Desperately Inn Love with the Duchess: A Historical Regency Romance Novel

by Patricia Haverton

Caleb sat, dumbfounded. He did not have the words to express just how furious Zachariah would be. When the Duchess summoned him earlier that morning, he’d assumed there was another letter with a ransom demand expressing further details and threats. He’d arrived bracing himself for the lady to be distraught and in need of comfort. He’d been wrong.

  I never saw her as elated as when I stepped through the door. As though it were already Christmastide.

  Of course, to hear the Duchess tell it, Lady Adelaide Parsons had all but presented them with an early Christmas gift.

  “Your Grace, please let me try to raise the funds another way. I do not believe your son will be at all inclined to agree to this scheme.”

  The lady’s face darkened then and she narrowed her eyes, shooting a furious glare at him. The Duchess’ well-known, yet usually well-controlled, temper was flaring.

  “It is not up to my son anymore. He is the one who involved himself in all manner of unsavory business. He is the one who has kept questionable company and is currently paying the price. No. Lady Adelaide has offered us the use of her most generous dowry, so we might free my son unharmed. All he has to do when free is to make an offer, which will be accepted and the two will wed.”

  Caleb swallowed. He had mulled the proposal over in his head again and again since hearing of it. There was no way Zachariah would allow this. Indeed, Caleb was sure his friend would rather die than be forced into a marriage with Lady Adelaide. He knew not to tell the Duchess this, as she seemed not at all inclined to reconsider the ludicrous idea.

  “What if his is freed and refuses?”

  The Duchess scoffed at this. “He will not. He will be grateful and graciously agree to the match. What else can he do? I intend to make sure that London and then all of England knows of Lady Adelaide and her parents’ generosity. He will have no possibility of declining, as it would make him look like the most foolish and dishonorable of men. And he will not want that. You see, Ridlington? It’s the perfect solution and I will set out at once to spread the word.” She picked up her tea again and smiled, entirely pleased with herself.

  I almost preferred her when she was vexed and upset. This glee and self-adoration doesn’t suit her at all.

  “What am I to do?”

  She raised her eyebrows. “You are to arrange the exchange, of course. It is to take place tomorrow.”

  He wetted his lips and nodded. He was well aware of the deadline. He considered his options and then cleared his throat.

  “Your Grace, with your permission, I would like to set a trap for the kidnappers. I have gathered my men and I would like to attempt to capture the men during the handover. That way you will have your son freed, and still hold on to your fortune.”

  She pursed her lips as she considered this idea. Then she gave a curt nod. “Very well. I should like to see just who thought themselves brazen enough to kidnap a Duke. I’d surely like to see them swinging from the gallows.” Her nostrils flared and a sudden wave of anger appeared to overcome her. “To take my son, a peer of the realm, and hold him hostage…” Her grip tightened around the teacup and she sat it down. “Apprehend them, Ridlington. If we can hold on to Lady Adelaide’s fortune, that will make an even better start to their marriage, as it would remain her dowry.”

  Caleb was about to open his mouth to protest, for surely, with the bandits caught there would be no need to involve Lady Adelaide at all and thus there would be no need marry the girl. However, the Duchess threw him one fiery glare that let him know all would be as she wanted and no amount of protestation would change it.

  “Very well, Your Grace.” He rose and bowed to her. “I will be on my way to arrange the handover.”

  She got up herself. “Converse with Mr. Edwards. He is the steward for Lord Bellsover. He will ensure you have the funds at hand.”

  She departed then and Caleb made his way out of the house. He already knew that after stopping at Lord Bellsover’s residence he would have to ride back to Sandorne in order to arrange the trap for the handover tomorrow.

  And call on Miss Balfour and Miss Lovell to update them on the progress. His stomach clenched at the idea of having to convey unfortunate news to Miss Balfour for the second time that week. For while he knew she’d be delighted that Zachariah would soon be free, the nature of the arrangement would surely cause her a great deal of pain.

  “I see,” Melody said, as she took in the news. The feelings and thoughts swirled in her head and she was unsure which to process first. Zachariah would be free at last, and she would see him again. But he would be wed, if he liked it or not. She shook her head, refusing to allow herself to become upset once more.

  I have been making a cake of myself with this flirtation between the two of us. I am an innkeeper and he a Duke. Of course he would wed someone of his own standing. What was I thinking, considering another outcome?

  Beside her, Betsy placed a hand on her wrist. “It is an outrage that the young woman demands a marriage in exchange for assistance. What are those people like?” She shook her head in dismay. “And for His Grace’s mother to promise him away in such a manner, as though he were no more than cattle, is even more vexing.”

  “It is how women are treated in this world, Betsy. Especially among the nobility. Everyone is only looking out to make the best match, or to further their own interests. A Duke is expected to marry well, if not the daughter of a fellow Duke, then the one of a Marquess, or an Earl.”

  “You know a lot of the ways of the nobility,” Betsy commented with a frown.

  “Zachariah has been sharing the ways of his world with me, as I have shared the ways of ours with him.”

  The steward smiled weakly. She could tell it gave him no pleasure to deliver the news, as he showed an obvious disagreement with the topic at hand.

  “I reckon the Duchess will have a fight on her hands once Zachariah is free. He does not care for what is expected of him. He will not marry someone he does not like and there is little his mother can do to convince him, especially if I am able to capture his kidnappers and thus render the offer of Lady Adelaide’s dowry unnecessary.”

  “But isn’t he bound by his word?” Betsy tilted her head to one side.

  “He didn’t give his word, his mother did it for him. But surely, if the young lady’s assistance is used to free him, he will not have a choice,” Melody sighed. She’d spent the past few days in and out of a bubble of fear, panic, and hope. At times she’d thought of Zachariah early in the morning, upon just waking. She’d forget for a moment where he was or what had happened. She’d simply think of him, of their conversations and the way his company cheered her, which made her heart swell. Then she’d remember the present and fall into despair again.

  Not that she allowed this to show. She had an inn to run, after all. It was bad enough her staff had seen her falling apart at hearing of the ransom request. She knew well that she could not allow such a display a second time.

  “I thank you for letting us know the latest news, Mr. Ridlington.” She got up, not wanting to linger here much longer. The news vexed her and she felt the need to be on her own to allow it to process. She could not do so with the steward right beside her and Betsy looking at her as though she was bracing for another round of Melody’s crying.

  “I must attend to the guests now. We have a number of departures, as well as new arrivals. I trust you will send word when the handover has been completed tomorrow.” She did not ask this, but rather demanded it, and then left for the interior of the inn, leaving Betsy and the steward to keep each other company for a few more moments before he had to be on his way. Perhaps the next time she saw him, Zachariah would be with him. She could only hope.

  Chapter 35

  Zachariah woke with a start when his sleeping cover was ripped from him. He opened his eyes, taking a moment to adjust to the sudden, unexpected light which filled the usually dark room. He noticed at once that the window board had been removed from the outside. The shorter of the two men was st
anding above him and threw a cape at him.

  “Get yerself dressed. We’re going.”

  “Going? Where are we going?”

  The man sneered. His face was, as always, covered with a piece of cloth, leaving only his eyes visible. “We are. Can only hope for you that you are, too. Depends on your family, though. And what yer worth to them.”

  Zachariah frowned. He’d heard nothing more about the note which had been delivered to somewhere in London. Two more days had passed since then, and he felt sure any longer and he’d simply lose his mind entirely. He’d taken to sleeping as much as he could. When he was awake, he’d hop in place until he grew tired, sleep, and then repeat the exercise. In between the circle of hopping in place and sleeping, he ate the terrible slop served to him and day-dreamt about Melody.

  Is this the hand over? Will this captivity finally end?

  The taller man with the London accent stepped into the room, holding in his hand a sack of some sort, as well as a piece of cloth.

  “Turn around,” he commanded. Zachariah shook his head. Tired of being a pawn in whatever scheme they were up to, he decided to show himself defiant. He did not wish to be discovered in the woods, hog-tied and blindfolded.

  “I don’t believe I will. If you want to hand me over, there is no need to blindfolded or bind me. You will be setting me free, so what is the purpose of it?”

  “The purpose is I’m telling you to do it. Unless you want a facer planted on you, you had best stand up so I can blindfold you. Do not make this difficult, Your Grace.”

  “You will have to do it by force.” Zachariah would not be following their commands, not now that freedom was so close. Clearly these two men had no say in his captivity. In any case, this was perhaps his last chance at discovering just who had ordered his abduction. Perhaps by involving the men in a disagreement they would let slip the name. Thus far, it was not going to plan.

  “Do not misunderstand me, there is nothing I would like rather than to land a good one on your smug, noble face. However, I was instructed to return you intact and all. Now. If you please, turn around.”

  This is my chance. This is where I might find who took me and why.

  “Who has put you up to this? I have been here almost one week and I demand to know who has deemed it proper to hold a peer of the realm in such conditions for such a long period of time. Who? Tell me at once.”

  He was not surprised when the two men did not follow his command. They had not done anything he’d asked of them all week long. Alas, he had to try, even if the opportunity was met with more silence.

  The shorter of the two men grabbed ahold of him and the taller one placed a blindfold around his eyes and a gag in his mouth, tying both to the back of his head with a lot more force than was necessary. Zachariah found himself at once blinded and silenced. Then, as if that was not enough, they placed the sack over his head. Now in total darkness, Zachariah could do nothing but rise when told and move as the men led him outside.

  The change in the air was breathtaking. The moment the three were outside the freshness and sweetness of the forest air filled his senses. It smelled of pine and he could almost see the acorns on the ground before his mind’s eye as they walked. The crunch of the forest floor beneath his feet was the sweetest sound he’d heard so far and the wind brushed against him for the first time in a week.

  “What are yer dawdling for?” He was pushed forward. “Step up. Into the cart you go. Go on now.” He was yanked up and a moment later found himself sitting on the floor in what seemed to be some kind of farmer’s cart. There was straw on the ground, digging into the palms of his hands. The cart set into motion a moment later and Zachariah found he could do nothing more but to sit and wait for what fate would bring next.

  Rosalind walked back and forth in her friend’s drawing room.

  “You are going to walk a brand-new pattern into my floors if you do not stop, Rosalind,” the Countess said, causing Rosalind to shrug her shoulders.

  “I can’t help it. I must do something, for it is almost at the hour for the exchange.” She glanced back at the clock and saw that it was nearing noon, the time when the exchange was to take place in a clearing just off the main road between London and Kent, nearby the location where the kidnapping took place. She took up her pacing once more. She was well aware that Mr. Ridlington had assembled a small army of constables and volunteers who stood at the ready to capture the kidnappers.

  Should that fail, the steward was in possession of Lady Adelaide’s dowry, generously provided by her parents. Still, the worry remained.

  “I am so fearful something will go awry.”

  “Have you got faith in that steward of yours?” The Countess asked. Rosalind looked up. Did she? She’d never considered it. He was simply the one her son had chosen to run the estate, and she accepted it. Who was she to question the Duke of Sandorne? Now that she had been asked directly, she considered the question.

  “As far as stewards go, Mr. Ridlington is no worse than any other we’ve had. He’s loyal to Zachariah.” She shrugged. “I only wish my son would not take him into his confidence quite so much. They are thick as thieves, the two of them. I find it rather inappropriate. One should only keep the company of one’s contemporaries, not frolic with those beneath us in status. That is what’s gotten him into this trouble in the first place.”

  “I wholeheartedly agree, dear. You are right. Well, as long as he does his duty... And perhaps such loyalty is a good thing in times as these. He will do all he can to return His Grace safe and sound.”

  The Duchess had nothing to reply to this and sat, wringing her fingers.

  “Perhaps we can pass the time and distract you from your thoughts by thinking of something more joyful.”

  She frowned at this suggestion. “Joyful? What in the world could it be, to feel joyful about on this day?”

  “Nothing about this particular day. However, there will be a wedding at last, will there not?” Her friend said with a grin and reached for a piece of licorice. “No matter how, your son will be freed soon and then we can begin to plan the wedding. You’d want to have it sooner rather than later, I imagine.”

  Rosalind smiled then. Indeed, this was a pleasant distraction from her predicament. “Yes, I would. I imagined a wedding in the fall. We will have a pleasant wedding at the small chapel on the Sandorne estate, followed by the wedding breakfast.”

  She smiled and leaned back. “I imagine pheasant would be a nice choice of fowl. Along with a hare, what do you think? And a good, sturdy white soup. Faith, and the desserts! I will insist on a truffle.” She paused then, her anxiety entirely replaced by the excitement of wedding planning.

  “There will be a ball, of course.”

  “A ball? That is unusual. One does not generally hold a ball after a wedding.”

  The Duchess waved an arm. “I know it is not customary but I have waited for many a year to have my son wed. I will at last be able to look forward to grandchildren and an heir. I shall have a ball to celebrate. I should hold it when they return from their honeymoon and it will be the biggest ball society has ever seen.”

  “It will be spectacular. And perhaps there will be cause to make a happy announcement already at the time. There might be an heir on the way by then.”

  Rosalind smiled, feeling contented at last. Yes, there might well be a grandchild on the way in short order. With her son wed and an heir on the way, all of her worries would vanish and her life would once again go back to the way it had always been. One more quick glance at the clock told her that within the hour all of the worries and vexations of the past week would be forgotten about and her son back with her—and their bright future ahead of them.

  Chapter 36

  Caleb sat top his horse, his eyes narrowed as he surveyed the landscape. The area the kidnappers had chosen was a clearing in the forest midway between Kent and London. Not very far from where Zachariah had originally been taken. The sun was high in the sky, indicating t
hat it was nearing the time of the exchange. He glanced around to either side of him with a grin.

  To the naked eye it wouldn’t look as though there was anybody here besides him.

  Good, that is exactly what I intended. The plan is holding together thus far.

  He had recruited a total of thirty-four constables and volunteers, many of them servants and farmers who rented Zachariah’s lands at Sandorne. Word of their Duke’s disappearance had spread and many came to Caleb without prompting, offering their assistance.

  He knew it would please Zachariah to see that so many of his servants and tenants felt such loyalty to him as to put their own lives on the line to save his. The group of men were interspersed, hiding behind bushes and trees, some atop horses, and others on foot. Once Zachariah was

  free, they would charge forth and the captors would become captives. A whistling sound drew his attention to the left. He locked eyes with Mr. Floyd, one of the constables assigned to keep the inn safe from Obadiah Caney. Today he was high in a tree, serving as lookout.