by Regina Darcy
Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Epilogue
KEEP IN TOUCH!
Copyright © Regina Darcy 2019
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher and writer except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This is a contemporary work of fiction. All characters, names, places and events are the product of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously.
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Chapter One
“On you go now. Be brave.”
Lady Eleanor Drake, fourth daughter of the Duke of Hainsworth, patted her elder sister’s hand and tried to smile. She knew full well that her sister did not wish to marry the Marquess of Malford, but that due to her father’s insistence that she do so or be cut off from the family, she had very little choice.
“I cannot,” Alice wailed, tears spilling from her eyes as she refused to leave the carriage. “I love another.”
Eleanor, or Nora for short, blinked rapidly, staring at her sister in shock. Alice, being her twin sister, had very similar colouring to Nora, with her light blonde hair and beautiful blue eyes. Those eyes now looked back at her with utter misery in them.
Alice grasped Nora’s hands. “He said he would be here. He said he would come and now…”
“Who, Alice?” Nora asked firmly. “Tell me who it is you are speaking of.”
Alice sniffed, and in frustration, Nora pulled out her lace handkerchief and handed it to her sister. Biting her lip, she waited patiently for Alice to stop crying and speak a little more coherently, all the while knowing that their father was waiting for them both inside the church.
“Viscount Lester,” Alice whispered, her eyes dropping to her toes. “We have been secretly in love for many months, but you know that Father would never accept him.”
Nora closed her eyes and tried not to let the pain she felt for her sister pierce her heart. “Oh, Alice. How foolish. You know Father would never allow him to court you. His title is of no consequence, and besides which, Father has already stated that he will determine each of our marriages.”
Alice shook her head. “I will not marry that man. He is twice my age and has already lost one wife.”
“You must,” Nora exclaimed, despite the knowledge that she was condemning her sister to a lifetime of misery by urging her into such a thing. “Father will not stand for your refusal.”
“Father will not stand for anyone getting in his way,” Alice replied, lifting her chin and looking back firmly into Nora’s face. “I am tired of it, Nora. I will not do what he asks. I must find courage from somewhere, even if Lord Lester does not appear.”
Fear clutched at Nora’s heart. She and Alice had already witnessed what would occur if one of them refused to do as their father said. Their eldest sister, Martha, had steadfastly refused to be married to a gentleman of their father’s choosing, mostly due to the fact that he was the age of their father and had an alleged penchant for beating his staff and anyone else who got in his way. She had been sent from the house with nothing but the clothes on her back.
Nora could still remember how she had pressed her face up against the window as Martha had stood on the doorstep, her shawl around her shoulders as her tear-streaked face peered back up at her. Somehow, Alice had managed to throw a few shillings down to her from a window, but since that day, Martha had never been seen or heard from again. Sometimes at night, Nora would wake with the certainty that Martha was calling her from somewhere and would rush to the window to see if she was there, but of course, she never was. Nora had never forgotten that moment, even though it was, by now, eight years since Martha had left, and the fear of it still lingered deep within her soul.
“Please, Alice,” she pleaded, grasping Alice’s hands tightly. “You cannot do this.”
“I can, if only Lord Lester would come,” Alice whispered, her face now white and pinched, yet determined. “He said he would attend, he said…” She trailed off as a sudden rumble of carriage wheels was heard, her eyes widening as she looked out of the window.
“Alice, no!” Nora exclaimed, as Alice began to scrabble at the door. “You cannot do this! What will Father say?”
Pausing, Alice looked back at her sister. “Do you remember Caroline?”
Shaking her head, Nora tried to deny what she already knew – their sister Caroline, the sister between Alice and Martha, who had been married to Lord Abernathy for a little over a year. The last time they had seen her, she had been a shadow of her former self – pale, gaunt, and with no light in her eyes. She had not even seemed pleased to see them.
“I will not let that be me,” Alice continued with alacrity. “I am worth more than what our father thinks. I’ve sent the driver away on some ridiculous errand so that he cannot not tell Father my whereabouts. The only witness will be you.”
Alice’s words worked their way into Nora’s mind, but still her fear held sway. “Father will never allow this, Alice. He will find you somehow and put a stop to whatever it is you have planned.”
Alice did not seem to hear her, and Nora, feeling more and more desperate by the minute, was left to simply sit and watch as a handsome young man opened the door of his carriage and strode towards theirs.
“We must hurry,” Alice cried, flinging the door open and practically throwing herself into Lord Lester’s arms. “Father may come in search of me at any moment.”
Nora, too stunned to speak, felt herself grow cold with fear, terrified that her father would stride from the church and lay such a punishment on herself and on Alice that neither of them would be able to stand it.
And then, her gaze was drawn to the delighted smile on Alice’s face, the way she looked into Viscount Lester’s eyes, the tender touch of his fingers as they brushed down her sister’s cheek.
“Do not cry, my love,” he said, walking her back towards the carriage. “Soon we will be in Scotland, and not even your father will be able to stop us.”
Something broke inside Nora, something that pushed away her fear and forced her to move. She struggled out of the carriage, rushing over to Lord Lester’s where Alice was already making her way inside.
“I’m sorry, Alice,” she cried, grasping at her sister’s hands. “Forgive me for trying to push you into this. I should have listened, I should have tried to understand.”
Alice shook her head and smiled, looking more radiant than Nora had ever seen her. “You are afraid. I understand that. So was I.” Her eyes travelled towards Lord Lester, who was waiting to climb in. “But Lord Lester has proved to me that love is not something that should be cast aside, nor easily forgotten. He has shown me that I have a right to choose my own path. I will thwart our father’s plans, for he has never loved me – never loved any of us. We are going to Scotland, and I do not know when I will see you again, my dear sister.”
Nora began to sob freely, her heart breaking despite the happiness that was settling there. “I will miss you.”
“As I will you,” Alice whispered, reaching forward to drop a kiss onto Nora’s cheek. “I will write if I can.”
Letting
go of Alice’s hands, Nora stepped back and let Lord Lester climb in, shutting the carriage door herself. “Go,” she said, wiping her eyes. “I will do all I can to stall Father.”
Alice smiled at her through the window. “Remember, you will be next,” she called, as the carriage began to move away. “You do not have to give in, Nora. Let go of the fear and find your own path.”
Nora waved as the carriage trundled off, leaving her standing in a cloud of dust. There was no one else about, with no sign of her father, for he was already waiting inside the church. Of course, he would never expect that any of his children would disobey him and therefore had left Nora to ensure Alice was ready.
Wincing inwardly, Nora faced the church and, trying her best to remain calm and at ease, walked towards it. She had to ensure that her father did not come out at once from the church, even though she knew he would be expecting them to enter the church at any moment now. There had to be something she could say, something she could do that would prevent him from going in search of Alice.
Opening the wooden door, Nora slipped inside and let it close softly behind her, her eyes roving around the assembled guests just a little further in. The doors were open and waiting for the bride, with the groom waiting at the front.
“Where is Alice?”
Nora tried not to tremble as her father came towards her, stepping out of the shadows.
“She should be here by now. She is tardy.”
“She is upset, Father, and asked for a few minutes to dry her tears,” Nora replied, trying not to let her voice shake as she told lie after lie to her father’s furious face.
The Duke of Hainsworth was a tall, broad shouldered man who had lost none of his height in his older years, his greying beard and small, dark eyes making him appear almost constantly angry. His lips were curled into a familiar sneer, and Nora could not recall the last time she had seen him smile. His wrathful gaze searched her face, as though seeking to discover whether or not she was telling the truth.
“I knew you would be angry if she came in with red-rimmed eyes and tear-stained cheeks, Father, so I gave her those minutes. I am sure she will be in the church very soon.”
The Duke grimaced. “I will not allow her more than five.”
Nora let out a slow breath of relief, turning away from her father and sitting down quietly in a small chair by the corner. She kept her head down and her eyes closed, concentrating only on her breathing and trying not to think of what might happen to her when her father discovered Alice was gone.
“Ridiculous girl,” the Duke muttered, striding towards the door. “This nonsense has gone on long enough. Come with me, Nora. Her veil must be just so, if it is to hide her tears.”
Nodding, Nora followed her father, her stomach so tight with anxiety that it was almost painful. She walked outside, only to see her father stop dead as he stared at the carriage.
Then, he rounded on her, one hand curling into a fist, which he waved in her face. “Where is she, Nora?”
“I– I don’t know, Father,” Nora exclaimed, her trembling very real as she looked back at him. “I promise you, she was here when I came into the church.”
“You are lying!” the Duke shouted, grasping her shoulders and shaking her hard. “You knew she did not want to marry the Marquess and now you have let her escape!”
“No, I did not, Father!” Nora exclaimed, seeking to hide herself amongst her lies, praying that they would give her safety. “I swear to you that I did nothing to aid her in this. She was still in the carriage when I came to the church, begging to be given a few minutes alone.”
She prayed silently that her father would believe her, only for him to slowly lessen his grip and let her go, his eyes now wild and blazing. She could not imagine what he must be thinking, what he would do now that the bride had disappeared. To have to go back into the church and tell his guests that Alice had disappeared, that there would be no wedding to speak of – that would be one of the greatest embarrassments her father had ever faced.
“Then you will go home and look for her, in case she has returned there to collect her things,” her father breathed, his hot breath drifting across her face. “And if you so much as help her, I will find out, and you will bear the greatest consequences for your betrayal.”
Nora, feeling as weak as a kitten, managed to nod as she swayed slightly, relief flooding her as she saw that her father had no other choice but to believe her.
“I will have to face these guests,” he roared, making her jump with fright. “Get out of my presence now, Nora, or it will be all the worse for you.” He made to stride towards the church, only to come back towards her and shake a finger in her face. “You will be waiting at the house when I return.”
It was a threat and not a request, and finding herself nodding, Nora stumbled back towards the carriage, waiting patiently for the driver to reappear. Her whole body was shaking, the fear of what her father might have done to her beginning to lessen as she realised she was safe – at least for the time being.
“I will not betray you, Alice,” she whispered, as the frantic driver climbed back up into his seat. “I will never betray you. I pray you will have the life you deserve.”
Chapter Two
“Nora.”
Nora jerked in surprise as her father came into the room, his voice low. She closed her eyes briefly to steady herself, relieved she had not spilled her tea onto the dining room tablecloth. Her father would not have taken well to that.
“You are to wed.”
Wed? The word pierced Nora’s mind, making her whole body tense. “Already, Father?” she whispered, knowing that it was useless to argue with him. “I thought after Alice, there might be a bit more time.”
The Duke walked to the opposite side of the table, leaning over one of the chairs and fixing her with his gaze. His expression was still wrathful, as though he had not yet forgiven her for what had happened only last week at Alice’s supposed wedding.
“It is high time you had a husband of your own,” her father said, his eyes glaring at her. “I know that, somehow, you helped Alice make her escape, and I can assure you that I will find her and put a stop to whatever it is she is doing. As the daughter of a Duke, she is expected to do her duty – just as you will.”
Feeling herself trembling, Nora set down her teacup and lifted her gaze to her father, trying to remember just how happy Alice had been on seeing Lord Lester. That was what she wanted for herself, not a husband that her father had chosen for her, given that he did not care for her one jot. But the amount of courage it would take to stand up to him was, perhaps, more than she was capable of.
“The gentleman is of decent standing, although perhaps not as highly titled as I would have wished for you,” the Duke continued with a slight sniff. “In this case, you will be surprised to hear that the marriage itself displeases me, for I would prefer you not wed this man but, unfortunately, I have very little choice.”
Nora blinked, growing confused despite her upset. “You are marrying me to a gentleman you do not wish me to wed?” she asked, a chill creeping up her spine. “I do not understand, Father.”
The Duke sniffed and turned away, his jaw clenched. “On the night of Alice’s betrayal, I chose, given the situation, to spend some hours in Whites.”
The gentleman’s club was not a place her father often frequented, and until this point, Nora had not known that he had gone there. On the night of that fateful wedding day, Nora had remained in her bedchamber, frightened of what her father might do should he find her.
“I drank more liquor than I am used to and ended up playing a hand of cards. Or a few hands, I cannot quite remember.” The Duke waved his hand dismissively. “Regardless, I put your hand in marriage on the table, and I’m afraid, it was won by a gentleman I hold in no high regard.”
Nora felt her heart sink to her toes, her skin beginning to crawl.
“You used me as a bet?” she whispered, her eyes widening as nausea began to
roll its way through her stomach. “I am nothing more to you than something to be gambled with?”
“The details do not matter,” the Duke said at once, turning his head to glare at her, so she would shrink back into silence. “Believe me, I have thought long and hard about whether or not to refuse him, whether or not to pay the man instead of agreeing to this wedding. But in the end, I have decided that I cannot allow my reputation to be smeared. I said that your hand in marriage was on the table, and therefore we must proceed.”
For a long time, Nora could not speak, think, or move. Her father’s voice continued to penetrate the room, but it did not touch her. Instead, it washed over her like rain, bringing a chill to her skin and agony to her heart.
She meant nothing to her father. Nothing at all. He had used her in some stupid card game and had lost. And instead of simply paying the gentleman in place of her hand in marriage, he had chosen to go ahead with it. His money meant more to him than she did. His reputation meant more to him than anything else in this world – and that meant that she was simply to do as he asked without question. He would not tolerate anything else.
There was no love for her, just as there had been no love for her sisters. The Duke cared for no one but himself, and perhaps this ought not to surprise her. Yet, despite that, Nora felt herself horrified over her father’s lack of consideration.
“The man is a particular rival of mine, which is why I am rather disappointed that the match should be made, but then again, it will show him that I am, at the very least, a man of my word. I could not allow him to use this as a means to tear apart my reputation, particularly when I am so well respected and well liked.” The Duke shook his head, walked to the corner of the room, and picked up a glass of brandy. “You will have your trousseau prepared by the end of the month, and the wedding itself will take place three weeks from Sunday.”
Nora, who had not quite managed to pay attention to everything her father had said – such was her shock – tried to look back at her father with acceptance, her fear forcing her to behave in a way that would please him and not bring about his wrath.
