A Second Chance for the Broken Duke: A Clean & Sweet Regency Historical Romance

by Fanny Finch

  “Yes, Your Grace, the rooms are ready.”

  The Duke of Thornwall shook his head. “It does seem like everyone in the house knew of the arrival of Lady Elizabeth. Do you not all have jobs to do? Have you been standing around, looking through windows at approaching coaches?”

  The smile on the Duke of Thornwall’s face betrayed the fact that he was not being serious. He raised his eyebrows as if he was serious, all the while continuing to grin.

  “Come, sit down, my lord. You must try some of this mead brought over from Scotland. It is amazing.”

  “I have never had it. What does it taste like? Is it bitter?”

  Smithson shook his head, pushing a mug in Hetty’s direction. She filled it halfway with mead and pushed it across the table to the Duke of Thornwall.

  He sat at the table backwards on the bench seat so his back was to the table. He rested one arm on the surface, picking up the mug and looking down at the swirling liquid. It did not give off a strong odor and did not look unpleasant to him.

  He looked up at Smithson. “What does it taste like, Smithson?”

  “Your Grace, it tastes like honey and ale. It is not a strong taste and is sweet with the honey flavor.”

  The Duke of Thornwall raised his eyebrows and gave his butler a curious look. He took one swallow and then followed it with two more.

  “It is quite good. Thank you for sharing some with me.”

  “It is our pleasure, Your Grace.” Hetty replied. “Would you like some with your evening meal?”

  “Yes, that would be nice.”

  The mead settled in his stomach, warm and pleasant. He felt a light buzz in his head immediately, as if he had taken a shot of liquor or a glass of brandy. It was enjoyable.

  He smiled. “Thank you for tending to our guest with such efficiency, Hetty, Smithson. Please continue your hard work. It is appreciated.” He moved his eyes to each of them when he spoke their name. They nodded, looking at him appreciatively.

  “We will certainly do our best,” Smithson said.

  The Duke of Thornwall stayed in the kitchen long enough to give Hetty instructions. She would need to get food preferences from Lady Elizabeth and her companion.

  Hetty agreed and promised to see the lady as soon as she was finished with the cookies.

  “I am not leaving until I get one of your delicious cookies, Hetty,” the Duke of Thornwall said with a smile. His head was fairly buzzing from the effect of the mead. It was enjoyable and he planned to continue drinking it, whatever the cost to import it.

  “Well, here you are, Your Grace. Do enjoy it.”

  Hetty handed him two cookies on a plate. He smiled, thanked her and left the kitchen, heading for the parlor, a cup of tea in his other hand.

  Seated in the parlor, in his favorite chair, the Duke of Thornwall enjoyed the delicious cookies as he had when he was a young man. He had just finished the second cookie when Ursula came in the parlor, moving slowly but with a smile on her face.

  “Ursula. You are looking much better.” The Duke of Thornwall set the plate aside and stood up until Ursula took a chair near him.

  Chapter 7

  Lady Elizabeth watched the Duke of Thornwall as he pulled the door closed. Her feelings about him were mixed, but she planned to tell her good friend that she did not think they would be a good match for each other. The only good thing she could say about the man was that he obviously adored his sister.

  Other than that, she found him to be stiff, controlling, and boorish.

  She contemplated silently how she could possibly say those things to Lady Agatha. In her present condition, Lady Elizabeth decided she would use the gentlest words she could and not tell Lady Agatha any details about her dislike for him.

  She turned back to look at Lady Agatha, who was smiling at her.

  She rested her hand on Lady Agatha’s leg under the covers and patted her lightly. “Oh, I am so pleased to be here. So pleased. It was such a long journey but seeing your face has made every minute worth it.”

  “Thank you, Lizzie. I do feel the same way.”

  “It is my solemn vow to help you recover and stay by your side until you are well. Now, you have not given me the full account of the accident. Where were you? Were you riding your own horse?”

  “I was.” Lady Agatha tried to adjust herself again, scooting around on the bed until she was comfortable. Her face contorted with pain and Lady Elizabeth felt a pang of sympathy.

  “What can I do for you? I want to help you get comfortable.”

  “If you would please adjust these pillows, they are sliding down under me.”

  “They need to be fluffed. Let me fluff them for you.”

  Lady Agatha leaned forward, grunting softly, as Lady Elizabeth reached behind her and punched all three of the pillows until they were billowy. She pushed them into different positions until Lady Agatha was comfortable resting back against them.

  “You know, I saw that you and Malcolm did not really get along well. I dislike that look he was giving you, but I knew I could convince him not to send you away.”

  “He adores you.”

  “He does. And I believe he is also experiencing a heavy guilt that should not be his burden.”

  “Why does he feel guilty?”

  Lady Agatha shook her head. “He was upset that he was not there to help me when my horse threw me. It is what I get for having a horse named Brute. There is a reason he was given that name.”

  “Why did you ride him?”

  “He is my horse. I am the only person alive that he will allow to ride him. Something spooked him in the forest and caused him to buck. I was not holding on properly and was thrown. It is just as much my fault as Brute’s. The Duke of Thornwall wanted him put down, but I would not allow that. Brute is my friend. He was just scared. We all do silly things when we are scared.”

  “That is quite true,” Lady Elizabeth responded, nodding. “I often wonder how I would feel if I were caught in a bad situation and had to make a quick decision.”

  “You would fare well, my friend.” Lady Agatha gave her the biggest smile she could.

  Lady Elizabeth giggled. “What makes you say this?”

  “Because you are brilliant, almost sickeningly so. And such a sweet temperament, you will not have to worry about being caught in any situation you cannot get out of.”

  “I do not know if I would go that far, Aggie.”

  “I would gladly be with you in a time of trouble. You are dependable and witty. We would have no troubles.”

  Lady Elizabeth laughed. “I am not used to such flattery. You are a dear friend, Aggie.”

  “I have not told you anything that is not true.”

  “Well, I firmly believe you would be the same.” She scanned her friend’s injuries. “When you are not bandaged from head to toe and can move without groaning. Are you in terrible pain?”

  “It is not too terrible, Lizzie. I am alive and breathing. I will recover. I cannot wait until my arm is freed from this contraption. It is cumbersome and my skin itches underneath.”

  “I have never broken a bone. I imagine it must be painful.”

  “It was when it happened. And there is still a dull ache. But I will recover. I hope soon, so that my brother can stop feeling guilty for something he could not control.”

  “He was not with you when you were riding?”

  “No. He was here at the castle. When I was brought back, I thought he was going to faint from fear or shock. But he went into action and set me up in this room and has confined me here until further notice.”

  “Oh dear. I am not sure I like the sound of that. Perhaps I will have to escort you downstairs for the evening meal. But not until you feel you are ready.”

  “I do think I will need to stay here for another day or two. But I will be happy to have you eating my meals with me. And our butler, Smithson, has set up two rooms for you and your companion very close to me, just across the hall!”

  “That plea
ses me.”

  “I do want to warn you now, Lizzie. You must make sure you leave no flame unattended. My brother is very sensitive about such things, I am afraid.”

  Lady Elizabeth drew her eyebrows together. “I am sorry to hear that.”

  “It has left him feeling a great aversion for the flame, though he will stand and stare into the dancing light for hours sometimes.” Lady Agatha stopped, turned her eyes up and touched her chin with one finger. “Perhaps that is an exaggeration. It seems like hours but is probably not that long.”

  “If he is afraid of it, why would he stare at it?” Lady Elizabeth felt confused. She would not want to stare at anything that frightened her, like a snake or a spider.

  “It is not the fire that bothers him as much as the unpredictable nature of it. When it is contained, he is satisfied. If a flame is left unattended, he will not hesitate to find out who is responsible. And he will not be kind about it.” She smiled. “But you must not worry about it. Only be sure to extinguish any flames you are not using when you leave a room.”

  Lady Elizabeth nodded. “I can do that, Aggie. Is this fear connected with the scar on his face?” She realized as soon as she said it that it might very well be a sensitive topic for Lady Agatha, as it was most likely for her brother.

  “That is a story he will have to tell you, Lizzie. And if you do as I think you should, you will have him eating out of your hand and telling you the story of his life.”

  Lady Elizabeth looked at her friend, doubtfully. “I do not know, Aggie. I do not think he likes me. Our initial encounter has soured us both against each other. I must admit it is regrettable. I was looking forward to truly being your sister. It would have been grand.”

  “What do you mean, would have been? You are counting it out before anything has been determined. Just you wait and see. I know you two will make a fine couple. And you look so good together.”

  Lady Elizabeth laughed. “We have never been together longer than a few minutes. How can you say such a thing?”

  “Because I’ve been friends with you for a while now and I think you are a delightful creature. You must give my brother a chance to show you he is not the man you first thought he was. I have been telling you how wonderful he is for so long. You cannot possibly believe I was lying to you.”

  Lady Elizabeth shook her head. “I do not think you were lying to me, Aggie. I was simply thinking that based on the fact that he dislikes me enough to want to send me home, we will not make a good match.”

  “That is only your opinion.”

  Lady Elizabeth laughed, shaking her head at her friend. “Aggie, am I not one of the two who would be making a lifetime decision?”

  Aggie laughed with her. “You are, yes. I apologize. But I still think you will get along with him if you just give it a chance.”

  Lady Elizabeth sighed. “I will try, Aggie. But only because you are dear to my heart.”

  Lady Agatha looked so pleased Lady Elizabeth was glad she had said the endearing words. She meant them.

  ***

  “You look a bit peaked, Aggie. Do you need something to eat?”

  Lady Agatha smiled at Lady Elizabeth. “I could use some tea and perhaps some pastries. I know Hetty often bakes them and they would certainly taste good right now. Would you mind finding Milla and telling her to get some for the two of us?”

  Lady Elizabeth stood up, glad for a reason to stretch herself out. She had been sitting on the edge of the bed for some time now and was feeling stiff. She felt sorry for Lady Agatha, having to stay in bed all day. She did not think that would be very much fun. She nodded.

  “I would not mind at all.” She hesitated before asking, “Aggie, how long do you think you will have to stay in bed? It might be good for you to get up and about, stretch the muscles that are weakening in your bedrest.”

  “I would like to get up and move about some but Malcolm will not let me leave my room. He is afraid I will hurt myself more.”

  Lady Elizabeth was not surprised. It seemed to her that Lady Agatha’s controlling brother would likely do such a thing. She hoped her contempt for him did not show on her face. Instead, she nodded, turning to go to the door.

  “Lizzie.” Lady Agatha stopped her. “You really do not like Malcolm?”

  Lady Elizabeth let out a soft sigh. “Oh, Aggie, it is not that I do not like him. I just think he is a bit controlling. Perhaps he is not the man I have seen so far. I did promise you I would give him a chance but I am not sure he will do the same.”

  “He will.” Lady Agatha smiled. “He will see what a bright, kindred spirit you are. I know he will.”

  Lady Elizabeth smiled back at her friend. “I will trust you on that, Aggie.”

  Lady Agatha raised her hand and Lady Elizabeth took hold of it, squeezing gently. “I am so glad you are here, Lizzie. It is so good to have a beautiful friend at my side through this. You did not have to travel so far and you did. You are a blessing.”

  “I would not want it any other way.”

  “And you might get a husband out of your visit!” Aggie laughed.

  Lady Elizabeth shook her head. “You are relentless, my friend. I will return shortly.”

  “I would suggest looking in the parlor for her first. It is a large room that is frequently used by Malcolm and his guests and friends.”

  “All right. You relax. I will have tea and snacks brought up as soon as I can.”

  Lady Agatha nodded and Lady Elizabeth turned to leave the room.

  As she went out the door, she suddenly thought she did not know where the parlor was. Instead of turning back, she thought it might be fun to explore the castle a bit. She was planning to stay for an extended period of time, if the Duke of Thornwall allowed it, and wanted to know where everything was.

  She had seen the Duke of Thornwall and Phoebe going in the direction of the dining hall.

  She realized she did not know where Phoebe was, either. She needed to find her companion. She would have Milla show her the rooms she would be staying in.

  She walked to the staircase, looking at the doors across the hall from Lady Agatha’s room. She had to assume they were the ones she and Phoebe would occupy but she would not enter either of them until she was shown where she would be sleeping by someone in the castle.

  Even if she did not end up with the Duke of Thornwall, which she highly doubted she would, she did not want to disrespect him or his authority. Not any more than she already had.

  She did feel guilty for flying into his face earlier in the day. Her excitement at seeing Lady Agatha again, checking on her welfare, had pushed her excitement to its peak. It was all she thought about. She should have taken a step back and acted more like a lady.

  She had a feeling her mother would be disappointed in her behavior.

  She started down the stairs, running her hand along the stone wall as she went. The curving staircase would let her out into the foyer where she had come in. She knew which door led to the dining hall and that Phoebe had, at one point, been in the kitchen down below.

  She assumed the door to the downstairs would be somewhere in the dining hall.

  Lady Elizabeth reached the bottom of the stairs and looked around the long, wide room. She was taken with the beauty of the décor. The elder duke and duchess were excellent decorators. Unless it was the Duke of Thornwall who had decorated.

  She turned to her left and looked at the door nearer to the front. There was another behind her down the arched corridor. One of them might be the parlor. Then again, it could be the Duke of Thornwall’s private study, the library, or some other room privately used by the duke.

  Deciding to check the room closest to the front of the house, across from the dining hall, Lady Elizabeth walked to the door and stood for a moment. She reached out and grasped the knob, almost afraid of what she might see when she opened it. Would the Duke of Thornwall be mad if she went into every room in the castle, trying to find Milla or Phoebe?

  She tried not to
grin. He probably would.

  She turned the knob and pushed the door open, looking in. The room was empty and a bit cold. She shivered and closed the door. Who would want to visit and sit in a terribly cold room?

  She closed the door and looked at the one to her left. It felt like an eternity getting to it, though it really was not that far away.