had rejected him again this time without even giving him opportunity to say what was in his heart. He suspected she might be upset over his long absence but he had never considered that she might spurn him outright.
He had arrived with such high expectations, his spirit feeling lighter than it had in years. He had gone home to the ducal seat and informed his brother that he would be returning shortly to take over the duties of running the estate. The news had been received with mixed feelings until he told Virgil that he would always need his expertise advice and that he expected much of his time would be spent with his new duchess whom he hoped to be bringing home soon. Of course he swore Virgil to secrecy, it would not do to have his mother pestering him nor was he interested in listening to her disapproval once she found out about Charity.
Having arrived in London that morning he had intended on going to see Matherson to resign from his duties with home office but his desire to see Charity had been the greater need. It had been all he could do to restrain himself from pulling her into his arms when she first walked in but he had felt her coolness toward him in the way she held herself stiff and indifferent. Their reunion had gone nothing like he imagined and he was left there with his mouth hanging open until Violet came strolling in.
Even she did not appear to be the same, the spark that always lit her eyes seemed to have dim somewhat and her smile had a hint of sadness behind it. After exchanging greetings Violet rang for tea then they both sat.
“Is all well with you Violet?”
“Yes of course. Why should you ask?”
Dane could see that something was truly bothering her and it was never like her to be evasive.
“You seem not quite yourself.”
She brushed his concerns away with a flick of her wrist. “I am still a little done in from that whole business of having to fear for my life. Not that I believed I was in any real danger, at least not enough to warrant me being dragged out of the city.”
“You know that keeping you safe meant less risk to Charity.” He saw the quick look Violet gave him at his use of Charity’s name so he rushed to ask, “Was it really that terrible where you were?”
It took her a moment to answer and he saw the far away look that came to her eyes.
“Perhaps not. At the very most it gave us a way to stem any gossip that may have surround you and Charity being off alone together.”
“How is that?”
“Charity assured me that only a young lad from Spitalfield was aware of her identity, which by the way I am quite put out with you for taking my dear cousin into that dreadful area of the city.”
“It could not be helped at the time.”
“Anyway since no one was aware of either of our whereabout we fabricated the story that after the excitement of the Dewaldington ball that we needed out of the city and took a short jaunt to my favorite seaside escape. So our reputations are intact and the curious scandalmongers have finally ceased knocking at our door.”
“That is good news indeed.”
And it was good news that Charity’s reputation was intact even though a part of him secretly wished it were not. It may have made it easier to convince her to agree to marry him if she was in danger of being ruined. Not knowing what Charity had revealed to her cousin in respects to the time they spent together Dane didn’t wish to reveal too much himself but he could not quell the need to ask of her.
“And you have both recovered from your ordeal?”
“I can not say that my time was as much an ordeal as what poor Charity went through. She told me much of what transpired with Dr. Phillips which I still find so hard to comprehend. The man seemed so amiable and gentlemanly whenever he was around.”
“Did he come by often?” Dane felt a surge of jealousy that was quite surprising for him. It was not an emotion he was familiar with.
“Yes at first he quite often did and he was a great help to her settling in here but then he stopped coming around completely. At first I knew his absence troubled her but she seemed to come to terms with it. Now however she seems more troubled than ever.”
“It is no easy thing to learn the person you believed you knew well turns out to be nothing like you thought.”
“Of course but it is more than that with Charity. Her lack of vision leaves her vulnerable and the doctor took advantage of that. She feels his betrayal deeply and I fear she will find it difficult to trust anyone again. And worse she questions her own judgement on everything and everyone to where she is locking herself away”
“Oh,” was all Dane could say over the twisting pain in his heart. He could see that Violet was deeply concerned and he thought perhaps that was the reason behind her own melancholy.
“I don’t mean that she is literally locking herself in her room, in this house. What I mean is that after being here she opened herself up, become more trusting and affectionate but now she has closed herself off. She is distant and guarded almost cold even with me.”
Dane’s heart ached for everything Charity was going through and he chastised himself for believing he could come in here sweep her off her feet and that everything would be fine. Her trust had been shattered not just by a man she had considered a friend but by him as well. He had promised to keep her safe and he failed miserably and then when he had gotten her back in his arms again what was the first thing he did but to go chasing after another woman leaving Charity alone once more.
She had to have felt used and deceived after his second worst marriage proposal in the world. After she had given herself so freely and with such sensual abandon only to have him use her virginity like a commodity was unforgivable. No wonder she had spurned him telling him never to call on her again.
Dane took his leave shorty after vowing that he would not grant her command, but calling on her every day until she had no choice but to see him. He planned to court her as any woman deserved because he was intent on winning her heart. He would show her that what they had shared was not just mere romp in the sheets for him. They had a deep connection that was meaningful and beautiful and he wanted nothing more than to find that with her again.