The Runaway Duke (Regency Romance)

by Rebecca Dash

  Her eyes got bigger. “You are the fatwit?”

  “See here, Mrs…”

  “Miss Amelia,” she corrected him.

  He smiled and shook his head. There was a draft in the room as the wind picked up outside. Amelia looked down at herself and realized that she was in a nightdress. She snatched a blanket off the bed and pulled it against her.

  “And we can add being a bounder to your list of transgressions,” she shouted.

  “I did not do that.”

  “Did my clothes change themselves?”

  “The lady’s maid saw to it. I thought you would be more comfortable.”

  “I would be more comfortable at home.”

  “Well, you were in no position to tell me where that was.”

  “Whose fault is that? What were you doing riding so fast?”

  “Me?” he shouted back. “You were the one walking around in the middle of the road! In the dark, I might add.”

  “I enjoy the night air.”

  “So do I! It’s peaceful!”

  The room went silent. They both stood there, uncomfortably. Amelia caught herself stealing glances at him. He had chestnut colored hair and a strong chin. His eyes were so blue she could have been looking into shimmering pools. The man was quite dashing in his finely cut jacket, breeches, and tall boots. The perfect country gentleman, if a gentleman was the sort to run down ladies on the road. He was quite possibly the most beautiful man she had ever seen. And the most infuriating. He caught her eyes, and they stared at one another for far too long. Amelia cleared her throat.

  He smiled. “I never introduced myself. I am Lord Thoram.”

  “You will be the duke one day.”

  “That is what they tell me.”

  “My family rents farmland here. They must be worried by now.”

  “Then we should get you home.”

  ***

  Properly dressed again, Amelia went out the front door of the manor, passing by a curricle waiting at the ready. Her ankle throbbed as she walked down the pebbled driveway. Lord Thoram followed after her.

  “This is not exactly what I meant,” he said.

  “How else would I get home?”

  Thoram ran over to the curricle, took the reins from his footman, and lead the horses along.

  “This isn’t just for show,” he said. “They really do move.”

  “So do my feet. They work quite well.”

  “Why would you refuse to accept a ride from me?”

  “Because it is very forward of you to ask me into your curricle, Lord Thoram. We barely know each other.”

  “You slept a night in my home.”

  Amelia turned to face him and spoke sternly. “That is because you clubbed me over the head and dragged me there, unconscious.”

  “That is absurd! We had an accident on the road and I took care of you.”

  “For all I know, that is how you seduce all your ladies.”

  He flinched at the suggestion, then smirked. “Do you find yourself seduced, Miss Amelia?”

  Her eyes narrowed. She turned her back to him without saying a word and continued walking down the path.

  “Come now,” he said. “You may spend the rest of your life on this road. It is a very long way.”

  “Then I had better keep walking.”

  “Are you really going to behave like this?”

  “Thank you for the offer, but I am quite happy with the present state I am in. I do not need your help.”

  “Your ankle has been injured and you are limping badly. If you walk all the way home, you will only damage yourself further.”

  Amelia stopped again. The pain was getting worse with each step. The road ahead of her seemed to stretch on forever, and she was not even out of the driveway yet. She tried hard to convince herself she could make it.

  “I have been away from home all night long,” she said. “The last thing I want is to show up with a strange man. It would not be decent.”

  “What would be decent, for me to let you hobble home?”

  “We all do what we must. That is life.” She walked on, always telling herself it would be just one more step.

  The horses’ hooves still clopped on the stones behind her.

  “You will arrive with a strange man, regardless,” said Thoram. “I intend to follow you the whole way, and you are in no condition to outrun me.”

  “You would not dare!”

  “What I would not do is let you amble along like a lame deer, unescorted. Your ankle could give out completely, then you would be stuck.”

  “You are the most pig headed man I have ever met.”

  “Get used to it. We have a long walk together. And afterward, I may be so parched from it that I come in and have tea with your parents.”

  “You are not invited.”

  “Perhaps your father will invite me. We should get to know each other if he is renting land here.”

  Amelia stopped walking. She sighed. Her ankle really hurt. “Are you sure you are not a bounder?”

  “I will treat you with the respect you deserve, Miss Amelia.”

  She frowned. Her tone was uncertain. “Then why were you in my room when I woke up?”

  “Oh, that.”

  “It is an important consideration.”

  “Because someone had to be. I caused you harm, and it was my duty to make sure you would be all right. I left as the maid dressed you for bed. I returned later to sit there all night, reading a book, and waiting for you to wake up. There is nothing worse than waking up in a strange place and not knowing how you got there. I did not want you to be afraid.”

  Amelia was overwhelmed by it. Emotion choked her, but she was determined not to let it show. “On one condition. Let me out before we get to my home. I do not know what I will tell my family, but it certainly will not be the whole story.”

  “As you wish.”

  Lord Thoram took her by the arm and helped her to the curricle. She limped, even while leaning on him. As Amelia was getting ready to climb in, he held her waist and effortlessly lifted her onto the front quarter of the vehicle.

  “Oh!” she said, taken by surprise. “Thank you.”

  Thoram nodded, then went around to get in on the other side. He took a seat beside her, cracked the reins, and they were off.

  The road was well traveled and smooth, allowing the horses to trot along at a quick pace. The wind felt good tossing Amelia’s hair around. It was a pleasant ride, though Thoram could see she was anxious by the way she kept wringing her hands. He wanted to tell her to calm her nerves, that there was no reason to worry, but it was best to stay silent. Whether it was the company that was troubling her, or the explanation she would have to give her family, there was nothing he could do about it.

  By the time they were near Amelia’s home, night had fallen, dark and cruel. Lord Thoram pulled on the reins and the horses stopped. They were by the bridge. The dimly lit farmhouse was just down the path from there. She noticed a candle flickering in a far off room and thought Prudence had probably stayed up past her bed time, reading or writing letters.

  “Are you sure I cannot take you closer?” he said.

  “I have enough to explain without that.”

  Thoram helped Amelia down from the curricle, nervous to be touching her again. He guided her safely to the ground, making sure her injured ankle didn’t have too much pressure on it. They stood there, waiting for the right words to come. Water trickled past them below.

  “Thank you,” she said. “It was kind of you to bring me to my home.”

  “You fought it hard enough.”

  “I had to.”

  “I would have followed you all the way here on foot. I could not bear to let you suffer alone, especially when night would have overtaken you. What if a thief or a wild animal had crossed your path?”

  Amelia smiled. He was the duke’s first born. He could have allowed anything he wanted, but chose to spend more time with her. That was everything.
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  “I fought only for propriety’s sake,” she said.

  “Does it matter that much to you?”

  “What more do I have beyond propriety?”

  “You are an astonishing mystery, Miss Amelia.”

  She laughed. “That is the first time I have heard that, I’m sure.”

  “It does not have to be the last.”

  “What is that supposed to mean?”

  “See me again.” Passion was deep in his voice.

  “I cannot. I have a family to take care of.”

  “You snuck away last night. So sneak away for me. Or shall we do it properly? I can introduce myself.”

  “And your family would never have that.”

  “Does it matter what anyone else wants? We are here now, just the two of us, able to make any pacts we desire.”

  “Is it a pact you are after?”

  “I only want what you can give, Miss Amelia.”

  “What if I have nothing to give?”

  “Then I want more.”

  “That is the problem. Goodbye, my lord.” Amelia turned and began walking across the wooden bridge.

  “Even if it is only a moment?” he called after her. “Just one more moment, looking into your eyes?”

  She did not turn around again for fear that she might never leave. “I enjoy going to the apple orchard when I can get away. That is where I was coming from when we met.”

  Amelia kept going. Her shoes thunked on the bridge and then pushed into the soil of the road. She did not hear the curricle’s wheels pull away. He was watching her. Making sure she got home. She clutched at the fabric near her heart, wondering why her pulse beat so quickly. It would only take a few minutes to walk home.

  ***

  It was dark outside the house, but light came from the window. It could just be Prudence who was still awake, or it could be everyone, sitting around candles, wondering what happened to her. Amelia didn’t know what she should tell her family, exactly. She tried to be quiet while opening the front door, delaying the inevitable until the last possible moment. There was a sudden movement through the grass at the side of the house. She hadn’t noticed anyone there and gasped as a figure rushed toward her. Amelia’s father stepped into the light as he hugged her, pulling her close, more tightly than he ever had before. He was never an emotional man. She did not know how to respond.

  “I cannot breathe.” She forced it out.

  Mr. Grant pulled back, but still held onto her shoulders. “Let me look at you,” he said. “We all imagined the worst.”

  “I am all right, father. Really, I am.”

  “Where have you been? Are you hurt? Why are you limping?”

  Amelia blushed. “All this fuss over me. I am fine. Please do not worry so much. I was walking and tripped on an overgrown root.”

  “Where were you walking that you encountered this root? Luke and I spent the entire night looking for you. Today, we got some of the farm hands to help search the woods. Your brother is out there, even now. I only stayed behind because your mother became inconsolable.”

  “I was farther out than I usually go. Then hit my head when I fell.”

  “I see.” Mr. Grant cocked his head to the side. “And who was it that brought you home at this hour?”

  Amelia froze. How on Earth did he know she had ridden home? “What makes you think…”

  “It is very quiet in the country.”

  “This is all I have ever known.”

  “Then you shall have to take my word for it. I have been to London and greatly prefer this. But one thing you have to get used to about it being so quiet is that noise carries on the wind. On a still night, I can hear the neigh of horses and rolling carriage wheels all the way to the bridge. Perhaps farther. Sometimes, you can even catch a voice, though it is devilish hard to distinguish any words.”

  “Father…”

  “That cut on your head also looks like it has been cleaned off.”

  Amelia stared down at the ground.

  “You do not have to tell me the whole story if it will embarrass you,” he said. “Just tell me you are fine.”

  “I am better than fine. I have injured myself in the most wonderful way possible.”

  Amelia loved that her father laughed at the excitement in her voice. He had always been the type of man to place enjoyment above all other things in life.

  “Will you see him again?” he said.

  “I hope so.”

  “The young man ought to show his face here and introduce himself if there will be any more late night carriage rides.”

  “There isn’t any way this can work, though. He is too far above my station, and much different from any man I have been acquainted with. I doubt we shall ever speak again.”

  “Oh, my child, there is no reason a man born into any position in life would ever reject you. Love and marriage do not always have to be between equals. Sometimes you meet someone who you complement so well that there is no other option but to be together. You are one of the rarest, most beautiful women in all of England. We have brought you up well. You will make a fine wife for anyone who asks for your hand.”

  Amelia clutched at her dress, not wanting to cry. It was such a kind thing for her father to say, especially after everything she put her family through. Could her life turn into that? Attending balls with the duke. Carriage rides and footmen. It was a dream. Lord Thoram was a man of agreeable standing, the most handsome features, and an intricate mind. He had verbally sparred with Amelia earlier in the day, and she still hadn’t been able to recover from the conversation. It was thrilling to speak with him the way she had, even to shout with him back and forth. What a brilliant tug of war! What passion lies beneath.

  “Father, I shall retire to my room now. I have had a long day, and a longer night before that. I must also get up early to help mother with the chores.”

  “Good luck,” he whispered. “Your mother has been waiting for some time to interrogate you. I would be surprised if you get more than two steps inside the house.”

  “Oh, no.”

  Her father smiled. “Stick to your story about the vicious, magnificent root that attacked you. As far as I know, it’s the truth.”

  She leaned in and kissed him on the cheek.

  “Sweet dreams, child.”

  “You too, father.”

  And with that, he leaned back against the house and waited for the sounds of jubilation, and for the yelling that would come afterward.

  Chapter 4

  Amelia slept straight through the night, not waking, even when her younger sisters were shrieking in their beds. They always woke with the rooster and shrieked just like it did. The things she had to do around the house seemed to have doubled since her absence. Although it crossed her mind that maybe she just wasn’t as excited about doing them anymore. She looked out the window from time to time, just as Prudence was so fond of doing, and wished she could be somewhere else. As soon as the work had slowed, Amelia excused herself to go out for one of her walks, even though her mother gave her such a worried look. Mrs. Grant tried to tell her that her ankle was still too injured to walk on, but the limp was barely noticeable anymore.

  It was a beautiful day, sunny and warm. The farm was bright in the afternoon, with light shining through the golden wheat blowing in the wind. The trees were filled with singing birds. Amelia saw her father out in the field with Luke and the other farmhands. Her father looked so masterful as he told them what had to be done, directing the workers here and there. She knew little about farming, but it seemed like a very busy time. They were preparing everything for the harvest. Not wanting to interrupt their work, Amelia walked on. Perhaps she would take the same path as on her previous stroll, trying to remember what it felt like the first time she saw Lord Thoram.

  As she walked past the vegetable garden, her older sister called out to her. Prudence came over, a basket of freshly dug potatoes at her side, and a sly smile on her face.

  “Whe
re are you going?” said Prudence, her eyes flashing with curiosity.

  “I am merely enjoying the fresh air. Why are you so interested in my plans today?”

  Prudence giggled. “Because your last walk had such unusual consequences. An overgrown root that came up after you like the hand of Old Scratch himself!”

  “Do not exaggerate! I never told the story that way.”

  “But you did tell a story that sounds rather unlikely.”

  “Prudence, honestly, I do not know what you are talking about.”

  “Oh, yes you do. Are you planning on meeting anyone on your journey?”

  “Who would I be meeting in the woods?”

  “A young man that lives around here. Perhaps a farmhand, a miner, or maybe something more. I cannot decide.”

  “Stop that this instant.” Amelia used the same stern tone that had always been reserved for the twins. “You do not have the slightest clue what you are talking about. And I would think that if anyone were going to start a scandalous rumor about me, it would not be my own sister!”

  “All right, if you insist,” Prudence said in her drippy, singsong voice. “I will be good about this. There are no rumors yet. It is just me trying to put the pieces together.”

  “Leave the pieces where they are. You have enough to worry about taking those potatoes from the dirt.”

  “They are my favorite thing to garden, all covered up at first, but with a little careful digging, you retrieve your prize.”

  “Your standards are not what they should be if a potato is your idea of treasure. I will see you at home, shortly.”

  Prudence waved and smiled. “Do try not to get lost this time.”

  Amelia continued on her way to the orchard, pleased to be rid of the polite interrogation her sister was adept at. The sun was getting lower in the sky and she had no wish to keep Lord Thoram waiting long, if he showed up at all. The orchard was a ways down the path. Her steps slowed as she approached it. Her stomach was filled with butterflies and she trembled more the closer she got. If it was certain, if she knew he was there, Amelia would have run to him, even on a twisted ankle. But going there, unsure of what she might find, was a terrible thing on her nerves. The entire idea was crazy. Why would a man like that meet her, anyway?