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

by Fanny Finch

  He was not going to be the source of her aggravation. He moved his eyes to Lady Elizabeth and then away quickly. He hoped his sister’s friend would not be either.

  Chapter 12

  The Duke of Thornwall watched his sister as she ate. She looked up at him several times, frowning gently. He turned his eyes away every time she did but could not help looking at her again when she resumed eating.

  “Is the food to your liking?” he asked her.

  She nodded at him. “It is very good to be back here in the dining hall. My room was getting so stuffy. I am surprised I did not become a crazy person stuck in that room for so long.”

  “You were not aware for at least a week, sister,” the Duke of Thornwall said. “You slept through much of the initial pain.” He turned his eyes to Lady Elizabeth.

  He was determined to do whatever he could to make this a pleasant meal for Lady Agatha, whether that meant sacrificing his pride to speak to the woman or not. “The doctor gave her an herbal medication that made her sleep. I was very grateful for it, as I know she would have been if she had been awake.”

  Lady Elizabeth nodded. “I am sure.”

  “Please do let me know if there is anything else you need, Agatha,” he said, looking back at his sister. “I can cut the roast for you. Here, I see you are having trouble. Let me help you.”

  The Duke of Thornwall reached over and gently took the fork from Lady Agatha, picking up her knife. He pulled the plate toward him and cut the roast into small pieces. Lady Agatha watched him do it with a look of adoration on her face.

  When he was done with the roast, he proceeded to cut the vegetables into smaller pieces, as well. He glanced over when he heard Lady Elizabeth giggle softly. She was smiling at Lady Agatha.

  A bit of confusion went through him. Was she laughing at him? Or was she pleased with how he was treating his sister?

  He did not know why he would even want her approval. She was Lady Agatha’s friend. Not his.

  He pushed the plate back to his sister and handed her the fork. He set the knife down next to his own plate, since his sister would not need it anyway.

  “It looks like you have already finished your meal, Malcolm,” Lady Agatha said, looking at his near empty plate.

  “I have some left to finish. And I may have seconds. I am hungry today.”

  Lady Agatha raised her eyebrows. “Are you? Did you eat your morning and afternoon meal?”

  “I did. I suppose the activity of the day has made me hungrier than usual.”

  “What have you done that makes today different from others?” Lady Agatha’s voice was genuinely curious. He had a feeling she had been so anxious to get out of the bedroom, she wanted to hear all about his day. She had inquired in a similar fashion on several occasions when he had visited her bedroom.

  The Duke of Thornwall shrugged, poking his fork into one of the carrots remaining on his plate. “I suppose it has not been different from other days. I have felt burdened by the duties of the day.”

  “I would like to hear about it,” Lady Elizabeth said, prompting the Duke of Thornwall to give her a narrow look that made her drop her eyes to the plate. Her cheeks flushed and he immediately felt a pang of regret. If he wanted to help his sister get better, making her friend feel bad was not the way to go about it.

  “I apologize, Lady Elizabeth. It seems I may have overstated how busy my day has been today. I cannot for the life of me think of a single thing I can reference as to why I am so hungry. However, that is the case, and I am inclined to get another slice of roast and some more vegetables.”

  The Duke of Thornwall laughed. He was surprised that when Lady Elizabeth laughed, it made him happier inside. Her laughter was pleasant. He enjoyed hearing it, which surprised and irritated him at the same time.

  The Duke of Thornwall shoved the feeling away abruptly, looking back down at his plate. He would not let himself be fooled by a beautiful woman with a charming laugh. He had seen the other side of her that afternoon when she had arrived.

  When he turned his eyes from one woman to the other, he found himself enjoying a nice dinner. He was not alone, his sister was indeed looking happier, and Lady Elizabeth was not acting out as he expected her to. He would remain cautious and suspicious. He would continue to make sure Lady Elizabeth did nothing to hinder Lady Agatha’s progress on her road to recovery.

  The Duke of Thornwall stabbed his fork into another carrot, the last one on his plate. He lifted it up and stared at it. “Eat your carrots, Agatha. They are good for your health and they will help you recover faster.”

  The laughter and smiles he got from both the women at the sound of that gave him a great feeling of satisfaction. He decided he should give Lady Elizabeth a chance to prove she was the woman Lady Agatha said she was. He would not have minded meeting a pleasant, happy woman who made people smile just when she walked in the room.

  He did not look at her directly but through the corner of his eye at times as he finished up his meal. He reached behind him and pulled on a long fabric cord that hung from a hole in the wall behind him. The rope went down through the walls and was attached to a bell in the kitchen.

  He needed a brandy to finish off his meal.

  It would also give him time to study Lady Elizabeth. If given enough time, he would see through any façade she may be using to make herself appear to be someone she was not. However, his sister seemed delighted by the woman. He sighed inwardly.

  He would do his best not to be unpleasant. He would give Lady Elizabeth a chance. It was what Lady Agatha wanted.

  And maybe on some level, it was what he wanted too.

  Chapter 13

  Lady Elizabeth watched the Duke of Thornwall pull the rope. She scanned his profile but looked away before he turned back so he would not catch her looking at him.

  She saw Lady Agatha giving her a teasing look and smiled softly.

  “When Malcolm and I were children,” Lady Agatha said, setting her fork down and looking at them both in turn. “We ate here at this very table. My mother sat here where I am. Malcolm sat where you are, Lizzie, and I sat right here.”

  She glanced at the chair next to her, which was on her left so she was unable to touch it without the use of her broken arm.

  “We had so many pleasant meals here, did we not?” She looked at her brother.

  “We did.”

  When the Duke of Thornwall answered his sister, Lady Elizabeth noticed the nostalgic tone of voice he used. She could tell he was remembering those times with great fondness.

  The door to the kitchen opened and Milla entered the room. She came to where they were sitting and stood next to the duke.

  “I wish for a brandy, Milla.” The duke picked up his empty plate and handed it to her. Lady Elizabeth noticed the look of surprise on the young maid’s face.

  “Yes, your Grace.” She was unable to hide the feeling when she spoke. Saying nothing more, she walked back to the door and disappeared behind it.

  “I think you have given our maid a shock,” Lady Agatha said with a giggle.

  “It does appear so.”

  Lady Agatha looked at Lady Elizabeth. “We are not ones to drink very often. I believe we may have a bottle of brandy in the cellar along with the wine that our parents stored. Have you been down there since I left, Malcolm?”

  The duke shook his head. “I have not.”

  “I did not think you had.”

  The Duke of Thornwall nodded. “Do you want to try it?”

  Lady Agatha raised her eyebrows, still looking at Lady Elizabeth. “What do you think, Lizzie? Shall we give it a try?”

  Lady Elizabeth was not sure the Duke of Thornwall wanted her to drink his mead. She had never tasted it. She did not care for wine or ale and had only tried both once to see what they tasted like. She had decided quickly that it was not something she wanted to drink often.

  It gave her a smashing headache.

  “No, I will let you try it.”

 
“Oh, just a sip, Lizzie! It will not hurt you to taste it.”

  Lady Elizabeth shrugged. “I suppose I could give it a taste.”

  There was a small empty glass in front of Lady Elizabeth’s place, matching the one in front of Lady Agatha’s.

  “Will you do the honor of pouring us a small amount in our glasses, Malcolm?” Lady Agatha picked up her glass and set it down nearer to her brother. Lady Elizabeth did the same with hers.

  Without a word, the Duke of Thornwall poured a few swallows of mead into each glass.

  Lady Elizabeth could feel his eyes on her when she picked up her glass. She looked down at the liquid, resisting the urge to swirl it as she had seen her father doing with his wine. She did not know why he swirled it so it seemed a bit ridiculous to do it when she was tasting an unfamiliar liquid.

  She brought it to her lips and took a sip, looking at Lady Agatha over the rim. Her friend was doing the same thing and they met eyes just as she swallowed.

  “This is delicious!” Lady Agatha gushed. “I would like some more!”

  The Duke of Thornwall poured a small amount in the glass. “This is all I will give you for now, Lady Agatha. When you are not ill, you can enjoy it at your discretion. But in your condition, I do not want to take any risks at hindering your recovery.”

  Lady Elizabeth noticed the side glance he gave her.

  “I have been eating in here since you have been in your room, Agatha. How did you know I would be in here this evening?”

  Lady Agatha shook her head. “I did not know you were eating in here. I assumed you were.”

  “Why would you not be eating in here?” Lady Elizabeth asked in a bold voice, looking at each of them in turn.

  “We have a lot of memories from when our parents were alive and we were young,” the Duke of Thornwall answered. “But we did not always eat our meals here. We would sometimes eat in the parlor or the library. The library is a special place for me. And for you, too, I suppose.”

  He looked at Lady Agatha, who nodded. Lady Elizabeth moved her eyes back and forth between them. As the Duke of Thornwall continued. “Eating in those rooms alone can be a bit lonely sometimes.”

  “And for me, as well,” Lady Agatha cut in. “When I returned here, we continued eating in the library or anywhere we pleased. If it is a nice evening, we might light the lamps and eat on the veranda.”

  “It has not been pleasant enough to eat out there since you have returned,” the Duke of Thornwall said. “And I do not like to eat in those places when I am by myself. This is the most efficient place to eat quickly.”

  “Why would you want to eat quickly?” Lady Elizabeth hoped her questions would not irritate the duke. She was curious but she did not want to annoy him.

  When he looked at her, she did not see the irritation she had seen when she arrived. In fact, she did not see the same look he had when he came into Lady Agatha’s room, demanding that she be sent home. He looked neutral, almost pleasant.

  “It can be lonely in this big castle without anyone to talk to. I had to make friends with the servants after Mother died.”

  This prompted light laughter between the three of them.

  “It is not a bad thing, though,” Lady Elizabeth said. “It is a good thing to be friendly with the servants. My father says they will work harder for you and they will be loyal if you treat them in a friendly sort of way.”

  The Duke of Thornwall nodded. “I am of the same mind. I am glad I made the decision to be friendly or I would have spent the last two years miserable and lonely every day of my existence.”

  Lady Elizabeth sympathized with him. Thornwall Castle was huge. Being the only person in the place besides the servants really did not sound pleasant at all.

  “Some of the servants,” Lord Thornwall continued to Lady Elizabeth’s delight. “have been here for many years. They know both Lady Agatha and I, have known us since we were very small. Others, such as Milla and the housekeeper, Lily, are newer. I got to know them all much better and spent a few evenings down in the kitchen with them.”

  Lady Elizabeth noticed Lady Agatha’s wide eyes and the look of surprise on her face as she gazed at her brother.

  “I did not know that.”

  The Duke of Thornwall looked at her. “Oh yes. They have set it up nicely down there, with a table and bench seats. It is warm and comfortable and always smells like something cooking or baking. It is very pleasant. I am able to catch up on all the gossip from the village.”

  The ladies laughed, looking at each other.

  “I thought it was the job of a lady to gossip, brother,” Lady Agatha grinned at him. “But you have taken to the role quite nicely, it seems.”

  The Duke of Thornwall smiled back at his sister.

  “You would be interested in some of the things I have learned.”

  Lady Agatha pressed her lips together, giving him a closed mouth grin.

  “Do you visit the village often?” Lady Elizabeth asked.

  When the Duke of Thornwall looked at her, she felt a strange sensation slide through her. It was as though he was staring into her soul.

  “I have not,” he said. “Strangely, that is not one of the places I visit frequently.”

  The door to the kitchen opened, drawing the attention of the three companions. Milla came through holding a glass of brandy. She approached the table and set it down in front of the duke.

  “Thank you, Milla. I expect that will be all tonight, unless one of the ladies has a second plate.” He looked inquiringly at them both. Lady Elizabeth and Lady Agatha shook their heads.

  “Yes, Your Grace.” Milla turned to leave.

  “Oh and tell Hetty the food was delicious.”

  “Yes, do tell her that,” Lady Agatha smiled wide at the maid.

  “Yes, Your Grace, my lady.” She curtsied softly. When she looked back at the duke, she said, “I think she knows that, since you asked for a second plate.”

  The maid smiled at him and turned to walk back to the kitchen door.

  Lady Elizabeth looked at Lady Agatha, leaning forward a little. “She seems like a pleasant person.”

  “All our servants are like that,” Lady Agatha replied. “Mother knew how to sort out the bad from the good.”

  “Is Ursula a servant, as well?” As soon as the question left her lips, she regretted it. She would not be able to explain how she even knew about the woman she heard talking to the Duke of Thornwall. They did not seem to notice, though the Duke of Thornwall’s face was confused for a brief moment.

  “Ursula came to us after…” Lady Agatha looked at her brother. “She was initially working for the estate of Argyle and became friends with my brother.”

  “She is a good friend. She is important to me.” The Duke of Thornwall sounded like he did not want to talk about Ursula. Lady Elizabeth decided to change the subject.

  “I am pleased to be here,” she said. “I hope that you recover soon, Aggie, but if you do, I will not want to leave so soon.”

  “I would like for you to spend some time with me when I am well, Lizzie. When I have use of both my arms.”

  Chapter 14

  The women giggled. The Duke of Thornwall was looking at them through lowered lids. He kept his head down, sipping his brandy nonchalantly.

  He was not sure what to make of Lady Elizabeth now. She seemed pleasant enough but he was worried about her energy affecting Lady Agatha’s recovery. So far, she had already forced Lady Agatha to come down to the dining room after he had specifically told her to stay in her bed.

  He struggled with himself, knowing that it was not fun to stay in a bed for weeks on end. He had never had to do it himself but he was sure it would be very restricting and boring. He had only given the instructions for Lady Agatha’s sake. Could Lady Elizabeth not see and understand that?

  Every chance he had he would go to her room and play cards with her or bring one of the games for some entertainment. He had made sure she had any book she wanted from the l
ibrary. He had given her paper and pen to write letters to her friends.

  He glanced at Lady Elizabeth. That was why he was saddled with this woman.

  He noticed his ire toward her seemed to be slipping. He did not know why he would want to continue being upset with her. He kept quiet while the two of them chatted quietly across the table. Lady Agatha was telling Lady Elizabeth a story about one of the older ladies in the village.