“So, who are you?”
Edward took a shaky breath. “My name is Edward Godwin, and I am the Duke of Summerhill. I trust you know my heritage, from that small snippet of information.”
The Duke stiffened. “What did you say?”
“I am Edward Godwin, the Duke of Summerhill. It would appear I managed to remember my own name, when I fell from my horse and hit my head. Speaking of which, did anyone happen to discover a silver horse in the surrounding area? I am anxious to find my mount, for he is precious to me.”
The Duke stared at him in disbelief. “You are the grandson of Francis Godwin?”
“I am.”
“Do you remember what happened to you?” Lydia rushed to his side and clasped his hand. Looking into her eyes, he forgot any animosity he held towards the Duke of Greenwick.
Edward nodded. “I was returning home from London, when a rider intercepted me on the road. He had two pistols at his side, and he meant me harm. I galloped off down the road to escape him and took a wrong turn into some woods. Your woods.” He looked at the Duke. “A low branch caught me in the throat as I was riding and knocked me from the saddle. I hit my head on a rock, and when I awoke, I could not remember a thing.”
“Do you remember who the man was? The rider who pursued you?” Lydia pressed. He relished the touch of her skin against his and the smile upon her lips. Had her father and mother not been present, he would have kissed her there and then. For, now, he knew he was worthy of her.
“I do not. I did not see his face, as he wore a hood.”
“Could it be the same man who attacked you?”
Edward glanced at the Duke. “That depends.”
“I had no part in this, Ed…Sir, though my daughter has already made her suspicions known. I sent no man after you, and I did not ask one to attack you,” the Duke replied, sensing the inference in Edward’s words.
“Then, it may well be the same man. He mentioned that he wanted me to pay for some disservice I had done to him, though I do not know of any. The man, even now, is unfamiliar to me. I do not know him.” That part remained a troubling mystery to Edward, for he could not place the grim fellow. Nor did he know how he might have lost the man his wife and children. He had forgotten that part, during the man’s first attack upon him, but it was no clearer now.
The Duke frowned. “Do you know of our history, Sir?”
“I do, though it is an unfortunate one. I am not one for tradition or believing in the disputes of ancestors, but I have heard my father and grandfather speak often of your family.”
“Do they live still?”
Edward shook his head. “They are both dead, Sir.”
“I am sorry for your loss.”
The words surprised Edward. He could not have imagined his own father saying such a thing, if the roles were reversed. “Thank you,” he said, rather speechless.
“Why, what happened?” Lydia said softly.
Edward and the Duke of Greenwick exchanged a look, with Edward giving a small nod to give the older man permission to give his version of events. Even now, Edward did not know how twisted the tale had become over the years, and he was somewhat curious to hear what the Duke had to say.
“I shall attempt to keep it concise,” the Duke said. “You see, Lydia, your grandfather fell in love with your grandmother, whilst she was promised to another gentleman. That gentleman was Edward’s grandfather, Francis Godwin. There was a rather nasty encounter, in which your grandmother was almost forced into marriage, but your grandfather saved her before Francis Godwin could ruin her. I will not go into detail. There has been animosity between the families ever since.”
Lydia gasped. “And you are his grandson, Edward?”
“Yes, I am afraid that I am.” He truly felt sorry that he had remembered, for he did not know what it would mean for them. Perhaps, it might have been easier had he remained a stable boy. Being the grandson of the Greenwicks’ greatest enemy was far worse.
“But this means you are a Duke?”
Edward nodded. “I am, Lady Lydia.”
“And you have no wife?”
“None, My Lady.”
Lydia turned to her father. “Then, you surely cannot object to our…friendship? He is a gentleman of means and title.”
“He is also the grandson of our greatest enemy,” the Duke replied curtly.
“Then put aside old quarrels for the sake of reparation,” Lydia urged. “If he were to love me, and I were to love me, would such things matter? They did not matter for Grandmother and Grandfather. He would have gone to the ends of the earth for Grandmother, and I would do the same for Edward.”
The Duke grew stern. “This is impossible, Lydia. You had a far greater chance of being permitted to marry a stable boy.”
“Why can we not bridge the divide between our families? Surely, it is what Grandfather would have wanted, especially if he could have seen my happiness.” Tears trickled down her cheek, and Edward longed to brush them away. He hated to see her sad, though he sensed the Duke would be resolute in his prohibition of any kind of union between them.
“Your Grandfather would have shot him with his own pistol,” the Duke replied.
“He would not!”
“Lydia, you are too young to understand the intricacies of such matters. The Godwin family are disgraced, thanks to their grandfather’s behavior. They are unwelcomed in society, despite attempts to regain their position. I would not have you wed to such a dynasty.”
“Then be better than Grandfather,” Lydia pleaded. “Put aside your differences. Edward, urge him, I beg of you.”
Edward felt his heart sink. “I adore your daughter, Sir. I confess, I do love her. If you would be willing to put aside our families’ old disputes, I would very much like to ask for her hand in marriage. I have means and a good income, and I would provide for her with everything I am capable of.”
The Duke had fallen silent. Everyone watched him, even the Duchess, who had said nothing throughout this encounter. Edward feared what he might say and prepared himself for bad news. Not that it would matter. Now that he knew who he was, he also knew he had the means to take care of Lydia, even without her family’s approval.
“As soon as you are recovered, you will be sent away from this house. You will not return, nor will you attempt to correspond with my daughter. If I discover that you have done so, I will be forced to challenge you, until I may be satisfied.” The Duke’s hands balled into fists, and his brow furrowed with confused anger.
“Father, no!” Lydia cried.
“You will do as you are told, Lydia, or you will also find yourself sent away. I am certain I can locate a convent who would have you, despite your outlandish behavior in recent weeks,” he replied, with such venom that it left Edward startled. He had not expected the Duke to speak to his daughter in such a savage manner, nor did she deserve it.
“You would not see your daughter happily married?” Edward said, emboldened.
The Duke glowered at him. “Not to you, of all people.”
“You will give me the respect I deserve, Sir,” he retorted. “I am not my grandfather, nor am I my father. I hold little resentment towards you and your household. I would see our families brought to repair, if such a thing were possible.”
“It is not, and that is final,” the Duke snapped.
“Then you are no different from my own grandfather. He was cold and unmoving in his resolve to hate you, but I chose not to listen to his propaganda. If I had encountered you at a ball in London, I should have greeted you as a friend, not an enemy.”
“That is because you do not have the memories of what your grandfather did to my mother. You did not hear the truth. You have not had to live with that, all the days of your life,” he spat. “If you had, you would hate me as keenly as I hate you.”
“You would hold me responsible for something I did not do?”
“I would hold your entire family responsible, until there was not a single one
of you left.” He had paled to a startling shade of white, faintly tinged by a scarlet streak in each cheek. He was furious, Edward could tell.
“Come away, Lydia, or I will have you forcibly removed,” the Duke demanded. To Edward’s surprise, Lydia’s mother stepped between them.
“Perhaps you ought to let them have a moment together, darling. He is a Duke, after all. Are you certain that these quarrels between your families cannot be forgotten?”
The Duke’s mouth twisted up into a grimace. “You do not understand. I would not expect you to. You hear the word ‘Duke’ and suddenly he is a suitable prospect? I thought you more discerning than that. It is out of the question. As soon as he is well, I want him gone.” He looked to Edward. “And, if you wish your family to know of your welfare, you must write to them yourself. I will not touch ink to paper for you.”
He stormed out of the room without Lydia in tow, whilst his poor wife hurried after him. He did not know how long he might have with his beloved, but he was determined to make the most of it. They would find a way to be together, he was sure.
“How can this be?” Lydia whispered miserably. “Would that you had remained a stable boy.”
“I contemplated keeping my memories to myself, but I could not stop them when the Doctor spoke with me,” he explained, gripping her hand tighter. “I want you to know that I will not give up. I love you, Lydia. I will not allow you to slip out of my grasp.”
“I pray that you do not, Edward,” she murmured earnestly. “I long to be your wife, and even if we must elope, I will do so. All you have to do is say the word, and I will follow you wherever you may go.”
“I must contemplate a way for this to work, but I will come for you as soon as I am able. Until then, we must keep up the pretense. You must obey your father, to prevent him sending you away. But please know that I will return for you, as soon as I am well again. I cannot be without you.” He felt his love for her grow with every word he spoke.
She smiled shyly. “I am so very glad you do not have a wife, Edward.”
“As am I.” He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it tenderly. He would have kissed her lips, too, but he was worried her father might walk in and shoot him dead.
“Do you know who the girl was yet? The girl in your dreams?”
Edward’s heart jolted. “Yes.”
“Who was she?”
“My sister, as I suspected.”
She gazed deep into his eyes. “What happened to her? Is she alive?”
He shook his head. “No, she is dead. She drowned, and I could not save her.” The memory haunted him as fiercely as the dream had. “She was but twelve, and I took her out to ride. She loved to ride. Indeed, her horse had the same name as yours. Conker. I knew it was familiar when you first spoke it, and now I know why.”
“I am sorry, Edward.”
“Not as sorry as I am. In truth, I wish I could forget that particular memory,” he admitted. “You see, I had taken her out to ride, and I paused to pick the blackberries that she loved to eat. I had turned my back for a mere moment, and her horse bolted. It had been spooked by a rabbit in the undergrowth. I leapt onto my horse as fast as I could, and chased after her, but it was too late.”
“What happened?”
“The horse bucked and threw her off, close to the river near my house. She must have hit the bank at an awkward angle, as it broke her back when she fell, and she drowned beneath the water. I lost her in the woods and found her much too late. She was already dead when I reached her.”
The image replayed in his mind, in a terrible loop. He saw himself standing on the riverbank, staring down at her pale body in the water. He remembered scrambling down the muddy slope to reach her, and wading through the swift current. Reeds had tangled around her, holding her in place. He had pulled her to him and tried to resuscitate her, but there was nothing to be done. She had died trying to fight for air.
“You poor thing,” Lydia lamented. “Do you have any other siblings?”
He nodded. “A younger brother. His name is James.”
“And your mother?”
“She lives, still. She is likely going out of her mind with worry.”
“You ought to write to her. I can find pen and paper for you, if you wish to do so?”
He smiled at her gratefully. “I will allow my shoulder to heal for a day or so, and then I will let my family know of my whereabouts. I do not imagine it will make much difference, whether I write today, or in two days’ time.”
“And what of your home? Is it wonderful?”
He shrugged and winced at the movement. “It is rather stark in comparison to Greenwick Abbey. We were forced to rebuild after the fire that your grandfather caused. It decimated much of the original building, and the house that has replaced it lacks warmth, in my honest opinion. It is somewhat…institutional.”
“My grandfather caused a fire?”
“He did, in his eagerness to free your grandmother from my grandfather’s clutches.” He sighed heavily. “You see, I know the story of your grandparents well. I have never believed my grandfather to be in the right, though my father insisted he was. To his mind, your grandmother was his father’s property, and that was stolen from him. I do not agree. No lady should be any gentleman’s property.”
“He married, though, otherwise you would not exist?”
Edward chuckled. “Yes, my grandfather married. He did not love his wife Anne, and he punished her for not being Alexandra—your grandmother—but she endured his brutal affection and gave birth to my father and my uncle. She did not live long after that. And both gentlemen have followed her to heaven.”
“Do you have cousins?”
“One. Adrian. He is a rather pleasant fellow. When I was younger, I used to wonder what it would be liked if Adrian had been my brother instead of James.”
She frowned. “You do not care for your brother?”
“Oh, I do, very much, but he is rather stern and serious. He is more like my father and grandfather than I have ever been. My father used to say so. He probably would have preferred it if James had been the eldest, and not me.” He chuckled tightly. “He said as much, on his deathbed. He could not forget my part in Amy’s death, either, and always held me responsible for what happened to her.”
“Amy?”
“My sister.”
She nodded in understanding.
“Amy was the one thing that softened my father. He adored her to the point that she brought warm to his cold heart, and would do anything she asked. She was the apple of his eye, and I turned her rotten.” He cast his gaze downward, feeling tears form. “He never let me forget that I could not save her. Never.”
“But it was not your fault, Edward. You did everything you could.”
Edward smiled sadly. “My father told me not to let her out of my sight, and I did. I will bear that regret with me for the rest of my days. I have often wondered if I could have done something differently, but the outcome is always the same.”
“Oh, Edward.” She leaned into him and nestled her head against his chest. Although it hurt, he did not say so. Instead, he put his arms around her and held her close. He realized that the world would do all it could to separate them, but he would not allow it to. He loved her, and that was worth fighting for.
I will marry you, Lydia. I will find a way.
The only trouble was, how could he achieve the impossible?
Chapter 24
“Has there been any word of him?” James entered the drawing room in a flurry of exasperation. Two days had passed and there had been no news from Adrian’s men. His patience was wearing thin, and his mother grew worse by the day. She had not left her bedchamber in a week and was now refusing food.
Adrian looked up, startled. “No, Cousin, there has been no news as yet. Although, the afternoon post has yet to arrive.”
“Where the devil is he?” James sat down in the armchair opposite and fumed in silence. He did not understand where h
is brother could have gone, and the enduring mystery was causing him a great deal of worry. Without confirmation of his being dead or alive, the dukedom could not progress.
“He will be found, Cousin.”
“And if he is not?”
Adrian shrugged. “Then you will have to take on his duties, in his absence.”
“Me?”
“Yes, you shall have to insure the smooth running of this house and its dukedom until he returns.”
Wicked Temptations For The Seduced Duchess (Steamy Historical Regency) Page 17
