Loving a Fearless Duchess: A Historical Regency Romance Book

by Abigail Agar

  He waited until she was alone in the garden. He knew he would find her there. It was her favourite place to go. Edward checked in on her constantly. Henry knew they were afraid of him, and with good reason. After all, it was his house. It was his father, not theirs.

  “Hi, Penelope.”

  Penelope ignored him, but he was used to that. She always ignored him. No matter. He always had one-way conversations with her. He didn’t even bother having one-way conversations with Edward anymore. Edward just threatened to beat him up.

  “You can ignore me, but I want to show you something that you will definitely like. Normally, I’d say you are too mean to me to deserve to see it, but it’s so good to see that even I want to show you.”

  He could tell Penelope was interested even though she was silent. She didn’t walk away from him as usual. She took her time pruning rose bushes and didn’t turn her back on him.

  “I was walking down by the river. I like to skip stones. I’m good at it too. When you don’t see me around, I’m usually there.

  “Anyway, I was there today, and I saw a Red.”

  Penelope gasped. Red had been missing for over a week. No one knew where she was apart from Henry. Part of her was buried in the woods and the other part was buried near the river.

  “She had puppies. Cute little puppies. Some were jumping all over Red while she lay on her side while others suckled. I think you would love to see it.”

  Penelope turned. “We have to tell someone in the barn. They have been looking everywhere for her for a week.”

  “Later. They can’t be moved now. And mother and pups have to stay in the same place until they are older. Let’s go see them. We can tell them later.”

  “If they are going to be there for a while, we can wait.”

  Henry was getting frustrated with her. “What do you think I’m going to do? Talk you to death? So you don’t like the way I talk to you. So what? Do you or don’t you want to see the puppies?”

  “Let’s get Edward. He’ll want to see them too.”

  Henry shrugged his shoulders. “Never mind. I’m busy later. I won’t be able to show you. I’ve tried to be nice.”

  He started to walk away towards the barn. “Wait,” Penelope said.

  Henry’s back was to her. He couldn’t help smiling. He schooled his face, turned around, and put his hands on his hips, seeming annoyed. “What?”

  Penelope approached Henry. “I’ll go. Will I find my way back here without a problem? I want to show Edward.”

  “It’s easy.”

  Penelope thought as they started to walk toward the trees, So that’s what happened to Red.

  “Do the pups have Red’s colouring?”

  Oh, God. I’m going to have to talk with her, Henry thought.

  “I think two have her colour if I remember correctly. Do you think the barn will want all the pups as well as Red?”

  Penelope looked at him as if he was crazy. “Of course they’ll want the pups. Why not?”

  “If she kept talking to him, he was going to go crazy. There was nothing worse than a fourteen-year-old female. Not much longer, now.

  “How long is the walk? It seems like we’ve been in the woods for a long time.”

  Henry shrugged and mentally rolled his eyes. “No accounting for where a dog decides to give birth.”

  Up ahead, Henry saw the spot. “Are you familiar with this area?” he asked.

  Penelope looked around. “No, I’ve never been here. As soon as we see the pups, I want to go back,” she said, a slight waver to her voice.

  Henry smiled. “Up this hill, and we’re there.”

  Penelope nodded.

  When they reached the top of the hill, Penelope looked for Red.

  “He’s down there,” Henry pointed to the bottom of a cliff. You have to look over the edge. Red’s at the bottom. A good secluded place to have puppies.”

  The hill gave even more height to the cliffs. The edge didn’t slowly dip down to the bottom. It was a sheared edge of land rocky and deep. No vegetation grew along the large, sharp boulders. Unless you knew there was a cliff there, you’d never see it.

  Penelope nodded and stepped closer. She looked up at Henry. “I don’t see them.”

  “Get closer to the edge and look down a little to the left.” He approached her slowly. “Over there,” he pointed.

  She leaned forward.

  He pushed her as hard as he could.

  She screamed on the way down and hit the side of her head on a sharp rock. She bounced onto another rock then didn’t move. Henry wasn’t going down there to check her pulse. If she were alive, she wouldn’t be for long. Besides, no one would look there. She was impossible to find.

  Henry ran from the woods. If anyone saw him coming out, they would look in there and might find her. They might put two and two together.

  He came over the hill and stopped. Edward was running in his direction, so Henry walked at a regular pace, not a care in the world. Edward seemed frantic. Too frantic to wonder why Henry was walking alone in a secluded part of the estate.

  Henry hadn’t thought they’d be looking for her so fast. He thought he’d get to the house before she was discovered missing. He doubted it mattered because they would never find the body.

  When he walked into the house, his father, red in the face, said, “What have you done?”

  “In my study, now,” Avery said to Henry.

  Henry followed him in and shut the door. Avery turned to him. “Penelope’s missing. What have you done?”

  Henry shrugged. “Why do you think I did something? Maybe she wandered off by herself and is hiding for some stupid reason only a fourteen-year-old girl knows.”

  Avery ran his fingers through his hair. “We both know Penelope didn’t just wander off. Since the day I brought that girl home, you’ve made it clear you don’t want her around. You have said you were going to kill her on several occasions.

  “Tell me, Henry. You can’t protect yourself. Only I can protect you. Tell me what you did.”

  Henry started pacing and raised his voice. “That’s the problem, Father. You brought her into this house, and she ignores me when I try to talk with her. Then she gets me into trouble with you. It’s true; I wanted her dead.”

  Avery closed his eyes. He hadn’t cried since he was a young boy, but he wanted to cry now. He was sure Henry had killed Penelope. He just had to figure out how to handle it.

  Chapter 24

  Edward’s head snapped up. He didn’t hear a scream, but he could feel it. Something was terribly wrong.

  He had lost track of time while reading. How much time? He and Penelope checked on each other every half hour to make sure everything was fine. That Henry hadn’t done something to one or the other of them. It was more than a half hour since he checked in with Penelope.

  There were enough people inside the house that Edward usually didn’t bother looking anywhere there. He rose and ran to his bedchamber door, down the stairs, and out the front door.

  “Penelope,” he called as he ran. “Penelope.” Circle the house, he thought. He did. Nothing. “Penelope.”

  He closed his eyes but didn’t hear anything. Think. Which direction. The stables.

  “Old Robbie,” he yelled, searching for the stable master. Old Robbie was not old. He was tall, large, red-headed with grey streaks running through his hair. His face was lined with age, but his eyes were vibrant and exhibited a youthful glow. No, there was nothing old about Old Robbie but his greying hair and a face lined with experience, “Has anyone gone for a ride?”

  “No, Edward. Are you worried?”

  Edward nodded. “About Penelope. I haven’t seen her lately.”

  “I’ll send someone into the village to see if she is there. I’ll cover this side of the house. You go around to the other side.” Edward turned his back and ran, hearing Old Robbie’s shrill whistle to call his stable boys to him. There was an understanding amongst those who worked for the Stantons
that no one spoke of. All had either seen or heard what Henry was about.

  The day was windless and warm, and the sun shone brightly. Maybe she went to the meadow.

  Edward ran.

  On his way to the meadow, Edward encountered Henry coming toward him, headed for the house.

  Edward, frantic, was running as fast as possible while Henry was walking toward him at a leisurely pace.

  Edward reached him and stopped, but Henry continued to walk. Edward panted from his run and fell into step with his cousin.

  “Where is she?” Edward gritted out.

  Henry shrugged. “I don’t know,” he said, his eyes shining with playfulness.

  “Have you seen her?”

  “No, now leave me, Edward. I didn’t come out here to be bothered by you.”

  Edward looked around. “What are you doing out here? There’s nothing here worth seeing or doing.”

  Henry whipped around to Edward and looked him in the eye, “What I do and where I go is none of your business. A sixteen-year-old boy will not badger me.

  Edward watched Henry walk away. He stood where they were just moments ago and slowly turned in a full circle. Penelope, where might you be? The meadow is the only place you would go. God help me, I hope you didn’t go alone.

  Edward ran. When he reached the meadow, the flowers and grasses were so high Edward wouldn’t see her if she was laying in the sun on the ground on her back.

  He began to walk the edge of the meadow looking for a narrow opening where footsteps would have displaced the growth.

  “Penelope,” he called repeatedly. She and Edward were always alert to Henry’s misdeeds. Penelope would call back to him if she could hear him.

  Old Robbie and three of the men working on the estate rode up. “I’ve put some men in a line and told them to check every inch of the land on the east side. We’ll do the same here.

  “Any idea where we should look?”

  Edward shook his head no. “Henry was walking toward me as I was running here. I think we will find her somewhere in this area.”

  Old Robbie spoke louder. “Men, form a line for a search party. We’ll walk the horses in a straight line until we find something.” He turned to Edward, “If I may, My Lord, go back to the house and get the staff searching everywhere inside. She could be unconscious.”

  Edward nodded and ran.

  The butler, Waters, looked concerned when Edward ran through the door.

  “My Lord?”

  “Gather the staff. We must search every inch of this house for Penelope. She has been missing for over two hours. Old Robbie’s men are searching the property. Assign rooms to every servant and have them searched. All regular duties are to be abandoned. If there is no dinner tonight, so be it. Do you know where my mother might be?”

  “I’ll have a footman find her. Should she meet you in the parlour?”

  “Yes, Waters. Thank you, and thank the staff.”

  Waters bowed then went about following his orders.

  Edward went into the parlour and paced. “Edward, what’s happened? Is it Penelope?”

  His face showed his concern with furrowed brows and a downturned mouth. “She’s missing. It’s been over two hours, maybe longer. I’m concerned. There are search parties inside and out.”

  Cecilia’s hands moved to her mouth of their own volition. “Do we know where –”

  “I bumped into him outside in an area none of us usually go. He was heading back here as I was running there. He was his surly self and no help. I told Old Robbie, and he’s scouring the area.”

  Someone brought in tea and refreshments, but Cecilia and Edward didn’t notice.

  Cecilia went to the window. Edward thought his mother might hope to see Penelope coming back from a long walk. Cecilia turned to Edward, “He’s done it this time, hasn’t he?”

  Edward nodded. “Yes, I’m certain he’s behind it. I can’t believe I wasn’t watching her. It’s all my fault.”

  Edward put his hands on his face while Cecilia rubbed his back up and down like she used to do when he was a child.

  “You are guilty of nothing. He would have found a way to get to her no matter how closely you watched her. She’s a fourteen-year-old girl. She didn’t understand the true danger she was in.”

  Edward’s voice was shaky. He was trying not to cry. “Mother, I hope she comes through the door after an enjoyable time in the village.”

  Cecilia sat and hugged a pillow. “That menace not only makes our lives miserable but puts our lives in danger.”

  She was looking into the empty fireplace when the door opened. She stood. “Avery, have you heard any news?”

  He shook his head and put on a fake smile. “No, Cecilia. I have not. I just wanted to check on you and Edward. I can’t imagine the angst you are going through, but I will do everything I can to help.

  “I understand all our men are searching the property, and the servants are searching the house. Is there anything else, anything at all I can do for you?”

  Cecilia closed her eyes to stem the tears. “No, thank you, Avery. Your staff is wonderful, and they have put my mind at ease with all they are doing.”

  Edward cleared his throat, “I hope you don’t mind, Uncle, but in my haste to search for Penelope, I asked your servants to help without first coming to you. I apologize.”

  “No need, Edward. Anyone would have done the same thing in your situation.

  “I also wanted you to know that I talked to Henry to see if he knew anything. He mentioned bumping into you near the meadow. He knows nothing either and is also panicked by the accident.”

  Cecilia raised her head, “Accident? She has been in an accident? What do you know Avery?”

  Avery quickly backtracked, “I didn’t mean to say she was in an accident. It is just one of the theories running through my head when I wonder what could have happened to her. I am sorry to alarm you. I meant nothing by it.”

  Cecilia and Edward exchanged glances.

  “Well, I will leave you. I’ll check in soon to update you on any progress I might hear. Dear Cecilia, I am hopeful for a good outcome. You need to be too.”

  Edward sat and stared at the ceiling. “Why did Uncle say she was in an accident?”

  With tears running down her face, Cecilia choked out, “Because Henry might have done something to her.”

  Edward was sixteen, and he thought he was too old to cry, but tears streamed down his face. “Yes. He is capable of anything.”

  Cecilia sobbed. She thought so too. And he would get away with it. Her brother was already covering Henry’s tracks. She was in an ‘accident.’

  Cecilia and Edward sat in silence, the only sound in the room the tick of the clock. Edward wanted to throw it out the window. It was a reminder of how much time had passed since Penelope went missing.

  Cecilia and Edward didn’t speak; they didn’t eat. Every hour, Edward went out to talk with Waters. He knew Waters would come to him immediately if there was something to tell, but he felt the need to go anyway. After the initial flurry of news about the village and the inside of the house – she was not in either location – news only trickled in.

  Edward had to tell himself they were being very thorough and that’s why the wait was so long. He had to tell himself that repeatedly.

  After over six hours since Edward realized she was gone, Cecilia and Edward heard the urgent voices of several men. They quickly looked at each other and ran to the door.

  In the hallway, Penelope was unconscious and bleeding heavily from her head, in the arms of Old Robbie. He ran up the stairs two at a time and kicked in Penelope’s bedchamber door. He gently laid her on her bed.

  Cecilia and Edward were right behind him. They knelt by her side. She was white and laboured to breathe. Cecilia looked at Edward. “She is close to death,” she whispered.

  Edward went to Old Robbie.

  He put a hand on Edward’s shoulder. “I sent a man into the village for the healer. She�
�ll be here soon.”

  Edward closed the door and took Old Robbie to a corner of the room, all the time watching Penelope. “Is she going to make it?”

  Old Robbie shook his head. “I don’t know. It’s bad. We’ll see what the healer says.”

  Edward choked, “What happened?”

  Old Robbie told Edward about how and where he found her. “I’ve never seen anything like it.” Old Robbie’s eyes were wet.