Chapter 10

CHAPTER 10

T he knock woke Jenny from a restless nap. She had spent the past two days in bed, not knowing, or caring, when one day ended and another began. She kept track of the hour only by the bringing and taking away of breakfast, lunch, and dinner plates—which she had barely touched.

She looked at the door and called for whomever it was to come in. Her voice cracked from misuse.

"Jenny? It's Frances. Are you alright?"

Jenny poked her head from beneath the duvet. "Define alright."

Frannie came around and sat next to her on the bed. "You're worrying me, Jenny. Thomas said he heard you come in late the other night. What on earth were you doing out at night by yourself?"

Jenny groaned. She knew it was only a matter of time before someone heard her. Still, she couldn't bring herself to tell Frannie the truth. How could she begin to tell her that she agreed to such an arrangement, and with the rakish Duke of Marlow of all people? She had already sworn nothing was going on between them. Telling Frannie the truth and admitting her lie was too much to handle.

Not only that, but she was admittedly embarrassed that the rakish Duke was only scandalous with other women, not her.

The echo of his words still pierced her heart whenever she recalled that night.

"Now, stop acting like a child and go."

"It was nothing." She waved off the inquiry. "I've been having trouble sleeping, so I go out and walk the grounds at night when that happens."

She didn't dare to look Frannie in the eyes. Her sister-in-law was notorious for her ability to sniff out lies from even the most seasoned of liars.

Frannie sat for a moment. "I'm not sure if I believe you, but then again, my own lack of sleep is messing with my mind. I hardly know what I'm doing anymore."

Jenny silently thanked Simon for being a fussy nighttime sleeper.

"So why have you spent the last two days in bed?"

Jenny pushed herself into a sitting position and rested her head on the headboard behind her. "Have you ever made a fool of yourself?"

Frances let out one of her loud laughs that shook her whole body. "Who do you think you're talking to? Of course, I have! You have met me, right?" She couldn't stop chuckling. "Oh, my poor dear. What did you do that has caused this much affliction in your life that you stayed in bed for days?"

Jenny closed her eyes and lightly banged the back of her head against the headboard. "Let's just say I became interested in someone, and I made an absolute fool of myself in front of them."

Frannie leaned in and gathered Jenny in her arms. "Oh, Jenny, I have been there. But trust me, matters of the heart seem so much more detrimental than they actually are. I'm sure you weren't as foolish as you think."

Jenny pulled away and flopped back down onto the mattress. The absolute horror and embarrassment she felt when she recalled the look of disgust on the Duke's face when he told her to leave after she tried to kiss him again was too much to bear.

She pulled a pillow over her head. "I absolutely was. I showed my interest, and he turned me down on the spot."

Frannie tugged on the pillow, removing it from her face. "If he turned you down, then he is the dumbest man to ever walk the face of the earth."

Jenny groaned. "You're just saying that because we're related."

Frannie smiled. "No, I'm saying it because it's true. If I knew of this man you're speaking of, I would go right up to him and ask him if he's all right in the head. Truly, that would be the only possible reason any man would turn you down."

The idea of Frances marching up to David made a laugh bubble up Jenny's throat. "What a sight that would be," she mused.

"I would do it, too," Frances sniffed.

Jenny wiped a tear from her eye. It felt good to cry from laughing and not from a broken heart. "Of that, I have no doubt," she sighed. "Do you know what bothers me the most?"

"What?"

Jenny picked at a stray thread on the duvet. "That I didn't even realize I have feelings for him." She scrunched up her nose. "Do I have feelings for him? I don't even know. All I know is that I started to feel something, and I thought he did, too."

She bit her lip to stop it from quivering. Just thinking about how things ended was enough to send her spiraling again.

Frances took her hand. "In all seriousness, Jenny. You are quite the catch—intelligent, witty, engaging. I don't know why any man in his right mind would turn you away."

Jenny swallowed past the lump that had formed in her throat. "Thank you, Frannie. That means a lot to me."

Frances stood up and walked towards the door. She turned back before leaving. "Will you join us for dinner tonight, or should I have a tray brought up?"

Jenny looked out the window—it was about time she left her room. "I will join you. But there is something I need to do first."

Frances nodded. "Very well. I'll have them ring you when dinner is ready."

Jenny smiled at her sister-in-law as she closed the door. Once she heard Frannie's footsteps disappear, she hopped out of bed and went to her desk.

Frances was right. Jenny was quite the catch, and David knew it too. Why else would he kiss her the way he did? She might be naive in some ways, but she would have to be positively obtuse not to understand what would have happened had he not stopped.

"If you learn one thing from me, Miss Bennett, let it be this—men like me are dangerous. We do things that can't be forgiven."

His words kept repeating in her head in an endless loop since she left his residence. What did he mean by "men like me"? He was angry. Of that, she had no doubt. But why? What set him off?

She huffed in frustration. It still annoyed her that he presumed to be acting in her best interests. As if she was a child who needed tending to. If there was one thing she could get across to him, it would be that she was not in need of a caregiver.

Jenny pulled out a piece of paper and dipped her quill into the inkwell on her desk. If he thought that abruptly dismissing her would be the end of their conversation, he was mistaken.

She would have the last word.

The next morning, Jenny sat at the breakfast table, enjoying some fruit, when the front bell rang.

Frances looked up from her buttered toast. "Who could that be? Are we expecting anyone?"

Jenny shrugged and nodded. "I'm not. Maybe it's another carpenter for the library." She smirked.

Frances narrowed her eyes at her. "Don't even joke about that. It's too early for me to get a headache."

Both women laughed as Simmons appeared in the doorway.

"Miss Bennett? The Duke of Marlow is here to see you."

Jenny's aim faltered, and a piece of strawberry rolled down her bodice and landed in her lap. "I'm sorry, who is here?" she squeaked.

Simmons remained standing in the doorway, stoic as ever. "The Duke of Marlow, Miss."

Jenny and Frances exchanged a glance.

Frances stood up, wiping her hands on her napkin. "Well, please show him to the drawing room. We will be right in."

Simmons retreated down the hallway to collect the Duke.

Jenny sat frozen in her chair. David was here.

"Jenny?" Frances's voice took on the matronly tone that irked her. "Why is the Duke of Marlow being escorted to our drawing room?"

Jenny bit her bottom lip and shrugged. Unfortunately for her, it was still too early in the morning for her brain to be awake enough to come up with a believable excuse.

Frances gasped. "Jenny, don't tell me the man you made a fool of yourself for was the Duke of Marlow?" She sounded positively scandalized.

Jenny felt a blush spread across her face.

Frances covered her face and groaned. Apparently, Jenny didn't need to verbally admit it. Her expression gave her secret away.

"I knew something was going on at the opera, but you told me it was nothing." Frances threw her hands up in the air. "Jane Bennett, have you not heard the stories about him?" Frances pinched the bridge of her nose. "Why must you drift towards scandals? What will Thomas think when he finds out?" The color drained from her face. "Oh goodness, you're going to make me tell him, aren't you?"

Jenny rushed to her side. "Why does he need to find out? I told you, I showed my interest, he said no, and that was that."

Frances pointed to the doorway. "Then why is he here?"

Good point.

"Well, I guess we're going to have to go down there and find out."

Jenny was surprised at how nonchalant she sounded, considering that her insides were shaking to the point of liquefaction.

Frances narrowed her eyes at her but ultimately stalked out of the room. Jenny hurriedly followed after her. Her mind was racing with possibilities. Why was the Duke here? Was it in response to her letter? She had one of Thomas's footmen deliver it last night after she finished writing it.

She couldn't remember exactly what she wrote, but the main theme revolved around her being her own woman and needing to be treated as such. She was old enough to make her own choices and live with the consequences.

Jenny rubbed her eyes. At least she hoped that's all she said. Her nervous ramblings weren't isolated to just talking. Her written word could be just as loquacious as her speech.

Frances and Jenny stood in front of the door to the drawing room. With a nod of acceptance, Frances opened the door. They found the Duke of Marlow leaning against the mantel, looking at his timepiece.

"Duke, to what do we owe the pleasure of your visit?"

Frances was ever the immaculate hostess. She breezed over to him as if she had expected him to show up this morning.

The Duke straightened, tucking his timepiece back into his coat. "I was hoping Miss Bennett would walk with me this morning."

Frances looked at Jenny, who was still standing in the doorway, completely dumbfounded.

Jenny's eyes met the Duke's as he stood straighter. He folded his hands behind his back, seemingly unaffected. She had a moment of confusion. Had she dreamed their last encounter? Was it all an elaborate nightmare?

No, it happened. He called her a child and basically dismissed her as if she were a servant. Now, he had the audacity to stand in their drawing room, asking her to promenade with him as if they were courting?

Jenny took a deep breath and fixed him with a glare. He responded by looking bored. Frances stood between them, her eyes darting back and forth.

"I got your letter," the Duke offered.

Jenny's eyebrow rose in derision. "And yet you're here."

The two resumed their standoff.

Frances clapped her hands together, hoping to break the tension. "Well, it does seem like a nice day for a walk, doesn't it, Jenny?"

Jenny stood still, her eyes boring holes into the Duke, who was completely unfazed by her hostile stance.

"Yes, well, I think that's a yes," Frances replied.

Jenny gasped at the same time the Duke said, "Splendid."

Frances ducked her head and turned to walk out of the room. She briefly stopped beside Jenny and whispered in her ear, "For heaven's sake, talk to the man and figure out what is going on. Because if it is something, I need to find a way to break the news to your brother."

"There is nothing to tell him," Jenny seethed and turned on her heel to follow Frances out.

The Duke followed them out silently.