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

by Fanny Finch

  He walked briskly past the door to the adjoining room, hoping Lady Elizabeth did not pop out the moment he passed it.

  After it happened, the Duke of Thornwall wondered if he had predicted it.

  As soon as he got to the door, it was pulled open and Lady Elizabeth stepped out, looking down at an unfolded piece of paper in front of her.

  The Duke of Thornwall’s large boot came down on the end of Elizabeth’s skirt, pulling a small rip in it at the seam at her waist. Lady Elizabeth reacted to the sudden trampling, crying out and lowering her body so the entire skirt would not rip off.

  The Duke of Thornwall jumped back, a look of utter shock on his face.

  “I apologize, Lady Elizabeth,” he said quickly.

  Lady Elizabeth flushed a deep red, scowled at him and held her ripped seam together between two fingers of the hand that also held the pen.

  “My Lord!” she scolded him, stooping to sweep up the letter and the blank pages of paper with her hand.

  “I apologize. Do forgive me.”

  The Duke of Thornwall felt like it was more Lady Elizabeth’s fault for not looking before she stepped out from the room. He was just casually walking to his study and she came barreling out of the room. It was not his fault.

  But he would apologize. It was the only thing a gentleman could do. She was, after all, a lady of noble birth just as he was of noble birth.

  He turned around and went straight to the door of his study, shoving the door open as fast as he could. He had left a stunned Lady Elizabeth behind, staring after him with her jaw slack.

  As he passed through the door to his study, he caught a glimpse of someone out of the corner of his eye. She was sitting on a bench in the courtyard that faced the sunny side during the evening. The sun was directly overhead and she was bathed in the sunlight.

  He stopped and looked at her, holding the door open to his study. He debated whether he wanted to call out to her or not.

  In the end, his decision was made for him.

  After only a few seconds, Ursula turned and looked over her shoulder, directly at him. She smiled and lifted one thin hand to him.

  He waved his hand to her, indicating she should come visit him in his study.

  Ursula pushed herself to her feet and came around the bench, hunched over just slightly. Her gray hair was pulled up in a bun. She wore a long scarf-like cape around her shoulders. It was made of a thick, cotton-like fabric that seemed like it never wore out.

  He could not remember the last time he had seen her without the cape.

  She made her way to him. He took a step back to let her pass in front of him into the study. She walked to a chair that was pulled to face his large wooden desk.

  The desk was covered with papers and books, pens and ink wells. It made him look very disorganized but he did not care. He rounded the desk and sat down thinking about how relaxed he had been moments before he encountered the thunderstorm that was Lady Elizabeth Owens.

  He dropped into his chair and pulled it to the desk so he could rest his elbows on it and clasp his hands in front of his mouth. He tapped one foot in frustration.

  “Did something happen, Your Grace?” Ursula asked, tilting her head to the side. The Duke of Thornwall could see the compassion in her old eyes.

  “Did you hear that? In the corridor? Lady Elizabeth and I had a near collision.”

  “Oh dear. Is she injured?”

  “No, thankfully, it is only the cost of dress repair that we have to worry about. She told me something unexpected. If I reveal it to you, will you promise to tell me the truth of what you know? I do not wish for any words you say to be insincere in any way. You must not worry about hurting my feelings. My emotions are my own to control.”

  Ursula gave him a curious look. He could tell she was taking him seriously. “I would never lie to you, my lord.”

  “Tell me, then, what do the villagers say about me?”

  Ursula’s eyebrows drew together and she gave him a surprisingly sharp look. “What makes you ask such a question, my lord?”

  The Duke of Thornwall could not remember the last time he had heard her speak so clearly. He narrowed his eyes suspiciously, still tapping his lips with his fingers.

  “Tell me what you know, Ursula. I pay you to live in my castle, in my home. You will answer my question.”

  Ursula closed her eyes for a moment, lowering her head. She put her hands between her knees and leaned to the side, resting her shoulder against the side of the large chair.

  “My lord, I hear very little from the village. There are those who honor your authority and those who think you are unfriendly.”

  “Lady Elizabeth just said they all dislike me and think I am harsh. Do you think I am too harsh?”

  Ursula seemed to contemplate the question for a moment while at the same time scanning his face closely. “Malcolm,” she said. “I understand why you have changed. The people of the village only know you as the boy that grew up in this castle. When you were ready to become an adult, a tragedy happened that changed you, wounded you.”

  She shook her head, gazing at him with sympathy. “You are like an open wound walking around the castle giving orders. Do you think your servants dislike you?”

  The Duke of Thornwall thought about it for a moment. He remembered Anna’s defense of him, even though she thought she was about to be dismissed. Milla and Smithson and Hetty, they all smiled when they saw him. They were friendly to him.

  “I do not think they dislike me.”

  “Do you think they like you?”

  “I think they do, yes.” The Duke of Thornwall felt like a child being scolded by a parent. Because it was Ursula, he was less uncomfortable than he might have been with someone else.

  “Then you must try to understand that it is only people who do not know who you really are. They do not know your true character and what has made you be the way you are. You are too hard on yourself. You must learn to forgive yourself for transgressions just as the Lord forgives you.”

  She leaned forward, getting his attention. He blinked, listening closely to what she was saying.

  “You still hold yourself responsible for what happened at the Argyle Estate. I loved dear Sophia but you must stop this incessant hounding. You are blameless.”

  The Duke of Thornwall immediately shook his head and sat back in his chair. “I do not wish to speak of this any longer, Ursula.”

  Ursula took his abrupt demeanor seriously and closed her mouth. She continued to gaze at him, sighing heavily through her nose.

  They sat in silence for a moment with Ursula staring the Duke of Thornwall down as he kept glancing up at her. He became more and more uncomfortable until he said, “Say what you need to say, Ursula.”

  “Thank you. May I speak to you of Lady Elizabeth?”

  The Duke of Thornwall raised his eyebrows and lifted one hand. “Proceed.”

  “I have spoken with her on occasion, my lord. I am certain you are avoiding something that could be the thing you need to heal your wound. Your heart was broken, my lord, this I understand. But there is little that can help it better than the spark of new love.”

  “What makes you think Lady Elizabeth is the spark of new love?” he asked, stunned that Ursula would even approach such an idea.

  Ursula shrugged her shoulders. “She is a delightful creature, full of energy and light. I enjoy speaking with her. I think it odd that you do not see her the way she truly is. You carry such a negative opinion of her.”

  The Duke of Thornwall said nothing. He stared at the top of his desk, not really seeing anything on it.

  “I do not see her the way she truly is?” He repeated it as a question.

  Ursula nodded.

  “She is taken with you. You would fare well with a woman like her by your side.”

  “Will you promise me one thing, Your Grace?” Ursula asked, still cupping his cheeks with her hands. He nodded.

  “I want you to promise to end your mournin
g and release Sophia. You need to heal. You cannot heal as long as you hold on to her.”

  The Duke of Thornwall dropped his eyes and she released his face. She patted his head as if he was a small child.

  “I know you will make the right decision, Malcolm. I have never spoken to you about this before. Not in these terms. Have I ever asked you to let her go?”

  The Duke of Thornwall was quiet again. Did Ursula really believe Lady Elizabeth was taken with him? That was not his impression. He tapped his foot, thinking.

  Had he really been unfair to Lady Elizabeth? He had been harsh with her, that was true. But unfair?

  It seemed they were constantly miscommunicating, reacting out of an emotional place rather than a logical one.

  It seemed Lady Elizabeth was the only one who made him react that way. He was polite to everyone he met, unless they gave him a reason not to be. He had no real enemies that he knew of. He was just a gentleman duke, a man who had been through a terrible tragedy and lived reclusively in his grand castle.

  He wanted to think good thoughts about Lady Elizabeth, attempting to stay positive about her. But all he could see was her scowling face, her rebuking voice. He was skeptical that anything would come of this.

  Lady Elizabeth, he noticed, was the only one whose eyes never rested upon his scar. Her eyes stayed on his eyes or his lips but they never strayed to the scar.

  He had become accustomed to the sight of someone when they inadvertently moved their eyes to it, especially upon first meeting. Even in the heat of the moment, he did not recall Lady Elizabeth’s eyes ever moving to that scar.

  He could not remember her looking at it but one time, just after his sister pointed it out.

  Even when she was standing in front of him, bickering with him, she still never looked at it. He caught the eyes of every lady he danced with staring at it at one point or another.

  When he was around her, he felt zero pressure to cover it or to stay on her left side so she was looking at the profile of the other side of his face. He could be staring her straight in the face and he was never self-conscious of the scar.

  That was how Sophia would have been. When he thought about it, Lady Elizabeth shared a great deal of Sophia’s good traits. They were both highly intelligent. Lady Elizabeth enjoyed reading, which was one of his favorite pastimes with Sophia. Sometimes they would go in the library at her father’s estate, her companion sitting on the other side of the room, as she would read to him. Or vice versa.

  He remembered those times fondly. It seemed the more he allowed himself to think of Lady Elizabeth, the more memories of Sophia filled his mind.

  Was he truly ready to let go of Sophia?

  Was Lady Elizabeth the one who would mend his heart?

  Chapter 23

  Lady Elizabeth stared out the window, reflecting on the events of the past few days. The Duke of Thornwall had almost completely avoided her, though at mealtime, he was friendly and cordial. She did not ask him about the event that caused them such anxiety.

  At least, it had caused her anxiety.

  She could not tell what the Duke of Thornwall was thinking.

  She told Lady Agatha about the mishap in the corridor, confessing it had all been her fault.

  “I walked straight into him, Aggie,” she moaned, hiding her face in her hands. Aggie leaned forward and patted her friend on the back.

  “Now you must not worry, Lizzie. My brother has probably already forgiven you. When did this happen?”

  “Just yesterday afternoon.”

  “Yesterday was a very busy day, was it not?” Lady Agatha giggled. When Lady Elizabeth uncovered her face and looked at the young woman, she could not help but return her smile.

  “You are such a bright light in my life, Aggie. And here I am trying to help you recover and just causing trouble with my careless antics. Perhaps the Duke of Thornwall was right. I am a bad influence on you.”

  She did not say the words with a great deal of seriousness. She lifted her eyebrows, waiting for a confirmation from her friend.

  “Am I a bad influence on you, Aggie?” Lady Elizabeth sounded hurt.

  Lady Agatha laughed. “Of course not. I am a few years older than you but we both have much we can learn from each other.”

  “I am glad to hear you say that. I do not want to be a bad influence.”

  Again, Lady Agatha laughed, shaking her head.

  Lady Elizabeth remembered the incident that had happened just the day before.

  She had written her letter to her parents in the game room the day she barreled into the Duke of Thornwall. But it no longer had sincerity. She did not know if she wanted to stay.

  She did not want to be where she was not welcome. With Lady Agatha close to recovery, she felt it might be best if she did leave after all.

  “Are you ready, Lizzie?”

  Lady Agatha was at her door, smiling brightly.

  “I am.”

  Lady Elizabeth turned from the window and crossed the room. She walked beside Lady Agatha, watching for any sign that her friend might need her help. They went down the corridor together and came out into the small courtyard just outside the Duke of Thornwall’s study.

  They spread a blanket on the ground and sat on two edges, setting a basket down in between them. The only thing they took from the basket was their books.

  Lady Elizabeth opened hers to the book mark, running her finger down the page, scanning the words. She was looking for where she had stopped the last time but was having a hard time finding it. She could barely concentrate on the words. Her mind was focused elsewhere.

  Her visit to Thornwall Village had made a profound impact on her. She had found the behavior of the villagers surprising to say the least.

  Before her visit, she watched the Duke of Thornwall treat his servants with respect and his sister with the highest of honor. He valued and cherished Ursula’s opinion. With her, he was short and sometimes distant but she had seen him smile at her. She watched him when he laughed, enjoying the way his eyes scrunched together and he had a tendency to put his right hand over his heart and lean forward.

  He used a lot of phrases and words repeatedly, so much so that she found herself also using those words and phrases.

  “He is so cold,” one of the villagers, a young woman about Lady Elizabeth’s age, told her in a hushed voice. She was leaning over a small counter with baked goods lining it, all for sale. “I have heard he screams and yells at night for no reason. Is that true, my lady?”

  Lady Elizabeth lifted her eyebrows, looking around for Lady Agatha. Her friend was nowhere to be found. “I have not heard a peep from him in the dead of night,” Lady Elizabeth replied, honestly. “And I know of no one who has.”

  “It is the talk of the village, my lady,” the girl continued, looking like she was getting excited. This discomforted Lady Elizabeth, who did not want any of the villagers to slander the Duke of Thornwall’s name.

  After three more villagers told him how brash, cruel, heartless, and unfriendly the Duke of Thornwall was, she had a hard time deciphering truth from falsehood.

  Why would these villagers berate the lord of Thornwall Castle if it was not in fact true?

  It gave her a sick feeling in her stomach. She did not want to think of the Duke of Thornwall in those negative terms.

  After she saw his behavior to the little maid who had forgotten to extinguish the fire, she understood why some villagers might think of him that way.

  Undoubtedly, he had lost one or two servants in the last four years. Those servants would immediately begin to say things about the duke that might not even be true.

  She sighed aloud and her eyes flicked up to see if Lady Agatha noticed. Her friend was stretched out on her side, her ankles crossed and her head propped up by her hand. She was staring down at the book. She did not look up when Lady Elizabeth looked at her.

  Lady Elizabeth did not say anything to draw Lady Agatha’s attention. She looked back down at her own
book.

  It had been nearly fifteen minutes since the ladies sat down for their reading picnic and she had not turned even one page. This was very rare for her, as she was an avid and fast reader. It was one of the things she would make sure her children knew how to do.

  And just as her father had done, she would give her daughter the same education and allow her to learn to read at the same age as any brothers she might have.