“Ah, so it is drinking then?” Emily asked with a pleasant smile.
James pinched the bridge of his nose. “Why do you vex me so?”
“I vex you because you are my husband, or you are supposed to be. However, your behaviour is more aptly suited to a young buck who has not yet learned how to control himself.” Emily’s nostrils flared, and James knew the woman was absolutely livid.
James laughed with such vigour that he thought he might just cry at the sight of Emily. “Oh, your righteous fury has transformed this sinner into a saint,” James said as he gave her a deep bow. He shook his head at her as he straightened. “Take your words of virtue elsewhere, Emily. You are no better than any of the women that line the streets of London. You are no better at all because you love Edward yet you willingly went to my bed.”
“I have never betrayed you,” Emily said as she stared at the man in disgust.
James shook his finger at her. “Oh? But haven’t you? You do not love me half as much as my dearly departed cousin. I will forever be your second choice behind a man who is a murderer. I do nothing that your own Edward did not do, aside from the murdering, of course, and yet you forgive him his trespasses.”
“Edward is dead. I am your wife, and I have been a good, faithful wife, James,” Emily said with indignation. “Yes, I love the Edward that I once knew. Go on and laugh at me about that. I do not care.” With that Emily stormed off before she said anything further. She was already furious with herself for having argued with the man. No good came from arguing with James.
***
James had been struggling to work out how to get himself out of the hole he found himself in financially when the butler had come to find him. James followed the butler back to the front door where he was greeted by a polite gentleman in a tailored suit. James knew someone who worked officially for banks or the law. They had that same odour about them.
“Yes?” James asked with disdain as he drew himself up to his full height.
The man gave him a bright smile. He was a pudgy fellow, and he held out a robust hand to James. James took the man’s hand with little enthusiasm. “I am Taylor Marshal, the representative of the Danborough estate and Duchy,” he said with a wide smile. James gave him a confused look which caused the man to hurry on with what he was saying. “The Duke passed away a bit back.”
“Did he?” James asked as his brows furrowed. James did not recall hearing about that, but then he had been a bit preoccupied. “I am sorry, Mr Marshal, but what does this have to do with me?”
Mr Marshal said, “Well, to just come straight to it, you are entitled to the Duchy by right of blood. I am here to arrange a passing of the titles and such.”
“No,” James said as he rubbed his forehead. “That is not right. There is a cousin, a first I believe that would certainly out rank me.” Had James not been caught off-guard he probably would have kept that bit to himself and just went with it, but he was not well from losing sleep.
Mr. Marshal nodded. “Indeed, there was.”
“Was?” James asked as his curiosity peaked.
Mr Marshal leaned in a bit and whispered, “He was a sickly sort and, well, he died shortly after receiving the title.”
“I never knew the Danborough lineage was filled with such a weak bloodline,” James said without thought. He saw the agent’s brows tick up, and he quickly amended, “I am sorry. I am just so out of sorts. I have been working lately far more than I should. So, I am the new Duke?”
The man agreed heartily, “Yes. You are indeed.”
“That is most wonderful news,” James said as he chuckled. “I simply cannot wait to inform my wife. She will be thrilled.”
***
Emily stared at James. James waited with bated breath to see what she would say. Emily looked down. They were in his study, and he leaned eagerly on his desk to study her.
“You are—” Emily stopped and shook her head. “I am just so surprised.”
James nodded. “I was as well. Who knew that Edward’s kinsmen were so prone to dying?”
“You are Edward’s kin,” Emily reminded him primly.
James glared at his wife in her floral dress with that demure smile on her face. “Yes, I am,” James said finally. “Will you dine with me tonight then, Duchess?”
“I was not good enough to dine with you the night before when I was not a duchess,” Emily said as she stood up. “I certainly hope you treat this estate with more care than you did your own.”
James watched her leave then slammed his fist on the desk with a resounding thud. The pain of the impact jarred up his arm. He had everything that was Edward’s. Yet, James still did not feel satisfied.
“I wish Edward were alive so that I could kill him again,” James hissed through clenched teeth. He leaned his head to the side to work out the kinks in his neck. He had spent far too much time cooped up in this study. “I should celebrate my new title,” James said to the room. He nodded as if the room had agreed with him. “I deserve a little fun.”
***
Emily walked to the front door of the house. Being in Edward’s old home was odd. She had always felt that she would live here with Edward one day, and yet here she was with all that she had dreamed of having with Edward. The only problem was that Edward was not here.
“Tom, have you see the Duke come in?” Emily asked the doorman.
The man looked up at her through his glasses. He had almost been nodding off, but Emily did not hold it against him. They rarely got guests, and James would not allow her to throw any parties or have people over.
“I haven’t seen anyone, Ma’am,” Tom said with a frown. “Do you want me to ring the magistrate?”
Emily sighed and shook her head. She smoothed her dress as she often did when she was fretful or lost in thought. “He will turn up. He has only been gone two days this time, after all,” Emily said as she lifted her shoulders in a helpless shrug. “If he does happen in, will you tell one of the maids to let me know?”
“Of course, Ma’am,” Tom said with a dip of his head.
Emily turned on her heel and went to the kitchens. Some of the staff from Edward’s time had remained when the Duchy was transferred, and Emily found solace in them. In particular, she found herself often in the kitchen with Pearl, an older woman who had worked for Edward’s family since they were both children.
“Hello, Pearl,” Emily said with a smile as she entered the kitchen.
The woman looked around at her. Her grey hair was tucked under a bonnet to keep it out of her way. Pearl smiled at Emily as she brought a tray of bread out of the oven. “Just in time, my sweet,” Pearl said with affection. “I made a new recipe.”
“Oh?” Emily hurried over to the centre table in the kitchen where Pearl had just placed down the hot tray. “It smells wonderful. Is that honey?”
Pearl tapped Emily’s nose just as the woman had done when she was a child. “Exactly right!” Pearl clapped her hands in pleasure at Emily’s cleverness. “Come and sit with me while it cools. Tell me about your day.” Pearl ushered Emily over to the table where the help often ate and placed a cup of tea in front of her.
“There is not much to tell,” Emily said. “I read this morning, a book on sea monsters. It was interesting.”
Pearl clucked her tongue. “Not suitable reading for a young lady.”
“I am not that young anymore, Pearl,” Emily reminded her. “Besides, I like reading about all kinds of things. I will likely never get to venture far, and it makes me feel like I can go other places.”
Pearl nodded her understanding. “That is a woman’s lot in life most times,” Pearl said. “Most days I just see the inside of this kitchen.”
“If you could go anywhere, where would you go?” Emily asked with interest as she slid her hands around her teacup. Its warmth soaked into her hands and made her feel safe and cozy.
Pearl tapped her chin. “I think I would like to go somewhere warm.”
“Perh
aps the island colonies?” Emily suggested.
Pearl agreed, “As long as I get somewhere warm with blue skies, then I am fine with it.”
“An island would be nice,” Emily said. She frowned and said, “It might not be a popular destination right now, but I would like to go to France.”
Pearl reached over and put her hand on Emily’s arm. “Would you visit him, even after all that they said about him?”
Emily nodded and lifted a hand to brush away a tear. “He is still my Edward. There are days that I still do not believe what James said. How could my Edward do those things?”
“I think of it often as well,” Pearl admitted. “He was a scamp at times, but not vicious and cruel.” Pearl sighed and poured herself a cup of tea. “Do you think that your husband will come back this time, or will we have to send someone around to grab him by his collar?”
Emily should reprimand Pearl for speaking of the Duke so, but even Emily herself did not hold any respect for James. How could she possibly expect their staff to do so? Emily spread her hands out on the table and ran her hands over the smooth wooden surface. “I do not know. I do not even know if I care.”
“Well, I know that I do not,” Pearl said with resolve. “I am sorry, Emily to speak of your husband so. I know that he gives you the security of this place, and I would never want either of us to be forced to leave. He is just such an unnecessarily cruel man.”
Emily looked at Pearl and nodded. “I cannot hold you to blame for your opinion of him, Pearl. My husband has created his own bed, and he must lie in it.”
“He is not fitting to hold the Master’s title. Edward’s father was a kind and generous soul,” Pearl said. The woman quickly pulled a handkerchief out of her apron and dabbed her eyes.
Emily frowned. “I did not even hear of his death,” she said with regret. “I was so isolated that I never even got to give my respects.”
Pearl gave Emily a comforting pat on the arm. “He knew that you had married, and he was happy that you did not spend your life pining for Edward.”
“But have I not?” Emily asked as she scooped up her teacup with care.
Pearl clucked her tongue. “People do not just simply get over losing a loved one, Emily,” Pearl said. “Don’t go letting that so-called Duke colour your vision. He is not a good measurement to hold against your virtue.”
***
One of Emily’s worst fears lay before her. Her husband was in a drunken stupor on the floor of their dining room. One of the maids had come to fetch her when they could not rouse the Duke to wakefulness. Emily took a deep breath and prodded James with her foot. “James,” Emily said her voice stern. “Get up off the floor this instant.”
James grumbled something incoherent,and Emily gave the man’s leg a kick, not too hard, just hard enough that she thought it might wake him. James howled in anguish at the assault. “How dare you? Do you not know who I am?”
“Yes, I know who you are. Get up off the floor,” Emily hissed at the man. “Do you not think that the staff will speak of this?”
James groaned. “What does it matter if they do?”
“It really does not,” Emily agreed as she straightened herself and smoothed her dress down. “After all, we really can go no further down the rung of society, unless of course, you lose this estate too, and we end up in a workhouse.”
James sat up and rolled his eyes at Emily. “Take your nagging elsewhere, dear wife,” he spat as he got to his feet which did not appear to want to stay under him. “Our reputation is on your shoulders, not mine.”
“How can I possibly do anything to make this matter better or worse, James? Please, tell me how this is my fault.” Emily eyed the man as he staggered towards his set of rooms. She followed him down the hall, unwilling to stop. “Do you think I am happy?”
James blew out a breath that smelled of liquor. The smell of sweet perfume clung to him, and Emily had no interest in knowing which one of the man’s mistresses he had been on the town with that night. James said, “You could be a wife.”
“How have I not been a wife to you?” Emily asked in earnest. She was eager to learn how she had caused their once amicable home to become what it was now.
James growled, “You are not even a real woman, Emily. I have no heirs because of your barren womb. Had I known that, I would have let Edward have you.”
“You did not take me from Edward,” Emily said. “You were my friend, James.”
James laughed with such harshness that Emily was disturbed by the sound of it. “Like Edward was my friend? Ask Oscar and Augustus what they thought of Edward.” James shook his head. “Have him, dead in the grave. That’s the only man you could satisfy as a wife.”
Emily did not know what to say. She stared at the man. James was often cruel, but his tongue was particularly sharp as of late. She forced herself to calm down as her mother had told her. Emily spoke quietly to the man. “What did Edward ever do to Oscar and Augustus? I thought you all were friends.”
“Edward was too important to be our friend, Emily,” James said with a grin. “Caught up with him, though,” James said. “He got just what he deserved.”
Emily backed away from the man. This James was a stranger to her. James had always been haughty and selfish, but the look in his eyes made her wish to be further away. “You need to go rest,” Emily said as she fought to keep the tremor out of her voice.
“That is true,” James said as he turned. He walked down the hallway a bit before he stopped. James’ voice came to Emily, but he did not turn around. “Maybe you will get what you deserve too one day, darling.” As soon as he was done talking, James staggered on down the hallway leaving Emily to stare after him.
***
Emily called upon Oscar’s home but found only his mother in. “Oh, Emily,” the woman gushed when she saw her. “I have not seen you in so long! Oscar never mentions you, and I was fretting that you were wasting away somewhere.”
“Mrs Turlington, it is lovely to see you,” Emily said. “I actually was looking for Oscar.”
The woman looked puzzled. “He isn’t here, I am afraid. He spends most of his time when he isn’t working at a pub just in the township.”
“I am sorry, but I am not up to date on everything. Where does Oscar work?” Emily asked.
Mrs Turlington beamed with pride. “He is a magistrate for the local township here. His father had to cut back on his work due to health issues. Oscar stepped in, and well he is just wonderfully suited for it. He took right to the job, and the townsfolk adore him.”
“That is wonderful that Oscar is doing so well,” Emily said with genuine happiness for her friend. “I am sorry about your husband’s health, however. Is there anything I can do at all?”
Mrs Turlington put her hand on Emily’s arm and smiled at her. “You always were such a dear girl. I bet if you hurry along, you might be able to catch Oscar at the pub or just as he is leaving.”
“Thank you,” Emily said with a smile. She hurried back to her carriage. The township where Oscar’s father had been magistrate was a few miles up the road, and Emily was not certain how long it would take to get there, but she did vaguely remember there was a pub where Oscar’s father used to drink. Oscar talked a few times about having to go fetch his father from the pub.
Emily watched the scenery go by as the carriage went as quickly as it could over the roads. Emily pondered what Oscar would be like. She had seen very little of him and Augustus since their return from the war five years prior. When she had questioned James as to why the two of them scarcely came around, James would just say that they were busy. Apparently, in Oscar’s case that might actually be true if he had been the magistrate since his return.
The Revenge of the Betrayed Duke: A Historical Regency Romance Book Page 13
