A Duke to Remember (A Season for Scandal Book 2) (16 page)

T
he water was cool against her hot skin, the feeling of weightlessness that came with the sensation of floating soothing and calming.

Unable to sleep, Elise had stolen out of the house and down to the trees, seeking space from the man who slept only a wall away from her. She’d emerged on the bank and had been unable to resist the silver water that beckoned in the heat of the night. She’d slipped into the water, rolling onto her back, and gazed up at the blanket of stars overhead. The sounds of the world were silenced under the water, and Elise embraced that quiet, using the hush to calm her racing mind and set her thoughts in order.

She would return to London without him.

The disappointment cut deep, deeper than she would ever admit. She had believed that Noah would do for his mother what the duchess had refused to do for her son. And Elise had believed that if she could only make Noah realize that he wasn’t alone, he might be able to overcome the unfathomable pain and hurt of abandonment. They had both failed.

But if Elise put herself in Noah’s shoes and peered into the dark recesses of her own conscience, she couldn’t say with any confidence that she would have reacted any differently from the way he had. Elise might know what he had endured, but she hadn’t lived it. She hadn’t been the child consigned to a fate worse than hell by the two people that same child had trusted to keep him safe and protected. It made her want to cry.

But crying solved nothing. So now it was time to move on from failure and seek out other options.

She would, of course, insist that Noah disappear for awhile—perhaps now would be the perfect time to travel the Continent. Bavaria was pretty this time of the year, she’d heard. She could certainly provide him with connections. Once he was on his way, she would tell King that she had located Noah Ellery and that he had declined her offer of help beyond what would get him safely away from England for the time being. Though King was a suspicious bastard and would likely demand some proof of Noah’s safety. She’d have to put some thought into what she might provide that would convince him she spoke the truth.

And then there was the loose end that was the urchin named Joshua, who had suffered alongside and escaped with Noah from Bedlam, though it was likely that Joshua was dead. Boys on the streets of London rarely survived to adulthood, no matter how capable they might be. If they didn’t succumb to starvation or disease, violence or vice, they might find themselves the victims of a press-gang, or thief takers. Boys like that tended to disappear.

Though she certainly wouldn’t give any further thought to the inevitable disappearance of one Francis Ellery. She just hoped that King had the foresight to make sure his body was found. The last thing the dukedom needed was another missing heir tying up the succession. There would be others crawling out of the woodwork in line for the title, and she was confident any one of them would be better than the current conniving contender.

The removal of Francis Ellery would likely solve the problem of the duchess as well. A part of whatever money Ellery had managed to beg or borrow was still being used to keep his aunt in chains. Without that money or the promise of more, it would likely be a great deal easier to arrange the extraction of the Duchess of Ashland.

Perhaps this was best for everyone. Perhaps Elise should have suggested this a long time ago. It certainly had its advantages, the least being that it would work in the absence of the true heir to the dukedom of Ashland. Which was fine, if not wholly unsatisfying.

So unsatisfying, in fact, that it was everything Elise could do not to scream in frustration. Despite everything, she wanted Noah to polish his damn armor, get on his damn white horse, and skewer Francis Ellery with the point of his damn lance. She wanted him to lay claim to a title and a fortune that would flourish under his command and his valor and his principles. Because he was capable. And incredible. And—

A stream of water blasted up her nose as her head was jerked roughly below the surface. A steel vise closed around her wrists and dragged her down. Her eyes flew open even as she instinctively fought free, her mind registering the feel of fingers pressing painfully into her skin.

Elise twisted and jerked, but her assailant’s grip didn’t loosen. Fear surged, along with the immediate instinct to fight. She brought her legs up and kicked out, and her foot caught an exposed midriff with a satisfying force. The fingers around her wrist loosened, and she yanked herself free, stroking powerfully away from her attacker.

She surfaced, coughing, and tried desperately to identify where the next attack would come from. She wondered if there were two of them in the water. Or if one assassin had swum out and the other yet waited on shore. But all she could see was the shape of a dark head above the water, thrashing arms and legs causing the moon’s reflection on the surface of the river to fragment. She trod water where she was, her eyes scanning the shore. Where was his partner?

In hindsight she’d been unforgivably stupid, leaving herself so exposed. But she’d been lulled by the absence of any sign of human activity and the added company of Square. She’d relied on the knowledge that the dog would detect another presence long before her senses would. Though the beast had failed on a grand scale in that regard. The damn thing hadn’t even barked.

Her eyes came to rest on the dog, sitting on the bank, watching the spectacle, his head cocked, his tail wagging happily.

She stared in disbelief. She had been accosted by at least one intruder, and all the dog was doing was watching? And wagging his tail? Not that she expected defensive devotion, but a response of some sort would have been nice. How had her attacker gotten down the bank and into the water without the dog at least getting up to investigate?

Unless Square knew the attacker.

Her eyes snapped to the thrashing form in the water between her and the bank. She heard a vicious curse.

A gurgle of laughter escaped, relief making her giddy.

She could see Noah kicking frantically, trying to keep his head above water as he vainly fought his way back to shore. Her would-be attacker had apparently been her would-be rescuer. She could only imagine what she had looked like floating there in the moonlight, her eyes closed, her body relaxed.

He had thought she had drowned. And he had jumped in to save her, though it was becoming vastly apparent he couldn’t swim. Whatever had he been thinking?

She quickly swam over to Noah, careful to keep a distance between herself and the struggling man. “Take a deep breath and stop your thrashing,” she commanded.

He jerked in surprise but did as he was told.

“And don’t touch me.” She slipped an arm around his neck, much as she had done with Andrew Barr, and pulled him slowly toward the shallows. She could feel every muscle in his body tense, either in fear or in rage. She very much doubted it was the former.

Her feet touched the soft ground, but she did not let go, nor did she give any indication that she had found her footing. Noah was still facing out toward the center of the river.

“What were you thinking? You should never have jumped into the water when you don’t know how to swim,” Elise chided.

She felt him twitch. “What was
I
thinking?” His voice rose and bounced across the water. “I wasn’t thinking anything. I was trying to save you,” he gritted through clenched teeth.

“I’m sorry.”

“You’re sorry? I thought you were
dead
.”

Remorse warred with annoyance. “If you had taken but a moment to think about it, you would have remembered that dead people sink. They don’t float.” She paused. “At least not for a few days.”

“If that is an attempt to be funny, Miss DeVries, you may be assured I am not laughing.”

Elise scowled. “You need to learn how to swim. The only one in danger of dying tonight was you. You would have ended up at the bottom if it hadn’t been for me.”

“It was because of you that I nearly went straight to the bottom!” he snarled.

“You can stand up now,” Elise said abruptly, and released her hold on him.

Noah spluttered and lunged to his feet, turning to glare at her.

She swam out of his reach judiciously. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“I wasn’t scared,” he snapped.

“Of course.”

He glared at her some more before he turned and waded closer to the bank, wiping water from his face.

“How the hell do you not know how to swim?” Elise asked, taking a chance and treading a little closer. “Surely you had ponds and such on whatever country piles your family owned? Surely some idiotic friend dared you to jump in at some point. That sort of stupidity is like a bloody rite of passage for every boy on earth.”

Noah made a rude noise. “And how would you know that?”

“I had two brothers, in case you’ve forgotten. I was five when Jonathon dared me.”

“I never went near the water as a child.”

“Never?”

“Are you deaf, Miss DeVries?”

“Just surprised.”

“As I got older, I was kept out of sight and away from anyone who might notice that the Duke of Ashland’s son was defective. There were no friends to dare me to do anything.” He said it with a harsh twist to his mouth.

Elise’s heart hurt for the little boy who had been left alone to watch the world go by without him. Her heart broke for the child who had deserved none of the anguish and sorrow he’d suffered. She stroked closer to shore and stood, putting her hands on her hips.

“I dare you,” she said.

“What?”

“I dare you to jump in.”

“Don’t be asinine.”

She crossed her arms over her chest. “Do it. I dare you.”

Noah threw his hands in the air. “I’m going back to the house.”

“And then what?”

“And then nothing. I’m going back to bed like a normal person.” He started up the bank.

“What happens the next time a child like Andrew Barr falls in the river? Or a lake? Or a pond? What happens when someone needs help and you can’t give it to them, because on this night you refused to take a chance? Will you stand by and watch?”

She had done it on purpose, appealed to his protective nature. Appealed to his sense of gallantry and kindness, and she was not disappointed.

He stopped and turned. “I’ll sink straight to the bottom.”

Elise could see the planes of his face, stark in the moonlight. Drops of water still slid down his chest, tiny diamonds that fell and vanished with each breath. “No, you won’t. I’ll be with you.”

He stood in silence, and Elise let that silence stretch, unwilling to break the fragile possibility that was slowly unfurling. “You can’t teach me how to swim in five minutes,” he said finally.

“No. That takes some time. And practice. After tonight you won’t be able to cross the Channel, but I can at least teach you how to float.”

“I can float,” he scoffed.

“Mmmm.”

“You don’t believe me.”

“Not at all.”

“I can.”

“Then prove it, Sir Noah. Unless…”

“Unless what?”

Elise tucked her hands into her armpits and wiggled her elbows, clucking as she did so.

“Did you just call me a chicken?” His mouth had fallen open.

She dropped her hands and smirked. “If the feather fits, Sir Noah…”

He made an incredulous face. “You’re acting like you’re twelve years old.”

“I was aiming for about nine.”

“You’re impossible.”

“You’re stalling.”

He raised his hands in a gesture of defeat. “Fine. I float for a minute and then we will get out of the water and return directly to the house. Am I clear?”

“Crystal.” She gave him a winning smile. “Now let’s see you float.”

Noah frowned, but waded back into the water. He stopped when he had gotten chest deep. He took a deep breath and kicked his legs out in front of him. His entire body disappeared from view.

Elise was laughing as he pushed himself to the surface again, coughing and spluttering. “Well done, Sir Noah, well done.” She moved toward him. “You float like a rock.”

“I wasn’t ready that time,” he bit out defensively.

“Well, by all means, please do not let me stop you.” She was standing next to him now.

He scowled fiercely at her, but took another deep breath. This time as he kicked his legs out, Elise stepped forward and placed one arm beneath his lower back. Noah immediately tried to jerk his head up, but she pushed his forehead back with her free hand.

“Look up at the moon,” she told him. “And for pity’s sake, relax.”

He did as he was told, though she could still feel stiffness coiled through his body. She took her hand from his head and pried his arms away from his sides so that they were spread on the surface. She moved slowly down the length of his body, keeping one hand always at his back. She ran a hand down underneath his thigh and pulled his legs up so that they too were on the surface of the water.

“Close your eyes,” she instructed. “And breathe deeply.”

“What are you doing—” Noah started, but she shushed him.

“Trust me,” she said.

His eyes searched her face. After a moment he closed them.

Elise smiled as she studied him in the pale wash of light. This was how she wanted always to remember him. Like this, the lines of worry erased from his face, his strong features a portrait of peace and what seemed a little like wonder. The water lapped gently at his sides and chest as she supported his back, and the tension and stiffness that had been so evident earlier were gone. She was supporting him, and he was letting her.

He had finally allowed himself to trust her.

For just a few stolen moments, she allowed herself the indulgence of feeling the rightness that engulfed her. For this moment he was hers, and she would give anything to keep him with her forever. But nothing was forever, and no matter what happened, a day from now, a week from now, years from now, she could not keep this duke for herself. With a bittersweet smile, she gently removed her hands from his back to let him float free on his own.

She saw his fingers curl, but he stayed buoyant on the water’s surface. Elise slowly moved away from him, toward the shore. She climbed up on the grassy ledge, donned her abandoned trousers, and sat on the bank, water sluicing down her back from her hair. She was not sure how much time passed before Noah’s feet found the riverbed once more, and he waded out of the water toward her. She was struck by the sheer beauty of him, made more intense by the absence of a frown. He lowered himself down on one side of her, both of them gazing out at the water in silence.