Her Beastly Duke (Damsel in Distress #5)

Chapter 12

CHAPTER 12

J ulius cradled her across his chest and stroked her hair. He did not know how long they lay there, but his heart had finally stopped racing. His breathing returned to normal. They had shared something that he needed, but it would only be for tonight. Tonight. Not forever . He would cherish it, and perhaps that would be enough. The words hung hollow even as he grappled with the significance of what they just shared. He knew what would be expected and the reason he hesitated.

Julius kissed her forehead. “We should get dressed.”

“You are right.” She slowly sat up.

“I shall take you to your bedchamber.”

“There is no need, Julius. I—”

Julius sat up and kissed her. Their foreheads rested against each other. “I shall.”

Briar stood and Julius helped her to dress before he dressed himself. He opened the door, and Briar started to walk by him; he scooped her up in his arms.

Briar gasped. “We could be seen.”

“The servants are below stairs having their meal and preparing for tomorrow. It is a risk I am willing to take.”

Briar rested her head against his shoulders as he climbed the stairs to her bed chamber. “I am not afraid, Julius.”

“Afraid of what?”

“Taking risks.”

Julius chuckled. “Don’t I know it? We would not have met if you had not taken a risk.”

“True.”

When they arrived, he opened the door and closed it with his heel behind them. He laid Briar down, and they stood facing each other. He meant to give her a kiss goodnight, but when their lips touched, something carnal took over. Soon, between hungry kisses, they were shedding their clothes in a frenzy, hurling them over the room as they slowly drifted toward the bed. They fell onto the bed in a tumble of arms and legs, yet his mouth did not leave her. They had tonight and it would be memorable. Julius gave Briar all the pleasure she wanted until they were both sated.

In the early hours of the following morning, he extricated himself from the warm bed beside her and returned to his bedchamber. It would soon be the time he would normally awaken to start his day, but there would be no prospect of that this morning. He was exhausted. Julius crawled under the covers and promptly fell asleep. Julius awoke feeling refreshed the next morning and thinking of Briar. He rang for his valet, who came in with warm water for him to wash and dress.

“Good morning, Your Grace.”

“Good morning, Neil.”

“Your brother and his family arrived mid-morning, and he would like to join you for lunch.”

Julius jerked up, and water splashed on the floor. “What the devil do you mean? Baxter is here?”

“Yes, Your Grace, along with his family.”

“Damn it!” Julius wondered if Baxter had not received his letter or if he did and wanted to be hard-headed anyway. Baxter could not possibly have come at a worse time. Julius hurriedly dressed and went downstairs to find Baxter in the drawing room.

“Baxter, what are you doing here? Did you not receive my letter?”

Baxter stood up and hugged Julius, slapping him on the back. “It is good to see you, brother. You do remember how to say that, don’t you?”

“Of course, I am happy to see you. I was not expecting you, is all.”

“I received your letter, and I must say, I was intrigued by it. I decided to come and see you since I am traveling to London, and Emmeline insisted on coming along.”

“Where is Emmeline and the boys?”

“They had an early lunch, and they are having a rest.”

“I see. I suppose that means you have been here for a while.”

“Indeed. Are you well?”

“I am. Do I not look well?”

“Absolutely, and I noticed you are not wearing your mask. It has been years since I have seen you without it.”

“I no longer wear it at home, thanks to Miss Walcot. I will still wear it whenever I venture out in public.”

Baxter’s brows shot up, but Julius ignored his stunned and questioning expression.

“You are not one to lay abed, and you missed breakfast.”

“I was feeling rather tired this morning.”

“Hmm. You should be famished.”

“I am, so let us talk over lunch,” Julius replied as he walked toward the dining room. They sat at the dining table, and Julius waited for the servants to leave before he spoke. “Why were you intrigued by my letter?”

“Come on, brother. I have been trying my darndest to get you to crawl out of this cave, and you refused. I was beginning to think you would hide away forever, and you rarely answered my letters. So, imagine my surprise when you replied to the last one and said you would be going to town. That is an about-turn, wouldn’t you say?” Baxter pinned him with a gaze, but Julius was so hungry he was wolfing down his breakfast.

“Yes, it is.”

“I am curious. What brought this about.”

Now that Baxter was here, Julius knew he had to explain Briar’s presence. “The most unusual circumstance.” He paused.

Baxter arched a brow. “I am all ears.”

Julius explained the circumstances of Briar’s arrival at Berkley Estate but did not mention the night of passion he knew he would never forget. Baxter gazed at him raptly. Still, he did not interrupt.

“That is the measure of it,” Julius concluded.

“I can see that Miss Walcot's presence has had an effect on you. You have perked up, and you are regaining your confidence.”

“Indeed.”

“That is fantastic news, and I could not be more pleased to hear it.”

“I can hear a ‘but’ coming.”

“Well, I am sure you have thought about it, but I feel compelled to mention it. Being unchaperoned and alone with you risks Miss Walcot’s reputation.”

Julius sighed heavily, “I know that Baxter.”

“Are you forming an attachment to her?”

Julius was indignant. “Of course not.” He did not want to seem as foolish and reckless as he was in France. He did not know Briar well enough, so he could hardly say he was forming an attachment. Nevertheless, he could not deny her effect on him and how alive she made him feel.

“I wonder if you have thought carefully about the circumstances under which she came to be at Berkley Estate in the first place. She was prepared to break in and steal the painting. I have not met her, but this does give me cause for concern … regarding her character. If we consider our family line, she does not appear to be a lady who could be your duchess.”

“I understand that. I have committed to providing Miss Walcot with a dowery so when we go to London, she will be able to find a husband.”

“That seems perfectly reasonable. I have just had a thought. Emmeline can remain here, act as a chaperone, and travel with you to London.”

“You are not reassured by what I have told you?”

“I understand you have the best intentions, but a rumor is enough to cause a scandal that would ruin Miss Walcot’s reputation, and I know you would not want that for her. You have never been selfish, Julius.”

Anyone listening to their conversation would think Baxter was the older brother. Baxter had always been bossy, yet Julius knew there was some truth in his words. When she had just arrived at Berkley Estate, his resolve was much stronger than it is now. After what they shared last night, he knew it would be difficult to refrain from touching her, even though he knew it was the right thing to do. He did not want to hurt Briar.

Julius nodded. “I suppose you are right. The season is only a few weeks away.”

“Excellent. While I am in London, I will attend a few of the social gatherings.”

“Now that you have heard the intricate details of my life, perhaps you can tell me what business you have in London,” Julius said.

Baxter began to speak, but Julius only listened with half an ear. His thoughts went to Briar, and he wondered how she felt about last night.

Briar was making her way down to the dining room. The maid told her Julius had gone down for lunch, and she was starving. She could not tell the last time she missed breakfast. She awoke quite late, feeling hungry and sore. She flushed when she looked at the crumpled sheets. She first gave herself to Julius in the drawing room and immediately thought of the implications. Still, somehow, she seemed powerless to resist his touch when they arrived in her bedchamber. She was certain that her mother would be appalled if she knew Briar had given herself to Julius when they were not married. Young ladies should be chaste until the wedding night. Worse yet, there had been no talk of marriage after he took her. Nothing had happened in the correct sequence and with her relative inexperience, Briar did not know what should happen next.

She had just arrived at the dining room door when she heard an unfamiliar voice mention her name and the risk to her reputation. Who would speak to Julius with such candidness? She stood rooted to the spot and listened to the gentleman cast aspersions on her character and implied she could not be suitable for Julius’s wife. Briar quickly realized it was his brother, Baxter. She staggered before she held out a hand to steady herself. She understood that she had done wrong, but to hear Julius agree with Baxter astounded her. She hoped that he thought more of her after what they shared last night. She wanted him to defend her and she was hurt that he was not more supportive of her. The shock faded, and fury surged through her chest.

How could he?

Briar wondered if she was being foolish and if she should temper her unrealistic expectations. It was clear that she did not know Julius very well. She could not believe he had already decided she did not meet his standards for a wife. The euphoric haze she awoke with suddenly cleared, replaced with a mixture of anger and sadness. There was no mistaking what she heard. Julius was not becoming enamored with her, and he did not think she was good enough to be his duchess. He wanted a lady from the right line of descent. She was a fool to think they had shared anything more than a night of steamy passion. Caught off guard by the sudden turn of events, she must accept their dalliance would never be anything else. She stood tall, her back straight and took a deep breath, then knocked on the door and waited to be admitted.

“Come in,” Julius replied.

She entered the room and glanced from Julius to his brother, who bore a remarkable resemblance to him. They both stood up from their chairs. “Good afternoon, Your Grace.”

“Good afternoon, Miss Walcot. May I introduce my brother, Lord Fenton.”

“I am pleased to make your acquaintance, Lord Fenton.”

Julius hurried to pull out a chair for Briar. Julius was at the head of the table, Baxter seated to his left and Briar to the right. She was right across from Lord Fenton. Otis served Briar and she immediately tucked into her lunch.

“Lord Fenton is on his way to London and decided to pay me a visit. His wife and the children are resting.”

“How delightful. Did you have an uneventful journey?”

“We did. I hope you are enjoying your stay at Berkley Estate.”

“It is a beautiful and quite large estate. There is much that I have yet to explore.”

“Lady Fenton will remain here until we depart for London. I am sure she would be only too happy to show you more.”

“That is kind of you, Your Grace. Thank you.”

Julius was being quite polite about the fact she would be chaperoned from now on. It was back to propriety and restraint, which was definitely for the best. Then why did she feel such a sense of helplessness, hurt and loss? Her emotions were in turmoil. She swung from anger and hurt to sadness within a very short time, yet she would not show it. Briar flashed a small smile and continued eating the salmon. She could feel Julius’s stare and she shifted slightly in her chair. She peered at Julius from beneath her lashes as she took a bite, but she could not decipher what she saw in his eyes this time. She raised her head and glanced at Lord Fenton who took a sip of wine.

“Will you be joining the festivities in London?”

“We will at least attend a few of the balls before we return. Lady Fenton is looking forward to it. Are you?”

“I have not been to London for a while. After Father passed away, we were in mourning –”

“I understand, Miss Walcot. There is no need to explain further,” Lord Fenton said. Although his comment regarding her suitability hurt her, Lord Fenton seemed kind.

“We certainly had a period of adjustment when our father passed,” Julius said.

“What of your family? Will they join you?”

Lord Fenton’s question gave Briar a jolt. The mention of her family being in London reminded her that they did not have access to the townhouse because they had to lease it. They had leased it for a year, unfurnished because they sold the furniture long before. The dearest season was from Christmas to June, when families were in town and parliament was sitting; the cheapest was when families were out of town and the parliament prorogued. Duncan managed to negotiate a favorable rate to cover the taxes and repairs. The rent was due half-yearly but the tenant paid for a full year. Perhaps Duncan had not given much thought to where they would reside. She would send him a letter so arrangements could be made before they arrived in London.

“My brother and mother will, but my sister is still too young.”

“Then I will have the chance to meet them.”

“Indeed.”

“If you will excuse me, now that I am fed, I will rest before the boys are up.” Lord Fenton stood up from the table and excused himself. They had all finished eating, so the servants cleared the table. Only the flask of wine and their glasses remained.

They were alone, so Briar regarded Julius more openly.

“Briar, I noticed that you hesitated when my brother asked about your family joining us in town. Why?”

She was reluctant to mention it, but then he knew so much already. What would be the point in hiding this? “I was merely thinking about where we should stay in town. You see, our townhouse has been leased.”

“I have more than one property in town sitting empty. I will make one available to you and your family.”

“I could not possibly accept– .”

“Nonsense. You can hardly have a season without a house in London. Where would I call upon you?”

He was planning to call on her?

“Leave it with me, and I will write to your brother. We can always negotiate what will be deducted from the final payment. I will arrange for a modiste to attend you. You need new gowns for the season, and that is just as important as having a dowery.”

Briar wanted to remain angry with him, yet she could not. Not when he was being so thoughtful and generous. He offered to help her family without much of a reward and did not place any additional burden on them. How could he be both? The gentleman who did not defend her from his brother when she thought he understood more of her character versus the one who was always prepared to give of himself freely. She would not have known his true intentions if she had not overheard the conversation.

“Briar, about last night– .”

“You need not say more, Julius. It was a lapse in judgment on both our parts. I am sure you would agree that it is best not to repeat it.”

Again, his eyes caught hers, and she could not look away. Time stood still, and neither of them spoke. The silence was deafening. Julius’s gaze fell to her lips, and her heart banged in her chest. She must not think about his lips on her, of her feelings, wants and desires. She cannot. Briar had always been bold and opinionated. She did not take issue with speaking her mind, but somehow, Julius being this close was affecting her. For a moment, he rendered her speechless.

Briar quickly stood up from her chair. “I will take a walk in the garden. I need to get some fresh air.”

“I will see you at dinner.”

Briar left the dining room wondering how she would navigate the intensity of her different emotions. Julius conjured feelings within her that she did not know existed, and now they flowed through her. How had she let this happen? Perhaps it was for the best that Lord Fenton and his family arrived. Their presence would save Briar from herself; they had to.