My Dashing Duke

by Andresen, Tammy

  Noelle’s brows shot up as she watched her sister take the envelope and quickly tuck it onto her lap. This was intriguing indeed, and once Noelle tracked down Dash, she would have a detailed explanation as to why an earl was leaving her sister little missives.

  The marquess clamped his mouth together and leaned back, crossing one ankle over his other leg.

  “So yes?” Noelle persisted, frustrated that his answer wasn’t more encouraging. Of course, she knew Dash was attracted to her physically. But was he still in love with her? Did he love her at all?

  He shrugged. “You’ll have to discover that for yourself.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Dash snapped the reins, pushing the horses faster than he normally would along the snowy road.

  Jack gripped the side of the sleigh. “Bloody hell, Dash, we’re not racing. Slow the fuck down.”

  He grimaced, looking over at his friend. “I’d like to put as much distance between me and her as possible.”

  Jack looked up at the grey sky, the afternoon sun covered by dark clouds. “Why?”

  “You were there,” he barked, but eased his grip on the thin leather straps. “You know why.”

  Jack shrugged. “It doesn’t matter if you go two miles or ten. She’s an unmarried woman. She can’t follow.”

  That was bloody true and a little troubling. He relaxed his hands again and the pair of horses instantly responded, slowing to a more leisurely pace. He drew in a breath, attempting to reason out his worry. “She’s the one who told me we were done. That she didn’t want to hear my explanation.”

  Jack turned to look at him then, a single brow cocking up. “If this is the part where you think I talk sense into you, then you’ve picked the wrong travelling companion.”

  “What?” Dash barked, turning to look at his friend. “Why the hell did you come with me then?”

  Jack stared straight ahead. “Noelle won’t be there to pull you out of the snowbank when you drink yourself stupid.”

  He choked a bit as he continued to stare at Jack. “Thank you?”

  Jack gave a small jerk of his chin. “You’re welcome. Now leave me be.”

  “What the fuck for?” Dash pulled the carriage to a stop entirely. “It’s you and me in a sleigh. What the bloody hell do you mean I should leave you alone?” He had half a mind to toss Jack out. Jack was not the warmest of men, but this was excessive even for him.

  Jack turned then, his whole torso coming to face Dash. “You were not the only one who was having a romantic interlude in Maybridge Falls. I’m attempting to decide how much damage I just did by leaving and how much I care.”

  Dash leaned back, his eyes growing wider. “Eve?”

  Jack snorted. “You know that there is an entire village of women besides the Bailey sisters.”

  Dash’s gaze narrowed. “Holly.”

  He watched Jack’s skin pale as his eyes tightened. “Stay out of my business and I’ll stay out of yours.”

  Dash shifted, welcoming the change in topic. Talking about Jack was easier than himself. “You didn’t propose, did you?”

  “Bullocks, no.” Jack spit over the side of the sleigh. “Are you going to keep prying into my affairs?”

  “Yes,” Dash answered, settling back. “Have you kissed her?”

  Jack’s lips pressed together and his gaze grew long and far away. “She tasted like shortbread. Sugary sweet with a hint of vanilla.”

  That made Dash’s chest convulse with pain and he clutched at his heart with his hand. “Noelle tasted of ginger crisps.”

  Jack let out a long slow breath. “I’ve changed my mind. I’m begging you to tell me every damned detail of your feelings concerning Noelle.”

  Dash snapped the reins again. “You’re just saying that so I stop asking you questions.”

  “Precisely,” Jack answered. “So, let’s see. We left off with you being a stubborn ass.”

  Dash clenched a fist in the reins. “No. I was not the stubborn ass. She didn’t want to listen to me. Remember?”

  Jack shook his head. “You asked for this. She reacted in a normal manner, throwing a typical female tantrum that she would quickly overcome and twenty minutes later be perfectly willing to converse with you rationally. You, however, loaded yourself into a sleigh and left for where she cannot follow, thereby closing the door, not just for the night as she did, but forever.” Jack thumped the side of the sleigh with his open hand. “Making you the much larger and more stubborn ass.”

  And there it was. His mind had been hinting around the edge of something troublesome and Jack had just spelled it out in front of his very eyes. “Fuck,” he said again because it was the only thing he could think to say.

  “Precisely,” Jack added.

  Dash shook his head. The problem was that he’d expected this to happen. Just as his parents’ marriage had failed before his very eyes, he’d known that Noelle would grow tired of him and wish to part company. He’d put an end date on their relationship from the start to spare him from the hurt of being rejected. Damn, that was pathetic.

  And now, he wasn’t even going to get the pleasure of being truly married to her, even if their time of intimacy was short lived.

  “My mother hated my father,” he said, watching the shadows cast by the trees. “Being a duke means that women want to marry that shiny title, but who’s to say if they care one whit for the man attached to it.”

  Jack gave a single nod. “I understand. More than you know.” His friend let out a long sigh. “But Noelle didn’t love your title, she didn’t even know you had it.”

  He squeezed his eyes shut. “I wanted to protect myself. But I’ve ruined everything.”

  Jack didn’t answer for a while and the silence stretched between them. “You don’t know that. In fact, you won’t know until you go back and ask her.”

  For a brief moment, hope thrummed through his body all the way to his fingertips and toes. “But what if she still doesn’t want me?” He’d have to face the rejection he’d dreaded his entire life.

  “Then you’ll know. And you won’t have to live with the regret of having never tried.”

  It was a good point and one he hadn’t considered. “Is there time to return tonight?”

  Jack rubbed his hands together. “Not without changing out the horses.”

  Dash grimaced. It would be preferable to return the sleigh with the same pair he’d had when he left. “We’ll stay in the next village and then return first thing in the morning.”

  “Wise choice,” Jack answered. “Gives me time to think my situation through as well.”

  “Does thinking your situation through involve ale?”

  “Pints and pints of it,” Jack gave him a small grin. “We’re nearly there, I’d wager. Pick up the pace, old man.”

  Dash grunted. “For an earl, you’ve got a rather large chip on your shoulder.”

  Jack laughed. “I’ve heard that before.” Then he cleared his throat. “If there’s a jewelry shop, you might consider buying a fancy bauble. Women like that sort of thing.”

  “I had no idea,” he said as he landed a good hard elbow into Jack’s ribs. But the truth was, deciding to return had lifted that deep ache in his stomach. This was the right choice and he’d find a way to win her back.

  * * *

  Noelle couldn’t help but feel anxious as she carried the basket of food provided by Mr. Randolph back to Aunt Winifred’s house while Holly carried the letters from Lord Merriweather.

  The sun was already low in the sky. It would be dark soon. “I need to go after him.” She practically whispered to herself as they made their way through the front garden. “Holly, I need to find him!”

  “It took you long enough,” Holly murmured while she rolled her eyes, but a smile played at her lips.

  “Don’t be rude.” She gave her sister a light swat to show she didn’t really mind. Besides, she had other more pressing concerns to consider. Would she need to sneak away in the dead of night?
The mail coach came through at precisely one in the morning but the thought of traveling alone through the darkness was not only unappealing, but frightening. She’d be of no use to either herself or Dash if she was attacked and murdered on the way to declare her love. And yet she didn’t want to wait any longer.

  Thinking hard, she stepped up and onto the porch at the same time Mr. Clark held the door wide. And when she entered, she blinked in confusion to see both Eve and Aunt Winifred hovering in the foyer.

  “Well?” Her aunt asked.

  “She’s going to go after him.” Holly declared, her arms spreading wide.

  Her family had known!

  Aunt Winifred nodded in approval without so much blinking an eye. “Very well, Mr. Clark will have my coach brought around and he will accompany you and Eve without delay. There’s an inn where you can stay. If you travel to the Wavering Goat tonight, you ought to be able to make it to London by tomorrow evening.”

  A cold sweat broke out on the back of Noelle’s neck. She was going to do this. She swallowed hard. “What should I pack? Where will we stay once we get to the city?” Panic rose inside of her. “What do I do if he—" Noelle practically choked on a sob. “What if he doesn’t want me?”

  “Hush.” Eve took hold of Noelle’s hands, her green eyes as serious as Noelle had ever seen them. “If he doesn’t love you, at least you will know.” She squeezed Noelle’s fingers. “For a time, you will fall into the very depths of despair, but you will recover because you’ll know you did everything in your power to win his love. Far better to go after him now than to live the rest of your life with regrets.”

  Noelle nodded as she realized that Eve wasn’t talking in the abstract. Eve must have fallen in love before Mama fell ill. She’d known it!

  “But he does love her, you dolt!” Holly hollered over her shoulder as she dashed up the stairs. “Of course, he’ll take her back!”

  But would he?

  “Change into traveling clothes, Noelle,” her aunt’s voice commanded. “When you arrive in London, Mr. Clark will take you to the home of one of my dearest friends, Lady Winterspoon, where you will get a good night’s rest so that you can look your best when you go to see him. I think you should wear your crimson velvet. You are pretty as a picture in that one.”

  Noelle exhaled an uneven breath as Eve released her, and then climbed the stairs in a daze. Once in her chamber, her gaze drifted to the window. At the reminder of the first night she’d spied him stumbling through the storm, she sprang into action. Eve was right. She would never know if she didn’t even try.

  There was still hope for both of them. Her hands fluttered to her face as her heart raced in her chest. He was Dash. Of course, he loved her back. If the memory of his eyes dancing with laughter while they’d made snow angels didn’t reassure her, then surely the memory of his kisses ought to. Her cheeks heated as she remembered the sparkle of his blue eyes. Surely that was worth a journey to London.

  And if he didn’t? She gulped. If he didn’t love her back, then destiny would lead her somewhere else. The thought stole her breath and she had to blink away tears. Dash was her destiny. He had been all along. Why else would she have met him under such unlikely circumstances? He’d appeared outside that night for a reason and she’d been awake wishing upon a star for an answer just when she’d seen him.

  It didn’t matter if he was the Baron of Blitzencreek or the Duke of Dashlington or Prinny himself! She didn’t want anyone else. Ever!

  Holly burst into the room, eyes wide and a flush on her cheeks.

  “I thought I was opening the letter addressed to me,” she gushed. “I never would have if I’d known! But…”

  Wincing, she presented a creased sheet of elegant parchment. “This was meant to go to Dashlington. It’s from his mother. I didn’t mean to read it, honest.” She held up another strikingly similar envelope. “But once I began, it was impossible to stop.”

  His mother? The woman Dash had said never loved either his father or himself? Noelle flicked her gaze to the salutation. If she read this letter then she would know if he was lying or not. She would know the truth once and for all. As though seeing her own actions clearly for the first time all day, she refolded the paper and tucked it into the opened envelope. At the same time, Holly dropped onto a chair and, breaking the seal on the other missive, barely paused to glance up.

  “Aren’t you going to read it? She says—”

  “No.” Noelle cut her off abruptly. “No. I need to wait. I need to…” She slowly turned her head to stare out the window in dismay. “I need to trust him.”

  But Holly wasn’t even paying attention, instead she was reading the letter from Lord Tidemore. With a jerk, she lifted her chin and her green eyes sparkled defiantly. “I’m coming with you.”

  “But Eve—?”

  “Can remain here with Aunt Winifred.” She jerked her chin even higher. “I’m coming.”

  Not quite a quarter hour later, Noelle huddled beside Holly inside their aunt’s rather-ancient carriage as it drove out of town. The contraption seemed heavy enough, quite sturdy, in fact, but snow still covered the road. She grasped the seat of the bench and exhaled; Mr. Clark wouldn’t allow them to travel in the contraption if it wasn’t safe. Furthermore, the night wasn’t as dark as she’d imagined it would be. With nary a cloud in sight, the moon lit their path better than any lantern could have.

  Dash had left Maybridge Falls by sleigh. Had he stopped for the night? He’d departed just a few hours ahead of them but if she were to judge by the determined set of his jaw when he’d driven away, she didn’t doubt that he’d choose to travel through the night.

  She curled her toes inside of her boots, which sat atop the heated brick at her feet, and rested her head on Holly’s shoulder.

  “We’ll find him,” Holly’s voice echoed inside the coach. “If he doesn’t want to marry you, it’ll be his loss.”

  Noelle smiled. That’s what sisters were supposed to say.

  “What did Lord Tidemore write to you?”

  Noelle waited patiently for Holly to respond as the sounds of the wheels crunched in the snow.

  “He wanted to wish us all a Merry Christmas. And…he added his apologies for his friend’s deception.”

  “That was kind of him.” Anything else Holly might have said was forgotten when Noelle’s stomach chose that moment to protest loudly at having been denied dinner.

  Holly leaned forward to retrieve a basket from the floor and Noelle sat up straight. “We might as well eat as do anything else.”

  It was the offering from Mr. Rudolph, only in addition to some ham and bread and cheese, Cook had added several healthy portions of shortbread and pumpkin crisps.

  “She’ll fatten us both up.” Noelle grinned for the first time in hours as they ate their makeshift dinner.

  Holly drifted off to sleep shortly after they’d had their fill, but Noelle hugged her knees to her chest and watched out the window. It had been stupid of her to imagine she could marry him, lie with him, and not develop affection for him. Had she been in denial all along? Because given the time to scrutinize her behavior, she doubted seriously that she would have allowed such intimacies if she hadn’t had feelings for him.

  Feelings. Ha! As if she hadn’t already been half in love with him.

  She’d been willing to give him her innocence today—in the kitchen larder, for heaven’s sake. She squeezed her thighs together at that particular memory. Oh, but she ached for him already.

  Knowing him for less than a week had changed her life forever. Not just her life, but her very person. He would have her heart forever.

  A knock sounded at the covered window by the driver’s box and then the sky appeared when the closure slid open. Mr. Clark’s face appeared and blocked the moonlight. “Wavering Goat Inn is just ahead, Lady Noelle.”

  “Thank you.” Oh, but she hoped she could sleep. All of this thinking and worrying had thoroughly exhausted her.

  Did he fee
l the same?

  The cold air had roused Holly and they had both gathered their pelisses and bonnets just as the door swung open. Stepping outside and hugging herself to ward off the chill, Noelle could almost appreciate the beauty of the night. Tall oak trees towered all around them, along with evergreens and other snow-covered shrubs. Despite the late hour, light shone from the windows of the two-story building before them and she could barely make out a sign that had a confused-looking goat painted on it.

  “Right this way, ladies.” Mr. Clark carried both her and Holly’s valises but still managed to open the door and lead them inside. A giant hearth burned in the corner and male laughter floated from the back.

  The elderly gentleman who appeared from the door behind the desk appeared none too welcoming. “We’re full up.” He announced without any preamble.

  “Oh, but—”

  “Surely, you must have something.” Mr. Clark didn’t seem dissuaded in the least as he ambled toward the innkeeper. “I’m prepared to make it well worth your while.”

  Loose jowls wiggled when the man shook his head vigorously. “Every nob from here to Scotland is traveling tonight, what with Christmas coming and the roads beginning to clear. I’m afraid you’ll have to try your luck somewhere else. Unless, that is, you’re willing to bed down in the stables.”

  Fatigue weighed heavily on Noelle at his words. This day…could it get any worse? Uncertain as to what they ought to do, she turned toward Holly.

  “The stables, Noelle?” Holly’s brows lifted in horror.

  The floor creaked and a shadow fell across the room. “No one will be sleeping in the stables.” An achingly familiar silhouette blocked the door.

  Dash? She nearly burst into tears. She couldn’t quite make out his features, though. Was he happy to see her? Was she going to be rejected without even having to travel all the way to London?