The Duke's Bride (7 page)

Agatha’s lips twisted. “Hmmm. And no one is the wiser, I
presume? What about this new doctor? What does he think of all this…this, well,
good gracious, I don’t even know what to call it!”

Jane set her chin. “He doesn’t know. And I am not going to
tell him.”

 “I see,” Agatha replied stiffly. “Then the captain is
your liaison for this Mrs. Hobbs. Am I correct?”

Jane nodded. “He has been everything agreeable. It is my
secret to tell, not his.”

“The captain is too kind for his own good,” Agatha snapped.
“And Roderick is not pleased that you have any relationship with the captain at
all. So if you think Roderick will let you to continue to see this Mrs. Hobbs,
you have another thing coming, my girl.”

 Jane fidgeted with her shawl. “I wanted to tell him
many times, but the man is so pigheaded, he won’t let me get in a word.”

“Frankly, I believe you are holding back because you fear he
won’t allow you to continue seeing the woman,” Agatha replied in a cool voice.
“He is a duke and thinks himself quite important. Not that he doesn’t have any
good qualities, my dear. He does. But having that kind of power does go to
one’s head. And when Roderick makes a decision, it is almost impossible to turn
that man around.”

Jane clasped her stomach protectively with both hands. “This
baby will live. And I will do anything in my power to see that it does. I
believe with all my heart that Mrs. Hobbs has helped me get this far.”

She looked up, her eyes brimming with tears. “I won’t let
him interfere, Agatha. I won’t! I don’t care what anyone thinks of me. I am
going to have this baby, and I’m going to do it my way. This is a life we are
talking about. A little human life. No one is going to tell me what to do. Not
even Roderick.”

“Oh?” Agatha replied, her eyes twinkling. “How do you plan
to hide your girth then?”

Jane threw her hands in the air. “I intend to tell him.
Sometime. And if, well, if he disagrees on the matter, I simply shall stay with
you at Hemmingly Hall and plead with the captain to send Mrs. Hobbs to us. The
captain may even rent a place nearby if need be, because it seems Mrs. Hobbs
has become indispensable to many of his servants. In fact, I have spoken to the
captain about the very possibility already.”

Agatha burst out laughing. “Goodness, I may be able to work
at some things, but you traveling to Hemmingly Hall with Captain Argyle
settling in a nearby home? That is something I believe Roderick will put a stop
to.”

Jane scowled. “I don’t—”

Jane choked on her words when the door swung open and
Roderick stood before her. Broad shoulders blocked the doorway, making her
heart skip. His black jacket, crisp white shirt and starched cravat made him
quite appealing.

A range of emotions swept through her as his gray eyes clung
to hers.

Within seconds, the scent of sandalwood soap and musky
cologne weaved her way, reminding her all to clearly how he had rejected her
love only hours ago.

That split second of hope instantly died. Their rift seemed
bigger than both of them. And now, it involved a child. Their child.

Agatha bristled, shifting a worried gaze between them. “La, Roderick,
you scared us half to death! I thought you were coming later?” The lady narrowed
her eyes and raised her parasol across the doorway to block him.

A muscle ticked in Roderick’s jaw. “If I choose to enter,
madam, you would not be able to stop me.”

Jane concealed her tumultuous emotions with a cool
expression.

Agatha huffed. “You have caused enough heartache for
tonight. Find another convenience, Your Grace. This one is full.”

Jane smirked at Agatha’s bravado. Roderick was a gentleman,
and though they were not on good terms at the moment, Jane knew he would not
push pass Agatha without her consent.

“Jane,” Roderick replied sharply.

Lifting her chin, Jane pulled her shawl tighter across her
enlarging bosom and shifted her gaze toward the opposite window. She could not
give in now. She had to have the upper hand. Her entire future depended on how she
managed her husband from here on out.

With a muttered oath, Roderick brushed the parasol aside and
squeezed his large body between Jane and Agatha.

Jane’s head jerked up.

“Truly, Your Grace!” Agatha squealed. “I find this most discomforting.
Most discomforting indeed!

“I thought to travel to the ball with my wife,” Roderick
announced in a determined tone. “Do you mind?”

“Yes, I do mind!” Agatha whacked him on the knee with her
parasol.

“Ouch!” He jumped, making Jane smother a chuckle.

Indeed, he had surprised her by forcing his way in, but he
should have known better than to have shoved that parasol aside.

“Madam,” he snapped, turning toward Agatha. “You have just
hit a duke!”

“Do tell?” she responded politely. “I thought I struck an addlepated
nincompoop! My apologies indeed, Your Grace.”

Jane couldn’t help but laugh. Roderick’s face had turned a deep
red.

Agatha rose, reaching for the door. “I am only leaving
because I believe you two having something to talk about. I shall catch another
carriage with Emily and Jared.”

Jane’s heart raced with panic. “You do not have to leave!”

Agatha raised her brows. “I think I do. Tell him, my dear.”

Then, without warning, the lady poked her parasol into
Roderick’s side.

He grunted, grabbing his ribs. “By Jove, you go too far,
madam!”

Her light gray eyes glittered with warning. “You had better
be on your best behavior or you will be sorry indeed.” With a
humph
, the
older lady closed the door and sent the carriage on its way.

Roderick glared at Jane. “I truly believes she wishes to do
me harm.”

Jane shrugged. “You are not her favorite person at the
moment.”

The clatter of carriage wheels echoed in the air as they
rolled toward their destination a few blocks away. During the tense silence, Jane
struggled to keep her emotions in check, but Roderick’s body was still
scrunched against hers. The touch of his muscular leg brushing hers sent the
blood rushing to her head.

“What do you have to tell me that is so important that
Agatha would leave your side so swiftly?” he asked, turning to her.

She spun to face him. She had to confront him. Tell him. Be
honest with him. It wasn’t in her to keep things from him. Besides, the strain
of this secret was taking a toll on her. She knew the stress could not be good
for the baby. “Do you know anything about medical treatments from China?”

Roderick’s black brow lifted in surprise. “I have heard
there are herbs and different points on the body that are used to stimulate a
healing process, but I have never indulged in such things.”

She swallowed, touching her stomach. “Well—”

He jerked, staring at her in horror. “Confound it! If you
are thinking what I think you are thinking, let me tell you right now, I will
not allow you to have any treatments that are not from a doctor. If you are
feeling under the weather, I will have that doctor you have been seeing sent for
straight away.”

 She stiffened. How could he be so stubborn? “I don’t
want a doctor. Captain Argyle has a lady who lived many years in China, and she—”

“Stop right there.”

“But if you would only listen—”

He put up a hand, cutting her off. “I knew you were feeling
ill. That’s why you have been acting so disagreeable, is it not? I should have
had a talk with that new doctor straight away.” He eyed the napkin and crumbs
on the seat opposite her and frowned. “Perhaps it is what you are eating.”

Her eyes rounded in disbelief.
If he only knew!

Roderick took her hands in his, almost reluctantly. “I think
you should curtail some of the cakes you have been eating, sweetheart. Perhaps
there has been too much fuss lately. After all, you have had a hard time of it
the last month, after…well…you know…”

 “I want a baby,” Jane said, her blue gaze clinging to
his.

Roderick dropped her hands as if they were on fire. “We’ve
had his conversation before. I do not wish to have it again.”

Pain lanced through her, but she was determined to have this
out with him. “You don’t love me, do you?”

His face hardened. “Why the devil would you ask such a
foolish thing?”

“Why?” she replied, her voice rising. “Because you don’t
want to touch me anymore. That’s why. Are you afraid you may give me a child
that you don’t want?”

She thought she caught a flash of vulnerability in his gaze,
but his dark scowl told her otherwise.

“That’s it exactly,” he replied sternly. “I do not want you
carrying any more babies. Do I make myself perfectly clear? It’s too dangerous.”

“And that is your answer then?” she asked coolly.

“I am a duke, if you have forgotten. My edict stands.”

Ooooh, she wished she had Agatha’s parasol in hand. “Your
edict makes no sense. I want a baby. You don’t even want to try again. Is it too
dangerous for
you
or me? I won’t die, if that’s what you’re afraid of.”

He set his jaw. “No baby, madam. My answer is final.”

She stiffened in outrage. “You are insufferable!”

He pursed his lips, as if waiting for her to calm down. “Besides,”
he finally said, in an almost soothing manner. “The way Marcus and Milli were acting
at their wedding last week, I can only imagine there is going to be a baby soon.
We won’t have to worry about an heir.”

He smiled at her as if that solved all their problems. The
oaf!

“An heir?” she shrieked. “What if Milli has a girl, then
what?”

“She can try for a boy,” he snapped, irritated. “Or Elizabeth
and Stephen can try, or Briana and Clayton.”

“And not us?” she asked, her heart in her throat.

His face seemed to soften. “We can work through this Jane.
You will see.”

Work through this! He had no idea what he was saying!

“No, I think you will see, Your Grace. If you do not wish to
live as a married couple, I am no longer going to live with you at all.”

His gray eyes glittered with fury, and she realized the
carriage had stopped. “What the devil are you saying?” he said in an ominously
low tone.

She lifted her gaze and pulled her shawl about her, ready to
depart. She could not fail to catch the way his gaze strayed over her body. So,
he was not immune to her after all. But if he was trying to be noble, so be it!
“I am saying that I will be leaving Bath first thing tomorrow morning.”

Roderick’s laugh was without humor. “You believe you could
hide from me?”

Jane’s brows went up. “Hide? I will not be hiding. I will be
staying with Agatha at Hemmingly Hall.”

“I forbid it.”

She waved her hand in the air. “Forbid away, Your Grace. But
you will not imprison me. I will do what I have to do.”

A dull ache lodged in her heart. No longer could she allow
this animosity to go on between them. Their child deserved better from the both
of them. She had no idea what the future held, but she could not stay near him
and continue this charade.

He looked toward the Paxton mansion, then back to her, his
eyes as hard as steel. “Argyle best not approach you today or any other day.”

“What in the world are you talking about? The captain is my
friend.”

“That man is infatuated with you, and I won’t have it.”

Jane clenched her teeth, trying to curtail her anger. “You
won’t have it? Any more edicts? You might as well have your say now, for soon,
I will be gone.”

He combed a frustrated hand through his hair. “I have no
wish for it to be like this, Jane. We are married. We should be able to come to
an agreement.”

Her heart climbed to her throat as she watched his annoyance
turn to something more vulnerable. He never let anyone but her see this
susceptible side of him. She loved this man so much. It hurt to go against his
wishes.

“I am going to have a baby, Roderick,” she said softly,
touching his arm.

His head snapped up. “No! You are not!”

She smiled and threw her hands to her hips. “I am going to
have a baby. Are you even listening to what I am saying?”

He swore and grabbed her shoulders in a gentle but firm
embrace. “You are not going to have a baby, Jane. I thought I made that
perfectly clear.”

She stomped her foot on the carriage floor, wishing more
than ever for Agatha’s parasol. “You do not understand. I am going to have a
baby. In a few months—”

He didn’t let her finish. “We are not going to try again.
That’s final!” He dropped his hands and threw open the door, signaling for the
footmen to let down the steps. He glanced over his shoulder, his eyes roving
over her in a sweet caress that made her blood race.

“However,” he cleared his throat, “the more I think about
it, the more I believe it might be a good idea for you to travel to Hemmingly.”

Her eyes widened in confusion. “What?”

“I have business in France. I may be away for a good amount
of time. I am thinking, uh, about buying some land.”

She felt as if he had slapped her. “I am not stupid. That
sounds like a fanciful story to cover the real purpose of your mission.”

He looked shocked.

She glared at him, not ready to go into detail about all she
knew about his secret dealings with Whitehall. “And what exactly is a good
amount of time?”

“Anywhere from weeks to months.”

“That’s it then? You won’t even listen to what I have to
say?”

He took her hand and helped her out of the carriage. “I am
the duke. And your husband. Something you seem to have forgotten lately. You
will do as I say, Jane. I cannot worry about you while I am away.”

She jerked from his hold. She may love him, but she would
not bow to his demands. “And what if I do not wish to do as you say?”

She was pushing him, but she didn’t care. What could he do
to her? He would never beat her. He could do nothing.