Chapter Ten

Drake returned to the house with James, having seen as much of Shadowcrest as they could on foot. Their last stop was the stables, where James showed off the horse he had learned to ride on. Lady Effie told Drake about several of the mounts in the stable, even indicating which one she thought would be best for him to learn to ride upon.

"I will keep that in mind, my lady," he said, laughing. "For my next visit."

They left Effie in the stables, visiting a mother cat and her latest litter of kittens. As they entered the foyer, Forrester met them, a pained expression upon his face.

"Your Grace, Her Grace is making plans to return to town immediately."

"What?" James roared. "It is not safe for her to do so. The babe will be here in two months' time." Determination filled his face. "This will not happen."

Drake knew that his friend was upset, worried for the health and safety of both mother and child. The duchess would not be planning something of this nature, however, unless the unthinkable had happened.

Something was wrong with her other babe—Neptune Shipping.

"Do you know what prompted this sudden decision, Forrester?" James asked the butler.

"A messenger arrived with a note for Her Grace. It seems that Mr. Barnes is gravely ill."

"No wonder she thinks to go to London," James said, shaking his head. "I will go in her place and take care of whatever she needs done."

The butler left them, and Drake touched his friend's arm. "Your wife is determined to do this, James. You have to realize that Mr. Barnes is as family to her. While I know she loves you a great deal, you must consider that it hasn't been that long since she lost Mr. Grant. He was both father figure and mentor to her. Losing Mr. Barnes now must have her frantic with worry. Not only for him—but for the business she runs."

James raked both hands through his hair. "You are right, Drake. I probably shouldn't try and stop her."

"Then make the journey as easy as you can on her," he recommended.

"I will go and speak to Sophie now. Will you and Dinah accompany us?"

"Of course. Anything you wish."

He went to his bedchamber, packing the few items he had brought, and took the valise to Dinah's door, knocking upon her door. She opened it, her own valise in hand.

"Oh, I thought you were one of the footmen coming to collect this."

"I have heard Mr. Barnes is ill. James has asked that we return to London with them."

He took the valise from her, and she followed him from the room.

As they made their way downstairs, she told him, "It was a heart attack. The note was sent by Mr. Samuel, whom I gather is a valued employee at Sophie's company."

"Yes, Samuel serves as secretary to Her Grace and Mr. Barnes. He knows quite a bit about the business."

He set down their luggage in the foyer. "James is upset about his wife making such a journey in her delicate condition."

"I know how much Sophie already loves this babe," Dinah said. "She would do nothing to risk it."

Glancing up, he saw James escorting his wife down the stairs. Sophie's hand protectively guarded her burgeoning belly.

When they reached the bottom, she said, "Thank you for agreeing to come with us. I am quite concerned about Mr. Barnes."

James cleared his throat. "We have discussed it. Usually, the journey from here to town takes between two-and-a-half and three hours. The horses will be walking the entire way, however, so as not to jar the carriage—and Sophie—overly much. It will take much longer to reach our destination, but it is the safest way to travel such a distance."

Lady Mirella came hurrying down the stairs. "Is it true? You are leaving?"

Dinah explained what had happened to Mr. Barnes and that they would be departing immediately.

Her daughter embraced her. "Please write to us, Mama. Let us know how Mr. Barnes fares."

Forrester appeared, announcing that the carriage awaited them. As the group moved to go outside, Drake felt something touch his sleeve and turned, seeing Lady Mirella there. He paused.

"Take care of Mama, Captain Andrews," she said. "And yourself."

"I will, my lady," he promised.

She hesitated a moment. "If you truly love Mama—and she loves you—then marry her. She deserves a bit of happiness after a lifetime of doing for others."

Shock ran through him, and Drake started to protest, but the young woman cut him off.

"The others may not have noticed, but I did. Mama is happier than I have ever seen her, and it is all because of you, Captain."

He swallowed painfully. "We do have feelings for one another, my lady, but I'm afraid we can never act upon them."

Anger sparked in her eyes. "Why not?" she demanded.

"Because neither your mother nor I would wish to ruin your chances of making a suitable match, much less that of your sister and cousins. Marriage between us would inevitably bring that about."

Mirella shook her head vehemently. "And I say to you, Captain Andrews, to follow your heart. That is what I plan to do, as well as Effie and my cousins. Mama has told us to wed only for love. None of us would consider marriage to a man who looked down upon the match Mama herself had made. If he did, then he would not be the man for any of us. Keep that in mind, Captain, and take care of her."

Lady Mirella released his arm and turned away, heading back up the stairs.

Drake joined the others, the last to enter the carriage. He was shaken by what Mirella Strong had said to him.

Could there be a future for him and Dinah?

Her fingers sought his, and he threaded them together, comforted by her touch.

They arrived in London seven hours later, having stopped to change out the horses at one point. Though obviously fatigued after so many hours of travel, the duchess demanded they go straight to Mr. Barnes' residence first. The coachman took them to a small house several blocks north of the London docks. They all climbed from the carriage, James striding toward the door and knocking upon it.

A servant answered, and James said, "It is the Duke and Duchess of Seaton who have come to see how Mr. Barnes is."

The maid admitted them, asking them to wait in a small parlor, which was opposite an even smaller dining room. The women took a seat, while the men remained on their feet.

Minutes later, an older woman in her late fifties or early sixties entered the room. Her resemblance to Mr. Barnes was obvious.

She curtseyed to them, saying, "I am Miss Barnes, sister to Mr. Barnes. I keep his house for him. I assume you are here to see how my brother is doing."

The duchess rose, taking Miss Barnes' hands in her own. "We are. Please, tell us how he is."

"It was a heart attack," Miss Barnes confirmed. "My brother is in very poor condition, Your Grace. The doctor does not believe he has long to live."

A cry of distress came from the duchess, and James went to his wife, guiding her to a seat.

"I am so very sorry to hear this, Miss Barnes," the duchess said. "Mr. Barnes has been with Neptune Shipping a great many years. I value him not only as my best employee, but he is my good friend."

Miss Barnes smiled. "He is most fond of you, Your Grace. From the start, he was filled with nothing but admiration for you. He is always praising how astute you are in business matters."

"Is it possible for me to see him?" the duchess asked.

"You may if you wish, but he might not know you are there," Miss Barnes said.

"I will accompany you," James said firmly, taking his wife by the elbow and helping her to rise. The three left the room.

That left Drake with Dinah, and he went to sit beside her, slipping an arm about her shoulders.

"This is terrible news," she said. "Sophie already works so hard in running Neptune Shipping. If she loses Mr. Barnes, I do not know what she will do."

"There is always the possibility that Mr. Samuel could step in," he said, not knowing enough about the secretary, but trying to give Dinah some hope.

They sat together, no words necessary, until James and Sophie entered the room again. Drake noticed Miss Barnes was no longer with them.

Tears streamed down the duchess' face as she told them, "He is gone. He was conscious at the end. We got to say our goodbyes to one another. I was able to tell him how much he meant to me, both as an employee and friend." Her voice broke, and James slipped an arm about her waist.

"We should go, my love," James said quietly. "You are exhausted, physically and emotionally."

James asked Drake to see the women to the carriage, and he left the room again. Knowing his friend, James was likely not only comforting Miss Barnes, but assuring the woman that he would see to the funeral expenses.

James joined them in the carriage, confirming Drake's suspicions.

"I told Miss Barnes we will handle all costs regarding Mr. Barnes' funeral."

"Thank you," the duchess whispered, her fingers seeking those of her husband.

"Miss Barnes will let us know when the funeral will be held. She thought tomorrow would be too soon, but she hoped to hold the service the following day."

They reached the ducal townhouse, and Drake went inside with them, not wanting to leave Dinah just yet. James told Powell to send a tray up for him and the duchess and see that Dinah and Drake were also fed.

Before the duke and duchess went upstairs, she looked to Drake. "Will you come and see me tomorrow morning, Captain?"

"Of course, Your Grace," he replied, thinking she might want to make him a liaison between her and the shipping offices for the next few days.

He went with Dinah to the winter parlor, where Powell had laid out a cold supper of ham, cheese, and bread for them. Drake pressed a glass of wine into Dinah's trembling hands.

"Drink this. We both need it after such a hellish day."

She took a sip and set down the glass. "I am terribly worried about Sophie," she admitted.

"This will be hard on her, losing such a valued man as Mr. Barnes," he agreed.

She met his gaze. "You must help her in any way you can, Drake. She will need to depend upon others to get through this time. She told me how much she had enjoyed your conversation yesterday. How much knowledge you possess."

"I will do whatever I can to help Her Grace through this difficult time," he promised.

They ate, neither one of them consuming much, and he told her to go to bed and get some rest. Drake took Dinah in his arms, kissing her softly, telling her it had been a long day.

"I am glad you will be back tomorrow morning," she said.

"I will do whatever is asked of me."

He kissed her again and told her goodnight. Leaving, he retired once more to Vesta, hating that he must spend the nights away from her after they had coupled. He stripped off his clothes and lay sleeplessly in his bunk for a long while, contemplating what Mr. Barnes' death would mean for Neptune Shipping.

And what Lady Mirella had said to him.