Hivers leaned his forearms on her bed, causing it to dip.
Madison’s eyes shot to his arms but then lifted to his eyes as he began to speak.
His tone was soft. “I’ve been advised by everyone that I am to keep you calm. Otherwise, you could lose the baby.”
“Where’s Judd? Have you spoken to him?”
Hivers kept his expression bland. His eyes were a dark blue, so dark that she was only noticing their shade now. She’d thought them brown. His hair was dark as well. Black.
He was handsome, as most of Judd’s friends were. They were the sort of young men who liked to flash their smiles at pretty young women at balls or even on the street.
“Madison.” They’d never spoken before. She wanted to tell him it was improper for him to address her so intimately, but she remained quiet as he continued, “Judd is dead.”
Her heart stopped.
He grabbed her arm. “Stay calm. That baby is important. Think of the baby.”
Madison shook her head. “How do you know?” Was he lying? Why would he lie? He was Judd’s best friend.
“Madison—”
“Don’t call me that.” She snatched her hand away and tried to sit up.
He tried to help, but she batted his hands away. “Madison, you’re not being calm.”
“Judd.” The tears started again. “Judd!”
He grabbed her chin and snatched her head around. “Stop it. I’ll not let you kill my best friend’s son. Do you hear me? Pull yourself together right now. His life is more important than your pain.”
She swallowed. Hivers was right. But the pain was so great.
“You’re coming with me,” he told her. “I told your parents we were married and that I’d left the town for a few days but planned to be back before you told them.”
“What!”
His eyes narrowed and she closed her mouth, remembering that she needed to stay relaxed.
“I told them we were desperately in love and I never had any intention of leaving you to handle this on your own.” His expression turned sad. “Judd would have wanted me to take care of you, Madison. This is what he’d have wanted.”
She didn’t know that. She didn’t know Hivers. This was her first time speaking to him.
“I can tell you stories about him,” he went on. “Our son could know him.”
“My son,” she clarified. “Judd’s son.”
He pressed his lips together and lowered his voice even more. “Did Judd tell you that our mothers planned on having us at the same time? Our fathers had been friends for years before they met their wives. Did he tell you that I’d known him all my life? That he gave me his shoulder to lean on when my father died a year ago?”
Tenderness pushed Madison’s own pain to the side. It was still there, but it was no longer at the forefront. “He didn’t.”
“Judd was like my brother. We did everything together. I loved him.” Pain slashed across his features, hard and true.
She remembered Judd speaking about her taking time from Hivers.
He took her hand again and this time, she didn’t pull away. “I’m sorry that I had to deliver this news to you.”
She squeezed his hand, and he went silent. “You knew him longer and better than I did. I’m sorry for your loss.” Knowing that Judd mentioned something to this man, to… Matthew, helped soothe something within her. “How did he die?” Her voice broke.
“I believe we should wait until you’re stronger—”
“How?”
He swallowed. “Murder.”
She closed her eyes as nausea rolled through her. She wondered if he’d ever made it to Van Dero. The duke. She’d been instructed to speak to the duke if Judd died. Did she still need to? What was the point? He’d never told her what was going on.
The key he’d given her sat on her dresser unused.
Should she go to Van Dero? Matthew was here. He wanted to help her. He already had.
“How did you know my baby belonged to Judd?” she asked. “He said he didn’t tell you about me.”
Matthew rolled his eyes and smiled. “I knew Judd. I watched him at the parties. He couldn’t keep his eyes off of you and he was never like that with other women. I knew it was something more.”
She smiled. She’d loved him.
“I saw your father in town when he went for the doctor and the panic in his eyes told me something was wrong. That is how I ended up here in time to save you any further embarrassment. I’ll take care of you and the baby,” Matthew promised. “If you’ll let me.”
Madison thought over her choices and knew she had no other. Matthew seemed kind and if he and Judd were friends then maybe there were alike in character.
“Are you ready to go?” He seemed to know she’d made up her mind.
“Let me get dressed.”
He left without another word.
Madison got up and noticed a paper on her nightstand. It was the banknote she’d given her father. He’d given it back to her. With a quick thought, she wrote a letter to her best friend Geneve and placed the substantial banknote inside, transferring it into her name for safekeeping.
She didn’t know Matthew. She was going because she had no better choice. But she knew Geneve.
She was trusting her friend with half her child’s fortune. The other banknote would remain here, just in case.
She was asking her friend to do her a great favor, something she couldn’t ask Matthew to do.
She would have her father send it off for her. She hoped it would be worth it in the end.
She looked around at her room. She would likely never sleep in it again. She had to say goodbye not only to the space that had made her happy but also the man who’d introduced her to love. She’d never forget Judd.
She placed her hand on her belly. And she’d make certain her son never forgot him either.
See how the story unfolds.
Get the story HERE.
Book List Order
Also by DEBORAH WILSON
∫ ∫ ∫
VALIANT LOVE SERIES
Book 1 - The Perfect Lady
Book 2 - The Perfect Gentleman
Book 3 - The Perfect Duke
Book 4 - The Last Duke
Book 5 - Mark of the Marquess
Book 6 - Dread of The Earl
Book 7 - Scar of The Duke
Book 8 - Wounds of A Viscount
Book 9 - Pain of The Marquess
Book 10 - The Secret Life of a Duke
Book 11 - The Secret Pleasures of An Earl
Book 12 - A Knight of Vengeance
Book 13 - A Knight To Dare
Book 14 - The Marquess Who Kissed Me
Book 15 - The Long Awaited Lord
Book 16 - The Exception of An Earl
∫ ∫ ∫
STANDALONE NOVELLA
The Lady's Masquerade
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Copyright and Disclaimer
Copyright © 2019 by Deborah Wilson - All rights reserved.
This book is a work of fiction. The characters and events portrayed in this book are either the product of author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, or actual events is entirely coincidental.
In no way is it legal to reproduce, duplicate, or transmit any part of this book in any form or by any electronic means without written permission from the author. Recording of
this book is strictly prohibited. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
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The Exception of an Earl Page 33
