Regency Romance: Winning The Indecisive Duke (The Fairbanks Series - Love & Hearts) (Historical Romance Fiction)

by Jessie Bennett

  “You didn’t really think he was going to court you when you are not available, did you, Lizzie?” Alexa had grabbed the bridle of her horse to keep it from going anywhere.

  Elizabeth felt anger fill her and she stared at Alexandra’s hand until she let the beast go. “Please do not touch Pegasus like that again. You might hurt him.” She said it in a small but firm voice. If she could not end her own pain, at least she might prevent anyone else from suffering from it!

  Alexandra snorted. “I suppose you did. Why did you think he would pursue something impossible? He knows what he wants. Me. Not you.” The words came out vehemently, and for the first time, Elizabeth had an inkling of how much her sister had resented her all her life.

  Elizabeth was close to tears and hated herself for letting her sister see her in such a state. “You should not take so much pleasure in hurting me. It is... horrid.” Words failed her, and she felt tears come.

  “I cannot help it. You have been cosseted all your life. Elizabeth has always come first, always been the favorite of Mother and Father and everyone. It is my turn now, and I deserve to be happy.”

  “You do deserve to be happy. But not at the expense of others.”

  “Your happiness is not dependent on mine. It isn’t my fault you must marry Jonah,” she pointed out reasonably.

  “This is true.” Elizabeth just wanted to leave. She nudged her heels into the horse’s sides but only gently to get him to take a few steps forward. Alexandra put her hand on the animal’s neck again, halting its progress. “Alexa,” Elizabeth sighed. “I know I cannot blame you for my fate. But it is your decision to taunt me this way. You know that I am unhappy about the arrangement with Jonah. It is needlessly cruel to torment me with it as you are doing now.”

  “I don’t have to be nice to you,” Alexandra sneered, her expression making her face ugly. “I will finally be free of you and this oppressive house. I will have my own servants, my own house, and my own family.”

  “And I’m sure you will rule them as cruelly as you now are treating me.” Elizabeth was desperate to get away. She kicked her heels into Pegasus’ sides and the horse took off, almost knocking Alexandra to the ground. The young woman jumped back and screeched in fright, then shouted after her:

  “You will pay for that, Lizzie! I will never let anyone hurt me again.”

  Elizabeth’s tears streamed back toward her ears as the horse ran. She leaned forward and gripped the reins, turning to keep her balance in the Spanish side-saddle. She was grateful she was so accomplished on horseback or she would have fallen. She rode blindly, by instinct, not looking where she was going. Her heart was broken. She pictured her life as it was to be, married to Jonah, uncomfortable in his bed, crying at night, miserable during the day. Both of them trapped in a marriage they didn’t want. It would be like living in Hell, except on earth.

  She tried not to feel betrayed by the duke. He had never once said he was interested in courting her. It had been the looks he had given her, the way he had spoken to her. She just assumed it was a possibility. But if he had told Alexandra that he loved her and that he would ask their father for her hand, it was over and done with. He was not interested in her, as she had thought. She felt so foolish, so utterly, terribly foolish. How had she ever believed it was possible? She was just a silly little girl. And now her heart was broken.

  But what of what Jonah had told her? He had met with the duke, she knew, and after the duke had left, Jonah told her much of their conversation. He had said that Daniel had seemed very interested in her. For his own part, Jonah said that he had told the duke stories about their happy childhood together and they had heaped much praise on her, even though she was not present to hear it. She could not do anything else but believe that Jonah spoke the truth. He was her best friend, and she refused to entertain the notion he had told her an untruth.

  She sighed and then coughed, tears choking her. In this wild, suddenly unfriendly world, there was no other explanation but that he, too, had betrayed her. What else would explain it? Had the duke been playing with Jonah? Why would he ask about her in any way if he had no interest in her?

  And why would Jonah lie? Had he in fact turned the duke toward marriage with Alexandra? No, she thought. Even were he traitorous to her, she could not visualize him praising her sibling.

  Ideas ran through her mind. Perhaps the duke did it because he had to be married before she returned from her journey. He needed to fulfill his obligation, this was true. He wanted to inherit the land. He had many plans for it. But that explanation held no water either: Daniel had not struck Elizabeth as a selfish man. She could not imagine he would marry a woman he knew was not a good match simply to inherit land. It was a lifelong commitment; she was certain he would take it as seriously as he seemed to take everything. He was a wise and level-headed man, after all.

  There was a small part of her mind, a traitorous part, which wished she could do something to stop this. Maybe she could speak to her father? Or urge the duke to speak with Jonathan before he made any commitments. Jonah might be able to do something. Maybe he could say something to someone.

  She shook her head. She could not do that. If she were to try and interfere, she would be behaving like a desperate little girl, trying to take her sister’s toys away.

  She wished she could feel happiness for her sister, but her words played around her mind, causing her pain. The duke had said he loved Alexandra. The only man she had ever considered in the place of a marriage partner loved her sister. It seemed horribly unfair, but it was true. She felt her horse slow, and together they walked over the fields. The day was settling down to evening and the sense of stillness calmed her mind as they walked, convincing her more and more that she should simply accept the inevitable.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  LEARNS THE TRUTH

  LEARNS THE TRUTH

  The earl and the duke stood outside the front door, chatting about what would soon need to be done. The evening sun slanted down behind them, gilding the older man's hair and putting shadows on the duke's chiseled feature.

  “I am glad you confided all this in me, your grace. Our dear daughter has been longing for a way to dissolve the contract between herself and her friend, Jonah. This seems an ideal way for us to do it.”

  “It does seem to be the route to cause the most happiness. I must confess, I have spoken to the young Lord Jonah and he made it quite clear what his intentions are. I have seen the way he speaks of the young lady he is hoping to court. They will be very happy together.” Daniel smiled.

  “I hope that Elizabeth will feel the same way when she hears of your proposal.”

  Daniel’s heart skipped a beat. “I hope the same, my lord. I truly do. Thank you for entertaining the idea and for your honesty. Thank you also for your assistance in the more painful part of this happy contract.”

  The earl sighed wearily. “How can I speak any other way? I have no intention of hurting my daughters. Either of them. I am so glad to find a way out of this contract that has become so distasteful to Elizabeth. Perhaps it is time to abandon what we once thought would be a good idea.”

  “Yes. I have to agree.” The duke nodded.

  “I am sure you do,” the earl laughed. “It is working out in your favor, I would say.”

  The duke nodded. “I must confess to the truth of that. And to my admiration for both your daughters. They are fine young ladies.”

  “Your grace, you are a good man. I do look forward to you becoming a member of the family.”

  Daniel smiled. “It is my pleasure, I assure you. And I must say, Lord Westering, I thank you for taking the most onerous duty upon yourself.”

  Hamilton breathed out hard. “I do not relish it, your grace. I believe she had her heart set on becoming the Duchess of Athlone. I hate to hurt her so.”

  “I am sorry, too, my lord.”

  “I can only pray that there is something good in her future.” Her father closed his eyes wearily. “I do no
t wish to see her sad.”

  “If it would make it easier, I will help you tell her, my lord. I am a coward to run away from this.”

  “No, your grace,” the earl protested. “Her mother and I will handle it. I think it will cause her less pain.”

  Daniel sighed. “It is my nature to worry about such things. I do not like to upset people.”

  “I know, my lord, and I respect that. Well, that is settled. I will speak to the Boothes in the morning about this change. I am sure we can convince them to see things as they are. Jonah will be pleased you are taking the burden of my sweet daughter from his shoulders.”

  Daniel had to laugh again. “My lord, he has nothing but respect and love for my lady.”

  Hamilton nodded. “I know. He will be very pleased for himself and for her. You, as well. He knows Elizabeth better than anyone else. He knows what kind of woman she is and what will make her happy.”

  “He must think very highly of Lady Julia. To pass up a woman like Elizabeth.” Daniel shook his head. “She is everything a woman should be, in my way of thinking.” He sighed and the old earl chuckled.

  “I am glad to hear her so appreciated, your grace.”

  “She is, my lord. She is.”

  “Thank you, your grace.”

  “I must leave. Please give my love to your wife and children,” he said, glancing at his watch. “And know that my spirit will be with you as you perform this difficult task for me. I am grateful to you.”

  “Not at all, your grace. I chose to do this because I feel it will be best.”

  Daniel nodded a goodbye and walked down to where his horse was waiting in the stables, patient as always. The groom came over and then Daniel was at the mounting block in the courtyard.

  “Hello, boy,” he said, pulling himself up into the saddle. “Let’s go home.”

  His heart beat hard in his chest as he thought about what he had just done. He’d successfully nullified the contract that would have held his future wife hostage for her entire life. He had been more vulnerable and honest with the old earl than he had ever let himself be. He was going to inherit the land he wanted and build his new hunting home in this beautiful territory. He felt uncommonly pleased with life.

  Halfway down the path to the road, he saw movement that made him glance up to the top of the hillside. A horse and rider. As he watched, the rider took off her bonnet, letting loose a cascade of hair that sparkled in the sunlight like living gold. He instantly knew that it was Elizabeth. He wanted to ride straight up the hill to her, give her the good news, look into her eyes and tell her how he really felt about her.

  “Elizabeth!” he called out, forgetting to use the proper form of address.

  She did not hear him. Of course, she did not, he thought wryly. She was almost fifty meters from him and riding against a rising wind. He shook his head at himself, surprised that he already was so distracted whenever he thought of her.

  “Elizabeth.” He sighed, softly. He realized he liked the sound of her name.

  He waited another moment to see if she might come back. After five minutes of sitting on a restless horse, he set off on his route. He knew that he would not be able to stop thinking about his new life as he rode ahead, leading Hunter, his stallion, into the gathering dusk outside.

  At the mansion he left behind, the darkness was also settling, though it would be many hours before the sun set – it was late spring, heading into summer, and the days were longer each day. Hamilton swallowed hard, feeling nervous. He could not believe that the idea of telling his daughter about the new events was making him so nervous. But that must be what it was. He could not predict how she would react, but he knew it would not be good. He felt that his wife would have far more knowledge of how to face the task that lay ahead and went to find her, in search of her quiet good sense.

  He found Anne in the parlor, reading a novel, curled up in a thickly upholstered chair. She looked up at him when he entered, and a frown creased her brow as she saw how worried he seemed to be.

  Hamilton crossed the room speedily and sat next to her, clasping his hands together. “We must talk, my dear,” he said, his voice low.

  “What is it, my dear?” Anne looked at him with some trepidation.

  Hamilton licked his lips. “Just a few moments ago, I had the pleasure of speaking with the Duke of Athlone.”

  Anne set down the book she had been reading and looked at him. “This looks to be very grave. What is it, Ham?”

  He knew she was taking him seriously when she called him Ham. She only did so when they were speaking of very serious things. “He wants to marry Elizabeth.” Hamilton figured it would be best to speak bluntly of the situation.

  He watched Anne’s eyes widen. She pulled in a sharp breath. “But how is it possible? Jonah…”

  “You and I both know Jonah and Elizabeth do not want to be married,” Hamilton continued. “I have…” He hesitated. “I have given my consent to break the contract with the Boothes, in order for the Duke of Athlone to court and marry Elizabeth. I feel it is what she would want and what is best.”

  Anne looked very concerned. “There could be repercussions to this, Ham. What if society decides that you are untrustworthy because of this broken bond?”

  Hamilton shook his head. “Jonah and Elizabeth have been fighting us for nearly two years about this agreement. Lord Macefield and I have had many conversations about what should be done. Until now, there has been no real precedent to explain our actions to society. But when something looks set to cause misery, and there are other avenues to take, I do not see that there is any reason not to follow the one that will alleviate misery. If we continue down the path we set so long ago, it will cause devastating misery. That’s not what we want, is it?”

  “No, Ham, it’s not what we want. But still, how will we address what society might think?”

  Hamilton exhaled wearily and gave a weary smile. “I am afraid I do not care overmuch what they think. I want my daughter to be happy and to prosper. Is that not more important?”

  “You know it is, my dear husband.”

  “Then we will do as the duke has requested.”

  Anne stiffened. “I suppose we will need to inform Alexandra that she was not chosen by the man.”

  Hamilton was quiet for a moment, just nodding. “Yes. We must. I told the duke that we will do it ourselves. I think we will understand how to do it with the least damage to her. Correct?”

  “Correct.”

  “It shan't be easy,” Hamilton sighed. “I hate to cause unhappiness.”

  “Agreed,” his wife confirmed softly.

  “We should call her in now. She deserves to know and the quicker it happens, the quicker she can heal.”

  “I agree, dear. We will tell her together, and it is best done now, the least to hurt her.”

  Hamilton licked his lips. “All right. Agreed.”

  Twenty minutes later, Hamilton sat in his desk chair, waiting for Alexandra to come down from her room. He surprised himself by wringing his hands. He loved his eldest daughter, though she was a distant sort and he sometimes felt he hardly knew her. It was torture for him to cause pain to anyone.

  Anne was walking down the corridor with her now. He could hear footsteps and the sound of voices. He put his head in his hands and looked at the clock. It was six o' clock – an hour before dinner. He sighed, listening to the voices in the hallway as his duty became impossible to avoid.

  “Are you all right, Mother?” Alexandra asked as they were halfway down the stairs.

  Anne glanced over her shoulder. “Oh yes, dear. Don’t worry about me.”

  “You look troubled.” Alexandra sounded confused.

  “Not troubled. I’m only a bit tired, my dear.”

  Alexandra nodded, seeming to accept that explanation. She followed her mother into the study. Hamilton heard them enter and looked up to face her.

  “Father?” Her voice was tremulous, floating with high spirits.

&nb
sp; Hamilton felt wretched. Like his wife, he pulled in a deep breath and tried not to hold it in. His daughter was a beautiful woman and she could have been a delight, had she not become so jealous and so deeply mistrustful. He suddenly wondered if he could have changed things for her and felt a stab of pain in his heart. He had been too distracted when she was a child, too busy with his new inheritance. He should have taken better care with her and regretted deeply that he had invested his energy in other things and neglected his own family.

  When he turned and looked at her, he felt worse. She was so happy. She was waiting for him to tell her that the duke had asked for her hand.

  “Alexandra,” he greeted her. “We need to talk.”

  “Yes, Father.”

  “As you know, the Duke of Athlone was here to see us earlier.”

  Alexandra nodded. “Of course, I know, Father. I brought him in to you. What did he have to say?”

  Hamilton looked at his wife for support. Anne just looked back, anticipation making the lines on her face stand out more than they ever had before.

  “You should sit down, my dear.”

  Alexandra just giggled, delighted. “Oh, Father, just tell me. He asked for permission to court me?”

  When her father looked away, Alexandra lost her smile and turned to her mother. “Mother? What is it?”

  Anne sighed. “I’m sorry, my dear. The Duke of Athlone does not wish to court you. He has asked for permission to court Elizabeth.”

  Alexandra gaped. “But Elizabeth is betrothed to Jonah! She always has been. She is not available. Surely the duke knows of it?”

  “He did,” her father said, exhausted. “But we have decided to free Elizabeth from her contract with Jonah. It is best.”

  Alexandra stared at him, her eyes wide. Their dark depths were tear-studded, though she seemed too much in shock to let them fall. “You cannot do that! The Boothes will be very upset! It will cause harm to our family name!”