Duchess by Chance (24 page)

“May I steal her away, Grandmother?”

“Yes, go. I have much to do. But I will see you again on Thursday, Granddaughter.”

“I will be prompt, Grandmother.” Eva bent to kiss her cheek, something Daniel rarely did. It seemed Eva was breaking down barriers and not just inside him.

Daniel moved to kiss his Grandmother, too. “Thank you for making her welcome.”

“Look after her, Grandson, or you will have me to answer to,” the dowager whispered back.

“With my life,” Daniel vowed.

“Where are we going, Daniel?” Eva asked him when they were in the carriage.

“Be patient and you shall soon see.”

A short time later, Daniel helped Eva from the carriage after it drew up outside the British Museum.
 

Two days earlier, he’d told her in an offhand way that he intended to visit a new exhibit of Parthenon sculptures that had recently been put on display. To Daniel’s surprise, Eva had immediately said,
‘
Not the Elgin Marbles?
’
to which he’d replied in a stunned voice, ‘Yes.’
 

“So how do you know about the Elgin Marbles?” he asked now, watching her face intently as she looked up at the building before her. Her eyes were sparkling and her body quivered with excitement.

“I read about them in the newspaper. It said Lord Elgin acquired a collection of stone objects when he was ambassador to the Ottoman Court of the Sultan in Istanbul, plus there were some items from Athens. I understand the British Museum has only just purchased them from him.”

Surprised that his wife knew of such things, and stunned that she might actually share his passion for old artifacts, Daniel could only manage to nod.

“I have always wished to visit here.” She stood beside the carriage with her hands pressed together, looking up at the museum. She looked sweet and tempting in her long blue coat and bonnet and Daniel wondered at her allure. Was it the innocence of a woman raised outside society or the vulnerability due to how she had been raised that got to him? She had no false side, no arts or allurements and he would do his damndest to ensure she stayed that way.
 

“Then let us grant that wish, Duchess.” Daniel held out his hand and she took it, slipping her fingers between his.
 

She dragged him everywhere, to see every vase, every Egyptian artifact, exclaiming while studying each from every angle. A poor hapless curator was often asked to explain what Daniel could not, although he acquitted himself quite well.
 

“Do we get to stop for tea?” Daniel brushed a smudge of dirt off Eva’s cheek as she turned to look up at him.
 

“This is your place, Daniel, isn’t it?”
 

“My place?” he questioned, studying his disheveled wife. He had never known anyone who studied an artifact as thoroughly as her. Several long curls had escaped her bonnet, her pale lemon-and-white dress was smudged in places, but her eyes were alight with an energy that he could not help but share.

“Where you go to be on your own and escape all the pressures your position places upon you.”

How had she known that? “Yes. When I’m in London, I come here when I need to think or be alone.”

She turned back to the cabinet to continue inspecting its contents.

“Everyone needs a place like that.” 
      “Where was your place, Duchess?” Daniel moved behind her to look over her shoulder.

“A small shed tucked in the forest behind my father’s home.”

She had a shed to hide in while he had a whole museum. “Well, now you can share my museum.”

She didn’t look at him but he heard her softly spoken words. “I’d like that.”

“Now I think we should leave the rest for another day.” Daniel took her arm and started propelling her toward the exit before she found something else to inspect.
 

“Must we? I am sure there is still time before closing, and I wanted to see everything,” Eva batted her eyelashes at him, then licked her lips for good measure.

“That only works in the bedroom, and yes, we must,” Daniel ignored her pleading, instead taking her hand in his. “We will stop at Gunthers for an ice and you can have another first,” Daniel said, which mollified her slightly.
 

She’d lost her inhibitions in the museum and chattered like a small child the entire carriage trip, telling him all the things she had seen, which, naturally, he had also seen, but Daniel did not remind her of that fact. Instead, he simply listened. She made him feel young again, less jaded. Here and now the shadows he often saw in her eyes had vanished and the secrets he was sure she still hid from him were, for a while, forgotten.

“You should probably draw a breath before you pass out, wife,” Daniel drawled as she launched into another detailed description of a statue.

Hers was lemon; his, rum, and they ate their ices seated at a small table in the shade of a tree. Around them, other people were engrossed in the same activity. Only the occasional hum of conversation could be heard as everyone enjoyed their delicious treats.
 

“This is surely the food of angels, Daniel.” Eva sighed as she took another lick of the treat.

“I fear I am setting you up with several vices, Duchess.”
 

“Ahhhh, but what a vice, Duke.”

 
“Did you have any visitors this morning?” Daniel watched the smile fall from her face and her eyes flit away. She lowered her lashes to hide her expression from him. Damn her bloody family. Wernham had told him about the visit from her father and how Winchcomb had threatened Eva. His first instinct had been to go round to the man’s house and beat him to a pulp, but he had restrained himself and decided to speak with her first.

“Visitors, Daniel?” Eva was looking everywhere but at her husband.

“Namely your father.”

“Wernham promised me he wouldn’t tell you.”
 

“He didn’t. I just knew he had something to say because he followed me around the house talking incessantly until I threatened to thrash him if he didn’t tell me what was on his mind.”

“My father simply called on me to see if I was all right.”

They both knew that was a lie and Daniel wondered why, as she had last night with Huxley, she was protecting her father now.

“I’m not sure why you’re defending him or Huxley, Eva, but it does not sit comfortably with me.”

Her eyes shot to his and then back to her hands.
 

“Th-they are no threat to me now.”

Neither of them believed that, either.
 

“Your father and Huxley will always be a threat to you if you let them, Duchess. Therefore you must come to me with any attempts from either of them to hurt or threaten you.”

She didn’t respond to that comment, but he saw the tension in her shoulders. She was no longer the laughing, relaxed companion of minutes before.
 

“I should not have found out about your father’s visit from our butler, Eva. You should have told me,” he said, giving her a look that spoke volumes about his disappointment in her.
 

“I have no wish for you and my father to confront each other, Daniel.”

Not many people had ever offered Daniel protection in his lifetime and it humbled him that Eva wanted to.

“I understand you are used to dealing with your family by yourself, Eva, but I must have a promise from you that you will tell me at once if in future any of them try to contact you again. I promised to protect you when we left Stratton, but I cannot do so if you do not let me.”

“They will not contact me again.”
 

“Promise me, Eva.”

They looked silently at each other for several seconds and it was she who spoke first. “Please do not go and see either my father or Lord Huxley, Daniel,” Eva begged. “They are not to be trusted and I want you nowhere near them.”

“Tell me why you fear them so much? What do they hold over you?”

“Nothing. They hold nothing over me.” Daniel heard the lie in her shrill words and decided it was time to take action. He needed to start digging deeper. Something was wrong and if she would not tell him, he would find out through other means.
 

“I cannot make you tell me what is wrong, Eva, and I had hoped you would come to me when you were ready. However - ” he lifted one hand as she tried to speak “ - I want you to remember that I am a duke and you a duchess and it is Huxley and your family who should be wary of us, not the reverse. If your fear is for Huxley’s reputation with a sword then I would ask you again to have faith in me, I am a skilled swordsman also.”

“Promise me you will not approach them, Daniel! I cannot bear to think of you anywhere near them.”
 

“I will only promise not to seek your father out this time,” Daniel said. “But if he or any of his sons continue to threaten you in any way, my promise will no longer stand.”
 

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Daniel offered her his hand as he stood.
 

“The Duke and Duchess of Stratton. Look, Miss Myers, do they not make a lovely couple?”

Daniel knew who the voice belonged to but did not turn to face him until he had helped Eva from her seat. She stiffened and moved closer to his side. Slipping an arm around her waist, he squeezed her gently before turning.

“Miss Myers, Lord Huxley.” Daniel offered a short, insulting bow while still holding his wife close to his side.
 

“Your Grace.” Huxley took Eva’s hand in his and lifted it to his lips and Daniel felt the sudden tension in her as she snatched it back.

“Are you well, Miss Myers?” Daniel looked at the young lady as Eva questioned her. She did look a bit distressed. Had Huxley done something to her?

“I wonder if I may impose on you to look at my hem, your Grace. I fear it is torn and trailing behind me.”

“Oh, of course.”
 

Daniel reluctantly released Eva as she patted his fingers. He watched as she bent over to inspect the fabric of Miss Myers’s hem.

“My congratulations, Duke.”

Daniel looked at Huxley but the man’s eyes were on Eva. “Congratulations?” Daniel queried in that soft voice that usually made people stand to attention.

“On finding such a rare gem. I have known her for many years and had hoped…”

Daniel watched as Huxley gave Eva a final look before facing him. The man was a parasite whose very existence was to feed off others. He slept with other men’s wives and preyed on young, rich men, often luring them into gambling, which caused some to lose their fortunes. He had fought numerous duels and rarely, if ever, lost. Daniel and Huxley did not often meet - their circles were made up of different men - but Huxley had obviously fixed his intentions on Eva some time ago.
 
Daniel would have to un-fix them, permanently.

“One thing you should know about me, Huxley,” Daniel said in a conversational tone so Eva was not alerted, “is that what is mine I protect, and if you cross me, be very clear on who will be the winner.”

Huxley paled and took a step backwards.
 

Daniel followed. “If you ever subject my wife to your unwanted attentions or your eyes pass over her in that insulting manner again, I will take that as a direct insult and my seconds will be upon you in minutes…that is, if I choose to wait until dawn,” Daniel added. “I know you visited her at Stratton but as yet I do not know what took place, but I will, and if through some misguided belief, you think I will not protect her or deal with any threat against her, then I advise you to strongly think again.”

“Sh-she has always welcomed me with open arms.”

“She loathes you, Huxley, and you are deluding only yourself in believing otherwise.”

“Y-you misunderstand me, your Grace.”

“I think not, my lord, but now I think you understand me and be very careful where you step from this moment on, because if I ever find out that you are threatening or intimidating my wife, there will be nowhere for you to hide, and remember this, Huxley. I am not scared of you like so many others.”

Turning his back on the man, Daniel took Eva’s arm again, bowed to Miss Myers and led his wife back to their waiting carriage.

…

“We are to go to the theatre tonight, Eva, with Claire and Simon,” Daniel said over his newspaper the following morning. “And I cannot believe I’m saying this, but my grandmother and Lady Dunbar are attending also.”

Eva, who was spreading strawberry conserves on a muffin, nodded. “You invited your grandmother? That was very nice of you.”

“Actually she invited herself and I simply agreed.”

“What does it say on the back bit there?” Eva leaned over to tap the back of his paper. “About a new exhibition on Egyptian artifacts?”

“If you have just put strawberry conserve on my paper, I will not be pleased, wife.”

“Then perhaps you could just give me that back piece,” Eva said, reaching over to tug it out of his grasp.