He pulled a face but didn’t argue.
A knock brought her attention to Jacques standing in the open door. “I thought you were talking to yourself, Millie, but I see we have cause for celebration.”
“Indeed. Jacques Laurent, this is my uncle, Francis Edgebrook. Uncle Francis, Jacques brought me home and has been here constantly. He even read to you about the properties of rocks.”
Francis’s eyes lit up. “Rocks are fascinating. I thank you for your attention, Mr. Laurent. I’m sure I would have been far worse off without my girl, Millie, to care for me.”
Jacques bowed. “It was my honor to be of service. When you are feeling better, I will come and we can discuss what you incinerated in your laboratory.”
“Have you been down to see the damage? Is it all gone?” Distress would not help her uncle’s recovery.
“You can worry about all of that when you’re well.” She rang for Doris. “Let’s get the doctor and food and think about the rest later.”
“Oh, Millie, please. I won’t rest until I know.” Francis was like a child when it came to his precious experiments and inventions.
Jacques covered a laugh. “With your permission, Millie?”
She nodded but hoped her frown conveyed her disapproval.
“It is not as bad as you might think, Mr. Edgebrook. A quick blast that broke a lot of glass and probably sent you across the room with some velocity. Besides the broken glass and perhaps repairs to a few interesting models, the room is intact. You were fortunate.”
A weak smile tugged at Francis’s lips. “Thank you.”
Once Doris appeared, they set in motion calling the doctor and bringing Francis his broth.
Millie followed Jacques into the hallway while the servants fussed over Francis. “Jacques, I cannot thank you enough. You have been a constant source of strength when I needed it. You did not have to go to such trouble, but I am grateful that you did.”
A slow grin spread across his face, and he took her hand in both of his. “Preston is my best friend in the world. He is more brother to me than friend. I would do anything, risk my life, forgo food, whatever he needed, and that is now extended to you, Millie. You need only ever call, and I am at your service.”
Her pulse beat like the drums of a savage culture. “I don’t understand. Preston and I are not… We have no understanding.”
Leaning down, he kissed her knuckles. “You may not understand, Millie, but Preston most definitely does.” He dropped her hand. “Since your uncle is awake, I’m going to go home and rest. I suggest you sleep soon as well. I will call tomorrow and check on you both, but if you need me sooner, send word.”
She couldn’t bring herself to ask the obvious question. “Thank you. I’ll call if anything changes.”
“See that you do.” He grinned and left her to ponder his statement.
What did Preston understand that she didn’t? They both knew he was going to marry Helena Buckbrush. By now, he’d have proposed and would ask her father as soon as they arrived home in a few days. There was nothing more to know. They might remain friends, but it was unlikely they would ever see each other again. She didn’t run in the same crowd as the Duke of Middleton.
“Where’s my girl?” Francis called from his bed.
Happy to have a distraction from her obsession with Preston Knowles, she plastered a smile on her face and went back to her uncle. “I’m right here.”
Doris fed him broth, but his eyelids closed. “I think he’s in need of a nap.”
“I am a bit tired. Perhaps I can finish that nice soup when I wake.” He touched the bump on his head and winced. “I can see why I have a headache. Must have given myself quite a wallop.”
Millie kissed his cheek in a spot that wasn’t singed. “I’ll go and rest too. Reilly will stay with you should you wake and need anything.”
“I’ll be fine.” He was asleep before the words were fully out.
In her old bedroom, she wrote a quick note to Lady Jane, telling her what was happening and apologizing for not being available until Uncle Francis was well again. She addressed the message and left it to be delivered later.
She was sleeping again, though nightmares of the inn still plagued her almost every night. The images were more manageable with every passing day. Preston had said he wanted her just as she was without any modifications of her desires or personality. If he had meant it, she’d destroyed the only chance she would ever have of loving a man who would treat her as an equal. She had let her experience with Gordon color her expectations of all men. Preston never tried to change her, never thought her dreams foolish. Yet, she’d treated him exactly as she would any man trying to court her. Of course he decided to marry Helena. Millie had given him little choice after treating him so abominably.
When Doctor Smith returned, Millie splashed cold water on her face, fixed her hair in a tight knot and went to Francis’s room.
“Ah, Miss Edgebrook, you have done a fine job. He’s looking much better. I’d say tomorrow he can try a little solid food. Go slow,” Doctor Smith said to Francis in a tone that brooked no argument. “No quick movements, and I would wait a full week before you should take the stairs. If you must go down, be sure to have two footmen assist you. Another fall would not be advised at this time.”
Francis pursed his lips and scowled. “I need to get back to my lab. I have work to do.”
“Not for a week.” Smith pointed his bony finger.
Before they got into a shouting match, Millie said, “I will make certain he stays in bed or rests in a chair for the next week, Doctor.”
“My own sweet girl, taking sides against me.” He slapped the bed but amusement filled his eyes.
Smith nodded. “I’m leaving laudanum. If he has pain, you can give him a draft. I hardly think he’ll need it. He slept through the worst of it. You should continue to put the ointment on his burns. I’ll stop in tomorrow and check on you, Francis.”
“Thank you, Martin. Hope to see you under better circumstances in the future.” Francis gave a weak wave as the doctor left.
Taking the seat next to the bed, Millie shook off her malaise. “I didn’t realize you knew Doctor Smith on a personal level.”
“Oh, of course. I’ve helped him with many medical instruments he wanted designed. We’ve known each other for years. He’s a good man, if a bit stuffy.”
They were unlikely friends; Uncle with his wild ideas and lack of rules, and Doctor Smith so stoic and rigid. Still, stranger friendships had happened. She said as much to Francis.
“That puts me in mind of something I wanted to ask you about, Millie my girl.” He’d been propped up on his pillow to almost sitting when the doctor came in.
“Do you need something? I can ring for tea.”
He cocked his head. “Tea would be nice. However, that is not what I wanted to ask you. What is your relationship with Jacques Laurent? Are you courting? He was very kind to stay and see me wake, but I hardly think he did that for my sake.”
“No. We are not courting. He is Preston’s closest friend.” Preston, who she would never see again. Preston, who she’d been a fool not to grab when he’d clearly wanted her. She’d treated him so ill and wouldn’t even have the opportunity to apologize.
“Preston?”
“The Duke of Middleton.”
Wide-eyed, Francis leaned forward but then touched his head and rested back against the pillow. “You’re on intimate terms with both Jacques Laurent and Middleton? Are you in love with Jacques? Is that why he was here making sure you were protected. That’s the only reason I can think for him to have done more than carry you home.”
“I am not in love with Jacques, and he does not love me.” The sentence was singsong in its misery. She kept her gaze from her uncle’s. The brown coverlet was little distraction, and finally she looked up.
&n
bsp; There it was, that knowing look. He had known her all her life, and despite his obsession with science, Uncle Francis loved her. “You’ve fallen in love with the Duke of Middleton. Does he know?”
“Of course he doesn’t know. I am a lady of the Everton Domestic Society. There are specific rules with regard to not falling in love with the client.” The pain in her chest, sharp and intense, spread like a disease until she ached from head to toe.
“I’m sure those rules you speak of have been broken before. I have been around a long time. In fact, I remember when Lady Jane and Lord Rupert married. I’ll not divulge their story, but I will say it was quite the scandal that season. However, let’s talk about what you want, Millie.” He blinked slowly and yawned.
“You should rest.” She tucked the blankets tighter around him. Wanting the impossible was no way to live. She would forget Preston, return to Everton’s when Uncle Francis recovered, and go forward with her plan to travel and help people.
“I’ve had plenty of rest. What do you wish for, Millie?” He took her hand.
Try as she might, she couldn’t stifle her sigh. “The impossible, of course.”
Francis grinned with the joy of a happy announcement rather than the fact that she loved a man who she could never have. “Why don’t you tell me about your time spent with His Grace?”
“There was an explosion at an inn we stayed in, and Preston rescued me.” Some events she would keep to herself, leaving plenty of stories she could comfortably tell Uncle Francis without embarrassment.
A bit pale, Francis said, “Oh my. Well, at the very least, I owe him a debt of gratitude. What about before you went away? What did you do in the time you spent together?”
The memories of time spent with Preston warmed her from the inside out. “We looked for a bride for him. We went to balls, a picnic, and other social events. We discussed the outcome of each event at his home over chess.”
“You played chess with him?”
“Yes. Why do you say it as if that’s bad?”
His frown deepened. “Did you win?”
“I won the first game. He underestimated me, as most men do when they play a woman.” She crossed her arms over her chest and sat back.
Francis’s mood lifted. “He still wanted to play again after you beat him? That is a good sign, and it says a lot about the man. Of course, I don’t know His Grace, but I like him already. Has he kissed you?”
“Uncle Francis!” Her cheeks were on fire, and her stomach in a jumble of nerves.
“What? I can see from your face that he has and that you did not object.”
Pulling herself together, she took a deep breath. “It has no bearing on anything. I made it clear, painfully clear, that I wanted no part of a relationship with him. Besides, by now he is engaged to Lady Helena Buckbrush.”
“We shall see.” Francis grinned and sank into his bed. “I need to sleep now, my girl. I think I will need all my energy in the days to come.”
“But Uncle Francis, what am I to do about my position with the Everton Domestic Society? I should resign after my abysmal breach of the rules.”
He closed his eyes. “Your assignment was to find the Duke of Middleton a bride. You found him three options, one he had no complaints about. You did what you were hired to do. If you wish to remain an Everton Lady, I see no reason you shouldn’t. However, things have a way of working out so that you know what is best. I hope you will stay here for a few days.”
Standing, she kissed his forehead. “I will stay until you are back on your feet. I would never leave you in such a state.”
Opening his clear gray eyes, he patted her cheek. “You have always been my girl.”
Within moments he was asleep, and Millie closed the blinds on the setting sun. She went down to the kitchen to check that the meal preparation was on the lighter side until Francis’s stomach could handle more. The entire time, she flashed back to every intimate moment she and Preston had shared. All those times he’d offered her more, and she’d thwarted him.
What a fool she’d been.
Chapter 20
Preston came into the dining room at noon after his guests had all taken their carriages back to London or elsewhere. He’d never liked the stoic room’s dark burgundy wallpaper or the odd flower pattern hidden in the rug. “Perhaps we should redecorate, Mother.”
After thanking the footman for her plate of meats and cheese, she looked at Preston. “It is your home, my dear. If you have need of a change, then you should feel free.”
He sat. “I thought you would object.”
Taking the tiniest bite of cheese, she smiled. “Your father would not expect you to keep things as they were when he was the duke. I wonder that you don’t wait and let your wife make those decisions though.”
The footman brought another plate for him.
Preston’s appetite had left when Millie did. “Yes, well I think you’re going to be disappointed with regard to that, Mother.”
“Oh, I had the impression you rather liked Lady Helena.”
“I do like her.” He ate, but the taste was lost on him.
Mother studied him. “She is from a fine family. The Duke of Flintmore is well respected, and her aunt is my dearest friend. I do not think you can find a better match, and if you like her, all the better.”
“All true.” He put his fork down, and it clattered against the plate. “But I’ve fallen in love with someone else.”
His mother put her own fork down, her eyes wide with curiosity. “Oh, one of the other ladies? Well, that’s nothing to look so grim about. Why should I be disappointed? They are all good options.”
Despite what she showed to the world, Mother loved him and was less bigoted than most. Regardless, she would have to be told. “I’m in love with Millicent Edgebrook, and if she’ll have me, I’m going to marry her.”
Frozen, all the air sucked out of the room before Mother’s lip twitched. Her smile was slow and lit her bright blue eyes. “She is a lovely girl. Smarter than any other I’ve met. If you love her, then I’m happy for you, Preston. You know that your happiness has always been my goal.”
Preston drew breath. “I’m happy to hear you say that. I was worried you wouldn’t approve.”
“And if I hadn’t approved?” She raised one narrow eyebrow.
“It would have been unfortunate, but I would propose to Millicent anyway.”
“Good.” She ate a piece of cheese. “I would hate to think I raised a man who would give up his love because his mother disapproved.”
Unable to hold back his amusement, they laughed together. “I have to leave for London after luncheon. Now that we’ve talked, I need to secure the lady’s agreement.”
“Are you concerned she’ll refuse you? Surely not.” Spoken like a proud mother who conveniently forgot the last two refusals.
He took a long breath. “Millicent has plans for her life that do not include a husband. However, I intend to change her mind, even if I have to ask her a dozen times to be mine.”
* * * *
He rode like the devil to get back to London. He only stopped once to check on Mr. and Mrs. Minot and catch a few hours’ sleep. Once he changed his clothes from the dusty road, he realized it was too late to pay a call, so he went to Jacques’s home but found he was out for the evening. Driving to St. James’s, he hoped to find his friend at White’s gentleman’s club.
Jacques’s distinctive laugh caught Preston’s attention the moment he entered the club. Finding him at a card table, he drew attention.
As soon as the hand was over, Jacques collected his winnings and excused himself. “Pres, you got home quickly.”
They shook hands. “I didn’t want to waste any time.”
Corky Pottston slapped Preston on the back. “Congratulations, Your Grace. Lady Helena Buckbrush is quite a fine catch.
”
Frowning, Jacques pulled Preston aside where they wouldn’t be overheard. “I’m not sure how this rumor started, but I’d guess it was Her Grace’s doing. It is all over town that you intend to offer for Lady Helena.”
It was a struggle to catch his breath. “Please tell me Millicent has not heard this falsehood.”
With a shrug, Jacques strode into a private parlor, and still he kept his voice at a whisper. “To be honest, I do not know. As I told you in my letter, her uncle is recovering, and she has not been out of the house. That does not mean the servants have not informed her of this rumor. I suggest you speak to her as soon as possible.”
The most likely culprit was Helena’s mother trying to force his hand. Of course, it wouldn’t work, but it was unfortunate Helena would suffer for her mother’s stupidity. Preston would work on a solution to that problem after he solved his own. “If I hadn’t gotten in so late, I would have gone directly to the Edgebrook townhouse. Have you been to see them since you wrote?”
“Naturally. I call each day to check on Francis and make sure your Everton Lady is taking care of herself.”
Gripping Jacques’s shoulder, Preston said, “You are a good friend.”
Another shrug. “I like them. Your lady is rather brilliant, you know. She listens while I read books that would send most women running from the room. Yet she is fascinated by knowledge. I hate to say it, old friend, but you may be in trouble. I doubt you can keep up with her.”
Jacques wasn’t telling him anything he didn’t already know. It was part of what made Millicent so appealing. A lifetime of interesting conversation with a woman who made his heart skip a beat was more than he’d ever hoped for. All he had to do was convince her. “And you like the uncle too?”
“A genius, to be sure. Funny though, and completely dedicated to Millie. I can see why he begged her to come home shortly after she joined Everton’s.”
“Did he?” Preston hadn’t known he’d come close to losing his Everton Lady at the beginning.
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