Chapter Thirteen #2
She sat beside Miss Baird, leaning down and picking up one of the robes. She wrapped it around the shivering young lady, whose teeth chattered violently. Verina wrapped her arms about Miss Baird, hoping to warm her.
“Thank you,” Lady Adams said. “Thank you, my lady. You are very brave.”
“It is His Grace and Mr. Larkin you should thank,” she told the older woman. “Mr. Larkin tracked you down. Their Graces have been looking for you ever since your husband’s death. Their persistence is what led us here today.”
Verina rubbed her hands up and down Miss Baird’s arms. “We are not far from Dove Hall. It is a place of refuge for ladies such as yourself. Ones who have been placed in asylums against their will.”
Miss Baird cried now, anger still sparking in her eyes. “You must not tell my father I am freed,” she insisted.
“That is not how it works,” the duke told her.
“Dove Hall is a place where you can acclimate yourself to the world again. Mama and I have helped several others in your position, Miss Baird. We know time helps in healing. You may remain at Dove Hall as long as you wish. Some stay permanently, and there are cottages on the estate if you wish to do so. Others—”
“You must notify Lord Hampton that I am freed,” Miss Baird interrupted. “We are in love.”
Though she still shivered, the story came spilling out.
Miss Baird had fallen in love with Lord Hampton, but her father, who had numerous gambling debts, had sold her to another viscount.
Instead of wedding the man who paid off her father’s gambling debts, Miss Baird had sneaked out of the house on what was to have been her wedding day.
She and Lord Hampton had left London, eloping to Gretna Green.
“My father caught up with us,” she said, bitterness in her voice.
“When I told him I would never speak my vows with anyone but Lord Hampton, he had me taken to that terrible place.” She paused.
“My father’s men beat Lord Hampton. They would not have killed him, but I know he was incapacitated so that he could not follow and see where I was taken. ”
“I know of Hampton,” the duke said. “His country estate is in Kent, isn’t it?”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
“Then you will go to Dove Hall and wait for him there. I will write and tell him you are safe. My advice, Miss Baird, would be for him to purchase a special license for you to wed. Once you are married, you will have the protection of his name, and your father will not be able to bend you to his will.”
“Thank you, Your Grace,” Miss Baird said, tears freely falling down her face.
“Thank Lady Adams,” he responded. “And Lady Verina. Neither of them would leave Throckmorton without you.”
“My thanks to you both,” Miss Baird said fervently. “I owe the three of you my life—and my sanity. I do not know how much longer I could have held out.”
They reached Dove Hall, and both women were brought inside, where Her Grace was waiting in the drawing room. The two older women fell into one another’s arms, weeping profusely.
“I am so sorry for what you went through,” Her Grace said.
“Thank you for looking for me. I cannot imagine what resources you used to find me,” Lady Adams said. She looked to the others. “Come, Miss Baird. Meet Her Grace, the Duchess of Reddington.” To the duchess, she said, “I could not leave Throckmorton without her.”
As the three women starting talking, Mrs. Paul appeared. “I have hot baths coming for the two ladies, Your Grace. Miss Vines has been summoned, and she will see they have new clothing. Miss Brandon and Miss Ross also have come to help in settling these two new doves.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Paul.”
He moved to the three women. “Mama, I must see Lady Verina back to her cousin. We had promised she would be there by teatime or shortly thereafter. If we leave now, she will arrive just after tea.”
Miss Baird came toward Verina, the soggy robe falling to the floor as she embraced her.
“You are an angel, Lady Verina. I hope I will see you again.” Giving her a shy smile, she added, “I would so like it if we could be friends.”
“I would like that, as well, Miss Baird. Will you retire quietly to the country with Lord Hampton after you wed?”
“Certainly not,” the young woman boldly declared. “I plan to attend the Season next spring as Lady Hampton. And if I see my father, I will give him the cut direct.”
“I am to make my come-out next spring,” she shared. “We shall meet up again then.”
“I will have you to tea, Lady Verina. By then, we will have much to catch up on.”
Lady Adams came and embraced Verina, as well. “You are so brave, my dear. Thank you again. For everything.”
She bid the duchess farewell and accompanied the duke downstairs. Inside the carriage, she said, “Well, I certainly had a most interesting day.”
He grinned. “You asked about my work. Now you have seen it, firsthand. It is not often the pieces fall into place so quickly. Usually, it takes Larkin months to find a woman. Then he and I—and sometimes Mama—travel to where the madhouse is located as we attempt to retrieve them.”
“Have you ever failed?”
“Not yet,” he said grimly. “I know the law of probability says at some point, we will. Thankfully, it was not today.”
She gazed up at him. “I know you cannot help them all, but I am grateful that you allowed us to go back for Miss Baird.”
His cornflower blue eyes darkened, seeming almost deep purple. Her breath hitched. She was aware of how close they sat. The heat of his body.
Then his mouth descended to hers, their lips meeting.
He brushed his slowly against hers, causing sensations to spring within her.
His palms cupped her face, and she inhaled his scent.
Felt his warmth. He kissed her slowly, softly, his lips leaving hers only to return again.
One kiss turned into many, and they became longer. Firmer.
His hands slipped to her neck, cradling it, his lips still on hers. The kiss was exciting. Riveting. And deep within it, she felt it spoke of promise.
He broke it, his forehead resting against hers, his thumbs moving up and down her neck in a gentle caress.
Their breath intermingling, he said, “I will not kiss you again until you ask me to do so, Verina.”
His use of her given name caused a thrill to shoot through her. She lifted her head, staring up at him.
“Why did you kiss me, Your Grace?”
He smiled wryly. “Is it not enough to want to kiss a pretty girl? One who so bravely followed me into a place of danger and stood her ground.”
“I was afraid the entire time we were there,” she admitted.
“I was, too,” he shared. “I always am.”
“But you continue to help those women. That is very brave.”
“I am glad you think so.”
He kissed her again, gently, and then ended it as the carriage slowed.
“We are at Merrifield,” he announced. “I cannot stay. I must get back to Dove Hall. Go along with the white lie I will tell.”
Opening the door, he climbed from the carriage and offered her his hand. Verina took it and descended down the stairs a footman must have placed there for her. The duke closed the carriage door, and they headed into the house, the butler opening the door.
Hugo appeared. “You just missed tea.” He frowned. “Where is Her Grace?”
“She is in the carriage. She wanted to come inside, but she began sneezing on the way here and fears she might be coming down with a cold. She did not want to expose Tia to it, especially in her condition.”
“That is most thoughtful of the duchess,” Hugo said. Looking to her, he asked, “Did you have a good day with Her Grace?”
“We learned quite a bit about one another,” she said. “I enjoyed being in her company. And His Grace’s, as well.”
“I must get back to Mama.” Reddington looked down at her. “Thank you for agreeing to stay today, Lady Verina. I know Mama and I look forward to the next time we see you.”
“Tell Her Grace to go to bed with a hot water bottle when she gets home. I hope she feels better soon,” she told him, understanding now that it would have been inappropriate for the duke to have brought her home with just the two of them inside the carriage.
If it were known they had been alone together—much less that he had kissed her—then she would have been ruined.
Unless he agreed to wed her.
Verina did not want to be placed in a position of forcing a man to save her reputation by doing that. She wanted to choose her groom and have him choose her without being told they must wed.
“I will do so, my lady. My best to Tia and Lady Justina,” the duke said.
He left the house, and Hugo placed an arm about Verina’s shoulders. “Come upstairs. Tia is eager to hear about your day with the duchess.”
Quickly, Verina thought of the additional white lies she would need to tell.
Reddington had not confided in Hugo of the work he did, and he would be displeased if she did so now.
She did not want to upset him, much less prevent him from keeping on with what he did to help others.
She pushed aside all thoughts of that very promising kiss as they entered the drawing room.
But she planned to reflect on it at length.