Page 35 of Her Wily Duke

Word had quickly gone about the district, via the servants at first, who sent messages to their relatives who lived in the village and beyond, and by the second day after Frederick’s death, there was a steady stream of people coming to offer their condolences, and to pay their respects to the new Duke. The title still sat strangely on Adam’s shoulders, but he was getting used to it, of necessity.

Late in the afternoon, just as he had finalised arrangements for the funeral and burial in a long discussion with the Vicar and the undertaker, there was a tap at his study door. He looked up to see Emme, and her father.

“Emme! Mr Mowatt! Do come in and be seated.”

She smiled at him, a little uncertain.

“I wasn’t sure if we should leave you undisturbed for a bit longer, or if, perhaps, I could do something to help?”

Adam looked at her and, for the first time since the moment when Frederick had rushed from the house, ranting, he felt a sense of calm flow through him. A sigh escaped his lips, and he settled back in his chair, realising that there was no longer any need to rush, to dissemble, to defend people, to be tensed at all times, expecting something bad to happen.

Something bad had happened – worse than any of his expectations, but it was also, in a manner about which he felt a little ashamed, utterly freeing. No longer was he fighting against someone who was undoing each positive thing he did. Now, he had taken on a huge responsibility, but no one would hold him back – instead, they would help him.

A slow smile brightened his face.

“You have already helped, just by being here. There is much to do, and amongst the tasks which await me, there are decisions to make, which involve you, so your timing is perfect. Let us repair to the parlour, and I will send for Caroline, and for Wiggins. We can talk about what must be done whilst we take tea.”

Emme had frowned when he took so long to answer her, then nodded in understanding.

“Of course.”

*****

Emme had felt as if her entire world was upended, when the news of the Duke’s accident, and then his death, had reached them. It was as if Adam’s proposal of marriage, and their joy about that, had not been quite real, as if the terrible events which followed had somehow happened in a different world. The thought that Adam was now Duke was difficult to grasp, and brought her to the edge of fear – surely, a Duke could not marry someone as far removed from the aristocracy as she was?

But she had determinedly pushed that thought aside, and waited, as her father advised, a few days before going to Foxridge Park. As they had walked through the forest and over the stream, then up through the gardens, she had been tense, but the moment that she saw Adam’s face, all thought of her own fears fled – all she saw was his exhaustion, and the need to help him, in whatever way she could.

Now, as they sat in the parlour with a tea tray before them, she could see him relaxing, slowly. Once Lady Caroline and Mr Wiggins joined them, Adam set his teacup down, and spoke.

“I have the funeral and the burial arranged, and it will all be very quiet – I am honest enough with myself to realise that there will be very few in the district who might wish to honour my brother’s memory, beyond, perhaps, being at the church for the funeral. However, the matter which we must make decisions about is nothing to do with Frederick and the past, and everything to do with us, and the future. Weddings are not usually held during the mourning period – or, at least, not the early part of it. So we must choose when our wedding will occur.”

Emme’s heart fell – she could not bear the thought of being apart from Adam any longer than absolutely necessary. The idea of the weeks of waiting while the banns were called had already seemed far too long to her – but this? Mourning was commonly a full year! She could not stand to wait that long. She met his eyes, and saw a matching anguish there. In that instant, she wanted to fling herself into his arms and refuse to let go. Instead, she forced herself to a small smile.

“What… what do you propose we do? For I must admit that the thought of waiting a year overwhelms me…”

Adam reached out then, from where he sat beside her on the couch, and gently took her hand, which went some way to reassuring her – he must have a plan.

“I have thought on it, rather a lot. Generally, deep mourning is only for three months, and from then, half-mourning or a lesser degree even than that applies. I would suggest that, given that Frederick had no one close to him except us,” here he indicated himself and Lady Caroline, who gave a small, strangled sob at his words, “I cannot see that anyone is in a position to judge us for any decision that we make. So I think that we should have three months of full mourning, and then reduce that to half mourning for another three months. But I believe that it will be socially acceptable for us to marry once that first three months is finished. I will admit that even three months wait is far longer than I would wish, but I cannot see that it would be right to give Frederick any less respect, no matter how unpleasant he was in this last year and more.”

Emme’s heart lifted. She did not want to wait that long either – but it was far better than potentially having to wait a whole year! She tightened her fingers on his, where he still held her hand.

“That seems eminently sensible. And that will place our wedding in July, at the height of summer, which will be beautiful.”

Adam smiled at her, relief obvious in his face.

“I am so glad that you agree. I hope that, by then, I will also have the affairs of the estate in far better order. If we are lucky, then Frederick’s debts from gambling are all personal vowels – which will have no standing after his death. I will go to see our bankers next week, and ascertain the true state of things there, so that we can restructure everything. Starting with reducing the tenants’ rents to a reasonable level, and beginning a plan of maintenance for the cottages, as well as this house and the stables. By the time that you become the Lady of this house, I hope to be handing you the keys to something which is in good order.”

The thought of being the Lady of this house made Emme blush.

Mr Mowatt frowned, then spoke for the first time.

“That all sounds wonderful. But… are you not worried about the highwayman, the Wily Black Fox, as the villagers call him?”

Emme studied Adam curiously, finding herself to be most interested in how he might answer that question, for it had occurred to her as well. For a moment he seemed to look into the distance, and a small smile crossed his face, then he brought his eyes back to her father.

“I have considered it, but, surely, once I reduce the rents, and there is no longer a need to withdraw money to pay Frederick’s debts, there will not be enough money being transported to tempt the highwayman? It is a risk I must take, for the sake of all of the people who depend upon Foxridge Park. Should my assumptions prove wrong, then I will deal with that as it happens.”

Emme thought that he seemed strangely confident – for how could he be so certain of how the highwayman might think? She regarded him, her mind running over all that had happened with the highwayman, all that she had seen, and all that Adam had said at various points. It was most peculiar, yet perhaps…? A suspicion began to form in her mind, and she pushed aside those thoughts to examine later. For now, she would turn her mind back to the planning of her wedding.