The Irish Duke (29 page)

James shook his hand warmly. “Your Grace, I am delighted to meet you. Your sister, the Duchess of Bedford, allowed me to stay at your Edinburgh townhouse and now sends me to Kinrara to beg your hospitality. I am doubly indebted to you.”

Louisa saw that the two men would soon become fast friends. They spoke of Gordon Castle and its proximity to the Earl of Aberdeen’s land.

 

James wondered what Gordon thought of Aberdeen.
I’m sure our low opinion of the man is mutual.
James would not broach the subject in front of George’s wife, Elizabeth, or Louisa. He would wait until they were private to discuss the swine and the shameful way he had cleared his land of his tenants.

After an hour’s visit with Elizabeth, Louisa said her good-byes.

James stood up. “I can’t stay long. I have business in Edinburgh, and then I must return to London.”

Louisa said breathlessly, “Well, I shall see you before you leave. You left your coach and horses at the Doune.”

“Yes. I’ll see you tomorrow or the next day at the latest. I hope Georgy is much improved by then. Ride carefully, Louisa.”

“I’ll have one of the gillies accompany her.” George went with his niece to the stables and when he returned he said, “Louisa tells me you came rushing to the Doune, not knowing which sister had the typhoid.”

“I feared for both of them, but knew I would not have a moment’s peace until I had seen Louisa with my own eyes.”

“How very gallant,” Elizabeth declared. “Have you known each other long?”

James smiled. “I proposed to Lady Louisa when she was seven years old. My feelings have never changed. I have every intention of making her my wife.”

“W
e are fortunate the snow hasn’t arrived yet. It often comes as We are fortunate the snow hasn’t arrived yet. It often comes as early as November.” The Duchess of Bedford tucked in the traveling blanket around Georgy as their coach crossed the border from Scotland into England.

The return trip to Woburn that would reunite them with the rest of the family had been delayed until her mother was absolutely sure that Georgy was free of all infection.

“I’m actually looking forward to seeing the young savages again,” Louisa admitted.

Georgy did not join in the conversation. She often pretended she was deaf to the things her mother said.

Louisa, doubtful that the fever had left her sister hearing impaired, and even dubious of the typhoid diagnosis, suddenly felt mischievous. “Perhaps Georgy would benefit from an ear trumpet?”

Roused from her lethargy, Georgy cried, “I’d rather die than use an ear trumpet. It would make me a laughingstock!”

“I’m sorry, Georgy. I was only teasing.” Louisa looked at her mother. “Father will be glad to see you, and I’m sure Rachel has missed you terribly.”

“Yes, though we wrote faithfully, letters are a poor substitute. Your father didn’t mention if Johnny had had any success with the reform bill. But I don’t believe the prime minister will present it until he feels sure the Lords will pass it.” Her next thought brought a smile. “When we get home, we must start making plans for Christmas.”

“Johnny always comes to Woburn for Christmas. He says it rejuvenates him so he can work full bore when Parliament reconvenes in the New Year.”

Louisa saw that her sister had fallen asleep and with the monotonous rocking of the coach it wasn’t long before both she and her mother gave themselves up to the arms of Morpheus.

 

It’s true. I can’t deny it any longer.
“Holy Mother of God,” Georgy whispered, “what will I do?” She stood before her mirror with clenched fists. She raised them intending to smash them into her reflection, when she suddenly stopped.
Hellfire, I cannot break another mirror. That’s why I’m having such rotten bad luck!

Tears filled her eyes, as she began to frantically count the months since she’d fucked with Teddy Fox. This was the third week of November. As far as she could remember their last fateful coupling had been around the third week of July. “Four months!” She drew in a ragged breath. She placed a shaking hand on her belly and hated the small mound she felt beneath her tight riding habit. “I must get rid of it somehow. I cannot wait any longer.”

For the next week she rode every day, galloping like a madwoman in an attempt to shake it loose. But it clung like a leech and every night she cursed heaven and hell. When December dawned and Georgy had received no divine intervention, she made a decision.

She put a warm cloak over her riding dress to cover the burst seams and went into her sister’s bedchamber. “Louisa, would you like to go riding with me?”

Lu was surprised. Her sister always rode alone these days and seemed so withdrawn and unhappy. “Yes, I’d love to go with you. Do you think I’ll need a cloak?”

“Yes, I think you should wear one. There’s frost in the air, and if we are dressed alike, it won’t draw attention to me.”

In the stables Louisa saddled her own horse and saw that Georgy struggled to do the same, refusing the help of a groom.

Georgy galloped madly through Woburn’s park toward the woods and Louisa followed. Once she reached the cover of the trees, Georgy reined in and dismounted. She sat down on a fallen log and gestured for her sister to join her.

“I want to share a secret with you. But first you must promise me you will not breathe a word to anyone.”

Lu sat down.
At last she is going to tell me what has been troubling her.
“Of course I won’t tell anyone. Your secret is safe with me, Georgy.”

“I’m going to have a baby.”

Lu stared at her sister’s pale face and frightened eyes in disbelief, shocked into momentary speechlessness. Suddenly all the puzzling pieces of her sister’s strange behavior fell into place and began to make sense. The enormity of her situation made her heart ache. She took hold of her hand. “Georgy, I’m so sorry.”

Her gentle sympathy opened the floodgates. Georgy buried her face against her sister’s shoulder and sobbed.

Louisa held her tightly and decided not to ask the unkind question about who had fathered the child. Instead she asked, “How long have you known?”

Georgy drew in a long shuddering breath and allowed Lu to wipe away her tears. “I suspected it before we went to Scotland, but then I pushed the terrifying thought away and refused to believe it. Even after I missed my menses for a couple of months, I kept denying it. I prayed that the jolting carriage or long gallops in the mountains would start my bleeding. I can’t deny it any longer. I’m four months gone. Will you help me?”

Your vomiting was morning sickness. You never had typhoid fever.
“No wonder you’ve been so withdrawn and worried. I’ll help you any way I can, Georgy.”

“I want you to help me keep it secret. I wore the cloak because I split the seams on my riding dress. Promise me you won’t tell Mother.”

“I cross my heart, Georgy.”
If you are four months along, you won’t be able to hide it much longer.
“We can let out the seams on all your dresses and enlarge them.”

“Thank you, Lu. You have no idea how relieved I am to share it with you.”

 

Louisa and Georgy got to work immediately letting out her clothes. For the next week Georgy wore a paisley shawl over her gowns as the family made preparations for the Christmas festivities.

“Are you cold, darling?” Georgina asked her daughter.

“Yes. I seem to feel the cold more since I had the typhoid.”

“I shall crochet you a shawl. I have some lovely soft wool I brought from Scotland.”

That night when the sisters retired, Georgy came into Louisa’s bedchamber. “You have to help me, Lu.” She took a crochet hook from her pocket. “You have to help me get rid of it.”

Louisa recoiled. “I can’t do that!”

“You promised to help me,” Georgy cried desperately.

“We’ve both heard the stories of servant girls dying from doing that.”

Georgy sank down on the bed. “Whatever am I to do? I cannot face the scandal. I’d rather
die
than have anyone find out.”

Louisa sat down beside her and put her arm around her. “Have you told the father?”

“He won’t marry me! And if this gets out, it will ruin my chances of
ever
marrying. Swear to me again that you will never reveal my shameful secret!”

“I swear on my honor, Georgy. Go to bed and get some rest. We’ll get up early and go for a good gallop. Maybe that will do the trick.”

 

The following day the sisters saddled up and galloped through Woburn’s park. As Louisa headed north, Georgy stopped her. “I don’t want to ride to Ampthill. I don’t want to run into Uncle Holly or Beth. Let’s ride south.”

It’s Teddy she doesn’t want to see.
Georgy’s words rang in her ears:
“He won’t marry me!”
Louisa could not believe their friend would be that cruel and dishonorable. “It’s Teddy Fox, isn’t it? Have you told him?”

Georgy laughed bitterly. “Yes, I told him. Would you like to hear his reply? He said:
‘If I offer for anyone, it will be Louisa.’
”

O my God!
Lu was covered with guilt that Teddy Fox preferred her to her sister.
He is a selfish bastard like all men.

Georgy took off, galloping like the wind. She spurned the road and took off across the barren, rutted fields. Louisa did her best to keep up. They rode hard for two hours before Georgy stopped and dismounted. “I have to pee. I can’t hold it these days.”

She pulled up her petticoats and examined them minutely for any smear of blood. Furious that she could not bend nature to her will, she jumped into the saddle and rode hell-for-leather across the fields, back the way they had come.

Two hours later, they arrived back at Woburn Park. Louisa was relieved that her sister had slowed to a canter, then was horrified to see Georgy let go of her reins and fling herself to the ground.
O my God! She’s trying to kill herself!

Lu reined in, dismounted, and ran to her sister who lay in a crumpled heap. She fell to her knees. “Georgy, Georgy, speak to me!”

“I want to die.”

“No, you don’t, Georgy. I won’t let you die!” She lifted her to a sitting position. “Where does it hurt?”

Georgy closed her eyes in abject misery. “Unfortunately, it doesn’t hurt anywhere except my knee and my back.”

“Can you walk, or shall I get help?” Lu asked frantically.

“Don’t . . . you . . . dare.” She glared at her sister with unconcealed hatred.

“Rest for a few minutes while I take the horses to the stable. Then I’ll come back and help you up to the house.”

When they entered Woburn, their mother was busy putting up Yule decorations while the Russell brothers erected an enormous Christmas tree.

“Everything looks lovely,” Lu declared. “As soon as I change my clothes, I’ll be back to help you decorate the tree.”

The sisters managed to climb the stairs unobserved. Georgy limped into her bedchamber and Lu hung up her sister’s cloak. “Lie down and I’ll rub your back.”

Lu removed her sister’s boots and gently massaged her back. “Georgy, you frightened me to death. Promise you won’t do anything so reckless again?”

“It didn’t work,” she said dully.

“I’ll bring you up a tray. I’ll tell them you are tired from the ride.”

“I’m not hungry.” Georgy closed her eyes and lay still.

Downstairs, Louisa went through the motions of decorating the Christmas tree with her brothers, but her thoughts were focused on Georgy. The chatter was all about presents and games and who would be Lord of Misrule this year, and none noticed that Lu was preoccupied.

At the evening meal when her father asked about Georgy’s absence, Lu had her story ready. “I’m going to take a tray up to her. She’s busy wrapping presents, and after dinner I’m going up to do the same.”

“I invited my sister Charlotte and her entire clan, but it’s possible they will hold Christmas at Fife House,” Georgina announced. “Johnny, however, has sent word that he will be here until New Year. I’ve invited the prime minister and his wife, and of course the Hollands.” She glanced at Louisa. “I sent an invitation to James Hamilton and his brother Claud. I do hope they’ll come.”

Louisa’s anxious thoughts of Georgy crowded out everything else.
Woburn will be filled with guests. How will Georgy face everyone? I love her so much. If only I could find a way to help her.

 

Lu set the tray down by Georgy’s bed. Her sister had undressed and put on her nightgown. “How are you feeling?”

“My knee is bruised and my back hurts.”

“I have some angelica salve that will take away your bruises.”

Lu brought the pot of ointment and rubbed it on her sister’s knee. Then she raised her nightgown to look at her back. “It’s black and blue, but not nearly as bad as I feared. That was a very hard fall.” She anointed her sister’s back. “Drink your wine; it will help you sleep.”

Lu saw that Georgy’s hand trembled as she lifted the wineglass to her lips and her heart went out to her. “We’ll face this together, Georgy,” she pledged.

“Will you stay with me for a while?” Georgy picked at her food.

“Of course I will.”

Georgy set down her fork. “I’m so sick and tired of everything.”

“Get into bed. You need rest. I’ll stay with you until you fall asleep.”

Lu sought her own chamber once her sister slept. She put on her nightgown and climbed into bed. Distressing thoughts filled her head.
Georgy hates me. She thinks no one will offer for her, and blames me. It devastates me that she is in such a mess. I’ll stand by her, no matter what.
Tired by her ride, she drifted into slumber.

Two hours later, Louisa awoke when Georgy shook her arm. “Lu, I don’t feel very well. I don’t want to be alone.”