Chapter 29

Chapter Twenty-Nine

“ I think I prefer the music room at Silverton Hall,” Madeleine said as she sat at the pianoforte next to Alexander several days later.

“That is because you can look out at the countryside there. You do not have to worry about the ton gossiping there. You, my wife, enjoy your countryside bubble.”

She grinned. “Is that so wrong?”

“Of course not.” He laughed quietly as he guided her fingers over a few keys. She was enamored with the way he stroked the ivory keys, and tried to keep her thoughts quiet.

They had spent the last week in London. Now that she knew Alexander’s true business arrangements, she understood when he disappeared late at night, or for a while to attend meetings. She had even met Horace Matthews. It felt strange to have met him so formally when he had been at her wedding.

Soon, they were to return to Silverton Hall, and she found herself eager to leave in the next couple of days. However, she would miss Tessa and Colin again.

“You have pressed the wrong chord,” Alexander told her. “It is this pattern.”

He pressed down the correct fingers onto the keys, his touch gentle. Ever since he had let down his defenses and told her the truth of his grief and ownership of the Raven’s Den, Madeleine had begun the process of realizing she could not blame him, nor the establishment, for Donald’s fall into debt.

She had tried to tell herself it no longer mattered. She had a new life now, and her old life had been put to rest.

“How am I doing with the melody?” she asked, letting her fingers trill over the keys to form the tune, while Alexander chimed in with the chords.

Together, they played for a short while. Her learning of the pianoforte was slow-going but peaceful.

“You are doing well,” he complimented.

“You are a patient teacher,” she teased.

“You sound almost disappointed.”

“Perhaps I wished for you to get cross with me.” Her tune on the instrument turned light and playful. “Perhaps I wished for you to get so frustrated with my slow learning, that you find yourself forced to push me over the keys and teach me another lesson.”

Next to her, Alexander stilled.

In a flash of a moment, her hand was removed from the keys, and the lid slammed down.

Before Madeleine could even take a breath, Alexander had her bent over the polished wood.

“Is this how you envisioned it, Duchess?” His voice was a purr. His hand landed on her upper leg, drawing higher up.

“Yes,” she gasped.

His hand tightened, and he pressed against her, pressing her wrists atop the instrument, pinning her beneath him.

“Like this?”

“Yes,” she answered, her teasing tapering into a breathless oh when Alexander’s hand brushed beneath her dress, sliding between her legs.

She was already pressing back against him, trying to find friction.

“Kiss me,” she pleaded, angling her head for him to lean over and close his mouth over hers.

He had been so busy in London with meetings, and her visiting Tessa and Colin, that they had barely had time to indulge themselves beyond a quick, tired coupling before tumbling into sleep.

Alexander kissed her deeply, his tongue immediately brushing hers. Their lips danced together, and Madeleine gave up the control of the kiss as his hand slid into the length of her hair, keeping her head held towards him.

She was so busy getting lost in the kiss, and the wandering, stroking of his hand, that she did not take any notice of the door slamming open. It was only when a familiar voice bellowed across the room that Madeleine utterly froze.

“ Get your hands off my sister !”

Alexander was suddenly wrenched off Madeleine, and she scrambled to stand upright, her blood turning to ice.

She knew that voice well.

“Brother?” she gasped.

John Dunby gaped at Alexander, holding him at arm’s length by the collar of his shirt.

But it was Madeleine he quickly turned to look at.

“Sister,” he breathed, his face red with anger. “What is the meaning of this? In fact, no. Do not answer.” He turned back to Alexander. “ You , what do you think you are doing with your hands—” He broke off, his lip curled. “With your hands up my sister’s dress?”

Alexander gazed back at him, a smirk already lifting his lips. Madeleine realized he was about to play it as if John should know the whole story to antagonize him.

“John, surely you know a man’s intentions when he?—”

Alexander’s head snapped back as John delivered a hard punch.

“John!” Madeleine cried.

“Do not get involved in this, Maddie,” John snarled out, his fingers digging into Alexander.

“John, do not be foolish,” Alexander snapped. “You cannot win against me.”

“I lost once , Alexander, and that was a decade ago.”

“Twice,” corrected Alexander, much to Madeleine’s horror.

She shook her head frantically.

“I am a soldier,” John seethed. “Do not test me?—”

“Do you mean to fire your gun at me, then? For a soldier can use a weapon, but his fists? Not so much. At least not you. Come now, John. Calm yourself and Madeleine can explain?—”

“I will hear it from you ,” John shouted and punched Alexander again.

Alexander’s responding snarl made Madeleine shivered, and before she could move to get between them, Alexander had her brother overpowered and pinned to the piano. His lip was split and bleeding, and John’s hands were smeared with blood as well.

“Please, stop!” she cried.

“Stay out of this, sister,” John croaked, as Alexander added pressure to the grip he had on him.

“I will not fight you, John.” Alexander’s voice was deathly quiet, all joking removed from it. “You are my closest friend, and I would not dishonor you in any way. I would not dishonor Madeleine, either.”

“Madeleine is married!”

“I am not!” she cried out. “At least not to the man you think.”

The room fell silent as John slowly turned to look at her. “What?”

“Alexander sent word to you,” she said quietly, her shock silencing her.

Humiliation burned an undercurrent through her at him finding her in such a moment with her husband.

“I—I have been traveling for some time,” her brother said. “Get off me, Silverton!”

“Only if you will not punch me again. Do not push me.”

“Just get off!” John shoved up, pushing against Alexander and angrily staggering away.

He stared between them. “I—I do not understand. Lord Kinsfeld…” He shook his head. “Granted, I could not intervene when I wanted nothing more, sister, but…”

“John, please, will you sit?” she asked.

“No. I prefer to stand.”

She gritted her teeth. “You are as stubborn as ever. Fine . I am no longer married to Lord Kinsfeld because he is dead.”

Shock flickered over her brother’s face. “He is?”

Madeleine nodded. “He… he was found dead after he went missing for a week or more. He was drowning in debt and left utterly shamed. I was introduced to Alexander when he came to collect a debt Kinsfeld owed to him.”

“As the owner of the Raven’s Den, for you may as well know that, too,” Alexander added in.

John looked between the two of them, anger and bewilderment chasing one another over his face.

“The owner of what?” John’s eyes widened.

Madeleine continued, “Together, we investigated Donald’s disappearance, and when he turned up dead, the new Lord Kinsfeld ordered me out of the house. Alexander offered me financial stability through marriage.”

“That looked a great deal more than financial stability,” John answered drily, his lip curling.

“We…” Madeleine bit her lip, smiling. “We have warmed to one another over time.”

John scoffed, turning his gaze on Alexander before he gaped at Madeleine.

“Are you not happy for me, brother?” she asked, desperation thinning her voice. “Your friend helped me. He was honorable—just like you told me, on more than one occasion.”

“Honorable!” John spat. “That did not look honorable. What I have said about Alexander and having him as a brother-in-law are quite different things, sister.” His hand flew out, pointing at Alexander. “He—he is not the hero you have dreamed about, Maddie! He is ruthless. He is—he is cold.”

“Thank you, my friend,” Alexander muttered.

“John, I do not need a hero. I am a grown woman.” John’s answering frown had her stepping forward. She moved close enough to clasp his hands, forcing him to meet her eyes. “I know you feel guilt for not being there when our father sold me off to Donald, but I do not blame you. I know there is little you could have done, even if you were here. Our father was too cold and too stubborn to let you.”

“And you have married yourself to the same sort.”

“I have not,” she said firmly. “I have gotten to know my husband.”

Her gaze landed on Alexander for a moment, softening, before going back to her brother. “Do not blame yourself anymore. This is a good thing. I am happy . Is that not all that matters? I was not happy with Donald. Can we not merely focus on your return? John, it has been so long since I have seen you.”

Madeleine released his hands. His blonde hair, so like hers, was wild from the fight. However, his war uniform was intact and smart, and he hurried to brush his hair back, and straighten out his jacket.

His heavy breaths soon slowed, and the red anger in his voice faded back to his normal pale skin.

“Madeleine,” he sighed before he pulled her into a hug. “Forgive me, sister. I am tired from traveling, and coming into such a thing was… startling, to say the least. Of course I am happy for you.” He pulled back, wincing. “But did it have to be my best friend?”

“I was not quite in control of such a thing,” she reminded him, trying to laugh it off. “We have many guest rooms here. Please stay. Have dinner with us tonight. We are staying in London for a few more days, and I wish to reunite with you properly. It has been too long since I have dined with you.”

John gazed at her, his face dusted with the early growings of a beard, a testament to his journey home.

“You have grown up. It is… strange.”

Madeleine pulled him into another hug. “I am sure you will adjust soon enough.”

Alexander came over, throwing an arm around John, who pulled away, scowling.

“I have not forgiven you .”

“I am sure you will. Embrace me, you fiend. We did not go through Cambridge together only for you to fight with me now.”

John still looked reluctant but Madeleine smiled. Almost begrudgingly, John embraced Alexander, his body still tense.

“Do I even wish to know how brief your letter was?” he asked.

Alexander pulled back, affronted. “It was brief, yes, but informative. I gave you the details you needed to know, as I promised Madeleine I had done. I would not write you a book to explain. I had in mind that you may have possibly read it in a quick moment.”

John huffed a hard laugh. “You always have an excuse.”

“Then allow me to smooth over any lingering resentment with dinner, as my wife invited.”

“ Wife ,” John repeated incredulously, shaking his head. “That will take some getting used to.”

“It is a good job dinner shall last a while, then!” Madeleine clapped her hands together as she left the music room with her brother and her husband, all of them reunited.