The other path was the familiar, the one to which she had resigned herself — spending her life managing and maintaining this inn. It hadn’t been an altogether unwelcome future for herself — that is, until she had come to know Nathaniel. For the thought of her life to be empty of him once more caused a very unfamiliar ache to begin deep within her. An ache that she certainly hadn’t felt when Stephen had left her for Almira.
She wanted to be upset that Nathaniel had, until now, kept from her the fact that he was tied to the nobility, but with all she had said about them, could she blame him? She could see now why his initial attitude had been what it was, but she could only hope that now he better understood the workings of the inn.
Could she ever become used to the idea of someone serving her? The thought caused her to feel slightly sick, for Daisy was used to doing everything in life for herself. But if she and Nathaniel— no, Daisy, do not get ahead of yourself, she cautioned. That would only lead to heartache.
Daisy’s stomach began to turn as they started up the walk to the inn, for an unfamiliar stately black horse was being led down the road to the stables which were housed next door. Someone was visiting the inn, and, as far as she was aware, they certainly had not been expecting anyone. It might just be a traveler passing through — they had those now and again, though Southwold was not exactly on the path between any major centers. It might also be someone visiting a relative — but then anyone with such a horse could only be tied to the Mansel estate, and they had plenty of rooms to house someone within. No, the most likely possibility was one she did not welcome.
Daisy stole a look at Nathaniel, whose own face had creased as he clearly understood the significance of this guest as well as she now did. Daisy swallowed and closed her eyes. She and Nathaniel had just found one another; had only today, really, come to an understanding about who they were and what the future could hold. Now he would already be going away.
She entered the inn with trepidation, Nathaniel following her, while Daisy’s sisters rushed in to greet them.
“Daisy, you will never guess— oh,” Iris skidded to a stop on her soft kid slippers as she saw that Daisy wasn’t alone. “Mr. Hawke. You, ah, have a visitor.”
“A man from the military,” Violet added helpfully, and Nathaniel nodded, turning to Daisy, his brown eyes filled with concern as he looked down on her. Despite the fact her sisters were watching, he placed his hands on her arms.
“Thank you for the lovely picnic lunch, Daisy,” he said while smiling down at her. “All will be fine.”
Daisy nodded mutely, unsure of how to respond to his words. She wanted to agree with him, but then she knew that to believe his words could be more than she could bear if they proved false. Nathaniel didn’t even know for what this man had come, so how could he tell her that all would be fine? The man could send him back to the front lines, only for him to be killed. How could that be fine?
She knew she was being dramatic, but she couldn’t help herself. As Nathaniel continued into her father’s study, where apparently the man awaited, Daisy swallowed hard and looked at her sisters, who stared back at her without a word. They had spent most of the day teasing her about the time she was spending with the man she had initially disdained but Daisy had shrugged it off, at least until she knew more about what could ever happen between the two of them. She was being overly cautious, not wanting to repeat the situation with Stephen, yet she had never felt anything close to Stephen as what she did for Nathaniel.
But now that she knew more about him, understood the possibility of him leaving… she turned and fled up to her bedroom, where she would compose herself for whatever news Nathaniel would provide.
* * *
Nathaniel entered the dark study, allowing a moment for his eyes to adjust within the room that offered little daylight through the small corner window covered by a curtain. He supposed that Tavners enjoyed napping in here more than anything else, but he couldn’t fault the man who was jovial enough as he left the study where he had been hosting General Collins to leave the two of them alone.
“You say you were a friend of his?” Nathaniel asked, as he took the seat Tavners had vacated, and Collins laughed.
“At one time, we were as close as could be. The man has certainly settled into this life here at the inn, but whether or not you can believe it, he was a competent soldier and I owe him my life as I would have been killed had he not seen the man approaching me from behind in battle. But that’s a story for another day.” The general leaned back in his chair, assessing Nathaniel. “I must say, life by the sea looks good on you.”
Nathaniel chuckled. He wasn’t sure what to say — that no, it wasn’t the seaside life but a woman, the daughter of the man who had taken him in, who had brought about the change within him?
“There are… certain aspects of my stay that I have enjoyed,” he finally said, and the general raised an eyebrow, as though he understood much from Nathaniel’s few words.
“I’m glad to hear it,” was all he said. “And I have news for you — good news. The plan worked. We were able to ambush the French troops with a complete surprise attack. I wouldn’t say the war is won, but we certainly sent them retreating. A good day for England, Major-General, a very good day. All thanks to your strategy and bravery. Which is why I came myself to tell you of it. I had to return to England for a time anyway, and didn’t see why I couldn’t make one quick stop in Southwold.”
Nathaniel grinned, unable to hide the pleasure he felt at the words, knowing that he had helped bring about such a victory.
“I’m more than glad to hear it, General,” he said. “I would have given anything to be there, of course, to be part of the attack, but the fact that the plan worked… well, it’s all one could ask for, really.”
“And now, even better news,” the general continued. “You no longer must play the role of a dead man. I have already sent a letter informing your family that you do, in fact, live, and will be returning home with an injury. We had not informed them of your supposed death, so hopefully, no word was brought back to them that would have caused any distress. You can now return home, and assume the title and role that is waiting for you, your grace.”
The address, attributed to him, still seemed foreign, making Nathaniel want to turn and look about for anyone else in the room to whom the general might be speaking.
“I still can hardly believe it — the Duke of Greenwich,” Nathaniel said, shaking his head, and the general grinned.
“Believe it. Tavners has arranged for you to hire a horse from the stables nearby for your return to London if you’re up for riding. I am headed that way myself, and I believe we could make the trip in three days if we stop every few hours. Or I could arrange for a carriage to be sent to pick you up.”
“I’ll ride,” Nathaniel said immediately, in hopes the general would see that he was fit — for riding or any role the military might offer him. But, alas, a duke was not sent to the battlefield.
“Very well,” the general said. “I shall stay the night and we will be off in the morning.”
In the morning. And then he would be returning to London, to a new life. It only gave him a few hours to decide what exactly he could — or should — say to Daisy before he departed. He needed to explain all to her, to ask her to wait for him to return. He would settle into whatever life might hold, and then he would determine what to do and come to tell her of it. Only, of what promise he could make to her, he had no idea.
15
Nathaniel and the general had been ensconced in her father’s study for some time now. Daisy couldn’t sit and wait any longer, and so she had started downstairs, beginning to prepare for the dinner to come. She had to keep herself busy — it was the only way she knew how to cope.
She was in the midst of mashing potatoes when Iris came flying into the room, Marigold behind her.
“Daisy!” Iris exclaimed. “I must tell you what I’ve learned! You will never believe it.”
> “Iris,” Marigold scolded, out of breath from chasing after her sister. “I told you to not say anything. Give the man a chance to tell her himself.”
“What is it?” Daisy asked, her heart beating fast as she turned to look at the two of them. Iris was simply bursting with her news, while Marigold glared at her sister disapprovingly. Obviously, Iris had been listening at the keyhole again. It irked the lot of them that there was never a private conversation to be had in this house, but then, that was life with Iris. Tonight it might apparently prove to be a blessing for Daisy.
“Iris…” Marigold threatened, but Iris was not to be prevented — and Daisy needed to know what it was that had her in such a frenzy.
“Tell me,” she demanded.
“Mr. Hawke is a duke!” Iris practically crowed.
Daisy dropped the spoon she was holding onto the floor, hearing it clatter, though it seemed as though the sound was coming from elsewhere, that she was removed from her body and watching from a distance.
“Not only is he a duke,” Iris continued in both awe and excitement, “But he was a major-general in the army, and he is returning to London — tomorrow — to assume his new role under the title of a duke. A title that came to him while he was at war. Can you believe it?”
Daisy stood in shock, hardly able to process the information.
“B-but he said his family was wealthy, and connected to the nobility— he never said anything about a title, let alone him a… duke. He told me his father held no title whatsoever!”
Daisy dimly noted Marigold walking over and taking her elbow, leading her over to one of the chairs in the corner of the kitchen.
“Maybe he just hasn’t had a chance to tell you yet,” Marigold said reassuringly, and Daisy noted Violet nodding — she must have followed her two sisters into the kitchen.
“He had every chance,” Daisy said, her tone flat. “He chose not to. He clearly saw no reason for me to know.”
“Daisy…” Violet said, ever the romantic, though she clearly didn’t know what to say at the moment.
“It’s fine,” Daisy said, attempting to push the hurt aside as she stood to return to her duties. “It was nothing but a flirtation. There was no reason for him to tell me, as following his departure — tomorrow — it won’t matter at all.”
“Are you sure about that?” Marigold asked gently. “I know you haven’t spoken much of it to us, but it seems as though you’ve become close to Mr. Hawke in a short time.”
Daisy shook her head. “It matters not at all. He has proven to be the same man I thought him to be upon his arrival here.”
She picked up her masher and returned to the stove, though this time she had renewed vigor as she attacked the potatoes.
She had been a fool, allowing herself to raise her hopes for a man who saw her as nothing but a dalliance, a way to pass the time as he awaited his return to his former life. How stupid she would have seemed to him — the daughter of an innkeeper, who spent her days in the marketplace and the kitchen, actually believing that she might have a future with him — a duke! Thank goodness she hadn’t said anything to him of it, that they had shared nothing more than a couple of kisses. Kisses that, to her, had meant everything, had seemed as though they held so much emotion within them, more than their words ever had. To him, she was just another woman, just another kiss.
Typical.
Daisy felt the tears pricking at the back of her eyes, the burn in her throat as she fought back the tears. Tears of anger, she told herself — not hurt. She couldn’t allow a man like him to hurt her. Why was it that anytime a good-looking man of some worth came her way she thought herself deserving enough to be more to him than a passing thought? Well, no more. She was done. Done with men, done with believing that there might be more for her in life than this inn.
“Daisy…” It was Iris now, which meant that Daisy must truly be allowing her emotions to show, if Iris should be attempting to comfort her. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have—”
“It’s fine, Iris.”
“I didn’t know… didn’t think that he meant—”
“He means nothing. Now, are the lot of you going to help me or just stand there deciding whether or not I’ve been well and truly jilted once more?”
Her sisters silently donned their aprons, washed their hands, and began to chop vegetables and prepare the meal alongside her. Knowing Daisy as well as they did, they said nothing more but offered their support with their silent presence. They might bicker and tease one another often enough, but when it mattered… they were there.
* * *
Nathaniel was surprised when Daisy’s three sisters served them supper, but she was nowhere to be seen. He asked the redhead, Marigold, where she was, but the girl simply shrugged and looked at him as though he had offended her. He had no idea what he might have said to insult her so, but worry ate at him for the rest of the meal. Something was obviously amiss — was it the general’s presence? Daisy was a smart woman and would have known what it meant that he was here. She was upset, and he understood that — but why was she avoiding him?
Of the three sisters serving, the youngest, Violet, thin with a whimsical expression continually on her face, seemed to be looking at him with the most sympathy. When he and the general rose to leave the table, he tapped her on the shoulder just as she began to walk toward the entrance to the kitchen.
“Will you ask Daisy to meet me?” he asked quietly, and when she bit her lip, seemingly unsure, he added, “Please?”
She must have heard the desperation in his tone, for she sighed and relented.
“Fine,” she said. “Go down to the shore beyond the back of the inn in a couple of hours. I cannot promise she will be there, but I will ask her.”
Nathaniel nodded. “Thank you, Miss Tavners.”
Violet hesitantly smiled, nodded her head, and then when her older sisters began to glare at her from the kitchen door, hurried in after them.
Nathaniel could feel the general’s stare on him as he left the room, but decided, so be it. He had to talk to Daisy, to tell her that this was not goodbye… but that he would talk to her again soon.
* * *
Two hours later, he found himself standing in the sand beyond the inn, staring at the sea with the wind whipping his hair across the back of his neck. He had been here for some time — far past when he and Violet had agreed — and still, Daisy had not arrived.
He’d wait a few more minutes, he decided. Then he would return to the inn and do whatever it took to find her, even if that meant searching out her bedchamber in the family’s private quarters. He and the general were to leave at first light, and he couldn’t do so without saying goodbye to her — or, if she would allow it, goodbye for now.
Just as he was about to turn to leave, a soft tap on his shoulder caused him to whirl around. There she was, the sound of her footsteps having been masked by the waves and the soft sand.
She had approached like a spirit, and she nearly looked like one as well. Her dark hair, normally so tight against her head, was unbound around her shoulders, her light blue dress billowing around her legs in the wind, pressing the material tight against her bodice. She was breathtakingly beautiful, and suddenly all Nathaniel wanted to do was throw himself at her feet and ask her to be his, forever.
But that wouldn’t be fair. To him or to her, nor to the responsibility that awaited him.
“Daisy,” he breathed as she stood there, staring at him as motionless as a statue. “I was afraid that you wouldn’t come.”
“It is your last night, is it not?” she said, just loud enough for him to hear over the wind and the waves. “Were you hoping to end your time with me here on a high note? Take me on the beach, is that it?”
He nearly recoiled at her words, struck toward him like a sword through the air.
“Of course not,” he said, upset that she would think such a thing of him. “Is that why you are upset? You believe that I was only toying with you during my
stay here? Listen, Daisy—”
He reached a hand out to her, but she took a step backward, and he took a breath and continued.
“I am leaving tomorrow, it is true. I attempted to tell you the moment I knew myself, but you were nowhere to be found. The attack was successful, and I am now able to resume my life and return home.”
“I am happy for you,” she said quickly, though her tone conveyed certain displeasure.
“I will be honest,” he said, and she quirked an eyebrow upwards. “When I came here I, of course, had no idea that I would fall for a woman, particularly the daughter of the innkeeper, the man who was providing me a safe haven. But there is something between us that I cannot deny. I will return to London with the general tomorrow, determine that all of my affairs are in order, and then I will come back to Southwold to see you once more.”
He heard the words in his ears, knew they sounded trite and lacked any sort of promise besides a visit, but he couldn’t commit to her — not until he fully understood what was waiting for him upon his return.
“What affairs?” she asked, holding his gaze, and he cleared his throat.
“I’m not sure what you mean?”
“What must you place in order?” she asked, the words emerging slowly, as though he wouldn’t otherwise understand her. “Are you not the son of an untitled though wealthy man, with no career to return to?”
He should tell her, he knew he should, and yet, he was worried that if he did, it would be the last she would ever speak to him. It would be different once he could explain what becoming a duke would be like, how it would change the life that he would soon be assuming. At the moment, however, he had no idea himself, so how was he ever supposed to broach the subject with her?
“That is true,” he said, and for the most part, it was. “But I have not been in England in quite some time, so I must sort out my living arrangements.”
A Duke for Daisy: The Blooming Brides Book 1 Page 9
