by Ayles, Abby
Chapter 38
Duke Colbourn lead Annabelle toward the back of the soot cellar. It was not a large room but they moved slowly so as not to unrest the soot that was layered on the ground.
In the corner, a huge pile of coal along one wall, creating a dark shadow when the lantern light passed over it. Annabelle felt a chill run through her and she moved a little closer to the Duke.
“Reverend?” The Duke used a low voice but it echoed through the small room. He turned to the right and held out his lantern toward the corner. He took a step forward. “Reverend?”
Annabelle noticed the change in his voice. She moved around him and took a step forward, holding out her lantern the way he was. They stared for a second at what looked like a large folded rug propped up against the wall.
“Oh no,” Annabelle said quietly, hurrying forward before the duke could stop her.
“Oh no, Reverend Stovington. Oh my.” She set the lantern down beside the rug and reached forward to unfold the top of it.
Duke Colbourn stopped her with one hand. “Please, my Lady, let me do this.”
“I…” Annabelle pulled her hand back, retreating a step or two to allow him in front of her.
The Duke grasped the corner of the rug and pulled it back.
They were staring at the face of the Reverend Stovington. He looked peaceful.
“Oh, Reverend Stovington.” Annabelle covered her mouth with one hand and turned her head away from the man in the corner.
The Duke looked over his shoulder at her before touching his fingers to the side of the reverend’s neck. “He is still alive,” he said, much to Annabelle’s relief. She sighed and turned back.
“We must get him out of here immediately. We must find the Balfours before they have a chance to leave with the paintings.”
Duke Colbourn nodded. “Yes. Hold the lanterns. I will carry him out.”
Annabelle quickly picked up the lanterns and followed the Duke when he hefted the reverend up into his arms and carried him through the open door to the outer part of the cellar. She went around him to the stairs so that she could shine the light while they went up into the church.
“I must go fetch a doctor,” she said. “I wish that we had brought the buggy to the church. Now we will have to walk all the way back to get it.”
“I will go for the buggy. You stay with the reverend.”
“What if the Balfours return?”
The Duke shook his head.
“If there is one thing I believe about the elder Lord of Beldingshire and his sons, it is that they are not stupid. They must have known we would find the reverend. They have probably already loaded the paintings in a carriage and are heading out.”
“Do you think you will cross their path?”
“I do not know. But I believe you will be safe here with the reverend until I return or the doctor gets here, whichever is first.”
Duke Colbourn laid the reverend down on the stage by the altar. “Get some water and a cloth, my Lady. Try to clean him up as best you can.”
When he laid the reverend down, some of the soot left from his feet and hair coated the stage underneath him.
Annabelle stared at it, thinking about what the reverend had been through in the past day. She did not want to picture how Lord Balfour and his sons got the reverend into the cellar. They must have hurt him somehow.
“I will return.”
Duke Colbourn hurried down the middle aisle and disappeared through the front door. Annabelle watched until he was gone and then turned back to the reverend.
“I am here, Reverend Stovington,” she said quietly, bending over him and touching his face. “I am here.”
The Duke had not run in a long time. He felt a strong release of energy as he took off down the stairs and headed to where they had left the buggy. When he was past the tree line, he could see a dust cloud down the street.
His instincts were right. Lord Balfour and his sons had taken the paintings and were leaving. His sense of urgency renewed and with another burst of energy, he ran to the buggy as quickly as he could.
The horses were standing idle, waiting for their master. He jumped up in the buggy and snapped the reins.
Duke Colbourn turned the buggy around and went after the Balfours, uncertain how he would get them to stop. He raced the horses as fast as they would go, knowing the Balfours were doing the same thing.
They were in a wagon pulled by two horses instead of four. He was grateful because the extra two horses would have made it impossible for him to catch up.
He concentrated on the dust cloud. It did not veer off the main road. They were headed to the city. He shook his head.
They would not get away from him in the city. It was crowded and there was always at least one buggy or horse drawn carriage on the road. Someone would surely stop them on the other side. And he needed to get the doctor, who was in the city, so he was going in the right direction.
The buggy wheels jumped and hopped on the bumpy road, making the Duke bounce around in the seat. His body would be bruised from the rough ride but he did not care. He pictured the reverend in his mind.
Too many people were being hurt by the pursuit of the three paintings. They were worth a lot of money but the Balfours would not even be able to sell them without being reported.
He watched as the wagon in front of him got closer. Their horses were slowing down. He watched in satisfaction as he pulled up behind them. Lord Gilbert and Lord Leonard were both turned, looking back in his direction. They both looked terrified.
The Duke was flattered, since he had no real plan on how to get them to stop. He contemplated running up alongside their wagon and jumping over from the buggy.
Not only was it three against one but he had never done such a stunt in his life and doubted he ever could. Perhaps when he was a very young man.
He continued to chase them, leaning forward in the seat as if it would make the buggy go faster.
He could hear the young men calling out to their father to go faster.
There was a curve at the end of the dirt road, where the street turned to smooth cobblestone and lead into the city. From his position behind them, Duke Colbourn could see beyond the curve. Another buggy was approaching. He could not see who was driving it but they were about to crash into the Balfours.
He slowed his horses down and let the Balfours pull out in front. The two young men in the back of the wagon looked at him in astonishment.
He lifted one hand and pointed. The two turned and looked around the curve. They yelled to their father, who yanked back on the reins to get the horses to stop.
Panicking, the animals reared back, both lifting up on their hind legs, causing the buggy to crash into them. The momentum was too high for the buggy to stop when they did.
The Balfour men were thrown from the buggy. The Duke looked away for a moment, unwilling to see their bodies flying through the air. He had slowed his horses enough so that he was quickly by the side of the crazed animals.
He stopped his buggy and jumped down, running to catch the bridle of the horses or jump in the wagon to stop them from tearing off down the road.
He could not grasp the bridle quick enough as the animals were still rearing and whinnying in a panic. He decided to jump in the wagon. When he pulled himself up, he looked down in the back of the vehicle at the three paintings, stacked one on top of the other.
Aggravated at the carelessness of the Balfour men, Duke Colbourn grabbed the reins and began calling to the animals to calm them.
“Whoa! Whoa!” he said, pulling back gently on the reins.
The animals came down on all fours once again and pawed at the ground, irritated.
The buggy that had been coming in the direction of the church had stopped when the occupants saw the wreckage and the men laying on the ground. It was a couple, a man and a woman, dressed in fine clothing. They both looked shocked.
The man got down from his seat and went around to help the
woman, who took his hand without moving her eyes from the scene. She took in the two young men laying on the ground, their father not far from them in the grass nearby.
“What has happened here?” the man said, coming up to the wagon and looking up at Duke Colbourn. “It looks like the animals were driven mad.”
“They were driven hard,” the Duke replied. “But they will be fine. I am Stephen William Colbourn, The Duke of Cardinal.”
“I am William, the Duke of Rochester Island. This is my wife, Duchess of Rochester Island.”
“It is good to meet you. You were visiting with the Reverend recently, were you not?”
“Yes, that is right.”
“He has been injured. He is at the church now. Please get him and bring him to Norrend. Do you know where Norrend is?”
“Yes, I know the Duke of Norrend. That is my wife knows the Duchess of Norrend.”
“I am going to get the doctor. I will meet you at Norrend. Also, the daughter of the Duke, Miss Cartwright, has stayed with the reverend. It would be so kind of you to give her a ride home, since you will be taking the reverend there anyway.”
“Oh yes, of course! My Lord, we must go. There are people in danger.” The Duchess was already heading back toward their buggy.
Without another word but a single nod of their heads, the Dukes went in separate directions.
Duke Colbourn glanced over his shoulder once more to look at the paintings. So much trouble for these priceless works of art.
Epilogue
Several days later, Annabelle knocked the croquet ball with her mallet and watched with satisfaction as it slid through two of the hoops. She smiled at Duke Colbourn, who just shook his head.
“Remind me why I play this game with you, my Lady,” he said in an amused voice. “I cannot win.”
“You have won my heart, your Grace,” Annabelle said, playfully. “I hope that is more important than a croquet game.”
“Yes,” Duke Colbourn chuckled. “Yes, I must say it is much more important.”
The ordeal they had just been through had exhausted them both. Once they were back at Norrend with the reverend, both of them went to their separate rooms and slept for a long time. Annabelle did not find out what happened to the Balfours until the next day.
Lord Gilbert suffered a broken leg and was unconscious for two days. His brother was also knocked unconscious but came to before his father and brother, while they were still alone in the road.
He spotted the buggy Duke Colbourn had left behind, jumped in it, and left without a second of hesitation never to be seen again. He did not check on his father or brother.
He could not have saved his father.
Annabelle felt sorry for the men, despite the harm they had caused. It seemed like the death of the elder Lord Balfour, despite his unlawful ways, was too high a sacrifice to pay for three works of art, no matter how priceless they were.
The family put together a celebration, inviting anyone who wanted to come to an impromptu party. They gave no real reason for the party. No one outside the Norrend home knew what had happened.
Annabelle moved up the hillside to stand by the Duke. She watched as Julia took her turn, followed by Joanna.
She and the Duke Colbourn did not speak, content to be near each other for the time being. They would have plenty of time to talk in the future, when they could have more privacy.
Julia smiled up at Annabelle. “I am going to be as good as you someday, Annabelle. You do know this, do you not?”
Annabelle just laughed. “You must practice more, Julia. That is the only way to get better.”
“Yes, I have been told that before.”
“How is your mother? I heard she was feeling a little better.”
Julia stepped up to where they were, turning to watch her sister take her turn.
“She is speaking more. And she is coming out of her room more often. It is… such a lovely feeling, Annabelle. Such a lovely feeling seeing her coming out of the shell she has been in for so many years.”
“I would like to invite her over as soon as you feel she is well enough. I have already asked permission from the duchess and she has agreed that it would be good for your mother to come and visit again after all these years. She entrusted the care of her two daughters to my family and mother feels it would be only right for her to see how things have gone.”
“I am grateful to the duchess for that,” Julia nodded and then immediately shook her head, her eyes on her sister.
“Joanna, you are not holding that right. No, you must twist it just a little more to the right if you want it to go through the hoop.”
Joanna scrunched her nose at her sister. “I know what I am doing, Julia.”
Julia shook her head. “I do not think you do, sister.”
Instead of responding, Joanna swung the mallet and hit the ball, sending it flying off to the right, completely missing the hoop. She turned and scrunched her face up again.
“I do suppose I should have listened to you on that, sister, but you know how I am.”
Julia laughed and went down to banter with her sister on the hillside, pretending to show her the correct swing.
Annabelle watched them, feeling a warmth emanating from Duke Colbourn from where he stood next to her. She looked up at him and found him gazing at her. She smiled.
“What is it, your Grace?”
“I am enthralled with you, Annabelle. Your smile, your eyes, the way you care about your family and your friends. How is it that I could be so blessed?”
“You have done many good things in your short life, my Lord,” she replied.
He grinned at her. “Thank you for the compliment. I do not feel as old now.”
She gave him a shocked look. “Your Grace! You are not old!”
“I am older than you.”
She scoffed, waving her hand in the air. “Do not be silly, your Grace. That does not make you old. It makes you mature. If you were my father’s age, it might be closer to the truth.”
Duke Colbourn threw back his head and laughed heartily. “Miss Cartwright, you have a wonderful sense of humor. I predict many laughs in our future.”
“Oh, I do hope so,” Annabelle replied. “I do love to laugh.” She caught his eyes and they exchanged warm looks.”
“My Lady, are you… do you… truly love me?”
Annabelle wondered why he would ask a question with such an obvious answer. She turned to him, folding her hands inside the gloves she had taken off. It was a warm day and the gloves were suffocating her hands. She gripped her fingers together, hiding them in the folds of the fabric.
“I do, my Lord. Very much.”
“Does that mean you will be my wife and give me children?” the Duke knew all the answers to the questions he was asking. And he was not insecure about what her answers might be.
He just wanted to hear it from her lips. See her and hear her profess her love for him. “Will you marry me, Miss Annabelle Cartwright?”
As he spoke the words, he took both her hands, gloves and all and brought them to his lips. When his words were finished, he placed a soft kiss on each hand. “You would honor me greatly with your love and devotion.”
“My Lord, I will marry you. I will bear your children. I will stay with you until we are both old and grey and forever after that. Never will I let go of your hand.”
He looked in her eyes. He could see how much she loved him. It made his chest tighten. The feeling would have been painful if it wasn’t love that prompted it to happen.
“I am so happy to hear that. I will protect you always. I hope that what you have seen of me has not made you doubtful in any way.”
She shook her head, drawing her eyebrows together. “It cannot happen, my Lord. I have given my heart to you and only you. Not even for a moment have I believed any of the slanderous lies leveled upon you. I was outraged and angered by it.”
She glanced over at Julia and Joanna who had moved to another part of
the lawn to continue their game without Annabelle and Duke Colbourn, who were obviously otherwise occupied.
“I have forgiven her. I do hope you have found it in your heart to do so, as well.”
The Duke smiled at her, tilting his head to the side.
“My Lady, as long as I have you by my side, I can withstand any storm. I have forgiven her because she was quite taken in by the machinations of Lord Balfour. And I am so very grateful that you defended my honor when these things came to light.”
“It would not have been any other way, my Lord. From the first moment I saw you, I felt there was something different about you. I found pleasure in the way you spoke, the way you looked at me. You have traits that I find quite attractive.”
“As do you, my Lady.” He squeezed her fingers lightly, bringing them once again to his lips.
“Oh, your Grace,” Annabelle said in a soft voice, stepping a bit closer to him. She looked up, drowning in the passion she saw deep in his eyes.
“I am so pleased my father has no objection to our union. I would have found it impossible to say no when you asked me to be your wife.”
“I would not have liked to hear that word come from your mouth, Miss Cartwright. But if it had, I would have respected your decision and gone to South London with Mr. Covington.”
The thought of the Duke leaving with Mr. Covington and never seeing him again made Annabelle’s heart ache even though it had not happened. She never wanted to be apart from him again, barring business trips.
She trusted her heart with him. She would give him everything she had, love him more than any other woman in the world. She would keep him happy and content. And he would keep her safe and protected from anything evil in the world.
“My Lord, please do not ever leave me behind. I wish to be yours forever.”
“Sweet Lady, the day that we are married is the day you will be next to me for the rest of our lives. I will never leave you behind and I hope to be someday be worth the love I see in your eyes. I will prove myself to you, my Lady. I will give you everything you ask for, as long as it is in my power to do so. Thank you for giving me your heart. I gladly accept it and give you mine in return.”
