Page 50 of The Scandal of the Deceived Duchess
“I met him once when I was back in London - despicable bore and a coward. Men like him only ooze entitlement and nothing else. He comes from one of England’s most illustrious families though. That is his pedigree, other than that he has no accomplishments. His father is most charming though.”
Jonathan hardly listened as the Rear Admiral spoke. Amelia filled his mind with images of her beauty and way. It was all so clear to him that he felt as if he could reach out and touch her. It pleased him that the duke was considered a kind man. Maybe she would find some solace in his character.
“You must go to England, sir,” said Cockburn in his throaty voice. “Love cannot be impeded – it just wouldn’t do.”
Jonathan’s head snapped up from his idle perusal of his plate. “Excuse me, sir?”
“You must go to England…I said. Tell her and her family what you feel. Judging by your conduct and what little I know of you, I can safely say that you are gentleman and a man of honor. There is no time to lose. If you wait any longer, she will be married to that man and it would break the woman you love…not to mention you. You, sir, look downright depressed.”
The Rear Admiral was right. Jonathan and Jake had discussed going to Britain, but the war had gotten in the way of their plans.
“I could offer you passage on one of my ships,” said Cockburn. “There is one heading back in a few days. That should give you enough time to settle your affairs here.”
“That is most generous, sir. I don’t know what to say,” said Jonathan, astounded by the Englishman’s generosity.
“Anything for true love and a brave man, eh? And besides, we must all do our duty and I would be doing mine by getting a man with your obvious bravery and talents as far away as possible from the war.” He hooted laughter. “When you are gone, we might actually win this contest.”
Jonathan could not help but laugh with him. “You have a devious mind, sir.”
Cockburn tapped the side of his head. “In war, tactics and subterfuge are the order of the day. I wouldn’t be a patriot if I didn’t do all in my power to hasten my country’s victory.”
The two men toasted once more. In the meantime, the servant removed the plates. Jonathan could not believe his luck. Sometimes, God operated in mysterious ways. Fate was inexorable in its machinations. The weavers of destiny constantly worked to bring a man toward his ultimate fate. What he would do with that gift was for him to decide. But for now, Jonathan had a plan and he could see light at the end of the tunnel. Maybe soon, he would be with his beloved Amelia again.
Chapter 25
The Old Country
London, England, September 1814
Rear Admiral Cockburn had been true to his word. A few days after their dinner, Jonathan and Jake had taken up passage on board a British frigate bound for England. It had been a smooth voyage and a boon for the two Americans because they loved being at sea.
The voyage had taken about twenty-five days to reach England, which generally speaking was the usual time, considering the distance of a little over three thousand nautical miles between Baltimore and Portsmouth. The benefit was that Jonathan’s wound had had time to heal substantially. Upon arrival in England, he could walk fully unaided.
After disembarking at Portsmouth, the two men had obtained travel by coach to the capital city – a journey that had taken them about a day and included an overnight stay at one of the country inns because Jonathan did not need to be overly hasty in his transit. On the contrary, he preferred a little more time to discuss the modus operandi with Jake once they reached London. There were still so many things that needed to be considered. And even if they thought of a hundred scenarios, there would be at least another hundred more to ponder on.
While traveling across the country, Jonathan had to admit that England really was beautiful – there was something decidedly old world about it, speaking volumes of a rich culture and an even richer history. Amelia had spoken to him often about it during their rides back at Fair Weather Heaths’. He had smiled when he saw the rolling landscape that in ways was so much like Virginia. So much was similar and yet, so much was completely different. For one, America had nothing like the quaint little villages that only England could avow scattered across the land – this was something uniquely British.
Amelia had not boasted with a vainglorious flounce or promised too much; even though there had been a touch of jingoism fortifying her words that at the time had made Jonathan smile all the more. To be truthful, everything Jonathan and Jake had seen during their trip had been exactly how Amelia had described it: beautiful, rainy, magnificent when the sun shone, no matter how briefly, and dreamy, like something out of a fairytale.
Jonathan did not know what to make of London though. He did not know whether he liked the city or not. Back home, he had been to Washington, Baltimore, and New York, but they were nothing in comparison. London was a sprawling behemoth that gradually ate up the surrounding villages, and in time, absorbing them as boroughs.
It was the stark divide between the wealthy and the disadvantaged that Jonathan disliked the most. It was the same back home, which was why he ventured as rarely as possible from his plantation. Fair Weather Heaths’ was his haven and he hoped to one day share it with Amelia.
But in London, the gulf between rich and poor seemed more pronounced. On the one hand, the grimy streets boasted dilapidated tenements, which were full of beggars, drunks, and cripples; and on the other, the streets boasted meticulously kept white terraced structures, or gargantuan mansions where elegantly attired men and women roamed – it was in one of these parts of the city where both Jake and Jonathan presently stood.
Jake whistled. “This is quite some place Amelia’s father has got,” he said, looking up at the large structure in the West End of London. It was a classic Georgian terraced building in pristine white that had black numbering on one of the pillars by the front door.
“Yes, it is.” Jonathan thought a moment. “I hope they are home and not in the country.”
“They are here – I can feel it in my bones,” said Jake. Seeing his friend dither, he said, “Well, what areyewaiting for. Ring the bell. We haven’t come all this way to lose heart when only a door separates us from the women we love.”
Jonathan nodded. His heart beat at twice its usual rate. What he was about to do had seemed so easy in his mind during the voyage to England and when he and Jake had discussed their plan the night before. Now he was in front of Amelia’s house, he felt self-conscious.What if she has moved on? Maybe she has finally found love with her betrothed? Could it be possible that she has resigned herself to her fate and was ready to do her duty to her family? Will she spurn me and deny what happened between us?
All of these thoughts made him slightly nauseous. A loud thumping sound followed by the ringing of a large brass bell by the front door roused him out of his ruminations. He looked at Jake with a scowl.
His friend arched his eyebrows and shrugged nonchalantly. “One of us had to do it, and it didn’t seem that it was going to beye.” He winked and returned his gaze to the large black door.
It did not take long for a footman to open the door that glided ajar with hardly a sound. He did not utter a word. He stepped back with the door until another man came into vision.
