Stealing the Duchess

by Marie Higgins

  SEVENTEEN

  Alexandria ran directly to her sister’s room. She prayed Joanna was still awake. Without knocking, she rushed into the room and closed the door behind her. Joanna had been sitting up in bed, reading a book. A shawl wrapped around her shoulders and several pillows were stuffed behind her back and underneath her arms. Her eyes widened when she looked at Alexandria. Seconds later, Joanna frowned.

  “What happened?” she said in her protective big sister voice.

  Alexandria sobbed and rushed to the bed. She sat on the edge, and laid her face on Joanna’s lap. Her sister stroked Alexandria’s hair. Like it had when she was a child, her sister’s touch calmed her.

  “Tell me all about it,” Joanna crooned.

  “Oh, Joanna. I’ve never felt like this before.” Tears rushed faster. “I thought I was in love, but... He lied to me, and it hurts so much.” She cried harder.

  “You are in love? Alexandria Mary Templeton, you had better tell me what is going on this very minute before I get the vapors.”

  Nodding, she straightened to a sitting position and wiped her moist eyes. “There is so much to tell you, I don’t know where to start.” She sniffed. “Two days ago, your husband informed me that he was going to marry me to one of his friends in order to get me off his hands.”

  As Alexandria explained the day-by-day proceedings, Joanna never took her stare off her sister. Joanna reacted by dropping her jaw open in surprise. Alexandria didn’t hold back from telling her sister about Julian’s doubts—that he thought Martin had killed his family and tried to kill him. However, she did leave out the part about thinking Martin was slowly poisoning his wife.

  “Oh, my,” Joanna whispered as she covered her mouth. She shook her head and slowly lowered her hand. “Why didn’t you tell me before now? I might have been able to help.”

  “I couldn’t tell you. Grey...um, Julian...or actually, His Grace, didn’t want me to say anything. The only reason I am saying something now is because it’s all in the open. Your husband knows his cousin is alive...as well as the guests at his dinner party.” Her tears returned as heartache continued to crumble her heart.

  “Xandria, dear...you still have not told me why you’re crying.”

  “I thought he loved me,” she confessed brokenly. “But he certainly didn’t act like it a few minutes ago. I thought he felt the same as I did. I was so very wrong.”

  “Shh,” Joanna hushed. “I’m sure he will do the right thing.”

  Blinking, Alexandria adjusted her vision again, wiping away the tears from her eyes. “What do you mean?”

  “He has ruined your good name. It’s his duty to marry you now.”

  Duty? Although she had thought of what it’d be like to be his wife, she didn’t want him to marry her because he had to. “Oh, no, Joanna. I couldn’t marry him like that.”

  She shook her head. “You don’t have a choice. You were caught alone with him in an intimate embrace. You must marry him.”

  “But, what if he doesn’t ask for my hand?”

  A small smile touched Joanna’s face. “I’m sure he will. He seems like an honorable man.”

  “What about those things Lord Senwick said?”

  Joanna took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “Give His Grace time to explain. Men don’t express their feelings as easily as women.” With a sigh, Joanna leaned back into her pillows. “My worry is what he’s going to do about us.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Well, we are living in his home now.”

  Alexandria couldn’t believe she never thought of that. “You are correct, dear sister. But I’m certain he’s not going to throw us out.”

  “He will if he still believes Martin has something to do with his family being killed.”

  Deep sadness encased Alexandria. “So very true. However, I shan’t allow him to move you until you are feeling better. He knows you are ill, so I believe I can convince him to keep you here until you have recovered.”

  “I hope he listens to you,” she said weakly. “I’m not in any condition to move.”

  Alexandria touched her sister’s hand. “I’ll make certain you are not moved, even if I have to fight him.”

  A lazy smile lifted the corners of Joanna’s mouth. “You are too sweet, my darling sister. What would I do without you?”

  “Not to worry.” Alexandria gently squeezed her sister’s fingers. “You shall never find out.”

  ALEXANDRIA STAYED IN her room for two days straight, too afraid to confront Julian. What upset her most was not that she had fallen in love with a man who wasn’t real, or that he had yet to explain himself or offer marriage, but that she had turned back into a little mouse again. She quite enjoyed her new role as a woman who stood up for herself and didn’t allow others to take advantage of her. So why had she gone back to being a meek wallflower once more?

  For two days she’d cried out all of her tears. She had no creative energy to write, either, and to her, that was unthinkable. Now, she was determined to get out of bed and confront her future.

  If she had one at all.

  She moved to her armoire and searched for a dress to wear, one that would make her feel like a strong, confident woman. She frowned. Apparently, she needed to go shopping. She couldn’t see one gown that would make her feel such convincing emotions.

  A knock came upon the door. She jumped and swung around, her hand flying to her bosom. Could it be Julian coming to talk to her finally? She tried to steady her breathing as she hurried to get her wrapper. “Who is it?”

  “I’m your new maid, Miss.”

  New maid? Martin had never given her a maid of her own. Then again, her brother-in-law wasn’t in charge any longer.

  Cautiously, she stepped to the door and opened it barely enough to see who was on the other side. A young woman, perhaps only a few years older than Alexandria, stood facing the door, wearing the dark brown dress with white round collar and the matching apron of a maid’s uniform. The woman’s blonde hair was a shade lighter than Alexandria’s curls.

  “Good morning, Miss Templeton.” The maid smiled. “My name is Miss Dawn Johnson.”

  Alexandria nodded. “Good morning.” She licked her dry lips. “Who...hired you?”

  “His Grace did, just last night. He said I was going to be your personal maid.”

  How thoughtful. She realized her heart was softening toward him and she frowned. No, she must not forgive so quickly. At the moment, he wasn’t exactly on her list of favorite people. “It’s nice to meet you, Miss Johnson. Please come in.” She opened the door wider for the maid to enter.

  Dawn Johnson entered and closed the door behind her. “Would you like your breakfast now? Or would you like me to assist you in dressing?”

  “Actually, I would like my breakfast and then a bath, if that is all right.”

  “Of course, Miss Templeton.” She curtsied and left the room.

  Alexandria walked back to her bed and sat on the edge, trying to figure out why Julian would get her a personal maid. She suspected her brother-in-law had already moved out, and thankfully, she didn’t have to fight Julian to keep her and Joanna here, so naturally the servants would have left with Martin.

  Yes, that was probably why a new maid was assigned to her.

  During the next two hours, she ate, bathed, and dressed. Johnson proved to be a very skilled lady’s maid, and Alexandria was grateful that Julian had found this servant. As Alexandria sat in her chair in front of her vanity table, Johnson styled her hair. Alexandria stared at her reflection in the mirror with a frown. Although she might not have a gown—or the hairstyle—that made her feel confident, she needed to break out of her melancholy and continue with her life. She couldn’t hide away in her bedchamber forever. It didn’t matter if Julian had ruined her reputation, she must remember that he hadn’t forced her to follow him into the music room. She could have stayed in the other room with Martin and his friends. She could have resisted when Julian kissed her, too.


  However, she would never forgive him for lying to her.

  But that was all in the past. The deed had been done, and she needed to keep going forward as if nothing happened. If only that were possible.

  Alexandria lifted her gaze through the mirror to Johnson. The pretty woman was cheerful and friendly. Alexandria was certain they would eventually become good friends.

  “So tell me, Johnson, how long have you been a lady’s maid?”

  “Only a few years, Miss Templeton.” Johnson smiled. “I served Miss Chambers before she married the Earl of Worthen two months ago.”

  “Oh, yes. I have met Miss Chambers. I’m happy to hear she is married now.”

  “Happily married.”

  “Then I assume you have lived in this area for a while.”

  Johnson nodded. “North Devon has been my home.”

  “So I’m certain you have known the duke’s family, or at least heard of them.”

  “Indeed, I have heard about this family. Who in North Devon hasn’t heard of Linden Hall?”

  “It was tragic to hear about the duke’s father and brother dying. How was the family back a few years ago?”

  The woman frowned. “Indeed, it was terrible, to be sure. But I remember the duke and the oldest son were very sociable. Everyone liked them. They were good to their servants, and many of my friends wanted to work for them.”

  “What about Julian Stanford? What was he like back during that time?”

  Johnson fidgeted as she concentrated on aligning the ringlets on Alexandria’s head. For a moment, she wondered if the servant had even heard her, but then she realized Johnson had and was just avoiding the question.

  “It’s all right, Johnson. You can tell me. I’m not one to spread gossip. At this point, I’m not very fond of the new duke, anyway. Whatever you tell me will be helpful, I assure you.”

  When Johnson’s gaze met Alexandria’s through the reflection, the maid smiled bashfully. “Well, to be perfectly honest, Lord Julian didn’t have the best reputation. He was quite a scoundrel in his younger years.”

  Alexandria couldn’t stop her heart from crumbling even more. She would bet money that he had lied to those women, as well. “That’s what I have heard, too.” She sighed. “Do you know anything about the woman he was betrothed to?”

  “All I know is that her name was Miss Theresa Dickson. Her brother is Lord Senwick.”

  “That’s really all you know?” Alexandria asked, hoping to obtain more information. “You don’t know the particulars? After all, servants know most everything, do they not?”

  Johnson giggled. “Indeed, we do know quite a bit of what goes on in most homes.” Her smile widened. “I had heard that Miss Theresa was making a spectacle of herself in front of Lord Julian. Of course, what unmarried young woman wouldn’t? As it were, she was obviously trying to sink her claws into him. Julian was sweet on a lot of women, and as I’d mentioned before, his reputation with the ladies was deplorable. Nobody knows what really happened—except for them, of course—but they were caught together in a very intimate position,” she paused, leaning closer to Alexandria’s ear and whispering, “and he wasn’t wearing a shirt, and her gown was hanging off her shoulders.”

  Alexandria tried not to let the image cloud her thoughts. Although she hadn’t seen him without a shirt, she had glimpsed his bare neck and a little portion of his chest...and what a fine, muscular part that was, indeed. When heat started climbing in her face, she quickly grabbed her cup of tea and took a sip. “Is that all you know?”

  Johnson shook her head. “Lord Senwick tried to get Lord Julian to do the right thing and marry his sister, but not long after that scandal, Lord Julian enlisted in the military.”

  Interesting... She wondered why Julian didn’t do the right thing. Wasn’t that what gentlemen were supposed to do when compromising a lady? “Tell me, Johnson, did anyone see Miss Dickson and Lord Julian in the intimate position?”

  “Let me think.” She scratched her ear. “If I recall the story correctly, I think that Lord Senwick was the only one who caught them.”

  “Then who knows how true the rumors are.”

  “Indeed.” Johnson nodded. “We all accept the rumors as fact since there was nobody to deny them.”

  “Those are my thoughts as well.” Then again, if Julian had that kind of reputation, she was certain he had been caught with Miss Theresa, just as he’d been caught with Alexandria.

  Would history repeat itself?

  Yet, at the same time, she didn’t want to force Julian into doing what he didn’t want to do.

  “There you are Miss Templeton.” Johnson stepped back and eyed her handiwork.

  Alexandria had to admit, the woman was very skilled. She hadn’t looked this nice for quite some time. “I thank you, Johnson.” She pushed away from the vanity and stood. “I think I shall check on my sister and see how she’s faring.”

  “Oh, before I came to check on you, I talked to her maid. She said the duchess—um, I mean, Mrs. Hinsdale, was sleeping.”

  Alexandria’s hopes dropped. “All right then, I shall go riding. It’s been days since I’ve been on Buttercup.”

  As she made her way to the stables, she realized that the last time she had been riding was when Julian kidnapped her. Tears stung her eyes, and she tried to blink them away. The wonderful memories would be with her forever, along with the heartache. If only she could think of this as another chapter in her book, perhaps it wouldn’t seem so real.

  But it was real, and the pain in her heart was unquestionable. Why had she believed him to be so sweet? Why hadn’t she doubted him at all? Then again, she had right at the very beginning, but it was only because he thought she was someone else. But if the truth was to be told, it was actually Julian who had been someone else.

  She walked into the stable and noticed the stable-hand throwing hay into one of the stalls. “Excuse me, but could you ready my horse, Buttercup?”

  He stepped away, swiping the back of his gloved hand over his sweaty brow. “I’m sorry, Miss Templeton, but your horse has thrown a shoe and is out of commission for now.”

  She frowned. She didn’t dare ask what else could go wrong in her life. “Fine, I shall walk around the grounds, then. The exercise will do my legs good, I’m sure.”

  “Yes, Miss Templeton.”

  Disheartened, she left the stables, trying hard not to step on her droopy spirit as she walked toward the same path she’d taken whenever she rode her horse. The weather was perfect—she was grateful for that small pleasure. Not a cloud marred the sky, and only a slight wind teased her ringlets. She didn’t even need a shawl. Then again, she rarely ever wore that particular covering.

  Julian’s face wouldn’t leave her thoughts no matter how hard she tried to usher out his image. They had grown so close over the last several days, it would be difficult to forget about him completely. Yet what was she going to do about the scandal? Did she even have a choice? She’d lived most of her life as a wallflower and she’d have been satisfied continuing in that path, except now that she’d experienced a man’s hungry, wild kisses, she would undoubtedly want more.

  The question was...could she ever let another man into her heart? For certain, she would not trust him right away for fear he’d lie to her and eventually break her heart. The pain was too grueling to bear.

  “Alexandria, stop!”

  A familiar voice rang through the air, pulling her from her thoughts. Her body stiffened and she closed her eyes, groaning. What was he doing out here?

  Nevertheless, she didn’t want to see him. What were her chances of running away from him...and him letting her go?

  Slim to none, she was sure.

  EIGHTEEN

  Alexandria stood frozen as she watched Julian come toward her. Why couldn’t she run from him? Yet she knew the answer—his injured leg wouldn’t allow him to run. As much as she was upset at him, she couldn’t be the reason he damaged his leg again.

  �
��Alexandria,” Julian said breathless, catching up to her. “I’m glad I caught you before you could get too far.”

  “Why?” Worry quickly escalated inside of her. “Is something wrong with my sister?”

  “Not that I’m aware of, however, I cannot allow you to go for a walk by yourself.”

  She narrowed her gaze and frowned. “And why not? Has it slipped your mind that I have done this several times already and I have been just fine?”

  He released an exhausted breath. “No, Alexandria. The reason I don’t want you to go by yourself is because I fear for your safety. We still haven’t found any evidence against Martin, and so that man could still be trying to kill me, and in doing so, he could harm you.”

  For a brief moment, she wondered if he was telling the truth about being in danger. Could all of this with Martin have been just Julian’s imagination? Perhaps he’d gone insane and had conjured everything up.

  But then she remembered his father and brother had died of a questionable malady, and Julian had been injured. And her sister was still very ill.

  She sighed heavily. “Forgive me, Your Grace. I had forgotten.” She turned and walked past him, going toward the house.

  “Hold up, there.” He grasped her arm, stopping her. “I think I’ve left you alone for too long. Now it’s time to talk.”

  She stared into his glorious green eyes, feeling herself falling for him all over again. Shaking her head, she pulled her attention away and looked at the ground. “If you say so.”

  He reached out and lifted her chin with his fingers until she met his gaze once more.

  “Lexie, don’t look down. I miss you peering into my eyes. I miss...a lot of things about you. Won’t you please talk to me?”

  Tears burned her eyes and she quickly blinked them back. She couldn’t cry in front of him again. “Yes, I think we should talk. However, I might not immediately trust what you say. I’ve already learned my lesson with trusting someone so easily.”

  He frowned. “I didn’t want to hurt you. I still don’t want that to happen.”

  “It’s too late. My heart has already been injured.”