The Duke's Bride: Regency Romance (Regency Brides Book 1)

by Joanne Wadsworth

  This piece reminded him of lighter, more fanciful times. Like before the war had ever started. Of being atop his stallion and flying across the open fields of his duchy. Then as the allegro came to an end, everyone remained quiet.

  Moments later, Ellie and Tidmore dove straight into the more soulful tune of andante. With this piece of music, he returned to those grassy fields of his duchy atop his thoroughbred. He closed his eyes and drifted on the sea of melody, his Ellie playing so beautifully. He could taste the pine freshness in the air, the sunshine warming his skin, and the addictive freedom of the countryside drawing him ever deeper within it.

  The puppy curled into a ball in his palms, it’s head and paws propped on his thumbs, then with the closing notes of the andante falling like soft rose petals fluttering to the grassy ground, he opened his eyes and caught Ellie’s golden gaze as she smiled at him. “Bravo,” he whispered to her, although there was still so much more to come.

  She didn’t disappoint either, his enchanting imp who’d followed him around since he was a lad. With her pouty lips raised and her bountiful charms on clear display, she dived straight into the allegro molto.

  Her fingers chased across the keys from her position on the right, then Tidmore joined in from her left before halting and allowing Ellie to continue, then both together again. They played the piece to sheer perfection before reaching the ultimate crescendo.

  He held his breath, the puppy no longer napping but his ears alert.

  Ellie and Tidmore both raced to the finish line, the last chord still ringing clear about the room as she and Tidmore stood and dipped their heads to everyone’s applause.

  His too. He clapped with fierce abandon, the puppy yapping excitedly in his lap. He wanted to pull Ellie Marie into his arms and kiss her, to take her far away from Tidmore, who seemed incredibly pleased by their performance too, as he had every right to be.

  “Oh my, nothing can surely top that performance now. You two are delightfully good together.” Flora settled the music sheets into order after turning them so expertly during the playing.

  “Dinner is served.” A maid bobbed her head at the doorway.

  “Thank you, Meg.” Flora acknowledged the girl with a smile. “Let’s all adjourn to the dining room.”

  “Allow me to escort you.” Tidmore extended his arm to Ellie and she thanked him, hooked her hand around his elbow, and the two walked out.

  “Are you all right, Ashten?” Winterly joined him, a speculative look in his eyes.

  “Yes, of course.” He tugged at the tightness of his cravat.

  “Hand Beast back to Sophia. She’ll put him in his basket.” Winterly patted his shoulder then escorted Flora and Olivia out of the room.

  He passed Sophia the pup since she stood waiting with her hands out for him, and after Sophia had snuggled the wee one in the padded basket near the fireplace, he offered Sophia his arm and escorted her down the passageway and into the dining room.

  Winterly seated his mama and sister at the long table draped in a burgundy cloth, while Ashten pulled out Sophia’s chair for her. Ellie sat across from her sisters, Tidmore at her side, and with Winterly and Flora now seated at each end of the table, he took the last remaining chair on Ellie’s other side. Casting his gaze to Flora across the sparkling glasses and cutlery, he said, “You are all very dear to me.”

  “As you are very dear to us too.” Flora’s eyes misted and she quickly blinked. “This is a wonderful night, one to truly celebrate.”

  “Hear, hear,” Winterly chanted before signaling the staff.

  Plates were set before them. The Yorkshire pudding held a crispy baked batter shell and a light and chewy batter center, the dish served with roast beef and gravy. A generous portion of pork and apple pie sat to the side with steam curling from it, and the cubed roasted potatoes glistened with a knob of butter melting over them.

  “Let’s join together in a prayer of thanks.” Winterly bowed his head and recited a prayer, then once done, the servants filled their wine glasses.

  “Did you have success selecting your masks for the masquerade?” Ellie asked Olivia and Sophia as they ate.

  “We had immense success,” Olivia answered her, “Sophia and Mama found the perfect masks too.”

  Conversation continued to flow, while under the table, Ellie gently squeezed his leg, her bold move shocking him into momentary silence. Thank heavens none of her family had seen that.

  “Look at you returning to the world.” She smiled so beguilingly at him, and his heart skipped a beat.

  “It’s you and your family. You lot are impossible to ignore.”

  “I’m going to take that as a compliment.” She snuck her hand back and sipped her wine as she glanced at her mama. “Ashten and I had a lovely afternoon and even played cards. I actually trounced His Grace in poker.”

  “Oh, I do so enjoy a game of cards. Perhaps we could all play whist after dinner?” Flora arched an expectant brow at him. “Please, say you’ll stay.”

  “I would enjoy a game of whist immensely.” He couldn’t deny his desire for a chance to redeem his loss of earlier against Ellie, or at least that’s what he told himself. Trounce her this time, he would, and discover if Tidmore was the man she intended to run away with while he did.

  He wasn’t leaving until he’d uncovered all of her secrets.

  Chapter 12

  At the card table set up in the drawing room, Ellie took the seat Ashten had graciously pulled out for her. Her sisters and Winterly had drawn the three smallest cards of the deck so would sit this game out and play in the second match of whist instead. Sophia and Olivia sat on the blue brocade settee fawning over Beast who kept trying to gnaw on their fingers, while Winterly poured port at the side table into glasses. Across from her, Ashten, her partner and dealer in this game as per the initial cards drawn, took his seat and handed the cards to Tidmore on his left to shuffle. Ashten accepted the cards back, asked Mama on his right to cut the deck, then dealt all the cards out, one at a time, face down, until each of them had thirteen cards, other than for him. The final card belonged to Ashten and he left it turned face up near his cards, that card being the card denoting the suit of hearts as trumps.

  “This is a wonderful pairing.” Mama jiggled in her seat across from Tidmore, her partner. “We shall make a winning pair, Mr. Tidmore.”

  “That we shall.” Tidmore began the game for the first trick by leading with one of the cards in his hand, a king of diamonds.

  Ellie followed suit next with her four of diamonds, then Mama added a two of the same suit and Ashten, who was last, picked the face card up and slotted it into his hand of splayed cards before playing an ace of diamonds.

  “Well played.” She blew Ashten a kiss, which she really shouldn’t have done, and her cheeks burned with heat a mere second after the terrible gaffe.

  “It appears,” Mama said rather loud in order to cover her faux pas, “that Your Grace is in fine form tonight.”

  Oh goodness. Her cheeks heated even further. He’d been in fine form all day, in the park when they’d kissed, over dinner when he’d sat beside her, and almost every other moment in between.

  “Care for some port, Ashten?” Winterly offered her card partner a glass, which he accepted with thanks, then her brother proceeded to serve everyone else in the room. As Winterly handed her a drink, he gently squeezed her shoulder and whispered in her ear, “Take care that your competitive spirit doesn’t rise too sharply tonight.”

  “Why is that?” she whispered back. Thankfully Mama was regaling Ashten and Mr. Tidmore with an interesting tale and neither man had caught her brother’s words thus far.

  “Because I don’t want you scaring off the two men in this house who are currently unwed and possibly looking for a wife.”

  “I should have known you were going to say that.” Yes, there were definitely two eligible men present here tonight, but one of them had no desire to take a wife. A certainty for sure.

  As their
game resumed, she and Ashten took the second trick, then the third.

  Mama and Tidmore claimed the fourth, fifth, and sixth tricks, and after another six heart-racing rounds with three tricks claimed to each partnered pair, it all came down to the thirteenth and final card in their hands.

  “I fear I might chew my nails off.” Sophia sat on the edge of the settee, eagerly watching their game.

  “I’ve never witnessed such a close match.” Olivia too was near to toppling off the seat beside Sophia.

  “Either have I.” Ashten placed his card down first, an ace of hearts, a card no one could possibly beat. “Trumps,” he murmured with a wicked grin at her.

  “Oh my.” She beamed. “Well done.”

  “Gads. We’ll have to take the loss with good grace, Lady Winterly.” Tidmore dropped his four of spades on top of Ashten’s ace of hearts.

  “That we will, and we were so close too.” Mama placed her ten of hearts on the pile. “Show us what you had, Ellie, my dear.”

  “I saved my best until last.” She lowered her jack of hearts on top of Mama’s.

  “Drat it all. You would have trumped Tidmore and me too had Ashten been without the ace.” Mama rose and held out her chair for Sophia, while Tidmore held out his chair for her brother.

  Ellie offered Olivia her chair for the swap then came around and touched Ashten’s shoulder. “You remain and play another round since you won that last trick.”

  “As you wish.” He collected the cards and shuffled them, while Mama sat on the settee and picked up her embroidery.

  Tidmore stepped in beside her, his voice low as he murmured, “Did our plan come into fruition?”

  “Yes.” She cleared her throat, wishing to speak to him further in private. “I believe I need some fresh air,” she said loud enough for everyone to hear.

  “Then allow me to escort you for a walk.” Tidmore grinned. “In the rear garden?”

  “Yes, that would be lovely.” She looped her arm through the crook in his elbow. “Mama?”

  “I can see you from the window, dear. Go and take your walk.” Mama waved her off.

  “Then let’s be away.” She wandered into the foyer, donned her riding habit jacket hooked on the stand where Penny had hung it for her earlier, then as Mr. Tidmore opened the door, she walked through and wandered along the gravel pathway into the garden. Together, they strolled underneath the arbor, white and red rose vines clinging to it. She halted and lifted her gaze to the moon shining so gloriously bright overhead, a million stars twinkling all about it. “When I stand outside on such a beautiful, clear night as this, I can’t help but wonder what it might be like to see this sky from elsewhere.”

  “The stars align differently depending on where one stands on this vast Earth.” Tidmore clasped his hands behind his back as he gazed at the stars, then at her. The moon highlighted his strong jaw and painted the ends of his black hair a midnight blue. “If you truly do desire to see this night sky from elsewhere, I would be honored to take you to those places across the seas.”

  “I’ve always longed to travel.”

  “My mother would adore listening to us play the piano together, my father as well.”

  “When will they next return to England for a visit?”

  “Usually in the summer, so they’ll return soon.”

  “How wonderful.” She smiled and snuck a look over her shoulder toward the drawing room. Mama watched them as she embroidered, her gaze dipping up and down from her stitching to the window. Ashten watched her avidly from the card table and she waved, which for some reason made him scowl. She giggled and returned her attention to Tidmore. “The duke is beginning to open his heart again, and with him being here this night and remaining for dinner and such, I’m certain he’s now made that first difficult step in returning to Society, just as I wished for him to do.”

  “He is a very fortunate man to have such friends as you and your family, and I’m immensely glad that your brother and I have forged such a strong business partnership as well. I’m certainly looking forward to extending that partnership to the duke. With the three of us pooling our abilities and funds together, we can expand the shipping fleet I manage, just as I’ve always desired to do.” He cleared his throat. “Tell me about the finer details surrounding your conversation with the duke.”

  “In the end, I was forced to carry out the plan we hatched.”

  “I expected that was so.” A slow nod.

  “You don’t mind that I did?” She lowered her voice further, even though she didn’t need to. They were alone, their conversation private.

  “Of course not. I would never have suggested the elopement as an idea otherwise.”

  “Ashten still believes I intend on eloping, but I never disclosed with whom, so you are safe in that regard.”

  “In all honesty, I’ve no issue with Ashten learning it is me.”

  “Pardon?” Her breath hitched.

  “What I’m trying to say, is that I believe your brother would approve of a marriage between us, even if it came by way of an elopement. Before dinner this evening, he spoke about his worry regarding Sophia, of Hargrove’s decision to join the hussars, which surprised me since it is of such a deeply personal nature.”

  “Winterly would only ever speak of such private family matters with those he holds in great esteem.”

  “I would never disclose to another what he spoke of to me, other than with you of course.” He reached for a rose dangling from the arbor overtop her head and plucked it free. The white petals glowed an enchanting shade of gold in the moonlight. “You and I have always been rather candid with each other, which is rather refreshing compared to my conversations with so many of the debutantes of London. You must also wed soon yourself, from what I understand from your brother, and even though we spoke of an elopement in order to draw the Duke of Ashten out of Blackgale House, I would love nothing more than for you to agree to an elopement in truth.”

  “You would?” Her mouth dried completely out.

  “Yes, I most certainly would.” He laid the rose gently in his palm and held it out to her, his gaze firm on hers. “Lady Ellie Trentbury, would you care to travel the world with me, to the Americas and beyond when I’m on board one of my ships? I can promise you we’ll live here in England half the year. I would be greatly honored if you would agree to be my wife.”

  “Y-you’re—” She was lost for words. Never had she envisioned actually eloping with Tidmore, although if she did elope with him to Gretna Green, then Sophia could accept a proposal from Hargrove should he request her hand in marriage before he left for the front line. Goodness. Tidmore was certainly suitable, and she’d always enjoyed his company. They had a great deal in common, and he and her brother got along so very well. Mama also approved of him, and Ashten, well, he’d stated his intentions well and clear. There would never be a marriage between them. She drew in a deep, fortifying breath. “You have an immensely generous and giving heart, Mr. Tidmore.”

  “Call me Thomas, and is that yes, Lady Ellie?”

  “You must call me Ellie, and…” She touched the rose in Thomas’s hand and gently brushed one finger over a soft petal, her gaze on his. He had such kind eyes, a soft brown that emitted compassion, and so much more. “I, ah, I would need to warn you first, of my head strong and frivolous nature.”

  “Then I need to warn you as well. I have had no issue in the past telling a lady with golden eyes that she can elope with me, so that the duke she wished to aid might tear himself out of his self-exile and rejoin Society.” He searched her gaze. “I can see you hold Ashten in high regard, and one day I hope you shall also hold me in equally high regard.”

  “I’m certain I already do.”

  “Then, my dear Lady Ellie, if you care to elope with me in truth, we shall do so the night of the masquerade, while the ball is in full swing and no one will miss our departure. Just be sure to leave a note behind for your brother so he won’t worry over where you’ve gone. Inform h
im that I shall take immense care of you, and that we shall return from Gretna Green once we’ve spoken our vows.” He held the rose by the stem toward her. “Will you accept this rose as a token of my affection?”

  “Yes.” She could do naught less.

  Chapter 13

  Deep in Ashten’s gut, turmoil raged. He’d barely been able to sit still as he’d played cards, not while outside under the arbor abloom with white and red roses, his Ellie was conducting a rather intimate conversation with Mr. Tidmore. Damn the man. Unfortunately, he actually liked and respected the American shipping merchant. He was clearly an honorable man with a sound business mind, a partner Winterly had forged a close business relationship with, and a man he intended on fostering the same business relationship with too, but hell, he truly didn’t care for how close those two stood together under the moonlight.

  Obviously, he was jealous. Even he could admit that annoying emotion had risen strongly within him, but she wasn’t for him, could never be for him. Not only was she Harry’s little sister, but he’d sworn off getting involved with any and all ladies after what had happened to Lady Ashley.

  Gritting his teeth, he played his next card and dash it all, Ellie had just accepted a rose from Tidmore. She brought the white bloom to her nose, snuck a look at him through the window and suddenly frowned. Worry creased her brow, her pouty lips forming the words, Are you all right?

  Of course he wasn’t all right, and he wouldn’t be either until she returned to the drawing room and removed herself from the private conversation she was currently having outside. Good grief. The man held such a damn besotted look on his face as he gazed upon his Ellie. His Ellie. He mouthed back to her, No.