The Duke's Bride (18 page)

J
ane tried to keep calm when she saw that Agatha
wasn’t handling the news about Mrs. Hobbs very well. In fact, Agatha wasn’t
managing anything very well.

“Dearest,” Jane continued calmly. “Mrs. Hobbs knows
how to use Chinese herbs to keep a child growing inside the mama, but from my
information, she has never helped deliver anyone else’s babe but her own. So at
this point, I believe a doctor would be best for all of us.”

Agatha’s hands fluttered about the room. “But I
thought—”

“Goodness, what is all the commotion?” Emily stepped
into the room, eyeing Agatha’s distressed state.

Agatha pointed to Jane. “There. Over there!”

Emily frowned. Just then Gabby came running into the
room. “What is it, Mama? Did Nigel jump on Aunt Jane and crush her?”

Jane chuckled. “No. As you can see, I am all in one
piece, Gabby.”

Emily shot a knowing gaze Jane’s way. The countess’s
brow went up in question. “The baby is coming then?”

Jane pressed her lips together, shutting out the pain.
“Perhaps…you could direct the doctor this way when he comes.”

Emily yanked on the bell pull. “Anything else?”

Jane looked at the little girl. “Ah, Gabby, do you
mind taking Aunt Agatha downstairs and giving her a little tea party. I think
she needs to calm down a bit.”

Agatha seemed out of sorts, shifting her wide-eyed
gaze from Jane’s stomach to the door. “Calm? I am calm! Why is that doctor
taking so long?”

Emily rolled her eyes at Jane.

Jane smiled.

Gabby looked up at Agatha’s flushed face. “She must
have been running around too much,” the little girl said. “Her face is very red.
Mama says tea makes me settle down.” She slipped her little hand into Agatha’s.
“Come with me, Aunt Agatha. We are going to have a tea party.”

Agatha went along with the girl without a word.

Jane turned a firm gaze toward her friend. “You know about
Roderick?”

Emily’s shoulders sagged. “Agatha told me as soon as
she came home. I wanted to tell you, but Agatha thought it best to wait.”

Jane winced at the pain. “I wish everyone would stop
treating me like a child.” She closed her eyes. “I think this baby wants to see
the world sooner than later. You had best hurry with that doctor.”

Emily sat beside Jane, holding her hand. “You will be
fine. The doctor has been sent for.”

Jane pressed her lips together as another wave of pain
sliced through her. “I will have this baby. See if I don’t.”

Emily smiled. “I know you will. You do not have to
prove anything to me.”

“If anything should happen,” Jane said, her free hand
twisting about the sheets. “I want you to save the baby first.” She peered up
at Emily “Do you understand?”

Her friend frowned. “But—”

Jane squeezed Emily’s hand. Clear blue eyes clashed
with violet. “You are a mother, Em. You know exactly how I feel. Promise me.
Promise! Take care of my baby!”

 “I promise,” Emily said, her voice cracking.

Letting out a relieved breath, Jane let her head sink
against her pillow, and she closed her eyes. “Thank you.”

Hours later, in the drawing room, Nigel barked,
knocking over the tea set. Gabby cried. Agatha blinked as if she had never seen
the likes of anything so loud. Behind them, Richard wailed, and the nanny, an
older lady with round cheeks and a happy disposition, bounced the toddler on
her knee.

“Ah, I see the troops are gathering.”

Agatha lifted her head to the man entering the room.
“Captain, you have come at a most inconvenient time.”

The man lifted his dark brows in question. The lady’s
usually neat hair stuck out on top of her head and behind her ears in such
disarray, the captain could only grin. “I was in the village when one of my
servants rode to meet me. They told me Mrs. Hobbs had been sent for because Jane’s
headaches were quite dreadful.”

Agatha huffed, trying to set her hair into some kind
of order. “Well, goodness, having a baby is more than the megrims, my dear
man.”

 The captain chuckled. “Only Mrs. Hobbs and I have
knowledge about Jane’s delicate situation, and you know it. Your servants are
quite dedicated to you, saying nothing about the lady’s condition to anyone,
even when they walk into town. Megrims, I believe has been the word about my place.”

Agatha’s lips twisted. “I see.”

The captain smiled and began gathering the teapot and
cups off the floor. He shook his head. Goodness, the lady was in quite a state.

He fixed the tea set with the skill of the best parlor
maid. Gabby immediately calmed down, and he smiled at her. He glanced back at
the older woman and bit back a chuckle. Not much upset Miss Agatha Appleby, but
obviously, the birthing of Jane’s baby rattled her nerves.

“You know, James,” the lady said, catching his attention.
“You are quite helpful when you want to be. Are you sure you are not in love
with Jane?”

Gabby’s eyes widened as she pretended to sip her tea.

The captain scowled. “I am fond of her.”

“Hmmm,” Agatha responded. “I think it is time you
married.”

“What?”

“Married, my dear man.”

The captain blinked and glanced at Gabby whose eyes
were as big as the saucer she held. “My dear lady, that is not a subject I wish
to discuss at this time.”

Agatha raised her brow in Gabby’s direction. “Yes, I
see your point. Another time then.”

Blast it all, the captain thought. Marriage was the
last thing he wanted to talk about with Miss Appleby. If she thought he should marry,
she would see to it in an instant. The very notion sent a chill down his back.

“I believe the doctor is in with Jane now, is he not?”
the captain asked, trying to change the subject. “Mrs. Hobbs is here as well.
Between those two, I believe we have nothing to worry about. And soon—”

The wail of a baby pierced the air. The captain
smiled. “Well, well.”

Agatha froze. Gabby blinked and stared at the door.
Richard stopped crying. Nigel lifted his head.

The sound of footsteps sounded in the hall, and Emily appeared
in the doorway. “We have a boy! A healthy baby boy!”

“What about Jane?” Agatha asked, her hands shaking.

Emily’s smile widened. “Mother and child are doing quite
well.”

Agatha started sobbing. She stood and grabbed the
captain by his cravat, almost choking him. “We have done it! Your Mrs. Hobbs
has saved my Jane and the baby. I owe you, Captain, more than I can say.”

The captain looked over her shoulder at Emily and
swallowed. “Ah, well, ah…I believe the doctor did help as well.” He coughed.

Emily took a sobbing Agatha by the shoulders. “Agatha,
dear, I think you need a little rest. This has all been too much for you.”

Agatha nodded. “Yes, yes it has.” Emily smiled over
her shoulder and took the lady from the room.

The captain cleared his throat and adjusted his
cravat. Devil take it. This entire baby thing was unnerving. And it wasn’t even
his baby!

Gabby tugged on his jacket. “Poor Aunt Agatha. She
never had a baby before.”

The captain couldn’t hold back his laughter. “I should
say not.”

Gabby tipped her head to stare at him. “Do you have
babies?”

The captain sobered. “No.”

Gabby shrugged. “Well, I think you should. Agatha
thinks you should get married. You would make a very good papa, I think. You
know how to have nice tea parties.”

He dropped to his knees to hand the girl another cup
and saucer. “Well, thank you, Gabby.”

She smiled, showing a gap between her front teeth. “You
have a good papa laugh. Babies like laughing, you know.” She lowered her voice
into a whisper and leaned toward him. “I heard Mama talking to Aunt Jane the
other day.”

His eyes lit with laughter. “Oh, you were listening
when you weren’t supposed to?”

 She put her hands on her little hips. “Do you
want me to tell you what I heard?”

What he wanted to do was throw back his head and
laugh, but he stifled his amusement and tried to look serious. “Listening to
other people’s conversations—”

“They are going to get you a baby!” she blurted.

His head snapped to attention. “What?”

The little girl put a finger to her lips. “Shhh. It’s
a secret.”

The captain stood and pulled at his jacket. “Is it
indeed?”

Gabby took her empty teacup and stuck out her little
finger, pretending to sip the thin air. “I think they have a mama all picked
out for you. But you are not supposed to know that.”

A ripple of horror shot through him. He looked up at
the smiling nanny and grimaced. Without another word, he marched toward the
door.

Gabby tugged on his jacket one more time.

“What is it, Gabby?”

She shrugged. “I think the lady’s name is Prunella.
And she’s not too fat either. Just right Mama said.”

“Prunella?” he exclaimed.

Time was of the essence as he hurried across the room
and out the door.

Gabby ran after him, her small slippers thwacking against
the floor. “But you must see the baby first! Come back! We can see him
together! And then you can have one yourself! You don’t have to be afraid! Mama
says babies are lots of fun!”

The captain glanced over his shoulder. “My dear Gabby,
forgive me, but I fear I have another appointment.”

Gabby shoved out her lower lip. “You do not want to
see the new baby?”

The captain swallowed. Devil take it! This was getting
more complicated by the minute. And where the devil was that nanny of hers?

When he heard the girl whimper, he felt like a cad.
Confound it! He could not leave her like this. “Oh, very well, I shall stay and
see the new baby.”

Gabby peeked up through wet lashes. “Babies are very
nice.” She ran to him and slipped a soft hand into his. “You will see. I will
stay right by you so you will not be afraid.”

The captain stared down at the child and his heart
warmed. “I think that might make me feel better.”

The girl wiped a hand across her wet lids and nodded.
“Babies make everyone feel better. Mama says that all the time.”

They stood in the hall, listening to the sweet wails
of the newborn.

“Can you hear him?” Gabby whispered.

He smiled. “Indeed, I can.”

Gabby giggled. Wide innocent blue eyes peeked up at
him. “I think he’s hungry.”

The captain flushed. He did not want to converse with
Gabby about babies and feedings. It was just not done.

“Do you know,” he said, looking for a way out of this
mess. “I believe this calls for a celebration. Perhaps we should ask Cook for a
piece of cake.”

Gabby jumped up and down. “Oh, I like celbations.”

She tugged the captain in the direction of the kitchen.

He smiled to himself as they walked hand in hand
toward their food. Thank goodness he had set the little girl’s mind on
something else.

Women, he thought. They could be more trouble than
Napoleon himself.

“Y
ou are recovering quite nicely,” Jared said to
Roderick. “I believe it’s time we journey back to our Motherland.”

Roderick winced as he walked about the room. He let
out a curse as he leaned to one side and pain rippled through him. He and Jared
had rented a house on the outskirts of Paris where they still had access to the
best doctors. Behind them, the sounds of horses’ hooves and chattering people seeped
past the open windows. Roderick grimaced, wishing he were outside conversing
with the locals instead of being cooped up in this little room.

“Still hurts like the devil.”

Jared chuckled. “Be thankful you can feel. Some never
feel again after being shot.”

Roderick’s head jerked up. “Thank you for that
information. It makes me feel so much better.”

Sweat beaded along Roderick’s brows as he rested
against the bedpost to catch his breath. The aroma of fresh baked bread weaved
its way to his nostrils, making his stomach growl. “I believe I shall be ready
to leave this place as long as you can bring me a couple loaves of that bread.”

Chuckling, Jared sat on the corner of the feather
mattress. “Done. In fact, I think England will perk you up a bit. But you are
not quite healed. You will still need help getting around.”

Roderick’s eyes narrowed. “I shall be ready tomorrow.
And I shan’t need a nursemaid. By Jove, I have been gone too long already.”

He was thinking about Jane. His heart ached to hold
her. He wondered what she was doing now? Would she take him back? Devil take
it! She could not deny him. He had been with her for too many years. But what
about James? Had the captain been with her all this time? Anger pumped through
his veins at the very thought of it.

 “Are you going to woo Jane or just demand she
wed you?”

Roderick scowled.
How could Jared know what he was
thinking?
“I don’t need to woo her,” he replied in a furious tone. “She’s
mine.”

Jared reclined on the bed and stared up at the ceiling.
“That’s not what people are saying.”

Roderick’s brows lifted in concern. “What do you mean
by that?”

Roderick had been told he could not write to Jane. He
could not incriminate himself or Jared with anything on paper. The only
communication had been between them and Whitehall, and that was only by
speaking to another person, who then passed on the information.

Jared sighed and tucked his hands behind his head. “Had
no wish to mention this when you were recovering, but word from Hemmingly is
that Captain Argyle has been seeing Jane. In fact, the man actually rented an
estate that borders Agatha’s land.”

“The devil you say!”

Jared crossed his ankles. “Heard it from our contact
with Whitehall. Just thought you should know. After all, you did save my hide.”

Roderick clenched the bedpost. The twinkle in Jared’s
eyes did nothing to comfort him. It only enraged him more. Jared may want Jane
wed, but it certainly would not be to the captain.

“You think this rather amusing, do you?” Roderick
replied, fuming. “Well, I do not! Where is she now? Still at Hemmingly? It’s
been almost two months? The thing is, with this illness, I don’t even know how
long it’s been! But blast it all, it’s been too blasted long!”

“Jane,” Jared offered, “is no longer at Hemmingly. As
soon as Agatha received word our mission was complete, I believe Emily took the
children and Jane somewhere else. The man I talked to was not quite clear on
the specifics. If in London, they would be staying at my home and not yours.
But then again, I did hear they might be staying at some cottage.”

Roderick winced when he slapped the mattress.
“Basically, you have no idea where they are, do you?”

Jared’s brows knitted into a scowl. “Basically. But
when we return, we shall find them. It’s not as if they are in hiding.”

Roderick didn’t like the thought of Jane living
somewhere other than Elbourne Hall. He would have to rectify the situation
immediately upon his return. “I would like to choke the man who dated that
marriage license incorrectly. I know I should be blaming myself too, but for
the life of me, I never thought it was off by an entire year!”

Jared mumbled something similar beneath his breath. A
second later, he looked up, his eyes gleaming with mirth. “Oh, did you know you
had a visitor? Came when you were sleeping this morning.”

Roderick made a fist. “I do not fancy that contented look
on your face. We are leaving Paris, and I have no wish to see anyone!”

“Well,” Jared drawled, jumping off the bed. “Someone
wants to see you. Believe she heard you were hurt while we were looking for
land
.
You do recall that
land
we were to buy in France. Of course, the lady
heard the story that someone thought you were a poacher and shot you in the
back.” Jared’s eyes gleamed with amusement. “Rather ingenious tale, don’t you
think?”

Roderick’s eyes widened. “A poacher shot me? Now, if
that isn’t the stupidest story I have ever heard”

Jared laughed. “We needed an alibi. I thought it was
rather good myself.”

Roderick swore. He limped toward the window. “What the
devil is this about a
she
?”

Jared shrugged. “Don’t get your hopes up, because the
lady in question is not Jane. As to the stupid story to explain your affliction,
we had to have one. So mind your tongue.”

Roderick glanced over his shoulder. “Mind my tongue?
It seems your mouth has been flapping like a fish!”

Jared shook his finger at him. “Temper, temper, my
dear duke. You will need it when I let her see you.”

“Who the devil is this mysterious lady? Because if it
is my mother, I shall strangled you! And if it is Agatha, you are a dead man.”

Jared laughed. “It is not your dear mother. And if it
were Agatha, we would not need an alibi. Now, control yourself. It is Lady Trayton.
You do remember her, do you not?”

Roderick stiffened. “Ha. Very amusing. It seems you
had a history with her as well. She was a Miss Susan Wimble then.”

Jared shrugged. “I was stupid. She was nasty. I
finally found your sister before I married the chit.”

Roderick frowned. A sinking suspicion began to gnaw at
his brain. “How the devil did the lady find me here?”

Jared straightened his coat. “The thing is, I thought
it better if someone from home saw that our little story was true. It was
obvious you were ill. The doctors were coming and going wherever we stayed. We didn’t
need any more of Devereaux’s minions following us after our little fiasco. Lady
Trayton provides our other alibi, so-to-speak. It’s perfect. Met her in Paris
last week at Lord Humphrey’s soiree.”

Roderick sank into a nearby chair. “I am not even
going to ask why you were at some soiree in the middle of Paris.”

Jared pursed his lips, but the flicker of amusement in
his gaze bothered Roderick to no end. “I found it rather boring sitting by your
side day after day, Your Grace. Had to do something interesting.”

Roderick scowled.

Jared’s laughter was without remorse. “I was looking
for someone to carry the gossip, you fool. Thunderation, Roderick, your brain
is turning to mush. One would think you were shot in the temple rather than the
back.”

“I am so glad you find my state of health amusing.”

Jared snorted. “Hell’s bells, Roderick. You are rather
easy to tease, and too weak to do anything about it. I daresay, your brothers
would find this hilarious. Now that you are up and moving, I no longer have to
walk on eggshells around you. I’m deuced bored, if you want to know.”

Roderick wanted to take Jared by the collar and fling
him across the room. The man was having a little too much enjoyment at his
expense.

Being together in such close quarters was making them
both crazy. Jared was without Emily, and Roderick was without Jane, not to
mention the disadvantage of ill health. It was a devil of a mess.

“I fail to see what Lady Trayton will do for us,”
Roderick snapped, thinking the woman was the last person he wanted to see. “She
may be beautiful, but her tongue is as sharp as a knife.”

“That’s exactly the point,” Jared replied, laughing.
“Uh, point?”

Roderick lifted two black brows. “Have you been
dipping into the laudanum? Because that is not amusing either.”

Jared sobered. “Never mind. Anyway, she will enjoy
telling all of London about your injury. Stories about your little
accident
will be wildly exaggerated. Everything will fall nicely into place. No one will
ever suspect we were here to find an assassin. The king has enough on his
shoulders with his marriage, his extravagant spending, and his coronation.”

Roderick’s heart squeezed when he thought about Jane.
How could he have been so stupid to let her go without marrying her? But to be
honest, the king had seemed a little too interested in the state of his
marriage. The entire scenario had been rather strange, now that he thought
about it.

“Truthfully,” Roderick replied, frowning. “I believe
he knows more about the misfortunate happenings with my marriage license than
he lets on.”

Jared pulled back the curtain to peek outside. “I have
been thinking the same. But right now, we have to slip out of Paris without
anyone the wiser.”

Roderick drummed his fingers nervously against his
knee. “Very well. I see how Lady Trayton can add to our story.” He peered up at
his friend, a certain vulnerability in his gaze. “Of course, when I see the her,
you will be with me?”

Jared looked over his shoulder and laughed. “Coward?”

Roderick’s eyes drilled into to his. “I vow, Jared, I
am going to drown you in a moat when we return.”

Jared smothered his chuckle. “Of course, I will be
with you. The lady has claws that dig deep, and we have no wish for our little
duke to get hurt, now, would we?”

Roderick pitched a book at him and Jared ducked.

“Now, now,” Jared laughed. “Curb your temper, Your
Grace. You are going to need every bit of stamina for other things as well.”

“And why is that?”

Jared walked toward the door, his eyes alight with
mischief. “I have a strong feeling Lady Trayton will be asking us to escort her
back to London.”

Roderick shot from his chair, grimacing at the pain. “What?”

Jared shrugged. “Seems her man-of-affairs is quite ill,
and she needs an escort back to London.”

“Well, confound it! Let her wait until her man-of-affairs
is well! She has a lady’s maid, does she not? The very idea is preposterous.”

“I thought about that,” Jared said, pursing his lips.

Roderick crossed his arms over his chest. “Then what is
the problem?”

“Her man-of-affairs has asked us to take her along.
He
has information that we were
not
looking for land in France.”

Roderick blinked. “Is this some jest? Or are you
telling me he knows we were searching for Devereaux’s son?”

“I am not trying to be amusing. It’s true. Looking to
buy land was a lame excuse anyway, if you ask me.”

 “So, it’s blackmail then?” Roderick asked.

Jared nodded. “Precisely.”

“Then what do you suggest? Do away with the
man-of-affairs?” Roderick asked sarcastically.

Jared sighed. “I think the man may be secretly in love
with Lady Trayton. But as a good Englishman, he will not say a word if his
condition is met. As you well know, love can make one do strange things. I
believe the man only wants the lady seen safely home. But if anyone in this
country discovers our ploy, we may be detained. Indefinitely.”

Roderick’s lips thinned. “I see. He must be ill indeed
if he is love with her. And good Englishman is debatable.”

“I thought you would understand. Even though Napoleon
is gone, there are people who would take the law into their own hands. Greed
and power still live in France, as well as England. I have no wish to see the
guillotine, my friend.”

Roderick scowled. “You do know, you are worse than a
maggot in a wound.”

“I do have that way with people,” Jared said,
chuckling. “But have no worries, Your Grace. Between the two of us, we can keep
Lady Trayton occupied.”

“That’s exactly what I am afraid of.” Roderick combed
a frustrated hand through his disheveled black hair and glowered at Jared. “You
do know
occupied
means many things to many people, do you not? And if
that word means something else to Lady Trayton, you, my good man, can visit
with the female in question, for I will not be in the vicinity at all!”