His Michaelmas Mistress

by Marly Mathews

  All eyes settled on her uncle, while Alice jumped up.

  “Edward, my dear, this is The Duke of Bowdon and Lydney. It would seem that he is Lord Axbridge’s natural father. ”

  “Your Grace,” Edward said, bowing. He didn’t look a bit nonplussed. She had to hand it to her uncle, he was always grace under fire.

  “I thought I was the only man who still wore banyans,” the Duke said. “I have felt awfully stifled these last few days, as I have had to dress like this while traveling,” he gestured dramatically to the breeches, shirt, cravat and tailcoat he wore.

  “I have a wardrobe full of them,” Edward confessed, taking a chair close to the sofa.

  “Do you, indeed? As do I,” the Duke grinned, and the heavy feeling in the air started to dissipate.

  “So you don’t walk around in a kilt all day?” Freddie asked.

  “Oh, no. Kilts are only for formal occasions…for me anyway. Hamish, well, he’d wear one all the time. I find it a bit nippy with my legs hanging out.”

  “I would feel a chill too, if I had my wobbly bits hanging free…what with the weather you Scots get,” Grandpapa Somersby said.

  “Papa. Pray hold your tongue!” Alice chastised.

  “Isn’t that the case with kilts? You don’t wear drawers, do you?” Grandpapa Somersby asked.

  The Duke looked as if he wanted to answer his question, and stopped when Alice intervened. “Papa, you must behave! People do not discuss their wobbly bits in polite company!”

  “Well, to be fair, they don’t always wobble, do they? Sometimes they stand to attention,” Thomas said.

  “Papa!” Alice said, completely mortified.

  Thomas Somersby chuckled. “Yes, Daughter. I shall hold my tongue now. You are awfully cute when you are riled so. You look as you did when you were a little child.” He gave her a playful wink, and Alice sighed.

  Somehow this madness had to end. Lark Hall was usually a sanctuary, but that wasn’t the case today.

  “I…I should away. I am quite certain Mama will wonder why I am still not home,” Julia said, still quite bewildered by everything that had conspired that day.

  “I will go with you. I don’t want you driving home in that curricle of yours. Not in your state,” Freddie said.

  “I shall have the groom drive me. You needn’t worry.” She stood up and walked stiltedly to the doors. In a daze, she left Lark Hall.

  She would need a miracle to find her way out of this mess.

  Freddie wasn’t Freddie anymore. She was losing the man she loved. And it scared her half to death!

  Chapter Twelve

  “Julia, don’t leave. Not like this.” Freddie had followed her.

  They stood outside of Lark Hall.

  The day was waning. So much had happened in the space of a few hours. She couldn’t believe it—she didn’t want to believe it. Why couldn’t their romance be charmed? Why did they keep running into so many obstacles? Mayhap, they weren’t meant for each other after all.

  “I think…I should walk away from you, Freddie. You have a lot to sort out. You have a lot to come to terms with, and you don’t need me in the way, muddling things.”

  She moved toward her curricle and was about to climb up, when he reached for her and drew her against his solid chest.

  “I was a fool. And now…now that I’ve met that man sitting with your aunt and uncle, mayhap I am not at all to blame for my lack of wits. It seems to run in my family. Fortunately, I haven’t managed to kill myself—yet. But I still have lots of time,” he grinned widely.

  She laughed despite herself. She felt miserable, and yet, he could still bring some light into her life. God, how she adored him. Despite her feelings for him, she wondered if she would do him a service by leaving him.

  “This can’t end well, Freddie.”

  “I take back everything I said earlier. I know we are meant for each other, and my own stubborn pride got in the way. It hindered us. I never should have left you in the church. I should have married you and told that Lord Charles bugger to go straight to hell.”

  “Yes, you should have,” she smiled softly. “Where do we go from here?”

  “I go about courting you again. We do have fun together, don’t we? You like the games we play.”

  “I do,” she admitted.

  “And will you have a duke’s son?” he asked softly.

  “I would have had you if you had no title, Freddie. I love you. I don’t love your riches, or your titles, or anything like that. I love only you. Seeing Charles again shocked me…but I had put our love to rest. I had moved on, and I had moved onto you. There can never be any other man for me. You own my heart, Freddie.”

  “Then, I think we should marry as soon as possible,” he said huskily.

  “No,” she said shakily. She rebelled against what she was going to say next, but there was no other way. She had to ensure that Freddie forged a relationship with his father, or he would one day regret not doing so. “You must sort things out with your father first. You have to embrace your new destiny, and once you do that, we shall marry.”

  “I suppose you’ll have to take on the name of Hamilton now.”

  “Merriweather, Hamilton…it is only a name, Freddie.”

  “You wouldn’t say that about the Lovett name.”

  “Well, maybe I could become Julia Lovett-Hamilton.”

  He laughed. “Perhaps. You lot like to hyphenate your surnames.”

  “My lot? My love, my lot, is now your lot, so the joke seems to be on you. I should go home,” she said, after he held her for a few minutes. Her reputation would be in tatters come the morning. They were standing out in waning daylight with everyone around them as an audience, and she didn’t give a tinker’s damn. She didn’t seem to care about anything else when she was in Freddie’s arms.

  “Why don’t you come home with me? I did intend to kidnap you today, and ravish you tonight, and my intentions haven’t changed.”

  She sighed. “And what would you do with the Duke?”

  “Devil take the Duke,” he said fiercely. “He can go and stay somewhere else. I could always fob him off on Lewis or Micah.”

  “He is your father. No matter how much you try to make light of it…no matter how much you attempt putting off facing it, Freddie, it won’t go away. He won’t go away,” she said, sighing. “You cannot simply make him disappear. He has been separated from you for years, and while he might not show his emotions…most of us keep our emotions closely guarded, I can see that he is deeply affected. Being reunited with you has brought him intense joy.”

  “He might be my father, Julia, but I don’t have to like it, and I don’t have to accept it, and I bloody well don’t have to take anything he wants to give me. I don’t have to take his ruddy title.”

  “Well, actually you do, Freddie. Since you are his legitimate child…you have no choice. You can’t shirk your duty. You will be his heir whether you like it or not. Is he truly that bad? He doesn’t seem like a bad sort to me…though, I must confess, I do rather dislike the fact that he will take you away from me.”

  “He will never separate us,” he growled. He scooped her up into his arms, and she laughed, and then sighed.

  “But he will. You will have to go back to Scotland. Your life—your duties, shall take you away from England, and the thing is, I don’t think I can leave England. I am not sure I have the constitution or the spirit to live in the Scottish Highlands.”

  “You needn’t worry. I won’t go anywhere. My life is here with you.”

  “And yet…you will have things to learn. You have a new life ahead of you. You will have responsibilities. Responsibilities that cannot be shirked. No matter how much you might want to.”

  “I have never been to Scotland, and I don’t ever intend to go,” he said fervently. She sighed, as she saw the doubt flickering in his eyes. “And how the hell could I go anyway? I couldn’t even understand a thing that Hamish bloke said. It sounded as if he was ta
lking another tongue.”

  “Oh, Freddie,” she laughed.

  He didn’t even know what he wanted, she could see that. It was written as plain as day on his face. One half of him wanted to get to know his father, and the other half of him wanted to wish him to Jericho.

  “Put me down, Freddie,” she sighed.

  He looked as if he was going to kidnap her, and take her back to Wilton Park, and she almost got her hopes up, but fate once again threw a rub in the way. She groaned at the sight of two carriages coming up the drive. One belonged to Lewis and Iris, and the other one belonged to Micah and Rose. Everyone seemed to be gathering at Lark Hall.

  “I should fetch us a special license. That way…that way we could get married whenever the hell we wanted. Who needs a church wedding?”

  Hope stirred within her. “I…I had my heart set on being married in St. Michaels, but if it doesn’t come to pass, if I have to take you by marrying you at Wilton Park or Lark Hall, or Castleton Court, then, I shall. I only want you, and I pray you shan’t regret marrying me.”

  “How could I possibly regret marrying you?”

  Once the carriages had drawn up near them, the footmen opened the carriage doors, and Lewis and Micah alighted first to help Iris and Rose down.

  “Julia,” Rose and Iris said almost in unison. They were dressed for the evening. Julia supposed that they’d been invited for dinner. “Oh, it is good to see you away from Castleton Court.” Rose came over to her and embraced her quickly.

  “Were you invited for dinner as well?” Iris asked.

  “I am hardly dressed for it,” Julia said ruefully. She closed her eyes, and groaned. “I…oh, dash it all. Mama did say that we had been invited, and that she expected me home in time to dress for the evening. I…I…it completely escaped me. In all of the hullabaloo, I forgot. Mama will have my head…she’s probably going to arrive any minute, and I shan’t be ready.”

  “Oh, well, that can be solved easily enough. You could borrow a gown from Mama. Aunt Beatrice only wants you to be dressed for dinner. She won’t care if you get ready here or at Castleton Court,” Rose said.

  Julia smiled. “You are quite right. I could borrow one from Aunt Alice, or I could simply wear one of the ones that I gave to the Miss Prices.”

  What was she doing? She wanted to escape, didn’t she? Why then, was she diving headfirst back into trouble?

  Freddie released her, and moved away from them, so he could converse with Lewis and Micah. After a few minutes, Lewis said loudly, “You are pulling my leg, Mouse, and it’s not at all funny.”

  “I wish I was, Doc. I really wish I was.”

  “What is Freddie talking about?” Iris asked. “I thought I heard him say he was the son of a duke…but that can’t be right, can it?”

  “Long lost son, actually. It seems that Freddie is the legitimate son of the Duke of Bowdon and Lydney, and the only surviving heir. He is the last of his line,” Julia explained.

  “No, he isn’t,” Iris laughed.

  “Yes, he is.”

  Iris sobered. “You are not in jest, are you?” she asked weakly.

  “No,” Julia shook her head. “I am quite serious. Our Freddie is a nobleman.”

  Iris and Rose now looked rather faint looking. “Freddie’s going to be a duke?” Rose asked.

  “Someday. His father looks quite healthy, so I wager it will be a little while before he has to wear that coronet. And prepare yourself, because the Duke and Freddie are each other’s mirror images. It is most unnerving.”

  “I…I don’t know what to say,” Iris said.

  “I know how you feel,” Julia admitted.

  “And where is His Grace now?” Rose asked.

  “His carriages and the horses that his retinue rode must have been taken to the carriage house and stables, because he is here,” Julia said.

  “Here? As in Lark Hall, here?” Rose asked.

  “Aye,” Julia said.

  “And Papa is wearing his banyan, isn’t he?” Iris asked with a grimace.

  “Of course,” Julia laughed.

  “Mama must be mortified,” Rose exclaimed.

  “No, she wasn’t mortified because of what Uncle Edward was wearing. She was mortified by her father talking about the wobbly bits under one’s kilt.”

  “Oh, he didn’t,” Rose breathed, her face mottling.

  “He did. The Duke seemed to have a good sense of humour. Indeed, he seems to be a lot like Freddie, aside from the obvious differences.”

  “Aye. He has a polished accent,” Freddie said, coming back to stand over with them. “And he acts like he’s been born to a life of privilege, although he has the same forthright attitude. He’s like a bloody cannonball with how he drives to the heart of the matter.”

  “How…how…why weren’t you raised by him?” Rose asked breathlessly.

  “My mother ran off with me because his father threatened her. I think the daft old bugger thought she’d leave me behind. If he hadn’t threatened her…my hard life would have been a charmed one, and yet, I don’t know, if I could go back and do it again, if I would do anything differently. I made good friends on the path I walked, and my life experience put me where I am today.”

  “So you are Scottish. That sheds a little light onto your size…mayhap, you do have Viking blood in you after all,” Rose said. “And Lord Cary, one day you shall have to call Freddie, Your Grace.”

  Iris laughed. “Oh, he is going to love that.”

  “What is your birth name, Mouse?” Micah asked.

  “According to the Duke, I was christened, Frederick Michael Andrew Guy Hamilton.”

  “You are a Hamilton?” Lewis asked incredulously.

  “That’s what the Duke said,” Freddie said, nodding his head.

  “Damnation,” Lewis muttered. “And what title do you hold now?”

  “He is the Marquess of Knightwick,” Julia said.

  “No, I am not.”

  “Yes, you are,” Julia insisted.

  “This is going to shake the ton. The gossipmongers won’t stop talking about this for years!” Lewis said.

  “Thanks, Doc,” Freddie grumbled.

  “You are quite welcome, mate,” Lewis said, chuckling.

  “Where are Tiny and Lucky?” Micah asked.

  “They are escorting the man I thought was my father, to New Bridewell.”

  “New Bridewell?” Lewis asked. “What the bloody hell have I missed?”

  “The man I thought was my father was poaching off my lands. When I confronted him about it, he informed me that I owed him a living. I…I was sorely tempted to have a little accident, and do away with the old bastard, and Tiny and Lucky intervened, and offered to haul his sorry arse off to New Bridewell. They took his bitch of a wife as well.”

  “Why didn’t anyone else know that you weren’t his son? Your mother must have told someone else that you were the son of the Duke of Bowdon and Lydney.”

  “If she did, I wouldn’t put it past the bastard to keep it from me so I would have to live a life of hell.”

  Julia groaned. “Well, I had better make haste, and dash inside to dress for dinner. Mama is on her way.” She pointed to where the carriage rolled toward them in the distance.

  “Why don’t we runaway together? We can elope. We can leave all of this behind us.”

  Freddie’s proposal tempted her, oh, did it ever.

  “Take my carriage,” Lewis suggested.

  “We can’t. It isn’t proper. We have to do our duty,” Julia said.

  “Mayhap, that is our problem. We are always doing our duty. You do your duty for your family, and I have always done my duty in the past as well. I say to hell with it all…I want to stop chasing our happiness. I want to have it.”

  “So do I. But it’s not the right time to leave, Freddie. You have to face the Duke. You have to give him the opportunity to become your father. If I could somehow have my father back again…even for just one day, I wouldn’t throw it away. I
love you too much to rob you of that gift. So, we shall do our duty tonight. We shall dress for dinner. I am quite certain the Duke has something that will fit you in the trunks he brought, and then, tomorrow is a new day, and we can plan our future together.”

  “Nothing else will stop us this time. I want your word, Julia.”

  “You have always had my word, Freddie. You have always had my loyalty, and my love, and now…I shall take my leave, so you can have the time to know your father without being distracted by me—by us. Take him home to Wilton Park. Share your life with him that is what I want for you. On second thought, once Mama and Richard alight from the carriage, I am going to return to Castleton Court. I am utterly fagged to death. I don’t think I’d be much use at the dinner, so pray, give my apologies to Uncle Edward and Aunt Alice.”

  “I don’t want to let you go,” Freddie said fervently, pulling her back against him, so her back was pressed against his front.

  “I think you must. I feel as if I am dead on my feet. I have had enough fun for one day, Freddie.”

  He leaned down and kissed her cheek. His kiss made her tingle. He didn’t even have to claim her lips to affect her deeply.

  The carriage carrying her mama and her brother came to a halt. A footman dashed around and opened the door for her mother and her brother. Her brother got down first, and then helped Beatrice down.

  She looked at Julia, her eyes narrowing to slits. “You are not dressed for dinner, Julia.”

  “I know, Mama. I forgot, and I am rather tired. I thought I would return to Castleton Court, and rest.”

  Beatrice pursed her lips, and looked inclined to argue. Julia held her breath, waiting for her mother’s temper to spew forth. Instead, her pursed lips lifted into a smile.

  “That sounds splendid. I shall make your apologies to your aunt and uncle. Now, off with you, my girl. The carriage can come back and wait her for us once they drop you off at Castleton Court.”

  “Thank you, Mama.” She stiltedly went over to her mother, and gave her a soft peck on her powdered cheek.

  “Rest up, Julia. I do not like to see those dark shadows under your eyes. It is most unbecoming!”

  “Yes, Mama.” Sighing, she made her way to the waiting carriage with Freddie stalking her every step.