Chapter 23

CHAPTER 23

T heodore felt that the black clouds in the sky above had infiltrated his mind and filled his chest, and the moisture from them had seeped down into his boots so that each step felt weighted. He had walked three minutes from his coach to the front door of Boodle's, but it had already taken much of him.

He understood that the phenomenon was more emotional than physical.

When the door was opened for him, the familiar smells hit him like a wet towel on the face. It had been a long time since he had stepped foot in the establishment, and some happiness came back as the memories formed in his head. There was a sadness, too. He did not know if he still belonged in such a place. Still, he stepped over the threshold and into the warmth of the establishment.

He nodded at a couple of regulars, and the barman gave him a half-salute with two fingers. Theodore didn't have to ask; he saw the barman begin to select a cognac from the shelves. They had a rotating spirit list, and they knew him well enough to select the best drink for the season.

Theodore left his coat in the cloakroom and then found one of his regular tables near the back of one of the small rooms. A minute later, the server, a young blonde with a tight dress, brought his drink.

She smiled as she bent down to place the drink on the table, giving a view of the top of her ample cleavage.

"Thank you," Theodore said.

"You are most welcome, Your Grace," she replied.

She lingered a moment before she turned to walk away.

"Mandy?" the Duke said.

She spun around, the smile still on her face. "Your Grace?"

"I will need another of these immediately. Make it a double."

"Of course, Your Grace," she replied.

Theodore did not know if it was worse to drown his sorrows before his wife in his study and then fall into a sleeping stupor—he still did not remember getting to bed—or if it was worse to go out and drink alone. Either way, his sorrows would be drowned instead of being solved.

He had listened to Christine and Adeline talking from outside the room. He wished he had her patience and good sense. They had to act quickly, and he was good at that, but to do so, he had to be patient and take his time. He was not so good at the second part.

He downed the drink in anticipation of Mandy bringing him a larger drink to follow it up.

It is best for me to be out of the house. I can't hold my tongue around my younger sister. I only want her to talk to me.

She talked with Christine, and that had to be good for Theodore for now. It would be for the best to let the two of them talk, so Adeline would be ready to discuss some details with him, and he could fix everything.

She does not believe there is anything to fix, but there is.

The server returned with his drink and set it on the table with another smile, removing the empty glass. There was also a look of worry in her eyes that the Duke was not his usual self, but she was in no position to ask him about that.

Theodore knew he could not find out the man's name and go around to his house and beat him up, no matter how much he wanted to do that and how much better it would make him feel. The more sensible option, the option Christine would be much more in favor of, no matter what she said, was a swift marriage. Theodore's marriage had been swift, so why not the same for Adeline?

Part of him wished that they really did love each other and that it had been a genuine mistake.

They lay together, and while it can be easy to do, they both chose to do it.

Theodore shook his head. Much like his sister, he wanted to forget about it and feel normal for a short period. The alcohol had helped him the previous night, and it would help him again.

The voices of a couple became louder in the hallway, and for the second time that day, Theodore eavesdropped.

"Please don't look at me like that. My brother has the ear of Lord Gigham, who has the ear of Lord Brittle, who is very good friends with Lord Victor, who is one of the King's advisors. I can take you on a tour of Windsor Castle, and perhaps we can try out one of the beds there. I hear they are very big and very comfortable."

The woman giggled. "I still don't believe you, but I do like you."

"That is a fantastic start," the man said. "How about I get you a drink, and I can apply some more of my charm to your fantastic… mind?"

Theodore got up, shaking his head. He poked his head around the corner and into the hallway. "I would not believe a word he says. He is a bare-faced liar who will do anything to get a woman into bed."

The woman looked shocked and took half a step back. "You don't know the King's… um, people?"

"He doesn't even have a brother," Theodore pointed out.

Percival laughed and spun around on the spot before bowing. "I was so close. I presume if you have ruined my chances with the woman, you wish my company?"

"I don't know what I wish," Theodore said.

Percival looked at the drink in Theodore's hand and then back to the woman. "Well, you had better be off."

The woman looked shocked.

Theodore stepped toward her and took a note from his pocketbook, pressing it into her hand. "You really are better off without him."

The woman looked down at the note in her hand, back at Theodore, and then at Percival again. She did not understand what was going on, but she smiled pleasantly and left the two men.

"A large drink," Percival suggested. "Is there trouble brewing at home?"

"I would rather not talk about it," Theodore said. "I would like to drink and forget all about it."

"I knew from the moment I met her she was trouble." Percival gestured toward the server, pointing to the Duke's glass to order another of the same. "Ah, this will be just like old times."

Theodore still didn't like Percival, but like the alcohol, he helped take his mind off Adeline.

"So, will you be less busy with your wife now that she has irked you so?" Percival asked.

"I don't want to talk about my family," Theodore stated. "I am still a busy man, but if you are bitter about our conversation, then you can drink elsewhere."

"Theodore, after you drove away that fine woman, I believe I deserve to be compensated, and that will come in the form of free drinks for all of today. Does that sound fair?"

"That sounds fair," Theodore agreed.

When Mandy came back with the two drinks, and Percival had ample time to flirt with her, the Duke ordered a bottle of champagne for them.

The drinks flowed, and Theodore didn't feel any better, but he didn't wallow in his sorrow. Then, the singing started, a stammered and slurred rendition of The Lass of Richmond Hill , one of Percival's favorites.

"On Richmond Hill there lives a lass

More bright than May-day morn,

Whose charms all other maids surpass ? —

A rose without a thorn."

They continued through the verses all the way to the end:

"…I'd crowns resign to call her mine,

Sweet lass of Richmond Hill."

Theodore and Percival clinked glasses and cheered as the song came to an end. Half of the club had joined them, mostly drawn in with the singing and celebration but also enticed by the promise of free drinks as Percival added more and more to his personal tab that Theodore would pay.

The Duke took Percival's arm after the song and dragged him away from the crowd a little. It was dark outside, late, and he could feel he was drunk. He wanted nothing more than to drink more than he already had.

"She's… she's the best thing that ever happened to me," Theodore said.

"What?" Percival laughed uproariously. "What are you talking about, old chap?"

"My wife!" Theodore maintained, unsteady on his feet. "She is the best thing that has ever happened to me, and she makes me a better man."

"A more boring man." Percival laughed again.

"No, not true," Theodore argued. "Not true at all. I am a better man now. I will always be a better man with her by my side. That is what you need." Theodore pointed a finger in his friend's face. "You need a good woman to sort you out."

"One!" Percival cried. "Oh, what fun is that when you can have a different one every night?"

"Ah, you will never understand." He patted Percival's shoulder. "You will never understand." He patted his shoulder again. "I have to go home. My night is at an end."

"As I said, boring," Percival said. "I will thank you for paying my tab. Perhaps you can add a little more coin to it, only so I can entertain these fine gentlemen before I leave."

Christine sat in the main entranceway, feeling foolish. The Duke needed his space, and she had to respect that, but it was past midnight, and he still had not returned. The Duke had been through a multitude of emotions with telling her about his brother and finding out about his sister, and she was worried that it had driven him to do something drastic or to fall back into old habits.

She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't hear the sound of the carriage drawing up. She only jumped up when the door opened with the thought of running to her room to hide from him, but she was too late.

The Duke stumbled through the door, helped partly by a footman.

"Ah, there she is!" the Duke announced. He pushed the footman away and lunged at Christine, spinning her around as if they were dancing.

Christine gasped as she was twirled around. When they came to a halt, she had to support the Duke, or he would fall down.

The footman jerked forward, but Christine shook her head.

"Take the rest of the night," she said. "I am only glad he made it home, and I can take it from here."

The footman considered the command for a second, still wanting to help, but he left them and exited the house to go and stable the horse.

"Come on," Christine said. "We need to get you to bed."

"Oh, wouldn't you like that?" the Duke replied. "I have never met a more forward woman before, and I must say that I like it. Yes, take me to bed!"

Christine didn't know whether to laugh or groan. She helped him toward the stairs and was glad when he took the rail with one hand and was able to hold on. She still had to support him but not as much as before.

Something tickled at the front of her mind, and she needed to know the answer to her question. The Duke was in such a state that he might tell her anything as he stumbled upward.

"I know you have been out drinking, but were you out doing anything else?" Christine asked.

"Oh, yes!" the Duke replied triumphantly.

Christine's heart sank. "What were you doing?"

"I sang the night away, and I bought drinks for all my new friends, and I… I forgot all about whatever it was I was upset about. I'm not upset about it, and I never will be again."

You will, Theodore. I shall not remind you of it now, but you will remember in the morning.

"I am sure there were many beautiful women out there tonight," Christine added as they got to his room.

Theodore stopped and swayed in the doorway to his room. He turned and looked at her in shock, placing a finger to his lips.

"I do not consort with women," he stated seriously. "I have a wife. Do you know that? I have a wife, and she is enough woman for me."

Christine felt like laughing, and she smiled as she guided Theodore into his room. Theodore brushed her off when he got to his bed, but when he turned, there was a smile on his face, and he approached her again for an embrace.

"Someone tried to sneak into my room," he whispered. "I believe she was trying to get into my bed, but I informed her I was married, and she soon scurried off. Why would I need anyone else when I have this beautiful woman by my side?"

Theodore took his wife by her cheeks and kissed her. He pressed his tongue into her mouth, and it tasted like the entire gentlemen's club. Christine wanted to kiss him more, but she was physically unable.

"My goodness," she said, taking a step back. Christine laughed. "Oh, your breath is something else. Did you drink London dry?"

"Yes, I must admit that I am a little drunk."

"How about we get you into bed," Christine suggested.

"Ah, you are insatiable, my dear." Theodore flopped down onto the bed and smiled.

Christine grabbed his feet and swung him fully onto the bed. She took off his shoes, and as much as she had dreamed about seeing him undressed, she knew it was better to leave him clothed to sleep.

"Sleep well, Theodore," Christine said.

"I don't understand what you do to me," the Duke murmured.

Christine moved from the foot of the bed to the head—Theodore had his eyes closed.

"What did you say?" Christine asked softly.

"I don't know what you do to me," he murmured softly as he turned into his side. "No other woman has made me feel this way."

Snoring emanated from the Duke soon after.

Christine leaned down and kissed his temple before she left him alone in her room. She had entered the room with a drunken husband, but she exited with hope.