by Fanny Finch
They had reached the front entrance of the building.
The Duke of Thornwall pulled the door open for them and they went in. First Lady Agatha stepped into the stables, followed by Lady Elizabeth and the Duke of Thornwall brought up the rear, closing the door behind him.
They could see Andrew at the stall almost to the end on the left. He was trying to coax Barbarian, “Bar” for short, to get in his cell.
The Duke of Thornwall watched for a moment before saying, “What is wrong with him today, Andrew?”
“I know this not, my lord,” Andrew called back to him. “Perhaps he does not like the new arrivals. They do not seem to be getting along well.”
“Ah, the mind of an animal,” the Duke of Thornwall said, gazing at the tall creature with admiration. “They will decide what they will do and do not want to do and there is not a thing we can do about it.”
The ladies laughed, softly, agreeing with him.
They walked down the middle aisle toward the unruly horse and the anxious servant.
“Whoa, whooooaaa,” the Duke of Thornwall said as he approached the animal. They stayed at a distance, since they were behind the horse and did not approach it directly from behind.
The girls went to the right and the Duke of Thornwall went to the left, heading for Andrew, who was holding the reins tightly and making soothing sounds at the horse.
Lady Elizabeth watched as the Duke of Thornwall calmed the horse, eventually getting it to put its head down so he could pet it on the nose. The Duke of Thornwall’s deep voice was smooth. Lady Elizabeth had to admit, if he was trying to calm her down, it would not take long with a voice like his.
She could not help smiling.
The Duke of Thornwall got the horse completely calm and led it into the stall. Andrew stepped back, watching with admiring eyes.
Lady Elizabeth could not take her eyes away from him. He reached up and touched the horse on the nose, gently pulling it down so he could place his own small nose against the tip of the horse’s enormous one.
Her heart flipped over and melted all at once.
Chapter 27
“Have you checked yourself for injuries, Andrew?” The Duke of Thornwall said as he stepped out of the stall and closed the gate behind him. He latched it before turning to look at the young groomsman.
“I appear to be free of injuries, my lord,” Andrew replied. “Other than some scrapes and bruises. I thank you for saving my life. I cannot imagine what would have happened if you had not stepped in. I might be dead right now.”
“We will not think such gruesome thoughts,” the Duke of Thornwall said, slapping a hand on Andrew’s shoulder twice before giving it a squeeze. “You did a good job. The horse is just a little wild and unpredictable. Do not let it keep you from doing your job to the best of your ability.”
“Thank you, my lord. I will never be able to repay you for your bravery today.”
The Duke of Thornwall nodded. “You are welcome, Adrew. I am glad I was there to help. If you discover you have any injuries that need tending to, come to the study and I will see that you are taken care of promptly.”
“Thank you, my lord,” Andrew bowed at the waist.
The Duke of Thornwall settled his eyes on Lady Agatha on the other side of the middle aisle. The ladies were watching him. He thought the look on Lady Elizabeth’s face was a bit odd. He saw no resentment or anger. It was more awestruck than anything else.
His sister saw them staring at each other and gently jostled Lady Elizabeth’s arm with her elbow.
“You are staring at my brother,” she hissed in a sing-song tone. Lady Elizabeth blinked rapidly and moved her eyes to the side hastily, her cheeks flushing.
The whole thing sent Lady Agatha into a fit of giggles. She made for the door, covering her mouth with her hand but unable to keep her shoulders from shaking violently from the excessive giggling.
Lady Elizabeth followed her with the Duke of Thornwall close on her heels. By the time the three of them got to the door, Lady Agatha was leaning with one hand against it, coughing softly and choking in her laughter.
“Aggie,” Lady Elizabeth said. “Are you all right?”
Lady Agatha looked at them both with a smile. “Yes. It was like watching my dream coming true.”
“What do you mean?” The Duke of Thornwall looked at them both with confused eyes.
The ladies looked at each other and could not help blushing.
“I think your gender prevents you from understanding, Malcolm,” Lady Agatha teased. “Come, let us all share a nice early meal on the veranda. It is a nice day and I must relax after such an incident!”
Lady Agatha did not look like she was ready for relaxation. The Duke of Thornwall did not know what has caused such merriment but his sister was looking happier and more energetic than ever.
She gathered her skirts in one hand and ran up toward the entrance to the castle to fetch some refreshments.
Lady Elizabeth and the Duke of Thornwall looked at each other, sharing a pleased look.
She said nothing to him as she jogged behind Lady Agatha to catch up with her and the Duke of Thornwall walked quickly but brought up the rear, watching the woman in front of him. It was because of her that his sister had recovered so quickly.
He realized now that if Lady Agatha had stayed in bed for much longer, she might have withered away. Lady Elizabeth’s voice went through his head, something she had said during a meal. She had told Lady Agatha that she was like a pretty flower. If it did not get sunshine and fresh air, it would wilt away to nothing.
That was what being bedridden had almost done to Lady Agatha.
But the arrival of Lady Elizabeth had changed all that.
His sister would soon be as healthy as she ever was and he would not need to worry.
The thought made him smile. He was likely to worry about Lady Agatha anyway. But at least he would know she was healthy and happy.
He was being forced to reconsider his opinions. Lady Elizabeth was not looking at him with the anger she displayed so clearly before. The looks she was giving him were warm and shy, something he had not seen on her face before.
By the time he got to the entrance to the castle, the ladies were standing waiting for him. He stepped up to the doors and leaned to give Lady Agatha a kiss on the cheek.
“I will meet you on the veranda in a little while, Agatha. I must change from these soiled clothes.”
“Of course, Malcolm, you take your time. We will wait for you.”
“Please enjoy some refreshments while you wait.” He looked at Lady Elizabeth and bowed his head to her. “Lady Elizabeth.”
She bowed her head to him and dropped into a small curtsy. “Your Grace.”
He passed them and went to the stairs that led to his chambers. His body was aching. He did not know if he had the energy for more socializing. He wanted to rest.
He had hit the ground hard and inhaled dust when he did. One side of his body felt like a huge bruise. He had landed on several small rocks, which had sliced into his skin in several places.
Not to mention his head bounced off the ground on the initial impact.
The Duke of Thornwall was fairly certain he had used every muscle in his body when he jumped on the back of the wagon. He was young and strong but he rarely had the need to exert such a high amount of energy in a short period of time.
His heart was still pounding as excitement raced through him. He reached the level where his chambers were feeling like he might pass out. He stepped out onto the stone walkway and got to his door as fast as he could.
Once inside, he walked to the chair by the bed and dropped himself in it, wincing when a sharp pain traveled up his spine.
“I am much too young to feel such pain,” he murmured. He closed his eyes and steadied his breathing.
It took a few minutes for him to relax his tense muscles. He stretched them out but it only seemed to make the aching worse. He stood up when he got his balan
ce back and walked to the bed, where he laid out, falling backwards on it.
He threw his arms up over his head and pulled in a deep breath. He let the breath out slowly, keeping his eyes closed.
He did not do what he did to impress Lady Elizabeth. He was the kind of man who would put the safety of others before his own. He had always been that way.
If he had a chance, he would have gone back and saved Sophia from the fire that took her life. He was not only guilty because he could not save her but also because he felt responsible for helping to start the fire.
The only person alive he had been able to relate the entire story to was the Duke of Argyle, who shared the love he had for Sophia. He was a devoted father. He would have given anything on earth to save his daughter from her fate.
He had forgiven the Duke of Thornwall for being unable to save his daughter but knowing that did not alleviate the Duke of Thornwall’s feeling of guilt.
What he had done that day was merely instinct. His instinct told him to save people. And he had saved some in the Argyle fire. He had saved others.
He just did not save Sophia.
He shuddered. He moved his mind to the lovely Lady Elizabeth. She watched what happened and he could tell by the look on her face how impressed she was.
He could not help smiling, picturing her in his mind. Her narrow eyes gazed at him with a look that made him want to profess his growing feelings for her then and there. She was mesmerizing. She would make him weak, he knew it.
But would being mesmerized by another woman serve him well? It could end in disaster for her. Did he want to hurt another good woman?
Was he cursed to hurt the women he loved?
The Duke of Thornwall realized he had worked himself into a frenzy, which annoyed him.
He shook his head to shake off the memories, pressing the palms of his hands into his eyes.
It was time to get dressed and meet the ladies.
Chapter 28
The Duke of Thornwall ignored the pain in his body and joined the ladies for a brief luncheon on the veranda.
He excused himself early, stating he had work to do, and went to his study. He left behind two very confused but happy women, who resumed chatting quickly after he left.
He went down the corridor and glanced at the open courtyard on the other side from his office door. The bench was empty.
He wondered where Ursula was.
The Duke of Thornwall pushed the door open and stopped just inside, smiling. Ursula was sitting in one of the chairs, an open book on her lap, her eyes focused on the words.
She looked up at him when he came in.
Her smile was instant. “There you are, Your Grace. I have been waiting here for you.”
She scanned his face. “Oh my, you look very tired. Are you all right?”
“You have met the groomsman, Andrew? Young man, only a few years younger than me.” He said, crossing the room and sitting behind the desk. He knew she saw him cringing and slowly lowering himself into the chair.
Ursula nodded. “I know of whom you speak.”
“He was having trouble with a horse. I had to knock him out of the way. We both fell in the dirt.”
Ursula’s face grew more and more shocked as the Duke of Thornwall relayed the rest of the story. She stood up and put her hand out over the desktop, caressing his cheek.
“You poor boy. Are you sure you are all right? You are only bruised?”
“I have some scratches I will keep an eye on. I do not want to lose a limb to infection.”
Ursula shuddered visibly. “How horrible that would be. I must fetch you some tea. Would you like a cup?”
“You need not even ask. Yes, I would love one.”
The Duke of Thornwall sat back in his chair, stretching his long legs out in front of him. He watched Ursula move slowly to a tray by the door. She poured two cups of tea, spilling just a little when her hand shook as she set the teapot back down.
The Duke of Thornwall had seen Ursula shake like that before. She was not as strong as she thought she was or wanted to be. When he had offered to help her in the past, she snapped at him. She was not too old to take care of the people she loved, she would say.
So eventually, the Duke of Thornwall had ceased even mentioning it and only offered to help when it was reasonably needed for the situation.
She brought the cup to him and set it down on the desk in front of him. She sat back in the seat and took a sip of tea from the cup.
“May I ask you a question, Ursula?” The Duke of Thornwall asked, knowing she would say yes. She nodded at him.
“Do you think… do you think I could have done anything else… to…” His voice cracked and he could not continue.
Ursula set her cup on the small round table next to the chair and leaned forward. “Malcolm! It has been four years and what if I did this or what if I did that is just a way of prolonging your mourning. How long will you run from healing? You dwell in this for too long and it will swallow you whole. This I promise you.”
The Duke of Thornwall covered his face with his hands, looking at her through his spread fingers. “You have been telling me this for years. I have never listened.”
“Are you ready to listen? You have a woman unlike any other. You feel different when you are with her, do you not?”
The Duke of Thornwall thought about all the reasons he wanted to end his mourning for his dear Sophia and explore a future with Lady Elizabeth.
“What do you think Sophia would want for you, Malcolm?” Ursula gave him a direct look. “Do you really think she would want you living the rest of your life pining for her when she is gone and will not come back?”
“But it has never felt right. Pursuing another woman has never felt right until…”
“Until Lady Elizabeth entered the picture?”
The Duke of Thornwall had to admit it was not until he felt that strange pull of attraction that he had not felt in many years that he realized it was time to move on.
“I feel as though I am betraying her memory. I feel like I am betraying her. I cannot stop that feeling. Every time I get close to being ready to let go, her face comes to my mind. I see her smiling at me. I feel that warmth I felt when she was nearby.”
The Duke of Thornwall’s voice cracked with emotion. He cleared his throat, coughed into his closed fist and continued, “I know she will not come back. I just cannot get rid of the feeling that I did not do enough. I could have saved her life. I am sure of it.”
“You keep telling yourself that and you will never realize the truth,” Ursula said the words in a firm tone, as if she was scolding him. She shook her finger in his direction. He lowered his hands and stared at her.
“You need to listen to the truth, young man. You are twenty and six, old enough to know that you cannot control anything that happens in this life. The deaths of your mother and father speak to this, as well.”
She shook her head. “I must say for such a bright young man, you can be dense at times.”
The Duke of Thornwall scrunched his nose at her. “I am sorry if I do not think like an old woman about to enter the gates of Heaven,” he said, gently sarcastic. “You must be almost a hundred by now.”
Ursula laughed. “My age means nothing and I will gladly walk into the gates of Heaven when I am called. But for now I am here on earth and you are an important part of my life. I have always thought one must let others work out their own discoveries and in time they will understand why they went through life the way they did.”
She sat forward a little more. “With you, I feel I have to force you to understand.”
“I do not know if I am being insulted or not.”
Ursula sat back a little, straightening her back. “I am not insulting you. I am simply wondering why you do not let Sophia go. She would not want this for you. She would want you to be happy in your life, to love again, and to have children and carry on your father’s name.”
“I believe that is
true,” the Duke of Thornwall said, mournfully. “It is just hard for me. I have been mourning her for so long. I am afraid to let go of this feeling. What if Lady Elizabeth is not the woman I am meant to be with? I could be making a mistake that will mean a life of misery for me.”
“You must give it a chance. You must give someone new a chance to love you the way Sophia did. She loved you, my son. You must never forget that. But it is because she loved you that she would not want you to remain in mourning for her, neglecting your duties to your family name. Not to mention your personal needs and desires.”
