David nodded, then turned to Caroline and kissed the back of her hand. She blushed a deep shade of red, her lips mouthing something small before David retreated down the road.
“Well, let’s get this over with.” Caroline drew herself up to her full height. “I can handle my father’s wrath. He undoubtedly will be furious when he hears you wish to marry a duke, Alaina.”
Alaina felt very small indeed as she took Marcus’ proffered hand. Together, they followed Caroline into the hall of the house, sweeping the doors aside.
“Father!” she called for his attention as the three of them dragged a lot of water in with them. Alaina took off her soggy bonnet as Marcus removed his top hat. “Father!” Caroline called again. “The Duke of Peddleton is here to speak with you.”
A sudden clatter sounded from the study, and the earl appeared in the nearest doorway, clearly summoned by this news. He stumbled into the hallway, so shocked when he saw Marcus’ hand in Alaina’s that he froze and turned a strange shade of milk.
“What is going on?” he asked, his gaze frantic as he looked between the pair of them.
“Father.” Caroline walked towards him, beaming up at him and taking her father’s arm as if they were talking about something very nonchalant indeed. “The duke has some good news to share with you.”
“My Lord.” Marcus turned to face him fully, drawing Alaina closer to his side. “My suit towards your daughter I would like to rescind. Instead, I ask for your maid’s hand in marriage. I wish to marry Alaina.”
It was as if the world had come crashing down around Alaina when she saw the earl’s expression. His eyes pinned to hers, suddenly dark and unyielding in their gaze. She froze solid, uncertain whether she should move or even say anything.
“Is this not good news, Father?” Caroline continued as if the awkward silence was not filling the room. “There shall be a marriage of love. The duke wishes to marry Alaina. Is this not good?” When her father continued to stay silent, she elbowed him for good measure in an attempt to make him speak.
He huffed and disentangled his arm from Caroline’s, walking forward in an imperious and dignified way. He stood before Alaina and Marcus, his gaze still not leaving Alaina’s. Then, abruptly, he sighed. His shoulders sagged, and a sorriness entered his face.
“She has a dowry,” he said quietly. “It is no great sum, a hundred pounds, but it is something you can take, Your Grace.”
Alaina suddenly spluttered, bending forward as if she had been kicked in a gut.
“Dowry? I have no dowry!” she exclaimed hurriedly.
“You do, Alaina. I put the dowry aside for you.” The earl stood taller again just as Caroline went to his side, her expression a mirror image of Alaina’s own. The earl scratched his jaw, looking between them. “Well, I suppose there is no need to keep the secret any longer, especially when the dowry will have to be paid to you, Your Grace.”
“Secret?” Alaina said hurriedly.
“What secret?” Caroline cried in a much higher-pitched voice. The earl looked between them, then shifted his gaze to the duke.
“You have noticed the resemblance between them, have you not?” the earl asked. Marcus nodded. “That is because they are cousins.”
Alaina thought she might fall over, but Caroline’s reaction was stronger still. She tapped her father around the arm in clear reprimand.
“What is this?” she insisted. “What are you saying?”
“I am saying …” He paused, looking around the hallway, though they were all quite alone. “Alaina, I should address this to you.” He shifted to face her. “You have always wanted to know who your family are, have you not?”
“I’m an orphan. You told me my parents died.”
“They did.” He winced. “But not when you thought they did. To my shame, I told you a lie, though it was always to protect you.” He sighed again, clearly struggling. “This way. To tell this tale, I’m going to need a drink.” He led them all back into his study.
Alaina was holding onto Marcus’ hand so tightly now that the thought of pulling away was impossible. Caroline followed her father with haste, pleading with him to tell his tale as he poured himself a hefty glass of brandy from a drinks cabinet.
“Alaina.” He eventually turned to face her once again. “You may have heard once that I had a sister.”
“She died years ago,” Caroline said before Alaina could interject.
“She, in fact, only died recently.” The earl sat heavily down behind his desk. “That is because, for the last eighteen years or so, she has been hiding on the continent with her husband.” His eyes pinned to Alaina’s. “Alaina, your mother was my sister. She married a man my father disapproved of and that I heartily disapproved of too. He was a rogue, a criminal, involved with many bad men, who, in the end, threatened his life. When your father could not pay these men what they demanded of him, they changed their threat. They made the threat againstyouinstead.” He pointed at Alaina with his glass.
Alaina felt Marcus rubbing the back of her hand, a soft and delicate touch as the earl took a hefty swig from his glass.
“Your mother turned up here in the dead of night with you in her arms. Just a baby. I had not seen you since you were born because I stayed so distant from her and her husband.” The earl seemed determined to reveal all now and pushed on as quickly as he could. “She said they were to go into hiding together on the continent, but she feared what would happen to you. She was well aware by this point that her husband was not a pillar of virtue. She feared more men would make threats against you and that one day, you could be hurt by her husband’s crimes. She asked me to take you, to raise you, to care for you as they hid.”
The earl put the glass down heavily on the table, and Caroline collapsed into a chair nearby with a hand over her mouth.
