by Aston, Alexa
She spotted the Gilford carriage among the others and saw Reid hugging Harry. Quickly, she looked away. Samuel’s father came toward her and they conversed briefly. By the time Samuel joined them and they ascended inside their coach, the duke’s carriage traveled down the lane. It passed another carriage and when it arrived, Burke jumped out and waved.
Mr. Jarrett came toward her. “Everything will be in good hands, my lady. I’ll care for all of the animals.”
“I’ll see you in two days, Mr. Jarrett.”
“Is your trunk in the hallway?”
“Yes.”
“I’ll fetch it for you.”
Burke stepped toward her. “It’s a fine day to be going on holiday.” He kissed her hand.
“You didn’t have to come,” she gently chided.
“Oh, I did. Gemma was afraid you’d find something last minute that would require you to stay here. I was charged to bring you back to Westbrook, being my charming self and talking you into doing so if necessary.”
Ashlyn laughed. “Aren’t you always charming?”
“These days? I try to do everything to please my wife and her growing belly.”
She saw Jarrett pass her trunk to one of the Weston footmen. By now, the last vehicle had pulled away.
“I suppose I’m ready,” she said.
Burke saw her inside the carriage and they spoke of local affairs until they arrived at Westbrook. She was shown into a sunny parlor, where Charlotte and Gemma waited.
Charlotte rose and kissed Ashlyn’s cheeks. “It’s so good to see you.”
Gemma, who was stretched out on a settee, said, “I would rise but I find getting up is starting to be more difficult and not worth the effort.”
Ashlyn went and kissed her hostess. “I remember those days.”
“I’ve told her to wait until she no longer can see her feet. My belly swelled so much that it blocked them from view,” Charlotte declared.
“It’s best when that occurs,” Ashlyn said. “By then, your poor ankles are so swollen you don’t want to see them. And slippers? Forget wearing them. They no longer fit.” She took a seat.
“I don’t need to hear that,” Gemma complained. She indicted her slippers, resting on the floor. “Already, I’m tired of them. My back is starting to ache. And I have the most awful heartburn.”
“That’s right,” Ashlyn said. “I’d forgotten about that.”
Gemma rang for tea and they talked for several hours. Charlotte entertained them with a few stories about her young son, warning Gemma of what lay ahead.
“There are times I want to kill him. Instead, I smother him in kisses, knowing the day will come when he won’t let me do so.” Charlotte looked at Ashlyn. “Did you feel the same about your son?”
She chuckled. “Gregory was the most curious child ever born. He was always into everything, wanting to know how things worked and where things came from.”
Charlotte took Ashlyn’s hand. “I know you must miss him a great deal. Have you thought about having another child?”
Both Charlotte and Gemma looked at her expectantly. She might have known she wouldn’t be able to avoid the topic of Reid during her visit to Westbrook.
“I won’t wed again so birthing another child is out of the question,” she said plainly.
“What about Reid?” Gemma asked. “We know he cares for you a great deal. We hoped the feeling would be mutual.”
Ashlyn burst into tears.
Charlotte wrapped her arms about Ashlyn and she cried for some minutes. When she stopped, she apologized.
“I didn’t know I had so many tears in me.”
“Have you quarreled with Reid?” Gemma asked.
“I hesitate to say anything. You are his friends.”
“We are also your friends, Ashlyn,” Gemma quietly reminded.
She decided to be frank. “Reid asked me to marry him. He said he didn’t love me but that he cared a great deal for me and thought we would suit.”
“Love can grow,” Charlotte said encouragingly.
“I already love him,” Ashlyn admitted. “For a brief moment, I thought that would be enough. I believed Reid would treat me with courtesy and respect and that it could be a successful marriage. Then before I could answer him, he began telling me what I could and couldn’t do with Dunwood Academy.”
“Oh, no,” Gemma moaned.
“Oh, yes,” Ashlyn assured her. “I was pushed into marrying my first husband and that turned out to be a disastrous union. I wasn’t about to be bullied into wedding a second one—especially when he believes being a duke gives him carte blanche to do and say whatever he chooses.”
“Gray says that Reid has always been a leader with strong opinions. That what he said was always accepted by all as others followed him. He’s certainly not used to someone standing up to him,” Charlotte said. “But I don’t think he was malicious.”
“No. He merely informed me of the wealth and privilege that would come if I agreed to the match. Then he tried to take my school away from me. He wanted someone else to run it.” She paused. “I built Dunwood Academy from nothing. To have it ripped from my grasp is not something I’ll ever agree to.”
Ashlyn placed her cup down in its saucer. “Then after rejecting his offer, he came to me the next day and said he loved me—as if he told me what he thought I wanted to hear would change my mind.”
“The next day?” Gemma mused. “Perhaps that gave Reid time to think things over. Knowing you’d turned him down. Realizing what a life without you would be like. He might have figured out that he couldn’t be without you. That he did love you.”
That prospect hadn’t occurred to Ashlyn in the heat of the moment. In fact, she recalled he’d apologized for dictating to her and then told her he loved her.
Had she misjudged him?
Burke sailed into the room. “I’ve been sent to summon you ladies to dinner,” he said.
“Oh, do we need to change first?” Ashlyn asked.
“No,” Gemma said. “It’s just the four of us.” She smiled at her husband. “For a former spy who used to be so observant, he’s merely a clueless earl now when it comes to women’s fashions.”
He laughed. “I notice nothing about other women ever since I’ve become a married man. You could wear the same gown three days in a row, Ashlyn, and I would never know.” His eyes twinkled. “But if Gemma changed her slippers or necklace, I would be the first to comment.” He took his wife’s hand and kissed it lovingly before placing her slippers on her feet and helping her rise.
The four went to a small dining room and dined on roasted lamb and asparagus. Ashlyn was quiet during the meal, pondering Gemma’s words.
“Would you care for a sherry?” Gemma asked. “We ladies could return to my sitting room.”
“That would be lovely,” Charlotte said and Ashlyn agreed.
They’d talked for a good hour when Burke entered the room again, a solemn look on his face.
“Ashlyn, Reid is here to see you.”
Panic filled her. She wasn’t ready to confront him yet. She still had too much to think about.
Before she could answer, Gemma said, “Ashlyn is feeling a bit vulnerable now, darling. Perhaps in a day or two Reid could come back and they could speak then.”
“No,” Burke said, his attention on Ashlyn. “You don’t want to refuse. He’s here about Dunwood Academy.”
She quickly stood. “What? What’s wrong?”
Reid strode into the room and came to stand before her. He took her hands and studied her for a moment.
“Ashlyn, something has happened that you must be made aware of.”
“What?” she asked. She tried to pull her hands from his but his fingers tightened about hers.
“Dunwood Academy burned to the ground today,” he said. “I’m so sorry.”
She tried to speak but only a strangled noise emerged. Then then room swayed and a black fog engulfed her.
*
Reid
caught Ashlyn and sat in the nearest chair. He’d known the news would upset her. Everything she’d worked for had literally gone up in flames.
Charlotte touched his shoulder. “Reid, you need to put Ashlyn down.”
His arms tightened possessively about her.
“She’s very fragile now,” Charlotte continued. “Waking up in your arms in front of her friends would make things awkward for her.”
“I only want to protect her,” he said fiercely. “I love her.”
“I’m glad you do but Charlotte is right,” Gemma said.
If they’d been alone, he would have kept Ashlyn in his lap. He knew these women were wise, though, and decided to listen to their advice. Reid rose and placed Ashlyn on the nearest settee.
“May I at least hold her hand?” he pleaded.
“Of course,” Gemma said. “Burke, place a few pillows behind Ashlyn’s head.”
Her husband complied and asked, “Should we send for smelling salts?”
“No!” Gemma and Charlotte answered in unison and Charlotte added, “When you’ve had such a great upset, the last thing you want is to be jolted awake by something so foul-smelling. Give her time. She’ll come around and it will be far gentler and kinder, done in her own time.”
Reid knelt by Ashlyn’s side, waiting for her to arouse herself. The group sat silently. Then she began to stir, her eyelashes fluttering. His pulse quickened.
Ashlyn opened her eyes and he was lost in the pools of amethyst.
She glanced about the room and then her gaze focused on him.
“What . . . you told me. It’s true?”
“Yes.” Reid wanted to tell her he had a good idea of who caused the fire but refused to make any accusation without proof.
“I don’t see how it could have happened,” she said, her brow creased as she tried to make sense of his news. “I went through the entire house myself before everyone left. No fires were going. The last to be put out were the cook fires and Mrs. George saw to dousing them after preparing breakfast. I don’t see how a fire could have started, much less one that would burn a complete structure of that size.”
Before he could reply, panic lit her face. “Mr. Jarrett! The animals!” she cried and struggled to rise.
Reid said, “Stay,” firmly but softly and she complied. “They are fine. The stables and pens are far enough away from the house and suffered no damage. Jarrett was out exercising one of the horses. When he returned, he saw the fire.” He paused. “It was deliberately set, Ashlyn. As Jarrett approached, he saw flames in every window. All the curtains had been set ablaze. I was out helping repair a fence when I saw the billowing clouds of smoke. Many of my tenants rushed with me to help but by the time we reached the property, it was already too late.”
Tears slid down her cheeks. “I can’t imagine anyone doing something so horrible. What about my boys? My poor boys. Some of them will be fine but others still need time for us to bolster their confidence. They aren’t ready to go to another school yet.” She shuddered. “And my tutors. The staff. They will have nowhere to go. It’s all gone.”
She wiped away tears. “I will be ruined,” she said softly. “I don’t have the funds to give to Mr. Thorn to rebuild Thornhill. It’s why I rented a property in the first place.”
She began weeping profusely and Reid felt his heart ripped from his chest. Suddenly, he knew what to do. A way to help Ashlyn—and himself. A way to let her see they could share the best of their worlds.
Tenderly, he cupped her cheeks. “I’m not here just to bring bad news, Ashlyn, but good. You know how large Gillingham is. Hundreds of rooms, many of which we never use. I’m offering you the entire south wing. We can open it. It has enough rooms to house your classrooms. Your students. Your staff.”
His thumbs stroked her damp cheeks. “Let me do this for you. Please.”
Emotions flitted rapidly across her face. He held his breath, hoping she wouldn’t let pride get in her way and refuse him.
A sense of calm descended over her and Ashlyn met his gaze.
“I accept.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Ashlyn strolled the gardens at Gillingham, taking a few minutes for herself after an incredibly hectic two weeks.
Reid had been a godsend. His offer to house Dunwood Academy within Gillingham’s walls was too good to pass up.
At least for now.
He’d helped her every step of the way. They’d met with the local magistrate regarding the fire. The officer of the court told them he would begin an immediate investigation into the matter, even sharing that on rare occasions there were people who received an unnatural thrill from lighting fires and watching them burn and that this could be the case in this instance. She’d never heard of such behavior before but it was the only thing that explained what had happened at her school. She was eternally grateful that the blaze had been set only after everyone was gone from the house and that no one was injured or killed.
Reid was the one who wrote to Lord Thorn and explained about Thornhill’s destruction. A replay had come from Lord Thorn’s solicitor, telling them the elderly owner was in poor health and they would have to postpone meeting with Ashlyn and deciding what she was responsible for. Since Lord Thorn rarely used his country property and she still had two more years on the lease, the matter could be resolved at a later date.
Reid had taken Ashlyn to London, where they’d gone to several bookstores in order to replace some of the volumes lost in the fire. He’d also offered the boys and their tutors the use of his library, as well. He’d walked the entire south wing with her and helped her decide which rooms would be turned into classrooms and study areas, as well as assigned the various bedchambers to pupils and tutors. Mrs. George and Mrs. Clayton, as well as Betty and Louise, would be given rooms near the other Gillingham servants. Ashlyn had sat with Mrs. Paul, the Gillingham housekeeper, and Mrs. Cook, the cook, and worked out a schedule regarding meals and where those would take place for her students and staff.
Her four servants had come back early to help prepare the new school, thanks to Reid’s messengers tracking them down. Her tutors would arrive this afternoon from their Lake District tour. Mr. Jarrett awaited the men and would bring them to Gillingham. Her groom had been allowed to bring all of their horses and other animals to Gillingham in order for the boys to continue being responsible for the care of the animals.
Each of her pupils’ families had been contacted and informed of Dunwood Academy’s move to Gillingham. No mention of the fire was made. Reid had been adamant that Ashlyn keep that quiet, telling her it might impede the investigation. Instead, she informed the parents of the move to larger quarters, where the students would have the same quality of education in a similar setting, all under the auspices of the Duke of Gilford. Naturally, every reply was favorable, citing the duke’s patronage of Dunwood Academy as a positive sign. Her boys would arrive tomorrow and the next term would start the following day.
The only thing Ashlyn had to do now was speak to Reid about her living arrangements. She couldn’t stay at Gillingham and needed to find other quarters for herself. If she didn’t, she might find herself tapping on his door and making herself cozy in his bed. When she’d come to Gillingham from the Westons, Ashlyn had worried about being in such close contact with Reid. He’d proven to be a perfect gentlemen, never discussing anything too personal with her nor even sitting too close to her, much less attempting a kiss. She’d grown from being relieved to anxious to downright frustrated by his behavior. How ironic that she’d been the one to tell him they had no future and yet all she could think about was him.
Ashlyn had thought long and hard on what Gemma had said and wanted to bring up the subject to Reid—but didn’t know how. It wasn’t as if over tea she could simply drop into the conversation of how he’d decided that he’d fallen in love with her. Even if he did love her, her first and only loyalty lay with her boys and her school. Reid was a duke, one of the elite of England. He would never c
onsider wedding a woman who earned her living. He needed a hostess. Someone to manage his household for him. She didn’t fit the bill in that regard, not with devoting so much time to other matters.
She turned the corner, where she planned to sit in the gazebo, and found it already occupied—by Reid.
“Good afternoon,” he said pleasantly, giving her a smile.
“I’m sorry. I don’t mean to bother you.”
“No, please. Come and sit. I’d enjoy your company.”
Reluctantly, she joined him.
“I come here sometimes to think,” he said. “Or not.” He took a deep breath and expelled it. “Sometimes, things get so busy that it’s nice to escape here and merely sit. Not think about anything at all. It’s a true luxury.”
“I know my having Dunwood Academy here has caused much activity and the boys aren’t even here yet. You’ve been so helpful, though I know you’ve put things aside to ensure the school will be up and running when everyone returns.”
“It’s my pleasure to offer space to Dunwood Academy. The south wing sat empty as it is. It’s nice to see it put to such good use.”
“I do have one thing to speak to you about,” she began, hesitant to bring up the subject.
A teasing light came into his eyes. “And here I thought we’d taken care of everything. What’s on your endless list of things to do that hasn’t been done yet, Ashlyn?”
“I am going to need a place to stay.”
He frowned. “Is there something wrong with the bedchamber you were given?”
“No, nothing at all. It is light and airy and beautifully decorated.”
“Then why the need for a different place?”
She couldn’t tell him the truth. How desperately she longed to be in his bed. How it would be impossible for her to be so close to him and keep herself out of his bed. Instead, she told him the version Polite Society would understand.
“I don’t feel it’s appropriate for me to stay at Gillingham.”
“I’m perplexed. It’s your school. You should be with your students as you were previously. Why would you live away from them?”
