Madeline let her mother’s words hang in the air. She knew the bite of the words came from a hole in her mother’s heart that might never heal. Her mother never had admitted it, but Madeline sensed that she had loved Madeline’s father deeply and did not want her daughter to suffer the same fate.
“I am not attached to the duke,” Madeline said, opening the book. “I am well aware that romantic attachments with men are dangerous and I have proven myself immune to their charms.”
Roseline kissed Madeline on the forehead. “Whatever you say, dear. Whatever you say. I will ask Winfield to send you tea and biscuits, as Mrs. Kenworthy has devoured every crumb. In the morning, a little bone broth for the duke, in the eventuality he awakens, will suit nicely. It will give him strength. If he is restless or contracts a fever, pull the cord on the wall and have a servant summon me.”
“I think Winfield is sweet on you. I noticed how his eyes sparkled when you were around.”
“He is amiable enough, but we are here to ensure a match for you. I am well past the time for such frivolities of the heart. Please stop the matchmaking. You know it annoys me.”
“That is not true. You loved it when I successfully matched some of the girls with good men. It’s when I try to match you that you object. But isn’t that what you are trying to do to me?”
Roseline tucked a strand of hair behind Madeline’s ear. “Matchmaking implies a love match. I do not want a love match for you and certainly not for myself. I believe I have made that clear. Love fades. I want you to have security with a man who will treat you well. That is different. We must concentrate on our plan.”
Madeline looked over at the duke. Although he slept, he did not look at peace. His forehead was furrowed as though his dreams were troubled. “When he recovers, he might reject Lady Montgomery due to her actions, which could mean that he would be looking for a wife.”
“We have spoken of this before.” Roseline put her hand on Madeline’s shoulder. “You must not fall in love with him. For one, he is a duke. I do not want you to aspire so high. As I mentioned, the duke’s relationship with Lady Montgomery is a contract between powerful families. It is not a love match.”
“What you are discussing sounds more like a business decision than love.”
“Precisely.” Her mother set the folded linens beside the pitcher of water and basin near the bed. “Even in a marriage involving love, each person must weigh the advantages and disadvantages.”
“You make marriage sound cold and distant.”
“That is marriage in Regency England. Guard your heart. There is no future with the duke. It is likely that your kind heart took pity on a soldier returning from war and romanticized your feelings toward him. Then the two of you were thrust together once again, this time to face danger. But what do you really know about the duke?”
Madeline gazed at the sleeping man. His full beard and unruly hair disguised his appearance. She knew he had been in the military. She knew he was the second son, that both his elder brother and his father had died in a hunting accident, and that his name was Robert Oswyn, the Duke of Conclarton. His younger brother’s name was William. The duke also had twin sisters, named Sophia and Lydia, who were still very young. All surface information. Her mother was correct. Madeline knew very little about the duke.
But beyond the surface, she knew he was brave. Injured, he had stood between her and Devonshire as though he would risk another bullet to protect her. Was his act of bravery the reason she felt this pull of attraction and the need to protect him in return?
The duke mumbled something in his sleep, shrugging off the covers. His arms free, he thrashed about as though he were fending off an attack. Madeline reached over and pulled his arms down and tucked the covers over his shoulders again. “He looks like a man who is haunted by his dreams.”
Roseline nodded. “Men endure unspeakable horrors at war and return changed. Sometimes they cannot shake the experiences they survived or the demons that haunt their dreams. In addition, he is the Duke of Conclarton only because his father and brother are dead.” She put her hand on her lower back and stretched. “I feel my age and need a good night’s sleep. I promise that I will return before the sun rises so that you may have a few moments of rest before the dress fittings in the morning.”
“You make it sound exhausting.”
“It is,” Roseline said with a smile. “It is also a lot of fun.”
Madeline smoothed the blanket in place over the duke’s shoulders. “What about Mrs. Kenworthy snoring on the chair?”
“Let her sleep. Servants on these estates rarely have a chance to rest. She will thank you for the small kindness.” Roseline kissed her daughter on the forehead and bid her goodnight.
Madeline opened the book she had chosen,A Midsummer Night’s Dreamby William Shakespeare, and began to read aloud. Madeline was acquainted with Shakespeare’s plays. Her favorites wereThe Merchant of VeniceandThe Taming of the Shrew. She was not fond ofRomeo and Juliet. In her opinion, a love story did not end with the lovers dying. But she had never had the pleasure of readingA Midsummer Night’s Dream.
With a smile on her face, she settled against the chair and turned the page to Act I, at the Palace of Theseus.
“‘Now, fair Hippolyta, our nuptial hour draws on apace.’”
Chapter Eleven
Madeline woke with a start. She had fallen asleep in the chair, and the book had dropped to the floor. Mrs. Kenworthy was still asleep and snoring. The disturbance that had awakened Madeline, however, was not snoring but the sounds of a muffled struggle.
On the far side of the bed, a tall man loomed over the duke and pressed a pillow over his face. The duke had regained consciousness and was fighting back. But it was clear that he would lose the battle. He was weak from the gunshot wound and loss of blood.
“Stop!” she shouted.
But the man ignored her as though she were no more important than an annoying insect. The duke had stopped fighting, and Madeline feared the worst.
Looking around for where she had left her pistol, she remembered she had secured it in the bedside table drawer.
