Page 17 of The English Duke
Reese took a sip of his wine, then sat back in the chair.
“He got his vessel to work?”
Jordan nodded. “That’s what Martha wrote. She didn’t tell me how, though.”
“Would she share that information?”
“I doubt it,” he said.
No, he was definitely not going to seek her help. He didn’t want to be the recipient of another of her pitying looks. Or worse, her opinion that he was an idiot. He suspected she wouldn’t hesitate to tell him.
He glanced at Reese, saw his smile, and wondered what was amusing his friend so much.
Martha couldn’t sleep, despite the mattress being soft and luxurious. Her dinner had been wonderful: potato soup, roast beef with a selection of vegetables, and a perfect pudding at the end. Even the wine had been superlative, but then it would’ve been. No doubt the Duke of Roth demanded the best of everything.
She finally gave up the effort to sleep and slid from the bed, grabbing her wrapper and donning it before going to the window. The moon was bright enough she could see it through the curtains.
Gran’s and Josephine’s rooms were on the other side of the corridor and faced the expanse of lawn leading to the woods surrounding Sedgebrook. Her view was of the lake now silver with moonlight.
Perhaps she should have been surprised to see a man standing there on the short dock. A moment later she saw the walking stick and knew it was the duke. Had she somehow known he’d be there?
She didn’t attempt to shield herself but stood in the middle of the window watching him. What did he see, looking out over the expanse of the water? Was it pain keeping him awake? Or something else? An unrequited love, perhaps? Did he mourn the loss of someone?
Since she was up, she should go and check on Gran and see if the medicine Dr. Reynolds had given her was working.
“She should be fine,” the doctor had said after his examination. “A few days of rest is what I would recommend before traveling back to your home. I’ve given her a restorative tonic in the meantime.”
Had the physician conveyed that information to the duke? If not, she’d have to do it herself in the morning. He would not be pleased, if his reception was indicative of his mood.
She wished he wasn’t standing there. She didn’t think she’d ever seen anyone quite as alone as the Duke of Roth. She wanted to comfort him in some way, go and stand before him and wrap her arms around his waist, lay her cheek against his chest. His arms would reach out and embrace her.
What a foolish creature she was being. He would no more comfort her than she would do something so forward as to embrace him.
The somber, studious man whose letters she’d read had become firm and fixed in her mind. Yet the image had been shaken because he turned out to be devastatingly handsome. What did that make of her?
She lost track of how long she stood there, moving back only when he turned and slowly made his way back to the house. She stood to the side of the window, not wanting him to see her, and feeling a deep sorrow for him with each punishing step.
Josephine surveyed the armoire and the dresses Amy had hung there. Tomorrow she’d wear the pale blue dress with the embroidery details.
Martha’s interference meant she hadn’t been able to see the duke tonight, but there was always a chance she would encounter him in the morning. She wanted to look her best.
Sedgebrook was like a fairy-tale land, one corridor after another leading to a series of unimaginable rooms. She’d already decided she was going to explore the whole of it tomorrow, whether or not doing so would be acceptable or categorized as rude.
She wanted to see everything, all the various parlors and sitting rooms, plus the inner workings of the house. She wasn’t going to concern herself with the acres surrounding Sedgebrook. There was time enough to acquaint herself with those after she became the Duchess of Roth. No, for now it would be enough to memorize the placement of the public rooms. Then she’d learn where the duke slept.
First, however, she’d pick out a likely confidante. She’d find a young maid who would be suitably pleased by a little flattery, not to mention a gratuity. That way, she would be informed of the duke’s movements and habits, as well as gaining entrance into places normally reserved for the family.
After all, that’s what she’d be in little enough time.
Josephine smiled at herself in the mirror, pleased with her appearance. The idea of failing to acquire Sedgebrook never entered her mind. She always got what she wanted, one way or another.
Chapter 6
Martha finally slept, but fitfully, her dreams waking her often during the night. They featured the duke, but not as she’d seen him earlier, a man alone on the dock. The man she imagined wasn’t troubled by a limp but walked easily, spoke often, and charmed effortlessly with his smile.
She woke finally, staring up at the ceiling and feeling a strange sense of loss. Closing her eyes didn’t bring back her dreams. She was awake and now that she was, there were things to do.
After she dressed, in her only other garment, a lavender dress she’d chosen because it was loose and comfortable, she went to her grandmother’s room to see how she’d spent the night.
