The Runaway Duke (Regency Romance)

by Rebecca Dash

  “Then she should keep it to herself. That woman has no right to talk about me. Not at all after what she did.”

  “What she did? Amelia has always done the right thing. That is how I feel, even if I am too hard on her sometimes. It cannot be easy for you that she rejected your proposal but…”

  “This has nothing to do with my proposal,” said James. “I would never have married a girl like that, anyway. I only wanted to be in the right position to have a taste of what Lord Thoram knows so well. If she is good enough for nobility, she must have special skill in certain areas.”

  Luke’s brow furrowed. He pushed himself off the counter, stood up straight, and faced the footman.

  “What the devil are you talking about?” he said.

  “It is astonishing that you do not know. She is so adept at fine duplicity that she can keep her entire family with nary an inkling of her secret life. Several months ago, Miss Amelia spent a night at the manor, entertaining Lord Thoram. I am sure it was fine entertainment, indeed. I could never decide if she was the type to be a full Cyprian or just to play the merry Christian. Perhaps you have an opinion on it?”

  “Be careful.” Luke’s tone got deeper. “She is still my sister.”

  “Well, I am sorry to be the one to tell you, sir, but your sister is a whore.”

  The first punch was sudden and caught the footman directly on the chin, sending him back into the counter. The second connected with his cheek before he could get his hands up. James fell to the floor and stayed down. Luke stood over him.

  “Do not come to the farm again,” he shouted. “Do not speak to either of my sisters.”

  James was breathing heavily. “That will make it awfully difficult to fetch Miss Grant for our wedding.”

  “There will be no wedding. Your engagement is off.”

  The crowd at the public house enjoyed the whole show. It was the only thing of interest there to watch.

  Chapter 11

  Amelia awoke with a start. Nightmares plagued her. She couldn’t remember the dream entirely, just that she would never see Thoram again. The twins were running around downstairs. She could hear them shrieking and laughing with glee. They were probably playing some wretched game. Amelia had no strength for games or smiling faces. She closed her eyes again, not wanting to get out of bed. It was already past the time she should start making breakfast. But maybe spending a few more minutes lying there wouldn’t matter to anyone else.

  Amelia woke up again. She turned to the window. The sun was already high. It looked like it was late in the morning, or even afternoon. Why hadn’t anyone come to get her? There would be half a day’s worth of chores waiting for her now. Luke and Prudence would already be working. Amelia hoped her mother had made sure the twins, and the baby had eaten something, at least. Mrs. Grant’s spirits had improved lately, but she still needed help.

  Amelia got up and stretched. She splashed water on her face, put on a dark blue dress, and brushed her hair quickly. She descended the staircase, her long, red hair flowing behind her like a fiery mane. Happy voices came from the kitchen. Her mother was laughing. It seemed like it was a good day for her. That made Amelia smile. But if James was there too, she would walk right out the front door. There was no way she could deal with him.

  “Amelia?” Her mother’s voice floated up to meet her. “Is that you on the stairs?”

  “Yes, mother. I will be right there. You should have woken me. It must be very late by now and I am behind on…” She turned the corner into the kitchen.

  “Good morning, Miss Amelia.” Lord Thoram got up as she entered.

  He had been sitting at the table, drinking tea with her mother. Amelia froze as if she’d been stunned. Her first thought was to jump into his arms. The very next was to run back upstairs to make sure there was nothing wrong with the way she looked. When she got ready for the day, it was to do chores, not entertain nobility.

  “What… What are you doing here?” she stuttered.

  “I have come by to see you, of course.” He winked at her, clandestinely.

  She nearly fainted.

  “Lord Thoram was kind enough to stop by and return your bonnet,” said Mrs. Grant.

  Amelia’s cheeks turned red. She didn’t want to explain to her mother how he had come across her bonnet in the first place, or even worse, how they knew each other. She remained silent, hoping the situation would resolve itself.

  “Why on Earth would Lord Thoram have your bonnet at all?” Her mother’s face wrinkled with confusion.

  Amelia was at a loss for words and fiddled with the folds of her dress. It was a bad habit she always fell into whenever she was nervous. In the other room, the twins were still running around, their tiny feet echoing like horse hooves on the floor.

  “Forgive me for not explaining the entire story,” said Lord Thoram. “I was visiting the apple orchard several days ago when I saw Miss Amelia fighting with a thief in the distance.”

  “A thief? In the orchard?” Mrs. Grant’s eyes got wide. Her voice was shrill, each word a high or low. “Well, Amelia did not tell me anything about that.”

  “It was the most astonishing thing I have ever seen. She had him down on the ground, pushing the poor fellow’s face into the mud.”

  Thoram glanced at Amelia and smirked. She was beginning to wish she had run back upstairs while she had the chance.

  “I immediately ran toward them, of course. It was more for his sake than hers. She looked to be giving him the beating of his life. The man was subjected to further hardship when she tied him up like an animal. Using her bonnet, no less. If word gets out of that humiliation, he will never be able to show his face in the rookeries again.”

  Amelia’s mother gasped at the tale.

  “Sadly, he managed to wiggle out of his bonds,” Thoram continued. “He ran away as if Miss Amelia was grim Death, himself. By the time I got over to where they had been, all that was left of the encounter was this bonnet. I thought the least I could do was to track down the owner who tried so valiantly to defend my orchard.”

  “How very kind of you,” said Mrs. Grant.

  “I should have taken a moment to stop by much sooner. You have been tenants here for many years now.”

  “It has been an absolute pleasure having you.”

  Amelia could tell that her mother had taken a liking to Lord Thoram. There was something about him that was hard to resist. Maybe it was his charm or stylish outfits. Maybe that he was a very dashing man. That could never hurt anyone’s chances.

  “Amelia…”

  It took her a moment to realize she was being spoken to.

  “I was just commenting on how brave you were,” said Mrs. Grant. “Are you all right?”

  “Sorry. I must have been distracted.”

  Thoram smiled. “By anything in particular?”

  “The chores of the day, sir.”

  “Then do not let me keep you.” He turned to Mrs. Grant and bowed. “It was an honor meeting you.”

  “We must do this again sometime.”

  “I will see you out,” said Amelia.

  They walked outside together and went toward his horse. Amelia glanced back to make sure her mother wasn’t watching.

  “I thought you would be gone by now,” she said.

  “I could not let that be the last time we spoke.”

  “You were quite clear. Is there any more to say?”

  “There must be. Unless I am keeping you from your chores.”

  “It seems you are my chore for the day. So, I am grim Death?”

  “How I remember you will depend on this moment.”

  They stopped by the river where the reins of his horse were hitched to a tree branch. He stroked its head.

  “Your mother was delightful company,” said Thoram.

  “It is a good trick to make her laugh lately.”

  “Why did you not tell me of your father’s death?”

  “Would it have made a difference?”

/>   A hint of sadness came over him. “I waited a long time for you in the orchard. I thought you had moved on.”

  Amelia wanted to reach out and stroke his face. “I have not, my lord. I had no intention of hurting you. My father passed away quite suddenly. My whole family has fallen apart. We have finally gotten back to some degree of normalcy, but it is not the same. Perhaps it can never be the same again.”

  “I am sorry you had to go through that.”

  “We all must, in time.”

  Thoram wanted to wrap his arms around Amelia, hold her close to him and comfort her. With every instinct he had, he wanted it, but that would not be proper.

  “Does this mean that you are staying?” she said, hopefully.

  “I am leaving in a few hours, just before twilight.”

  “So you have come back to break my heart again?”

  “I have come back to ask you to come with me.”

  “What?”

  “Leave with me tonight.”

  Those words shook her to the core. The thing she most desperately wanted was colliding with her real life in unexpected ways. What would it be like to travel the world with him? She could not even imagine the fun they would have. But Amelia felt duty bound to stay with her family. She tried to avoid looking at Thoram. His eyes were piercing, and he always gazed at her with such ferocity.

  “I cannot go with you,” she said.

  “I thought this would make you happy.”

  “It does. It makes me so happy it is hard to contain. I want to shout it to the river, how overjoyed I am. Thank you for coming here. But my family needs me.”

  “So do I.”

  Amelia opened her mouth to speak, but the words did not come. She reached out and touched his hand. Thoram did not pull away, but held onto it as if he could not stand to be parted. Gently, he guided her palm onto his chest.

  “Now it is you who have broken my heart,” he said.

  She began to cry openly. He wiped her tears away, lingering for a moment, then got on his horse and rode off. Amelia stood there, watching until he faded in the distance.

  ***

  He stood downriver, on the other side of the bank, amid a grove of trees. Luke watched them as they spoke, standing too near one another. He saw Lord Thoram touch her and Amelia touch him back. Luke’s hand clenched into a fist. His eyes narrowed.

  Chapter 12

  The bright, afternoon sun warmed the vegetable garden. A man shoveled dirt, preparing to plant seeds. In another section, someone else watered the soil. The farmhands worked hard. Prudence stood around, smiling flirtatiously at a footman in yellow with a black jacket on.

  “My brother has forbidden me to speak to you,” she said.

  “We are speaking right now and the world has not ended.”

  “Yours might if he catches you here. It looks as if you got the worst end of that brawl.”

  James rubbed his face. There was a bruise on his cheek. “It is nothing. Luke caught me while my eyes were closed, otherwise I would have had him.”

  “Come now. Why would they be closed in the middle of a public house?”

  “Only because I was trying to better imagine your beauty.”

  “You do enjoy cutting shams.” Prudence blushed, even as she said it.

  “That hurts. How could I be anything but honest with you? We are engaged after all.”

  “We were.”

  “On the contrary, Miss Grant. I have heard all about what your brother wants. Sadly, I no longer care about his wishes. What I have never heard is whether you would still like to be engaged or not.”

  She glanced around, uneasily. “There are too many people around here. Luke will find out we are speaking. He may come.”

  “Perhaps there is a quieter place where we can go to finish the conversation. Somewhere away from prying eyes.”

  Prudence had to think for a moment. “My sister enjoys walking in the apple orchard to be alone with her thoughts.”

  “Then I am sure it will be a charming place to decide on the rest of our lives.”

  They left together. Prudence imagined she was just slipping away. But the other farmhands noticed. Their work would continue all day.

  ***

  Amelia was sweeping the kitchen floor. The twins were sitting quietly, for once, just watching her work. She hummed a gentle song to them. When Lord Thoram left, she wanted to crawl right back into her bed and never get up, but it wasn’t an option. She had a family to take care of. And it was better to do that happily. If you made yourself be happy, eventually you really would be. The children clapped along. She smiled at them. It would be time to start dinner soon. She didn’t notice the front door open. Amelia turned around with her broom, then let out a quick scream when she saw him standing there. Chills went through her. She put a hand over her heart.

  “You startled me,” she said. “It is too early for you to be home.”

  Luke was breathing heavily, chest heaving as he stared at her. He didn’t say a word. His eyes looked cold in the shadow of his hat’s brim.

  “Did something happen at the farm?”

  “It is all true, isn’t it?” His face twisted in disgust. “James told me it was, but I would not believe him.”

  “What does that horrible footman have to do with anything?”

  “When did it start?” Luke’s tone was low and unfriendly. “Was it on the night you were hurt in the woods? The time that I searched for you until morning and then all the next day too? Or has it been going on longer than that?”

  She stepped back, instinctively. “When did what start? What are you talking about?”

  “Were you even hurt in the woods or is everything a lie?”

  “I did have an accident. You know that.”

  “I know only of your lies!” He raised his voice. “Going on long walks in the night. Doing as you please. And now bringing your indiscretions right to the front door. Shaming our entire family.”

  “I did not do anything.”

  Luke closed the gap between them in a few, determined steps. She raised the broom in front of her, trying to push him away. He took hold of it and they struggled until he ripped it from her grasp and tossed it across the room, clacking on the floor. The twins screamed loudly. He grabbed her shoulders, shaking her.

  “When did you become Lord Thoram’s moll?” he yelled.

  “You are insane!” she shouted back. “Let go of me!”

  They struggled against each other. Mrs. Grant ran in from the parlor with the baby in her arms. She yelled at them both to stop. Amelia hardly heard it. Luke took hold of her arm and started pulling her toward the door.

  “You get out,” he said. “You get out now.”

  Amelia fought back, digging her heels into the floor, reaching for anything to grab onto, but he was too strong. She saw the faces of the twins as they screamed. She saw her mother try to stretch her hand out for her while holding onto the baby. Luke pulled her away from everything and right out the door, then shoved her off.

  “Where do you want me to go?” said Amelia.

  “Go ask your rake for shelter. Or go to the woods. Go to the devil, for all I care. But do not come back here.”

  “Luke!”

  He went inside and slammed the door behind him. Amelia turned from the house and ran. She wanted to get as far away from everything as she could.

  ***

  Lord Thoram took a long look at his home, stately with its gray stone and large windows. It could be a lifetime before he saw it again. He had told no one of his plan to leave. He would send a letter back at his first stop. That was the best way for him. No tearful goodbyes. He had his fill of them. Thoram got on his horse and rode off.

  ***

  Amelia ran for as long as she could keep going, then only stopped for a moment before she walked. Her legs were tired, but it didn’t matter. She had no definite idea of where to go. That didn’t matter either. It was the most important thing to just keep moving. It was harder to thi
nk about tragedy if she did.

  The woods gave way to a field and then back to woods again. She walked, trance like, through it all. When she bothered to notice where she was, Amelia realized that the farmhouse and the river were miles behind her. She would pass the vegetable garden soon. If she turned there, she would come to the orchard. Amelia liked being there. It would be okay to spend the night if she really had to. Underneath all those stars, with the scent of apples in the air, how could anything be wrong?

  ***

  Something was very wrong at the orchard. Prudence was backed up against an apple tree, using all her strength to push the footman away.

  “You do not have to fight,” said James.

  “I have to if I do not want your advances.”

  “But we are still engaged. What harm could it do to give me a big kiss?”

  “It does harm to my own sensibilities, sir.”

  He grabbed hold of her wrists as she pushed him.

  ***

  Lord Thoram was on horseback, galloping down a dirt road with woods on either side of it. The bend was in front of him where he first met Amelia. He kept his speed up as he went around it, just like before. There were no further incidents, so he continued riding, and thinking of her. He hadn’t been until that moment. There was no sense in it. Amelia was part of the life he was leaving behind. But every enchanting expression she made flashed through his mind. Every witty conversation. And that kiss.

  He looked ahead of him, a long, straight road that he could not see the end of. That was where he most desperately wanted to be, in the distance. His horse galloped fast. It would not take much time to leave everything, to get so far away he would be somebody new. But he pulled on the reins and it stopped. Lord Thoram looked back. “Fiend seize it,” he muttered as he prodded the horse onward again, turning into the woods, and riding for the orchard.

  ***

  Amelia could not believe what she was seeing in the apple orchard. James puckered up, holding her sister by the wrists, trying to shove his face into hers. Prudence pushed against his weight as she turned her lips away. Amelia grabbed apples off the ground. They were firm and fit well in her hand. She threw the first one as hard as she could. Her aim was perfect, hitting him right on the side of the head. James put a hand up to his temple as he turned toward the source of the blow. His eyes got wide as saucers when he saw another apple flying at him. He screamed as it hit him square on the nose, then stumbled backward before dropping straight down.