Sins of an Intoxicating Duchess: A Steamy Historical Regency Romance Novel

by Violet Hamers

  “Very,” she replied. “But I also noticed that Lady Selina was unhappy, too.”

  “I don’t want to cause a scandal,” he said. “I—”

  She took his hands in hers. “Whatever you decide, I will support you. But what I will not support is you ruining Lady Leah’s life. If you know that you won’t be happy, then don’t drag her into it.”

  He smiled at her. “Thank you, Mother.”

  “Of course, my son,” she said.

  “I’m just not sure how to do it.”

  “It’ll come to you.” She sighed, glancing once more at the portrait of his father. “Goodnight, Jasper.”

  “Goodnight, Mother,” he replied. He remained where he was, listening as her footsteps faded in the distance. He stared up at his father’s familiar face.

  He was exhausted. The evening had dragged on, and he’d had a full dinner and several drinks. His limbs ached for bed.

  Footsteps, walking briskly, sounded in the hall. He turned to find Sotheby nearly running toward him.

  “Your Grace,” he said, his voice urgent.

  “Yes, Sotheby?” he asked, knowing exactly what news he brought.

  “Quick, Your Grace,” he said. “There’s been another robbery—this time—this time, Lady Langley was murdered.”

  His heart raced—Lady Langley had left Sandbourne, with her family, just before Jasper did. That meant that the robbers had waited for them. It could have been any of them, but Lord and Lady Langley had been the ones with the bad luck.

  Jasper rode to Kirby Hall, the first thing the next morning. He’d been up until late, having gone over to see Lord Langley and Lady Ella. They were both shaken, but neither of them hurt. He’d listened to their story—how a group of two men stopped them. Lady Langley had been held at knifepoint. She’d tried to fight back, and had been killed.

  Jasper was going to call off the wedding. Full stop. They could not have guests arriving for a wedding when there were thieves in the area.

  He arrived in time to meet Lord and Lady Kirby for breakfast.

  “Come, have a seat, Your Grace,” Lord Kirby said, his plate full before him. Jasper felt terrible to be intruding upon them, but he couldn’t put it off.

  “I need to talk to both of you, and Lady Leah, as well,” he said.

  “She’ll be down in a moment, Your Grace,” Lady Kirby replied.

  “It would be best if it were just the three of you,” he said, not wanting Lady Selina to be there.

  “I’ll go and get her,” Lady Kirby said, standing and leaving the room.

  “It’s about the wedding, then?” Lord Kirby asked, knowingly.

  “Yes, My Lord,” he said grimly. “Lord and Lady Langley were attacked last night.”

  Lord Kirby frowned. “Langley? Is he all right?”

  Jasper shook his head. “No, My Lord.”

  Lord Kirby gasped, setting his knife and fork down. He’d gone pale as a sheet. “Good God,” he whispered. “We’d only just seen them. We—”

  Jasper watched as realization dawned on Lord Kirby.

  “Right,” he said. “We don’t need guests arriving now.”

  The two ladies entered, then and Lord Kirby didn’t say anything more.

  “Your Grace,” Lady Leah said, curtsying. “To what do we owe the honor?” She was smiling as she sat down in the seat across from him.

  “There was another robbery last night,” Jasper said. “Lady Langley was killed.”

  Lady Kirby gasped. Lady Leah looked stricken.

  “We need to call off the wedding,” he said. “We cannot have guests arriving in the area when they are exactly the type of people who these men are targeting.”

  “Then, of course,” Lady Leah said, suddenly tearing up. “We’ll have to write to everyone to let them know.”

  “It’s for the best, dear,” Lady Georgiana said.

  “Of—of course,” Lady Leah agreed, shakily. “It—It’s not forever.”

  Jasper nodded. This would be the first step—call it off, then when he was in a better frame of mind, he would talk to her, convince her that it would be best, for both of them, that they not go through with it.

  Leah stood up. It wasn’t fair! Her wedding! Put off! On top of that, Lady Langley! Murdered! Her throat was very tight, and her eyes were filling with tears. They were all watching her. She covered her mouth.

  “I’m sorry,” she whispered, then ran from the room, sobbing. It was too much to bear.

  “Oh, Leah, my sweet!” her mother called after her, following her out and into the hallway.

  “Mother!” Leah sobbed.

  “Come, darling,” her mother said, wrapping her arms around her, and ushering her toward her bedroom.

  “It’s so unfair!”

  As they went down the upstairs hall, Selina stepped from her room. Her eyes widened.

  “What’s happened?” she asked. Leah wished, deeply, that Selina wasn’t there. She was likely judging her.

  “The wedding’s been called off!” Mother hissed.

  Selina’s eyes widened even more.

  “There’s been a murder!” Leah’s mother explained as she ushered Leah in front of her.

  “Oh!” Selina gasped, her hand going to her mouth.

  “Go downstairs, the Duke and your Uncle are both in the dining room,” Mother ordered. “Leah and I will be in her room.”

  They burst into the safety of Leah’s rooms. Her wedding gown was hanging from her jade-green dressing screen. It was like a ghost, haunting her.

  “What—what if I never get to wear it?” she asked, touching the delicate seed-pearls, which had been sewn into a rose.

  “Of course, you will!” Leah’s mother said. “It isn’t for forever—it’s just until we know it’s safe.”

  Leah nodded morosely. She sniffled. To think that only a few days ago, she’d worn this dress, preparing for a wedding in two weeks’ time. Over. Put off. For how long?

  “Come. Let it all out—then, we must prepare to go and pay our respects to Lord Langley.”

  When Selina arrived in the dining room, the Duke was seated at the table. There was a cup of tea, steam curling from the depths. His eyes met hers when she entered. She looked away first.

  “Good morning, Selina,” Uncle Latimer said.

  “Good morning, Uncle,” she said, then looked back at the Duke. “Your Grace.”

  She sat down, reaching for the toast, which sat in a rack on the table. She spread raspberry jam across it, along with fresh butter, while the maid poured her a cup of tea.

  “I came upon Aunt Georgiana and Lady Leah, in the hall,” she commented. “They were upset.” She was aching to know who had been murdered.

  “The Duke has brought us some bad news,” Uncle Latimer said.

  “What is it?” she asked. “Your Grace?”

  “There’s been another robbery,” the Duke said.

  “Oh,” she gasped, her hand going to her face. That was worse. Her breakfast was brought, and her tea was poured. “Are they—”

  “Lady Langley was killed,” he said gently. His eyes were searching her face.

  “How—how awful,” she said, unable to believe it just after they’d seen her, alive and well.

  “So, we’ll call off the wedding,” the Duke said, looking her in the eyes. Something passed in between them, at that moment.

  “Your cousin and aunt are very upset,” Uncle Latimer said. He looked at Selina sternly. “I think you know that you should remain indoors. I cannot have you wandering about the countryside when there are murderers on the loose.”

  “Yes, yes, of course, Uncle,” she said. “I—I’ll work on some letters.”

  They all ate in tense silence. Selina chewed her toast, finding it to be rather dry, hard to swallow. She hadn’t known Lady Langley well. But she’d found her to be polite and kind.

  Her uncle excused himself as they finished. “I must go and see how your aunt and cousin are faring.”

  Chapter Thir
teen

  “See me out to the stables?” Jasper asked Lady Selina in a low voice. She glanced toward her uncle’s retreating back, then at Mr. Wickes, who glanced away.

  “Of course, Your Grace. I’ll go and check on Violet’s foal,” she added, for the benefit of Mr. Wickes, who smiled at her. “Mr. Wickes, would you attend, please?”

  “Yes, My Lady,” Wickes said.

  Wickes trailed after them as they walked out toward the stables. The yard was busy, full of Uncle Latimer’s grooms and stable hands.

  Their shoes crunched in the gravel of the drive as they walked toward the stables.

  “I can’t help but notice that you’re being rather reserved,” he said. “Toward me, in particular.”

  “I thought we spoke of this last night, Your Grace.”

  “Speak plainly, I beg you.”

  “I cannot, Your Grace,” she whispered, glancing at him, then looking away. “My parents raised me for a different world, one which I’ve found doesn’t exist.”

  “I love how your mind works,” he said. “I wouldn’t change you, My Lady. I’m trying to figure out how to change things, without making a mess of them.” He had only just given himself extra time.

  She sniffled, and he stopped, staring at him. A tear fell down her cheek. “I have to leave,” she said. “I cannot be here.”

  “Please, My Lady, forgive me,” he said as they reached the stables. “I’ve called it off.”

  “The wedding, but not the engagement. I myself did not realize the danger that I was in, however,” she said, “It’s happened, and I cannot leave myself open to any more hurt. Now, if you’d please, Your Grace, I must go. Anyone could be watching us.”

  He turned, finding Mr. Wickes, standing there. Their eyes met. Mr. Wickes raised an eyebrow. Jasper looked away from the butler. He’d said too much. But then, what was there to lose?

  Lady Selina turned away, leaving him there as she walked back to the house. He needed her to come to meet him. He needed to prove to her that he loved her, would do anything for her.

  Selina sat in her room, staring at the letter that she had written to her brother. She felt sick, her stomach turning nauseously. She closed her eyes, leaning her head into her hand.

  She was resolved to send the letter. It was the only thing to be done. There was a knock at the door.

  “Come in,” she said, turning.

  Mr. Wickes peered inside. “A letter has arrived, My Lady.”

  She stood up, crossing the room to accept it. “Thank you, Mr. Wickes.”

  He paused a moment, seeming to want to tell her something. “My Lady,” he said.

  “What you might have overheard, Mr. Wickes,” she said. “It’s nothing.”

  “Very good, My Lady. I wouldn’t want there to have been a misunderstanding.”

  “That’s all it was,” she assured him.

  He left. When she looked down at the letter, she found that it had been hastily scrawled on a sheet of paper, then folded. She didn’t know the handwriting.

  When she opened it, she found it was from the Duke.

  “How daring,” she murmured as she read it.

  Please, My Lady—accept my sincerest apologies for hurting you. I must meet you. Where we met last. I’ll wait there for you to show up.

  His signature was a large, flourishing thing at the bottom.

  She couldn’t. She shook her head. “I absolutely cannot,” she hissed to herself. Anyone could come along. Not to mention, she’d sworn up and down that she wouldn’t leave the house.

  There was a knock on the door. She walked to it, hiding the letter behind her back.

  “Come in,” she called as she neared. The door opened, and her aunt peered inside. “Aunt Georgiana!”

  “Darling,” her aunt replied. She looked exhausted. “Your cousin, uncle and I are going to pay the family our respects. They are close acquaintances of ours.”

  “I see,” she said, her heart thumping in her chest.

  “Darling, you look pale,” Aunt Georgiana said, frowning. She stepped forward, placing a hand in a motherly way to Selina’s face. “You feel warm.”

  “I don’t feel well,” Selina said—it was true. She felt agitated. Overwhelmed by all that had recently unfolded.

  “You stay here, dear,” Aunt Georgiana said. “Perhaps get into bed.”

  Selina nodded.

  “We’ll be back in a few hours,” her aunt assured her. “Get some rest. Perhaps have some broth.”

  She closed Selina’s door with a soft click.

  Selina stood, frozen, for a moment. She wasn’t usually one to lie. She always told the truth. Yet, the Duke had told her to meet him, and she wanted to go, despite her promise to her Uncle, not to go running around the countryside, unaccompanied.

  She stood, peering out of her bedroom window until she saw the landau brought around to the front of the house.

  She watched, as they all got inside, and then it left. She waited until it was all the way over the hill, overlooking Kirby Hall. It was too good of an opportunity.

  When she peered into Faith’s room, which adjoined hers, her maid was sound asleep, snoring softly. Her book was in her hands in her lap.

  Selina considered what she was about to do. It was quite daring—she had never done anything like this. To be running about the countryside, meeting a Duke in secret!

  She found, though, that there was nothing to stop her. Now that her mind was made up, her feet were already moving.

  She snuck out of the house, making her way silently down the stairs and out the door. She made her way toward the field. Opening the gate. She went through, picking up her skirts as she broke into a run.

  Jasper stood beneath the branches of the great fir tree, peering up into them, and then turning back toward Kirby Hall. He could see the house in the far-off distance. There was a bit of a hill, blocking his view.

  She would have gotten his letter, by now. He’d given it to Wickes, who had looked at him strangely but had promised to give it to her, directly. Jasper wondered if, and what, the butler would tell his employer. Jasper found that he was past caring.

  Now, he could only hope that she’d come. He expected her to bring Faith. However, he saw her, alone, running toward him. Her hair had fallen loose out of her chignon. She was wearing her white dress, which made her look like an absolute angel.

  He ran to meet her, not thinking as he pulled her into his arms. She looked up at him; her cheeks flushed a bright rose. Her hands were flat on his chest.

  “I’d hoped you would come,” he said. “I was starting to feel a bit worried that you wouldn’t.”

  “Of course, I’d come,” she replied. “It might be completely mad, but of course, I’d come.”

  “I’m so sorry,” he said. “I can’t bear the idea that I’ve hurt you. I cannot marry her. Not when I’m in love with you.”

  She froze, her lips falling open. He held her tightly, his hands on her ribcage. They were so far past propriety; it didn’t matter.

  “I love you, too,” she said. It was the most beautiful sound he’d ever heard. His cheeks hurt from smiling so widely. He placed a hand on her cheek, and she tilted her head, leaning into it.

  He leaned in, his lips capturing hers with his own.

  She moaned, her lips against his as she pulled away. “What are we going to do?” she asked, her eyes on his.

  He pulled her close to him, and she leaned her cheek against his chest. She could hear his heart. He leaned his chin against her hair. She was tucked perfectly beneath his chin. She held him tightly.

  “The wedding has been called off,” he said. “With the murder, I think it’s the right thing to do. Then, I’ll gently convince Lady Leah to call the whole thing off…permanently.”

  He placed his fingers underneath her chin, raising it, so their eyes met. He wiped away the stray tear which was falling down her cheek.

  He kissed her again, gently. She felt like she was being swept away by a strong r
iver, her head barely remaining above the surface. It was intoxicating her to the point of not minding that she was going to drown in the depths of his affection.

  When they pulled away, he laughed, glancing back toward Kirby Hall. “Where have you left poor Faith?”