The Unsuitable Duke

by Suzanna Medeiros

  “I’m more than a little relieved to hear that.”

  Castlefield wished he wasn’t wearing gloves. What he wouldn’t give to have felt the smoothness of her skin under his touch. He curled his hand and admonished himself for overstepping too soon. If he wasn’t careful, he’d drive Ellen away from London before he had a chance to change her mind about how well the two of them would suit.

  “I’ve promised to take her and the children to the Tower in two days’ time so they can visit the royal menagerie. If he can manage it, Eddings will also be there.”

  Ellen had always gotten along with Jane’s husband, and with their two children, they’d make a large enough group that she could convince herself she’d be able to ignore him during the outing. He’d laid down the bait, now he just had to wait to see if she’d take it.

  “It would be nice to see Jane again. Heavens, Henry must be so grown up now. And I haven’t even met Hope.”

  He held back the desire to press the invitation. Any prodding from him would have her running in the other direction.

  “I suppose I’ll have to tolerate your presence?”

  He inclined his head.

  “And you’ll give up this nonsense about courting me? I don’t find it amusing being on the receiving end of one of your jokes.”

  “I would never make light of such an important matter.”

  Ellen sighed. “I don’t know what you’re trying to do. You can’t be serious.”

  He met her gaze evenly, willing her to see just how earnest he was about the two of them.

  Her eyes narrowed. “Fine, I’ll join you. But I’m doing this because I miss my friendship with your sister.”

  It took every ounce of willpower he possessed not to say anything as she turned to leave. But internally, anticipation of the chase ahead surged.

  Chapter 2

  After his customary early breakfast the next morning, Castlefield proceeded to his study where he hoped to distract himself with the reports sent by the steward of his country seat.

  He’d dreamed of Ellen all night. Scene after scene where she danced just out of reach. Tempting him by coming close enough for him to catch the scent of her perfume before allowing herself to be whisked away by another masked man. He hadn’t seen the man’s face, but he knew that if he tore away the mask, he’d find it was her deceased husband.

  It was difficult to banish the unsettling dreams from his mind, but he forced himself to look over the list of repairs his steward was undertaking.

  He glanced up when the door to his study opened after a quick knock. His sister stepped into the room. It was early for her to be at his town house, but the staff knew she was welcome to come and go as she pleased.

  “I shouldn’t have to invade your inner sanctum to see my own brother. You’re working much too hard, Charles.”

  Castlefield set aside the report and removed his reading glasses, tossing them onto the neatly organized surface. He’d only recently started needing to wear glasses when he read and hated how old they made him feel. He was only two-and-thirty. Surely too young for such an obvious sign that the years were passing far too quickly.

  “I’m just trying to keep abreast of matters. The improvements needed at the country estate seem to be never ending.”

  “Is everything fine? I know Father left you with more than a handful when he passed away, but I always assumed he left the estate in order. Still, we both know that was a bad time. I was scarcely aware of what was happening around me.”

  Castlefield waved his hand, indicating she should make herself comfortable in the guest chair that was positioned on the other side of his desk for her visits.

  “There’s nothing to concern yourself with. Fortunately, the estate is large enough that it could withstand a little neglect. But improvements need to be made to ensure that continues to be the case.”

  Jane’s shoulders slumped. “Should I let you return to it? I hate to be a burden—”

  “You could never be a burden.” He hated that she could think such a thing. His sister had never been one to doubt her worth until recently. Just one more crime he could lay at the feet of Ellen’s deceased husband.

  Jane’s hands were bound tightly together in her lap, and he knew what she wanted to ask before she spoke. “Have you had an opportunity to speak to Ellen yet?”

  “As a matter of fact, I ran into her last night. She’s agreed to join us on our outing tomorrow.”

  Jane’s face lit up. “I’m so pleased. But…” She gave her head a small shake before continuing. “I was so unbearably rude to her during that time, turning her away when she came to visit. I’m still not certain I haven’t ruined our friendship forever.”

  He hated bringing up the past, but his sister needed to know what Ellen’s husband had told her. Jane had been fragile for so long. She seemed to have regained her vigor and positive outlook over the past year, but he still felt the almost overwhelming need to shelter her from any negativity.

  “I need to tell you something, but I don’t want to upset you.”

  Jane sighed. “Did you have to coax her into giving me another chance? I knew it. Of course Ellen would hate me after the way I kept her at a distance.”

  “She doesn’t hate you. But apparently over the past two years…” He had to force himself to continue when he saw the way Jane braced herself for whatever he was about to tell her. He rose from his seat and lowered himself into a crouch next to her chair. “Laughton told her that the two of you had an affair. Understandably, that news hurt Ellen. Not because her husband had betrayed her since she already knew he wasn’t faithful.” Castlefield ran his hand through his hair at his sister’s gasp of outrage. He hated the fact that he had to mention that bastard’s name again in his sister’s presence. “He wielded your friendship with Ellen like a weapon, using you to hurt her. And since you weren’t willing to give him what he wanted, he lied to her.”

  Jane’s face had paled as he spoke, and he braced himself for her reaction. But instead of falling into tears as she would have done when this whole thing with Ellen’s husband had happened, she gave a shaky laugh.

  “Of course he did. It wasn’t enough to try to force himself on me…” She took several deep breaths before she could continue, and he reached out to hold one of her hands. She tightened her grip in silent thanks. “Did you tell her the truth?”

  “No, it isn’t my place to share that with her.” He released her hand and rose. “When you turned her away after she came to call, she took that as confirmation that her husband had been telling the truth. I told her that you weren’t seeing anyone because you’d been placed on bed rest. It is up to you whether you want to share everything that happened. For now it is enough that the two of you take that first step toward healing your friendship.” He smiled as he remembered Ellen’s relief at the news Jane hadn’t betrayed her. “She loves you like a sister, you know. I’m sure it will be good for her to have you back in her life.”

  Jane stood and smiled in return. “She wouldn’t be only in my life.”

  “Not this again,” Castlefield said with a small shake of his head.

  “Can you blame me for wanting to see my brother happy? You hid it from everyone else, but I know how unhappy you were when Ellen married.”

  “I was young and stupid back then. By the time I realized the friend I’d pushed away had grown into a beautiful young woman whom I wanted to grow close to again, it was too late. She already hated me and was betrothed to another.”

  Jane looked away and fell silent for a moment. When she met his gaze again, he could see the telltale traces of sadness their conversation had stirred up in his sister.

  “I wish you had decided to pursue her back then and forced her to break their engagement. I worry about what Laughton did to her while they were married.”

  All sorts of hateful images sprang to Castlefield’s mind, images that he couldn’t quite push away. “I do as well, but we both know I wouldn’t have been able to
change her mind.”

  “And now? Please don’t tell me you’ve given up on her.”

  “Never,” he said with a confidence he was far from feeling. “I’ve waited long enough for Ellen.”

  Jane gave him a quick hug before stepping back. “Good. I’ll enjoy having her as a sister when you win her heart.”

  “That outcome is far from certain, but I’m going to do everything in my power to make it happen.”

  Chapter 3

  Ellen was of two minds that morning as the carriage rumbled along the streets of London toward the Tower. She couldn’t deny she was excited to see Jane Eddings again. Far too many years had passed since she’d spoken to the woman who’d been like a younger sister to her.

  She hated that her husband had succeeded in making her believe the worst of her friend. She knew Laughton had no qualms about having an affair with one of her friends. As she’d mentioned to Castlefield, it was no secret that her husband wasn’t faithful in their marriage. But it had hurt her more than she thought possible when she believed Jane had betrayed her in such a fashion. She should have realized her husband was lying, striking out to hurt her. But she’d allowed herself to doubt their friendship when Jane had refused to see her.

  What she hated most of all was the knowledge she hadn’t been there for her friend when Jane had needed her. She must have gone through a very dark time indeed if she hadn’t wanted to see anyone. And she could understand why she’d named her daughter Hope.

  That’s what Ellen had now. Hope that they’d be able to resurrect the tattered remains of their friendship.

  If only Castlefield wasn’t in the picture. She hated to admit just how much he’d rattled her at the masquerade. Normally she wouldn’t be surprised that he’d tease her by telling her he wanted to court her. Such was the nature of their relationship after all, and she could have handled such teasing.

  No, what bothered her most was her suspicion he might have told her the truth. Castlefield intended to court her, and that thought left her more than a little unsettled.

  There was a time when she would have been thrilled with that prospect. Even though they’d needled each other for years whenever their families visited one another—and heaven knew, that was often since their parents were the best of friends—Ellen had started to develop an awareness of him that went beyond friendship as they grew older.

  She’d known him as Charles then, despite the fact that everyone, even her brother, called him by his courtesy title of Haliburton.

  But then Viscount Laughton had swept her off her feet, and she’d allowed herself to believe he loved her. It hadn’t taken her long to discover any love he’d professed to feel for her was a sham. The real Laughton was cruel, and she’d suffered more than a little while under his control until she’d asked her brother to teach her how to defend herself against her husband’s greater strength.

  She owed Brantford everything. Those lessons had finally convinced her husband that she would no longer endure the bruises he inflicted on her whenever he took his husbandly rights. And she’d cheered inwardly when he stopped visiting her bed and found relief elsewhere.

  She’d felt a twinge of guilt that he might be inflicting his rough hands on other women but told herself that Laughton wouldn’t risk exposure in that way. He’d successfully courted her with sweet words, after all, and had even kept his darker desires at bay for the first year of their marriage. No, Laughton wouldn’t have hurt any of those other women the way he’d hurt her. She had to believe that.

  Ellen was jostled from her morbid thoughts when the carriage slowed. She took a deep breath and tried to look forward to the day ahead. She’d never actually visited the area that housed the menagerie. She’d been to the Tower two weeks before with her brother and the young woman who was now his wife, but the reason for their visit had been a grim one. Rose’s father was currently being held in the Tower after confessing to treason. Even now, her brother was attempting to gather evidence to prove the man hadn’t committed the crime but had confessed because the lives of his wife and daughter were in danger. She knew if such evidence existed, Brantford would find it.

  The carriage stopped, and a footman—probably assigned by her brother to watch over her while he was away—opened the door to help her down and would probably follow her during the day. She hadn’t decided whether to be annoyed with her brother, but given his line of work she couldn’t blame him for being overprotective. Still, she’d proven to be an adept student at self-defense and could handle herself in most circumstances.

  She was only a few minutes late, but she hadn’t wanted to arrive early. She hated waiting for others to arrive. Jane and Castlefield had always been punctual in the past, but the former was now a mother to two young children. In all likelihood, they hadn’t yet learned the value of being on time.

  She scanned the modest crowd of people and spied the others waiting by the drawbridge that led to the Lion Tower. Castlefield and Jane were speaking and hadn’t noticed her arrival yet.

  Much to her annoyance, her gaze settled first on Castlefield. She told herself it was only to be expected since he was over six feet in height and exuded a commanding air. With his dark hair and undeniable good looks, it was impossible to be indifferent to his presence. Not that she’d ever admit that to him.

  Her gaze moved to Jane, and she couldn’t stop the smile that spread over her face as she took in the petite, dark-haired figure of Castlefield’s sister. It appeared that Jane’s husband hadn’t been able to join them. But what struck her most was how much Jane’s children had grown.

  Henry would now be six. She’d last seen him when he was four, and she’d never met Hope, who would be just shy of two years of age. A servant, no doubt the children’s nurse, hovered in the background. Ellen wasn’t surprised that Hope was perched on her mother’s hip—Jane had always enjoyed carrying Henry when he was younger. But she hadn’t expected to see Henry’s hand in Castlefield’s.

  Castlefield noticed her then and said something to his sister. Ellen’s heart lurched when she saw the emotions that crossed Jane’s face. Happiness first, tinged with an air of uncertainty. Ellen vowed to do away with that second emotion right away.

  She moved toward the small group and gave Jane a quick hug, including her daughter in the embrace.

  “I am so happy to see you,” she said, hating the tears that threatened to fall. She forced them back and turned to the child in her friend’s arms. “And who is this beautiful young woman? I don’t believe we’ve had the pleasure of being introduced.”

  “This is Hope Ellen,” Jane said, not bothering to dash away the tear that even now tracked down her face.

  Shocked, Ellen’s gaze moved to meet her friend’s. “You named her after me?”

  Jane gave her a one-armed hug before stepping back. “You are the strongest woman I know. I wanted to give my daughter someone to look up to.”

  Emotion unfurled in Ellen’s chest, and she had to look away to gather her strength lest she embarrass herself and prove just how wrong Jane was.

  She turned toward the little boy at Castlefield’s side and lowered herself into a crouch. “And you must be Henry. The last time I saw you, you were only this tall.” She lifted her hand to indicate his former height, smiling as she remembered the way he used to call her Aunt Ellen. She extended her hand to give him a handshake and was surprised when the boy released Castlefield’s hand and gave her a quick hug before stepping back again.

  “Can we go see the lions now?”

  Ellen laughed, grateful that the tense atmosphere had lightened thanks to Henry’s enthusiasm.

  “No dashing off,” Castlefield said, bringing a frown to his nephew’s face.

  “I’ll make sure he doesn’t get too far ahead of us,” the nurse said. She held her hand out, and with an audible sigh, the boy grasped it.

  Castlefield smiled down at the woman and Ellen felt a slight twinge of annoyance at the way she beamed in response. She was younger than
Ellen had suspected after stepping out of the carriage, certainly younger than Ellen’s own thirty-two years of age. And quite attractive in a youthful, fresh-faced way.

  Ellen looked away, refusing to betray her emotions. She was only here for Jane, to reclaim the friendship her husband had done his utmost to sever. Castlefield’s actions were no concern to her. He could sleep with every female servant he met for all she cared. Heaven knew her husband had done the same.

  She took a deep breath and pushed back the melancholy mood that threatened to settle over her, telling herself it had to do with thoughts of her unhappy marriage and not the man who had turned to watch her.

  “Where should we begin?” she asked, knowing Jane’s son wouldn’t be able to hold back his enthusiasm.

  “The lions!” Henry exclaimed, tugging on his nurse’s hand and trying to lead them to the bridge.

  “By all means,” Castlefield said with a chuckle. He indicated that the women should precede him.

  Of course, Henry had to be in the lead, so he and his nurse led the small group. Ellen took her place at Jane’s side while Castlefield followed. She tried to ignore the sensation that his eyes were on her as they crossed over the drawbridge to the tower that housed the royal menagerie.

  Ellen threaded her arm through her friend’s free arm and smiled down at Hope, whose head was leaning on her mother’s shoulder. “She’s going to get heavy.”

  “I know,” Jane replied. “She woke very early this morning thanks to her excited brother. I suspect she’ll sleep through most of this morning’s visit. Fortunately, Charles can carry her if I get tired.”

  Ellen’s eyes widened. “Castlefield? Would he stoop so low as to do the work of a servant?”

  Jane laughed. “I see you’re still needling him. You know as well as I that my brother isn’t like that. He actually enjoys spending time with his niece and nephew.”