Her Beastly Duke (Damsel in Distress #5)

Chapter 17

CHAPTER 17

B riar was absolutely miserable. It had been two days since she caused the uproar, and she felt worse by the minute. Her heart had fallen to the pit of her stomach when she saw Julius sprawled in the street below. He was clearly hurt; surely, she should have gone to render aid. She had desperately wanted to, but Duncan forbade it. He was incensed that she would allow Julius into her room at night and that she had not protected her virtue.

Neither had she protected her heart.

She did not go down for any of her meals yesterday and refused to see anyone, even Mama. She lay in bed and wallowed in self-pity. She did not feel hungry, although she had a few spoonfuls of soup when the maid brought it up to her room. Last night, she lay in bed, and sleep refused to come to her. She could not help but blame herself for what happened. If only she had allowed Julius to say what he had come to say instead of making lust take over. It may be that he changed his mind about courting her, and he would consider her on the same footing as any of the other ladies he danced with.

She felt exhausted physically and mentally. When she could not sleep, she replayed her days at Berkley Estate, reflecting on how happy she was the night she spent in Julius’s arms. At first, she was hurt and even angry when she heard him say he wanted a lady of good standing and pedigree. She had put up a barrier that day, and once Emmeline arrived, it was easier not to be alone with him. That seemed to keep the barrier in place for a while, but the more time she spent with Julius, the more it eroded. They did not need to share intimacy to become closer, and Briar looked forward to any bit of time they spent together. Her heart ached as the carriage rolled away from Berkley Estate, and she knew she loved him.

The maid entered her room and pulled the curtains. The rain was gently hitting the window pane, and dark clouds filled the sky, which did nothing to lighten her mood.

“Good morning, Miss Walcot.”

“Good morning, Lucy,” Briar replied, although it was anything but.

“Lord Walcott would like you to know he is coming to see you,” Lucy said.

Briar scoffed. Duncan was the last person she wanted to see. Perhaps if she spoke to him, she could get news of Julius. Briar stood up from her bed and Lucy helped her to dress. Lucy was on her way out when Duncan appeared in the doorway.

“Good morning, Briar. I hope you got some rest.”

“It is not much of a good morning from me, Duncan.”

“I am afraid it is about to get worse.”

Briar stilled. “Worse, how could that be possible?”

Duncan held out the paper, and Briar reluctantly accepted it. She opened it and slowly began to read before she sat down on her bed. Duncan gazed at her but did not say anything until she was finished. Tears burned her eyes. Ruination.

“Has Mama seen it?”

Duncan walked over and sat beside her. “Not as yet, but we will have to tell her.”

“Good Lord.”

“It is not all bad news. Lord Carter sent a letter to say he would like to call on you for afternoon tea. Apparently, he is not fazed by the gossip rags.”

“Perhaps he does not know.”

“All of London knows, Briar.”

“But what about the duke? Should we at least hear what he has to say?”

“No. He had ruined and humiliated you, and I forbid you to see him. Whatever his reason, it was never his intention to marry you, Briar. If he thought you could be the duchess of Berkley Estate, he would have come to see me rather than climbing through your window.”

Briar knew there would be no arguing with Duncan. He had already made up his mind. “You believe that Lord Carter knows of the unfortunate incident and is still prepared to court me?”

“I believe so. I do not need to tell you what an opportunity this is. You will learn that society is unforgiving, and the scandal means you will be treated like an outcast. Fortunately, the earl is wealthy enough and will use his means to shield you from the worst of it.”

“I see.”

“Do not be pigheaded about it, Briar. We do not have many options.”

“I agree to see Lord Carter. I will at least hear what he has to say, but I do not know him. We will see if he is sincere.”

“Very well. I will speak to Mama before she finds out from someone else.”

“I am worried she will not take this well, and she will confine herself again.”

“She will be disappointed, but Lord Carter’s continued interest will soothe her.”

With the matter settled, Duncan stood up and walked toward the door. He turned and said, “Do not worry, Briar. We will get through it.”

Briar did not see how. How was she going to court and marry Lord Carter when she was in love with Julius?

Julius returned to the townhouse in the early hours and spent most of the first day taking laudanum. He did not want to take it, but after a few hours, the pain became unbearable. He felt much better this morning after the physician had seen him. Julius sat propped in bed, his feet elevated on several pillows. The physician instructed him to stay in bed if he wanted his knee to heal without leaving him with a limp. He wore a hard bandage to allow his bones to heal. He desperately wanted to go to Briar, yet he needed to follow the doctor’s advice. He already had one impediment and was not about to add a limp to create a list. He sent her a letter instead, but sadly, it was returned to him unopened.

Damn it!

He clenched his teeth and pummeled the pillow. For the love of … why couldn’t he get it right? Julius was convinced that Briar had not seen the letter. He did not doubt that Duncan had intercepted it because he was angry. Duncan’s duty was to protect Briar; the ensuing scandal would make him feel like a failure. Julius’s actions would tarnish the family name and affect Duncan’s prospect of finding a wife. Briar’s prospects were also greatly reduced, but eventually, they would weather the storm. Duncan should know that it made perfect sense for Julius to speak with Briar, so why was he being stubborn about it? At least if he opened the letter and read its contents, he would see that Julius was declaring his true feelings, albeit late. Nonetheless, he was sincere. Julius sighed and tapped his finger against his thigh. He was to blame for the mess he found himself in, and he had to figure out how to get out of it.

It had taken him a couple of days to see this new reality. Of Briar being entirely out of his life. How did he get here? There were unspoken rules that said what he was supposed to do with his life, including who he should marry. He should have ignored them. The only person who should define and determine his destiny was Julius. He was responsible for how fruitful his life would be. Why should he choose to live on someone else’s terms rather than his own? Once he realized that Briar was special, he should have made his mind up to forgo the traditional expectations of happiness. There was no need to hold himself hostage to family traditions or the norms of society. He would live his life on his terms. He loved his brother, and Julius knew he meant well. Baxter would eventually accept Julius’s decision because he had grown to love Emmeline.

A knock on the door interrupted his musing.

“Come in,” Julius said.

Baxter entered the room and sat in the armchair, which had been positioned to face his bed.

“I saw Dr. Martin on his way out, and he gave me the prognosis. I am sure you are not pleased.”

“Frustrated in what I am, I have no choice but to take his advice. That is why I sent for you.”

“Is that all?”

“And to tell you how I ended up in this predicament.” Julius recounted the tale to Baxter.

“I know all about it.”

“How did you find out so quickly?”

Baxter stood up and handed Julius the paper he had in his hand. Julius had been so distracted that he failed to notice it.

Hello, my dear readers; I have the most salacious event to apprise you of. This one goes to the highest echelons of society. For those that may be miffed, I do not want to hear your tut-tutting. If you do not want to read my news, you should not buy the paper!

According to my sources, the Beastly Duke, who has only just returned to society, has compromised a certain Miss B. Some say he has acted like a beast in true fashion, crawling up trees and terraces in the dead of night to enter Miss B.'s bedroom. Yes! Bedroom. You heard it here first … It seems the Beastly Duke is quite smitten with Miss B, which leads me to wonder why he did not court her in the usual fashion. Could it be that he had no intention of making her his duchess, and will he discard her so quickly?

It is truly remarkable that the beast would be so bold as to use a window rather than the front door. No, dearest reader, I did not make this up. Merde! (I must polish my French). The life of a beast must be so difficult! Apparently, on his descent, the beast fell and injured himself, to the delight of his nosy fellow men. That is right, you heard me correctly … He now lies abed, and Miss B lies in ruin. What this writer wants to know is what the beast and Miss B will do now.

Check back soon, and I will tell you what I find out.

Julius raised his head from the scandal sheet and cursed under his breath.

“I love Briar, and she is the only one I want. I am grateful for the change that Briar brought about in my life, yet I know that what I feel is more than gratitude.”

“I know that you care for her. Emmeline told me it was clear to see that there was something between you two. When did you know it was something more?”

He would not lie to himself. He was attracted to Briar from the first day they met, and when she came to Berkley Estate, they started to build a friendship. Eventually, he recognized it was not only lust because he yearned to be close to her even if he could not touch her.

“We became friends shortly after she arrived. Berkley Estate was not the same after Briar left for London. I found myself thinking about her when I entered every room. The house seemed so quiet without her laughter. She truly became intertwined in my life in the months we were together.”

“I know I spoke about tradition when I visited you there, but it is clear to me that you want Briar in your life. You have chosen her, and she makes you happy. I will welcome her into this family. Emmeline and the boys are already fond of her.”

Julius smiled in amusement when he recalled Otis’s reaction to her departure.

“You know Otis is my most trusted butler but he had never been so forward. He asked after Briar, wanting to know if she would return to Berkley Estate.”

“Apparently, the servants were quite taken with her, too.”

“Yes.”

“What are you going to do.”

“I have a plan, Baxter. That is why I sent for you. This is what I need you to do … ”

An hour later, Baxter came to see Julius, who tried to read his expression, but it was to no avail. Baxter seemed guarded. Julius had made it his business to find out who was going to the townhouse on Grosvenor Square.

“I got word from the servants. I’m afraid that it may be too late.”

“Whatever do you mean?”

“Apparently, Lord Carter has been very busy trying to put out the fire. He has already called on the family twice in as many days.”

“The nerve of the man! At any rate, there is only one way that he could … are you telling me that Lord Carter has made an offer for Briar?

“He has proposed engagement to her to quell the rumors.”

“I’m about to lose her.”

“I hate to be the bearer of bad news. Still, it appears so.”

Julius slumped against the pillows. He had never felt so helpless. “I would like to be alone.”

“I am sorry, Julius.”

Julius realized that he had gone about it in the wrong way. Rather than choosing a wife with the right ancestry and heritage to fulfill a duty, he should choose the woman who breathed life back into him. It was not that he did not have feelings for her. They were there, lurking in the recess of his mind, and when he saw her, he could not deny that he wanted her. This daring, confident and supportive woman made him feel anything was possible. She was perfect, perfect for him. Now, he had lost her. She was forever lost to another man.