A Vixen For The Devilish Duke (Steamy Historical Regency Romance) Page 10

  He wondered if they might be willing to divulge to him the secrets of Adelia’s past. He thought that perhaps the father might be amenable to a transaction if he framed it well.

  A man who would leave his family over money troubles did not seem to be one with much integrity. Frankly, unless a huge mistake had been made, these people were likely culpable in appropriating Adelia from her rightful parents and so integrity was a moot point.

  This really is none of my business.

  He tried to convince himself of this fact but he could not shake the notion that it truly was his business what happened to Adelia. A knock on the door shook him out of his musings.

  “Yes, come in,” he called and smiled as Adelia poked her head in the door.

  “You asked to see me, Your Grace?”

  “Yes, indeed. Have a seat.” He indicated the seat opposite him.

  She took the seat, her nerves showing in the way her fingers trembled and she would not meet his eyes.

  “How is Mother doing?’ he asked just to put her at ease.

  “Her Grace is doing so much better. I have such hope that once the surgeon arrives he will be able to cure her.”

  Harry felt a pang. It was a long time since he’d had such faith. “That is good.” He took a deep breath, “Now there is a matter I wish to discuss with you, concerning one of my acquaintances…”

  “Yes?”

  “I…require you to stay nearby during an audience I will be having this afternoon as I may need to call on you.”

  “May I ask why?”

  Harry sighed. “At this point I will simply entreat you to trust me.”

  Adelia frowned. “Trust you?” she seemed skeptical about the concept.

  “Yes.”

  He could see the war taking place in her eyes. It must seem ominous to her, to be asked to simply make herself available without explanation. She did not know him well enough to be sure he did not mean her any harm.

  “I assure you that nothing bad will happen to you.”

  She stared at him from beneath her lashes and suddenly his breeches were a little tight. “If you say so. Will that be all?”

  “Yes. You may go…and don’t worry.”

  She got to her feet and nodded once before sweeping out of the room. Harry watched her go with a sigh. Tomorrow she would either be very grateful or very angry with him.

  * * *

  “Would you care for some more tea?” Harry asked, the teapot hovering over the Earl of Cornhill’s cup.

  The Earl shook his head, covering his cup with his hand. Harry lifted his eyebrows at Lady Dorothea, asking the same question. Quietly, she shook her head.

  “I’ll have a cup,” Lady Cornhill said, extending her cup forward. Harry poured her a new cup and then put down the teapot. He took a deep breath.

  “Well, this has been most pleasant but I suppose you would like to know why we are here?” he asked.

  “Yes, we would. To be frank, Your Grace, this is the strangest courtship we have ever witnessed and we require some clarity,” the Earl said.

  “Indeed,” Harry nodded, stalling for time, “Well, I must first point out that there has been no courtship. I am sorry for the impression I gave. I let my curiosity guide me and I fear that I might have overstepped.”

  Lady Dorothea leaned forward. “What does that mean?”

  “It means that I came across a mystery which I wished to solve and I tried to do it without unnecessarily discombobulating anyone. However, I have not been successful.” He held up his hand as he saw Lady Dorothea open her mouth, “It is better if you see for yourselves what I mean.”

  Reaching toward the table he rang the bell. Soon after a footman stepped into the room and stood to attention. “Would you fetch Miss Raby, please?” Harry asked. The footman cast a quick glance at Lady Dorothea before nodding stiffly and leaving. The room sat in expectant silence. Lady Cornhill’s eyebrows raised almost to her hairline while Dorothea fidgeted and the Earl cast Harry a jaundiced glance.

  The minute Adelia stepped in the room, the silence got thicker.

  Dorothea screamed. “What is that?”

  Adelia stared, dumbfounded, at her while the Earl stiffened. Lady Cornhill dropped her cup. It smashed on the floor with a loud crash and brought the footman running. Her face was so pale, Harry thought she might faint.

  “Y-you, you, you…” The Earl stammered, struggling to his feet. He was looking at the Duke with accusation in his eyes.

  Harry raised his hand. “This is Miss Raby. I came across her at an orphanage I was purchasing. I’m sure you have not missed the resemblance.”

  “This is impossible,” Lady Cornhill said shaking her head as her hands trembled.

  “What is going on?” Miss Raby asked.

  “That is indeed the question.” Harry nodded his head. He was shocked when Adelia took two steps toward him and slapped his face.

  “What are you doing? Who are you? What is this?”

  Harry stared at her in shock, noting how wide her eyes were, pupils dilated so that they were just a large orb of black. She was scared and he was the one she could lash out to because he was the only one she knew. Her bosom was heaving with the exertion and his hand rose to rest on his stinging cheek.

  “I haven’t done anything. I am just as much in the dark as all of you.”

  Lady Dorothea walked slowly toward Adelia, her eyes narrowed. “What are you?” she growled.

  Adelia stared back at her. “I am a nurse,” she replied.

  Lady Dorothea’s brow furrowed in total and utter puzzlement. “A nurse?”

  “Yes. Who are you?” Adelia asked, eyes darting from Lady Dorothea to her parents in fear.

  “We are the Cornhills,” Lady Dorothea’s tone was imperious.

  “And what…why?” Adelia’s voice went dry as she simply stared.

  “What is this resemblance?” Lady Dorothea asked, drawing closer. In their disparate dress, it was a little less obvious how alike they were. Lady Dorothea took a step closer, closely examining Adelia as if she were a specimen in a jar.

  “It’s uncanny,” she murmured as she leaned in and looked into Adelia’s eyes, “we have the exact same eyes. Your hair…it’s like mine.” She reached out and tugged at one of the straw-colored strands. Adelia jerked backward, startled.

  “Stop it!”

  Lady Dorothea narrowed her eyes at Adelia. “How dare you speak to me like that.”

  “Dorothea, stop!” Lady Cornhill snapped, startling her daughter so much that she stumbled. She turned around, staring at her mother in shock. Lady Cornhill had clearly never raised her voice at her daughter.

  “Mother?”

  “Stop that,” Lady Cornhill said again, all color drained from her face, “C-come here now.”

  “What? Why?”

  “Get away from her!” Lady Cornhill said, her hands trembling badly as she held them out to her daughter. Lady Dorothea slowly backed away from Adelia and toward her mother.

  “Mama?” she asked uncertainly.

  “What is this? What are you doing to us?” Lady Cornhill asked as she clutched her daughter to her, while avoiding Harry’s eyes.

  “I do apologize for the shock,” Harry said quietly. He did not know what else to say, “I hardly know any more than you do about this situation. But it is clear to me that Miss Raby must be kin to you.”

  “Our daughter died!” Lady Cornhill shrieked.

  “You’re sure of that? Did you bury her?”

  Lady Cornhill buried her head in Lady Dorothea’s throat. “They took care of it,” she murmured. “They assured me that they took care of it.”

  The Earl took a step forward. His face was grey, but composed. “We were…grief-stricken at the time. Lady Dorothea was in delicate health. I—…” he shook his head, looking lost.

  “Perhaps…she was not really dead, as you thought?” Harry asked.

  “But…how?” Lady Cornhill cried. “Did we…was the baby alive when they thr
ew her away, perhaps, and somebody found her crying and—” Lady Cornhill choked, clutching her pearls as she swayed, as if she might faint at the thought.

  “I asked them to bury her,” the Earl said quietly.

  Everyone silently looked at each other, unable to find a reasonable explanation for this.

  “But what about me?” Lady Dorothea burst out. “We came to find out if I’m to marry the Duke or not!”

  Everyone stared at her in disbelief. She looked from one to the other, pouting. “I don’t care about some long-dead kin. I want to know if you will be proposing or not.” She crossed her arms and glared at Harry. He exchanged glances with Adelia.

  “I’m afraid I have interests elsewhere, Lady Dorothea.”

  “What?” she cried and then looked around at her parents. “Papa? Are you going to stand for this?”

  He gazed at her, still looking dazed. “Do you really think that now is the time, Lady Dorothea?”

  She glared at him and then at Adelia. Her eyes widened as she looked between Adelia and Harry. “You’re interested in her, are you not?” she screeched.

  Harry decided that he might as well admit it. “I am.”

  Lady Dorothea screamed again. “Why her and not me? We practically look the same.”

  Adelia snorted under her breath.

  “I fear that even so, the heart has chosen.”

  Lady Dorothea’s eyes narrowed. “You’d be a fool to choose some social climber over me.”

  “Dorothea!” her mother sounded quite shocked.

  Lady Dorothea’s chin lifted and she turned away. “We should leave—” she began to say.

  “No!” the Earl interrupted. “Not before we’ve spoken to the girl. What is your name?”

  “Miss Adelia Raby, My Lord.”

  “And…where did you grow up, Miss Raby?”

  She took a deep breath. “I grew up on a farm, just outside of Hampshire.”

  “And who brought you up?”

  “M-m-my parents did.”

  “Your parents? You mean that your mother gave birth to you?”

  Adelia just stared at the Earl, her mouth open for a while. “I-I s-suppose so.”

  “They didn’t tell you any different?”

  “No.”

  The Earl sighed. “I see.” He turned to his wife. “It could be just an uncanny resemblance.”

  “We must learn more!” she said at once.

  The Earl turned to Adelia. “Would you be willing to let us speak with your parents?”

  Her breath began to hitch and her eyes darted every which way. “Please don’t hurt them. They haven’t done a thing. We’re sorry.” She extended her hands forward, pleadingly.

  The Earl reached forward at once and grabbed her hand. “Oh, no, no, no. You have misunderstood me. I don’t mean them any harm. I just want to speak to them. Come to understand how this is possible. Perhaps they are long-lost kin. You have to admit that the resemblance is uncanny, is that not so?” he spoke softly as if she were a horse he was trying not to spook.

  “I…my parents still live on the farm where I grew up.”

  The Earl nodded. “Would you allow us to write to them and enquire about the circumstances of your birth?”

  Adelia stared at him before nodding slowly.

  Harry took a deep breath, trying to think of a way to diffuse the tension. “In the meantime, what happens?”

  Lady Cornhill stepped forward tentatively, “Miss Adelia Raby? That’s your name, yes?’

  Adelia nodded jerkily, her hair falling into her eyes, lashes lowered in fear.

  “Would you consent to coming home with us, in the meantime? We can get to know you better.”

  Adelia looked up with wide eyes. “But…you…I,” she looked to Harry helplessly.

  “You’re quite welcome to continue to stay here, Miss Raby. Whatever you want to do.”

  “Can I stay until my parents write back?” She turned to Lady Cornhill, looking earnest. “I wouldn’t want to waste your time.”

  Lady Cornhill’s eyes glistened with tears. “It would not be a waste, I do assure you. Please…consider coming home with us. I know…I just know that you are my daughter.” She extended her hands in entreaty.

  “I…” Adelia shook her head, taking a step closer to Lady Cornhill in spite of herself and taking her hand. “I don’t want you to be disappointed wh—”

  “I won’t. I do assure you. Please. Please. Come with us.”

  Harry could see that Adelia was swayed by Lady Cornhill’s desperate plea. She nodded slowly.

  “All right. I’ll come with—”

  “No!” Lady Dorothea said shrilly, startling everyone, “I do not want this interloper in my home. Mama, Papa, do you not see that this is an incredible bag of moonshine?”

  “Dorothea…I will thank you to keep your mouth shut,” The Earl said sharply. Harry almost smiled. It was clear that Dorothea was not having a good day. She looked frantic to leave Adelia behind.

  “If I may venture a compromise?” Harry said.

  The Earl lifted an eyebrow at him but Lady Cornhill looked hopeful. “If this is indeed your long-lost child, her status clearly changes and she cannot stay here as a nurse. It would not be seemly. On the other hand, should she not prove to be your daughter, she cannot be announced as such beforehand. So she is stuck in a sort of limbo until this is sorted out. I have an aunt, Harriet, who lives a few doors away from you. She requires a companion as she is getting older. Why doesn’t Miss Raby move there for now? That way you can still interact with her in an appropriate way without necessarily formalizing anything.”

  Lady Cornhill was already nodding before she was done. “Yes, I know Lady Winchester well. She is just two doors down from us. I was not aware she was your aunt.”

  “Well, the connection is distant. She is actually a great aunt. Her mother and my grandfather were cousins.”

  “Ah. Well…would she be agreeable?”

  Harry sighed. “Allow me to speak with her. I am sure she could be persuaded.”

  “All right. But until then, perhaps Miss Raby would consent to coming with us, yes?” Lady Cornhill’s eyes glittered as if she would accept nothing but acquiescence. Harry could sympathize but one look at the storm in Lady Dorothea’s eyes and he was unconvinced that Adelia would be entirely welcome in the Cornhill household.

  “Miss Raby? What do you want to do?” he asked, still keeping one eye on Lady Dorothea.

  Chapter 12

  Decisions Decisions

  Adelia looked from one to the other of these people, unable to make a decision. There was a buzzing in her head that was preventing her from thinking. So many questions were running through her head.

  How is this possible?

  Who are these people to me?

  Why does the lady keep saying I’m her daughter?

  I want Mama.

  All she wanted to do was start running and not stop until she got back home. Then she could hide in her mother’s bosom and Mary would make it all right. She would explain what all this meant and then it would be done and everyone could get on with their lives.

  She didn’t want her whole life to have been a lie.

  “Miss Raby?” the lord was looking at her with such kind eyes. She did not want to disappoint him.

  “I-I’ll come with you.”

  The lady clapped her hands together, looking delighted. “Thank you,” she whispered with feeling. Adelia felt a lump in her throat. Her eyes strayed without her permission to the other lady in the room. The one who looked exactly like her. Except that her eyes were burning with hate.

  I’m sorry.

  Adelia could well imagine how the other lady was feeling. She had wanted to marry the Duke, apparently…and he had just said his interest lay with Adelia!

  She didn’t know what to make of that. Part of her wondered if he’d said it just because she kissed him when she was drunk. She truly wanted him to mean what he said…at least she thought she did.<
br />
  There was just so much confusion in her mind at the moment. Lady Cornhill in the meanwhile was talking excitedly about all the things they could do together and Adelia just didn’t know what to think.