Chapter 28

CHAPTER 28

“ W ith Lady Juliette and Lord Morgan in America, there will be no one to speak for that wretched man at a trial,” commented Lady Terrell. “What a pitiable situation.”

“He has brought his misfortunes on himself,” Madeline commented and drank the last of her coffee.

Breakfast finished, she left her parents at the table picking over the morning’s newspapers with all their scandalous headlines marking Lord Oakley’s downfall. Rapidly emerging from her shell over recent weeks, Cecilia had joined in with their vicarious conversation, speculating on when and where he would likely be imprisoned and whether any money could be recovered for his victims.

“Is that all you’re eating?” asked Lord Terrell, glancing at his daughter’s plate which contained a few crusts from the bread roll she had nibbled on but not finished.

“I’m not very hungry these past weeks,” Madeline shrugged. “I’ll be in the library if you want me.”

She was on her way to that room, intending to bury herself in some distracting book on art or history, when she heard the sound of a carriage pulling up outside. Ignoring the slight flip of her heart that had occurred at every similar sound for weeks, Madeline continued steadily on her course.

Aside from the arrival of their deed of separation, she had heard nothing from Charles for weeks. It was foolish to continue to hope, just as it was foolish to cry as she found herself doing several times alone in her room, comforted only by Gabrielle.

Despite Charles’s silence, her maid had kept Madeline abreast of the prosecution of Lord Oakley. Gabrielle was acting as an intermediary between her family and Mr. Stephens, who seemed to be Charles’ deputy in this matter. Madeline found herself pleased with each small success and proud of her husband’s displays of persistence and principle.

Madeline knew that Cecilia had written to her brother but did not believe that he had written back any more than he had written to her.

Inside the library, Madeline drifted sadly over to a desk and pulled open a drawer where she had placed the deed of separation some weeks ago.

She knew she was meant to sign and return these papers to Charles’ lawyers but had not yet done so. It seemed such an irrevocable step and one that she was not yet ready to take. In fact, just looking at the document again now made her feel slightly queasy, and she closed her eyes.

The sound of the door opening made her open her eyes, and when she did so, she gasped in surprise.

“Charles!” she said loudly, gripping the desk both for support and to assure herself that she was not asleep and dreaming.

“Madeline,” the Duke said with a smile that began in uncertainty and then blazed into joy as he looked upon her. “I have missed you so much.”

Her hand flew up to her mouth and covered a sob that seemed to come out of nowhere. At this, Charles rushed across the room, his handsome face full of concern. When he took her into his arms and held her close, Madeline could not hold back her tears any longer.

“Why did you not come?” she could not help asking. “I’ve wanted you so much, Charles.”

“I’m here now,” he assured her, and the look in his emerald eyes made something catch in Madeline’s throat and rush all the way down through her body to her most private places.

Charles kissed away her tears, stroking her hair and speaking her name repeatedly as he gazed upon her as though he could not get enough of the sight.

“You are indeed blooming,” he commented, his eyes flickering to her generous bosom, almost overflowing in her present cream muslin day dress, despite Gabrielle having loosened the neckline.

He dropped two kisses on the rising mounds of her breasts, drawing further involuntary sounds from Madeline, but then stood again.

“Forgive me, Madeline. I should not take such liberties before I give you my heartfelt apologies. All I have done has been with the best intentions, but I have not been as open with you as you deserved.”

“They are not liberties, Charles,” Madeline said. “I am your wife, and I want you. My body is yours.”

She saw the desire flame in his eyes at these words although it was impossible to consider anything more than kisses in the library of her parents’ home.

“Your body is wonderful to me, Madeline,” Charles breathed, looking her over again from head to foot. “You are with child, aren’t you?”

Madeline closed her eyes again. She had avoided facing the truth of her changing body until now, but it could not be ignored forever. Her regular bleeding had not arrived for a second month, her breasts were swelling, and she felt mildly nauseous each morning.

“I think I must be,” she admitted and rested her head on his shoulder. “But that was such an awful thought when you weren’t here.”

“And now that I am here, is it so awful?”

Madeline looked up at him with a smile and shook her head but then glanced down at the document in the desk drawer.

“Do you want me to sign that?”

The Duke looked down to see what she meant and then physically recoiled from the sight of the papers.

“No! I want you to tear that up immediately and come home with me, this very hour… but what do you want? That deed would make you rich and independent of me forever, Madeline.”

She took the document from the drawer and held it up to him, her hand trembling slightly.

“Are you sure you want me to tear this up, Charles? I don’t want to be separated from you, but that doesn’t mean that I will agree with you or obey you when I think you’re wrong.”

“I love you, Madeline. It is true. It will always be true. As for your obedience, I require that only in the bedroom and only for our mutual pleasure…”

At these last words, his eyes glinted, his tone shifting from earnestness to lust, firing Madeline’s own physical desire even more powerfully.

“Please don’t ever give up on me, Madeline,” he added then, a final note of appeal that touched her heart as well as her body. “I love you so much, despite my faults.”

“I love you too much to ever give up on you, Charles Wraith."

Ripping the document into four pieces as she spoke, Madeline let them drop to the floor and then looked to her husband with both hope and challenge in her eyes.

“Show me this love you speak of,” she said and melted into the passionate embrace that these words incited.

To their surprise, when Madeline and Charles emerged from the library, somewhat pink-faced and rumple-haired from their kisses, half of the household appeared to have assembled in the hallway.

Even Letitia was there now, and Mr. Stephens had also appeared for some reason. Madeline saw Gabrielle shoot the aspiring young politician a knowing smile from where she stood at the bottom of the staircase, and he seemed to return it.

“Now that the case against Lord Oakley has been made, Duchess Madeline and I will be returning to Lovell House,” Charles announced with an initial attempt at dignity that descended into laughter as he observed the smiling faces around them.

“Good,” said Letitia with satisfaction.

“Wonderful news, Charles,” cooed Lady Terrell, coming over to kiss her son-in-law on the cheek as her husband patted him on the back. “I do believe Madeline has been pining for you.”

Madeline blushed but made no attempt to deny this, reassured by the squeeze of Charles’s strong hand on hers.

Cecilia came over and kissed each of them but then stepped back.

“If Lady Terrell will have me, I’d like to stay here for a while. Charles and Madeline have had no time alone together since they married, and I am enjoying the company here so very much.”

“Naturally, we will have you for as long as we can,” Lady Terrell declared, putting an arm around the young woman’s waist. “It will give me the chance to see the winter wardrobe Gabrielle is working on for you. I may have some ideas too…”

Cecilia laughed a little nervously at this suggestion, but Gabrielle came to her rescue.

“A young lady might not be able to carry off the boldness and sophistication of your own designs, Lady Terrell,” she said diplomatically. “For Lady Cecilia this year, simplicity may be best.”

“Yes, I suppose I do design for the more mature woman,” Lady Terrell reflected. “When you are older Cecilia, I shall design a dress for you…"

“Now, I should pack,” Madeline said with a happy smile as she perceived that everything seemed to have fallen into place around her.

“I will see to everything, Your Grace,” spoke up Gabrielle again. “You should go with His Grace now, and I will put all of your belongings in order for you. You may rely on me.”

“I stand ready to help in whatever way I can,” Mr. Stephens added. “I’ve had word that the papers have been served on Lord Oakley in the past hour, so I shall need something else to keep me busy.”

While puzzled by his helpfulness, Madeline accepted his offer of assistance as well as Gabrielle’s and then allowed Charles to steer her towards the front door and out to his waiting carriage.

“So, where are we going?” she laughed as he bundled her into the coach and jumped in beside her.

“Home,” said the Duke of Huntington, his face alive with love and sexual intent. “Bed.”