CHAPTER 36
Michael raised his head from the reports he was attempting to read, the familiar figures and words dancing before his eyes and making no sense to him.
Handling the ducal estates required plenty of work, but he had always managed.
And yet, in the past week, his mind refused to focus on anything but Josephine.
He needed to talk to her. He had allowed her enough time to think.
To come to her senses. To realize they belonged together.
But days were slipping by and still no word from her.
He would go visit her this evening. To hell with patience and restraint.
It had gotten him nowhere. It was time to fight for what he wanted.
A short rap on his study door and then his butler walked in. “Your Grace, Lady Rutledge is here to see you.”
A frown tugged at his brow. He knew Lady Rutledge was Edward’s maternal grandmother but could not imagine why she would come to call on him at this hour.
He stood from his desk at once, a premonition of disaster slithering down his spine.
This instinct had saved his life countless times during the war, so he had learned not to discount it.
“I’ll see her at once. Where is she?” he said as he walked past the butler.
“The main drawing room, Your Grace.”
He zoomed down the corridor to the drawing room so fast he couldn’t even remember how he got there. He burst into the room just as his mother was greeting the lady. He noticed at once that little Edward was clinging to her skirts. The image did little to reassure him.
“Lady Rutledge,” he said without preamble. “Is something the matter? Has something happened to Josephine?”
“I-I don’t know, Your Grace. That’s why I’m here. I didn’t know where else to go,” the older lady said, looking at him with wide eyes. Her words and expression heightened his sense that something was horribly wrong. And it involved Josephine.
Modulating his voice so as not to scare the lady, he commanded, “Tell me.”
“You see, earlier, I went to visit my grandson, as I have been doing every day this past week. Today, it all seemed normal at first. When I arrived, Lady Josephine greeted me and we talked for a few minutes. I decided to take Edward to play on the square and she stayed behind. We stayed out a bit longer than usual, I admit. But my darling Ed was having so much fun with his hoop and a new friend he had made in the park, that we lost track of time.”
Michael gritted his teeth with impatience as the lady digressed and took her time to get to the point.
“When I brought him back home, I was told Lady Josephine had gone out with a friend. Which seemed odd because she had not mentioned she was planning to attend any event that evening. But what I found truly strange is this note she left me, asking me to take Edward to my home. She wouldn’t do that if she just planned to go out for the evening, would she? ”
Before she even finished the question, Michael had taken the note out of the lady’s hand and was scanning it frantically, looking for any clue that would tell him what was really going on.
Was that a slight tremor he detected in Josie’s usually elegant calligraphy?
Lady Rutledge was right. It didn’t seem congruent that Josephine would ask her to take Edward if she was just planning a regular outing.
And the words she had used… they seemed to echo the fake letter of before. A chill ran down his spine.
“I visited Lady Josephine this afternoon as well,” his mother contributed. He shot her a surprised look.
“You did? Why?”
“To talk about you, darling, of course.” His mother raised an imperious brow, unimpressed with his curt manner. “I wanted to understand what’s going on between the two of you. Why you seem to be at odds.”
He clenched his jaw, inhaling deeply to try to contain his annoyance. He knew his mother meant well, but if she said something to Josephine to make her bolt…
“Tell me exactly what you two discussed,” he gritted out.
“I asked her why you two are apart and miserable when it’s obvious you love each other. And she told me of… her problem, and why she doesn’t think she’d make a suitable wife.”
“Good God, Mother. Did you tell her she shouldn’t marry me?” he exploded.
“Of course not!” His mother shot to her feet, every inch the duchess. “Who do you take me for, Michael? If you must know, I did the exact opposite. I encouraged her to accept you and told her that your happiness meant more to me than the succession or the dukedom.”
Instant shame washed over him. Along with relief and an unseemly emotion he couldn’t indulge right now.
He knew his mother loved him deeply and had never wanted anything but his happiness.
But he had still hesitated to tell her about Josephine’s belief that she couldn’t have children.
He had wondered if his mother would try to discourage the union then.
“Forgive me, Mother.” He went to her, grabbed her hands and brought them to his mouth in a penitent kiss. “I should not have doubted your kindness and generosity.”
His mother’s eyes softened. “It’s not kindness.
Much less generosity. It’s motherly love.
I just want you to be happy, Michael. And I know you love her.
She loves you too. She told me so, and it was plain to see on her face.
She promised to think about what we had discussed.
I got the impression that she was planning to accept you. ”
“You did?” Unbearable hope exploded in his chest. And yet she had mysteriously gone out tonight, and not to come to him. That same nagging sensation that something was horribly wrong rose up like bile on his throat.
“Lady Rutledge, do you know who the friend was she went out with?”
“No, Your Grace. I didn’t think to ask and the butler didn’t mention it.”
Could she have gone out with Abigail or Hannah?
“I need to go out.” He turned to Lady Rutledge. “Can you take Edward with you as Josephine asked?”
“Of course!”
“Good. We’ll come to collect him as soon as we can.”
With that, he was striding toward the door, his mind abuzz with possibilities, strategies, plans. Stanhope House was just across the square. He would go to Gabriel and Hannah’s home first. If she was not there, he would pay a visit to Lord Hartfield next.
But first, some instinct made him take a quick detour to his study.
From the safe, he grabbed a pistol, knife that slid inside his boot, and a concealed weapon designed to attach to his forearm.
It would go undetected under his shirtsleeve, but with a flick of his wrist, he could activate a spring mechanism that would shoot out a blade.
He had designed it himself and had used it more than once on the field.
It was particularly useful for covert operations and rescues.
His mother followed right behind him. Saw him handle the weapons.
“Do you think there’s trouble afoot? She could have gone to visit some friend, just as she said.”
He hoped to God he would find Josephine with Hannah or Abigail. Maybe she would be annoyed at his highhandedness in searching for her. He would laugh and gladly apologize for his overreaction if that was the case. But if this inkling of trouble turned out to be right, he had better be prepared.
“I don’t know, Mother. But something about this doesn’t sit well with me. I’d rather be prepared for any eventuality.”
His mother nodded, a slight frown pinching her brow. “Take care, my son. And send word as soon as you know something.”
“I will.”
With that, he strode out of the study, donning his greatcoat on the way out of the house.
Stanhope House, where Lord and Lady Brentworth resided, was across the square from his own London mansion. He was there in less than five minutes.
“Michael!” Gabriel greeted him as he descended the stairs. “What brings you around, old chap? Hannah and I were about to sit down to dinner. Care to join us?”
He shook hands with his friend. “Thank you, but I can’t. I came only to find out if Josephine was, or has been, with Hannah today.”
Gabriel frowned, and like him, he could tell some instinct bred in the military made him alert to the possibility of trouble.
“No, not today. Hannah and I spent all day out. Went to Greenwich with the little one. We only just returned an hour ago.”
Damn it. But she could still be with Abigail. Or one of the other ladies.
“Thank you. Please give my regards to Hannah.” He turned on his heel.
“Wait!” Gabriel called. “What’s going on? Has something happened to Josephine?”
He hesitated, unsure what to say. He had nothing to go on but this nagging feeling that something was amiss.
“I don’t know. My mother saw her this afternoon and she appeared to be well.
Lady Rutledge also visited. She was spending time with her grandson, but when she returned, Josephine had left her a very strange note asking her to take Edward to her home.
The butler said she went out with a ‘friend’ but we don’t know who that friend is.
I was hoping it was Hannah or Abigail. That there would be a perfectly innocent explanation for all this. I’m going to Hartfield House next.”
“I’ll go with you,” Gabriel said instantly.
“You were about to have dinner with your wife. I don’t want to bother you for what is probably nothing…”
“Wait for me. I’m going to tell Hannah. I’ll be back in a second,” Gabriel tossed over his shoulder as he took off at a clip.
They arrived at Hartfield House just as the family was having dinner. Being friends of the family, the butler ushered them to the dining room. Six pairs of eyes turned toward them. And none of them belonged to Josephine.
“Aycliffe, Gabriel,” Hartfield said, standing. “I would ask you to join us for dinner, but I have a feeling this unexpected visit is not a social one. Is something amiss?”
“I’m looking for Josephine. I was hoping that she would be with Abigail.”
Abigail, sitting at her husband’s right side, shook her head. “I haven’t seen Josephine in a couple of days.”