Regency Romance: Duke’s Forbidden Love (The Fairbanks Series - Love & Hearts) (Historical Romance Fiction)

by Jessie Bennett

  Lady Eppers smiled. “It looks as though someone has captured your heart, though.”

  Bryan raised his eyebrows. “Is it that apparent?”

  “Yes, my lord. It is.”

  Bryan snorted humorously. He didn’t know whether he minded if it showed or not.

  “Who is she, might I ask?”

  Bryan looked through the crowd quickly. There was no one he recognized that might overhear his conversation and start a rumor. He was afraid that his interest would damage the lady’s reputation. It was doubtful that this young woman knew Lady Anna so he felt comfortable telling her.

  “Lady Anna Maddy.”

  As expected, the name brought no spark of recognition from Lady Eppers. “I do not know her.” She said, confirming his thought.

  He nodded.

  “Did you meet at a ball?”

  “Yes.”

  If Lady Eppers was expecting more, she did not get her wish. Bryan lifted his hand and brought the server to the table, instructing him to retrieve more wine and bread and to bring a basket of various fruits to the table. Once the server moved off, he smiled at Victoria and Matthew when they returned to the table.

  “I ordered more wine and food for us, cousin. Did you enjoy the dance?”

  “I could not have asked for a better partner, I must say.” Matthew bowed to her as Victoria sat. She was blushing and smiling at him.

  “Thank you, my lord. It was a wonderful dance.”

  Matthew took his seat, looking at Bryan. “That is precisely why I patronize this pub. They have a floor that is made for dancing. Most of the pubs in this area do not have such a thing.”

  “I like it too.” Victoria nodded.

  “This is the first time we’ve been here, Lady Trundle.” Lady Eppers remarked.

  “I still like it.” Victoria replied.

  Bryan realized that was the first time he’d heard Lady Eppers first name. He scanned her face and the lace at the top of her dress, as it rested softly against her skin. She was wearing a strand of large pearls around her neck that drew his attention. She looked classy and elegant. Her name suited her.

  Matthew nudged him with his elbow. “Don’t look now but someone is walking toward us.”

  Defying Matthew’s instruction, Bryan did look. Duke Doughtery had come in the pub and was heading toward their table with a glass in one hand and a sour look on his face. He stopped at the edge of the table and bowed to the ladies.

  “Greetings, ladies. Gentlemen. How are you all faring today?”

  “As well as can be expected, Your Grace.” Matthew responded hurriedly. His eyes were narrow and his lips pursed. The look on his face dared Ben to say something he didn’t like. Bryan hid a grin, nodding at Ben, and looking behind him as if there was something extremely interesting.

  Ben held out one hand to Lady Eppers. “How lovely you look this evening, my lady. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Duke Benjamin Doughtery of Windingmire.”

  Lady Eppers gave him her hand and he kissed the top of it. “It is good to meet you, Duke Doughtery. I am Lady Barbara Eppers and this is my traveling companion, Lady Victoria Trundle. We are traveling through Fairbanks on a trip around Europe. This is beautiful country. Do you own an estate here?”

  “Yes, my lady, I certainly do. I was curious to know who you are? I saw you sitting with my friends here and did not recognize you. Have you been traveling long?”

  “It has been six months, we have been seeing the sights. Everything in Fairbanks is lovely. We have also been to Paris and Rome. We are planning to see many more beautiful sights.”

  “And where will be your destination?”

  “We are from London. That is where our home is. We will return there, I am sure.”

  Victoria was nodding. “I am quite anxious to get home, to be quite honest with you, my lord. I am growing weary of the traveling.”

  Barbara nodded. “Yes, we will probably take a vacation from our vacation.”

  “Traveling can be quite burdensome on the body after a time.” Duke Doughtery agreed. He looked as though he were about to sit down.

  Bryan stood up and bowed to the women. “It has been wonderful meeting the two of you, as well as getting to know you. I must take my leave, as I have business that will not wait.”

  “It was good to see you, cousin.”

  “And you, as well.”

  The two of them nodded to each other. When he looked back at the women, Barbara was smiling. “I do hope we get to speak again before we leave, Your Grace.”

  “Thank you, Lady Eppers. I am of like mind.”

  “Best of luck with your Lady Anna.”

  Bryan grinned wide and let his eyes drop to see Duke Doughtery’s reaction to her words. He almost could not contain himself from laughing as he saw Ben’s jaw clench and a look of anger cross his face momentarily. He cast a quick narrow glance in Bryan’s direction but refused to let the women see. Matthew, true to form, burst out laughing.

  CHAPTER NINE

  VISITING THE DUPREY ESTATE

  VISITING THE DUPREY ESTATE

  “We have checked the inventory several times, my lord,” the young employee looked nervous. He was holding a handful of papers that he was scanning repeatedly, hoping to find what he was looking for. “We just can’t find it. It seems it may have been sold without leaving behind any paperwork.”

  “That doesn’t sound right,” Bryan shook his head. “Purchases are not made without paperwork. Does it seem to you that they might have been stolen?”

  “If it was simply a matter of one, I would say that is a possibility, however unlikely. But three? Three desks of large proportions made of heavy solid wood? I find it to be more unlikely that they were stolen.”

  Informing Bryan of the initial bad news, the employee seemed to relax a little. He looked grateful that Bryan hadn’t lost his temper. The desks were each worth over a thousand pounds. He knew that Bryan was looking at a substantial loss, if the desks were not found. He held the papers out to Bryan.

  “Perhaps you can find them, my lord. I was not able to.”

  Bryan flipped through the papers, running his eyes over the lists of products and prices. He found where the three desks had been circled to show that they had been ordered by his company. “Who approved the initial purchase?”

  “Lord Frank Duprey.”

  Bryan looked up sharply, narrowing his eyes at the young man. “Are you sure, Gerald?”

  “Yes, my lord.”

  Bryan nodded, flipping the papers back to normal. “I want to talk to him about it. He may know where the ship is located. Or if it even arrived? As well as a way, we can either retrieve the money for the desks or the desks themselves.”

  “Yes, my lord.” Gerald nodded. He held out one hand for the papers, but Bryan shook his head.

  “I’ll keep these with me. I may need to reference them when I speak with Lord Duprey.”

  “Is there anything else I can do to help with the situation, my lord?”

  “No, Sir Douglass. Thank you for bringing this to my attention.” Inwardly, Bryan was smiling wide, though he kept a professional, business-like look on his face. In all the years, he had been working for his father’s company, and after taking it over at the age of 18. He had never once had an opportunity to go to Lord Duprey’s house. Now that he was falling in love with the banker’s daughter, he had suddenly been given a solid chance of seeing her and a good reason to be there.

  He watched Gerald walk away, his mind elsewhere. He pictured himself being greeted at the door of the Duprey estate, walking into the front foyer, seeing her in all her beautiful glory. As she would walk toward him with that gorgeous smile of hers; brightening up the room and his soul. Perhaps she would invite him to dinner.

  He smiled.

  He was surprised by how hard his heart was beating as he approached the Duprey estate on horseback. He stopped at the edge of a tall hill and looked down at the large house. The land around it was well-taken care of, w
ith a large fountain, tall trimmed trees and shrubs, a flower garden, two barns and a stable. He could see two buggies parked in front of the entrance to the house. He wondered if they had other visitors.

  He hoped one of them was not the deplorable Duke Doughtery. He was beginning to reach his fill of the man. There was something about him Bryan didn’t like. Something beside the arrogance, the delusion of grandeur he carried with him wherever he went. If he was not like that all the time, Bryan wouldn’t have known.

  He stopped his horse and dismounted, handing the reins to the attendant that was standing there.

  “You look frozen, my good man.” Bryan said as he handed over the reins. The attendant was an older man with gray hair and a tall thin body.

  “Yes, my lord, I do not often stand outside in weather this cold.”

  Bryan raised his eyebrows. “Did you have an indication I would be coming?”

  “I saw you approaching as I looked through a window, my lord, and came out to attend to your horse.”

  “Well, thank you.” Bryan nodded. “Please get back into the warmth of the fires inside as soon as you can. I would not like for you to get sick because you helped me with my horse.”

  “Thank you, my lord. Please do let me know when you are ready to depart and I will retrieve your horse.” The man nodded back and moved around him to lead his horse to the stable.

  Bryan looked up at the tall double doors that led into Anna’s home. He pulled in a deep breath. He hoped she was here. He wanted to see her.

  Once he was at the door, he reached up and knocked with the doorknocker four times. The sound reverberated through the house. He looked up at the ceiling of the porch roof and moved his eyes around the long deck, scanning the pieces of furniture placed here and there. He recognized a few of them and was filled with pride. Lord Duprey was loyal to the company as an employee and as a customer. He wished that he knew how to get the man’s blessing on a union between himself and Anna.

  As he waited for the door to be opened, he lifted one hand and scratched the three-day-old beard on his chin. A strong breeze was picking up and he felt a chill run through him. He was about to knock again when the door opened and the Duprey man-servant stood back so that he could enter. He did so swiftly but did not immediately take his gloves, scarf and hat off. He almost felt chilled to the bone.

  “Duke Bryan Watson to see Lord Duprey please.” He said.

  The man-servant, whose name was David, nodded at him. “Please follow me, my lord.”

  Bryan kept up with the long-legged servant, taking strides that kept him directly behind the man. They stopped together at the study door. David opened it and went in first.

  “Duke Bryan Watson.” David announced him.

  Bryan moved past him, immediately noticing the warmth in the room. He was now comfortable removing his hat, scarf and gloves and walked directly to the roaring fire in the stone fireplace to do so. David followed him to the fireplace and took the outer clothing when Bryan took them off.

  “Lord Duprey.” He said, nodding at the man behind the desk, who had stood up when Bryan entered.

  “Duke Watson. It is good to see you, my lord. What has brought you to my home today?”

  “I must bring these to your attention. There are several purchased desks that have not been recorded in the log as among our inventory, though they were purchased as shown by the purchase order and invoice. Do you know anything about this?”

  He handed the papers to the man and watched him scan them. He nodded and shook his head alternatively.

  “I see what you are questioning. I do remember approving the purchase of the desks. Please allow me some time to do some research and see what has happened.”

  “Of course, my lord. Please take your time.” He wanted to ask where Lady Anna was but hesitated. He didn’t want to overstep his bounds. He pictured himself asking the older man for his blessing should he and Anna begin courting. He was nervous, knowing that Lord Duprey wanted his daughter to marry Duke Doughtery, someone who was not only closer to her age but older and a part of the banking industry, handling investments and returns. Lord Duprey and Duke Doughtery could make a great deal of money by intertwining their families and creating a new company.

  He clenched his jaw and looked out the nearby window so that Lord Duprey would not see a sour look on his face.

  While still looking down at the papers, Lord Duprey said, “My daughter and her son are in the great room, if you care to join them for tea and biscuits.”

  “I would not want to impose, my lord.”

  Lord Duprey looked up at him in surprise. “It is never an imposition when friends and family come calling, Your Grace. Please go and enjoy some of our cook’s fine biscuits.”

  Bryan felt his anxious desire rise again. He wanted to see her. He was given the opportunity to see her just as he had hoped. He took a few steps backwards, bowed and turned to the door. He left without saying another word to her father. He hurried down the hallway, glancing to his left and to his right. He realized he had no idea where the great room was or where any room was for that matter. He smiled and breathed a sigh of relief when a young maid came around a corner and stopped abruptly staring at him. Her cheeks flushed immediately and she dropped her eyes.

  “Young lady, please direct me to the great room.” He said, using a gentle voice. He felt more imposing than he probably was and did not want to frighten her. Instead of responding, the young girl lifted one hand and pointed to a set of double doors near them.

  “Thank you, young lady.”

  The young woman did not look up at him. “Yes, my lord.” She scurried around him to continue doing what she was doing. He watched her leave, wondering what it would be like to just open the door and go into a room unannounced. What would Lady Anna think of him?

  He threw caution to the wind and opened the door. He took a few steps into the room, his eyes immediately landing on the beautiful face of Lady Anna. She was seated in front of yet another roaring fire, which Bryan appreciated. He stood stock still for a moment, wondering if she was going to look up.

  She was holding a book on her lap, reading with intensity. He was amazed by how focused she was. He moved his eyes over her, thinking how pretty she looked. Her red hair was in two braids, pulled back to circle her head and meet in the back, tied together with a ribbon. She was wearing a long, comfortable looking dress. She had pulled her legs up on the chair next to her and was leaning against the arm rest.

  He sighed quietly, hoping it would get her attention. When she looked up at him, her smile was instant. She didn’t look surprised or upset that he had let himself in the room. She looked delighted.

  “Duke Watson.” She said, closing her book with one finger keeping her place. “How wonderful to see you.”

  CHAPTER TEN

  A CONVERSATION

  A CONVERSATION

  Bryan bowed at the waist, hoping his excitement at seeing her and having the opportunity to speak to her was not too apparent.

  “It is wonderful to see you, as well, my lady. I had some business to speak about with your father. He suggested that I come say hello, whilst he is looking over some paperwork for me. How has your day been?”

  Anna stood up. As soon as she looked up and saw the Duke, her heart felt nearly ready to explode. She knew she had to be blushing and was grateful that the lamp was behind her. She held out a hand toward the long couch she had been sitting on. “Please sit, my lord. Let us chat for a while.”

  “I would like that very much, thank you.” Bryan moved quickly to sit on the couch. He waited until she had reseated herself before he lowered himself onto the cushion. He looked around the room. “This is a lovely room. I would think you spend a great deal of time in here, do you not?”

  “I do, yes.” Anna looked around, too, even though she saw the same things each day. Bryan smiled, thinking that she looked like she was seeing it all for the first time, letting her beautiful green eyes settle on several things a
s memories moved through her mind. “There are many things in here from my father’s travels. He often brought back artifacts, whether they were worth money or not made no difference to him.”

  “I didn’t know your father did extensive traveling.”

  “As a youth, he did. And in the early years of his marriage to my mother, they both traveled.”

  “That sounds fascinating. Were you able to go on any trips with them?”

  Anna nodded. She picked up a piece of ribbon from the desk next to the couch and slid it into her book, closing it for the last time and setting it to the side. “Yes, as a child I was able to travel with them until I was of school age. Even then, my mother would take me along when school was not in session.”

  “Why did your family stop traveling?”

  Anna pressed her lips together. “My mother died.”

  “Oh, I apologize for being intrusive.”

  “Please do not apologize. There was no way for you to know of this. It was a tragedy and my father never forgave himself for it.”

  “Your father harbored feelings of guilt? Surely it wasn’t his fault.”

  Anna shook her head. “It wasn’t his fault, but he certainly felt guilty. He was the one who loved to travel, having continued the habit well into adulthood. Mother simply went on the trips so that she could be with him wherever he went. She caught an illness from the drinking water in Austria and passed away.”

  “Oh, I am sorry for your loss. How old were you at the time?”

  “I was fourteen.”

  Bryan shook his head. “Truly a tragedy. My heart is with you.”

  “This was many years ago, Duke Watson. I am comfortable with the situation. Had she died yesterday, your sentiments would be merited. As it stands, my mother has been lucky enough to be residing in heaven for over twenty years. I am very happy for her at this point.”

  “We should all be so lucky.”

  Anna laughed. “Eventually, we will be. As soon as we are born we begin to die, am I, not right?”