by Marie Force
She found the work being done by the brothers in America the most exciting of all and dreamed of crossing the ocean to see their flying machine for herself.
A few days later, Derek received word that his friends Lord Enderly and Mr. Nelson were coming soon for a visit.
“They won’t believe what’s become of us,” Simon said bluntly over dinner. He and Madeleine had finally emerged from their rooms, the two of them glowing and obviously besotted with each other after days alone together.
“I’m wondering what’s become of your father,” Derek said.
“He’ll crawl out from under his rock one of these days. I’m sure he’s licking his wounds and filled with disappointment to hear that you met the deadline and held on to your title.”
“What deadline?” Catherine asked, noting the stricken expression on her husband’s face.
“Oh, bollocks,” Simon said, tuning into Derek’s distress. “She doesn’t know about the deadline?”
“No,” Derek said, his jaw tight with tension.
“What is it that I don’t know about?” Catherine asked her husband while her sister seemed to hold her breath.
“We will discuss it later,” Derek said. “When we are alone.”
She returned his pointed glare. “We will discuss it now, Your Grace.”
Simon stood and urged his wife to do the same. “We will give you some privacy,” he said. “My profound apologies, Derek.” Simon ushered the footmen out of the dining room and closed the doors behind them.
* * *
“What just happened?” Madeleine asked her husband.
“I put my foot in it,” Simon said, swearing softly under his breath. “Derek was required to marry by his thirtieth birthday to retain his title.”
“Oh! I remember hearing something about that in town. When was his birthday?”
“The same week they married.”
“And Catherine doesn’t know that?”
“I think she knew about his birthday, but not the deadline attached to it.”
“Oh no.”
Simon went into the drawing room and poured himself a stiff drink. “It never occurred to me that he hadn’t told her that when he told her the rest.”
“Just when things between them seemed to be getting better.”
“I’m a bloody idiot.”
Madeleine went to her husband and put her arms around him. “It’s not your fault. He should’ve told her everything when he had the chance.”
Downing the rest of his drink, Simon put down his glass and returned her embrace, his gaze fixed on the closed doors to the dining room as he wondered if Derek would ever forgive him for making things worse.
Chapter Twenty-Four
For a long time after everyone else left the room, Derek stared at the far wall and tried to think of something he could say to ward off this latest catastrophe.
“What deadline was Simon referring to?” Catherine asked, her backbone rigid as she seemed to steel herself for yet another blow.
Fear filled every corner of his being. She’d been on her way to forgiving him for the deception about his title, but this . . . This would undo everything once again. He should have told her everything when she found out about his title. If he had, he wouldn’t be faced with having to share yet another deception with his precious wife. His only excuse was his complete lack of experience in dealing with women for anything other than sex, but of course that was no excuse.
“I was required to marry by my thirtieth birthday to retain my title,” he said in a dull, flat tone that perfectly mirrored the way he felt as he said the words. Any hope he had of returning to the bliss of their first days together disappeared like smoke up a chimney when his words registered with her.
“You must’ve been very happy to find a desperate, dirty female digging on your property at such a fortuitous time, Your Grace.”
Her words cut him deeply, but he deserved every one of them. “It wasn’t like that.”
“Wasn’t it?”
He shook his head. “Ours was a love match from the beginning.”
She stood and threw her cloth napkin onto the table. “Ours was a deception from the beginning! What else do I not know?”
What did it say about his level of adoration for her that her rage only made her more magnificent in his eyes? “Nothing. There’s nothing else.”
“And I’m expected to take you at your word on that?”
“It is the truth.”
“Do you even know what that word means?”
“I do, and I apologize to you again for not telling you something you should’ve heard from me.”
“I appreciate so many things about you—your kindness, your generosity, your commitment to your title and the people who rely upon you. I appreciate that you saved my sister and me from a terrible fate with Lindsey by settling my father’s debts. But I have no idea how to reconcile that man with one who finds it so easy to lie to the woman he claims to love. I’m not one of those simpering debutantes who circled around you in London ballrooms, so desperate to make a match with a duke that I will tolerate deceit.”
“I know you’re not, and that’s one of many reasons why I love you so much.”
“You say you love me, but I don’t think you know the meaning of the word.”
“That is not true! I look at you, and I see love. I see everything I’ve ever longed for, since the day I was orphaned and left with no one.”
Tears filled her eyes and spilled down her cheeks. “I would like some time alone. Please do not come to me tonight.” She left the room, the door closing with a slam that echoed through the large room like a gunshot.
Derek felt more alone than he ever had in his life.
* * *
Catherine fell onto her bed, sobs wracking her body. She had only just begun to believe in him again when another crack was revealed in the foundation beneath them.
He’d had to marry her to hold on to his title.
No wonder he’d been in such an all-fired rush to get to Scotland that night.
Lindsey was only part of the reason.
Today is my birthday, he’d said that first day they went swimming. When she’d asked how old he was, he’d said thirty. How relieved he must’ve been that day to no longer have to worry about turning over his kingdom to the uncle he despised.
Her heart ached as the tears continued unabated.
A knock on the door had her sitting up and wiping her face. “Go away.”
“It’s me, Madeleine.”
Catherine got up and went to admit her sister, closing the door behind her.
Madeleine hugged her. “I’m so sorry you’re upset. Simon feels terrible about what he said.”
“It’s not his fault.” Catherine wiped her tears and went to sit on the edge of the bed. “He’s not the one who should’ve told me.”
“I understand why you’re upset. Derek should’ve been honest with you about everything from the beginning.” Madeleine sat next to her on the bed and rested folded hands on her lap. “It’s just that I’ve seen the way he looks at you, and it’s very obvious that he adores you. Perhaps he felt that if he told you the truth about his birthday after you found out about his title, that you’d never believe his intentions were pure.”
“How will I ever know what his intentions truly were?”
“Does it matter so much? You are married to a man who clearly loves you. Has he done everything the way he should have? Absolutely not. But perhaps you could find it in your heart to forgive him.”
“How many times am I going to have to forgive him?”
“In the course of a lifetime, perhaps many times. Just as he will have to forgive you at times.”
Catherine glanced at her younger sister, offering a small smile. “When did you become so wise about marriage? You have only been married a few days.”
“And in that time, I have decided the good times will far outweigh the bad with my dear Simon. Surely you must feel
the same about Derek.”
“Every time I begin to trust my feelings for him, something happens to make me question everything. Maybe we’re destined for one of those aristocratic marriages in which the couple lives in separate residences.” The thought of such a lonely existence, after the bliss she had found in that first perfect week with her new husband, gutted her.
She wished she could go back to the days in his grandmother’s cozy cottage, before reality intruded to ruin everything.
“You should get some rest,” Madeleine said.
“Would you mind helping with my dress and then telling Julia to take the evening off ?”
“I can do that.”
After helping Catherine undress and hugging her, Madeleine left the room.
Catherine got into bed and turned on her side to look out at the stars twinkling in the evening sky through the curtains she’d left open to allow in the warm breeze. She fully expected her husband to defy her request and come to her anyway. And when he didn’t, she ached with loneliness.
* * *
In the morning, she bathed and then asked Julia for a breakfast tray in her room, hoping to avoid her husband for as long as she could. She dressed in the clothing he’d given her to wear at the dig site and headed out to put in a few hours looking for her grandmother’s key. The shovels they’d been using were right where they’d left them, tucked behind one of the big oak trees. Seeing the second shovel, her heart gave a lurch as she began the lonely task of digging in a new area.
The sun beat down upon her, making the task even more arduous than it already was. She’d become accustomed to Derek breaking the ground for her. Doing it herself made her sad.
Her sister’s words from the night before were heavy on her mind as she worked, stopping only when the sound of something on the path that led to the dig site had her looking up. One of the newfangled motorcars she’d read about, driven by Jack Bancroft, came around the last bend before the glade. This motorcar had an open back and was full of men she recognized from the estate.
Baffled and curious about the car as much as the appearance of the men, Catherine leaned against her shovel.
Bancroft nodded to her. “Your Grace.” He didn’t seem at all surprised to find her dressed in men’s clothing and digging on the duke’s property.
“Mr. Bancroft, what are you doing here?”
“We’re here to help.” He barked orders at the other men, who nodded to her as they fanned out along the circle she and Derek had dug around the perimeter, twenty paces from the large oak in the middle of the field.
“I’m afraid I don’t understand.”
“His Grace informed us that you are out here looking for a key that your grandmother once buried on the property. We were told to help you find it.”
Catherine was too stunned to move for several minutes after the men arrived. Despite her harsh words the night before, the duke had sent eight men, who surely had more important things to do, to help her.
A short time after they arrived, she heard horse hooves on the path and looked up to see Derek riding Hercules. He took in the sight of the men attending to his orders, nodded to her and then took off.
* * *
Derek rode Hercules hard, taking his frustrations and fear out on the horse, who was more than happy for the chance to expend some energy. Having Catherine close by but out of reach to him had made for a sleepless night for Derek. This morning, he’d been told by Mrs. Langingham that Catherine had headed out early to the dig site. That’s when he’d had the idea to send her some help.
The stunned expression on her face brought him satisfaction.
Maybe if he kept showing her how important she was to him, how much he wanted her to be happy, she would forgive him once again.
Or perhaps that was wishful thinking.
All he knew was that one night without her had been torture. What if that was the first of many nights they would spend apart? How would he stand to be away from her after the bliss he’d found in her arms?
More than ever, he wished his parents were there to tell him what he should do to win back her love. Of course, if his parents had been there, none of this would’ve happened because his father would still be the duke and Derek free to wander the world. If his father had lived, Derek never would’ve met Catherine or found her digging on his property. Lindsey would’ve found her and forced her to marry him.
The thought of his lovely Catherine with that beast of a man was almost enough to make him sick.
Even if she never spoke to him again, she was safe, and that was what mattered most to Derek.
Or so he told himself.
* * *
Over the next few days, Catherine worked with the children in the village in the morning and at the dig site in the afternoons, along with the men from the estate, who continued to show up each day to give the dig a few hours before leaving to tend to their other duties.
Her husband had made himself scarce. She hadn’t seen him in days.
Simon and Madeleine had gone back to town to attend some of the Season’s final balls and events, leaving Catherine with far too much time alone to think about how much she missed her husband.
And oh, how she missed him. Enough to ask Mrs. Langingham where he was at the end of the third day without him.
“He had meetings in town, but we expect him back later tonight. He didn’t tell you he was leaving?”
Catherine shook her head.
“That doesn’t sound like him.”
Catherine felt the need to defend him. “He thought I wouldn’t want to know.”
“Why would he think such a thing?”
“We had a disagreement.”
“Oh,” the older woman said, nodding with understanding. “Well, these things happen. I’m sure whatever it is will work itself out when he returns.”
“I hope so.”
Later that night, Catherine lay awake waiting and listening, hoping to hear signs from the adjoining room that her husband had returned home. By the time she heard the low murmur of male voices, it was all she could do to stay in her bed when she wanted to run to him.
Three days without him had been endless.
Drawn by something bigger than herself, Catherine got up and put on her robe. She went through the bathing room, stopping at the closed door to his room. Would he be happy to see her? Or was he still angry after their disagreement? Had he missed her, too, or did he regret shackling himself to a woman who didn’t want the life he’d been born into? She rested a hand on the door, wishing for answers she didn’t have.
Then the door opened, startling her and sending her flying into her husband’s arms.
Thankfully, he reacted quickly, catching her as he took two steps backward, seeking balance.
“Hello to you, too, wife,” he said, pleasure dancing in his eyes as he looked down at her.
“H-hello.”
His valet, Gregory, looked on in amusement as he unpacked the duke’s bag.
“If you wouldn’t mind excusing us, Gregory,” Derek said. “I haven’t seen my new wife in three very long days.”
“Of course, Your Grace. Good night to you both.” The door closed quietly behind him, leaving them alone.
When Catherine would’ve pulled back from him, he tightened his hold on her. “Don’t go,” he said. “I missed you terribly.”
“You didn’t tell me you were leaving.”
“I didn’t think you’d care.”
“I did.” She cleared her throat and forced herself to look up and meet his intense gaze. “I do care. And I didn’t appreciate hearing of your departure from our housekeeper.”
“Won’t happen again.” He continued to look down at her, appearing to drink her in. “I’m glad to hear you cared that I was gone.”
“It was very quiet around here without you, Simon and Madeleine.”
“Were you lonely?”
“I kept busy.”
“But were you lonely?”
She forced herself to look up and meet his intense gaze. “Yes, I was.”
“I’m sorry you were. I never want you to be lonely again. The next time, you will come with me when I have to go to town.”
“Why did you go?”
“I was hoping for the opportunity to meet with my uncle, but no one has seen him in quite some time. I even hunted down his mistress, who hasn’t seen him either.”
“He keeps a mistress?” she asked, filled with distaste for the man who’d sired Simon.
“He has for years. His wife has been unwell.”
“Would you take a mistress if your wife were unwell?”
“If my wife were unwell, I’d be so distraught that the thought of lying with another woman would be the very last thing on my mind.”
She smoothed her hand over his broad chest. “That is a very good answer.”
Derek laughed, which made her smile. She enjoyed the sound of his laughter, especially when she was the cause of it.
“Are you worried about your uncle?”
“Not particularly. He always shows up eventually. The longer he stays away, the happier Simon and I usually are. But I don’t wish to discuss him. I’d much rather talk about you.”
“What about me?”
“I didn’t care for sleeping alone the last few nights.”
“No?”
He shook his head and held her gaze as he brought his lips down on hers.
In the instant his lips connected with hers, Catherine discovered that she didn’t care about the issues that stood between them. She cared only about being closer to the man who had brought her such extraordinary pleasure, who had protected and cared for her while indulging her every interest from the day they met. She loved that man, and for tonight, she would keep her focus on him and not think about the one who had deceived her more than once.
“Were you planning to bathe when I interrupted you?”
“No,” he said, his lips warm and persuasive on her neck. “I was on my way to look in on you. I was hungry for the sight of you.”
She looped her arms around his neck and ran her fingers through his hair. “I was equally hungry for the sight of you.”
