Reforming the Duke: A Regency Romance (Regency Matchmakers Book 2)

by Laura Beers

  “Me neither.” Amelia looked down and blinked several times to keep more tears from escaping.

  Frowning, he said, “Regardless of what you have done, you still saved my mother’s life and reunited me with my daughter. And I thank you for that.”

  “You have already thanked me enough.”

  “I will allow you to use one of my carriages to return to Town.”

  “That won’t be necessary,” she replied. “I brought my own coach with me.”

  “You did?” he asked with a lifted brow.

  Amelia nodded weakly. “My driver and footman have been waiting at the coaching inn in the village until I needed to return home.”

  “How convenient,” he remarked dryly.

  Wringing her hands, Amelia asked, “Can we at least part as friends?”

  “I don’t think I can be friends with you, not after everything that we have been through,” Edmund answered honestly.

  Amelia took a step back, her face illuminated by the moonlight. “I understand. I want you to know that I shall always look back to the time we shared with much fondness.”

  “As will I.”

  She reached up and wiped a tear off her cheek. “I am sorry, Your Grace,” she murmured. “I will depart tomorrow at first light.”

  Edmund watched as Amelia turned and hurried back into the manor. He had the strangest urge to run after her, to apologize for his actions, but he refused to act upon that. Amelia had lied to him, and she couldn’t be trusted.

  He had done the right thing in turning her away. He was sure of it, he decided, as he walked into the manor and headed straight towards his study. He didn’t stop until he arrived at the drink cart and picked up the decanter.

  After he poured himself a drink, he gulped it down. Then, he poured himself another. He wanted to keep drinking until he could forget this night ever happened.

  16

  Edmund awoke from his drunken stupor on his leather sofa when he felt someone shaking him. “Go away,” he grunted.

  His mother’s voice came from above him. “I will not,” she said, her voice taking on a firm edge.

  He struggled to pry open his eyes as he attempted to ignore the pounding in his head. “Why are you in my study?”

  “You need to go stop Amelia from leaving,” his mother asserted, tugging on his arm.

  Yanking back, he replied, “No, I don’t.”

  His mother frowned as she sat down next to him on the sofa. “You are making a terrible mistake in letting her go.”

  “Am I?” Edmund huffed. “Because I can’t help but think it is the right choice.”

  “You would be wrong.”

  “I don’t think I am.” Edmund closed his eyes, hoping his mother would take the hint and leave him alone.

  She rose but remained close, much to his annoyance. “You must at least say goodbye to her.”

  “I already said my goodbyes last night when I ordered her to leave Harrowden Hall.”

  “Son,” she hesitated, “I just feel—”

  Edmund spoke over her. “No, you don’t get a say in this.”

  “Why not?”

  With great reluctance, Edmund sat up on the sofa. “You are as much to blame as Amelia. You both deceived me.”

  His mother sighed. “You tasked me with finding you a bride, and I hired Amelia and her sisters. Not only are they the best matchmakers in Town, but they specialize in finding love matches.”

  Edmund scoffed. “That is rubbish.”

  “I wanted you to be matched with someone that you could fall in love with and be happy with,” his mother explained.

  “I didn’t want that!”

  “I think you did,” Ellen said, “which is why I suggested Amelia act as my companion during the duration of her stay.”

  “So she could lie to me,” Edmund grunted.

  “You would have never spoken to a matchmaker, but I thought there was a chance that you might speak to my companion.”

  “How convenient for you that your plan worked.”

  “Little did I know that you and Amelia would be perfect for one another.”

  Edmund shook his head, then winced as the throbbing between his temples intensified. “It matters not. I sent Amelia away, and for good reason.”

  “Your reasons are faulty, son.”

  Raising his hand, he pressed it against his forehead as he replied, “I disagree.”

  His mother walked over to the drink cart and poured him a glass of water. “Amelia is a godsend. She came when you needed her the most, and she saved you.”

  “That may be true, but she deceived me.”

  “So what?” his mother asked as she walked over and extended him the glass. “You would throw your happiness away because she told one lie?”

  Edmund accepted the glass and brought it up to his lips. “I would,” he replied. Besides, it wasn’t just one simple lie. He questioned everything he knew about her, wondering what was true and what wasn’t.

  “Then you are a bigger fool than I thought.”

  “Perhaps, but I refuse to yield.”

  His mother shook her head. “Then you don’t deserve her.”

  Edmund brought the glass down to his lap and asked, “Even if I did forgive her, how could I ever trust her again?”

  “It was one lie,” she said with an exasperated look. “It doesn’t change the person that she is.”

  “It does for me.”

  “Why aren’t you more angry at me, then?” his mother asked, placing a hand on her hip. “I helped in the deception.”

  “I am angry with you, but it is different.”

  “In what way?”

  Edmund gave her an annoyed look. “You are my mother.”

  “And Amelia is your match!” Ellen exclaimed. “I gather you were going to offer for her before she told you the truth.”

  “I was,” he replied, seeing no reason to deny it.

  “It is not too late to offer for her now.”

  Edmund rose clumsily off the sofa. “Yes, it is,” he declared as he walked over to the drink cart, placing his empty glass down. “I don’t know how I can make myself any clearer. I want Amelia to leave.”

  “Do you?”

  “Yes!” he exclaimed, picking up the decanter. “I want her gone from Harrowden Hall.”

  His mother walked over and took the decanter from his hand. “I am wondering if you are still drunk.”

  “I am not entirely sure myself.”

  Ellen placed the decanter back onto the drink cart. “I need you to focus.”

  “And I need you to leave my study,” he ordered, pointing at the open door.

  Tears filled his mother’s eyes. “Don’t do this, son. I beg of you.”

  Edmund averted his gaze from hers, attempting to ignore the gnawing guilt that he felt growing inside of him. “I have made my choice.”

  “It is the wrong choice.”

  “So be it,” he said, picking back up the decanter.

  His mother slowly backed away from him. “If you change your mind, you still have time to say goodbye.”

  Edmund poured himself a drink and brought the glass up to his lips. Blast it! As much as he never wanted to see Amelia again, he knew he would regret not saying goodbye to her one last time.

  He slammed the glass down, causing the drink to spill onto his hand. As he reached for a cloth to wipe it off, he growled, “If it means that much to you, I will say goodbye. But then, you will leave me alone.”

  A weak smile came to his mother’s lips. “I can agree to that.”

  Edmund brushed past her and headed towards the entry hall. His butler was standing near the main door. “Well, where is she?” he demanded.

  “Miss Blackmore just left, Your Grace,” Morton replied.

  Feeling a sudden burst of panic within him, Edmund ran towards the door and Morton opened it. He saw the driver was about to urge the horses forward and shouted, “Stop!”

  The driver did his bidding and lowered
the reins.

  Edmund hurried towards the coach door and flung it open. He stuck his head in and saw Amelia watching him with a surprised look on her face.

  “Your Grace,” she said. “Is everything all right?”

  He nodded. “I didn’t have a chance to say goodbye.”

  Her eyes lit up at his declaration. “I didn’t think you wanted to say goodbye to me, or I would have sought you out.”

  “My mother thought it was best if I did.”

  The light in her eyes dimmed, and he felt like kicking himself for saying that. “Oh,” Amelia murmured. “That was kind of her.”

  “I hope you have a safe journey.”

  “Thank you, Your Grace.”

  His eyes scanned the interior of the coach as he attempted to think of something to say. Finally, he settled on, “You have a fine coach.”

  “It suits our needs nicely,” Amelia replied as she glanced over at the other young woman in the coach.

  Silence descended for a moment, then he asked, “Did you have a chance to say farewell to Sybil?”

  Amelia’s bottom lip trembled. “I did. Thank you for allowing me to speak with her. It meant more than you will ever know.”

  “You are welcome. Thank you for everything you did for me and my family,” he said, hoping his words conveyed his sincerity.

  “You don’t need to keep thanking me, Your Grace,” she replied. “It was my privilege.”

  “Perhaps you were right.”

  “About what?”

  Edmund swallowed slowly. “I think we should part as friends.”

  Her eyes filled with tears, and yet a smile touched her lips. “I would like that very much.”

  “As would I.”

  They continued to stare deeply into each other’s eyes, and Edmund knew in that moment that Amelia would be taking his heart with her. But it didn’t alter his decision. No. He refused to be played the fool.

  “Goodbye, Miss Blackmore,” he said.

  In a shaky voice, she replied, “Goodbye, Your Grace.”

  Mustering all of his strength, Edmund stepped back and closed the coach door. The driver urged the horses forward and he watched it until it left his courtyard.

  Then, he spun back around. He needed another drink.

  With the sun low in the sky, Amelia stepped out of the coach and hurried up the steps of her townhouse in London. She had barely reached the main door when it opened, revealing her butler.

  “Welcome home, Miss Blackmore,” Cooper greeted as he stood to the side to grant her entry. “You have been missed.”

  “Thank you. It is good to be back.”

  Amelia had just stepped into the entry hall when she heard Hannah shout from the top of the stairs, “You are finally home!”

  “I am,” Amelia replied.

  Hannah rushed down the stairs and hurried over to embrace her. “We were so worried about you!” she declared. “I tried to convince Kate, on multiple occasions, to go and retrieve you.”

  Kate stepped out from the hall that led to her study. “And I kept telling Hannah that there was no need.” She smiled. “Welcome home, sister.”

  Amelia went to embrace her older sister. “I am happy to be home.”

  Leaning back, Kate asked, “What took you so long? We have been expecting you for days.”

  “I’m afraid I got rather preoccupied at Harrowden Hall,” Amelia admitted.

  Kate watched her curiously. “I believe there is a story behind this.”

  “There is,” Amelia confirmed.

  Hannah spoke up. “Last we heard, you had injured your hip when you saved the dowager duchess from a runaway horse and cart, and the duke was a horrible, insufferable man.”

  “Didn’t you get my second note?” Amelia asked.

  “No,” Hannah said with a shake of her head. “It has not arrived yet.”

  “My second note explained my delay.” Amelia glanced around the entry hall. “Where is Edward?”

  “He is at the House of Lords,” Kate revealed. “Perhaps we should get some refreshment and have a long chat about what transpired at Harrowden Hall.”

  Letting out a sigh, Amelia said, “I would love some tea and perhaps a biscuit.”

  Kate turned her attention towards Cooper, who was standing back from the group. “Will you see to the refreshment?”

  Cooper tipped his head. “Yes, milady.”

  As the butler walked to fulfill Kate’s request, Hannah looped her arm with Amelia’s and started leading her towards the drawing room.

  “Did you discover if the duke killed his wife?” Hannah asked in a low voice.

  “No, he did not,” Amelia confirmed. “The duchess died during childbirth, but did you know that a daughter survived?”

  Hannah shook her head. “I hadn’t realized the duke had a daughter.”

  “Her name is Lady Sybil, and she has the most unusual amber eyes, much like her father,” Amelia shared.

  Hannah gracefully lowered herself onto a maroon velvet settee, and Amelia sat down next to her. As Kate sat across from them, she encouraged, “Now start from the beginning.”

  Amelia clasped her hands in her lap. “When I first arrived, the duke mistook me for the new nurse he hired.”

  “He did?” Hannah asked.

  With a bob of her head, Amelia replied, “The duchess hadn’t told her son that she had hired a new companion, and he was rather vexed by it.”

  Kate lifted her brow. “Truly?”

  “The duchess insisted that I spend as much time as possible with the duke, so I even dined with them,” Amelia shared. “Frankly, I was treated more like a guest than a paid companion, which irked Edmund greatly.”

  “Edmund?” Hannah asked.

  “That is the duke’s given name,” Amelia explained.

  Kate eyed her suspiciously. “You were calling the duke by his given name?”

  “He gave me permission to, and I gave him leave to call me by mine,” Amelia explained.

  “I see,” Kate murmured.

  Amelia moved to sit on the edge of her seat. “When I was riding in the woodlands on Edmund’s land, I ran into a man named Rawlings who warned me to be wary of the duke.”

  “Did he say why?” Kate asked.

  “Not at first,” Amelia shared.

  Kate put her hand up. “Was this before or after you saved the duchess from a runaway horse and cart?”

  “Before and after,” Amelia said. “Rawlings warned me twice about the duke. He even implied that the duke had something to do with his wife’s death, and that the duke was unscrupulous in his business dealings.”

  Hannah gave her an exasperated look. “If the duke was as insufferable as you said, and someone warned you about him, why didn’t you return home?”

  “Because I wanted to discover the truth on my own,” Amelia replied.

  “And did you?” Hannah asked.

  “I did.” Amelia shifted to face her younger sister. “The duke may be gruff, infuriating and stubborn, but he can also be kind, considerate, and gentle.”

  Hannah arched an eyebrow. “He can?”

  “He became my friend,” Amelia admitted with a smile.

  Kate leaned back in her seat with a knowing expression on her face. “I daresay that he became more than your friend,” she observed. “You care for him, don’t you?”

  Hannah gasped. “You fell for the duke?”

  Amelia lowered her gaze to her lap as she confessed, “I may hold him in high regards, but it matters not. Edmund ordered me to leave Harrowden Hall when I told him my true purpose in being there.”

  “Why did you tell him?” Hannah asked.

  Amelia blinked back the tears that came into her eyes as she replied, “He deserved to know the truth.”

  “Did the duke return your affection?” Kate inquired.

  Amelia nodded. “He did, but he is furious that I lied to him.”

  “Do you think he will come around?” Hannah pressed.

  “No,” A
melia answered firmly. “Edmund is about as stubborn as I am.”

  Hannah and Kate exchanged a look as the door opened and a maid walked in with a tray in her hands. She placed it on the table between the sofas before she exited the room.

  Kate reached for the teapot and poured three cups of tea. Then, she handed each one of them a cup and saucer.

  Amelia took a long sip before saying, “I’m sorry I failed my task.”

  “Nonsense,” Kate declared. “I care more about you than losing a client.”

  Lowering the cup to her lap, Amelia shared, “When I first arrived at Harrowden Hall, it was cold and dreary, but it changed while I was there. It is now a warm, inviting place that I miss dearly.” Amelia smiled at a memory. “Although, I should note that I did quit on one occasion.”

  “You quit?” Kate asked.

  Amelia nodded. “I did, but then Edmund asked for me to stay on as his mother’s companion.”

  “Why didn’t you just come home?” Hannah questioned.

  “Because I agreed to help Edmund with his daughter, and I had a strong desire to be there,” Amelia explained, growing quiet. “It felt like I belonged.”

  Hannah placed her teacup down and reached for a biscuit on the tray. “Well, I am glad that you are back with us.”

  Amelia forced a smile to her lips. “As am I.”

  “Are you?” Kate asked, watching her closely. “I can’t help but suspect you aren’t truly happy about that.”

  “I will be,” Amelia replied, rising. “It is time for me to change out of these dusty clothes and take a long soak.”

  Hannah rose. “I will walk with you to your bedchamber.”

  “Thank you.”

  As Amelia and Hannah started to walk out of the drawing room, Kate asked, “Did you enjoy spending time with the duchess?”

  Amelia stopped and spun back around. “She reminded me so much of our mother,” she shared. “Did you know they grew up in the same village?”

  “Yes, I vaguely recall that,” Kate replied.

  “It was fun hearing stories about Mother,” Amelia admitted. “It almost made that long trip worth it.”

  Kate smiled tenderly at her. “I can imagine.”

  “I will share some of the stories she shared with me over dinner,” Amelia said.