The Duke's Lady (Historical Romance - The Ladies Series)

by Jernigan, Brenda

  Yes, he wanted her, and the quickening in his loins told him just how much—but he’d overcome it. After all, he was thirty-five, not a young chap of eighteen who couldn’t control his emotions or his life. Come January, he would leave, and he wouldn’t see Jewel again.

  So it was best he forget her now!

  Forcing his thoughts to business matters, he let his mind wonder over the tidbits of information he’d heard. He most certainly was pleased with what he had learned tonight. He looked forward to his meeting with Percy; however, the information about Captain Lee was a different matter. Could Jewel have been on his ship? And worse, could Jean be a seaman aboard Lee’s ship?

  Adam stood, picked up his glass, and moved over to his desk. A shifty-eyed devil, Lee was not someone Adam would turn his back on. Opening the desk drawer, Adam retrieved a sheet of white paper and laid it in front of him, then reached for his quill and dipped it in the India ink. He scribbled a note asking Lee to meet him upon Lee’s return. He powdered the ink before folding the slip of paper and sliding it into an envelope. Holding his seal, he dripped wax on letter and placed his royal mark on the envelope.

  This encounter could prove to be very interesting.

  Chapter Ten

  When Adam arrived at Captain Percy’s, he found a group of men sitting around a massive table. An unfolded map was the center of everyone’s attention.

  “Gentlemen.” Adam nodded his greeting before moving over to take his seat.

  Captain Percy waited a moment, then continued on with the meeting, pointing to the chart. “I believe you will all recognize this as a diagram of New Orleans and the Gulf of Mexico. We have decided that it would be most beneficial for England to take control of New Orleans. Thereby, we would gain access to the Mississippi River.”

  Adam shook his head. “The land is treacherous territory, and will be rough sailing. If you are not aware, New Orleans is surrounded by bayous, small streams, and swamps. Men have entered there never to be seen again. The area is a maze that few can navigate,” he pointed out. “How do you hope to overcome this?” Adam hoped to discourage Percy, though what he said was true. Only fools would venture into those swamps.

  “Precisely what I thought when I first heard this plan,” Captain Percy said, nodding in agreement with Adam. “As you know, there is a cluster of islands about sixty miles off the coast of Louisiana that are controlled by a group of outlaws. We have heard they would sell their own mother if the price was right.”

  “So you plan to offer them money?”

  “That’s correct, Your Grace. A good sum of money, too. I’ll send Captain Lockyer and Lieutenant Williams to make Lafitte an offer.”

  “And what will that offer be, Captain? That is, if you are at liberty to say,” Adam asked.

  “By all means, Your Grace. After all, we are all loyal British subjects. My men will offer Lafitte forty thousand dollars, land, and a British citizenship.”

  Adam rubbed his chin. “Your plan sounds good, Captain. I’ve never known a pirate yet who could refuse money.” He managed a brief smile. He had his doubts about the money, but Jean Lafitte would laugh outright at the offer of British citizenship. Lafitte wasn’t an ordinary smuggler. He was a gentleman’s pirate with his own set of morals. Adam really didn’t think his friend would take the offer, but Adam wouldn’t take the chance. “When will you carry out this scheme, Captain?”

  “Our plans are not complete. There are still some arrangements to be made. We’re training new troops, and of course that will take time. I hope to send two ships, The Brig and Sophie, to Barataria in about eleven months. At the moment, we are planning for a departure date of September 3, 1814.”

  Good, Adam thought. He would have time to sail home and warn General Jackson. He also wanted to talk to Lafitte. It had been a long time since Adam had seen his friend. And they needed to talk.

  The rest of the meeting proceeded smoothly. Percy shook Adam’s hand warmly as he left the house and stepped out into a foggy London night. Adam signaled for his carriage to go on ahead. Shoving his hands in his pockets, he preferred to walk along the Thames and do some thinking.

  Mentally, he ticked off a list of supplies he’d need for his ship and then composed a letter to Jackson. As he climbed the steps of his town house, the excitement of returning home surged through him. Gripping the brass doorknob, he opened the great mahogany door, and the scent of a house seldom occupied rushed out to meet him. It would be grand to see Four Oaks and his sister again, but he had to admit there were a few things here he’d miss—such as Annie, Jonathan, and Jewel. He could shut his eyes and almost feel Jewel within in his arms and smell the scent of ... of her hair. What was he going to do with his little sea treasure?

  Jewel ran her hand over the indentation in the pillow where Adam’s head had lain. Closing her eyes, she caught his scent on the covers, and secretly wished he would be next to her when she looked again. It didn’t work. The bed was as empty as before.

  She was still alone.

  Adam had been so tender the night before. Of course, before that he’d been cold and unfeeling. He seemed to keep her on the brink of insanity. She was truly perplexed by what the man thought of her. At times, it seemed nothing more than pity, and she didn’t want his pity. She wanted him to see her as a woman, and a small part of her wanted him to care. She would miss Adam while he was gone. Tears started to form, and threatened to spill over her bottom lids. Slowly, she wiped them away. Crying wouldn’t help; she must learn to stand on her own two feet. Adam would be sailing for America before long, and then she would be without him forever.

  And still the question of what she’d do haunted her. She couldn’t stay at Briercliff forever. She must have had some kind of life before she arrived here. But from the glimpses she’d remembered so far, she wasn’t too sure she wanted any part of the other life.

  “Good momin’, lass. ’Tis a mite chilly this momin’.” Annie appeared bright and cheerful, as she did every morning. “Good Lord, the fire is cold. I’ll be stirrin’ it up before ye catch yer death of cold.” While Annie added kindling to the fire, a maid brought in some hot cocoa and warm rum buns.

  “Mmm, the chocolate sure helps this morning,” Jewel said as she held the cup between her hands to warm them. “I’m a bit colder than I thought.”

  “Don’t be mentionin’ it, lass. Adam said tae be takin’ special care of ye.”

  Jewel glanced up with widened eyes. “He did?”

  “Of course he did.” Annie opened the curtains, then walked over to Jewel’s side, lowering her voice so no one could hear. “I think he likes ye, lass, more than even he’d like tae admit.” Annie had a knowing look as she winked at Jewel.

  “Did he say so?”

  “Nay, didn’t have tae. I raised the lad, and can see it in his eyes.” Annie smiled. “I’ve seen the way his gaze follows you round the room. And I’ve been seein’ Adam round other women before, but never have I seen him look at them the way he looks at ye.”

  “You’re imagining things. He’s just being kind.” Jewel knew what Annie said wasn’t true, but she had managed to brighten her spirits anyway.

  “We’ll just be seein’, lass, if ol’ Annie ain’t right. Now, what would ye like to do today?”

  “I’d like to stay busy, and since Adam isn’t here to fuss and order me about, I’d like to do some cooking.”

  “There no be a need. We’ve a cook.”

  “I know,” Jewel admitted, “but for some strange reason, I’ve a desire to work, and it’s something I feel familiar with.” Jewel helped Annie around the house, or as much as Annie would let her. But eventually Jewel grew bored, and decided to spend the afternoon in the kitchen. At first, Marie was reluctant to let anyone in her kitchen, but when Jewel expressed a desire to learn how to make rum buns from the very best cook, the ice melted from around Marie’s heart.

  Jewel found she knew quite a bit about cooking, and she ended up teaching Marie a few new tricks with spices and s
easonings.

  When Jewel told the cook her desire to make rum buns one morning for Adam, she could see she had risen another notch in Marie’s estimation.

  Jewel moved from one task to another, giving herself little time to sit and ponder her future—she also didn’t have time to think of Adam. Sometimes at night it was all she could do to climb the stairs and fall into bed. Keeping up this hectic pace, she found the time went by quickly, and before long a month had passed. And still no word from him.

  In the three months she’d been at Briercliff, her hair had grown, and now hung just below her shoulders. Jewel gazed at her reflection in the mirror while she ran a silver brush through her tresses. She’d gained weight, she noticed, touching her cheeks with her fingers. But something was still missing, and she couldn’t quite figure out what. Hearing a knock at the door, Jewel turned.

  “Jonathan has come tae take ye ridin’, lass,” Annie announced. “He’s waitin’ downstairs.”

  Jewel quickly dressed in a black and white riding habit. Jonathan had promised to spend the day with her. She found herself looking forward to seeing him again because she’d missed the way he made her laugh, and she hoped he might have some news of Adam. Just maybe Jonathan could tell her a little more about the duke.

  Glancing out the window, she could see the low, gray clouds indicating another damp and cold day. Didn’t the sun ever shine in this godforsaken country? But even the weather wouldn’t dampen her spirits today. She truly enjoyed the cool, crisp mornings, even though she felt the chill more than everyone else. Annie had suggested Jewel might have come from a warm climate and wasn’t used to the cold like the people in Cornwall.

  Jonathan choked on his tea when she entered the drawing room. And it took him a minute to recover.

  Jewel’s cheeks flushed with embarrassment. He stared as if he’d never seen her before. “Is anything wrong?” she asked. “Perhaps I’m not dressed correctly, but you said we could go riding.” She glanced down at her outfit.

  He chuckled. “No, my dear, nothing is wrong. I was just admiring your beauty, and it simply took my breath away.”

  “You’ve the tongue of a silver fox, Jonathan Hird. I’ll have to be most careful,” she bantered back. “But thank you for the compliment.”

  “Here, I’ve brought you something I think you might want.” Jonathan handed her a sealed note.

  Recognizing the seal of the duke of St. Ives’s, she carefully broke the wax open, holding her breath. Adam had written to her! How often she had wondered if he ever thought of her.

  Dear Jewel,

  Business has taken longer than I expected. I hope to be home the week of Christmas. We are invited to Jonathan’s for a Christmas Eve party.

  I hope things are well for you—and Jewel, I do miss you.

  Adam

  Looking up at Jonathan, she smiled. “Adam said you’re having a Christmas party and I’m invited.”

  “That’s correct. And I’m sure you will be the belle of the ball.”

  “Will there be many people there?” Jewel asked excitedly. “I do say, London turns out for one of my gatherings,” Jonathan boasted.

  “I haven’t been around strangers. I’m a little frightened,” she admitted. “Won’t they ask questions? Wonder who I am?”

  “Oh, they’ll wonder.” Jonathan chuckled. “Don’t worry, my dear, Adam and I will both be by your side at all times.

  The only thing you have to worry about is the gown you’re going to wear.”

  “A dress! I don’t have a party gown, Jonathan. What will I wear?”

  “I’m sure Annie will find something. Now, let’s go for that ride.” He took Jewel by the elbow. “Worrying about a dress is such a silly waste of time.”

  Rays of sunlight broke through low clouds gilding the ocean’s surface with golden light as the waves rolled to shore and flung themselves onto the dark sand. Salty air tickled her nose, enticing Jewel to breathe deeply.

  She had hoped to stir some memories, but nothing here looked familiar or brought back anything. Would she ever learn her true identity?

  Jonathan climbed up on a large gray rock, pulling her up beside him.

  “How long have you known Adam?” Jewel blurted out.

  Jonathan grinned. “We grew up together.”

  “Then you knew his parents,” Jewel pressed on, not looking at Jonathan as she spoke. “Did they ever allow Adam to have fun?” She heard Jonathan chuckle, and she blushed at her boldness. “It’s just that he seems so intense all the time.”

  “I suppose he does. But you have to know Adam’s childhood.”

  “Will you tell me about it?”

  Jonathan propped his elbow up on his knee, his gaze directed to the sea. “I can’t see that it’ll hurt anything. Let me see, where do I start?” He rubbed his chin as he thought. “Adam’s mother died when he was but nine. He found her on this very beach.” Jonathan paused, then turned and looked at her. “Much like he found you. After that, Adam was no longer a carefree child of nine. He grew serious and learned to hide his emotions from everyone. I think that experience changed him completely. I suppose you’d say he’s successfully built a wall around himself that few can penetrate.”

  “What about his father?” Jewel asked, feeling sad for the child Jonathan had just described.

  “I think Adam’s father loved him, but the man had a hard time showing it. Instead he constantly groomed his son for the duties he expected him to assume one day. Unfortunately, that all happened sooner than expected.” Jonathan looked at her abruptly. “Tragedy struck again when Adam was fifteen. His father was killed in a hunting accident.”

  Jewel held her breath, spellbound at the tale, her heart again going out to the young boy not yet a man. No wonder Adam seemed so distant and remote. Jonathan continued speaking, his tone conveying his own compassion.

  “Adam, with the help of his grandfather, took over Briercliff. At eighteen, he grew restless and left the estate in his grandfather’s hands. He eventually built a shipping business and made his home in America, but he had to come back to England when his grandfather died.” Jonathan smiled. “I think you know the rest.”

  “Thank you,” Jewel murmured as she stared out across the sea, thinking of what she had learned. It sounded as if Adam had lived a very lonely life as a child. She could picture him as a boy with dark hair cut in a bob, trying to please the man he looked up to. And somehow she had the feeling Adam’s father had never complimented him. Instead, it was probably constant complaints. No wonder he’d grown into a hard man with a shell as thick as armor. An ache in her chest was a small reminder that Adam was becoming a part of her life. She couldn’t imagine never seeing him again.

  The roar of the waves and the rhythmic pounding of the surf seemed to hypnotize her into a peaceful contentment. To think she had come from somewhere out there. She was sure she had lived around the water before, because of the tranquil feeling it gave her. Perhaps she had come from someplace on the map Adam had given her. Tonight she would study the drawing with the hope of recognizing something. Anything. She clenched her fists against the warm rock. She had to find out where she belonged.

  Jonathan watched her with an odd expression on his face. She pulled her knees up and rested her chin on them, wrapping her arms around her legs much like a child. Suddenly, Jonathan voiced his thoughts. “Jewel, how old are you?”

  “Eighteen, and I’ll be nineteen on July first,” Jewel answered spontaneously, then stared at Jonathan round-eyed, seeing her own surprise mirrored in his eyes. “I remember!” She gasped and reached for Jonathan’s arm. “Can you believe it?”

  “Yes, I can.” He smiled back at her, clasping her hand. “We told you your memory would return. It just seems you never know when a chunk will fall into place.”

  “I know, and I don’t understand why.” She frowned. “I’m healthy now. I should remember everything.”

  “You will, my dear.” He squeezed her hand. “But let’s not spoil today
. I want to show you where I live. I’ve something special I want you to see. I think you’ll like my surprise.” “What is it?” Jewel asked excitedly as Jonathan helped her off the rock.

  “You’ll just have to wait. Come, I’ll race you to the horses.”

  When they arrived at Foxmore, Jewel wondered about the name and said, “Jonathan, how did you come by the name of your estate?”

  Amusement flickered in his gaze. “I’m an avid foxhunter and I raise hounds. Therefore, the name came from fox, which is my passion when in the country, and because I love to do more. I put the two names together. Fox—more.”

  Jewel giggled at his explanation of the name. What a carefree rake he was. There wasn’t a serious bone in his body. From the size of his house, Jewel could tell he wasn’t a pauper by any means. Foxmore was not as large as Adam’s home, but impressive nonetheless.

  They had a light lunch of pork pie and warm gingerbread, and Jewel felt content. “Tell me, Jonathan, why have you never married?”

  He grinned. “Because I could never find anyone I thought very interesting. That is, until you came along.”

  “Be serious!” She laughed at his flirtation.

  “I am, my dear. If you ever get tired of Adam, you’re welcome at my home anytime.” A dimple appeared in his cheek; then his gaze grew serious. “Have you thought about what you’ll do when Adam returns to America?”

  She shook her head as a dejected look crept into her eyes. “No, I haven’t. I just pray my memory is restored by then. I pray that I’ve a home somewhere. It’s frightening not belonging.”

  Her unhappy expression twisted Jonathan’s heart. He wanted to take her in his arms and offer her comfort. However, she belonged to Adam. So he decided to distract her mind with something else.