To Find a Duchess

by Lisa M. Prysock

  “Mama has cousins we're visiting about half an hour from here,” she said, straining to be sweet.

  “How convenient,” he remarked dryly. He gathered his tools and climbed down the ladder, reluctantly. He gave in only because he suddenly remembered he should really try to move the conversation along and send her on her merry little way. There'd be a great deal of explaining to do if Alexandra happened upon them.

  Though her gloved hand was stretched toward him, he didn't offer her a hand once he was on the ground and remained firmly planted a few feet away at a comfortable distance. It was best for all if she stayed in the curricle and turned around. He stood back a few feet, guarded. “What do you want Catherine?”

  When he wouldn't help her down, she rose in an attempt to help herself down. “Why Hartford! That's no way to greet someone you're practically engaged to!” The horse stomped again and the curricle creaked. The horse took two steps forward, the curricle lurched, and before he could catch her she tumbled down backwards onto the ground, a heap of skirts. She cried out as she fell and managed to land on her rear, the bustle of her dress cushioning some of the blow, but her right ankle remained caught and twisted on the curricle. By the time he reached her side, she was completely in a huff. The horse turned as if to look at her and as if to laugh, neighed.

  He spotted the lace from her shoe had caught on a loose bolt in the curricle and freed her ankle at once. She groaned as he helped her resume a standing position, this time on solid ground. She was smoothing out the wrinkles and dust from her blue dress, trying to free her lace shawl from the curricle and muttering all at the same time. As she pulled her bonnet back in place she glared at the horse and stammered, “That horse doesn't like me at all!”

  He could only imagine why but refrained from sharing his thoughts. She was in so much disarray and now hobbling about as she tried to put her full weight on her ankle. “You've probably twisted it badly. Nothing a few days of rest won't cure.”

  “Ow! Oh dear! Ouch!” She said, hobbling forward three times. She finally stopped and said, “I suppose you're right... oh this is simply dreadful! I won't be able to do anything for days! Maybe weeks!” She said, losing her balance and grasping his arm before she toppled over again. She winced in pain and tears brimmed in her eyes. “It feels broken...”

  “It's not broken,” he said. “But you're going to be black and blue for at least a week.”

  “This is your entire fault Hartford!” she complained, “If you'd just have helped me down! That horse isn't used to me yet. I'm just a guest and borrowed him from our cousins.”

  She was right. He'd been a perfect cad about the whole thing. “I am sorry,” he offered, hanging his head in guilt. She continued to try to put weight on her ankle, wincing with every step and pulling him along with her in an effort to walk. He guessed she was luring him into the house and he didn't want to be alone with her, especially indoors. “Why don't we sit here on the porch and talk for a few minutes and then you can be on your way. I'll help you back in your curricle. I've got a lot of work to do today. I don't have much time...”

  “Where are the servants? Don't tell me you are trying to run this farm alone?” She inquired as they hobbled to the porch slowly. She was still using his arm to steady herself. He tried to keep a safe distance, keeping his arm locked but stretched out stiffly away from his body so she wouldn't fall again, yet allowing her to use it to lean on until they reached the porch and managed to climb the steps. She sank into a chair and he into the other. She stared at him hard, feeling the coldness and indifference in his treatment of her. He stared back, expecting the worst. Finally she said, “Aren't you going to offer me tea at least?”

  “I don't have time for tea,” he answered, truthfully. Alexandra might be back at any moment. He just wanted to get Catherine back into the curricle.

  “The least you could do is offer tea after all this? Mama will be horrified if I tell her you didn't.”

  “All right, tea. But then you have to be going, my... wife will be here soon.” He couldn't be any clearer than that.

  “Your wife?” she breathed. Her mouth popped open. The color drained from her face. In that order.

  “Didn't you read my letter when you were here with my brother? I'll explain, but let me get the tea.”

  She was speechless. He left her there to gather her wits while he put the kettle on. In a few minutes he had returned with two mugs of hot tea, creamer and sugar bowl on a tray. “I'm sorry; I didn't get out the china. She's better at this sort of thing...” he said, another hint not lost on her, he hoped.

  “She?” Catherine's wits had partially returned in his absence. “Why don't you start there?”

  He didn't like her tone. He stood up. His patience had worn thin. “Look, I have never so much as even alluded to an engagement with you. I really have been patient about my well-meaning aunt and uncle throwing you at my feet at every turn, but we don't have anything in common. I don't feel it's any of your business, if you'd like to know the truth.”

  “You don't have to raise your voice,” she said, tears forming in her eyes. She winced in pain to remind him of her ankle and how he'd behaved like a beast to her. Her voice was shaky and she sounded just above a whisper. “I thought ... I thought this engagement had all been arranged by our parents. I mean your aunt and uncle, and my parents.”

  “Well, I'm not sure where the misunderstanding is,” he said firmly, “but there was never any engagement or any arrangement that I know of. If your parents led you to believe there was, I'm sorry. There is no breach of contract because there is no contract, at least not one that I'm aware of.”

  “I see,” she said. She thought about that for a moment. “I'm not sure I believe you.”

  “I'm married,” he said, “and in love, with someone else.”

  “Well that's another thing,” she said. “Where were the banns posted? And how could you be in love with someone else? You haven't been away long enough to fall in love with someone else. How is it your brother didn't mention your wife?”

  “I obtained a special license,” he said.

  “I still don't believe you're in love...” she shook her head thoughtfully. “You are too practical to fall in love with any woman in such a short time.”

  Maybe there was some truth to what she said. She was sharper than he'd thought. He wasn't sure about all of his feelings for Alexandra. Catherine seemed to read the little bit of doubt about his feelings as if they were written on his forehead. Still, he wouldn't tell her anything. He had to sort things out for himself. The grain of possible truth in her assessment of his character did little to stop him from pursuing what he wanted. He wanted a life with Alexandra. She was sweet, kind and thoughtful. She was charming, gentle, smart … the perfect combination of everything he wanted in a woman. At least, he thought she was who he wanted by his side for the rest of his days. She'd also been very patient with him, for both of their sakes he surmised. He drank some of the tea in his mug and didn't deny or attempt to argue with Lady Catherine about what she'd said. Like he'd said before, it was none of her business anyways. He knew one thing; a marriage with Catherine was doomed from the start.

  “Drink your tea Catherine,” he said. “It's time for you to be going.”

  “I'm not going anywhere,” she replied, placing her mug down firmly on the table between them. “Not until I'm convinced of a few things Hartford. You see, I'm not convinced that there isn't a contract. I'm not convinced you're in love with this other woman. And I'm not convinced you're even legally married. Where is she?”

  “Look here...” William started to argue with her, but he had no idea of what to say first.

  She interrupted his train of thought before he could begin. “You're going to offer me a place to stay while my ankle heals so I have a chance to sort through all this. Everyone thinks I'm engaged to you and I won't have you humiliate me without good reason.”

  “I wish you wouldn't be so concerned with a few rumors
in the gossip mill,” he said.

  “It's my future at stake here too,” she replied. He couldn't argue with that.

  “Well, there isn't any contract, I can assure you of that... and I am most definitely, happily married!” He tried to sound as convincing as possible, but even he wasn't sure of anything at that moment, except that he did have a wife and he had obtained a special license.

  None of which might hold up in a court of law if Catherine could prove he'd broken a contract to marry her. Blast it all... why did women have to be so complicated? Did Uncle James have a signed contract with her father? Could that stand up in court if he could prove the contract was drawn up without his consent? Things were as complicated as could be... and he had yet to consummate his marriage. Thankfully, he might still have time to work things out with Alexandra, if she didn't kill him first when she met Lady Catherine. All these thoughts raced through his head. He tried to appear calm and in control. It certainly seemed like he was in a heap of trouble. Please help me Lord... he prayed.

  He hadn't bargained for all of this trouble. He knew of no such contract.

  “And yes, I read your letter when Lord Marcus brought me here,” she added. “I'm not the least bit worried about your accusations. I doubt you can prove any of those matters. To me, those were just friends,” she added coyly. She batted her long eyelashes at him and sank back comfortably into the chair, grinning like a Cheshire cat.

  She might be right that he couldn't prove anything had ever happened on her part to break any engagement, but then again, those individuals might be willing to admit something had transpired, which might deter her from pressing this matter further. His anger began to simmer. She certainly didn't appear the least bit fetching, not even her eyes, which he used to think were quite pretty. Whatever little bit of her that had been somewhat attractive seemed to go right out the window. He chose to not to divulge his thoughts on the matter. He could see she was not beneath using his own words or any other means at her disposal to trap him into a marriage with her, even if it meant dragging him through a court battle to get him to honor an alleged contract he'd never seen before.

  The more he thought about it, the more he became convinced she might be completely bluffing him about a contract. Surely Uncle James would have mentioned such an important document... one that he didn't think could stand up... if it even existed. Right now, he had to think of how to remove Lady Catherine from his property before Alexandra returned from her morning walk. This was far too complicated a matter to explain to his new wife. And he'd best hurry and make her his wife in more than name only... and find a way to call out Lady Catherine's bluff, if she was bluffing her way through all of this... or prove his innocence in the matter, all while protecting Alexandra.

  Chapter 15. William, Like the Conqueror & Alexandra, Like Ruth

  “Now see here, you aren't staying here. We're on a honeymoon ... and you're not going to interrupt that... for my wife's sake.” His chair had scraped the porch floorboards when he stood up and his clenched fists came down hard, upsetting everything on the table. He towered far above her and she cowered back into her chair a little. She knew he meant what he said. “If you open your mouth about any of this to Alexandra, or anyone else for that matter, I'll be sure your reputation follows you from here to London. And you know I can do it, too!”

  His wife was emerging from the path in the woods but he didn't let it phase his thoughts. “We're going to settle this matter for once and for all. There is no contract! If there was, I would have been the first to know it. So we're going directly to Berkeley and we'll talk to my Uncle James and clear this matter up in your head once and for all. And furthermore, even if there was a contract, because I had no knowledge of it, I can prove my innocence in this. The last time I checked I was more than eighteen years of age. I make my own decisions.” His word was final and she knew it. The look on her face told him she knew it.

  She cowered further back into her chair and relented. “Yes, we'll see what Uncle James has to say!”

  He said, “Wait here, and keep your mouth shut, do you understand?” He didn't mean to sound so gruff, but enough was enough. She nodded vigorously.

  She knew he could damage her reputation forever and she'd be beyond making a suitable marriage if he spread any words that colored her character. He had connections. He was a Duke after all. She'd be cut from all of the best social circles and doomed to a life of mediocrity, fortunate to marry a tradesman, solicitor … maybe a bank clerk. If he was going to take her directly to Uncle James, well, that would give her more time to think of something, as well as find out the truth. It would at least convince her of whether or not there was a contract.

  As he strode off in the direction of the woods she realized the woman standing there with the little boy must be his wife. She couldn't very well follow him that far, hardly being able to walk... he was covering a good distance in a short amount of time. She would have liked to have heard the conversation about to take place between the Duke and his alleged wife. Her ankle thumped with every step and she was sore from the fall. The best she might be able to do is hobble to the curricle.

  No, she would stay right where she was. This could get interesting. Her curiosity about this Alexandra was piqued. She couldn't hear what they said but she could hear their voices.

  When he reached the edge of the woods where his wife was emerging from the path with her basket of berries and looking ever so sweet, he stopped her to talk. He took her hands in his and said, “I need to talk to you urgently. Benjamin, go over to the porch and make sure the lady up there sitting on it doesn't make a move.”

  Benjamin nodded, “Yes Sir!” He tore of running and covered about two hundred paces in no time at all. He stood there, breathless, at the foot of the steps to the porch, hands on hips, watching the lady in the pale blue gown who was watching William and Alexandra quite closely. Their voices were low and muffled so neither of them could hear what was said.

  “I know this is all going to be difficult, for both of us. I need you to trust me right now,” he said, looking into her eyes.

  She looked up at his and nodded. “I trust you. I see we have an unexpected visitor. What do you want me to do?”

  “Her name is Lady Catherine Duncan. She claims there is a contract of marriage between us. I'm not aware of any such contract. Nor would I have given my consent to such a preposterous idea. I'm completely against marrying her. And furthermore, I'm married to you. That doesn't seem to phase her.”

  “She is to attempt a contest of our marriage in a court of law?” Alexandra's eyebrow shot up.

  “I don't think she will if I can show her once and for all, there is no contract, never was any such document! If there had been, I'd know about it.”

  “How do you plan to prove that?”

  “I'm going to take her to my Uncle… and Benjamin, of course. He can straighten this whole thing out and tell her there isn't any contract.”

  Alexandra clasped his hands tighter and seemed deeply concerned and pensive. He waited for her to say she agreed with his plan. Seconds seemed like minutes to both of them with the lady on the porch sitting there watching them from afar.

  “I don't trust her,” she finally said.

  “If it makes you feel any better about this whole thing, neither do I,” he replied.

  “It does,” she said flatly. “You must be very careful to keep Benjamin with you at all times. She might try to entrap you in some way...”

  “I agree, but I despise the idea of leaving you here alone.”

  “I can manage. You must go. You must take her at once and confront your Uncle about this and clear your name of any connection to such a matter.” Tears formed in her eyes. This was very grave indeed.

  “I don't see any other options --short of allowing her to rake us through the mud.” He was clearly exasperated.

  She put a finger over his lips as a tear rolled down her cheek, “Hush my love. Don't show her any fear. Come ba
ck to me as quickly as you can. Go now. I don't want any introductions with anyone who might possibly take you from me. Please, take her... to your Uncle... and return to me swiftly. She is a threat to our future. If you love me at all, you must face it... and defeat her quest of destruction solidly.”